Low vit b12 levels....anyone else? Not anaemic..

[Loubpop]

Just been to see MW and they have just told me this What does it mean?

 

[Honeybear1976]

Think it could prob mean a number of things, not sure if it could maybe be diet related but I have pernicious anaemia. Basically my body is unable to absorb vitamin b12 so I have a vitamin injection every 12weeks directly into my muscle and that keeps my levels normal. They may suggest you have the injections.

 

[Loubpop]

Thanks for your reply. I am a bit concerned as I am now 10 days away from my due date. I am worried it has caused baby some irriversable damage? The midwife said that I might not have time to have it done now.

 

[Loubpop]

anyone else had experience of this?

 

[DMG83]

i also have pernicious anaemia and have intramuscular injections every 8-10 weeks, have done for about 3 years now and will do for rest of life - that's very different to just low levels though as with pernicious anaemia you *can't* absorb it through your stomach. Fortified cereals, b complex vitamin tablets, milk, meats all have vitamin b12 in. If your levels were at a worrying level they'd have given you an injection there and then so don't worry too much i had my levels checked as a last resource when i was ill, had the bloods dropped off at 12noon, got a call at 8.30am the next morning telling me to book an emergency appointment with the doctor and got a series of injections starting that morning - there's no way they'd have let you go if your levels were low enough to effect you or the baby i'd have thought the baby has just reduced your levels a bit and if you eat a healthy diet and take a multivitamin or a b complex you'll soon replenish your levels. Did the doctor/mw not prescribe you a tablet? If not then i *definitely* wouldn't be worrying

 

[Loubpop]

Thanks No she just said that she would fax the results to my doctor and they could make a decision as to if I should have an injection. I know they dont usually check for this kind of stuff, it was just that I was feeling a bit off it about 10 days ago. They sent my bloods off and I presumed all was ok as they hadnt contacted me and I also felt better. But I went for my 38 week appointment and she told me this. She said "oh your doctor needs to know this, they might give you an injection. Ouch"

 

[DMG83]

well don't worry too much hun, you can ring your own doctor yourself, don't wait for them to ring you if it's worrying you. Did the bloods come via the hospital or the surgery? I got a call about my 28wk bloods to go in because i was still anaemic despite taking iron tablets, so if it was the hospital they'd have sent you a letter/call if it was serious (*I* think anyway..) Just ring up your surgery and ask for a call back from a doctor and they'll ring you the same day it should be. Then you can discuss the levels with the doc and see if you need an injection. I get my injections done just by the nurse now after the initial set from the doctor.. I won't lie, they really *do* hurt because they are intramuscular.. buuuuuuuuut, there is no comparison to how i was before and how i am now so i'd gladly take an injection weekly.. DAILY even, if it meant i never had to feel like that again lol x

 

[Loubpop]

The bloods were done by my mw and sent to the hospital. When I arrived for my appointment today the mw got my notes out and saw the results in them. She said my docs and I should have been told. I am not anaemic at all, just got low b12 apparently.

Really worried there will be something wrong with my LO now

 

[DMG83]

there's not going to be anything wrong with LO hun, the reason your levels are lower is because your LO is stealing all the goodies off you as my mw said, babies are very selfish little people and they will most definitely be okay if we're only "slightly" anaemic or low in levels of anything so please don't worry... i'd ring your doc tomorrow and ask for a call back do you know what your levels actually were? they normally give you amount and how "long" that would last you if you don't get treatment xx

 

[Loubpop]

No I dont know what they were but I will def. be ringing the docs first thing so I can find out. I dont have a fantastic diet if I am honest. I dont like meat much but I do have 2 bowls of cereals a day. I would hate to think that I have done her damage by not eating enough good stuff. I havent gone too mad though with food, I have only put on 5lb all pregnancy and she seems to be growing well at the scans.

Thanks so much for your reassurance, it means alot! All I keep saying is "I just want her out safe and sound so I can relax a bit" My mum says its when shes out all the worrying will start

 

[DMG83]

well all i can suggest is to stay off google (cos when i found out i had pernicious anaemia and read to what extent my symptoms had got - heart palpitations, severe allergic reactions, forgetfullness, tingling of limbs etc.) it basically said i was on the verge of having cardiac arrest and dying clearly i'm still alive many years later!!!! so don't go on there! The main concern for the bvitamin levels is earlier in pregnancy with neural tube defects - i'm assuming you had the 20wk scan? they'd have picked up on anything there so honestly don't worry too much..

From what i've read regarding low levels/anaemia etc. in pregnancy (and i've researched it a LOT obviously with my "issues" ) your levels if they are just related to pregnancy then they will return to normal almost immediately after birth as the LO won't be taking it off you anymore and that the baby will have been having enough from you which is why you are low

Vegetarians/vegans do tend to have lower levels of b12 than meat eaters.. so it could be related to your diet hun and might be advised to increase certain foods. I'd have thought depending on *how* low your levels are you'll either be given a course of injections or you'll just be given a b complex tablet to take whilst you're still pregnant

keep me posted tomorrow hun, i hope your levels are only slightly low and that the doc can put your mind at ease x

 

[Loubpop]

Thanks again. Yes I have had a 20 week scan, a 3d wellbeing scan at 26 weeks and then growth scans at 28 weeks and 36 weeks. So I pray one of the sonographers would have picked up a problem if there was one!?

