Vitamin B-12 levels are checked to assist in diagnosing blood or metabolic disorders. These disorders may impact the body's ability to absorb this vital nutrient. Vitamin B-12 deficiencies can occur for a variety of reasons including following a strict vegetarian diet, hyperthyroidism or intestinal diseases such as Crohn's. Getting your vitamin B-12 levels checked may help your physician develop a plan of care to get you back to optimal health.
Step 1
Monitor for symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency. Without another known cause, numbness in the extremities -- such as your hands and feet -- might indicate low levels of B-12. Similarly, balance problems of unknown origin can signify deficiency.
Step 2
Schedule a visit and talk with your family physician. A doctor needs to assess your condition and determine whether or not a vitamin B12 blood level should be checked.
Step 3
Check with your insurance company. Every health insurance company has varying degrees and limitations of coverage. For instance, Medicare will pay for a vitamin B-12 level once a year and only if symptoms are present to necessitate this test.
Step 4
Schedule your blood test for the morning. A blood sample, drawn at the laboratory or doctor's office, is required to check vitamin B-12 levels; you should not eat or drink for 6 to 8 hours preceding the test.
Step 5
Make a list of every over-the-counter and prescription medication you take. Certain drugs, such as neomycin or phenytoin, can impact your blood test results. Alcohol and oral contraceptives may also reduce vitamin B-12 blood levels.
Step 6
Discuss your results with the ordering doctor. The normal blood level range for B-12 is expansive ranging from 200 to 900 pc/ml. Results less than 500 pc/ml are questionable for low B-12, whereas a blood level less than 200 pc/ml is significant for B-12 deficiency.
Step 7
Plan for periodic rechecks of your vitamin B-12 blood level if it is deficient. Dependent on the reason why you are deficient, you may require lifetime monitoring. Those with pernicious anemia, for example, need extended treatment with B-12.
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