Low Vitamin B12 levels

napoles

Hi all
It's my first time posting in this forum, so be gentle!
I've been diagnosed with having low vitamin B12 (118 was was my most recent level). It was low as well last year and the doc left me off with trying to get it up with diet and when she checked it again, it was up a little.

Unfortunately, it's now gone down again and she's insisting I get the injections.. She's also going to check if i have an inability to absorb it, but she said that would be unusual at my age (30).

Anyway, I was just wondering if anybody could give me any more info about low B12 or are there any people out there who have been diagnosed? I'm more curious than anything else really. All you get on the net are symptoms, causes, etc., but I'd be interested in hearing how common it is.

I'm not a vegetarian, but am probably not the most sensible eater. I can forget to eat, or if I'm out at a competition (horses) I might go all day without anything, but in general I think I've been pretty good lately.
According to the internet it's pretty rare for people to get this through bad diet alone??

aviendha

Hey Napoles - I also have a problem absorbing Vitamin B12 (despite taking a daily B-Complex supplement!) in addition to Iron (I'm 27). Had blood tests done, discovered the problem, got a few injections just to boost the reserves.
Haven't had it checked since as it's not the most serious thing in the world, but do keep up my daily supplements.

As an aside, it might be indicative of Pernicious Anaemia - passes through the female line I think, and some of the symptoms are inability to absorb B12 and Iron. I don't know a lot about P.A. (only that my aunt was diagnosed with it, and all her sisters had to be tested for it to make sure they weren't carriers) but I'm sure someone else can give you a heads up.

Anyway, that's my tuppence-worth if it's any good to ya!

napoles

Thanks a mill for your response. Yeah, when I got my first jab last week the doc took blood to check for Pernicious Anemia also, so I'll find out this evening when I go for the second jab. She said that she's seeing an increase in the amount of younger people presenting with low B12 lately. Wonder why?
Are we just not eating properly compared to people in previous years?

Khannie

My wife had to get the injections once (one set of them...I think there's a few involved). She was tested for PA and tested negative. She's been fine ever since but it's worth pointing out that her diet has improved a lot since then. More wholesome food etc.

Fremen

My grandad was diagnosed as B12 deficient (eventually: they went through about four diagnoses before that). He pretty much went completely bonkers, which may or may not have been related to the b12 deficiency. Started telling us he had magic slippers which made everything ok, and that the cushions were electric. It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. He eventually became "normal" again, and could carry a conversation.

Not that I'd expect that to happen to you, OP

radioactiveman

Hi napoles you might have to be quite careful about getting B12 every day (it's water soluble so I don't think the body stores it for long periods of time and is not capable of storing large quantities of it). An elderly relative of mine had to get B12 injections and it completely transformed her, she was very out of breath before she got them but then got a new lease of life.
You could get floradix (I think that's what it's called) - it's a kind of brown drink you can get in chemists. It's an iron supplement but it has B12 as well I think. Runners use it coming up to marathons:)

DubArk

I found myself about ten years ago very fatigued, suffering form migraines and generally under the weather. I recall felling very low in myself too. Blood tests were done and B12 deficiency was found. Now I was burning the candle at both ends, had a very poor diet and I drank to much alcohol. I used to workout every day too. :eek:This lifestyle I was led to believe were great contributors to the B12 reduction in my bloods. I took the injections and changed my life style, eating regularly and watching my intake of Booze and cutting down on the workouts. Im NOW 48stonne………No only Joking!!:D
It took a long time for me to get back to normal but as B12 directly effects nerve endings and their repair, god only knows what was going on in my body.
There’s my tuppence worth.:)

napoles

DubArk wrote: »

I found myself about ten years ago very fatigued, suffering form migraines and generally under the weather. I recall felling very low in myself too. Blood tests were done and B12 deficiency was found. Now I was burning the candle at both ends, had a very poor diet and I drank to much alcohol. I used to workout every day too. :eek:This lifestyle I was led to believe were great contributors to the B12 reduction in my bloods. I took the injections and changed my life style, eating regularly and watching my intake of Booze and cutting down on the workouts. Im NOW 48stonne………No only Joking!!:D
It took a long time for me to get back to normal but as B12 directly effects nerve endings and their repair, god only knows what was going on in my body.
There’s my tuppence worth.:)

Yeah, I think it has to do with a lot of how you feel mentally too. I was feeling quite down lately and also I'm convinced it's associated with feelings of anxiety that I tend to suffer from. Being overly paranoid about silly things etc.
That's the one thing that I am most hopeful will be fixed by the injections. WEbsites tell you lots, but you don't hear anecdotal or first hand opinions like I'm getting from you guys. Thanks a mill!

DubArk

napoles wrote: »

associated with feelings of anxiety that I tend to suffer from

Yes I suffered very badly from anxiety, i was always on edge.
Horrible feeling that can snowball if not looked into.

napoles

That's really interesting. It's becoming a bit of a problem for me, but I think I can pretty much associate it with the B12 issue... hopefully!!

Curvy Vixen

I was prescribed these too napoles.

Was feeling low, tired all the time and really grumpy (nothing new there though ) and I had a level of under 100. Due to an operation I had I have trouble absorbing B12 and will for life.

So I had to have injections, daily, then weekly, then monthly and now every 3 months to keep my levels up. Need to get another prescription actually!

I chose to give them to myself instead of keep going to the doctors ~ it's really easy, my nurse friend showed me what to do and it's just a jab in the bum cheek, doesn't hurt and takes a second.

I googled my eyes off when I first had it to find another solution but it seems that injections are the best and only way to raise the levels and then try to keep them up, though for some that's not an option...

napoles

That sounds tough. I've read about operations causing it alright. You're pretty brave being able to inject yourself. A friend of mine managed to do it, but she said it took her about half an hour each time to summon up the courage!!

I'm sure I'd cope if I really had to, but I'm a bit of a wuss with needles, so as I only have to get five injections, I'll let the doc do it.

bellapip

:)Hey Napoles.

To you and all other posters on this subject, I have a little word of caution.

Last year in the UK, one in four women were diagnosed with having low B12 levels, I know this from a first hand experience as I too was diagnosed with a ridiculously low level of B12.
So low in fact that my doctor wondered how I was functioning, as it happened I was working away fine, not a bother on me and the B12 only came up during a check up.
I took the injections up until injection six, when I began to break out in a rash of lumps under my skin, on my face and chest.
The doc suggested giving the injections a miss for a while, which I did, but my skin never entirely cleared.

B12 has been found to be low or below recommended levels in one in four Uk and Irish women. However, during tests it was also found that of the percentage who increased their B12 levels, only one in Twenty found a remarkable difference.
The medical journal that printed this article then went on to say that the findings were non conclusive, but pointed at a change in the lifestyles of women in their twenties to thirties by comparison to how their lives would have been, food wise in the previous decades.

In summation, they suggested that women were now less likely to have higher levels of B12 due to many factors, and that those without were in fact capable of dealing without, but that the absorbsion levels provided by injections in themselves were not enough to sufficiently increase the levels.
A high concentrate diet of protein and an energy supplement would be of more benefit, combined with a good fitness regime.

Hope this is of some use to you.



B.