B Vitamin and J Pouch

Not all J-pouchers get B12 deficiency, but B12 absorption depends on the terminal ileum (which is what the pouch is constructed from). You might need an occasional B12 injection.

And the recommended levels of B-12 just changed. My recent lab work indicated my B-12 at 339, which was above normal. The standard was recently raised to 400 so I was told to supplement with sublingual.

Sue

Could be j-pouch related, since 5 years is about the right time frame to develop a deficiency (your body stores about that much, so it takes that long for the deficiency to occur after the malabsorption starts).

B-12 is absorbed in the terminal ileum, so if you had enough removed or suffer from chronic pouchitis, you are at risk. Plus, if you chronically take acid blockers like Prilosec, that also puts you at risk (most people are unaware of this risk). You need the acid to absorb the B-12 down the line.

Jan