What Is The Treatment For High Vitamin B12

Treatment For Low Vitamin B

Individuals with low vitamin B-12 levels often require regular injections of the vitamin. These shots are more effective than supplements at raising vitamin B-12 levels, especially when people have medical conditions that may make it more difficult to absorb supplements.

For some people, high doses of vitamin B-12 supplements may improve B-12 status. Supplements are available in capsule or liquid form from pharmacies, supermarkets, health stores, and online. It may also be helpful to eat more foods that are rich in vitamin B-12.

A Decennia Long History Of Safe Treatment

In 1926 it was discovered that patients with pernicious anaemia could be saved from a certain death by eating a pound of raw liver a day. More than 20 years later the substance that was responsible for that was isolated from liver extract: vitamin B12 or cobalamin. Since then numerous patients have been treated with high dose vitamin B12 worldwide. Usually per injection and often lifelong, as a deficiency is mostly caused by an irreversible absorption disorder. In all that time harmful effects have never been shown from overdose. No single case has been found in medical literature in the past 60 years.

How Much Vitamin B12 Is Too Much

• Bottom Line

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient that plays many critical roles in your body.

Some people think that taking high doses of B12 rather than the recommended intake is best for their health.

This practice has led many to wonder how much of this vitamin is too much.

This article examines the health benefits, as well as potential risks of taking megadoses of B12.

Theres no question that vitamin B12 is essential for health.

This nutrient is responsible for numerous functions in your body, including red blood cell formation, energy production, DNA formation and nerve maintenance .

Though B12 is found in many foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products and fortified cereals, many people dont get enough of this important vitamin.

Health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease , certain medications, genetic mutations, age and dietary restrictions can all contribute to an increased need for B12.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to serious complications such as nerve damage, anemia and fatigue, which is why those at risk should add a high-quality B12 supplement to their diet .

While people who consume adequate amounts of B12-rich foods and are able to properly absorb and utilize this nutrient dont necessarily need to supplement, taking extra B12 has been linked to some health benefits.

For example, studies show that supplemental B12 may benefit people without a deficiency in the following ways:

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Vitamin B12 Overdose Symptoms: Should You Be Concerned

By Christine Ruggeri, CHHC

• Risks and Side Effects

You know that theres a long list of vitamin B12 benefits that come with getting enough of the nutrient. In fact, you need enough of it to maintain hormone balance, the health of your nerve cells, DNA synthesis and enzyme production just to name a few. But what happens when you take too much vitamin B12? Can you suffer from a vitamin B12 overdose?

Although a vitamin B12 overdose is rare, research suggests that some groups of people are at a greater risk of adverse effects from taking an excessive amount of the nutrient. Are you at risk of a vitamin B12 overdose? If you have certain health conditions, you have to be careful of supplementing with this essential nutrient.

What Is The Treatment For High Vitamin B12

How dangerous are high vitamin B12 levels? Warnings. A high vitamin B12 level is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, so the amount in the blood increases. For example, a damaged liver can release the stored vitamin into the bloodstream. In the early stages, illnesses associated with high levels of vitamin B12 are often accompanied by generalized symptoms such as fatigue and loss of appetite.

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Checking The Vitamin B12 Status With An Mma Urine Test

High vitamin B12 blood levels which have not been caused by a mistimed test should always be followed up by an official B12 status check. The most comfortable way of doing this is by measuring the methylmalonic acid in the urine, which determines how much vitamin B12 the cells actually receive. The test can be carried out comfortably and quickly at home though must be ordered online and can be expensive.

Why The Test Is Performed

This test is most often done when other blood tests suggest a condition called megaloblastic anemia. Pernicious anemia is a form of megaloblastic anemia caused by poor vitamin B12 absorption. This can occur when the stomach makes less of the substance the body needs to properly absorb vitamin B12.

