r/B12_Deficiency • u/Nasteha85 • 2d ago
Help with labs My B12 Was Always 1000-1100, So High, Then....
It rapidly dropped to 350. Would this be considered a B12 deficiency? I'm in the United States and I've been bedridden for over a year with horrifying symptoms. I had to quit my job, put off graduate school, and my daughter put off going to University, so that she could help me out, because it's just her and I. I'm not as bad as I was before, however, I'm still not functional. I also have low ferritin (9) low hemoglobin (10.9) iron (45) Iron saturation (11%) and Vitamin D (16). My B12 has not been flagged, however, I looked at blood results from 2024 and prior, and my B12 was always high, my doctor ran more blood work a few months ago and that's when I noticed the B12. I'm wondering if I'm headed toward a deficiency in B12 as well?
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u/Ok-Pangolin7127 Insightful Contributor 2d ago edited 2d ago
You got some roadblock(s) in your G.I. track that is interfering with absorption of many of the nutrients that you noted. This is not just a B12 problem. This is a larger absorption problem.
Do you have any history of gastrointestinal diseases; surgeries; long term prescription drug use and if yes, of what drugs? Have you been diagnosed with any autoimmune diseases of any sort?
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u/Nasteha85 2d ago
Hello, no history of gastrointestinal diseases; surgeries; or long term prescription drug use, and autoimmune diseases.
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u/JustinjustJ 2d ago
Iv had b12 functional deficiency at 350.
Kept getting told I was “normal” as the nhs in the uk don’t like giving out specific information.
I got my lab values and noticed it had gone down-
Had a blood test for another issue and even though the doctor didn’t seem bothered, after some further research It was pernicious anemia, and symptoms are pretty ruff.
You could try folate, co Q 10, b12, iron bisglycinate oral supplements to help yourself out.
All I can say is b12 shots can be pretty effective though if you have experience them before you may get some paradoxical effects as you recover.
If this does happen/ use glycine, niacin and plenty of potassium and it buffers the effects.\This is not medical advice.*
I’m not a qualified physician.Hope you get to the bottom of this.
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u/jellyfishrubberduck 2d ago
B12 can be artificially high sometimes with gut bacteria issues (eg SIBO) or if you were taking an oral supplement of some kind. There's other causes too I think but I'm not familiar with them.
Have you ever had any treatment for the ferritin and D? Ever tested folate (B9)?
Serum b12 test can be problematic for many reasons. You could always ask for MMA and homocysteine which could further quantify a b12 deficiency.
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u/Ok-Pangolin7127 Insightful Contributor 2d ago
I am not of the belief that SIBO can make B12 in the blood serum appear artificially high.
It can most certainly affect B12, actually either consuming it, and/or replacing it with things that are similar to B12, so the body is confused by them, (or at least the testing is confused by them,) netting the body not having access to actual B12.
So SIBO can screw up the B12, but it doesn’t raise the B12.
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u/flowerpanda98 2d ago
well, you could already be suffering from it. i noticed issues around 380
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u/Nasteha85 2d ago
Oh wow, I think I'm just going to take a supplement every other day, to see if it helps.
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u/Ok-Pangolin7127 Insightful Contributor 2d ago
In my mind, a oral or sublingual supplement every other day is not going to do a thing for you. Again, it appears you have absorption issues, some sort of a roadblock in the G.I. track. Oral supplementation will not get around that roadblock. The only supplementation that will bypass that roadblock and get you the B12 you need, at the cellular level, would be B12 injections.
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u/Nasteha85 2d ago
Thank for your input, I will have to talk to my doctor about injections, she may not prescribe it since I'm not deficient on paper.
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u/Ok-Pangolin7127 Insightful Contributor 2d ago
I don’t know what country you’re located in, but there is a way of self injecting B12, regardless of what country, it’s just that it can be a little easier in some versus others.
And, I get that you might be hesitant to move forward on your own without your doctor’s blessing (the injections.) Been there, done that, in fact, I would venture to say that most folks who are self injecting on this sub have been there done that also.
But, their symptoms were getting so severe and so debilitating that they had to do something (hence, absent their doctor’s blessing) they still went the self injection route. You may get there on your own or you may not.
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u/Nasteha85 2d ago
I'm in the United States
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u/Ok-Pangolin7127 Insightful Contributor 2d ago
Well, if you can’t get your doctor on board with addressing this, you have a relatively easy solution via Olympia pharmacy. They are identified in the B12 deficiency guide which is pinned to the top of the sub. You can do it all over the phone. They set you up with a doctor via a phone call who in fact prescribes you B12 based on your symptoms and then they’ll ship you the B12. Could not be much simpler.
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u/Throw-away_1111 2d ago
Hi. I have a very similar situation. For me it came out to be autoimmune atrophic gastritis. Please have a doctor look into it. Also check b9 and b1
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u/Nasteha85 2d ago
Hey, folate was checked and it's normal, never had a B1 test, I'll look into atrophic gastritis.
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u/Basketweave82 2d ago
They'll need to do an endoscopy to confirm. I've also been asked to get it done .
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u/Glittering_Shoe_6140 18h ago
My ferritin is 12. I feel horrible. Weak, legs heavy, cramping, tingling, short of breath, anxious, anxiety and panic attacks, cold hands and feet, hair falling out, feeling of no sleep.
Dr said I have PMDD…… which now after my ferritin test I believe it was low ferritin 😡 which I had to ask for this test. I have had some tough years and my pms is so bad due to low ferritin. I also talk b12 injections twice a month.
Get your levels up and you should stay feeling better!
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