High B12

[Sundrund]

Hi, hoping for any guidance. I had some blood tests, fbc, liver, kidney (u & e I think?).
Prescribed iron for iron deficiency, but what is worrying me is a b12 reading of 907 Ng/l (reference range is up to 771).

The gp didn't seem overly concerned, and I had been taking berocca which has b12 in it intermittently prior to the test.

Everything on line seems very serious for high b12. Has anyone experienced similar?

907 is not high. It's probably normal. It just happens to be high according to the lab references the doctor is using. They move the goal posts on what they will and won't treat all the time.
Do some research on b12 deficiency, there is a famous doctor up north somewhere called Dr Chandy that claims levels have to be around 1000 in order for you to not feel symptoms of a deficiency.

Thank you for the reply. A google search wasn't reassuring, seeing to suggest high b12 indicates underlying cancer.

I appreciate the response.

I was just going to post something similar!

No problem. I'm not a HCP so obviously best to consult with your GP if worried.

I have learnt so much about B12 deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia though, having being diagnosed after years of miserable symptoms and every GP at my surgery having no idea what's up with me! so frustrating!

B12 isn't something I really knew anything about prior to these blood tests.

Thank you both for replying.

You can't overdose on B12 as it is a water soluble, you just pee out what your body doesn't need.

I was going to post the same..
You can't go on the guidelines.. what is high/ low for one isn't for another.
I self inject b12 every week... and l know l can't take too much because extra comes out in your urine.. l follow Dr Chandy.
I believe b12 saved me from dying with covid ( before vaccinations were invented) l now don't suffer 20 plus mouth ulcers a day.. or Thrush ( oral and vaginal) BV .. and other health problems l had.
Unfortunately normal GPs don't have enough knowledge of B12. And high B12 does not give you cancer.

Every week, @TinkerbellefromYorkshire ? Even though I have a problem absorbing B12 I'd not considered more than monthly.

Do you have injections? Tablets are hard to absorb with people who have problems.. injections are not.. plus you take a folic acid tablet each to time to help absorption. Look up Dr Chandy.
I used to pay private for my injections at £30 but now l get them sent from Germany and work out a £1 per ampoule. I SI its really easy and the benefits to my health is immense.

You don't happen to have a link for these do you.? Thanks

Yes, I have injections on the NHS.

I also self inject, Im currently doing every other day until my symptoms stop improving. I was having 8 weekly through my doctor and they just wouldn't listen to me when I stated that my symptoms were declining more and more.

If you have neurological symptoms the NICE guidelines state that you should be having every other day until no further improvement. See the link.

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anaemia-b12-folate-deficiency/management/management/

I just found this post after searching high B12. I was having some gynae issues so had bloods taken and my B12 is 923.

Is this normal?

I don't take supplements but have turned vegetarian this year. Am leaning on eggs a lot more than I was and having a lot of vegetarian alternatives and some are fortified with b12.

@SippingSipsmith if you have just turned vegetarian this year you will still have good stores of B12. It can be stored in the body for something like 5/6 years. You will need to take a b12 supplement probably though if you are choosing to stay vegetarian as you can only get heme b12 from animal products.

What about b12 of over 1,200?

I'm waiting for a doctors follow up on this and saw this thread.

Thank you

My GP always tells me that you can't overdose on B12, your body uses the amount it needs and then any excess is removed (I think) when you pee?

@MeetMyCat

Just spoke to "my" nutritionist and seemingly I'm on a supplement with B12 included in it so I'm coming off this immediately!

My take on this is if you're supplementing and it's high it's not a big deal but if you're not supplementing and it's high it can be a marker for something. I wasn't aware my supplements had b12 so was thought it was more sinister!

Thank you!

Hi there - just wondered if you'd had any repeat testing done since coming off your supplement and if your levels had normalised a bit? I just had a similar experience - B12 blood test of nearly 1200 which is mega over the optimal range. I've been taking a supplement containing B12 but didn't realise what a high dosage it was! Worried about bringing my levels down asap as my husband and I are about to start trying to conceive and of course I've terrified myself via Dr Google with research studies that link high maternal B12 levels with an increased risk of severe autism.

My GP wasn't concerned and told me I could repeat bloods before Christmas

In the meantime I'm noticing that a lot of vegetarian meat substitutes contain added b12 as well as a protein shake I was having around the time of the blood test.

I did see on a large NYC hospital info sheet they consider high over 1500 so perhaps we just have a lower threshold on our tests

@SippingSipsmith thanks for your reply, much appreciated. Yes maybe our ranges are quite conservative. It's good to know you had various fortified things in your diet at the time of the test - no doubt means your blood levels would be quite elevated without meaning anything worrying! I'm going to go for a repeat test next month so hoping to see my levels coming down now that I've cut out the mega-dosage supplement I was taking. Thanks again.