Vitamin B12

[Essexlil]

Hi, I’ve started taking vitamin B12 as my blood test shows normal but low. Only problem is, my ur8ne has turned bright yellow - does this mean I’m taking too much?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Essexlil

Is it just B12 that you are taking or are you also taking a B Complex as well?

B vits can cause bright yellow urine, usually it's B2 (Riboflavin) which is in a B Complex but apparently B12 can also. See:

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Essexlil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi it’s B12 only

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Essexlil]

Well, according to that article is it possible for B12 to cause bright yellow urine.

B12 220 pg/ml (197-771)

This result is from your post last week.

Did you check for signs of B12 deficiency? Do you have any?

Exactly what B12 supplement are you taking and the dose?

[Essexlil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi I’m taking Purolabs B12 1000 ug derives from Methycobalamin. My recent blood test results were 220 pg/mL (197-771) so just in normal range. GP didn’t comment but I decided to take supplement

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Essexlil]

Essexlil

There doesn't seem to be anything amiss with that supplement except the price, it is very expensive and other good brands can be had for 1/3rd of the cost and the fact that it is a capsule which has to be absorbed through the gut and better absorption is obtained with a sublingual supplement as this is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the oral cavity.

My recent blood test results were 220 pg/mL (197-771) so just in normal range. GP didn’t comment but I decided to take supplement

Yes, I commented on this in your previous post.

Your GP wont comment because it's within range, although only 4% through it's range. According to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

Many people with a B12 level in the 300s have been found to need B12 injections.

I did suggest in that previous reply, and asked above, about checking for signs of B12 deficiency. Did you do this? If not I seriously suggest that you do because symptoms must take precedence over numbers where B12 is concerned so you must push this point if you do have any symptoms and your GP should do further testing. You would need to stop your B12 supplement if you do have symptoms before further testing.

I asked if you'd come back and tell us what your GP was going to do because I would have given you further information. When taking B12 we need to also take a B Complex to keep all the B vitamins in balance. My suggestion is Thorne Basic B and when taking B Complex we need to leave this off for 3-7 days before any blood test as it contains biotin and this gives false results when biotin is also used in the testing procedure (which most labs do).

[Essexlil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi thank you for replying - I haven’t asked GP as, between Hashimotos and Sjögren’s I have so many symptoms that I can’t separate them from B12 deficiency symptoms. I was talking to her over the phone as I fell and hurt my back and I mentioned my B12 results and she said to take Berroca multi vitamin. I did start on that but decided to concentrate on B12 - I’m ‘bungling’ my way through as I really haven’t got a clue! I’ve also got D3 and magnesium but thought I’d better leave a gap before bombarding my body with more

[shaws Administrator]

If someone is low in B12, GP should check that the person doesn't have Pernicious Anaemia before prescribing - it is quite common with one autoimmune disease to develop others.

f the person does have P.A. it is very important they have regular B12 injections. Once we have one autoimmune disease we can develop others and we need treatment for these too. Some people cannot absorb B12 from food due to changes in their stomach.

nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics...

[Essexlil in reply to shaws]

Hi, thank you - I did have full blood tests as part of my annual Sjögren’s check up so hopefully my GP has taken all of this into account - she is very good I think