The power of B vitamins

Is it actually possible for low vitamin B levels to just... totally break a person?

Break what, exactly?
Vitamin B isn't just about keeping your skin, hair, and nails looking good—it’s also huge for your blood vessels and brain health.
A lot of psychiatrists actually prescribe B vitamins alongside antidepressants.

I mean, if someone’s running low on folic acid or B9 vitamins, they could end up feeling totally wired or neurotically anxious... and they might not even realize that's actually what's causing it.

Nicholas Mendoza60 said:I mean, seriously, if someone is running low on folic acid or B9 vitamins, they could end up feeling totally wired or just plain out of sorts without even having a clue why their mood is all over the place!

I've definitely 🙂

Nicholas Mendoza60 said:I mean, if someone's low on B9, they could be feeling totally on edge without even realizing why. It’s easy to just feel irritable when it's actually a deficiency.

Anxious?
😁

Deficiencies in Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D are deeply linked to mental health. It’s a significant connection. In my view, these levels should always be checked and corrected before starting someone on psychiatric medication.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A7

What’s the cutoff for B12? Like, if we're talking about the standard reference range
It says 175 to 650. But if a patient comes in at 250, does that count as low just because it's sitting closer to the bottom end than the top...? And what about folic acid

What’s the cutoff for B12? Like, what counts as "normal" according to the lab reference range here in the US
It says 175 to 650... but if someone's sitting at 250, does that actually count as low just because it's leaning toward the bottom end of the scale? Ugh, and don't even get me started on folic acid

B12 should be sitting between 200 and 900. If you're at 250, you're on the low end and you're probably feeling it. Just grab some 1000 MG sublingual B12 and take one a day.

My Vitamin D is sitting at 35, and my copper levels are looking pretty low too...

Your Vitamin D levels are way too low. You should be aiming for at least 80. It’s worth noting that mental health struggles can often be triggered by a deficiency like that.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A750 using Reddit

Sam Ortiz said:Typical B12 levels range from 200 to 900. A reading of 250 puts you on the lower end of that spectrum, which is enough to trigger symptoms. I'd recommend picking up some 1000 mcg sublingual B12 and taking it once daily.

The numbers look different in Europe versus the USA because the measurement units aren't standardized across both. What you're looking at doesn't follow the standard guidelines used here in America.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A7 using Reddit

Nicholas Mendoza60 said:What counts as the threshold for B12 if we're looking at the standard reference range?

The scale goes from 175 to 650. If a patient sits at 250, does that count as a deficiency just because they're closer to the bottom end of the spectrum? And what about folic acid?

Ideally, you’d want to be closer to the upper limit. Some doctors insist on that, while others don't seem to care.
My lab results show a deficiency if anything falls below 104, yet my actual level is 290. I honestly don't know how to interpret that.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Reddit

frozenbear9 said:Low Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D levels are tied to mental health—like, seriously tied. You really ought to check those levels and fix them before jumping straight to psych meds.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Reddit

My Vitamin D was chronically low—sitting at a 15...
So first I checked my B12. That was actually fine, around 479.
I was dealing with massive anxiety—still am, just not quite as bad as before. It was all sorts of weird symptoms, honestly, I even thought maybe I had Lyme disease or something.
And man, who knows how much damage that low Vitamin D did—between the muscle twitching, the occasional numbness, and that general sense of dread, it’s hard to say. Right now I'm doing 5000IU capsules for a month, and I'm seeing some small improvements.

Jacob Lopez51 said:My Vitamin D levels were chronically low. Around 15...
First, I checked my B12. That was fine at 479.
I dealt with severe anxiety—and still struggle with it, though not as intensely. The symptoms were so varied that I actually wondered if I had been hit by Lyra.
It’s hard to say how much damage the Vitamin D deficiency caused regarding muscle fasciculations, occasional tingling, and general unease. I've been taking 5000IU capsules for a month now, and I'm seeing some slight improvements.

