High Vitamin B12 levels

[ahillig 136]

Just had my 6 month post op labs drawn and the B12 came back with a >2000 level, max for the lab is 911. I've looked it up and it's either really benign or super serious. Some studies suggest it's impossible to store too much B12 others say it could be related to liver issues or certain cancers. Most studies recommend a follow up blood draw before drawing any serious conclusions but I'm just curious if others have had this problem and what came of it.

[chayarg 402]

Just had my 6 month post op labs drawn and the B12 came back with a >2000 level, max for the lab is 911. I've looked it up and it's either really benign or super serious. Some studies suggest it's impossible to store too much B12 others say it could be related to liver issues or certain cancers. Most studies recommend a follow up blood draw before drawing any serious conclusions but I'm just curious if others have had this problem and what came of it.

I had this once not sure how high my number was but redid blood work 2 months later and levels were back in normal range

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

[catwoman7 11,212]

mine has always been high. When it got over 2000, the PA at my bariatric clinic just suggested I cut back a bit on my B12 dosage since it was a waste of money to continue taking as much as I was taking (since my level didn't need to be that high). He never once suggested that having it that high was dangerous, though.

p.s. mine hovers around 1200 now that I've cut back on my dosage. There are several people on another internet forum I'm on who like to keep theirs at around 1000 or above - they feel kind of crappy when it falls below that. Mine's never been below 1000, so I don't know...

Edited February 9, 2020 by catwoman7

[Darktowerdream 420]

I never got answers about this. I’ve had this happen more than once, even though I was not supplementing with B12. Vitamin b12 is Water soluble so excess gets removed by the body when urinating. Similar to Vitamin C. So then there should not be excess in the blood. My levels are still on the high end considering I’m not supplementing extra B Vitamins. I too question this and yet doctors don’t consider it unless deficiency. Ie. I know someone in the low end of the normal range yet their doctor considered them deficient ...

higher than normal blood levels in my opinion means your body isn’t processing it correctly causing high levels in the blood. There is a lot doctors don’t know and won’t admit they don’t know. Needless to say I never got answers and given my chronic illness I have my own concerns about it.

One question. Are you taking B12 or b complex supplements? If so I suggest to stop them for now.

perhaps this article might be helpful:

https://speakingofwomenshealth.com/askthenurse/why-is-my-b12-level-high

[ahillig 136]

20 minutes ago, Darktowerdream said:

I never got answers about this. I’ve had this happen more than once, even though I was not supplementing with B12. Vitamin B12 is Water soluble so excess gets removed by the body when urinating. Similar to Vitamin C. So then there should not be excess in the blood. My levels are still on the high end considering I’m not supplementing extra B Vitamins. I too question this and yet doctors don’t consider it unless deficiency. Ie. I know someone in the low end of the normal range yet their doctor considered them deficient ...

higher than normal blood levels in my opinion means your body isn’t processing it correctly causing high levels in the blood. There is a lot doctors don’t know and won’t admit they don’t know. Needless to say I never got answers and given my chronic illness I have my own concerns about it.

One question. Are you taking B12 or b complex supplements? If so I suggest to stop them for now.

perhaps this article might be helpful:

https://speakingofwomenshealth.com/askthenurse/why-is-my-b12-level-high

I'm only taking a bariatric Multivitamin from Celebrate that has B12 in it, as most if not all do. Everything else is coming back within normal ranges so I'm not worrying too much about it, I'll see what my surgeon says about it when I see him soon. Funny enough I'm kind of a jacka$$ when it comes to taking my Vitamins, somedays I get all 3 capsules in but most days I only get one or two.

[Darktowerdream 420]

I would think the amount in the bariatric multivitamin wouldn’t be cause for elevated levels. Unless you have other concerning symptoms or your doctor expresses concern than likely you have nothing to worry about.

[catwoman7 11,212]

9 hours ago, Darktowerdream said:

I would think the amount in the bariatric Multivitamin wouldn’t be cause for elevated levels. Unless you have other concerning symptoms or your doctor expresses concern than likely you have nothing to worry about.

no - it wouldn't. RNY patients lack the intrinsic factor to absorb regular oral B12, so we have to take it sublingually or via injection to be able to absorb it properly.

[2Bsmaller18 436]

I had blood test at 6 months and again at 10 months. Both times B 12 came back at 2000 or just under. I take 1 bariatric Vitamin that has a high does of B12. The Md didn't seem concerned.

I can't cut back on it since it is in my all in on e vitamin.

