Great B-12 news!

Hi friends! I’m flying to Florida this morning with the husband to spend a few holi-daze with his mother. I hear 70 and 80 degree days await me. BRING IT!

I wanted to share the great news I received last night. Backing up, I shared over the past few months that I was having B-12 issues and I shared a few more follow-up thoughts. Bottom line, since going vegan my B-12 levels decreased (even though I was taking a 3,000 mcg lozenge once a week), to the point my doctor was concerned (my numbers fell below 400; suggested levels are 200 – 1100). After a series of B-12 shots over four weeks my levels went up to 600. We shifted from B-12 shots to a daily 1,000 mcg B-12 lozenge for six weeks.

My B-12 levels are now over 900! Woo Hoo! I’ll go back for blood work in two months for another check-up but my doctor was pleased and so am I.

My advice to vegans?

Get regular blood work to check your B-12 levels.
Don’t buy into the bullshit that by taking supplements it means you aren’t doing the plant-based eating right. We’re all different. I would rather supplement than eat an animal.

More tomorrow from Florida!

Tagged as: b-12

http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/ Wendy (Healthy Girl’s Kitchen)

JL-I also have the same thing going on and my doc immediately put me on a course of shots. Once a week for 4 weeks, then once a month for 3 more months. I go back next month for blood work, which I enjoy (ha ha) at this point because I really like to know where I’m at. I also have extremely low iron (whether I am a vegan or not) and low D (I live in Cleveland and low D is epidemic everywhere).

Anyway, my point is this-everyone is low in some thing or other, whether it’s B12 because you are vegan or every other vitamin because you don’t eat a plant based diet. What would I rather be? Low B12!

I encourage everyone to get their bloodwork done once a year!
Lori

I have also been diagnosed with low B-12. The only info I got was from the clinic info line that said it was low and to take a 1000mcg supplement and have it rechecked in 6 months. Everything else seemed to be fine. And welcome to the warm weather!!! I moved to Florida from Ohio and don’t miss the snow a bit. It still does get cold here, but it doesn’t last for months and we also have sunshine! Enjoy your time here
CeCe J

“I would rather supplement than eat an animal.” I love it! That should be on a T-shirt! Thanks for the great post. Happy Holidays in Florida.
Stefanie

Do you notice having more energy? I’m just wondering because I might be suffering from low b-12 but have not had my levels checked. Enjoy the nice weather we are having. It is going to be a nice Christmas this year.
- http://jlgoesvegan.com JL
  
  Stefanie, nope, no B-12 specific symptoms, just caught in a routine checkup! (see below).
Sharon at Big City Vegan

Hey JL! Have a great trip! Glad everything worked out with your B-12 levels and that you’re feeling back at 100% again. Great advise for others too, as always. How did you know you were deficient? Was it just a blood test or were you symptomatic? Just curious. :) Sharon
- http://jlgoesvegan.com JL
  
  Great question! No, I had no symptoms. It was a routine blood test (I have hypothyroidism so get checked once a year). My doctor caught that that the number looked low and compared it to the previous and saw the steady decline (which occurred after going vegan). Happy that we caught it!
Anonymous

“Don’t buy into the bullshit that by taking supplements it means you
aren’t doing the plant-based eating right. We’re all different. I would
rather supplement than eat an animal.”

I love you. And yay!
http://www.tiedyefiles.com/ Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFiles

Congrats JL, great news!! Love your second bullet point
Ginger

Agreed…my great grandmother and her son both died from pernicious anemia a B-12 issue. Both ate meat.
- http://jlgoesvegan.com JL
  
  Ginger, that’s awful. A tragic reminder for all of us to pay attention to our health.
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