Elevated b12 from prenatal vitamins?

[babytobe]

Hi ladies,

Kind of random question, but I'm just trying to settle my hypochondriac brain here...

I was just at the doctor's today going over my blood tests, and everything was pretty normal, except I have elevated b12 levels. My doctor said just to quit taking my prenatals, and to take folic acid instead. Which sounds like, not a big deal...

But then when I got home I started googling about elevated b12 levels, and it freaked me out (I know, I know.....I shouldn't have googled it)!
So now I'm wondering if taking prenatals for so long could have actually raised my b12 levels too much, or if something else is causing it. I've been taking my prenatals for about a year straight, as I was feeling very low on energy after my first child and wanted to try to prevent the same thing with my second, who is now 8 months.

Google brought up some "scary" stuff, but also something that I could see making sense.....
Apparently sometimes b12 levels can be elevated in the blood when your body's cells aren't utilizing or "taking it up" properly. So tests can be misleading. But of course, most doctors don't know this 😽. And I have no idea how you would find that out, or correct the issue.

Anyhow, I could go on all day, because as I say, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac! So, just curious, anyone else had elevated b12 levels from prenatal vitamins???

The only other thing that was a bit off on my blood work was my ferratin levels, which were on the low side, so I'll be taking iron supplement now.

 

[happycupcake]

The most common cause of elevated levels of vitamin B12 is taking too much via supplements since it would be difficult to take in too much of it through your diet alone. There are some other, more sinister causes, but they are unlikely and the reason your doctor wants you to knock the supplements on the head for a while is to determine that that is the cause for your elevated levels, therefore ruling out any other cause. So I would definitely follow their advice and stop them, for the time being until you can redo bloods and see if the levels are going back down

 

[babytobe]

Thank you for responding, Happycupcake!

What you said makes total sense. I think I was just getting into hypochondriac mode, and not thinking it through very well. I appreciate your good sense! Thank you! Sometimes it just helps to hear it from someone else.

I also learned that my b12 isn't "super" high, it's just over what levels are recommended, so it's not that it's really bad, it just shouldn't keep going up.

Thanks again for your response. Now I can relax .

 

[happycupcake]

I know what you mean, I'm the same! It's easier to rationalise for someone else than it is for yourself. I do it with my headaches. I suffer headaches a lot and convinced myself there must be something awful wrong but I don't drink anywhere near what I should and my diet isn't particularly fabulous so these are the most likely culprits, especially when I remember back to when I was drinking 2+ litres of water each day plus herbal tea and was eating cleaner. It's easily done, freaking yourself out but don't worry, I'm sure once you stop the supplements you will see your levels balance out. Perhaps then there's a lower dose of B vits you could take instead?

I realised reading this back to myself "eating cleaner" makes me sound as if I consume toilet duck or something lol

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

This is kind of our of left field but I wonder if your MTHFR+. Here a thought as I know us with mthfr have issues processing folic acid/ B vitamins.

 

[happycupcake]

This is kind of our of left field but I wonder if your MTHFR+. Here a thought as I know us with mthfr have issues processing folic acid/ B vitamins.

A what? What's a mthfr?

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

This is kind of our of left field but I wonder if your MTHFR+. Here a thought as I know us with mthfr have issues processing folic acid/ B vitamins.

A what? What's a mthfr?

MTHFR is just a gene mutation.. it just means that your body cannot convert folic acid to folate hence the elevated B levels... I could be totally wrong but I just thought about it because I was diagnosed with it.. I think like 60% of woman have it and don't even know. Most doctors won't even look for it unless there have been multiple miscarriages out something like that.

 

[happycupcake]

Thank you for explaining, I haven't heard of it before! Interesting point and good you mentioned it, I would imagine many haven't heard of it