It sounds likely that she malabsorbs severely. It also is likely that the first B12 result was not accurate and that she may have been lower than it suggested.

Many doctors do not know that people who malabsorb severely can absorb about 1% of a very large dose. So many doctors would assume that she does not malabsorb severely.

Even worse, many do not know that even more people cannot absorb B12 from food, but can absorb just fine from a supplement. Those people would increase their level MUCH faster than she has on even a smaller dose than that.

I would continue with at least that dose (actually, I would increase it), and, over time the stores should become filled and the level increase a great deal.

It is also likely that she does not absorb iron efficiently. If she has lost intrinsic factor, she probably also lacks sufficient stomach acid to absorb iron well.

Has she had a ferritin test to see what iron stores are?

rose

Doctor mentioned after the test that he would have wanted to see B12 increase significantly and not just from 205 to 322 in one month.He suggested to continue the dose for around 3 months and asked to take b2 and b6 also and then if it is still low then go for injections.

Rose, you suggested increase b12 intake , increase from 1000mcg to ..?
Anything above 1000mcg is too high or may have negative effects?

Not sure on ferritin test , but her haemoglobin was ,if I remember correctly around 11.6 (low) in last test, before she started having b12.

She used to feel some kind of tingling,burning sensation in her nerves before she started taking b12, and it has not changed , does that mean anything?

The medical textbook dose of oral B12 for someone who may malabsorb is: 1000 mcg - 2000 mcg. That is using cyanocobalamin, the least of the forms of B12.

Using methylcobalamin, many many times those amounts have repeatedly been proven safe and sometimes effective in people who are not even B12 deficient.

The only danger is in having too little B12, and she should not have to wait to take a better dose. Time is important.

I hope you have copies of lab results. They are very helpful when you spend time to understand them and compare. Most doctors don't order a ferritin, and that is very sad because it is much more sensitive than the other iron tests. A person can have deficient stores in iron, which usually will show on ferritin result, while having great labs otherwise (CBC: hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc.).

Tingling and other sensory symptoms can occur both during damage and during repairs. It all depends on the person.

Please see my website for these subjects.

rose

Does deficiency of B12 cause auditory hallucinations ? ( or visionary) .

If patient has auditory hallucinations ...does that indicate anything?
I was reading on Internet (http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C364379.html)
that Pernicious anemia can cause auditory hallucinations .

Does this indicate severity of person being affected by B12 deficiency?

Thanks!!

Even psychosis can be caused by B12 deficiency. People are affected differently and at different rates, so a symptom or sign that may not occur in many at all or until very late can occur early in some.

It is amazing.

I know that if anyone I love has any symptoms, especially neuro or neuropsychiatric, I want them to take B12 in the best form possible. It is safe and inexpensive, so there's no reason to take a chance.

rose

Thanks Rose ..(as always )


The reason I am asking is ...my wife suddenly felt depressed one evening ( no reason) and late in the night had auditory hallucinations .Will tell my doc. on my next visit..
(As you know... I guess..she is already on 2000mcg daily dose of methyl-b12)

It's not that she never had these kind of hallucinations before ..but I think its first time after she started the B12 dose..so was concerned and curious to know this incident's relation to b12 dose.
Yes it's weird ..somewhat scary..but looks like she has lot of courage to cope with all this !

Anybody else experienced (or know someone) auditory hallucinations in this forum or Rose if you know of people who faced it ? ...just curious.

You're welcome, as always.

I also would want her B12 to go to more than 322 in one month. She may have been much lower than the first result showed. That is common.

I would take 5000 mcg. And if she wants to take more, that's fine. It's safe. The danger is in having too little.

The hemoglobin will likely improve if it was lower due to B12 deficiency. But that is not always the case, so if it doesn't change don't assume she didn't need the B12. I hope we get a ferritin result.

Regarding your most recent post: Since she had been taking the methylcobalamin prior to the depression and hallucinations, it is possible that it is a reaction and, thus, a good thing. I hope that's the case, and if it is, she is likely on a fast track to improvement. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee that that is what is happening, but judging from her weak B12 result, and the still weak result indicating she was probably very low, it is very likely this is the case!

"Weird" is the word many of us have independently arrived at to describe the healing process when significant damage was done. I and others have experienced equally weird things, although not necessarily exactly that. At one point in my brain repairs, I experienced what I could only describe as bipolar episodes----not long after that hit and began swinging back and forth more and more rapidly, I made a huge leap in cognitive and mood improvement and the bipolar symptoms stopped.

Best wishes to both of you,

rose

Hi med,

When I first began B12 replacement I also began using melatonin to help me sleep. It belongs to the B vitamin group in some way that I'm not able to describe right now.

I found that when I ran out of the melatonin, that my periods became extremely heavy again. (They were such a problem to me for many years.)

Is she using a sublingual form? I expect so. If not... it may not be doing much good.

I would FOR SURE say that the methylcobalamin is better. It can actually regrow nerves.

Our bodies have to convert cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin in order to use it, so it's better and a person gets more benefit by simply taking the methyl form to begin with.

For me, a B12 shot a month brought tremendous improvement to my memory... but for the really big results, like stopping the extremely painful peripheral neuropathy I had in my right thigh, I needed much much more B12.

For that reason, I suggest as my neurologist suggested to me, that people keep notes, to see what is happening with them.

I've had so much stress lately and am so exhausted from it that I haven't been on the board much recently.

You might also look at your relative's fingernails for an indication of how much B12 deficiency damage there is... very high ridges take a long time to go away... when mine began to go away, my peripheral neuropathy began to go away too.

Melatonin is a hormone, and important too, and there are probably more connections than anyone knows.

The dose is the important thing. You may or may not get a bit more with sublingual form.

Yes, cyanocobalamin can provide for most people the B12 they need, which in turn may allow repairs to be made. But methylcobalamin is better at producing results, allowing an amazing degree of nerve growth in some cases. If it is available, it is the best choice.

Any of us who makes repairs is fortunate. There are some who do not. I'm glad your memory results came relatively early. Often mental (and motor damage) repairs come much later if at all.

rose

At the time that I ran out of melatonin and had my period so heavily again, I was taking a couple of them a night...

Now I take the smallest amount available as I understand that too much can trigger our bodies to think we don't need to sleep.

I think that melatonin is something like CoEnzymeQ10 -- that is, it is a part of the B complex, but not a B vitamin.