question about b12 levels

I just got back form my hemotologist and finally have my iron level under control. I had to have 3 infusions and I went from a 4 iron level to 59 after 8 weeks and my hemogloban in 15 finally but my b12 level is 342. I asked if this was ok and she said yes. I am confused I read somewhere here our levels should be above 500 I just bought sublingual b12 to see if I could bring it up my dr didn't seem concerned any imput would be apprieciated.

unfortunatly most doctors including hematologists go by standard levels for B12 which is 200-900.  You are at 342 which is very dangerous for us since we malabsorb it very quickly.  Anything below 500 can put you at risk for nerve damage = do you have any symptoms - pins and needles or numbness in your hands, feet, arms, legs or fingers or toes?  This is  a sign that it is sign and if it is left for too long it can become permanent.  In other parts of the world, the ranges start at 500 or even higher.  Ideally we want our levels to be up at 1200-1800 and can be higher.  There is no danger to be high, you just pee out the excess and it gives you extra energy, low levels can cause nerve damage.

How much are you taking?  What type? Pill, sublingual or injection?  You need to be taking sublinguals or injections.  With a level of 342, you need to get your level up and fast. If you cant get your doctor to give you a shot now, get some high dose sublinguals and take 5,000 units daily for 2 weeks and then take 2500 daily.  

when you say your iron went from a 4 to a 59 - are you talking about iron or ferritin?  If your iron only went up that tiny bit from 3 infusions, something is wrong because an iron level of 59 is still really low.

Have you tried taking tender irons or heme iron?  These really work at getting ferritin levels up for many but many go for infusions without trying them.

Research shows that below 400 you can get nerve damage in your hands and feet.  That might be Ok with your doc, it would not be Ok with me.  Yeah, you need to get that level up.

Thank you all for your imput   I am currently taking sublingual b12 at 5000mcg a day to try  to bringit up I see my doc in 6 weeks and she will tellme then if I need a shot or not. my iron was ferrition level if that makes a difference I feel much better and she has perscribed me ferrex for iron. If it does not go up I will get another infusion once evry three months.  does any one know a good resource to bring to my doc next time if our opinions differ?

I  looked up the iron you were given and it is an okay iron but not the best for us.  It can work for many but make sure you are taking it with vitamin C - since it has 150mg of iron - you need to take it 1000mg of vitamin C and not within 2-4 hours of any calcium or thyroid medication.  Better options are tender irons that come from vitalady.com and are really cheap and highly absorbable -they are 60mg per capsule, so you would have to take 3 of them for 180mg, but they have the vitamin C already in the capsules.  I have taken the type of iron you are taking and the tender irons work so much better.  the final option is Proferrrin or heme but these are expensive, so a final resort.

the b12 dose should do fine

as far as doctors - many just dont understand - I  just listen, try to explain and if they dont' want to listen or understand, then I just do what I want and know I am doing what is best for myself. they can't control what we put in our bodies  - all these supplements we take are over the counter and they cant' stop us from taking them - they can only recommend what they feel is right

thanks for your imput I did read something about vitamin c   so far so good I get my blood work in about 2 weeks we will see how it goes. when i finish the iron I have I will definitey orer the tender irons.  Hopefully I wont need iron infusions again.

the reason you have needed infusions is because you havent' been taking the iron correctly and there is much stronger iron that would work better.  Before you let them tell you that you need another infusion, please try to take the better iron properly.

Your iron like i said needs to be taken with 1000mg of vitamin C and not within 2-4 hours of any calcium or thyroid medication or you won't absorb it properly if at all.

Tender irons from vitalady.com is carbonyl iron which is a highly absorbable iron for us - it comes in capsules with the vitamin C already in it, so you would start with 3 to be at the equivalent dose of what you are taking and can go up to 5 at a time.  To go with that, you can also get another type of iron that is even stronger but more expensive  called Proferrin - these you must break in half and can take 2 or 3 if needed, these you also want to take away from your calcium but you dont need to take with vitamin C. 

Once you take the carbonyl for 2 or 3 months get your levels  rechecked, then add proferrin if you need to - then get rechecked again in 2-3 months - you should increase significantly if you followed the directions properly.  It is worth the try before going through infusions because if it works, you can continue on this dosing forever and maintain your levels this way.  The tenders are great for producing great iron and ferritin levels and the proferrin is known for producing great hemoglobin and hemacrit levels - so it a great combination.

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