Thread: b12 deficient || any suggestions

Hi Ladies,

I'm hoping someone on this board can be of assistance.

My doctor just recently did some bloodwork on me and my b12 levels are extremely low (in fact worse then they were last year) due to my lack of eating red meat or egg yolk.

She's warned me that i'm a couple of years away from developping anemia.

I take b12 supplements but they're not enough according to her. she used to give me b12 injections but she'd rather not have to see me on a monthly basis. Even with the b12 injections my levels were still just barely acceptable/normal.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me on foods/supplements to take that would get me to a normal level.

Yup, yup. Gotta take your iron. Take some fiber tho. Cause you will get constipated . My iron was really low for awhile. Now its back up.

Something here doesn't sound right ti me. Are you sure your deficiency is diet-related? Has your doctor checked for other causes? It is unusual to be deficient simply because you don't eat red meat or egg yolk, especially if regular injections have only brought you to the marginal level. Usually, this is a sign that your body is not absorbing the B12 it receives.

Anemia as a result of low B12 won't be fixed by supplementing with iron.

I think you need to discuss this with your doctor or get a second opinion.

that's what she said... that it's diet related but that another portion of it is that the tablets i was taking likely weren't being absorbed properly into my system.

She's sent me to god knows how many doctors for tests and stuff to make sure i'm healthy. All of my other blood work so far has come back normal. Even the rest of my vitamin levels are healthy or close to normal anyways... just the b12.

I do appreciate the feedback.

The question here is how much b12 were you being injected with? Alot of doctors don't truelly understand b12 and the needs for it. To have a doc say she doesn't want you to come back on a monthly basis and just stop injecting you without any other choices is just WRONG!

I give myself injections every month. My doc showed me how and now I do it on my own, every 3 months I get my blood drawn for evaluation.

Oral b12 is actually a waste of money, your body only absorbs about 10% of the b12 it takes in orally. The vitamin gurus will sell you anything if they think you'll buy it.

Injecting yourself is actually very easy to do, or you can even have a parent, boyfriend/husband, or friend do it for you. It's just ideal you do it yourself so that you don't have to rely on anyone.

Another question is are you taking creatine? Without proper b12 levels you will not absorb the creatine and creatine will also deplete some of your b12 levels.

Also were your blood protein levels checked, these usually drop when b12 levels drop.

B12 anemia is a different type of anemia from iron deficiency, but normally an iron deficiency occurs before the b12 does. Being b12 deficient over a period of time is anemia. It doesn't take a couple of years to become so. Your body can only survive about 6 months without any b12, then you die.

You get b12 from alot more sources than red meat and egg yolks. So to narrow it down to just those things is premature judgement.

Your symptoms most likely are that you are cold, exhausted all the time and mentally out of it.

I agree that you need a second opinion and push to learn to inject yourself, don't give up and don't let the doctors give up on you.

Lots of luck
Mistressfang

Hello,

If you don't like to have meat or eggs you can switch to some great fruits like bananas and oranges. It has a high amount of vitamins. You can also have curd in your meal, nuts, and peas too. There are many fruits and vegetables which can fight anemia but taking them in the right quantity matters more. I think you should change the tablets and get the Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin 1mg 120 tablets that are high in quality.