B12 - can anyone advise me on my blood results

[badgersbadgerseverywhere]

I’ve applied to join B12 Wake Up on Facebook and am waiting to be approved but would like some advice while I wait.

I was sent for blood tests because of increased fatigue and when I checked them yesterday they were all marked as ‘Normal’. However, as my mom has B12 deficiency caused by inability to absorb it through her stomach which was missed and has left her with lasting damage, I asked ChatGPT what my result means and it said my number is classed as ‘very low’ by essentially all experts and is generally viewed as requiring treatment.

My level is 71 pmol/L which according to the NHS app is within normal range. I’ve found it very hard to compare my numbers with those on posts I’ve searched on here because the unit of measurement seems to have changed - eg people are talking about being deficient when their results are in the hundreds, but they don’t mention the unit of measurement just the figures. My B12 in 2023 was 232 ng/l, which as I say is a different unit of measurement.

I have many symptoms of B12 deficiency however I also have MS which causes the same symptoms so it’s very hard to unpick what is what.

I’m scared that I may suffer lasting damage from a B12 deficiency but I’m also dreading having notoriously painful regular injections! I know my mom dreads them and also she doesn’t seem to get them often enough through the NHS and gets recurrence of symptoms before her next jab is due.

I have an underactive thyroid which apparently is connected to low B12, and I also have no gallbladder which leads to low stomach acid - another thing connected to B12 deficiency.

Any advice and experiences would be very welcome thank you.

Check out the nutrient teams Facebook group.
You need to improve your digestion as well as getting the right nutrients in the right forms.
He is of the belief that sublingual b12 works just as well as injections and he prefers that approach.
My husband and son do patches as well as sublingual for belt and braces.
You'll also need folate and a mixed b vitamin.

The more I learn the more confused I become!

The daily spray works well for me. I absolutely know of if I miss a dose/ my feet tingle and itch horribly.

If you can give us your result and the reference range, we can tell you whether you are deficient, borderline or whatever. Without the reference range, we can't.

Sorry, I should have included these at the start.

I don't understand these results. Could this be an active B12 test rather than a bog standard serum B12 test? Either way, you are within range, although on the low side, so a GP may not be interested.

You might double check with the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum on Health Unlocked. They will be helpful.

Hi there, do you mind sharing which brand you use and where to get it, please?

After over a year of supplements my B12 has just squeaked into normal range. My GP prescribes only 150mcg a day, won't offer injections. My intrinsic factor is normal.

I don’t understand them either. I understand it’s probably a ’total’ rather than ‘active’ test as that’s the one the NHS usually does first as it’s cheaper and simpler. In which case, going by the Nice guidelines posted by a PP, I am well into the ‘deficient’ range?

I will contact my GP to discuss on Monday but my history of being fobbed off when suffering serious illness makes me want to gather all ammunition before I do so, and that’s proving quite tricky. I’ve quickly learned there are strong opposing views as to how and when to treat any deficiency, and whether to inject or if tablets and spray can actually be absorbed (as some pp’s have said).

I do not want to start injections but I am so tired and my feet are increasingly numb, my balance and walking worse. Figuring out what is caused by my MS and what is possible B12 deficiency complicates things.

I don’t know whether to just buy the high strength tablets or spray mentioned above or whether that will muddy the waters of any further testing.

I will look at the forum you mentioned thank you.

https://amzn.eu/d/08tzCkh2

I have been using thesefor about 7 years now. Hopefully the link
will work

Nu U 1000mcg B12

Can you get a test done privately so the results are easier to understand? I use Thriva which I test at home and it's really easy to do. I tested active B12 and my result was 68.3, which is just under the recommended level of 70. I pay for B12 injections and feel so much better when I take it, despite only just being under the recommended level (I do believe we have very low levels in the UK, compared to other countries, for most things).

I've just done my follow up test so I'm waiting to get the results back to see how much I've increased, then I will either move to tablets or do another 3 months on the injections, depending on the result.

I might consider a private test but it’s quite expensive.

Does anyone have any more information about my numbers and why they differ from the Nice guidelines and the British Society of Haemotology? I don’t know what to trust or believe.

If you can get a phone appointment with the GP practice id ask why they did the ngl test first time then a pmol test the second. And ask for an explanation of the results. Not sure what else you can do with it really.

I’m a consultant’s secretary in the NHS. I’ve noticed that over the last year they have started reporting B12 results as pmol/L instead of ng/L stating that active B12 levels should be above 70. Maybe there has been a change towards checking active levels generally.

Thank you @Wigwambam65that’s very interesting.

I can't offer any advice on levels, but will say that I wouldn't bother with tablets if you have poor absorption, they're poorly absorbed even without that. They usually contain the cyanocobalamin form, which is inferior. I believe it's also the form used in b12 injections. It's derived from cyanide too, not something you want to ingest! The superior, well absorbed forms are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, the former is more common. Sublingual drops are much more effective than tablets.

I take Yoga Nutrition sublingual b12 drops, which are recommended by a very knowledgeable health practitioner I follow. I just take half the recommended dose as I think that's a bit high. As stated above, you need to take folate with b12 - not folic acid, which is toxic but unfortunately in almost all b complex supplements, and even worse soon to be added to all white flour products in the UK. 😔 Unfortunately it's very hard to find a decent, affordable b complex supplement which doesn't contain folic acid or cyanocobalamin, so I'm not taking one alongside the b12 drops, though I know I should.

That’s very useful @OnDaysLikeThesethank you.

@OnDaysLikeThese have a look at Thorne basic b.

Can I ask which patches you use please?

Wont be the GP practice decision. Will be due to lab changing test/machine/protocol.