I also read conflicting information that its no big deal and also that it could mean i am not absorbing it and should be given via shot or sublingual. I just don't know what the people on here take for a multivitamin is they take it separately.

Do they take a bunch of separate Vitamins?

[ahillig 136]

4 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

no - it wouldn't. RNY patients lack the intrinsic factor to absorb regular oral B12, so we have to take it sublingually or via injection to be able to absorb it properly.

If this is the case then why is it in every bariatric Vitamin? The body definitely absorbs some of it orally otherwise bariatric Vitamins wouldn't include it and it would be taken separately.

[ahillig 136]

Glad I'm not the only one that this has come back elevated on! It was just so weird to see it just under 300 before surgery and all of a sudden it's sky high.

[catwoman7 11,212]

40 minutes ago, ahillig said:

If this is the case then why is it in every bariatric Vitamin? The body definitely absorbs some of it orally otherwise bariatric Vitamins wouldn't include it and it would be taken separately.

it's only true of RNY patients - not the other WLS patients

[catwoman7 11,212]

1 hour ago, 2Bsmaller18 said:

I also read conflicting information that its no big deal and also that it could mean i am not absorbing it and should be given via shot or sublingual. I just don't know what the people on here take for a Multivitamin is they take it separately.

Do they take a bunch of separate Vitamins?

if you're is that high, then you don't need to be taking it sublingually or via shot. You already have enough (edited to add that I'm not a doctor - so I'd ask my clinic. I would think if it's that high in your blood serum, though, that you ARE absorbing it from somewhere...so you're fine for now)

and yes - RNY'ers take B12 separately from their regular multi

Edited February 9, 2020 by catwoman7

[catwoman7 11,212]

1 hour ago, ahillig said:

If this is the case then why is it in every bariatric Vitamin? The body definitely absorbs some of it orally otherwise bariatric Vitamins wouldn't include it and it would be taken separately.

OK I just read the literature from one brand of bariatric Vitamin (this was NOT an objective medical research report - it was issued by the company that makes this particular vitamin - so being a former librarian at a research university, I'm never 100% confident of that type of source). Anyway, it says it has a much higher dosage of B12 in its multivitamin than is present in standard Multivitamins.

I read in another place that RNY patients absorb less than 1% of the B12 they take in through their stomachs (because intrinsic factor is produced in the lower part of the stomach and the duodenum, both of which are bypass during RNY surgery).

so perhaps these bariatric Vitamins account for that by including super mega doses of B12, knowing that their RNY patients are only going to absorb 1% (or less) of it.

I'm not sure - but I've always heard we ("we" as in RNY patients - not sleeve) should take it sublingually or via injection, because of the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb it.

[Darktowerdream 420]

2 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

perhaps these bariatric Vitamins account for that by including super mega doses of B12, knowing that their RNY patients are only going to absorb 1% (or less) of it.

Interesting. I don’t take bariatric Vitamins yet my blood level is still on the higher end. All of the bariatric vitamins have added iodine to which I’m allergic. It’s true of course that sublingual or liquid will be better utilized. If high blood levels possibly signaled deficiency than one would think doctors would know this. They don’t seem to know much about vitamins in my opinion.

sometimes deficiency is a symptom of a disease and not the cause. But they insist on supplements without investigation.

my Iron levels are normal, but my saturation is low, my iron binding capacity is the high end of normal, and my ferritin is low ... so I don’t know if it is actually related to my surgery or something else going on.

it’s hard getting doctors to give answers when it comes to Vitamin levels. Since they know so little. I studied these things and realized it’s more complex than people realize and vitamins have risks and side effects similar to medications.

[catwoman7 11,212]

4 minutes ago, Darktowerdream said:

Interesting. I don’t take bariatric Vitamins yet my blood level is still on the higher end. All of the bariatric Vitamins have added iodine to which I’m allergic. It’s true of course that sublingual or liquid will be better utilized. If high blood levels possibly signaled deficiency than one would think doctors would know this. They don’t seem to know much about vitamins in my opinion.

sometimes deficiency is a symptom of a disease and not the cause. But they insist on supplements without investigation.

my Iron levels are normal, but my saturation is low, my Iron binding capacity is the high end of normal, and my ferritin is low ... so I don’t know if it is actually related to my surgery or something else going on.

it’s hard getting doctors to give answers when it comes to Vitamin levels. Since they know so little. I studied these things and realized it’s more complex than people realize and vitamins have risks and side effects similar to medications.

ferritin is stored iron - so you don't have much iron squirreled away for if/when your blood levels drop, as I understand it...