2nd opinion please on if B12 okay or low?

[Ian232]

Hi,

I feel unwell & piled on weight & found that my thyroid is a bit out. I am 3-4 weeks into an increase of 25mcg levothyroxine, so now on 125mcg.

I have a test to check (TSH), free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) ready & waiting, but plan on doing this in another 3-4 weeks on new 125mcg dose. (as far as I am aware, FT3 never been tested)

What I wanted to ask was, can someone give me a 2nd opinion on my B12 level which last tested was 389ng/L (normal range 197-771). Someone here suggested it low & I might benefit from a pernicious anaemia test (I do have symptoms) & vitamins. The trouble is, my GP is being a little short with me, so I am reluctant to ask for test, & instead opted for a week on sublingual B12 spray, & then an addition of B complex.

I have just found a way of finding blood test result trends on my health record, & I can see B12 has been a lot lower, & I wonder if there a correlation with psychiatric meds that I have had chopped & changed.

Thank you so much,

Ian

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Now that you have started taking B12 it will make PA testing difficult if not impossible.

The range for B12 is too wide and the cut off point too low so many people with B12 deficiency/PA are missed. GPs are also not very educated about this.

A good level of B12 is above 500 so all of your results are too low. You will need the B12 spray for more than a week. Take both spray & B complex until your result reaches 500+.

Low B12 can cause psychiatric issues as can low thyroid hormones so you really need to grab the replacement of these by the horns and be sure your levels improve adequately.

Which psychiatric meds were you on?

[Ian232 in reply to Jaydee1507]

Hi Jaydee & thanks.

I have been on 75mg of Venlafaxine & 2.5mg of Aripiprazole for about 7 years. 20 years ago, it was 'believed' that I had psychotic depression so psychiatry tried me on various antipsychotics & then I got life controlling OCD, & had been on numerous high dose antidepressants & antipsychotics before this current med combination.

Last August I got switched to a new psychiatrist, I had one telephone call & was told to STOP aripiprazole immediately because it not good & double venlafaxine. I then discovered a week later I had been discharged, & 6-8 weeks later I had a complete meltdown & feel I really did experience psychosis for the first time & suicidal!😓 It took weeks to get all this reversed, & back down to 75mg venlafaxine & 2.5mg. On February 3rd I 'tapered' down to 1.25mg Aripiprazole, & again 6-8 weeks later was when the withdrawal kicked in & I am sure I am over that, & then all this started.

I really regret going down this psychiatric med route, but psychiatry was VERY insistent 🙄 I got CBT for OCD, but get this, I am now (20 years on) only receiving CBT for depression after discharge, as a self referral.

Sorry about rambling on, but I thought it may be worth knowing, & thanks again

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Ian232]

Bless you Ian and I wonder how long you had an undiagnosed thyroid condition.

Certainly studies do suggest that B12 can be depleted by Aripiprazole so that may well account for lower levels during treatment with that med.

Anyway, time to double down on getting hormone and vitamin levels to optimal and a whole new you is waiting to emerge.