question about B12
 

I have been reading intently about B-12 and I have a question about it. I was diagnosed as being anemic about 9 mos ago and took extra iron and vitamins thinking that would fix it and of course you all know that didn't do it. So my last blood test she said the B-12 levels were normal (not sure of the number but I will get it from her and post it here for future analyzing) Anyway, before I write a huge long post (too late maybe) my question is how much is too much B-12? Also what about Folic Acid? This is what i am taking now:

Mythylcobalamin 2000 mcg (just started this today)
I was taking the other type but due to knowledge here, I found the methyl kind)

Super B complex -- B6-2mcg + B12-15mcg+ folic acid 400mcg plus other and if you need all of it let me know but it is Nature Made Super B Complex

Multi Vitamin CVS Brand

Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite with Lutein (was told I have beginning macular degeneration)

Was taking Iron 65 MG -- Should I keep taking it?

So there ya go and I am open to all suggestions and ideas from the brilliant folks here at Neurotalk. Thanks, Sue

Hello, Sue...
 

If your blood tests are still showing anemia, yes, do continue the iron.
Your doctor should tell you how long to continue it. Basically once you are
normal, there might be enough iron in the CVS product to keep you going.
If you are postmenopausal, and anemic, then I'd be concerned that you are
losing blood somewhere. Women with periods still, can often be anemic especially if they are "heavy" periods.

You are getting two sources of folic acid... so you should not need more.
Your supplements are basically good. However, if you are taking
prescription drugs, you may be depleting certain nutrients at a faster rate
that you take them in.

So if you want to list those for me, I can look them up for you.

Hi Mrs D and thanks for the info. Currently I am taking gabitril 4mg at night and also 50mg of Pamelor. Although I will be down to 25mg tomorrow then after 2 weeks I will no longer take the pamelor. I also take Lortab 7.5/500 and skelaxin on a as needed basis but that is not everyday. Mainly depends on activity level. I also take a 4mg zanaflex at bedtime.

I have been diagnosed with post traumatic syringomyelia from an auto accident. I have also had an ACDF at c5-6, rotater cuff repair, and my wrist was basically put back together and now it is fused to where I can't bend it very much. I also have bulging and herniated disks at the L4-L5-S1 level.

I was diagnosed with anemia about 9 mos ago at my pap test so I started taking vitamins and extra iron but did not faithfully take them like I should. Then they did a retest about 3 mos later and I was still anemic so I was prescribed chromagen. So here we are now 6 mos later and I had a period that lasted around 40 days so I have had all the tests for that and I am scheduled for a D&C on Monday. I also tested positive for hypothyroidsm and now take synthroid which I forgot to add above.

Also what type of doc would I go to for a complete workup on the B12 levels, anemia and such? I have seen my internal medicine doc and my gyno plus pain mgmt doc and they all seem clueless when it comes to B12 and how it affects your body. Thanks for all the help, it is greatly appreciated...Sue

Unfortunately, you would have to be extremely lucky to find a doctor with even a moderate knowledge of the B12 issue. And the odds of finding someone who would have the vaguest clue as to how to procede when the patient has supplemented, probably a million to one.

If you want someone who should understand blood otherwise, a hematologist would be the one. But don't even expect all of those to understand B12, so you will probably just need to keep it up forever, while looking into other things. There are other types of anemia, so maybe it would be a good idea to see one.

There is no such thing as too much methylcobalamin, so making sure you have plenty is all you have to worry about regarding that.

rose

re B12...
 

Any doctor can order a B12 blood test. Interpreting it is another matter.

In general in Japan, anything below 550 or so is treated.
Here in USA the cut offs are lower since we have not had the medical
emergencies with B12 that Japan had. (the Vioform disaster-- a terrible drug
depletion event). Doctors here often consider 200 normal, and it is not.

So get a test, and get the results and bring them here. Oral B12 is OTC and you can do this yourself. Since B12 is easy to do and non-toxic it is less of
an issue than with the IRON, believe it or not!

Pamelor depletes B2 (which when low results in poor B6 conversion to pyridoxal by suppression of the conversion enzyme). And also CoQ-10. Since you are taking both B-complex and a multi--this should not be an issue. The CoQ-10 depends on length of time, and symptoms..(bleeding gums, periodontal disease, extreme fatigue with exercise intolerance).
Hypothyroidism can cause failure to convert betacarotene to Vit A in the body. This shows up as orange/yellow tint to skin most noticeable on the palms and soles of the feet. If yours are not affected, your vit A is probably working now- and converting well.
People using thyroid supplements need to attend to zinc and selenium. If you still feel cold/slow in spite of the medication, look at your vitamins and make sure you are getting zinc and selenium from them.

Your other meds do not show up in the reference I have as depleters.

Thanks Mrs D and Rose. I will get the results from the doc next week and bring them here for more advice. The docs not really understanding the B12 is what was concerning me, that is why I was considering seeing another doc (hematologist) about it. I will see what the experts here say and take it from there. I really do appreciate all the knowledge that is here and feel like the doctors just herd you in and herd you out without seeing that I am a person first and that yes I may have more than one thing wrong so lets address all of them together. But yada yada yada i am sure we all know how that feels. Thanks...Sue

also...
 

B12 is not just for anemia.

It has global other actions in the body. A hematologist may only look
at the anemia aspect and ignore the rest.

Some people with low B12 do not have anemia. So that complicates things.