Vitamin B-12 too high?

 I just got my labs back and my PCP told me that my Vitamin B-12 is too high (>1999). He has advised me to half my dosage. Has anybody else had this recommendation? 

Please don't cut your dose in half.  Unfortunately PCP's don't understand our vitamin requirements and especially B12.  The normal range is from 200-900 but ideally, we want our levels be atleast 1500-1800 and can go up to 2000.  Being greater than 2000 isnt harmful, the only problem is that you don't know how much higher it is.  B12 isn't toxic, you just pee out the excess and especially since you are so new, you probably just took a large dose that rose it pretty quickly.

How much are you taking? and how often?  Are you taking sublinguals or injections?  I really can't recommend a dosage until I know what you are taking but cutting it in half will rapidly decline your dose and once our levels go down, it isn't so easy to get them back up. We malabsorb B12 and need to keep very good levels.

 I'm taking sublinguals. I take 3 500 mcg in the morning with my vitamin C and iron and then 3 again in the evening, once again with my vitamin C and iron. I was thinking about cutting it back to 2 and 2. What do you think?

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but I haven't been feeling well and haven't been online for a couple of weeks.

As far as your B12, you are taking way too many pills costing you way more than you need to.  You are taking a total of 3000mcg daily - there is no need to break them into 2 different doses.  What I would suggest, is to get a sublingual with 2500mcg and take that daily - that way you are cutting your dose a little bit without cutting it too much and you can take it all in one dose - which will really save you alot of money too.

The same thing for your iron - you can take all your iron and vitamin C in one dose.  I am not sure what type or dose you are taking but it is recommended that you take carbonyl iron - vitalady.com sells the best - it is cheap, easily absorbable, easy on the stomach and non-constipating.  The other good thing is that it has the vitamin C already in the capsules.  They are 60mg capsules, so depending on how low your iron and ferritin are, determines how much you need.  I have taken up to 3 or 4 at a time with no problem.

The only thing you need to know with the iron is that you can't take it within 2 hours of your calcium or thyroid medication.  If possible, take a multi with no iron - centrum silver is a good option.

My doctor told me the same thing (mine was >2000).  I will have my blood checked  next month and see what it is - I had been taking 5000 mcg once a week and still getting >2000 reading.  I did stop the B12 (except for what I am getting in my multi) for the 2 months - I will see what the readings say in Aug and decide what to do then.  I will probably ignore the doctor's (PCP) advice and still take the additional.  I had rather it be too high than depleted.

I strongly recommend that you go back on the B12 and fast.  Being greater than 2000 is a little high but definitley not dangerous or toxic.  We just pee out the excess.  The danger is going off B12 and becoming deficient. We can drop really fast and vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nerve damage.

I have levels greater than 2000 and went into the hospital for 2 months for multiple surgeries due to complications.  I normally inject myself 3 times per week but they decided that was too much and would only give it to me weekly.  In the 2 months, my levels went down to 400.  We drop fast.

You were taking 5000 mcg which if taken daily is a decent dosage but if only taken once per week, is actually only an average dose or for most on the low side.  The recommended starting dosage is 1000mcg daily and then adjust from there based on labs.  We should never stop it completely though unless you had levels which I have only seen once of greater than 5000.  If you didn't want to continue the 5000mcg once per week, you should atleast take 3500-4000 mcg daily but now that you have been off it for so long, I tend to think you are going to need to go back on a higher dose than you were on before. 

Please start taking something until your labs.  the lower your levels get, the harder it is going to bring them up,  You want your level to be atleast 1500 and if it is below 500, you are at risk for nerve damage. 

Do you have any symptoms?  Severe fatigue, cramping in your feet, toes, fingers?

I'm guessing you take some sublingual B12 daily?  I had the same issue, with a similar number. I was taking 1000mcg per day.  My surgeon had be take one every other day and labs still showed too high. Backed off again to 1 per week. Surgeon suggested I just stop for now, but keep tabs on my labs. I took supplements high in B12, and my body seemed to be doing ok. At 4 1/2 years, B12 was around 650, so now I'm back on sublingual B12 1000mcg again, at 3 per week. Depending on next labs, up or down with B12 again. DAVE

 Dave,
Do you notice a physical differfence when you are low? I think of my B-12 as my energy pill. I'm on the go from 6:00am until 9:00pm on most days of the week. I love the energy I have. I've been attributing it to my B-12, but maybe it's just my weight loss?

No, I tend to be lower key and not a high energy person naturally.  I just finished the last of my 1000mcg, and just had 1000 of the 2500mcg shipped to me.  My wife is complaining of low energy (she had a RNY revision in 2007) and I just found out she hasn't been taking her sublingual B12's.  I'm hoping the 2500mcg's will help both of us.  Energy levels can increase for many as they lose wt, and with some women part of it can be attributed to hormonal increases.  I've also been riding me new limited edition Puma Pico bike twice daily, so maybe I have a little more energy, but nothing I can really detect. DAVE

It's kinda like having too much money.

You'll use it.

No need to ramp it higher, but no need to burn up some of your money, either.

It'll spend, it'll spend. Fast enough.