X-Post: ????? about B-12

How much B-12 do you take?

I have 2500 mcg sublingual tablets but I only take 1/2 one time a day.  I was wondering if I could take more.  Seems like I don't have much energy anymore so thought if I upped the B-12 it might help.
My B-12 levels was fine when the Dr. done my vitamin levels back in Dec. so I don't knwo if it would hurt or not to up it.

What do you guys think?

Hi there!!

A couple of things Melissa I'd like to ask you....

1) to answer your question on the b12, I take the exact same strength (rexall brand from walmart) 1/2 of a 2500mcg tablet daily sublingually (under the tongue).  Is yours under the tongue? it should be for maxium absorption.  We do not have intrinsic factor so we cannot absorb it through the gut (swallowed).  You can certainly try more b/c a B vitamin is water soluable and any excess will just be excreted in your urine.  Can't hurt in other words.

2) Are you taking iron?  What are are your iron and ferritin levels?  Ferritin is sorta like a holding place for your iron storages.  Once you deplete your ferritin there is no where for the iron to be stored.. so usually the ferritin goes down first then the iron level.  It is VERY hard to bring your ferritin storages up once they are depleted.. this is why many postops end up on IV infusions of iron and will be on them for life b/c they just get thier ferritin levels out of the whole once it is in the "crapper".  Sorry for the terminology LOL.  Be sure you are taking iron only with vitamin c.. no dairy foods, tea or coffee (even decaf) or calcium within 2 hours either way of iron.  It is a VERY finicky vitamin and calcium will negate the effects of iron every time.

3) Are you taking a vitamin D supplement? They are finding more and more that ppl are deficient in Vitamin D and can make you feel lousy, even somewhat depressed.  I take 10,000 units a day to keep my levels optimal and I get it from vitalady.  Vitalady.com.  Problem with taking it over the counter is that it comes in an oil based capsule (we cannot absorb anything oil based) so you must get it in a dry formulation and it should be D3 form.  Vitalady has this - she sells it in 1,000, 5,000 units and 50,000 units.  What was your vitamin D level?  Be sure they are drawing this and as well as a PTH (parathyroid level) and serum calcium level.  It should be drawn as a triad to really understand what is affecting what as they all go together.  My husband's parathyroids were going haywire b/c his D level was in the crapper.  But his PTH level was HIGH meaning they were trying to compensate.  His calcium level was NORMAL.  His bones were leaking calcium into the blood and making it look like it was "OK" when indeed he was in danger zone.. already heading towards osteoporosis.  Once our calcium levels look low... we are in serious danger.

Edited to add:  My husband has to take 50,000 units of dry D3 twice weekly to keep his stable, was on more to get back up.  Took a while (6 months?) Now his PTH level is down and Vit D3 level is up. Whew.  We have to keep an eye on it.  Now vitamin D is NOT water soluable so any regular doc that does not understand RNY patients would FREAK out at that dosage, we just can't overdose very easily b/c of our bypassed anatomy but if a "normie" took this amount it would be severly dangerous to go this high.  

Be sure you are getting enough fluids b/c dehydration can also cause sluggishness and all your necessary vitamins and PROTEIN.

All the above can cause issues with fatigue.

Hope this helps!

Melissa

Yea I take my B-12 under the tongue.

I take Vitron C 2 x daily  but I do not know what my iron and ferritin levels are.  I guess I could call the Dr's office but they told me all of my levels were fine when I had them back in Dec.

I know not to take my calcium within 2 hours of my vitron but you know, I never thought about actual dairy foods DUH  and I sure didn't think about coffee or tea having any effect on it at all.

I know I don't drink enough water by no means, but I do drink tea and coffee probably still isn't enough though.

Here is a list of all of my vitamins I take daily (I do take them faithfully)  let me know what you think.

childrens chewable multivitamin - 1 day
B-12- 2500 mcg - 1/2 day
vitron c - 2 day
B-1- 250mg - 1/2 once a week
D-3 - 400 IU - 2 day
calcium chews - 3 or 4 day

 edit:   I did end up talking to the Dr.'s office so I explained everything even about the place that came up on my tongue (that still hasn't went away)  they are going to test all of my vitamin levels again to see if something could be out of wack.

 

Sounds like you have a good regimen Melissa

I take two chewable childrens vitamins

I take DRY d3 is yours an oil based or a powder/tablet form and I do not think 400IU twice a day is enough even with the vitamin D that is prob in your calcium citrate.  This is based on my 8 year history with my husband and other longer out postops I am seeing come up deficient.  RNY docs are just now catching on to this problem so make sure they draw the PTH, Vitamin D panel and serum calcium togehter - ask them.  Make sure your calcium chews are not carbonate, that they are citrate.  You say "chews" and there aren't many chews that are citrate out there anymore. 

Glad they are gonna retest you... a good thing, keep us posted girlie!!