At 200 pg/mL, your B-12 level is definitely low. In Japan, any B-12 result lower than 500 pg/mL is considered a deficiency and is treated. The ranges at US labs are set too low.kw202 wrote:All right, I have my B12 result, and today I had a follow up appointment with my neuro to go over results of my newest (with contrast) MRIs. My brain MRI has a couple of lesions, including the "Dawson's fingers" he said is characteristic of MS. (This is in addition to other lesions on my cspine and tspine). My spinal tap results aren't back yet but he advised me to prepare for a MS diagnosis. And he put me on a course of oral steroids, hoping to speed up my recovery from the leg heaviness/numbness I've been experiencing.
My B12 is low. I stupidly walked out of his office without a copy of the results, but he said my B12 was around 200 (on a scale where I think 200+ is normal); he told me people with neurological symptoms shouldn't go below 600, for what that's worth.
I'm going to see my GP tomorrow, it's supposed to be for a B12 shot - but maybe first I should ask her to order more B12 tests. I asked my neurologist today if he thought my lesions could be caused by B12 but he waved me off because he said B12 deficiency "doesn't cause brain lesions." So I'm back here, asking for some advice.
IS this true? Are supplemental B12 tests just worthless at this point? If not, what other tests should I be asking for related to B12?
Your symptoms are neurological: numbness, pain, lesions, dizziness (vertigo), balance issues. Your B-12 level was around 200. Your neuro told you "people with neurological symptoms shouldn't go below 600." The situation seems quite clear to me.
If your GP plans to give you a B-12 shot, any further testing should be done FIRST before a shot. Any B-12 testing done after a shot will be unreliable.
Your neurologist was incorrect when he said that B-12 deficiency "doesn't cause brain lesions." B-12 deficiency absolutely can cause brain lesions!
When you see your GP tomorrow, ask for a serum homocysteine test (if the results are very high, it indicates that your B-12 level is probably deficient). Also, ask for a methylmalonic acid test – like the homocysteine test: if the results of an MMA test are high, your B-12 level is absolutely low.
If you are to receive a B-12 shot in a US doctor's office, it is probably in the form of cyanocobalamin (which is not easily used by the body – it must be decyanated first; cyanocobalamin is the cheapest form of B-12). Either the methyl-B12 form or the hydroxo form is easily used by the body. Hydroxo-cobalamin is available at most pharmacies.