Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Malabsorption of Vitamins? High serum levels



Recommended Posts

I'm waiting to hear from my doctor, but was wondering if anyone has has very high serum levels of Vitamin B12 and Folate, and if that might mean my body is not absorbing tham? Reading on the Internet there are some scary reasons for high B12, but I'm hoping it is circulating in my blood because my body can't utilize it. Thank you!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When did you take your B12 prior to your bloodwork?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Following

i do know that we are not supposed to take B12 unless confirmed low for non bariatric patients.

I wAs only taking it once a week or so with sleeve. I feel sure that when I see my dr for first time after revision to bypass he is going to tell me to take it daily. It can build up and cause issues if not needed. I plan to talk to him about that.

Edited by Losingit2018

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Losingit2018 said:

Following

i do know that we are not supposed to take B12 unless confirmed low for non bariatric patients.

I wAs only taking it once a week or so with sleeve. I feel sure that when I see my dr for first time after revision to bypass he is going to tell me to take it daily. It can build up and cause issues if not needed. I plan to talk to him about that.

As an RNY I'm supposed to take 500mg of B12 daily.

But if you take it even the day before, most of us will have high levels circulating in our blood. And bari surgeons aren't super concerned. Mine is always high and I stop my vits 3 days before testing. The RD said, they see that in the majority of patients and generally isn't anything to worry about.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As an RNY I'm supposed to take 500mg of B12 daily.
But if you take it even the day before, most of us will have high levels circulating in our blood. And bari surgeons aren't super concerned. Mine is always high and I stop my vits 3 days before testing. The RD said, they see that in the majority of patients and generally isn't anything to worry about.
What kind of high levels are you talking about? My Folate was off the charts, too. I'll wait and see how concerned they are. My understanding is that excess B12 is excreted in the urine, and that high B12 is not very common. Hoping you're right!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I take B12 since I"m an RNY patient. My levels are always at or above 1000 - and one time was over 2000. My surgeon and his PA just shrugged. I don't think high B12 is usually a problem (unless like you said there's some underlying issue that's causing it - other than too much supplementation?).

a lot of long-time RNY patients like their B12 levels above 1000 - they don't feel as good when it drops below.

you can always ask your clinic - but it may not be a problem. The PA at my surgeon's office said I could cut back on my dosage a bit when my level got over 2000 - but he never said having that high a level was problematic.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Briswife15 said:

What kind of high levels are you talking about? My Folate was off the charts, too. I'll wait and see how concerned they are. My understanding is that excess B12 is excreted in the urine, and that high B12 is not very common. Hoping you're right!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Here's my chart of B12

image.png.eda5ef679f76a0ef58f78987ad49deea.png

(I cut back on the dosage a bit cuz I forget to take 'em and rolled it into my B-Complex vitamin.)

Here's my Folate Chart

image.png.ddb0502ce5b9731ecae55a2c848fa40c.png

Here's my B6 Chart

image.png.f826555cabda89cb4f648616e0cc80b9.png

Here's my B1 Chart

image.png.70d2deb4452d8d7ca5ff1a2fddd6a487.png

As @catwoman7 mentioned, it is not unusual for bariatric patients to have skewed Vitamin levels - especially of the B Vitamins. My doc has never mentioned anything to me about my B12 or Folate levels being dangerous. When I was low on B1 and B6 and Potassium, we supplemented until the levels came back to norm. But I did it under doc's care.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks! My GP says my levels are so high, 2000, because I have deficiencies. Im going to ask bari surgeon if I need B12 injections because it's obvious my body is not absorbing it.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Briswife15 said:

Thanks! My GP says my levels are so high, 2000, because I have deficiencies. Im going to ask bari surgeon if I need B12 injections because it's obvious my body is not absorbing it.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

that doesn't sound right - mine was that high because my body didn't require as much B12 as I was taking, so I had to cut back. But then he/she is a GP, not me, so... Ask your surgeon. They see those kinds of things a lot. When mine got that high, my surgeon wasn't alarmed, but he said I could cut back quite a bit on my dosage.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mine was tested 6 months post and said over 2000. I don’t even have the exact number. It was from lab Corp. my surgeon wasn’t concerned. I was under the impression that the excess just gets peed out. I can’t cut back on mine since I take one bari Multivitamin (Pro care brand) with everything in it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I skipped it just the night before the test.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Briswife15 said:

Thanks! My GP says my levels are so high, 2000, because I have deficiencies. Im going to ask bari surgeon if I need B12 injections because it's obvious my body is not absorbing it.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

That makes sense. I saw your post in another thread and all of those symptoms pointed to deficiency.

So since you are not absorbing, they are high in your blood?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, now I'm confused because my GP says it is indicative of a deficiency, yet the bariatric nurse says to cut back on the B12! The Internet is no help either. I don't know who to believe and bariatric nurse said to go to GP for follow up anf management.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Briswife15 said:

Well, now I'm confused because my GP says it is indicative of a deficiency, yet the bariatric nurse says to cut back on the B12! The Internet is no help either. I don't know who to believe and bariatric nurse said to go to GP for follow up anf management.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

when I had that issue (B12 level over 2000), the bariatric clinic told me to cut back on my dosage - they said I was oversupplementing. They see vitamin-related issues a lot - probably a lot more than a GP does - so I'd be inclined to believe them. You could always cut back and they can test your levels again later.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×