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CindyD wrote:Emily, so sorry to hear that. No chance you could find a doctor who understands a vegan diet? That must be very disheartening that your doctor doesn't approve of your healthy lifestyle.
As for the B12, I am no doctor but my understanding has always been to take it more often than weekly. If not daily, then at least a few times a week?
You probably know this but B12 is a problem for non-vegans, too. Animals don't produce this vitamin, it comes from bacteria in the soil. So, sometimes animals eat it (or animal products are fortified with it), but since we have a somewhat more sterile food environment these days (less dirt in food), it can be a problem for people on any kind of diet.
Some nutritional yeast, plant milk, and other vegan foods are fortified with B12, too.
MINNIE wrote:Hi Emily.
Is the doctor unwilling to prescribe or discuss B-12 injections or supplements?
You can try supplementing daily on your own, and maybe look for a more informed doctor too.
I get B-12 tests once a year, as my insurance covers this and my primary care recommends it..
Personal Anecdote (not advice).
My B-12 was low for quite a while after going vegan, although I did take a weekly B-12 pill. My doctor advised daily supplements, which helped get my levels up to where they should be. One thing I learned was that the amount of B-12 you take may not reflect how much you actually absorb. Age and other health factors can affect absorption. That's why a doctor who isn't attuned to this isn't going to be able to help much. Since most MD's are not trained in nutrition, they may be unaware of the importance of B-12.
Personally, I don't rely on tests alone,as they can be unreliable. But I had symptoms that I believed could be related to low B-12 (mostly skin and hair problems, but unexplained constipation as well). This all resolved after I started using daily doses. (I won't mention what dose or products I used, because this should be your decision based on your needs).
I don't see any downside to doing this, as the amount of B-12 you would have to take to get to a harmful level is so high it's not likely to happen.
Here is some info from the National Institutes of Health Regarding safe use of B12 supplements.
It's worth reading this all the way through, as it is very informative.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vitam ... fessional/
Best wishes, and I hope you will find a more open-minded doctor!
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