Vitamin B12 Deficiency

suejb2

I had a course of injections toward the end of my pregnancy 12 years ago. Bloods taken since then haven't highlighted the need to have them repeated.

McKneff

If you have a b12 deficiency, ii is perniceous neamia. B12 can not be absorbed through the stomach
You are wasting your money.

Google it or at least ask your doctor

KxMx

The injections were never even mentioned for me, GP went straight to tablets. Two daily on prescription keep me topped up nicely.

I've found out through supervised trial and error that is the best dose for me. If I reduce to one tablet my levels stay normal but start dropping quite a bit. If I stop then I quickly become deficient again.

At a guess I'd say I have poor or reduced absorption rather that a total lack of.

poppy_f1

i was advised i had a b12 deficiency when i was told i had a underactive thyroid, so had to take tablets every day
about 1 year ago i wasnt getting them prescribed anymore as the GP said my levels were fine but i stil take a b vitamin so they wont drop again

Filo25

McKneff wrote: »

If you have a b12 deficiency, ii is perniceous neamia. B12 can not be absorbed through the stomach
You are wasting your money.

Google it or at least ask your doctor

Is that definitely correct? I thought you can absorb a very small proportion of B12 through your gut, even if you didn't have intrinsic factor, it just means you will need to take regular high doses.

I was deficient in spite of eating meat and dairy, but did resolve it with daily supplementation at reasonably high doses with no other treatment

UKTigerlily

All I know is mine went back to normal, and when I had my blood tested last in June it's fine (especially vigilant now since going Vegan)

maddiemay

B12 deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia have the same symptoms, but different causes. B12 def. can be caused by being vegan and other things, but Pernicious Anaemia is an auto immune disease whereby the body ceases to produce something called Intrinsic Factor which makes B12. This an awful over simplification, but no time to look up better worded info now.

If no problems with absorption treatment with tablets/diet can work fine. In some cases though levels are so low that injections are needed to get back to a healthy range.

With PA I could eat my body weight in appropriate foods and take tablets by the dozen, but would not be able to absorb enough B12 to live on, then the only treatment is by life long injection. As I understand it the absorption rate for those with PA is 1% or less - not enough to function on for long.

Amanda4242

I have pernicious anaemia and found out because I had a great doctor. I went to the doctor originally many years ago with exhaustion. He sent me for blood tests and found my B12 to be very very low. He gave me a course of high dose B12 vitamins to take over a month I think. Then retested my blood again and my B12 had dropped, which proved I had PA. I get regular injections, but sometimes find that I have so little energy before my next shot. I know some people self inject but the cost is so expensive. If anybody has found any cheap alternatives to sourcing the B12 shots and needles I would love to know.

The facebook group someone mentioned on here is also a wealth of knowledge.

maddiemay

Amanda4242 wrote: »

I have pernicious anaemia and found out because I had a great doctor. I went to the doctor originally many years ago with exhaustion. He sent me for blood tests and found my B12 to be very very low. He gave me a course of high dose B12 vitamins to take over a month I think. Then retested my blood again and my B12 had dropped, which proved I had PA. I get regular injections, but sometimes find that I have so little energy before my next shot. I know some people self inject but the cost is so expensive. If anybody has found any cheap alternatives to sourcing the B12 shots and needles I would love to know.

The facebook group someone mentioned on here is also a wealth of knowledge.

The Facebook group " Vitamin B12 Share the cost" thread might be worth reading for you Amanda.

PM me if you would like info about where I get the other bits from (might not be able to reply immediately tho'

FBaby

Also to be noted that the routine nhs test for b12 deficiency is not always a true indication of vit b12 deficiency because it tests the level of b12xin blood but won't be detect whether it is absorbed properly.

This information is available on the NHS website but still my gp wouldn't consider it because my levels came back just within range despite the fact my mch results were verchigh.

I decided to start injecting myself and after a few months of different r!gimes I ve finally stabilised. I now recognise the symptoms which are very distinctive and inject when I do which now any time between 3 and 6 weeks, earlier when I've exercised more intensively during that period.