My results were low normal at 286. Is this very low? Please let me know. I am concerned.

I would make it a priority in life to get the number higher. Talk to your doctor and work out a plan - but be prepared for a little resistance from the medical field. If you have read other posts you will note that the doctors generally don't take it as serious as they should.

Start supplementing with vitamins - Sublingual B-12 is a good start and then have your levels checked again. If it were me I would do the supplements and then retest in about 1 1/2 months. If the levels go up then keep up the good work. If they don't look for an answer as to why you are not absorbing the vitamin.

I am a rare one that reacted in the 400 range – Everything in life at that point was horribly difficult and as my numbers dropped to the 300 range it was darn difficult just to exist. My symptoms took 3 pages of typed text to list them all.

I don’t mean to scare you to bad but just enough that you do keep a watch on this.

If you are or have – vegetarian, stomach surgery, stomach ulcers, gastric by pass, take antacids or have celiac disease these could be the immediate causes for your low B12 levels.

Good luck,

I also react badly in the 300 range. I had terrible muscle twitches that really worried me. Plus headaches and constant nausea. Now that things are under control - it took shots plus sublingual and prescription folic acid to make me ok again, I'm doing much better. But it took about 6 months to get back to normal.

I second Unique's response. Try and see if they will give you shots. And Definitely try the sublingual B12. Also, make sure you're taking a supplement with the other B's as well - it's important to make sure they're all balanced.

Jill

thanks for the replys. I have had fatigue, headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, anxiety etc. Bloodwork done by my Dr and I am low normal and they don't want to treat me so today I went and bought b12 that go under my tongue. Did you guys have symptoms like mine?

Yes, when my B12 was low, I had joint and muscle pain, fatigue, random muscle twitches, blurry vision - felt like my contacts needed cleaning, headaches, and when I leaned over, I heard an owl hooting in my ear. Also heart palpatations and rapid pulse. When it got really bad, my BP went up as well. It was hard to sleep, and I would often wake up with a start and a racing pulse.

Sublingual B12 will help, but you have to be faithful to it. I'd also try to talk the dr into shots until you can get your levels to stay at least in the 800's. You need to be higher so your body can repair the damage.

Jill

A very short version of the long list:

Hearing sensitivity, visual disturbances, muscle pain, muscle spasms, muscle jerks, electric shocks, pins and needle feelings, loss of memory, muscle contractions (like holding them tight all the time), joint pain, difficulty sleeping, transposed letters when writing, would reverse the meaning of words (mean to say day but night would come out), used to be a multi-task personality but could barely do one thing at a time, slept allot, no energy, easily confused, loss of smell taste and touch, IBS, vertigo, loss of muscle strength and control, depression, anxiety, bright spots in vision, blurred vision, just thinking a thought thru felt like walking in mud, couldn't stand much movement around me, wasn’t able to drive for 7 months, tremors, chills, my hands and feet would get so cold I would barricade myself under several covers be sweating horribly but yet my feet were so cold they felt like a block of ice to me (my family would touch them and swear they were on fire), I couldn't visually track movement, wasn't able to look anywhere but straight ahead while walking, had the drunken stupor feeling with out even drinking, ringing in the ears, very strange popping sounds in my head, would tell my fingers to move but the wouldn't, weight gain, always hungry, short tempered, heart raced, shortness of breath, at my worst my body gave me about 10 minutes warning and then it would just shut down into sleep, I was on muscle relaxers for about 2 years because when I woke up my toes currled under and it took about 15 minutes of stretching before I could walk and even with this list I am sure I have forgotten quite a few.

Hang in there.

Wow I never dreamed it could cause all these problems. I s your b12 normal or higher now? What is it? How long did it take. And thanks for questions on IBS. lol kw

KW123

I feel like a scientific experiment sometimes – but at least it makes this journey a bit more interesting.

I have been self injecting B12 every two weeks for a year and a half now. My lowest B12 number reached the higher 200 range. Seven months ago I tested at 777 and was finally able to exercise – by the time my 6 month checkup came around I was having increased symptoms – my lab work showed that because if my exercising I dropped down into the 600 range. Since then I have stopped the exercising for a 3 month period – this way I can gain back the level I lost. Next month I will start back with the exercise program but cut it back a bit in attempts to keep my numbers at a more level rate.

It seemed to me like I really started feeling the best when I was in the upper 700 range. My goal for the future is to get closer to 1,000 before I start back to my full range of physical activity prior to this illness. It’s a long journey but I have learned a lot from it so far. And I know that is will have to balance my life around my B12 shots and levels stored in my liver – but it is a lot better than the alternative.

Ask any odd question you may have – I will answer as honestly as I can from my own experience and hopefully you will find some information useful.
:cool:

What caused your b12 to be so low/? Were you anemic? I am not anemic. What does that mean? Sorry I just have no idea.