Your provider may also recommend a vitamin B12 test if you have certain nervous system symptoms. A low level of B12 can cause numbness or tingling in the arms and legs, weakness, and loss of balance.

Other conditions for which the test may be done include:

• Sudden severe confusion
• Nerve abnormalities, such as peripheral neuropathy

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Oral Vs Parenteral Therapy

• References

Because most clinicians are generally unaware that oral vitamin B12 therapy is effective,17 the traditional treatment for B12 deficiency has been intramuscular injections. However, since as early as 1968, oral vitamin B12 has been shown to have an efficacy equal to that of injections in the treatment of pernicious anemia and other B12 deficiency states.9,1719 Although the majority of dietary vitamin B12 is absorbed in the terminal ileum through a complex with intrinsic factor, evidence for the previously mentioned alternate transport system is mounting.

In one study,18 38 patients with vitamin B12 deficiency were randomized to receive oral or parenteral therapy. Patients in the parenteral therapy group received 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 intramuscularly on days 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, 30, 60, and 90, while those in the oral treatment group received 2,000 mcg daily for 120 days. At the end of 120 days, patients who received oral therapy had significantly higher serum vitamin B12 levels and lower methyl-malonic acid levels than those in the parenteral therapy group. The actual transport mechanism used in this pathway remains unproved, but vitamin B12 is thought to be absorbed en masse in high doses. Surprisingly, one study20 showed that even in patients who had undergone gastrectomy, vitamin B12 deficiency could be easily reversed with oral supplementation.

What Is The Optimal Level Of B12

Normal serum levels of vitamin B12 are 150 to 660 pmol or 200 to 900 pg/ml.

Lamb Meat is very tasty and its tastes similar to beef. Sheeps meat is generally marketed as a baby lamb for 6-10 weeks, and spring lamb is 5-6 months old. In most Western nations, the mild flavor of lamb is preferable, but in many Central and Far Eastern countries, the more robust flavor of Mutton is regarded acceptable. The meat that comes from an adult sheep is mutton. Lamb MeatLamb, live sheep a year earlier, and the animals meat. The flesh of the adult ram or the ewe, at least

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Plasma Vitamin B12 Levels

We defined the following groups based on plasma B12 levels: reference range values of 150600 pmol/L and three groups with high plasma B12 levels: 601800 pmol/L, 8011,000 pmol/L, and > 1,000 pmol/L . We chose the cutoff for reference range values based on the distribution of reference range cutoffs in the study population.

Who Should Be Checked For Vitamin B12 Deficiency

An older person should probably be checked for Vitamin B12 deficiency if he or she is experiencing any of the health problems that can be caused by low levels of this vitamin.

I especially recommend checking vitamin B12 levels if youre concerned about memory, brain function, neuropathy, walking, or anemia.

To make sure you arent missing a mild vitamin B12 deficiency, you can also proactively check for low vitamin B12 levels if you or your older relative is suffering from any of the common risk factors associated with this condition.

For instance, you can request a vitamin B12 check if youre vegetarian, or if youve suffered from problems related to the stomach, pancreas, or intestine. Its also reasonable to check the level if youve been on medication to reduce stomach acid for a long time.

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Reduce Your Vitamin B12 Levels

As you see, most studies are conflicting. On the one hand, medical professionals state that there’s no such thing as too much vitamin B12 in the bloodstream. On the other hand, research shows that side effects may occur. If your vitamin B12 levels are above normal, consider changing your eating habits.

Don’t fret, though. Few foods contain this nutrient, so there’s no need to make major changes to your diet. To start, limit your intake of beef, dairy, fish and seafood.

Clams, for example, provide 84.1 micrograms of vitamin B12 per serving, as per the NIH that’s about 1,400 percent of the daily recommended intake. One serving of beef liver delivers 70.7 micrograms of vitamin B12, while lamb liver has 101.76 micrograms of vitamin B12 per serving.

