Vitamin B12 deficiency and extremely tired - the injections don't help much

Hi Shirley.....at least you can see the neurologist...that's great!Okay tell him you want an MMA test,Homocysteine test and Folic Acid test...if the MMA or Homocysteine are elevated you have a hidden B12 deficiency....the folic acid might be low or high.

Low borderline B12 can cause the nerve problems...tell your neuro that you want him to check for an "occult" B12 deficiency,because you don't want to waste time and lots of money on more expensive testing...like MRIs and such if it could be something as simple as needing B12 injections.

Tell him you have "a close relative" who has the same problem with their B12 being low,but not under the normal range who was DX with a hidden B12 deficiency.At this point that's the only way you might get a dr. to do those tests for you...your B12 is too low...not a healthy level....Good Luck...post back if you like...I'll try to help any way I can...Take Care Shirley~Scout

shirely...
i no, doctors just dont seem to know anything about b12!
im trying to figure out a way to get to a hematoligst without being refered by my gp, becasue he sure as hell isnt going to do that!
at least you can pursue the neuro... my doctors just think its all caused by depression!
good luck and keep us posted

ok back to the doctors tomorrow...
and just so im clear on this...
your red blood cells dont have to be abnormally large for you to have b12 defic? (at least i think its RBC)..
becasue this is what the doctors keep telling me... along with the fact that a b12 level of 272 is perfectly fine and normal

at the last test around 3 or 4 months ago...
rbc was 4.49 (3.8-5.3)
MCV was 92 (80-100)

hi helpwanted!

Your hemoglobin,hematocrit,RBC & WBC can all be in normal range and your MCV(this is te one that shows how big the red blood cells are)can be normal too and you still have an occult(hidden) B12 deficiency.When you're at the low end normal range of B12 then you need to have the MMA,Homocysteine and Folic Acid tests so that the dr. can tell if you have a hidden B12 deficiency.A normal folate will sometimes mask a B12 deficiency.My dr. told me that since there's so much folate in food now they are checking more people with lower end B12 levels for B12 deficiency...that's good news!

hope all goes well for you~Scout

hi scout... thanks for that, thats what i thought.
also.. i need to know exactly what hidden b12 def is... becasue my doctor didnt seem to know what i was talking about...
i mean i know what b12 def is... but how do you get hidden b12 def? how can you have a low normal b12 level but hidden b12 def? i need to get this striaght to argue back with him!!!

Originally Posted by help wanted :(

hi scout... thanks for that, thats what i thought.
also.. i need to know exactly what hidden b12 def is... becasue my doctor didnt seem to know what i was talking about...
i mean i know what b12 def is... but how do you get hidden b12 def? how can you have a low normal b12 level but hidden b12 def? i need to get this striaght to argue back with him!!!

Hi, I think maybe you're looking at this backwards.

It's "hidden" when your blood shows normal levels, but you have symptoms. So it's not hidden at all to you, but a doctor may tell you there's nothing wrong with you because the blood test shows normal levels of B12.

I forget exactly how this happens, but I think if your folate is off it can make your B12 levels appear normal even though they are low.

hey all.. still havnt been able to get the tests.. dont think its going to happen. i think i may just have to start taking sublingual b12 and see if theres any difference...
what dose do i need to make a difference? can anyone recomend a type or brand or dosage
thanks

Originally Posted by help wanted :(

hey all.. still havnt been able to get the tests.. dont think its going to happen. i think i may just have to start taking sublingual b12 and see if theres any difference...
what dose do i need to make a difference? can anyone recomend a type or brand or dosage
thanks

After numerous neurological symptoms, my doc only gave me four 1,000 mcg shots over four weeks, then I was to go on SL 1,000. Most of my symptoms had gotten noticably better except foot numbness but my doc wouldn't give me any more shots.

So I did a lot of reading, and when the shots ended I started taking two Jarrow 5,000 methyl subs per day, and have been doing this for about 5 weeks now. I think my feet are slowly getting better.

According to what I read, the methyl B12 tends to be absorbed better than the cyano . . .. type, and you can't really take too much; it apparently is not toxic at any reasonable level. Do a search and you can find these online, and the place I got them from ships the same day. I had mine within a few days.

Hi. I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency (level was 175) after trying to figure out what was wrong with me for almost a year. I have had 3 injections, and the dr. has me taking oral supplements as well, and basically just told me I would be better in 6 mo to a year. It seems that my symptoms have not gotten better, in fact they may be worse. I can only walk for maybe 10 min at a time, then need to sit, tingling from head to toe, and general weakness. I have a couple of questions, first of all, does it really take that long to begin to feel better? Is there anything that can be done in the meantime to expedite the process? Thanks so much for any help anyone can give me.

Originally Posted by Lynnv48

Hi. I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency (level was 175) after trying to figure out what was wrong with me for almost a year. I have had 3 injections, and the dr. has me taking oral supplements as well, and basically just told me I would be better in 6 mo to a year. It seems that my symptoms have not gotten better, in fact they may be worse. I can only walk for maybe 10 min at a time, then need to sit, tingling from head to toe, and general weakness. I have a couple of questions, first of all, does it really take that long to begin to feel better? Is there anything that can be done in the meantime to expedite the process? Thanks so much for any help anyone can give me.

My doc had no predictions about my feet. It's been over 8 weeks since my treatment started, and everything is pretty good except foot numbness. Being the farthest point from the brain it's probably the last to heal. OTC pain meds don't seem to make any difference. I'm expecting 6 months or so to get better.

But keep in mind that if nerve damage has gone too far before treatment was started, it may be permanent.

Hey, Iv'e just joined and I have no idea how you are after all these years, but I wanted to just encourage you to get checked out for Coeliac disease if you haven't already. I am 41 snd became a coeliac at the age of 26 after two years of feeling grim with severe fatigue and neurological symptoms. I now have a vit B12 deficiency (202) and a ferretin level of 6. SO get it checked OK? I have any other symptoms I won't bore you with but if you need more info then ask
much love