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I got very high vitamin B12 serum level, is it bad?

Messages
27
After supplementing 5000 mcg Jarrow Methylcobalamin and 10 mg Source Naturals adenosylcobalamin (dibencozide) daily for a few months, my serum B12 level on last blood test is 5556 pg/ml. Is it bad too have it so high? How do we know we had enough?

In December 2015 I tested 1425 pg/ml serum B12 and then serum methylmalonic acid was 18.9 µg/l (reference range <47). I didn't test it this time, because the methylmalonic acid test is a bit expensive.

I am not sure if there is any difference in how I feel with with the 5556 pg/ml vs. 1425 pg/ml levels. How do I know I had enough?

From http://www.medicaldaily.com/high-levels-vitamin-b12-may-be-linked-increased-cancer-risk-263123

"Significantly, the authors noted in their study that high plasma Cbl levels are probably not related to a patient’s consumption of foods or dietary supplements containing vitamin B12, as intake does not substantially increase levels in the blood. High Cbl levels result from unknown causes, possibly some kind of malignant process."
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
I am not sure if there is any difference in how I feel with with the 5556 pg/ml vs. 1425 pg/ml levels. How do I know I had enough?
High serum B12 is expected when supplementing B12, so no surprises there... and B12 is possibly the least toxic of all vitamins in circulation.

How do you know when it is enough? Typically with self-experimenting. Did you have any benefits from supplementing B12? Try stopping it for 3-4 weeks and see how it goes... are any symptoms returning? How is your overall energy, mood and cognition? If you don't see any changes I'd stop the supplements.

For me methyl-B12 makes a hell of a difference, for other people it doesn't. To each his own.
 
Messages
27
How do you know when it is enough? Typically with self-experimenting. Did you have any benefits from supplementing B12? Try stopping it for 3-4 weeks and see how it goes... are any symptoms returning? How is your overall energy, mood and cognition? If you don't see any changes I'd stop the supplements.

Well, the thing is I experiment with so many different things, it will be difficult to isolate the effect of vitamin B12, and I can't devote several weeks just to test B12 as there are other issues waiting, I am going to start Neuroprotek and adaptogenic herbs, etc.

So I am looking for ways to tests do I need this much B12 with lab tests. Is there any load test I can do or something? Freddd wrote something about seeing urine color changes with B12, well, my urine never turned pink, just yellow from 200mg Riboflavin 5'-Phosphate.

I have some symptoms which can possibly be B12 deficiency, but also can be a plethora of other reasons: numbness in arms, early signs of dementia, brain fog, OCD.

Unrelated question to you: I see you have very similar pyroluria markers to me, I have HPL=322 μg/l and KP=19.6 μg/dl. Where your tests done by HDRI too? Are these numbers during supplementation with P5P and Zinc? How much P5P, B6 and Zn do you supplement and did the markers drop with supplementation? I take 100mg P5P and 65 mg Zn, no B6 - same as when the test was done.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Unrelated question to you: I see you have very similar pyroluria markers to me, I have HPL=322 μg/l and KP=19.6 μg/dl. Where your tests done by HDRI too?
Yes
Are these numbers during supplementation with P5P and Zinc?
I stopped the supplements 3-4 days before the test, but before that I was taking 40-50mg zinc and 60mg P5P daily.

I don't think markers will change by taking supplements. High HPL is supposed to bind more B6 and zinc so it's an indication that you need more of those.

I later did also a specific test for minerals (in blood and cells) which included also B6 and which came back too high for B6 and slightly below sufficiency for zinc.

Now I take less B6 and I've added some copper together with the Zn, since I was low-ish on that too.

As regards B12 an MMA (methyl-malonic-acid) will help you figure out possible issues.

p.s. = I think the colorimetry test you're referring to was used by Freddd to evaluate how much B12 he was absorbing, if my memory serves me, which doesn't always happen... :rolleyes: :)
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
It would probably be best to repeat the test when you've been off all supplements for at least a week. I had a high B12 result and my doctor said, "Well of course it's high, you take supplements.":rolleyes: My grandmother had pernicious anemia (there's a genetic link) so I was seriously concerned about it. Next time I'm tested, I'll not be on any supplements. In order to meet the definition of pernicious anemia, there are other things to consider than just B12 levels, but I zeroed in on that for my case anyway.

Spurious Elevations of Vitamin B12 with Pernicious Anemia

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1201655

How Is Pernicious Anemia Diagnosed?
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/prnanmia/diagnosis
A low level of vitamin B12 in the blood indicates pernicious anemia. However, a falsely normal or high value of vitamin B12 in the blood may occur if antibodies interfere with the test.
These antibodies would be the type one makes if one has pernicious anemia.

https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/vitamin-b12/tab/test/
High levels of B12 are uncommon and not usually clinically monitored. However, if someone has a condition such as chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm, diabetes, heart failure, obesity, AIDS, or severe liver disease, then that person may have an increased vitamin B12 level. Ingesting estrogens, vitamin C or vitamin A can also cause high B12 levels.