My recent results.


B12 >1000
B1 99
B6 69.6
Folic Acid 19.4
Vitamin D-OH D3 39.4
Vitamin D-OH D2 <1.0


I'm surprised about the Vit. D, since I've been using 5,000 mg tablet size supplement.

D3 has a short half life. It gets used up pretty quickly.

People also vary in their storage of it, some need more to keep a higher blood level than others. I also tested at 43 when using 5,000 IU daily.

Might I offer a suggestion. Instead of taking iron supplments, why not buy a good cast iron skillet and cook ALL your foods in that?

That's an excellent way of getting iron into your body without any overload from supplements.

Just a suggestion.

Melody

Vitamin B12 and Magnesium Results
 

Dear Mrs.D,

I got my Vitamin B12 and Magnesium results today:

1. Vitamin B12 - >1999 (211 - 946) High
2. Magnesium - 2.1 (1.6 - 2.6)

I remember you also had 1999 result in one of your posts. With this number, how much of Vitb12 can be used as maintenance and how often? It appears that my magnesium number is fine. Should I continue my soaking and lotion?

Thank you, always:hug:

Yes, continue the magnesium.

You can do the B12 now if you have 5mg left, twice a week.
Or 1mg daily.

I wouldn't stop it, entirely.

There are many foods now which are fortified with Iron and also fortified with plenty of vitamins as well. Too much Iron is not good for you.

Thank you so much MrsD. :hug:

MrsD: I am worried about ALS. Can vitamin B12 cause this type of muscle issues?
 

Hi Mrs D,

I have not posted in a long time. Some things have gotten better, but some things have not, and may have gotten worse.

I am about 2.5 months into taking vitamin B12. I stopped injections many weeks ago, and now use your favorite brand, Puritan's Pride, methylb12 5000 mcg once a day. I do let it dissolve under my tongue, but I do it on an empty stomach, and take a good amount of water to flush any residual b12 down that may be stuck in my mouth. Is it still early to see improvements? I have seen some here and there, but I notice some other things still going on, mainly related to my muscles.

Over the last few weeks or so, I have been having an increase in muscle twitches all over my body, sometimes even in my tongue it will twitch. They don't hurt, but are very annoying and concerning me. Also, there have been muscle atrophy, especially in my biceps and tricepts area, but other places too. I can tell my feet are a little smaller. Also, my forearms and hands are just skin, the muscle, and bones. I have no body fat anywhere. There has been an increase in weakness in my arms I notice.

I went to another neurologist as I did not like the first one I saw on May 8 (the one who wanted me to take amytryptaline and rolled his eyes at my complaining of my symptoms in his office). The new one I saw was very nice and kind. He performed a strength test and sensory test. I gave him a long list of my symptoms and he said the list is too long for it to be any one thing. He said he does not think I have a neurological disease, and that I do not have MS and that I do not have ALS. He said he'd tell his own brother this. He said that these issues will get better that it's a pendulum swinging back and that I didn't develop these issues over night. It made me feel good for a couple weeks, till I started feeling my arm muscles get weaker again (they were not as weak when I was in his office that day).

My question: could this be related to B12 still? I know that muscles can waste and feel weak, and burn after exertion if you're deficient. But it just seems this is getting worse even though my levels are now high and I'm on treatment. I've read up on adenosylcobalamin (dibencozide) and how it helps promote muscle growth and process protein into muscle, and that if you're deficient in B12 sometimes you need both methyl and adenosyl to repair the damage, that one alone may not be sufficient. I bought some (Country Life 3000mcg) and took one yesterday. I felt it, as I was hot all day, felt a different kind of energy than I felt since my startup reactions on methyl.

What do you think? It's hard to not think this is ALS. I have also had moments of difficulty swallowing and breathing. The doc said he thinks I'm just anxious, stressed out, these are causing these symptoms, and that the B12 deficiency matter is a pendulum swinging back to normal. Why, then, would these muscle issues be getting worse? He didn't order EMG, NCV, or MRIs and I took that as a sign that I'm OK, but I really don't know. Could this still be B12? I really hope it is.

Are you taking other supplements or minerals?

I think you should be eating a good diet with high potassium foods. This might help.

Also you may need magnesium. When you are low in this, you can have muscle twitching and even cramping. Estimates are that about 70% of Americans are low in magnesium.

Foods high in magnesium are almonds, beans, yogurt, oatmeal.

B12 does not fix everything, you know ...;)

Thanks, MrsD. I can always count on you for a fast reply.

I have been eating some almonds here and there, also yogurt. I typcially have some oatmeal for breakfast every day. I have magnesium tablets as a supplement, too, but I don't take them as I don't like the drowsiness they give me. I eat a banana at least once a day, sometimes twice, as I'm scared of the possibility for hypokalemia that can happen with b12 repair.

I really don't know how I got like this and into this mess. About a year ago I felt relatively fine, now it's all going down the toilet somehow.

And I really should trust the doctor, huh? He's the expert. Sees MS and other conditions in patients all day long all the time. If he have even the slightest suspicion, he'd have ordered tests.

What is your opinion on trying the dibencozide? I noticed it increased my appetite a little yesterday - more than just mehtyl does (although the appetite has been slowly coming back, even if it is at a snail's pace). Why does B12 repair take so long and go so slowly? Is it because it involves the nervous system primarily, which is a slow system to heal/repair?

Thanks again for your knowledge and advice. I'll increase the yogurt, almonds, oatmeal, and bananas (oh and avocados too! high in potassium) and see if it helps at all.