Other vitamin B12-rich foods include sardines, tuna, rainbow trout, nutritional yeast, egg yolks and fortified foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes don’t contain vitamin B12. Whole grains, orange juice, almond milk, rice milk and soy-based meat substitutes are often B12 fortified, so remember to check the labels.

Switch to multivitamins and other supplements that contain little or no cobalamin. Get regular blood tests to check your vitamin B12 levels. If they are still high, consult your doctor who may order additional tests to check for underlying conditions.

Health Effects Of Low Levels

1) Increases Oxidative Stress

In one study, 51 vitamin B12-deficient people had lower levels of the master antioxidant glutathione and reduced total antioxidant capacity, compared to 53 non-deficient people. Reflecting poor antioxidant defense, those who were B12-deficient also had higher levels of a marker of oxidative stress .

In diabetic vegetarians, those with higher B12 levels had higher antioxidant enzyme activity .

2) Causes Anemia

The bone marrow needs vitamin B12 to produce healthy red blood cells. B12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia, which results in very large, oddly-shaped, immature red blood cells that cant enter the bloodstream .

3) Increases the Risk of Heart Disease

Vitamin B12 is needed to break down homocysteine, a proven risk factor for heart disease. A lack of vitamin B12 will raise homocysteine levels .

4) May Increase the Risk of Depression

A lack of vitamin B12 may trigger mood imbalances and even depression. Some studies suggest that this link may hold true only in women.

In meta-analyses of studies with almost 2,000 people, low B12 levels were linked with depression among women but not men. Among 700 disabled women over 65, those deficient in vitamin B12 were 2X more likely to be severely depressed. Women who consumed more vitamin B12 had lower odds of being depressed in a study of over 9,000 people .

5) May Increase the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia

6) Can Cause Nerve Damage and Nerve Pain

7) May Increase the Risk of Osteoporosis

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Vitamin B12 And Health

Vitamin B12 is involved in the breakdown of a protein called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke as it may promote the formation of blood clots and excess free radical cells, and may impair normal blood vessel function. A lack of adequate vitamin B12 can increase homocysteine levels.

Although epidemiological studies have found that vitamin B12 supplementation can decrease homocysteine levels, they have not consistently shown a decreased risk of cardiovascular events in taking the vitamin. Therefore the American Heart Association does not advocate for the routine use of B vitamin supplements in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. However, vitamin B12 supplements can be important for some individuals with genetic variants that lead to high homocysteine levels.

Food Sources

• Enriched soy or rice milk

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Recognition And Management

ROBERT C. LANGAN, MD, FAAFP, and ANDREW J. GOODBRED, MD, St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency Program, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Am Fam Physician. 2017 Sep 15 96:384-389.

Patient information: A handout on this topic is available at .

• References

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin obtained through the ingestion of fish, meat, and dairy products, as well as fortified cereals and supplements.1,2 It is coabsorbed with intrinsic factor, a product of the stomach’s parietal cells, in the terminal ileum after being extracted by gastric acid1,2. Vitamin B12 is crucial for neurologic function, red blood cell production, and DNA synthesis, and is a cofactor for three major reactions: the conversion of methylmalonic acid to succinyl coenzyme A the conversion of homocysteine to methionine and the conversion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate.1,2

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Patients with risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency should be screened with a complete blood count and serum vitamin B12 level.

A = consistent, good-quality patient-oriented evidence B = inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence C = consensus, disease-oriented evidence, usual practice, expert opinion, or case series. For information about the SORT evidence rating system, go to .

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Vitamin B12 absorption and transport.

Figure 1

Vitamin B12 absorption and transport.

