Vitamin B-12 for Those With RC's

Pat, you said by the way........The most specific test for B12 status is methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing. If this is in the normal range in blood (<370 nmol/L) or urine (less than 4 mg /mg creatinine) then your body has enough B12. Many doctors still rely on blood B12 levels and blood counts. These are not adequate, especially in vegans

Thanks so much for that very important information. I will check with Redi clinic to see if they measure up to your recommendations on how they check for B12. My primary care doctor had a number of the 10 reasons to dismiss him. ;D Rosie

They probably wouldn't....they'd say you had chemo-brain or if you were older they would attribute it to "old age".......Its such simple little test. I actually read about a woman in her 30's who was so tired she could just barely get through the day..had all sorts of wierd symptoms...blood work turned up fine...after many doctors one said I know what you have...it turns out she used skin cream with sun protection every day...she actually just had a deficiency of Vitamin D which we get most of from about l5mins of sun a day without sunscreen!! How wierd is that one?
by the way........The most specific test for B12 status is methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing. If this is in the normal range in blood (<370 nmol/L) or urine (less than 4 mg /mg creatinine) then your body has enough B12. Many doctors still rely on blood B12 levels and blood counts. These are not adequate, especially in vegans.
Pat

Yep. I would not have gotten the test if I had not insisted. I wonder at what point it might have dawned on someone that I might have a deficiency.

So true Marigold....and really as far as research goes...its almost always on men. So being proactive is extremely prudent especially with this cancer which many uro's don't know a lot about...my uro asks me questions...he readily admits i know more than he does about it. My internist has gotten to the point when i come in he just says.."Well what have you got?"....But we laugh about it...he's not the least bit threatened and actually appreciates that i can describe a symptom and know the "map" of my body. Sometimes you just have to say "Humor Me" and do the darn test.
Pat

Oh wow. I love you, Pat, and thanks for putting it right out front. This, if it happens, is a very serious vitamin deficiency. We really need to be aware and pay attention to this. I don't say that I know the exact answer for everyone. I DO KNOW that anyone with an RC needs to pay attention to this. My uro-oncologist poo-pooehd me until I demanded to be tested (deficient) and my regular doctor thought I was nuts but gave me the test. Each doctor told me that we all have so much of this vitamin that it would take YEARS to get a deficiency. My response to that is: Why, then did I have a deficit six months after RC? Sad to say so, but we really must learn to be on top of things for ourselves. One hard truth I have learned from this disease is that I MUST be proactive and do my own research. It doesn't mean that my doctor isn't on the ball; it does mean that doctors are a lot more on the ball when the patient is watching.

OK...some more from my soapbox...!!
A Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by malabsorption, which is most common in elderly people and in those with digestive disorders. The main deficiency of Vitamin B12 is Pernicious anemia. Other deficiency symptoms can include an abnormal gait, chronic fatigue, constipation, depression, digestive disorders, dizziness, drowsiness, enlargement of the liver, eye disorders, hallucinations, headaches, inflammation of the tongue, irritability, labored breathing, memory loss, moodiness, nervousness, neurological damage, numbness, palpitations, pernicious anemia, pins and needles sensations, ringing in the ears, and spinal cord degeneration. Usually, a deficiency of Vitamin B12 affects the brain and nervous system first.

Pretty important vitamin huh? Pat