High B12, High Folate, High MCH and b12 deficiency symptoms

by Hope
(South)

I have high serum b12 ">1000" and high serum folate ">19", I have not been supplementing b12. I have every symptom of b12 deficiency--sensory neuropathy, fatigue, cold extremeties, paleness. I also high MCH. Level was 33 (27-32).

I do have Hashimotos and have been on medication for years but had a relapse recently when all these symptoms appeared (TSH was 10). I have also been on metformin 12 years and know that can lead to b12 deficiency. I do eat dairy but not meat.
I tested negative for celiac and other auto-immune possibilities--sed rate low, ANA neg, RH factor negative.

My question then--is it possible to have an elevated serum b12 and not be absorbing the b12 on a cellular level? If so, why and what test would prove it?
THANKS!

Comments for High B12, High Folate, High MCH and b12 deficiency symptoms

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Why do you have diabetes and Hashimotos?
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Hope,

I've discussed the high B12 and Folate before on the High B12 and Folate Blood Levels page. This is almost certainly an issue of the MTHFR Gene Mutation.

But you seem to be acting as thought the high B12 is a problem while having diabetes and Hashimoto's is normal! Diabetes and Hashimoto's are both autoimmune diseases. Don't you wonder WHY you have these diseases? These are not 'normal' and they are not just due to random chance or because you are 'unlucky' or have 'bad genes'. They are almost certainly a direct result of poor eating habits leading to digestive tract inflammation that is allowing food proteins to enter your bloodstream and make your body attack itself! Really!

Kerri Knox,RN

response and more info
by: Hope

I actually have pcos, not diabetes, as the reason for taking metformin. I am quite thin however despite the norms for these conditions. I am 5'3" and 103 lbs. I run 5 miles a day and eat very healthy

So why do you have PCOS
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Same question applies. Why do you have PCOS? And you still have an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's. What is the underlying cause of these? They are not random. You are not 'unlucky'. There are reasons for these problems, regardless of whether it's PCOS or Diabetes. And, by definition, if you have PCOS and are on Metformin, you have Pre-diabetes, otherwise you wouldn't need the Metformin and, likely, you wouldn't have been diagnosed with PCOS.

So, again, the question remains, do you want to continue masking symptoms while your pancreas and thyroid are being destroyed by auto-immune antibodies? Or do you want to actually do something about the underlying causes of your conditions?

You say that you 'eat healthy', but you obviously don't. Otherwise you wouldn't have an autoimmune disease. I'll tell you that 100% of the people that come to me with health problems ALL tell me that they 'eat healthy' and about 10% actually do.

If you are eating grains at all, eating any type of soy, eating meat from animals that are not completely pasture raised, eating dairy that is not raw and from grass fed cows, eating vegetables that are not organic, eating ANY packaged foods or sugar or are cooking with 'vegetable oils' of any kind, then you are NOT in any sense of the word eating healthy.

And if you ARE 'eating healthy', as you say, then why do you have an autoimmune disease and PCOS? What's causing the inflammation in your digestive tract that is allowing food proteins to leak into your bloodstream and cause your body to attack itself to such a degree that your thyroid is being destroyed and your blood sugars are so high that you require medication?

Kerri Knox, RN

Hashimoto and diet
by: Anonymous

This is the first time I ever read anyone say that Hashimoto is somewhat controllable with a healthy diet. Being part of the small percentage of people who actually have a healthy diet (i am a vegan), my blood work came back with a TSH of 22 , antibodies of more than 1000, and normal T4 and T3. Doc wants to put me on synthroid. Not happy with this decision since I am 62 and lbave lived as a vegan since the age of 21. I gave birth to 3 beautiful children with no problem as well. I exercise 5 times per week . I am interested in understanding more. What am I missing?

Vegan diet
by: Kerri Knox, The Immune System Queen

The term 'vegan diet' is pretty meaningless as far as your diet being 'healthy' is concerned. Someone could drink soda, white flour pasta, and soy products all day long and call themselves a vegan and still have an incredibly unhealthy diet. Plus, in your first post, you said that you eat dairy, so you are actually not a vegan, but a vegetarian. Not to say that is 'bad', but just pointing out that eating dairy precludes you from being a vegan, by definition.

Also, most people who eat dairy eat factory raised dairy, which is inflammatory and, frankly, not fit for human consumption.

So, when you say that you are a vegan, or a vegetarian, you would need to say more. That does not automatically mean that you eat healthy.

However, regardless of how healthy that you THINK that your diet is, or how healthy anyone TELLS you your diet is, if you have thyroid disease and you have developed Hashimoto's (an autoimmune disease) then I can absolutely with 100% certainty say that your diet is not healthy for YOU. It might be for someone else, but not you.

Anyone with ANY autoimmune disease almost certainly has some degree of Increased Intestinal Permeability and this is almost certainly caused by some degree of Gluten Sensitivity. And vegan diets usually contain ample amounts of gluten- even those who are raw vegan who eat sprouted gluten containing grains thinking that they are 'eating healthy'. This is one of the biggest mistakes that vegetarians and vegans make is eating lots of gluten and soy - both of which are extremely detrimental to health. Corn, also, contains tons of mycotoxins and is usually GMO- another big vegan/vegetarian mistake.

Kerri Knox, RN

Elimination diet and Functional Medicine may help
by: Anonymous

I think your high B12 is a result of autoimmunity. Oftentimes, autoimmunities such as Hashimoto's, Diabetes, etc. come in clusters and can be directly attributable to high intestinal permeability. I would agree that diet is a huge contributing factor, but you may simply have an unidentified food sensitivity that is behind all of this. Have you tried an oligoantigenic elimination diet with food challenges? This may give you insight into the offending food.

I would look for a Functional Medicine doctor. Oftentimes, they are MDs with additional training who look to address root problems rather than symptoms. I'll bet anything you have eigher an occult infection or an unidentified food sensitivity.

tests
by: Anonymous

What tests are available for b complex malabsorption. My standard serum tests showed really high levels of b12 even though I was not supplementing hardly at all.

High b12 without supplementation
by: Kerri Knox

You almost certainly have the MTHFR Gene

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