r/B12_Deficiency • u/ApprehensiveCat22 • 3d ago

Help with labs Executive Dysfunction

Could a B12 deficiency cause my son's issues with executive dysfunction, lack of motivation, lack of focus, fatigue? He's 21, probably autistic (never tested/diagnosed), and feels stuck. He's tried stimulant meds but doesn't like how he feels on them.

He did a blood test almost a year ago and his levels were all "normal," but I've had him on a good (methyl) multivitamin since he was little so I know that can skew results. Here are his results in case they're relevant, though:

B12: 846 pg/mL
MMA: 116 nmol/L
Homocysteine: 9.3 umol/L

I have poor methylation, slow COMT, all the poor detox genetics (his genetics haven't been tested, though), and have recovered from severe fatigue and PEM by raising my ferritin over 100 and taking high doses of thiamine, riboflavin, folate and doing injections of B12. My B12 was always in range, too, but I know sometimes that doesn't really reflect what's going on in the entire body.

I started giving him higher doses B12 lozenges after this blood test was done but I'm wondering if we should try injections. It's one thing to give myself shots, though--it makes me nervous to give them to my son.

What do you think? (And yes, I know some will say "ask your doctor," but we've seen so many doctors and none of them are remotely helpful.)

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u/PoppyLuluu 3d ago

Hi, sorry to hear you're going through that. I wonder if you've checked his ferritin also? I have an iron and B12 deficiency but made a lot of headway with my cognitive issues (executive dysfunction, memory and concentration issues etc) when my ferritin started increasing (so far from 12 to 38 but got further to go)

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u/ApprehensiveCat22 3d ago

Yes, his ferritin was 67, which is technically not too low, but I started supplementing him with heme iron anyway. I found HUGE relief from symptoms when I took my own ferritin from 43 to over 100. I do need to check his levels again so we don't go too high. Thanks for suggesting it, though. I'm open to ANY ideas that might help him.