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Are High Serum Vitamin B12 Levels Significant

There is mounting evidence that raised serum vitamin B12 levels are a common finding , with a prevalence of up to 14% in hospitalised patients referred for vitamin B12 measurement and even up to 50% of older inpatients. An elevation in serum vitamin B12 levels may arise from increased oral or parenteral intake, decreased uptake by the liver or kidney, greater release from cells , or a rise in the synthesis of the transcobalamins by hepatocytes or granulocytes. Table lists the causes of raised vitamin B12 levels. Although, elevated B12 levels are associated with liver disorders and haematological disorders, other malignancies may cause an elevated B12 as a reactive feature . Further trials are required to elucidate whether development of cancer is definitively correlated with high vitamin B12 levels per se, or rather due to raised serum folate. A recent extended follow-up of two vitamin B intervention trials from Norway noted that additional treatment with folic acid was associated with increased cancer incidence, cancer mortality and all-cause mortality. Over the past decade, there has been significant interest in the use of cobalamin as a marker of mortality, as studies have demonstrated an association between high vitamin B12 levels and mortality in hospitalised older patients, as well as in those admitted to intensive care. Once again, these are preliminary findings which need validation in good trials before widespread acceptance.

Causes of high vitamin B12 levels.

What Does High B12 Blood Levels Really Mean

High levels of B12 in the blood can be seen in liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. Alcoholic liver disease is an example of liver disease associated with high levels of vitamin B12. In alcoholic liver disease, vitamin B12 and its transport proteins may be elevated.

Symptoms Of High B12 Levels In Blood What are the causes of high levels of B12 in the blood? The most common cause of high levels of B12 in the blood is the recent intake or injection of extra B12. Liver disease caused by the release of B12 into the blood from damaged liver cells. Kidney disease due to kidneys not working properly to remove excess vitamin B12.You might also be wondering if a high B12 level means cancer?According to a large international study, elevated levels of B12 in the blood

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How Should Vitamin B12 Deficiency Be Treated

At present, regardless of the underlying cause, patients in the UK are treated with intramuscular cobalamin according to the following recommendations.

• For those with no neurological involvement, the usual regimen is hydroxocobalamin 1 mg on alternate days for two weeks, followed by three-monthly injections of hydroxocobalamin 1 mg.

• This regimen should be given for life if owing to pernicious anaemia.

• If the deficiency is due to another cause, then treatment should continue until sustained improvement in haematological indices is seen.

• In cases where there are neurological features, the same dose is given until no further symptomatic improvement is seen, followed by two-monthly injections.

• Referral to secondary care is recommended if severe neurological symptoms are present, the patient is pregnant or if there is any uncertainty about the diagnosis.

• Gastroenterology investigations are warranted if there is suspicion of malabsorption, gastric cancer or coeliac disease.

• Often, management of underlying conditions, such as provision of antibiotics for bacterial overgrowth, and cessation of offending drugs can prove useful.

Does High Vitamin B12 Mean Cancer

4.4/5Elevatedvitamin B12increased cancerlargecancerhigh B12increasedcanceranswer here

The most common cause of high B12 in the blood is due to recent ingestion or injection of supplemental vitamin B12. Liver disease due to release of B12 from damaged liver cells into the bloodstream. Kidney disease due to impaired function of the kidneys to excrete excess B12.

Also, is b12 level of 1500 too high? Previous studies have chosen a variety of levels to represent high or very high B12 levels. Some examples include: 664.219 5131 700 and 1500 11 and 601 and 1000 10. Excess B12 is either stored in the liver, present in the blood without any adverse effects, or excreted.

Secondly, what is the treatment for high vitamin b12?

If you’re diagnosed with a B-12 deficiency, the goal of treatment is to increase your level of vitamin B-12. Your treatment may include: vitamin B-12 injection, with more frequent injections for those with severe deficiencies. daily vitamin B-12 supplements, such as Cyanocobalamin, which is a manmade vitamin B-12.

Can b12 cure cancer?

Vitamin B12 is taken by mouth to treat and prevent vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition in which vitamin B12 levels in the blood are too low. It is also taken by mouth to prevent cancer, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer.

levelscausesymptomsHighlevelsSymptoms of pernicious anemia include:

• constipation.

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