Will def. keep you posted
xx

 

[DMG83]

yeah i'm positive they would have hun so please don't panic.. honestly i'd put money on it being that LO has stolen all your vitamin b12 off you and just slightly lowered your levels so they've flagged it up from your bloods... xx

 

[Tamashii]

I have low levels of vitamin b12 from time to time and sometimes it goes low enough to cause symptoms such as anxiety, shakiness, irritability, lots of other symptoms - forgetfulness too I think. Tingling fingers sometimes but that is when the levels fall really low. It took an AGE for me to find out it was low b12 levels that were causing the symptoms as every time I went to the doctors they would just test for general anaemia but I had great iron levels so they would just say I must need more sleep at night.

Anyway, one of the problems it seemed to cause me (allegedly as this is not proven) but was that it can make it quite difficult to conceive if you have low b12 levels (I am by no means an expert on this but it came up when I was researching low b12 and it was something I was struggling with). I don't have pernicious anaemia thankfully - that is a whole different kettle of fish and quite serious as you can see from the previous replies. Mine was just controlled by supplements of vitamin b12 and every now and again I get blood taken to test the levels. I had samples taken at the start of my pregnancy and the levels were "normal" so I just kept taking what I was prescribed although it was lower dose than I took before pregnancy to make sure the b12 levels didn't dip again.

Again as someone else has stated, I was told the main issues with low b12 or even low b vitamin levels are at the very start of pregnancy where implantation is affected or neural tube issues can occur but I am not sure if that is the combination of folic acid AND b vitamins. Who knows.

I was also told that b12 levels deplete quite slowly if it is purely a vitamin deficiancy rather than pernicious anaemia and your body holds on to b12 using it up slowly as you go along and as long as it is kept topped up with lots of red meat it doesn't usually cause a problem. I found taking the b12 supplement and eating lots of spinach, lentil sprouts and almonds helped a lot but that was before I got pregnant. When I found out I was pregnant I just took the prescribed supplements with b12 in the prenatal vitamins and made sure I took my folic acid too.

Hope this helps a little Try not to worry about it and good luck with the birth and your new baby when the time comes!!!!!

 

[DMG83]

^^ it can cause problems conceiving you're right, it can also cause lots of nasty problems in the initial stages but we don't need to worry about any of that now we're all very much pregnant and about to have our beautiful LO's!

I think that's great advice anyway and i reckon that's probably what the docs will say tomorrow too

I've been taking iron compound, prenatal vitamins/minerals & fishoil plus my usual injections since 6 months before falling pregnant and still have low levels b12 and am still classed as iron anaemic despite all that and the doctors really aren't panicking. The "risk" at this point really is more to recovery time & "wellbeing" of mum (easily fixed with blood transfusion if iron levels drop that low!) than baby right now..

 

[Loubpop]

Morning girls

Thanks Tamashii for your advice Whilst reading your post I have realised that from time to time I have experienced the things associated with low vit b12. Especially the tingling in hands, nausea and forgetfulness.

I have go to go for an injection with the nurse tomorrow as the doc says I need it. I have also spoken to the MW again who didnt tell me the numbers of my results but said I was just a couple of "points" low and was in the hundreds. Doesnt mean much to me, but she also said it was marginally low and not deficient. This is good right?

 

[DMG83]

That's really good, they'll only be giving you the injection as a precaution then and it's enough to last you 12 weeks so you'll be good til after the baby comes out sounds just as though baby has taken all (s)he needs off you and left you a little bit low, but you're not deficient which means that you and LO are perfectly healthy just perhaps a little tired etc. suffering minor side effects from the slightly lower levels.

So pleased for you what a relief xx

 

[Loubpop]

Thanks so much for your advice Its lovely to come on here and be reassured by lovely people

I am going to have a chat to the nurse about it when I see her and ask her if theres anything I need to do after baby has arrived

Really hope your pregnancy continues to go well Take care xx

 

[DMG83]

That's a good idea generally it's only vegetarians/vegans who have lower levels just because of the type of diet you have (when it's not pernicious anaemia) - i was actually vegetarian for 5 years before i got diagnosed (so they assumed i was just iron anaemic and didn't get tested for vit b12 deficiency for years but can't blame the docs for not knowing). I started eating meat when we started ttc on the advice of my doc because i am just permanently iron anaemic but the baby loves meat anyway so it's not been too bad.. naughty baby lol

I really hope everything goes well for you now, send me a message if you need to chat at all

 

[Tamashii]

Brilliant support and advice on this thread. I had only wanted to jump in because I know it's not often they test for low b12 and do tend to go for the iron anaemic side of things so it's a good thing they realised your levels were low.

It's probably better (not that I would know but I assume) to get the injection as the b12 tablet supplements take a while to get into your system and I am told can be affected by things like bacteria in your colon, too much vitmain c etc which can counteract the effectiveness of having to digest the b12 tablets. At least with the injection you will get the required amount and as Nai says, it will last a good while. You don't need to be up with a newborn having sleepless nights AND run down tired out with low b12!

All the very best and I am so glad you're getting the treatment you need. Your healthcare providers seem to be on the ball. Nice to hear!