Re: HELP!- Do i have B12 deficiency?

[Guest guest]

Hi Hayley, I'm no expert but notice your posting has gone unanswered for

a while. Please wait for a moderator to confirm my treatment advice. I

have all of your symptoms and Sheila advised me to address my B12 and

Ferritin levels.

My B12 came back at 348ng/L (189-883) and needs to be at the top end.

My Ferritin was 55ug/L (22-275) and needs to be above 150 at the

minimum. So, on comparing my levels to yours, even though male/female

levels are slightly different you do need to supplement.

I was advised to raise the Ferritin with 200mgs of Ferrous Sulphate and

increase the B12 with METHYLCOBALAMIN, not cyanocobalamin, preferably

sublingual lozenges.

Like you too, I'm on my own and wouldn't have received the needed help

if it wasn't for TPA.

Take care, Bill

>

> Hi everyone,

[Guest guest]

Hi Bill,

sorry to butt in on your conversation with Hayley! But I'm wondering how you

are getting on with the supplementation and if it is helping? My B12 was 219,

and the advice on here was that this is way too low and I should take 1000mcg a

day sublingually, but unfortunately I can't get that dose here in brunei and

it's not permitted to mailorder supplements (all parcels are checked by customs

so you can't just hope you'll get away with it). I saw a dr today, hoping she

would prescribe a high dose B12 but she said she thought that although my level

wasn't high, it wasn't a real cause for concern and thought that high dose

supplementation may be harmful, so she's trialling a low dose of thyroxine with

me for a month. I was hoping that a real boost of B12 might make enough

difference to everything else so I could avoid starting on thyroxine. I'd be

really keen to hear how you have got on with your highdose B12

supplementation... please let me know, as it would be good to be able to quote

someone else's experience when I go back to the dr.

Thanks,

> My B12 came back at 348ng/L (189-883) and needs to be at the top end.

>

> I was advised to raise the Ferritin with 200mgs of Ferrous Sulphate and

> increase the B12 with METHYLCOBALAMIN, not cyanocobalamin, preferably

> sublingual lozenges.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Bill,

Thank-you for your reply.

I have had a major sucsess today.I managed to get a cancellation at my local

surgery and saw a doc i've never met before.I went in ladden down with

print-offs from the internet about b12 defeciency and my infamously long list of

symtoms and managed to put my point accross well(which is a miracle for my hazy

brain)-and guess what? he said, and i quote,- " WELL.i guess we should try you

on some b12 injections then " . I nearly feel off my chair.(Instead i cried!).It

really was as simple as that.I am stunned and very happy.At first he said he'll

start me off on 1 every 3 months- at this point my heart sank again.I explained

that once monthly is what i had read would be best-and he has agreed.I'm now

reading though that i should start on 1 a WEEK for the first 6 weeks??- is this

correct.....

hayley

> >

> > Hi everyone,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Haley,

I'm interested to know if any of you think i may have a problem with my B12?

Yes – you have.... your B12 needs to be at the high end of the range (~900).... so you need to supplement. B12 is difficult for the body to absorb, Solgar's nuggets, taken sublingually, are best... take one nugget under your tongue daily.Incidentally,i am not taking ANYTHING at the moment as i could'nt get on with Levothyroxine and so packed it in and i stopped all vitamin supplements a while back as i wanted to be a 'blank canvas' ready for the blood and saliva test.......

My results are as follows-b12/folate level-serum folate = 4.7 ng/ml (2.1-20)

too low – you might need some folate – and I think you can only get that on prescription.....serum vitamin b12 = 214 ng/l (180-914)

too low – please supplementserum ferritin = 14.0 ng/ml (11.0-307)

Much too low! – you need to supplement iron. Iron deficiency is a "biggy"... you need to get it up to above 70 – better 100. Take iron in the evenings together with Vit C 500 or 1000 mg or it will constipate you. Evenings are best, because iron and thyroid hormone don't mix. They need to be kept apart as far as possible ... always remember that ! Once you start on thyroid, you will be taking that am and possibly pm as well.... so iron is a night time thing.

total white cell count = 4.3 (4.0-11.0)

that shows low immunity.... most hypos have a low WBCRBC count =4.51 (3.50-5.50) okMCV =93.1 FL (78.0-100.0) MCH= 30.2 pg (27.0-32.0)MCHC = 32.4 g/dl (32.0-36.0)vitamin d3 (serum 25 hydroxy) = 55 nmol/Lvitamin d2 (" " ")= 10 nmol/L

Your D3 is MUCH too low. Supplement 4000 iu of D3 daily. You need to get the count up to around 100.There are lots of others ,but i'm not sure if they mean much or not and i don't want to bore you!,but plaese let me know if i should look for anything else....

The minerals and vitamins every hypo needs to watch out for are:

Ferritin, Magnesium, Folate, Zinc, Copper, Vit B12 and Vit D3. You've checked most of them, but how about Magnesium? I am booked in for more blood tests that shelia advised me to have,next week.I am also planning on tackling the hypo with NDT's, but not until i've corrected any vit/mineral defeciancies and the adrenal issues.I hope this sounds like a sensible plan as i have given up on the docs and so am going this thing alone. My ONLY means of getting better,i feel

Sensible thinking ;o) If you have adrenal issues, tackle them now, and about 2 weeks into treatment you can start on NDT. – Fingers and toes crossed !

