Schilling Test
Vitamin B12 Absorption Test
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- Not collecting exactly 24 hours of urine.
- Having kidney problems. You may be asked to collect urine for a longer period of time, such as 48 to 72 hours.
- Having a radioactive scan or radiation therapy in the past 10 days of the Schilling test.
- Taking medicines, such as colchicine, neomycin (Mycitracin), and phenytoin (Dilantin).
- Collecting stool (feces) with the urine sample.
- Using laxatives before the test.
- Having a problem with the absorption of vitamin B12. This may occur because the vitamin B12 used in the test is different than vitamin B12 found in foods. Older adults, people with gastritis, or people who do not have normal levels of hydrochloric acid in their stomach fluids may not absorb vitamin B12 normally.
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| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: February 8, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
 | What Affects the Test |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |