B12 deficiency?

[numptee]

Hello, I had some blood test results back through work which have shown a Vitamin B12 level of 160pmol which is apparently on the low side. Everything else was normal. I eat well but I do have coeliac disease so I already take supplements.

Anyone know if it's worth visiting gp about this or will they say just to keep popping the vitamin pills? I don't want to bother them unnecessarily.

Thank you

yes, speak to your GP. Vit B12 deficiency is common result of coeliac disease. Because it's an absorption issue, taking tablets won't help and you will likely need injections.

If your B12 is 160 WITH supplements then yeah, injections definitely. That's a low result even without supplements.

You need injections and
Testing for other things

Thanks all. Any idea what the levels should be? The internet is soooooo confusing on this point!

Doctors don't agree as to what the levels should be. Some say 200, some say 500 and others think 1000.

Do you suffer any of the symptoms associated with b12 deficiency? People who do normally feel quite miserable. Some though are ok around 200 and others struggle with levels of 400.

18 morning moths ago mine were the low side in the normal range but as I was very fatigued I was put on 20 weekly B12 injections. They have changed my life. After 20 weeks they moved to every two weeks. I still have them. I feel so well. Excess B12 - no such thing. Oh the injections are inter muscular and do hurt

Yes well I'm exhausted and have had anxiety for the last few years too, I had assumed that this was just life. Wouldn't the usual blood tests have picked this up before though? Sorry for the twenty questions

Liz can I ask what your levels were?

Go back to the GP. I was suffering with anxiety and frankly depression. Went to the GP and got antidepressants and they did a blood test just to rule everything out. I was severely anemic and deficient in a number of vitamins. Since getting all of that sorted out, I feel much better and have come off the antidepressants.

Sorry, don’t have time to go into the ins and outs of my experience right now but this www.b12d.org/b12d/submit/document?id=13
Is a great NHS, evidence-based site which really helped me and which my GP took seriously.

There’s a good Facebook group called pernicious anaemia, worth looking at that.

Thank you all this is really helpful.

Joining this thread as my daughter has been diagnosed with this, had injections every other day for 2 weeks and was then told to return for another one in 6 months. She's now (abot 3 months later) getting the same symptoms but has been told by the GP that she has to wait until the 6 month slot before she gets treatment although ' sh can go and get it done privately if she wants'.... Is there anything she can do about this? She's not great at standing up for herself but at 22 I can't actually go and sort it :-(

Not necessarily. B12 is not routinely tested for and is often overlooked even when it is.

There are varying opinions on what the level should be, my old GP told me 180 was comfortably in the range with no need for supplementation but then studies show deficiencies start to appear below ~550 for example. The starting range in Japan is 500. Ours can be as low as 120 (!!)

Then there's the point that even if you have a high level of total B12 there's no guarantee that your body is using enough.

So an Active B12 test with homocysteine, MMA and IF antibodies is a more complete picture (but not 100% conclusive as no test exists to see how your using it on a cellular level).

@HidingFromDD many resort to self-injecting from reputable online retailers. It's quick, affordable and means you don't have to wait for the NHS 3 months. Have a look at the HealthUnlocked website for discussions on it. :)

Although 6 months is ridiculously long to wait and 3 months is the usual, I would take her to another GP to argue increasing the frequency!

@numptee
Serum Folate was 3.5ug/L
Serum Vit B12 321 ng/L

I was prescribed 8 weeks folic acid and 20 weeks of B12

I felt so much better, alive, not sleepy or fatigued. I had a spring in my step a new lease of life. After a while I asked for my antidepressant, citalopram, to be dropped from 30mg to 20mg daily. Now down to 10mg daily and starting a taper to zero for the first time in 15+ years.

I fucking love B12 jabs (had one today)

Perhaps you could do what Vegans do and buy a big tub of nutritional yeast? I rather like the taste. You can sprinkle it on all sorts of things but it is very nice used instead of parmesan on pasta or in mashed potato on the top of a shepherds pie.

Nutritional yeast won’t solve a B12 issue

@LizJones thank you that is so helpful. They also have me on antidepressants which I don't think are necessarily doing their job. I haven't seen my gp yet but I got an active b12 test done which came back and said levels were normal at 50pmol did you get one of those? I have been supplementing like mad though as I'm coeliac anyway so goodness only knows. Part of me is hoping it is b12 so that I can start feeling less exhausted!!!!