Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsD
Welcome to NeuroTalk:
I'd like to expand on the B12 treatment and test results with you.
I strongly suggest you get the numbers of both your tests.
In the US, lab ranges are outdated, and "normal" is not really normal anymore. You should be at 400 US units or above to be considered low normal now.
The amount of B12 in a Bcomplex is very small. Many people cannot methylate (activate) the B12 in most vitamins which is cyanocobalamin. There are now inexpensive methylcobalamin tablets you can take. I'd recommend 5mg daily on an empty stomach, for 3 months. And then get retested. You should be at about 1000 for your serum reading by then.
Here is the medical site for doctors to explain the new (since 2003) treatment protocols:
If you were taking the supplements when you had your 2nd testing, that reading is not accurate and does not reflect what your status is without supplements.
There are people who follow the vegetarian diet and become low in B12. Also if you inherited the DNA error (present in about 10-30% of people) in activating B12 so it will work in the brain, and body properly, you cannot convert cyano in vitamins for yourself.
Methylcobalamin, the active form, is the cofactor for proper maintenance of sleep. It is necessary to convert serotonin to melatonin which is the sleep promoting hormone in your brain.
So if you don't have the methyl form in your brain, you will not sleep properly. All sorts of other neurological problems can result with low B12 in the brain.
Here is long and very detailed B12 thread here:
It might be very useful for you to learn about this now, since you already tested low once for B12. It might mean you will need proper supplements for life, since you don't know why you were low to begin with.
Taking methylcobalamin daily correctly costs pennies a day. It is easy and the most inexpensive thing and corrects a very common problem in many Americans. You can find it online at iherb.com, Swanson's, Vitacost, or Puritan's Pride.
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Hi, thank you for your input.
Here's how the B12 situation played out:
When I went to my neurologist, he had no lab work on file for me, so he ordered basic labs. The next time I saw him, he went through my lab work and said that everything looked normal with the exception of my B12 level, which was rather low for my age. I mentioned to him that I had noticed at least an increase in energy when taking B12 supplements in the past, and he said that maybe supplements would help me, but usually when you see numbers that low at my age, it is because your stomach is incapable of absorbing B12,and you basically just have to be on B12 shots for the rest of your life. He told me to try taking B12 supplements for a month, and then we would test my levels again; if the number didn't budge, then we'd have to start on B12 shots, but if it did, then it's likely that pernicious anemia wasn't my main issue. I asked if the B-complex vitamins I already had at home would suffice or if I needed to specifically buy B12 supplements, and he said the complex would be fine. I also asked him if my former vegetarian diet could have been the reason my B12 level was so low, and he said not when you see a number that low.
A month later (technically it was closer to 3 weeks later because I wound up having to go into the office sooner because my left leg randomly went numb one day), he had the lab draw my blood again to recheck my level. He said he would call me in a few days and let me know the results, which he never did...I would up having to call the office numerous times over the course of the next three weeks before finally getting in touch with them to find out the results. *insert eyeroll*
Shortly after having my blood drawn the second time, I began seeing an acupuncturist. I told him about the low B12 level, and he suggested that I take B12 in Methylcobalamin form, so I went to the local vitamin shop and purchased a bottle of sublingual Methylcobalamin tablets. I took these for a couple of weeks but then accidentally spilled the bottle. I was going to replace it when I finally got in touch with my neuro office and was informed that my level was normal this time around, so I figured that my complex tablets were sufficient if my level rose into the normal range when I was just taking those.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to purchase another bottle of the Methylcobalamin. I doubt it's going to be the answer to all of my issues, but it would be pretty neat if it were.