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hi Hayley, sorry for the late reply but, as I said to if I don't work with my Chiropractor I won't achieve the desired goal. I have to get away from the PC.

Even as a man I will admit that doctors have reduced me to tears. It's just the sheer frustration of not knowing what is wrong when all they can say is, "your blood levels are within range"? How some of us have held it together, I don't know? It's left me with complete and utter contempt for the medical profession and I'm now very anti "Big Pharma". Deep inside of me I still feel bloody sorry for those without a PC and the vulnerable that are needlessly suffering. Regardless of any individuals circumstances we should all be being treated with the same dignity and respect as Royalty.

To avoid any confliction in our attempt to properly educate a GP it's best to quote an NHS source. NHS Choices website states;

Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia can be treated with vitamin B12 supplements. Vitamin B12 is usually given by injection every other day for two weeks, followed by tablets, until the deficiency is under control.

Folate deficiency anaemia can be treated with folate supplements. Folic acid tablets are used to restore folate levels, which usually need to be taken for four months.

Depending on the underlying cause of a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, dietary improvements can prevent the condition returning, or supplements may need to be taken for life.

Take care, Bill

> Hi Bill,> Thank-you for your reply.> I have had a major sucsess today.I managed to get a cancellation at my local surgery and saw a doc i've never met before.I went in ladden down with print-offs from the internet about b12 defeciency and my infamously long list of symtoms and managed to put my point accross well(which is a miracle for my hazy brain)-and guess what? he said, and i quote,- " WELL.i guess we should try you on some b12 injections then". I nearly feel off my chair.(Instead i cried!).It really was as simple as that.I am stunned and very happy.At first he said he'll start me off on 1 every 3 months- at this point my heart sank again.I explained that once monthly is what i had read would be best-and he has agreed.I'm now reading though that i should start on 1 a WEEK for the first 6 weeks??- is this correct.....> > hayley

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank-you so much for your invaluable help.

Can i just clarify about the folate.Do you mean 'folic acid'? I've found lots of

folic acid being sold? -so i'm a little confused as you said you thiught i could

only get on prescription?? (sorry, bit muddled today!)....

If it is folic acid- how much would you recommend i take? also, i've heard you

can get jabs for this too,am i right?

sorry to be a bore but i'm on a roll at the mo!

hayley X

>

>

> Hi Haley,

>

> I'm interested to know if any of you think i may have a problem with my

> B12?

>

> Yes � you have.... your B12 needs to be at the high end of the range

> (~900).... so you need to supplement. B12 is difficult for the body to

> absorb, Solgar's nuggets, taken sublingually, are best... take one

> nugget under your tongue daily.

> Incidentally,i am not taking ANYTHING at the moment as i could'nt get on

> with Levothyroxine and so packed it in

[Ed]

[Guest guest]

Hello Hayley,

Can i just clarify about the folate.Do you mean 'folic acid'? I've found lots of folic acid being sold? -so i'm a little confused as you said you thiught i could only get on prescription?? (sorry, bit muddled today!)....If it is folic acid- how much would you recommend i take? also, i've heard you can get jabs for this too,am i right?

That makes two of us being muddled ;o) I know that folic acid is not the same as folate, but I could not explain the difference – so I leave it to more competent people to do that... it says on Wiki -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid

A lack of dietary folic acid leads to folate deficiency, which is uncommon in normal Western diets.[citation needed] A complete lack of dietary folate takes months before deficiency develops as normal individuals have about 500–20,000 µg[9] of folate in body stores.[10] This deficiency can result in many health problems, the most notable one being neural tube defects in developing embryos. Common symptoms of folate deficiency include diarrhea, macrocytic anemia with weakness or shortness of breath, nerve damage with weakness and limb numbness (peripheral neuropathy)[citation needed], pregnancy complications, mental confusion, forgetfulness or other cognitive declines, mental depression, sore or swollen tongue, peptic or mouth ulcers, headaches, heart palpitations, irritability, and behavioral disorders. Low levels of folate can also lead to homocysteine accumulation.[7] DNA synthesis and repair are impaired and this could lead to cancer development.[7]

..... and this next guy below explains it all in detail. Most of what he says goes straight over my head, but I gather that `folic acid' is not what is needed... it's folate – and that, I have been told by a friend who was also low in folate, needs to be prescribed.

http://tahomaclinicblog.com/folic-acid/

I am sorry to be so vague, but I really do not understand it fully myself. But since your doctor has now offered B12 injections (grab that offer with both hands !), he will probably also have an open ear about prescribing folate for you, since a folate deficency and B12 deficiency go hand in hand... I have a feeling one needs to take folate for 8 weeks, but as I said, I am muddled about it all myself. Perhaps one of the more biochemically minded members can help?

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Hayley, I am not , but folate is name the mineral is

called in your body, and folic acid is the name of the supplement you take if

your folate level is low. You can buy 400/800mcgs at health food stores or

chemists (which is the usual recommended dose), but if there is a need to take

higher doses than that, you will need a prescription from your GP.

Luv - Sheila

Hi ,

Thank-you so much for your invaluable help.

Can i just clarify about the folate.Do you mean 'folic acid'? I've found lots

of folic acid being sold? -so i'm a little confused as you said you thiught i

could only get on prescription?? (sorry, bit muddled today!)....

If it is folic acid- how much would you recommend i take? also, i've heard you

can get jabs for this too,am i right?

No

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