Vitamin B12?

[Snoopy]

  I noticed that, over the past couple of months, a few posts have discussed taking vitamin B12.
  I'm becoming curious about this, because this summer a set of blood tests taken for other reasons revealed my B12 levels to be low (183 pg/ml, where 211-911 is normal).  My 2008 and 2009 tests were in the 250's level.  I'm now taking sublingual B12.
  I'm aged 50, and was 48 at donation.  Since I've never been told I had any B12 deficiency before, I wonder whether the surgery might have anything to do with it. Perhaps it's related to dietary changes I adopted during the approval process, or since the surgery? Perhaps it's due to age?  I don't know, and am not concerned one way or the other.
   But, if other list members are aware of their pre- and post-donation B12 levels, I'd be interested to see if there is any evidence of a pattern.  I'm not aware that anyone has collected systematic data on donors' B12; maybe we'd learn something?
    Be well, Snoopy   
 

[elephant]

Dear Snoopy,

Since I have developed ulcerative colitis post donation, I do have recent tests.
At 4/2013 (two years post donation) my B12 was 660pg/mL with a normal range 279-996.  I am the same age as you. 

I have been taking a multivitamin for many years, since vegan/vegetarian eaters tend to be B12 deficient.   Must be working.

My vit D level was low, but not considered deficient, and started to supplement VitD

I think aging can interfere with B12 absorption but not usually at our age.  Large amount of VitC supplementation can also interfere, as can antacids.


Love, elephant

[Snoopy]

Hi, Elephant!
   Thanks for the helpful reply. 
   It's interesting you mention multi-vitamins, since I am "mostly" (though not totally) a vegetarian.  Maybe that's part of what's going on.  But, on the other hand, I never had low B12 values before the surgery.  And I agree that age 50 is probably too soon for it really to be ageing--then again, I might just be ageing faster.  Dog's years, you know....
   I also have quite low Vitamin D (8-14 ng/ml, where 20-100 is normal), but I've had that for years, so I can't attribute it to the donation.
  Stay healthy!
  Snoopy

[Mooge]

Both I and one of my kids have had sudden, unexplained drops in B12. In my case, it was discovered in a random blood test and was VERY low. Went up with supplements but didn't stay up on its own for a couple of years, then all of a sudden I had a surplus! We are big carnivores  so that wasn't the reason. Anyway - B12 can be a strange one, I wouldn't be too quick to attribute it to the donation.
Mooge