I think that if you are B12 deficient for long periods of time, you will eventually become anemic.

I was two weeks overdue for my shot. For the past three days, I've had this nausea that comes and goes, no appetite and this bad headache that starts after I exercise. I got my shot this morning, I ran, and I haven't got a headache! I know it probably doesn't help that fast, but I know I needed it. I just wish I could get the test done to see what my level is when I'm starting to feel punky, then I could prove that how I feel is connected to the low level. But to get them to test me means I have to have a dr appt, and that means taking longer to get my shot, so I just got the shot without the test today because I couldn't stand feeling that bad. But I would love to have the numbers to back me up.

Jill

My body does not absorb B12 since I have pernicious anemia - In addition I have celiac disease making it even harder for my body to get what it needs. Lucky for me both are easily controlled.

Japlopper: You’re not crazy – When I first started to get the shots the nurse thought I was crazy because I told her that the first week I felt fine but on the 8th day my right hand would start to tremor and by time my shot came around I felt like a drug addict. I showed her my trembling hand once before the shot then sat there for 15 minutes just to show her that I was serious and sure enough the trembling was cut in half. It usually took about 2 hours for it to stop completely. Eventually the extreme changes dwindled but I still can tell quite a difference 4 days prior to my shot and then grateful for feeling normal again. I don’t freak so much anymore by the roller coaster ride of symptoms, I have just learned to roll with the punches.

Are your shots temporary or will you be doing them for the rest of your life? Since mine is a lifetime sentence and every two weeks minimum I had the nurse teach me how to do the injections by myself. The thought of taking an hour or so out of my life just to get a shot at the doctor’s office every two weeks seemed like such a waste to me. It took me about four of them before they said I was fine to be on my own. Once you get over the fear it’s not so bad – At first just the thought of sticking myself nearly gave me heart failure. I watched (really watched) the nurse and realized that you didn’t need to stab yourself to get the job done. My biggest fear was just how hard to you poke yourself – I was afraid as stupid as it sounds of how far in the needle would go before I hit the bone. Give it a thought you might ask your doctor if they will teach you.

Best wishes to everyone.

IamUnique,
I've thought many times that I wish I could do it myself. I keep thinking it is temporary, but it's been a year, and I still need them. I really need them to test my levels again so we can see where we are. It may be a life sentence, as the B12 trouble is caused from my hemolytic anemia. The B12 keeps my hemoglobin up, somewhat, but when the hemolytic anemia is in full force, I lose B12 like crazy. I wish there was a test I could do at home to see what my B12 level is!

Jill

I guess I am lucky that my doctor takes me seriously, even if he doesn't quite understand from our perspective just how horrible we feel.

I have a regular routine for lab work that I will follow for the rest of my life. Every 6 months always b12 levels, liver function, thyroid, iron and the generic CBC. I have managed twice to get a virus that attached my inner ear and freaked when the dizzy spells returned full force. Each time this happened he would immediately rerun the B12 and thyroid labs.

Do you think your doctor is just brushing you off? Could you be taking a bit of a passive or timid approach when your in his office? Just a question because I remember the mind games that the doctors sort of played with me to see just how serious I was. Even when I didn't feel when I always took a very strong stance with them. Not in a mean way just direct, asked alot of questions, did lots of research and always went back with more questions. I also discovered that I knew what would set my symptoms off so in the waiting rooms I would trigger them - when they actually saw it happening it was harder to question me. I remember one doctor tested me to see how serious I was by telling my I would have to do a painfull test and he preferred not to use numbing medication. My quick response was and we do it right now? That set him back just a bit.

I guess what I am trying to say is - you know your body listen to it and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself.

keep up the good work.

Hi,
What is the range for B-12 level? I am in Australia and here the range is 130-855 pmol/L.
My result is 371. Is it low? I read posts saying to feel normal it should be around 800. I am bit confused.

I am confused as well. My level was 324 (range 211-911). My doctor said that was fine but after reading this board, I bought sublingual B12 2.5mg and have been taking it for almost 2 months. My level has gone to 424 and the doctor said not to even worry about it any more. I cannot find anything that has info on the mid levels. All of the articles talk about levels below 180!

Range is 211-986. Anything under 400 can produce symptoms. I had h pylori. I am unable to take b12 until I am done with antibiotics. At 286 b12 my Dr. put me on weekly b12 shots and subling daily. It did help me alot. I had terrible fatigue and joint pain. Since I have been off b12 for almost 2 weeks I can tell I feel weird again. As soon as h. pylori is gone, I can focus on getting my b12 above 800. This is my goal.

Congrats on finishing your anti's, I know how hard that must have been for you. FLFLOWERGIRL:)