Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Deficiencies And Recovery Time

krishna

Recommended Posts

krishna Apprentice
krishna
Posted

Hi,

I've been on a gluten free diet for 6-7 months now and have been taking B12 injections every month and Vitamin D3 pills. Today my doctor went over my report and found out I am really low in Iron. Previously I was medium-low but now I'm low but not anemic (still not deficient). So he started me on Iron supplements and will do my tests again in a month. My B12 after taking about 12 injections (last 6 months) is still not that high. It is kind of medium, like 520 something. The range I believe is from 200-1200.. not sure of the units. My doctor says if you take injections then it depends on the time you get tested after taking the injection (mine was after 3 weeks after getting the 12th injection) because the body starts absorbing B12 and B12 levels start to fall. Therefore, he now recommends to take B12 supplements instead of the injections because taking them will project a more realistic B12 number next time he does the tests.

I was wondering how long does it take for B12 and Iron levels to become stable and not change even after stopping supplements? My doctor says it takes anytime between 1 - 2 years but I wanted to get your opinion here.

Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I agree with your doctor but you may see results sooner. When you get the B12 supplements get the sublingual form as the ones in the swallowed pills are not going to be able to be absorbed. The sublingual will go directly into your bloodstream.

krishna Apprentice
krishna
Posted
  • Author

Thanks! My doctor also recommended the sublingual type and I've got it already. I keep having panicky/nervous like feeling and feel low sometimes and at other times I feel normal but not so great either. There's always tightness around my abdomen area. Does anyone have the same or similar type of experience?

gf-soph Apprentice
gf-soph
Posted

Have you had your folate levels tested? Since you are low in B12 and iron it's important to get it checked, as it also causes anemia.

I found that it took a long time to get my iron and b12 levels stable, and a long time for my d to rise at all.

I started showing low levels in 2007, and had intermittent injections for iron and b12 until mid 2008, when a good dr got me to go gluten free, and started treating the deficiencies more aggressively. I needed iron injections as I couldn't absorb any from my gut. I had a lot of injections for both until about mid 2010, when I found out that additional food intolerances were impairing my digestion. Once I had got these under control my levels have stabilised and even increased since then, and have been very stable in the last 3 months.

So for me, it took 2 years after gluten free, but I was continuing to malabsorb for 18 months anyway. For you the process may be a lot quicker, especially if you can take the iron supplements.

I found that my iron levels tended to not move much, and my B12 went up and down a lot when I was getting injections. I had a lot of B12 at various points, and i did get high readings like 1400 or so. They went down in a month or two to 800, then to 500 pretty quickly. Your body may be better at getting rid of the excess, or it may be utilising the b12 better, I can't say. I found that my body often dumped the extra injectables, I once went from a b12 of 1000 to 200 in 3 weeks. The best advice I can give it to monitor at least every month until you see nice consistent levels.

Your dr's suggestion about switching to the b12 pills is a good one, as it's a truer reflection of what your body can absorb. If your levels increase on the pills then you can be pretty confident that your levels will be more accurate, but when you get an injection there's too much at once for your body to use it all.

krishna Apprentice
krishna
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone, I will take your advice seriously!

My doctor told me to take B12 sub-lingual 5mg or 5,000mcg daily. He said its the highest dose he sells in his clinic. Do you think it is too strong to take daily? I was reading online that between 1mg-3mg B12 sub-lingual is recommended. Please advice!

Thanks again!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Thanks everyone, I will take your advice seriously!

My doctor told me to take B12 sub-lingual 5mg or 5,000mcg daily. He said its the highest dose he sells in his clinic. Do you think it is too strong to take daily? I was reading online that between 1mg-3mg B12 sub-lingual is recommended. Please advice!

Thanks again!

Go ahead and take it. If you have excess in your system you will simply excrete it. There is no toxic level for B12 as it is water soluable. Your doctor can retest in a few months to see if you can step down to a lower level.

krishna Apprentice
krishna
Posted
  • Author

Go ahead and take it. If you have excess in your system you will simply excrete it. There is no toxic level for B12 as it is water soluable. Your doctor can retest in a few months to see if you can step down to a lower level.

Thanks!

On this website, under the "seasonings" section it says that yeast extract has gluten (barley), is it true? Any read something like this before?

Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,684
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Betty Siebert
    Newest Member
    Betty Siebert
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.