What is your B12 level?

[kissmelittleass]

Mine came back recently as 382 which I'm told is normal, a bit down from 15 months ago though as it was 430 then.
Not sure if I should supplement or not for a few months I'm vegan, anyway just wanted to get an idea of what other people's B12 levels were to see if there similar to mine!

Mine are up in the thousands but that is because I get injections. But mine started off like yours and then they kept dropping and dropping until they hit 70 and I thought I was dying. If I miss an injection it plumets down to the 300 mark again in a few short weeks.

My last one was just over 300 and was classed as normal, I think it is only low below about 170

Are you on any supplements at all?

@romdowa wow hope you're feeling better now, I was told off by the surgery nurse a few years ago because I was taking a daily B12 tablet and my levels were 800 and something!! She told me it was too high!!!
Scared me and I stopped taking the B12 tablets since, I actually was B12 deficient twenty years ago as I was vegetarian again and because quite ill with numbness and tingling in my back and legs yet was never given an injection then I was just told to buy tablets and eat meat!!!

@BoredOfThisShit no I'm not taking any b12 tablets at the moment but wondering if I should for a few months

Mine were 90 and I've recently started the injections.

(This is my understanding)

It's a whole thing, you can be deficient in B12, or you can have perinicious anaemia.

The first can be supported with oral supplements / changes in diet, the later requires B12 injections.

I would have to check but I'm pretty confident your level is very low.

Mine are 700, I have injections. Feel Ill below 500.

Sorry, I should have added I'm on 10 weekly injections, was diagnosed almost 12 years ago after blood tests for extreme exhaustion & forgetfulness. My DM had the same and was on 12 weekly injections years before I was diagnosed.

@Defender90 thanks, I can't understand the nurse telling me off a few years ago for having a level of 800?
Told level of 382 is now normal? Very confusing advice from medical professionals

It was In the 500s, a year ago, down from 700s a few years back. I've stopped supplementing as I was told I really didn't need to. Interesting that it sounds like above 500 might be optimal... I might start again! I never feel great as I'm on loads of meds, so I'll take any chance I can to feel a bit better!

Mine is 200 but they don’t see this as low apparently 😐

[quote kissmelittleass]@romdowa wow hope you're feeling better now, I was told off by the surgery nurse a few years ago because I was taking a daily B12 tablet and my levels were 800 and something!! She told me it was too high!!!
Scared me and I stopped taking the B12 tablets since, I actually was B12 deficient twenty years ago as I was vegetarian again and because quite ill with numbness and tingling in my back and legs yet was never given an injection then I was just told to buy tablets and eat meat!!![/quote]
Yes once I keep up my injections I'm all good. At the time my levels were 70, I was actually taking supplements but they made no difference at all. Could you take a lower dose of b12? So that your levels don't get so high?

All what matter is whether you have symptoms that are debilitating. The level itself doesn't say much. A more accurate test would be to do an active B12 test.

Some people have significant symptoms at levels of 400, others have none at levels under 200.

You can't have too much B12 as the body automatically gets rid of excess.

Go and join the Facebook Pernicious Anemia page. Tons of very helpful advice there.

My level is 303. Normal under NHS guidelines but I have a whole ruck of symptoms now including enlarged red blood cells.

I've got follow up tests in September so I'm hoping they will try injections and an Active B12 test, then I can take over my own care.

@kissmelittleass B12 is not toxic, it's water soluble. Your body will excrete any excess. Sometimes it takes a level of over 1000 consistently to repair along with taking cofactors.

As a PP said, the Facebook group is great!

Interesting to read this as I've just had a private blood test and it says my active b12 is 55. Anyone know if this is different to b12 test from go. Thanks

Mine was 57, now on tablets and have been since April . GP said jabs not necessary .

Im reading these numbers in awe. Just did a thriva test kit and my active B12 is 134. Classed as normal. I have a GP appointment in a few weeks to discuss it. I have to say that I don't feel particularly tired or anything.

@jajabanks

I thought the same. Wondered if a finger prick test is different quality blood to blood from vein.

Are there different scales of measurement? I’ve been vegan for a few years, and previously vegetarian my whole life, and never had low b12 or any sort of anaemia (except the last 2 weeks of pregnancy). My last b12 level was around 760. I never take supplements. I know several omnivores who are having to have injections.

[quote Golden2021]**@jajabanks

I thought the same. Wondered if a finger prick test is different quality blood to blood from vein.[/quote]
Active B12 has a different range of 'normal' to a B12 test the nhs will do, so the numbers don't compare.

Thriva says :
300-569 pmol/l is normal for B12
37.5-188 pmol/l for active B12

NHS test results are normally given in Ng/l so you need to convert if you're comparing with private tests. Different NHS trusts have different cut off points for what they consider deficient, but I think it's normally under around 120-190. But some other countries consider anything under 500 not optimal.

Mine was unreadable until I started self injecting due to having no feeling from my thighs down. I still haven't regained the feeling 9 months later & am waiting for a wheelchair. The NHS threshold for deficiency diagnosis is very low, you can have a level over 300 & still have symptoms of deficiency, it isn't the total amount of B12 in your body that matters but the level you absorb. I could inject tonight & have a blood test tomorrow which would show a raised level but I may only absorb a small amount, you need to take cofactors of folic acid, magnesium & B complex to enable your body to absorb the B12. Iron deficiency, B12 deficiency & underactive thyroid are all linked, if one is out of balance it can affect the levels of the others. Taking oral B12 in a lot of cases doesn't work as it is digested in the stomach & if gastric acid levels are too low as they often are in pernicious anemia then although total B12 levels will increase, active levels won't, that is why injections are best. Most doctors will only give 6 loading injections over 2 weeks & then one every 12 weeks which isn't enough, that is why many sufferers buy their own to self inject. If anyone wants to know more, join one of the B12 groups on Facebook.

@TimeTravellingBrain wow that's a great level for a vegan and no supplements either!! I'm vegetarian but I actually only have milk and kefir I don't eat eggs or cheese so I miss out on b12 there.
What are you eating that gives you an excellent level of b12 without supplementing? I'm very interested in your diet!! I'm wondering if I'd feel less tired with a higher level of b12 think I will start supplementing for a few months with a low dose though

@Nat6999 sorry to hear you've been so unwell very hard for you, interesting you mention under active thyroid as I'm on 50 mg Eltroxin since 2017 and am always borderline anemic at about 11.6 for hb levels .
I don't take folic acid or magnesium, the only vitamins I take are vitamin D spray with k2, vitamin c with zinc and spatone every second day as can't tolerate the tablets.
As for b12 my doctor said my recent level of 382 was normal but maybe I'll feel better if I supplement for a while, I'll have a look at the face group mentioned

There is no unsafe level of B12 and you can’t over dose on it. Doesn’t surprise me that a nurse was misinformed about it as I’ve yet to find a GP who fully understands the potential severity of B12 deficiency. Hence, I self inject (I am diagnosed with PA) because I can’t be arsed fighting with medical professionals to get the appropriate treatment.