Can you link to the article that high B12 causes blood clots?
Was it Livestrong? That site is often spotty in its information.

It is important to watch for odd internet sites...that do not have scientific bibliography to corroborate their statements.

This is an example of one that provides a good bibliography:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...ns/vitaminB12/

and:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vit...hProfessional/

Also a search on PubMed brought up no papers indicating clotting risk.

I did find on Mayo's site... a warning for people with cardiac stents. Because B12 may increase blood cell production, people with stents are to not use really high doses so as not to thicken the blood. The same goes for those with the genetic disease polycythemia Vera, which causes thickened blood with too many red cells. These are special situations, however. A simple CBC will show if there are too many red cells. Just about everyone here has had that test.

Yes, I believe it was Livestrong.

What do you think is a good B12 blood level? 900? 1,000?

Most of us with neuro symptoms keep our level above 1000.
Some more than others.

Going really high is not necessary unless some people have the rare transcobalamin problem. When this is low, transport of B12 is less efficient and it is thought then to keep the blood level higher, to make up for that loss. But the days are early for transcobalamin decisions, so I can't say with certainty yet, since everyone IS different genetically. Tests for transcobalamin are just beginning to be offered.

How long does B12 stay in ones system? If one stopped taking B12, how long before their levels would start depleting and is there a rate of depletion or is that dependent on the person?

Alot is dependent on the person.

The liver stores excess B12 up to 5 yrs, that we know of. Not everyone will have that long storage..but some do.

The reason I think it is important to stay over 1000, is the transport into the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid). B12 moves into the spinal cord and brain this way...involving a gradient from high (blood serum) to low (brain + spinal cord)... A person on TBI once posted a paper on this movement, and I wish I had copied it, but I didn't.

So the higher the serum the better the movement into the central nervous system. We know from recent studies that MS and Fibro patients show lower than normal B12 in the CSF taken by lumbar punctures. And also Dr. Snow in his very important paper had patients who he thought were fairly normal in levels, who did better on supplement ANYWAY. These were few compared to the total number, but still had neuro symptoms at fairly mid range B12 levels. So his take was to give the supplements anyway. I have that paper linked on the B12 thread. I think it is post #70.

So it will vary from person to person. But expect some B12 to be stored in the liver, and also to move into the CNS and out of the serum. After months of highs, that you feel better finally and stabilized there, you can drop to 1000mcg a day orally.

There also may be other factors... low D.... impaired B1 metabolism, etc. So once there is no change with B12, you need to look at other things too. Some PN tingling etc is paresthesia...a symptom of some imbalance. PN is a disease of nerves.(with damage). So separating that out is dicey and you have to be patient with those thoughts. Keep a journal, as that may help. Things like MSG in food will definitely cause neuro symptoms in some people. Glutamate and aspartate (Nutrasweet) are big culprits! Watch for those food intolerances ..that come from nightshades, etc.

FWIW, I can give one data-point; my lowest level of B12 (166) had been brought up to 1460 in Jan. 2012. Since then, I had a couple of more weekly shots, but stopped them in March 2012.

In August 2012, despite 2 more 1000mcg injections in June and July, the levels had dropped to 482.

Despite a complete alcohol & medication stop, that level dropped further to 375 by November 2012. Shortly after that, I started the oral 5000mcg methylcobalamin, so that by April 2013 it was back up to 1298.

All these tests were done in the same lab. The drop from 1460 to 482 was steep and unexpected, the further drop despite healthy living even more so.

In short, that's a 1000 point drop in 5-6 months.

hello again MrsD ,

I just started b12 4 days ago ( I am taking 5u x3 ) and noticed this tingling for the first time today .

On day 1 the tingling felt good and very much the mood boost id read about , then on day 2 less noticeable.

On day 3 I noticed my mood becoming more affected in a bad way - not depressed - more off and on day 4 ( today ) I decided to inject my quad instead of glutes where Id been injecting before.

Do you think it is possible injecting in different areas have different effects ( for better or worse ) and have you ever heard of people with connective tissue disorders ( such as hms / eds ) having a bad reaction to it ?

thanks and hope your keeping well,

m

I don't understand your dose as you typed it.

What is 5u x 3?


Are you using Cyano or methyl type?

Could you clarify please?

On average, what daily amount of Methyl B12 will keep the level above 1000? Once I have taken a starting level, I can have my B12 level tested and go from there. I assume a 90 day period will be sufficient for a beginning test?

Thank you.

Mike

I think it depends on how low you were to begin with.

Some people are running only on liver stores. Others are absorbing some but not ideal amounts from food.

The body will want to use the B12 in whatever priority it seems to have. Some will get stored back up in the liver. Some will pass thru the blood brain barrier into the brain and spinal cord, some will go to the bone marrow for making new red blood cells, and then other tissues will get some too. I don't think anyone has discovered the priority issues, or tested them. But like every thing else, we are all unique and will respond the way the systems determine inside of us.

I think 3 months at 5mg a day, is enough to show if things are working well. If you stop the B12 for about 3-7 days, the last dose orally will be soaked up and the blood level will reflect what you need. If you test really high that may show your systems are "full" and the excess is floating around waiting to be excreted. If you are not really high (over 1000), then you are still repairing what needed it most (or you are not absorbing it properly).