Should I be taking other supplements too? Has anyone tried these? Need help with sleep!

[Qunk]

Hi all,

I'm 3 weeks in to my weekly injections and nearly 2 weeks into my daily 5mg methyl sub-lingual tablets.

No change yet and I'm trying to be patient but I'm thinking of adding some additional supplements to my routine. Sleep is one of the biggest things for me, I just cannot sleep and if I do it's so light I'm woken by the slightest thing and can't get back to sleep again. Most of the time I just lay awake desperate for sleep! I'm so tired!!

here's a list of some I'm thinking of:

Vitamin D - I've recently started getting painful and stiff knees back and neck so I'm thinking this may help.

Magnesium & Melatonin tablets - I've heard these both help sleep?

Pro-biotics (i've seen saccaromyces boulardi) - to help absorption and help after years of anti-biotic damage.

I'm also thinking of getting b12 spray in addition to my above doses just to boost it as much as possible!

My first concern is, how do I know that I absorb any supplements anyway? Should I steer clear of oral supplements like I do with my B12 and if so how do I obtain these?

Does anyone know about these or take them and if so do you think they are worth trying and in what doses? Are there any other recommendations?

Thank you as always!!

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Be wary of magnesium - artificial forms can cause diarrheoa so probably better to look at what is in your diet and see if you can shuffle that around.

To be honest, most vitamins are best in their natural forms.

The mechanism for absorbing most of your B12 is very specialised so the fact that you have a problem absorbing B12 does not, of itself, mean that you will not be absorbing other nutrients, though there are often links with vit D deficiency, but if you can it would be best to discuss with your GP and identify if you really do have any deficiencies from recent blood tests.

There are other things that you could try - particularly if you are experiencing problems getting back to sleep such as

- using a body clock (which gives you a sunset that can help you get back - you can also use in conjunction with a radio - depending on the clock - and the radio slowly fades away which can aid getting back to sleep

- listening to a relaxation/meditation tape - really something that takes your mind off worrying about getting back to sleep which is often something that actually prevents you getting back to sleep.

Won't help you yet but I know that if I am having problems then I will take a nasal drop of hydroxocobalamin as that probably works on the anxiety that is stopping me get back to sleep.

[patmackfin]

Hi there, I am at the doctor right now getting my 5th loading shot of b12. Just rhis week I have noticed my sleep improving. This was the biggest nightmare for me. I feel like I haven't slept well in years.i had been back and forth to my doctor begging for sedatives as I felt like I was going crazy. Also I noticed this morning that my back wasnt stiff and killing me. I'm so happy. So hang in there,.. It takes a few weeks(4-5 shots for me).

My next objective is to get my b12 as regulary as I feel I need them.

Good luck

[patmackfin]

Also I have been taking vitamin D as suggested by the nurse 4 weeks ago.

[kuttipayyan]

HI All,

My doctor also advised to take vitamin D , but he didn't check the vitamin D test for me. He assumed that this might be also deficiency, so ask me to take.

How much i can take on daily basis? I am taking vitamin B12 1000 mcg cyanocobalamine tablet, dont know whether it will be helpful but doctor advised this only. I am not sure taking methylcobalamine is advisable since in several websites its given like its not approved by FDA. My B12 is 168.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to kuttipayyan]

Different people respond differently to different types of B12 - though generally methylcobalamin suits people with neuro symptoms. I use a mixture of hydrox and methyl - hydroxo because it works best for me on neuropsychiatric (anxiety, depression et) and methyl because that way I have a foot at the end of my left leg rather than a lump of amorphous meat.

I'd be inclined to go back to your doctor and talk through weather oral supplementation is actually the right thing for you ie that the problem isn't malabsorption. If it is then the normal thing would be injections. Though in theory you should be getting RDA even with malabsorption as 1% is absorbed passively but your levels are quite low.

Does sound as if on one level your doctor is following the guidance in the US

cdc.gov/ncbddd/b12/patients...

Can't really comment on what the FDA does and why it may not have licenced methylcobalamin (or not unless under prescription). In UK anything injectible is prescription only but you can source it from other countries in the EU where it isn't prescription only under legislation that allows you to import medication that you need if it isn't available locally - there may be something similar for the US.

As you will see from the CDC website there are other formats of B12 available - including nasal spray - don't use a cyano- nasal spray but I do find that hydroxo and methyl work very well for me in spray form ... never had opportunity to try cyanocobalamin. Here in UK you can get sublingual sprays and tablets without prescription as they are vitamin supplements and not covered by any legislation.