Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone else here has been diagnosed with a vitamin B12 deficiency during pg or just life? I have received some blood test results back today that show I have quite a serious deficiency and my GP is concerned it may be a lifelong problem that's only just been picked up.

Anyway, I would love to know how you were treated if you have had this diagnosis and if it was found to be a sign of anything more worrying. My GP has got me taking all kinds of other tests (for more major disorders) that have me really stressed but I am trying to stay positive...apparently bubs will be fine too...fingers crossed and all that

Thanks for listening

Hi Claire,

Don't have any advice about this sorry but just wanted to say I hope everything turns out ok

Take care
Jacqui

Hi Claire,

I am B12 deficient too. I'm not pregnant but have dealt with this since i became a vegetarian 9 years ago. At first my doctor made me take pills, but they block you up (if you get what i mean), so i stopped taking them. Now i get a blood test taken when i am feeling excessively tired, and everytime it comes back confirmed my levels are low again. I am living in Azerbaijan at the moment, and my doctor here just gives me a monthly injection (for 3 months at a time).

I was tested for lots of other conditions they thought it was, but everything else came back ok, so it just means that i either start eating meat again, or keep having my injections.

Hope this is of help to you.

Take care
Rachelle (Manda's sister, Trinity and Loralei's Aunty)

Thanks for thinking of me Jacqui

Rachelle - Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It is a little strange for me because I am not a vegetarian and never have been but I definitely have cut back on meat this pg due to nausea and a general dislike of it. My GP thinks I may have had an "absorption" problem for ages as I have visited her multiple times over the last few years with what I would describe as chronic tiredness and a general run-down feeling.

Anyway, thanks again for your reply - it is great to know that your initial B12 deficiency diagnosis was correct and you didn't have anything more major going on. I am hopeful that this is the case for me too and, if it is, I will start the injections next week.

Oh BTW - How long does it normally take for you to feel "different" after your injections. I am hoping to feel a little more energised before bubs is born in August.

Claire

Claire, I had this when i was pg with Thomas and they just gave me a injection to bring my levels back up.

I had a B12 deficiency a few years ago, that I need to watch or it gets a bit low still. I'm not a vegetarian so that was an easy way to increase my B12 intake. Its hard when you are preg because Pate (which I love) and liver are both really high in B12 but not recommended when pregnant. Marmite is high in B12 and I take Vit B complex tablets when I remember. I have read some research that links long term use of the contraceptive pill with depletion of B12 and folic acid, so I think that might be the cause for me. I'm lucky because with me it was not an absorbtion problem which is apparently very common especially as we get older. I used to work in a nursing home and there were lots of the oldies there who had regular B12 injections. When I was first diagnosed I was put on a three month course of tablets and then re-tested, which showed that my levels were back to normal.

My midwife explained to me the other day that it is normal for pregnant woman to have a slightly low B12 because of having so much extra blood floating around which causes it to be a bit diluted.

Good luck with those injections.

Lizzie

I don't know anything about B12 deficiency in pregnancy, but my husband has Crohns Disease and has had 2 operations in which he's lost a total of 60cm of his bowel. His specialist has told him that soon he will have to start having the B12 injections as he has lost the part between large and small bowel which absorbs it. They are just keeping an eye on his levels at the moment.

Hey Claire,

I start to feel better after a few days from having my injections. Last year I had to take Iron tablets aswell as the B12 injection. They put my on a 3 month course and the improvement was amazing! I wasn't asleep on the couch at 8.30pm every night!!! I had an iron injection (instead of taking tablets) at the beginning of the year as well as the B12, and the iron injection was really painful, but definately worth it! The B12 doesn't hurt at all.

Good Luck with it all.

Rachelle
x

Thank you for all your messages. It is so interesting to hear everyone's experiences.

My doctor is still uncertain what to do with me and is very worried about my low immunity (hence the chest infection and raised CRP in my blood test) as well as my extreme tiredness and lethargy. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I am going to see an acute medical specialist at 4pm tomorrow. My midwife has actually started paying some attention too after just dismissing my symptoms as the "usual" and is ready to refer me to an obst if the diagnosis is not good. I really hope it is good though, just a B12 problem as first thought because it sounds fairly fixable. The worst case scenarios are not even worth thinking about but I know they are there...just can't go there when I have two little guys to care for and this new baby on the way.

So.....wish me luck....let's hope this pg has just been a hard one and there's no nasties lurking behind the scenes.

Thanks again.

Claire

Good luck Claire, I really hope it's nothing serious.

Will be thinking of you
Jacqui

Good luck Deanie. It is hard enough being pregnant with 2 little ones to look after without being ill on top of it all. I know a B12 deficiency can make you feel very tired which is exactly wont you DONT need at this point in time. Im glad to hear your midwife has pulled up her socks a bit.

Good luck Deanie. It is hard enough being pregnant with 2 little ones to look after without being ill on top of it all. I know a B12 deficiency can make you feel very tired which is exactly wont you DONT need at this point in time. Im glad to hear your midwife has pulled up her socks a bit.

Oops, this is the second time I have replied twice ... still havent figured out how I do it ...... will have to pay more ATTENTION!

Best of luck Claire, hoping it all turns out to be something simple, will be thinking of you.

Thanks for thinking of me everyone.

Well the specialist wasn't too worried about my B12 levels after all despite them being lower then normal. He is sure that the Elevit I am taking and a "mindful" diet should prevent too many more problems.

His main conclusion from the appt was that I am immune deficient for some reason and get run-down more easily than the average person (especially during times of stress on the body like pg). Anyway, he is almost 100% sure that I have had pnuemonia over the past two weeks not just a chest infection but despite his encouragement about how safe a chest x-ray can be, I have decided to just take a long course of antibiotics instead of any hospital care. He still wants me to have a chest x-ray once I've had bubs just to be sure but otherwise I can continue on at home as long as I don't get any worse.

I am also having another whole range of blood tests on Monday to check for a number of serious disorders that can lead to immune deficieny but he thinks they are all very unlikely (just crossing his ts and dotting his is if you know what I mean).

So....that's the update. Probably a fairly good outcome so far since I am sure I'm on the mend. Not much resting to be done this weekend though as my DH has gone to Melbourne for a long-planned R&R weekend and I am on "boy" duty.

Hope everyone else is doing well...it has finally stopped raining in Wellington and the sun is out which is always nice!!!

Claire

Hi Claire,

That's good to hear things are okay but i am sorry to hear you have been so tired and sick. Did your other BT results come back fine?

I was interested to read this thread as i have a low B12 too and am SO tired. Can hardly type this and must go lie down again.
Will be six weeks pg on Monday.I'm taking Elivit too but I wonder if i should ask for a B12 injection? This is the pg I am going to be very demanding of medical care considering I was not demanding enough with Amelie.

Great to see you are nearly 32 weeks!

Best wishes,
Melanie