[mrsD]

Please read the beginning of this thread. There is a link on the first post to American Family Physicians website that recommends anything below 400 should be treated.

206 is low enough to get permanent neurological damage with time.
Print out the article and take it to your doctor....definitely he is behind the times.

It is appalling how many people are tested by doctors and then told these antiquated readings are "normal" ...it is a waste of resources and sends the patient down a long painful path of degeneration!

Melody is right....start now to fix yourself. It is not expensive, it is safe, and effective. Take the oral at 5000mcg (5mg) daily on an empty stomach, for 3 months. Then get retested. You can decrease as you choose or stay at the 5mg level. Choose methylcobalamin for best results.

Please read the beginning of this thread carefully.

[ouchmyfoot23]

I just spent the last few hours reading about B12 from the first post. I'm amazed! I know my neurologist tested me for a vitamin deficiency, but didn't tell me the results.

I'm going to take the B Complex with my multivitamin for a while until I can get some higher quality brand. Thank you so very much!

My son and I are vegetarians, so I know he'll need something as well. I'm not sure if his Poly-Vi-Flor is enough. Kind of scared to mess with that, though.

[mrsD]

http://www.rxlist.com/poly-vi-flor-drug.htm

There doesn't appear to be any B12 in Poly Vi Flor.

Depending on the diet... eggs dairy, have some B12.

You should also check my Vit D thread... also being recommended for children as well (over certain ages either 1000IU or 2000IU now). Poly Vi Flor has the old amount.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...hlight=Vitamin

[ctyankee3]

I have pn from schwanomas removed from my spinal cord at L4-5/S-1. I have a bad left leg and foot.

My endocrinologist did a workup a week ago of blood work and my folate level was over 20 and considered high. I have been trying to find out what this means.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

CTYankee3

[mrsD]

High folate accompanies low B12. It may also be high if you are not converting folic acid in the body to its active form,
methylfolate. The folic acid builds up therefore. And your tissues may be starved for the active form.

Getting a homocysteine test will reveal more.
People with the genetic failure MTHFR polymorphisms cannot make active vitamins for the body to use, from those taken in pill form or from enriched foods. Many foods today are enriched with folic acid, so that may read high in some people.
People with the MTHFR gene polymorphism typically develop elevated homocysteine as they age.

[Nervous]

Just read the B12 thread. Thanks to all for this very important discussion.

Question re this statement: "Low B12 actually damages nerves, the myelin that insulates them is maintained by B12 and other nutrients. Myelin damage also shows up as numbness/tingling and peripheral nerve pain."

I have small fiber neuropathy. As I understand it, the nerves affected are not myelinated. Will B12 improve my condition?

Thanks.

[darlindeb25]

Mrs D will come along with the technical info for you, but I can say, yes it does help. I have small fiber/sensory neuropathy, and I have been taking B12 for 6 yrs. It does help, greatly slowed the progression of my neuropathy, then started healing in some areas.

[mrsD]

Yes, B12 has other functions too in the cell itself.

This link explains this complex molecule pretty well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12

scroll down to "functions", and you will see other uses of B12 besides maintaining the myelin sheath (which is composed of fatty acids).

I often find it amazing that such a tiny amount of this one substance can affect us so globally!

[Linda1956]

Hi there everyone i was only diagnosed having a low b12 deficiency when i had surgery although that wasnt the cause im told but as time went on i got more tired to the stage my gp done a few blood tests to prove i had this auto immune condition.

Im told i dont have pernicious anaemia but just a very low b12 so my gp had put me on 50mcg cyanocobalamin tablets, ive a course of 50 but now been on them since 27/4 and feeling no better, is this normal, ive to have another blood test done next week just to see how things are.

Will i have to end up with injections if the tablets dont work or is the injections only for people with pernicious anemia

Any advice will be useful because im new to having this condition

Linda

[mrsD]

50mcg orally is not enough IMO. You will need 1000mcg to 5,000mcg orally at least. Only 1-10% is absorbed orally. So take this on an empty stomach to get the best results.

Please read the beginning of this thread for dosing oral, and also choosing the active form methylcobalamine instead of Cyano.