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B12

T

Teatime

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just had my hb1 done bloods come back my b12 is border line anyone had this
 
No but it is the one thing i worry about with Metformin, are you taking it, how much and for how long?
 
I take b12, on prescription as my levels were low. Been on Metformin for years.
 
It is a well known thing that metformin can reduce your absorption of B12. I think in general if you do get that issue they can supplement it, but only do that if you have the issue.

Did your GP talk to you about supplements?

At this point im really a passenger on this thread and interested to see what others who have been through ti have to say.
 

No she just wants bloods done again in 3 months wasn’t my regular nurse she’s off will see her and see what she says
 

Me too, do they check B12 in the standard (diabetes) blood checks do you know? x
 
My GP has never checked my vitamin levels. The only way I found out my B12 levels were low was through a private blood test. So now I supplement by myself.
 
Fortunately, supplementing with B12 is fairly easy.
You can buy over the counter supplements, or sometimes doctors prescribe injections.

i use drops that are held under the tongue and absorbed through the lining of the mouth. Apparently that makes for better absorption that tablets - esp if the reason your b12 is low, is because you aren’t absorbing it properly from your food.

hope that helps.
 

Not sure why they are low said I’ve got to look into what I’m eating and labels so I get enough of something can’t remember what she was confusing me over it I need to see my regular nurse over it been looking on line what’s best to eat
 
On an initial 2000mg of Metformin per day my B12 levels plummeted from high normal to borderline abnormal. I supplemented irregularly with B12 spray until my last test. As my Metformin dosage decreased my B12 blood levels slowly increased. As of last month they had finally returned to the original levels.
Anyone taking Metformin should always be tested for B12 levels. It says so in the information leaflet!
 
I do not take metformin, but my B12 levels are low and I am now on supplements from the surgery. I had to insist on the tests being carried out. My Vit D was also tested and is very low.

I am saying this so others know that it is possible to be low on B12 when not on meds.
 
sno0opy said:
No but it is the one thing i worry about with Metformin, are you taking it, how much and for how long?
Click to expand...
I am taking 2000mg of the extended release (XR) version of Metformin / Glucophage. This is the maximum recommended dose for XR. The maximum daily dose of the standard version is higher - 2500mg. The printed instructions say to take the whole XR dose at once, but my GP said to divide it and that makes more sense to me, so I take 1000mg twice daily. I worked up to that dose very gradually and I have not had any of the digestive complications which distress many people taking Metformin.

I plan to ask my GP for a B12 and a Vitamin D test when I have my next blood tests.
 
Sorry to hear that @Teatime

As far as i know, metformin CAN have a reaction on the bodies B12.
and if it wasn't for this forum, i doubt i would ever have found that out.

the metformin leaflet inside each box, does mention it, but who really reads all the instructions on meds,?
Particularly ones prescribed by your doctor for a specific illness..
(which, when it CAN cause depletion of B12 BECAUSE you ARE diabetic and taking this medicine KNOWN to have this issue.....you'd think THAT in itself might be the point where doctors think to add in the B12 to the blood testing, just to be on the safe side.....)

I was and am on Metformin, 4 x 500mg daily
Mine was just below midtable, so i take supplements to improve it.

Without meaning to worry anyone unnecessarily,
i did some asking on here for myself, and was kindly guided to a few sites.
apparently the danger of Low b2, is that if it reaches a critical level it may not ever recover.
injections for life, is the only alternative then.

below my sig is a link to a video i was pointed to.
it's of interest, though nor oscar worthy, for the amount of impact the depletion of the B12 can cause.
and if not treated early the impact on nerve damage can be irreversible.

Sally Pacholok who is central to the storyline has this page.
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/publi...3/vitamin-b12-deficiency-serious-consequences.

Movie below, well worth the time to watch, if at all concerned about low levels
 
Though I do take metformin at low dose my B12 last time checked was normal but Folic was low I have a plethora of blood tests due to other conditions and various meds I'm on. In fact one blood test resulted in a panicked phone call from my neurologist telling me to stop taking one of my meds all together.
 
Here is Jenny Ruhl on Metformin, from a long article on her site: https://www.bloodsugar101.com/metformin:

"Metformin May Deplete Vitamin B-12 and Folate
Metformin has one more significant side effect. It may deplete Vitamin B-12 because it may alter the ability of the body to absorb vitamin B-12 from the gut. If this is the case, oral supplementation will not help. You would need to have Vitamin B-12 shots to address this deficiency.

Typically it takes about 10 years for low Vitamin B-12 levels to develop, but if you are already marginal for Vitamin B-12 or have other issues with your ability to absorb nutrients this might happen earlier. Your doctor should periodically test your Vitamin B-12 levels if you are taking Metformin.

Low vitamin B-12 causes a form of neuropathy that can be confused with diabetic neuropathy but which is something different."

I hadn't realised that Folate may also be affected. Yet another test to talk my GP into arranging!
 
Taking B12 as a spray bypasses the oral / gut route. The vitamin is absorbed directly into the blood stream via the mucous membranes of the mouth. These sprays are unfortunately not available on prescription.
 
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