B12

[toodlebug]

Hi I just found out that my B12 is at a very low 86. What is normal. I am a 47year old woman, I thought I was just tired and falling apart because old age was coming. How long does it take you to get your numbers up again? And does memory come back.Has anybody ilce been this low?

[kemosabi]

Hi again toodlebug:

I would suggest that you find out from your doctor if it is pernicious anemia. They can do a blood test that tells what amount of vitamin B-12 is in your blood. They can do a blood test to see if you have an anti-body against your intrinsic factor which prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B-12 from the foods that you eat. They can also do a test called a Schillings Test.

Pernicious anemia (PA) is an auto-immune disease that occurs as an end stage of auto-immune gastritis which results in the destruction of gastric mucosa (moist tissue that lines the stomach). It follows long-term autoimmune gastritis (inflammation of the mucosal lining of the stomach).The autoimmune process is limited to the body of the stomach and causes gastric atrophy (wasting of tissue).

The auto-reaction is against the gastric intrinsic factor substance that makes the absorption of vitamin B-12 possible)and complement-fixing antibodies to gastric parietal cells (the binding site for vitamin B-12). Long-term destruction of the parietal cells of the gastric mucosa results in atrophy leading to inability of the stomach to absorb and utilize vitamin B-12. Thus, PA is the end result of antoimmune gastritis. The gastric atrophy is caused by chronic inflammation from the autoimmune attack on the lining of the stomach and precedes the development of PA by many years. PA has been observed to cluster in families.

It takes from 3-5 years (depending on the person)for your stored B-12 in the liver to be depleated. Without vitamin B-12 your body can not make red blood cells in sufficient quantity to support life. Without vitamin B-12 you will die. That is the reason for the B-12 injections. I had 1 injection a week for 6 weeks (called loading doses). Then once a month there after for the rest of your life. I do my own injections...which you might want to consider.

There is a website dedicated to pernicious anemia (this one is in the UK (England) it spells anemia this way: anaemia).The website is: www.pernicious-anaemia-society.org/forums. Once there, click onto "my story" and look at all the people's storys and you get a better sense of what it's impact really is. This post is getting kinda long, so I will say good luck, take care.Kemosabi

[toodlebug]

Thanks Kemosabi,All I got was a call from the doctors office that I was to come get started on B12 shots. I haven't even got to talk to the Doctor about it. I did ask the nurce who gave me the shot , How long did it take for my B12 to get this low 86. All she said was many years. I also asked if I would fill better in a couple days. She laughed and said maybe in 3 to 6 monts.I am getting a shot once a week for a month than start once a month.I black out,dizzy, numb,tingle,my one eye is seeing double after reading alittle. I can't remember like I use to.And have awlful mood swings. I can't seem stay on one thing for two long because my minds wonders.I told my husband one day that I must be getting lazy. I'm just so tired all the time. The worse is I forget what I'm doing, or have to do. Neeless to say I have to list every thing I have to do now.Its hard to beleive that a low b12 can produce all of these things,plus more. thanks again wounder if all comes back to normal when B12 comes up?

[kemosabi]

Hi Toodlebug,

This is one that you want to stay on top of. Did your doctor say what she/he was going to do about your low B-12? Their is a least 2 conditions that can cause this: 1) malabsorbtion. 2) a auto-immune disorder called Pernicious Anemia. In both cases you want to do something about it as soon as possible! In both cases it is very treatable (with vitamin B-12 injections). If not treated in a short period of time, after the symptoms start to show...then you could have very, very serious problems that may or may not be able to be fixed. I have pernicious anemia..I have to have vitamin B-12 injections once a month..and will for the rest of my life.

Please! Take this very seriously! If left untreated for very long..it can lead to brain damage, heart problems, dimentia, and many other very serious problems. This is a quote from the information given me when I was diagnosed:

"Once the symptoms of Pernicious Anemia appears, they must be treated, left untreated, LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS CAN OCCUR!"

I suggest that you go to: www.webmd.com and other medical websites and look up: pernicious anemia and see what it tells you. If you want more information you can e-mail me at: ***@****

Take care...good luck...kemosabi