Dear Mrs. D and everyone,

I got the results of my blood tests and I wanted to share the with you. I was off all of my vitamins and minerals for 10 days before I took the blood test.

First of all, I want to mention that I had done a mail-order urine test on my own for Pyroluria (from BioCenter Lab in Kansas) and the result came back positive, much to my surprise! My level was 30. The scale goes from 1 to 20. I've read that anything above 10 should be treated...20 is definitely considered abnormal.....so I will have to look into this!!!

Blood test results (from my regular local lab):

My B-6 level was 14 on a scale of 2.1 to 21.7. You'd think that with Pyrolurria my B-6 level would be lower, so I'm very confused about that.

My B-12 level went from 398 (in August) to 787 (in mid-October). Yea, it has gone up! Although I believe it should be higher, closer to 1,000, correct? (In 2004, it was 1600). I plan to continue taking the Jarrow Methyl B-12 (5,000 mg) daily. My doctor did not think I needed shots, and she also did not think that I had lost the intrinsic factor or that I was at risk for pernicious anemia. She didn't want to do any further testing in this realm. She just told me to keep taking the B-12 but couldn't offer any advice about dosing.

Serum Folates: 17.6 (scale normal is >5.4)

Vitamin D: 40 (scale 30 to 100)

Methylmalonic Acid: 108 (scale 87 to 318)

Homocysteine, Serum: 6.2 (scale 5.4 to 11.9)


The Celiac panel came back normal, except that my IGA Serum was low at 67 (scale 81 to 463). My doctor said that this might make me more susceptible to intestinal parasites (like Giardia) but that there was nothing that I could do about it....except perhaps try to boost my good intestinal flora with pro-biotics. I have not researched yet what it means to have a low serum IGA level, but I plan to.

My CBC tests were all within range, but on the low side. MCV was 84 (scale 80 to 100). MCH was 27.8 (scale 27 to 33). My doctor said it was fine.

My TSH was 1.26, which is a good number for me. (range is .40 to 4.50) I've had Hashimoto's Thyroiditis for 15 years.

My Free T4 was 1.9 (scale 0.8 to 2.7).

My Calcium was low, (8.3 on a scale of 8.6 to 10.2) which was weird because my calcium has always been well within range. Recently, as I have written on this message board, my lactose intolerance has gotten worse so I have been avoiding extra dairy. I will make more of an effort to take extra calcium pills. (I know that taking them with magnesium helps absorption).

I'm 51, at the brink of menopause, so I know that it's really important to get that calcium level up. Also, recently I found a really good latose intolerance supplement called LCS made by TheraMedix. I take their enhanced Bromeline supplement (RPR) sometimes. Anyway, the LCS has as much lactase as a Lactaid Ultra, plus it has all sorts of digestive enzymes. Since I started taking it with dairy, I don't have any symptoms of lactose intolerance.

I have more numbers, but I won't go into detail with them. Everything else was totally normal. Lipids were terrific, but then again cholesterol has never been a problem for me.

So...what do you guys think? Should I keep taking the 5,000 mg B-12 daily or do I need more? Should I take that much daily indefinitely, or should I do that for a few more months, get re-tested, and see how much I need to take for "maintenance"?

Looking at these numbers, is there anything else that jumps out at you that my doctor is missing or wrong about?

I'm seeing another doctor as a second opinion next month. This other doctor is an MD but is more into alternative medicine, "Reverse T3," bio-identical hormones, treats thyroid disorders on a deeper level than just checking the TSH and T4. I saw her for a free 15 min consult today and she was impressed that I understood how to take B-12 properly and that Methyl was better for me. I owe that to you guys!!!!!!!

Thank you for your help. This message board has been invaluable to me.