B Vitamins Getting Really Low - SCARY!!!

I don't know about you guys, but, I find all the bloodwork to be very confusing. I've read all the posts warning us to get copies of our bloodwork results and to keep on top of it - regardless of what the doctor says. Well, I did just that. I noticed that my B12 was 237. 200-1,100 being the normal range. Right next to it, it had a warning saying up to 10% of people start having neuropsychiatric ... abnormalities between 200-400. Yet the doctor said my bloodwork was fine. I find that to be scary. After I asked, he did say it would be okay to start doing sublinguals. I immediately made an appointment with my family doctor for a second opinion. He said that my B12 was a little low but in normal range. I then had him compare it to the results from September. My B12 was 914. Talk about a huge drop in a short time. He mentioned getting weekly shots. However, reading articles on the internet say to do them daily for a couple of weeks then weekly after that. ??? I'm so confused by the whole thing and a little scared. I don't want to get permanent damage from lack of vitamins. Who do we listen to??? Are any of you having B vitamin problems? My hands and feet are always cold (my body too). I'm tired all the time and have started to get dizzy spells sometimes during the day. Anyway, I was just curious as to your thoughts. Dawn 340/210

hi dawn, sorry you are having problems with your b12. but your post has me thinking. when i went to the doc in december, they mailed me a paper that basically just said "normal". didn't have any of the results on there. i did see at my appt that my b12 results in august were in the low 300's. but i also am cold all the time and have been having dizzy spells, too. maybe i should go get checked out. hugs~mary jo

Hi Mary Jo, I'd be interested in hearing what your doctor says. I talked to someone that has permanent damage from low B vitamins. She is now in a wheelchair. Scary!!!

Well its so hard but to decide on this. SO far i havent taken any vit B.... some do on the board and im thinking now is the time to start it. I get the dizzy moments when i get up to fast as well ....not sure if that is really from vit B. I am not unusually tired i have to much energy so dont know on that either. THE cold thing, well i attribute that to looseing 134 lbs of insulation that used to keep us warm and i also know our bodies are useing energy for looseing and fat burning so it lacks in keeping us warm. I read a thread in another forum about hand tingles and numbness being a VIT b issue and im battling this big time every morning i wake and have fingers that are so numb it actually alarms me ..... so for those takeing the sublingual vit b can u tell us were and what you take....guess i should add this now too just to be on the safe side! CANT hurt any of us i am sure LISA

I've taken B-12 right from the start. I do sublingual on Saturday and Wednesday. It tastes yucky but isn't that bad. I'm not sure what my level is. I guess I need to check with my surgeon. Chip

I am very careful of my vitamins and figure I needed to start right. So I take 4 Optisource Multi vit a day 1 b12 sub, twice a week 1000 Calcium Citrate, daily 1 slow fe iron, daily with a chewable vitamin C That seems to be what most of the longer term people take and I just wanted to make sure I was not low. I figure it would be alot harder to bring it back up than just have it stay up. Optisource Multi are made for bariatric patients and actually taste good. Sara 302/196/150

I was told to take B-12 right away or almost right away. I have cut back, but I take GNC brand B-12 1000mg. I was taking it three times a week and now just take it once since my last check up at 6 months it was high so they said to cut back. Its a small pill you place under your tongue till it dissolves. Its cherry flavored and doesnt taste bad at all. Its also sugar free. I would think you should take some B-12. It cant hurt you to have too much, so I figure too much is better than not enough. I am also cold, but its real cold up here in Michigan. I agree with Lisa, we have lost lots of insulation so that adds to our cold bodies. I go Monday for my 9 month appt so I will let you all know how my B-12 is.

One of my favorite quotes from my local support group is: "Be your own advocate"! Good for you for doing just that! My six month labs showed that my B-12 was dropping, but I don't remember how much. The doctor said is was still in normal range, but he wanted me to add a daily B-12 just to be safe. I found a sublingual liquid at Jewel-Osco that's not bad. I take it each morning, and while I have not seen the doc for my nine-month yet, I had my blood drawn last week and was already told that everything looks good. It is sooooooooo inportant to stay on top of our vitamins. It is really scary to me that there are some doctors out there who are not more proactive and/or stern with their patients about this! Nicole

My surgeon has been doing this for a long time and is one of the main doctors in Houston. He was actually in the movie Super Size Me if any of you saw it. I just think that its weird how different all the doctors are. My surgeon was one of the most strict when it came to diet right after surgery. I agree with him totally on that part, although it was miserable. As for medications after surgery, they seem to be too easy. They don't recommend shakes at first due to the possibility of kidney stones. They also don't push anything other than calcium and two Flintstones daily. I wouldn't even question it except for reading the posts on this site. Now I'm not sure what to do. Ya know? In my surgeons defense, I actually see his practitioner when I go and not him. Remember, I was told by two doctors that my lab results looked good. I had to point out how much it had dropped. I've started taking a liquid sublingual from Walmart. I think I'm going to do shots soon to be safe.

I don't know how low mine was. They just told me it was low and to add a sublingual. So for now, I'm taking the monthly shots and the sublingual. I get mine from Bariatric Advantage. I like them alot. I also have to take an additional 50,000 iu of Vit D (presription) each day because they said my vitamin D was "VERY low" But I need to call them tomorrow to ask about the additional Vit D that is in my Calcium supplement and my multivitamin. Will I be getting too much? I think I will ask them to fax or mail me a copy of my labs. That's a good idea to keep a copy for your own records. BTW... I LOVELOVELOVE my new calcium supplement! It's the cinnamon lozenges from Bariatric Advantage! They taste like candy....like FIREBALLS!! Sooooo awesome. I had no problem getting my calcium in today. Oh, they are yummmmmmie! I had been having dizzy spells, but figured it was just my sinus's making my balance off (I've been battling this sinus thing for over a month). I am also always very cold. Especially my feet and hands. I have been tired, but thought that it was just from staying up and late and getting up too early. Maybe it was the vitamins? or maybe just partially. All I know is, I want those levels back up where they belong and i want to keep them there so i don't have to go to an endrocrinologist! Hugs, Pam