Hey Franko?? Did you mean "polyps" instead of pullets? Just curious~

I think that's a good course of action, Natalie. Sounds like your Dr is on top of things. take care....

Hey Natalie,

I started with a gastro doc but everything checked out fine. My endo is really like my regular doc when it comes to blood tests because I see her for thyroid stuff. She was the one who noticed the low iron. After the gastro and knowing it could be from my periods I saw the GYN. We did a test where he put me on birth control pills and after two cycles my iron was fine.

I have to say other than your ferritin level it does look like your other iron numbers are fine. Your saturation is good and your TIBC looks good. So maybe your stores are just a bit low. YOu can probably just use a multi vitamin that has a normal daily amount of iron and maybe you do not need to supplement with iron specifically.

Natalie, your B12 is low despite what the range and the doc says. Outside the US anything below 500 or more is considered low. And that can cause pernicous anemia.

Please read some of the B12 threads in the vitamin forum or PN forum. You will see that it is considered low.

You want it close to 1000. Mrsd can help you. You should get some methyl B12 (not the cyano B12 - it does not absorb well. The methyl is better and try to get the sublingual tabs and you just put them under your tongue. I use one by Jarrow that is 3000mcg of B12 and has folate. After using it for a while mine is now 903 on the last test.

Also do you take a b complex? B vitamins get depleted and we all need them for help in maintaining good liver function.

Natalie take a read on this thread on B12. Some good information in there


"In other countries (Japan for example) anyone lower than 500 is treated with supplements...."

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread54002.html

about this thread.

Ferritin levels are your "bank" for the future. If you were to have surgery or a trauma, that low level would be a consideration. It is sort of a near empty on your gas gauge in your car.

For females, low ferritin may reflect heavy periods.

For males -- and I see this more often now than ever, it is an absorption issue.

People who take acid blocking drugs every day, for long periods of time cannot absorb iron.
People with hidden bleeds, also have a problem.
Women with very heavy periods which precede menopause-- called estrogen dominance--- also have problems.

People with malabsorption issues like gluten intolerance.. may also have low ferritin levels.

So while it is a concern, it is not an emergency. But if you have a medical trauma...it can be important.

And I agree with Shelley... your B12 is going DOWN.... and for an MSer...this is a serious thing.
Low B12 levels give the same symptoms as MS.

There is no risk to taking an oral B12 1mg a day --this is about 10% absorbed and will bypass
any errors in intrinsic factor or other autoimmune issues. Take on an empty stomach, and it will only cost you 9 cents a day, with no side effects. In Japan, this would NOT be tolerated, and eventually the US will catch up-- some doctors know this and some don't.
Many of us here use iherb.com to buy our methylcobalamin. The cyano is an artificial version and
not well converted by all people. The methyl form is what our bodies use.

In my opinion, ALL MSers should be using B12.

Thanks Shelley and Mrsd for the helpful information. I understand now the low ferritin is concerning but not an emergency. I don't have heavy periods so maybe it is an absorption problem. I will know about the stool sample in a week. I wondered about the B12 level. I suppose the lower B12 might help explain why the initial CBC showed mild anemia? I just started taking a multi vitamin (which I had not been taking before). I think it's smart to add the B12 like you said. And I have that continual problem with low Vitamin D too.
Thanks again!

PS: What's the difference between Vitamin B12 shots and the pills?

Me too Natalie, I struggle with my Vitamin D levels. Hard to get em above a 32. I take 2000iu of D3 a day. D3 is the one to take, D2 is not easily converted I think.

I hope you can get to the bottom of it all.

I have only done the shots once but I think it is a faster way of getting your stores up quicker.

But if you go the way of the pills definitely get the methyl sublingual version. Methyl is closer to how your body uses it versus the cyano. You can look on the vitamin bottle and it will tell ou whether its methyl or cyano. This is the one I order from iherb. Since its 3000mcg now that my stores are up near 1000 I take it every other day.

I also add in extra b complex on top of my daily vitamin too.

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=4461

Hope that helps.

Ditto on the Methyl sublingual b12. Mine's also with folic acid included

I should really get back to taking it!

Just thought I'd mention, since I stopped eating red meat, I eat Yves bistro veggie burgers now, and they contain 100% of your daily required b12 intake along with a lot of the B vitamins in good amounts! They're also YUMMY!!!

But since many people here already do injections, it probably
is not so much of an issue.

The majority of injectable B12 is cyano version. If you are one
of the people who cannot convert it, then it doesn't work.

The oral active form methylcobalamin is so inexpensive and easy to use, and it has shown to be comparable to injection.

The only advantage I see for injection is for rapid intervention.
Often we see in the elderly when they are admitted to a long term care facility--very very low B12 levels. So injections are
given daily or every other day to get levels up quickly. Most of the B12 given by injection is cleared out of the blood within 72 hours. It is really a shame that the elderly might not even need the special care if they were targeted earlier. That is why NIH now recommends B12 supplementation for all people over 50, even if no symptoms exist yet.

There has always been a connection to low B12 and MS. In fact there were studies in Japan using mega mega doses up to 40mg a day for MSers-- That study is on PubMed. Many I believe are in the cloudy hard to diagnose category.

The anemia may not be due to low B12 or it may be. The type of anemia most often seen is a macrocytic anemia. MCV volume test reveals that. Anemia may be due to kidney problems, iron deficiency, malabsorption of iron, or hereditary reasons. If you are anemic it is often recommended to use a folic acid supplement, as well.

I just wanted to thank you all for this thread. I had my follow up appt a couple of weeks ago with my pcp. My bloodwork all came back normal. I had gone because my hair has been thinning and I wanted to know if it was my health or stress or the copaxone doing this to me. The bloodwork can back normal. However, he suggested trying an iron supplement due to history with anemia in my past, my 1st pregnancy.
While reading this thread, I decided to whip out my paperwork. B12-428. Ferritin -23. Pretty much, on paper, on the 'scales' I turn up 'healthy.' And for the most part, I agree I 'seem' healthy. But let's be real. I have MS. An often 'hidden' disease

Now that I've read this, I'm now certain as to what supplement I really should be taking.

Thank You, again, for this thread. Sometimes I believe that in life, there are no coincidences. It's no coincidence to me, tonight, why this thread is sitting here....