Loading injections

[KTMac]

My GP has suggested 6 once a week injections as 'loading' injections because she is worried about how fragile my system is

Is this likely to help at all?

[Gambit62 Administrator]

B12 isn't toxic. It (hydroxocobalamin - the form used in UK) is used in much higher doses than you will be given to treat cyanide poisoning - just wanted to say that in case it was a concern.

Most people seem to respond well to the loading doses and notice that they feel more energy - so definitely worth it. If you do notice improvements (pretty sure you will) then it may be worth making sure, if you have neurological problems (dizziness, brain fog, tingling in limbs ...) that your GP is aware that the NICE guidelines recommend injections every other day until the improvements stop.

Really hope you feel better soon.

[Hidden]

Hi KTMac,

I've just been reading your other post and I see you have had a lot of good advise in there! But to answer your question it can only be helpful to try loading B12 and see if you can cope with it as you are so fragile .

I'll just paste from your other post a few things that may be relevant in this post:

" I have had these symptoms for nearly 20 year since my Chronic Fatigue was diagnosed.

The GP thinks it's because of my recent exclusion diet rather than a long term problem

I am seeing a gastro specialist for the IBS because it has gotten out of hand"

I hope you will also get some folic acid if you are still deficient? Did you see a gastro?

See how you go may be best, wishing you good luck and hope you will feel improvements after B12 loading! It can take time, we all are different.

Kind regards,

Marre.

[KTMac in reply to Hidden]

She has also prescribed a folic acid liquid (as the tablets have milk in) & I did see a Gastro who said I had a very fast transit time (after a CT scan)

[Hidden in reply to KTMac]

Hi,

Good you also are getting some folic acid. I also have very fast transit, after a colonoscopy and endoscopy it showed I have abnormal terminal ileum (smooth) and bile acid mal absorption (bile is an irritant to the bowel) for which I have been given colestipol, it works, has side effects but gives me the freedom to go out and stops me wasting away and being terribly weak. Did you get anything for your fast transit, any explanation?

Perhaps you may want to read this:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/246...

Systematic review: the management of chronic diarrhoea due to bile acid malabsorption.

Wilcox C1, Turner J, Green J.

Author information

•1Cochrane Medical Education Centre, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) is a common, yet under-recognised, cause of chronic diarrhoea, with limited guidance available on the appropriate management of patients with BAM.

AIM:

To summarise the evidence supporting different treatments available for patients with bile acid malabsorption, noting their impact on clinical outcomes, tolerability and associated side effects.

METHODS:

A literature search was conducted through PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Scopus. Relevant articles studied patients who had been diagnosed with BAM and were clinically assessed before and after therapy.

RESULTS:

A total of 30 relevant publications (1241 adult patients) were identified, which investigated the clinical response to drugs, including colestyramine, colestipol, colesevelam, aluminium hydroxide and obeticholic acid. The most commonly used diagnostic test of bile acid malabsorption was the SeHCAT test (24 studies). Colestyramine treatment was by far the most studied of these agents, and was successful in 70% of 801 patients (range: 63-100%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Colestyramine and colestipol are generally effective treatments of gastrointestinal symptoms from BAM, but may be poorly tolerated and reduce the bioavailability of co-administered agents. Alternative therapies (including colesevelam and aluminium hydroxide) as well as dietary intervention may also have a role, and the promising results of the first proof-of-concept study of obeticholic acid suggest that its novel approach may have an exciting future in the treatment of this condition. Future trials should employ accurate diagnostic testing and be conducted over longer periods so that the long-term benefits and tolerability of these different approaches can be evaluated.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

More details in this if applicable to you:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I hope this helps you and you will feel a lot better soon,

Kind regards,

Marre.

[KTMac]

Goodness - I'm going to have to work on reading that as I don't really understand it all

Thank you for the information - I'll do my research; the nurse today suggested Sjogren's syndrome

So I have my work cut out for me

[Hidden]

I'm sorry about the reading, but it does eventually sink in, and help you decide if you need further tests or not. It took me months to get my head around this, but am glad I have treatment that works for me. It all depends on your symptoms ...More to read if you want to, see: Sjögren's Syndrome:

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

Marre,

[KTMac in reply to Hidden]

That's a much easier list than I found - I only have a few of the symptoms listed:

swollen salivary glands, especially the parotid

swollen lymph nodes

joint pains

fatigue

So I think perhaps it isn't me.......

I'm not expecting sudden improvement from the B12 injection; but recently I have been playing with my diet because of the Dicycloverine & I think that has caused a lot of pain (joint & bowel)- so I actually feel worse right now

[Hidden in reply to KTMac]

I just read up a bit on Dicycloverine, seems it can cause side effects such as dry mouth, fatigue. But it does not mention joint pain, swollen glands.

I can have burning hip joints and swollen glands, I know I get more achy when I have a bad bout of diarrhoea, and my bone density is getting near the osteoporosis. The Colestipol I take helps in stopping diarrhoea, stops me getting weak, and gives me freedom, but it inhibits absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, but having permanent diarrhoea also inhibits uptake so its a compromise. I find B12 injections do seem to help against hurting joints..see how you go, hopefully it helps you a lot!

Kind regards,

Marre.