Hi all, Just wondered if anyone has tried the Vita Science B12 Patch? if so how did you get on with it, any improvements? I've also heard there is a spray as well but not sure who does this.
I found Vita Sciences quite informative (Blog). One of the symptoms I hate most about B12 is the tingling / electric type shocks that suddenly resonate throughout your body, it leaves me feeling very disoriented, the fatigue does wind me up with me always being a active person, but it's the tingling thing that seems to get to me. Also something I have noticed happening more often recently is my toilet requirements (trying to write it in a polite way without being too descriptive!) which I find extremely embarrassing.
My Dr is now allowing me to have my injections on a two monthly basis which I'm really pleased about, I can't get my head round why Dr are so restrictive concerning the medication, they don't deny diabetics Insulin or people who have thyroid problems the amount of medication they need. So why people with B12 / PA.
Sorry going away from what I wanted to ask. It would be great to hear from anyone who has tried the patches or spray.
I tried those about 6 years ago when I was at the stage you are obviously at now i.e. desperately trying to get an intransigent doctor to agree to more frequent injections. They are cyanocobalamin which is generally regarded as the least effective form of B12 although some people find that it works fine for them. My experience was that the patches did help a bit but the effect only lasted for a few days which, at about £5 per patch at the time, was far too expensive for me for long term use. I sorted myself out by learning to do my own injections and buying hydroxocobalamin (the form of B12 used for injections in the UK) online.
There are now hydroxocobalamin and methylcobalamin patches available e.g drdavidspatches.com which may be more effective.
Others will no doubt suggest methyl sublingual tablets, which I found completely useless, and nasal sprays which I haven't tried simply because they weren't available 6 or 7 years ago when I was experimenting.
Thanks for that, if it's ok to ask where do you get your hydroxocobalamin from ?, there seems to be so much different stuff etc, If I did do DIY how do you know who is reputable to get it from and it's safe ?
But thanks for the info so far, it's been very helpful.
I buy my hydroxo from goldpharma.com and have been doing so for nearly 5 years with no problems at all. Quite a few others on here buy from them as well or from mycare.de.
I was fortunate in that one of the nurses at my surgery was happy to teach me how to do intramuscular injections. I just said that going to the surgery was sometimes inconvenient and would it be possible to learn how to do the injections myself at home and she said that was fine. It really isn't difficult and I am now free to inject at the frequency which suits me best which, after some experimentation, seems to be fortnightly. B12 can also be injected subcutaneously which is easier to learn without being shown but most of those who do that seem to find that the injections need to be more frequent than intramuscular. I tried subcutaneous injections briefly but didn't like them so reverted to intramuscular.
Beware of anyone who tells you that a particular type of B12 is the "best". B12 is available in 4 forms - cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin (also known as dibencozide) and can be taken by oral (i.e. swallowed) tablets, sublingual tablets, sublingual spray, nasal spray, patches and injections. We all react differently to the various forms and methods of delivery so the only way to find out which is best for you is by experimentation. I was initially influenced by certain vociferous posters on a particular forum who claimed that methyl was the only form of B12 worth taking and that sublingual tablets were as effective as injections only to find that sublingual methyl did not help me at all.
I totally agree with what engels writes, just to add methylcobalamin lozenges did nothing for me either, but it is a matter of trying what suits you personally best. I inject IM with cyanocobalamin I get in Spain, its the easiest (and cheapest) option for me as I go regularly, and like it. Hydroxo is longer lasting so in theory needs less often top ups. My surgery taught me how to inject IM in leg, it took some time to convince GP , nurses were very helpful. It helps if you get GP on board as then you will have regular monitoring of bloods so that if any other def rise you will be helped, and if something goes wrong you will get help. It is the nicest way to live with a B12 def, self injecting as and when you need it I think. Also far cheaper than other products that are not licenced and may not contain what they say they contain. Still what works for one does not suit the other, we all are very different! Marre.
Thank you, that's brilliant. I'm really pleased I joined this forum, you have all been a great help and I'm learning all the time now from other Q & A on here. Thanks everyone
Thanks, I'll have a more detailed look at the spray, I guess it's going to be a case of trying different ones to see if I benefit from any. Thanks again
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