Hi Kitt:) thanks you.

mrsD, I would like to describe the whole picture; as I read through the forum I notice that you have a lot of experience, I would really appreciate if you can add some more tips for my recovery.

When I was 26, I visited the doctor complaining about general weakness. during the two years before the visit I had studied in the university.
These two years were extremely exhausting because I had to struggle with eye problems (can't read for long periods of time from close).
My brutal determination to go forward and study anyway has ended up in total exhaustion after these two years.
My B12 back then was 380pg/ml.

Today, I'm 28 years old, since the exhaustion episode I haven't recovered 100%, I lived normal life but couldn't exercise intensively and lift weights, seems like my body hasn't responded well to intensive exercise.

Lately, I caught the flu, weakness has kickstarted again, and this what hasted me do the blood test, which revealed 284pg/ml level of B12.

I really think that I was already deficient two years ago, and it's mostly due to my tendency for perfectionism and pushing myself to exhaustion.

I also thought that if my personality has depleted my b12 vitamin, wouldn't other vitamins/minerals become depleted as well?

I thought about supplementing with zinc, magnesium and vitmain C as well.

I will appreciate your advice, what do you think about my theory?

Well.... susceptibility to flu/colds/infections might also signal a low Vit D status. Vit D has one function besides others of improving immunity.

Depending on your diet, whether you have Crohn's disease (which causes malabsorption) or Celiac/gluten intolerance (also causes malabsorption), the answer you seek my lie there.

B12 is the most delicate B vitamin however, and requires animal sourced food, adequate acid in the stomach, intrinsic factor from the stomach to latch onto the B12 from animal sources, and then trancobalamin in the intestine to carry it around. The other B vitamins are easier to fix and get from food.

B6 and folic acid have to be activated, for actions, and that may fail. Folic acid is methylated to methylfolate...and this like B12 may fail if you have an MTHFR mutation.

Some people get low in magnesium, and also in Omega-3 fatty acids. So if you don't eat flax or salmon (or other fatty fish) you can be low in Omega-3's. If you supplement magnesium don't get the OXIDE form as it is not absorbed in the bowel. Get a chelated form like, glycinate, malate, citrate, gluconate, etc.

So alot depends on lifestyle in addition to your genetic heritage.

Personality may drive food choices, poor sleep habits, and also affect immunity if it tends to be depressive. If you try too much body building and ignore diet, magnesium, B6, amino acids, omega-3's then you may deplete yourself while building muscle.
B12 is mostly for the nervous system, brain, and blood forming bone marrow. But it does work in all cells of the body to some extent. You cannot live without B12...but you can see from the RDA of 2-4 micrograms needed daily that it works in tiny amounts compared to other nutrients. And some is stored in the liver for lean times, up to 5 yrs depending on the person.

My vitamin D status was 29ng/ml.. in the last recent blood test it was 40ng/ml... I managed to build it up only with sun exposure.

I don't have Crohn's disease or Celiac/gluten intolerance.
I subsist primarily on fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, nuts and seeds (chia seeds and flax seeds as well), brown bread, rice.
I sleep 8 hours a night.

I will supplement with magnesium citrate and omega 3s.

Thanks agains:)

Hi everyone, wanted to update about my progress.

3 weeks ago, I started to supplement 15mg Zinc, 600mg Magnesium Citrate, 1000mg Vitamin C, and B-Complex, in addition to 1000mcg B12 daily.

In the last two weeks I've gained some weight and my body is much more healthy physically.
In the past two years I simply couldn't gain weight, seems like my metabolism was out of whack.
Moreover, I used to wake up in the morning not fresh with muscle aches/stiffness in my legs. Muscles aches have improved dramatically.

I attribute this progress to the addition of Magnesium.

The weakness/lack of energy is still fluctuating, I believe with time, supplementation will improve that as well.

Thanks for the update. I am glad for you that things are improving. :hug: