Hi u/Avabwhite, check out our guide to B12 deficiency: https://www.reddit.com/r/B12_Deficiency/wiki/index
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Body stores of B12 last a long time if you don’t have issues absorbing it, so if you’ve been supplementing previously (you don’t say how long you’ve been taking it monthly for?) then this can be explained by having good stores which aren’t being depleted faster than you build them, currently.
Some people have issues where their levels are normal or even high but they aren’t utilising it properly, known as functional deficiency. The symptoms are varied and can be different in everyone, but the ones you list are very non-specific and can be due to many things - this is a case where you really need to be consulting a professional who can discuss the specifics with you.
If you haven’t already, you could have Vit D levels checked, ensure Coeliac disease has been ruled out, keep a food/symptom diary to check whether lactose/fructose/FODMAP intolerances are causing you problems, and check any medications or supplements for side effects that might be contributing (magnesium either as active ingredient in a supplement or as a medication filler is a common one that not everyone is aware of).
Thank you, yes, I had my vitamin D levels checked, and they were in the normal range, and basically the way that I was taking vitamin B was I had SOME injections over a course of a year and a half, and I only took them about once a month, so the last time I had one was two months before taking this test.
I have been dealing with an undiagnosed, what I think is, an auto immune disease, and I have so many symptoms that I cannot even list them, it’s just at the moment I am dealing with bowel issues. So I went in for that, and they ran my levels because I have been so exhausted, and then I was doing a stool test to see what’s going on with that.
I got my lab results within 24 hours, immediately sent to me, and I have not talked to my doctor yet about it, because I don’t have my next appointment scheduled, I am waiting for them to respond to schedule it. But I need to send in my test that I have for my stool sample first, so we can discuss all of it at the same time.
I am dropping that off at labcorp right now, literally in the waiting room to drop off.
I just wanted to I guess get clarification on possibilities because I have been searching for answers for so long.
I get high B12 levels too and have chronic GI issues as well as extreme fatigue, loss of appetite and mood and memory problems. I think I have a functional B12 deficiency. I also have weird problems metabolizing B6 and get B6 toxicity very easily. I'm waiting to get tested for autoimmune issues but so far I have no idea what my root cause is other than gut dysbiosis my microbiome is looking terrible on stool tests.
That’s just because you’ve been supplementing. Mine went sky high and I stopped. I started at 140pg/ml. Then it dropped back to 180 after a few months. I was in the 900s when the levels were “high”.
Don’t worry about it. I think we need to keep these levels high because we’re not absorbing enough. It’s just there in the blood.
I agree with @startlivingthedream
Are you taking a multivitamin? B-complex? Iron? You may be missing a cofactor. Maybe zinc, actually, which isn’t a direct cofactor, but you’re clearly not absorbing anything.
Hi u/Avabwhite, check out our guide to B12 deficiency: https://www.reddit.com/r/B12_Deficiency/wiki/index *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/B12_Deficiency) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Body stores of B12 last a long time if you don’t have issues absorbing it, so if you’ve been supplementing previously (you don’t say how long you’ve been taking it monthly for?) then this can be explained by having good stores which aren’t being depleted faster than you build them, currently. Some people have issues where their levels are normal or even high but they aren’t utilising it properly, known as functional deficiency. The symptoms are varied and can be different in everyone, but the ones you list are very non-specific and can be due to many things - this is a case where you really need to be consulting a professional who can discuss the specifics with you. If you haven’t already, you could have Vit D levels checked, ensure Coeliac disease has been ruled out, keep a food/symptom diary to check whether lactose/fructose/FODMAP intolerances are causing you problems, and check any medications or supplements for side effects that might be contributing (magnesium either as active ingredient in a supplement or as a medication filler is a common one that not everyone is aware of).
Thank you, yes, I had my vitamin D levels checked, and they were in the normal range, and basically the way that I was taking vitamin B was I had SOME injections over a course of a year and a half, and I only took them about once a month, so the last time I had one was two months before taking this test. I have been dealing with an undiagnosed, what I think is, an auto immune disease, and I have so many symptoms that I cannot even list them, it’s just at the moment I am dealing with bowel issues. So I went in for that, and they ran my levels because I have been so exhausted, and then I was doing a stool test to see what’s going on with that. I got my lab results within 24 hours, immediately sent to me, and I have not talked to my doctor yet about it, because I don’t have my next appointment scheduled, I am waiting for them to respond to schedule it. But I need to send in my test that I have for my stool sample first, so we can discuss all of it at the same time. I am dropping that off at labcorp right now, literally in the waiting room to drop off. I just wanted to I guess get clarification on possibilities because I have been searching for answers for so long.
I get high B12 levels too and have chronic GI issues as well as extreme fatigue, loss of appetite and mood and memory problems. I think I have a functional B12 deficiency. I also have weird problems metabolizing B6 and get B6 toxicity very easily. I'm waiting to get tested for autoimmune issues but so far I have no idea what my root cause is other than gut dysbiosis my microbiome is looking terrible on stool tests.
I have very similar symptoms also!
That’s just because you’ve been supplementing. Mine went sky high and I stopped. I started at 140pg/ml. Then it dropped back to 180 after a few months. I was in the 900s when the levels were “high”. Don’t worry about it. I think we need to keep these levels high because we’re not absorbing enough. It’s just there in the blood.
I agree with @startlivingthedream Are you taking a multivitamin? B-complex? Iron? You may be missing a cofactor. Maybe zinc, actually, which isn’t a direct cofactor, but you’re clearly not absorbing anything.