Too Much Vitamin B12?

[Cuppacocoa]

Hello helpful people!

I have just received a call from the nurse at my gp's surgery saying the results of my routine blood tests are in and I need to make an appointment with my gp relating to my vitamin B12 levels, apparantly they are way too high? Worrying thing is, the blood tests were done first then I also had a B12 injection afterwards as both were due around the same time. So if the bloods showed high levels of B12 then, now they must be like sky rocket high?

Is everyone prescribed 3 monthly B12 injections and does anyone know anything about B12?

Cuppa xx

 

[shazbrad]

hiya hun i am nearly 18 months post op and haven't had any B12 injections they haven't even been mentioned, i have also just got results from blood tests today and everything has come back normal apart from liver function which is slightly overproducing an enzyme which i am having checked in a couple of weeks I don't know what hapens if you have too much B12 but i hope it will all be ok for you

 

[Twiggie]

I was under the impression the body flushed out any excess and that it was incredibly difficult to overdose on it, even if you massively exceed recommended requirements.

 

[BIG KIM]

I am almost 2 weeks post Op, and thats the first time I have heard about VB12 Injections.

 

[Silversurfer]

Hi Cuppa

Dont worry having to much B12 isn't a problem, my last round of bloods came back with a high B12 result and i've since been taken off the 3 monthly jabs until my next review.

 

[CCPM]

Not to worry Cuppa, not everyone has B12 injections after the op, I don't, and if your levels are high the GP will adjust your jabs, they will stop it, test again and then see. Even without Bariatric surgery this is standard procedure for all people on long term B12 therapy. Some patients at my surgery are on and off it ike Yo Yos.

M

 

[Silversurfer]

I am almost 2 weeks post Op, and thats the first time I have heard about VB12 Injections.

Hi Rim - your consultant should pass your referal to your GP and included in his notes should be the request for you to have a B12 jab every 3 months

We bypassers now dont get the required amounts of B12 from our diet due tt malabsorbtion, and the only effective way to get B12 in is intraveiniously (injection) - unfortunately B12 is the vit you asbolutely must ensure you have as a lack of B12 affects the central nervous system

 

[Twiggie]

I can't see anything mentioned in the Merck about high levels of B12 so I'd assume it's not a serious problem

Vitamin B12: Vitamins: Merck Manual Home Edition

 

[Cuppacocoa]

Aaahhh you lot are great, thank you xx I figured it couldn't be anything too serious otherwise they'd have told me to get an urgent appointment.

These were my first blood tests and my first vit b12 injection so as you say M I guess they will just adjust the dose accordingly.

I always find it weird that different wls teams send patients away with such varying post op advice when it comes to which vitamins etc you need. You'd think it would be a bit more standardised!

Thanks again,
Cuppa xx

 

[Silversurfer]

I always find it weird that different wls teams send patients away with such varying post op advice when it comes to which vitamins etc you need. You'd think it would be a bit more standardised!

Maybe there is a general misconception that GP's are fully clued up about the bypass and the aftercare, though i found out shortley after having mine that i was infact my GP's first bypass paitent, thankfully my surgeon had sent him a really detailed referal note stating exactly what i needed, his recomended dosages and the lenght of time i would need to take each.

 

[BIG KIM]

Hi Rim - your consultant should pass your referal to your GP and included in his notes should be the request for you to have a B12 jab every 3 months

We bypassers now dont get the required amounts of B12 from our diet due tt malabsorbtion, and the only effective way to get B12 in is intraveiniously (injection) - unfortunately B12 is the vit you asbolutely must ensure you have as a lack of B12 affects the central nervous system

Thanks for the info, very useful.

 

[Cuppacocoa]

SS mine has done the same, the gp's at my surgery are very inexperienced when it comes to gastric bypasses as I'm slowly finding out!! Luckily my surgeon gave me his email address so I can contact him direct if I need to ask anything.

Cuppa xx

 

[Silversurfer]

SS mine has done the same, the gp's at my surgery are very inexperienced when it comes to gastric bypasses as I'm slowly finding out!! Luckily my surgeon gave me his email address so I can contact him direct if I need to ask anything.

Cuppa xx

If your high then its feasable for you to come of B12, but ask your GP to re schedule another round of bloods in 6 months and have him re assess your counts just in case you run low again.

Your body will store B12 for an amount of time so 6 months wont do any harm, and will show if you have become deficent, suggest discussing this with your GP and get his/her views, it shouldn't be an issue as lots of people outside of the WLS world suffer with B12 deficentcies so your GP should be clued up.

 

[hopelesscase]

I ve never had a b12 injection as blood results have always been fine. i fact last time my B12 reading was higher than 6 months ago but i suppose that just reflects the change in diet and eating a bigger variety of foods.
Yr body naturally desposes of any excess so dont worry
My endocrainologist wond do B12 injections without blood works first.

 

[Silversurfer]

I ve never had a b12 injection as blood results have always been fine. i fact last time my B12 reading was higher than 6 months ago but i suppose that just reflects the change in diet and eating a bigger variety of foods.
Yr body naturally desposes of any excess so dont worry
My endocrainologist wond do B12 injections without blood works first.

I believe (but dont quote me) that longerterm as the body adjusts to the malabsorbtion aspect of the bypass you do start to re store B12 from your diet, and therefore they can adjust your levels down or stop the B12 all together.

I think what the key here is Carole is that your being screened regular and therefore your medical specialist is stating that your high on B12 and therefore dont need extra, this wont always be the case for everyone, so its wise to assume you will need B12 until you have had a blood test to confirm that you actually dont. Being overdosed on B12 isn't a problem, being under doesed for any significant lenght of time could become an issue that will affect you longer term.

 

[tink75]

Hi all just wanted to check that we all had the same. I had to have 5 B12 injections over 2 weeks to start off my treatment - it is know 1 injection every 3 months. I never got a blood test first either :0(