Elevated b12 question anyone?
 

Hello everyone,

Just a short introduction (and thank you for reading this) about 6 years ago began with violent scalp pain and burning. Visits to numerous doctors turned up nothing. After my own personal research I found that b12 can help with nerve pain. I was trying over the counter but did not seem to work until I stumbled across a methyl product that sold a nose spray bottle. Claim was that it acts faster makes it through blood stream into body quicker. I ordered it and would use it daily in one nostril. Scalp seemed to improve? I was reading you most likely cannot overdo b12 so I continued it.

I saw a random doctor who decided to test my b12 recently.( I never had it checked prior to supplimentation). I told him I was on suppliments. Long and short my b12 came back off the charts high. Above 2000. I decided to cut back on my b12 because of concern of the levels. I have been off all vitamins for about 30 days. My b12 has come back now at 1700. Under normal circumstances I would not be concerned with my b12 but scalp pain is just one of the strange things going on undiagnosed with me and blood cancers run in the family. So this is why I cut back.

Sorry to digress. My question is has anyone had b12 levels so high? How soon would they decrease after discontinuation of b12? Months, years? Should I be worried? All other blood work appears unremarkable.

Thank you kindly if you have made it this far.

There is no published evidence that high B12 levels are harmful.

Most of the people here keep their levels above 1000. There are some at 2000.

I trialed the new Puritan's pride version of methylB12 last year and got test showing 1999 ...mostly to see if the product was
labeled accurately.

The only concern with high B12 serum levels is that it may mislead the doctor, as far as the medical causes for high B12 in the face of NO supplementation. Some kidney disease, liver disease and blood diseases may raise B12 as a warning sign.

If you are using a supplement, a high level is no surprise, however. But in and of itself it is not harmful.

If your scalp pain is better, then try going lower on your dosage and see if you can get by with less. When symptoms return, that will be a sign you need a higher one.

My B12 test was 4,000!!!

Yes, 4,000. I did not realize I was supposed to stop taking supplement before getting the test done.

I am not worried though. My research leads me to believe most of that number is INactive B12 and not ACTIVE B12.

I still take 5,000 mg B12 every single day.

Mrs. D and Stacy thank you. Wow Stacy now I feel normal after your levels. Ladies can I ask do either of you know just out of curiosity, how long after stopping b12 would blood levels decrease to the "in range" levels? Weeks, months?

If my pain creeps back in I'll use b12 quicker then a kid in a candy shop! I wanted to mention not sure if this is useful to any of you but I was using a methyl product that was free of flavors, colorings in a nasal spray. I think it is safe to say it works to raise levels.

I always thought that a serum B12 test only shows how much B12 is floating around in a persons body, not in the cells were it counts.... I would only worry if I got a score below 400.
These days I only take 1 x 5mg methyl' once or twice a week, if any symptoms started to show again I would take one every day again.

High serum levels are needed to "push" B12 into the spinal fluid and hence the brain. There are transporters or some process that carries it there. Higher blood levels, facilitate this process because of the gradient it creates. That is one goal for keeping the serum levels up.

Brian I agree. That is sorta what I meant by active and inactive B12. A serum blood test only shows the total amount in the body, which includes all the INACTIVE.

They have a test that measures only active B12 but I have not had it done.

I think I remember you need to stop 2 weeks before testing but I don't know for sure. I take the sublingual tabs.

My b12 was 2000 or I think even 2500 at one point. This was after I stopped the very short time I was on b12 over the counter supplements. My neuro did not seem concerned but just said to stop the b12 and I did and I think the number actually went up then to the 2500. I have not had it repeated lately though

There is no medical rationale for lowering B12 results. NONE.

People with neurological problems can benefit from higher levels.

Dr. Snow published a paper in that regard:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post698522-70.html

I did see a web page that says excess B12 can cause loss of calcium, which in turn can raise blood pressure. I don't recall seeing that warning here, with recommendations of 5,000mcg of B12 being safe to take. I am on blood pressure medication (that works very well for me) & hadn't checked it in some time. I discovered that my BP is at levels like it was before I started the medication, and I'm taking just 2,000 mcg daily. I plan to cut most of my supplements tomorrow, to see if that is B12, or a different one. I'm also on gabapentin, which in more rare cases, can elevate blood pressure, and that will have to be changed if cutting the supplements doesn't work. For proof of my statement, check this page under HYPERTENSION: http://www.livestrong.com/article/32...lood-pressure/

I tried finding anything on PUB MED, couldn't. It could be you need more, not less. On the site you cited, B12 def. was related to htn also.

Quote from the page I referred to: "according to Acu-Cell Nutrition, when you receive an overabundance of vitamin B12, it can result in a severe calcium deficiency. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, people whose calcium is low are at higher risk for developing hypertension. This means when vitamin B12 is taken to excess, you risk decreasing your calcium level and increasing your risk of hypertension." I really don't see how you could get the impression that you should take more B12 from that statement.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/32...#ixzz2BeKF6H8H

What they are talking about is the huge dosing by INJECTIONS at weight loss clinics. This is 1000mcg injected daily or so or more.
Anna Nicole Smith was doing this before her death and they found vials of injectable B12 in her frig.

However, this is the real quote taken from Accu-Cell and paraphrased by LiveStrong:
from http://www.acu-cell.com/acn.html

It appears to me that it is the HIGH B6 being given, that along with the B12 in the weight loss clinics (the B12 is along for the ride in the product and not stated as causing low calcium), is causing the problems.


When people take oral B12 supplements very very little is absorbed. 1%...which is close to the RDA value from food.
So therefore YOU are NOT consuming or absorbing high dose B6, or high dose B12.

Be careful with LiveStrong site.... it is written by a science writer who paraphrases OTHER data, and in my experience this can lead to errors, or mistakes in understanding.
Always go to the original source of the data if possible. That is what I do when I can find the original source that is.
One of the best sources is Linus Pauling Institute, BTW.

This is why you have not found that high B12 dosing causes low calcium levels. And also what we do here is not really high because 99% is not absorbed in the first place.

It would be a very good idea for you to have a B12 test now, as well as a Vit D test. Low D leads to poor calcium absorption.
Also low stomach acid leads to low calcium absorption along with the B12. Acid blocking drugs, and/or just aging will cause this too, low acid.
Stop your B12 supplement for about 7 days before your next test.
While you are at it, get a complete electrolyte panel to see how your calcium really is.
Low calcium levels are not common because the body robs your bones for it. Low calcium will cause symptoms, cramping and spasms of the hands and feet called carpopedal spasms. A tumor or damage to
the parathyroid glands will give these spasms too.