I know your story. I have been following your progress closely.

I want to be blunt about my conclusion.

You suffered from a severe Vitamin D deficiency. Rather than addressing the deficiency and resolving the anxiety it triggered, doctors put you on psychotropic medications. Those drugs likely caused the very symptoms you were searching for an explanation for. You aren't a hypochondriac. And it isn't Lyra either.

You did the work and ran all the tests. I respect that persistence. But the root cause seems to be the medication. I experience some of those same symptoms myself, and I know where they originate. The key is tapering off those drugs carefully. If you don't transition slowly (a common recommendation among experts is to reduce the dose by roughly 10% every four weeks), the withdrawal symptoms can be quite diverse. I suspect that is the core of your issue.

Sent from my iPhone 11 using Reddit

frozenbear9 said:I know your story—I’ve been following it closely.

So, I’m just gonna be blunt and give you my take.

You had a massive Vitamin D deficiency. Instead of actually fixing that and dealing with the anxiety it was causing, they just shoved you onto a cocktail of psych meds—which ended up triggering all those symptoms you were trying to solve in the first place. You aren't a hypochondriac. And it isn't Lyra either.

You did the work and ran all the tests. Honestly, props to you for being so persistent. But the root cause? It was the meds. I deal with some of the same symptoms myself, so I know exactly where they come from. The key is tapering off slowly. If you don't do it gradually—like, dropping about 10% of your last dose every four weeks, which is what the experts suggest—the withdrawal symptoms can be a total mess. I really think that's what you're dealing with.

Sent from my iPhone 11 using Reddit

The truth is, I quit the psych meds cold turkey because my doctors were basically forcing that crap on me—and right when I landed the dream job I'd been praying for, everything started going south. Eventually, I just snapped and walked away from both the psychiatrists and the pills.
From the anxiolytics, I definitely dealt with things like ear pulsing, tingling in my head, and whatnot...
I still have a few lingering issues, but it was vital for me to rule out anything physical, so I handled it. As for Lyra? Please. That's just straight-up hypochondria at that point.
Thanks for the support, regardless. 🙂
And seriously, get your B12, Vitamin D, and thyroid levels checked. Most psychiatrists just start handing out prescriptions without running enough lab work. If your sedimentation and hs-CRP look fine, there's nothing autoimmune going on. I’ve basically earned a PhD in this stuff through trial and error—from neurology to immunology. Unfortunately, I had to learn it the hard way.

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction regarding where I should go to get B12 injections? Should I start by reaching out to my primary care physician? I'm also curious if I can just request them verbally during an appointment, or if I'll actually need to provide some sort of lab work showing poor blood counts first. If my regular doctor won't help, maybe I could see someone at a private clinic instead? Does anyone have any specific recommendations for providers in the Washington, D.C. area?

Jacob Lopez51 said:The truth is, I just quit my psych meds cold turkey because my doctors kept shoving that crap down my throat right when I finally landed the dream job I’d been waiting forever for. Everything started going south at once. So, I just snapped—dumped the psychiatrists and the pills all at once.
With those anti-anxiety meds, I was definitely getting ear pulsations, tingling in my head, stuff like that...
I still deal with some things, but it was vital to clear out anything that could be physical, so I did it. Forget Lyra. Calling it that is just straight-up hypochondria.
Thanks for whatever support you guys give. 🙂
And seriously, go check your B12, Vitamin D, and thyroid levels. Most US psychiatrists just start pumping you full of pills without even looking at your blood work. If your sedimentation and CRP levels are fine, there's nothing autoimmune going on. I've basically earned a PhD in half these fields myself—from neurology to immunology. Unfortunately, I had to learn everything the hard way.

Also, get your heart checked.

Just ran my B12 levels through the lab
Reference range is 156-674

Mine came back at 208

The Folate B9 was 12-46
But mine’s sitting at a measly 40

What are the symptoms of a Vitamin D deficiency? Or B?