Suppliments along with b12 injections??

[lisaco]

Hi, I currently have b12 injections every 8 weeks but am finding the tiredness increasingly difficult. My practice nurse said another of her patients suppliments the injections with something bought legitimately off the Internet. Does anyone know what this could be? Thanks, feeling desperate. Ferritin is also low 😕

[Gambit62 Administrator]

You can buy whole range of B12 supplements - only injectable B12 requires a prescription in the UK and that's because it is injectable. You can even source that legitimately from outside the UK (eg Germany) for personal use.

Things to consider are

a) format - eg sublingual spray, sublingual tablet, nasal spray/drops, skin patches - different formats work for different people

b) type of B12 - you can generally get sprays in cyano, hydroxo and methyl - and even adenosyl

c) dosage - can come in different strengths

d) other vitamins - some sublinguals for example also contain other B vitamins.

Be prepared to try something before going for buying in bulk

[lisaco in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks for your help. X

[i1agn]

Yes I get mine from Amazon. They are Jarrows Methylcobalmin 5000 McClellan. They are really good but make sure you have 5 mg of folic acid.

[lisaco in reply to i1agn]

I'll get on it right now. Really appreciate your help x

[rusholme]

I also have B12 injections every 8 weeks and am tired. My B12 is high > 1500ug/L. My ferritin level was 25.6ug/L (range 22-322ug/L); folate 16.7ug/L (range >4) in Oct 2014.

I showed the doctor the information below (in June 2015) and she prescribed iron tablets. My ferritin has increased to 42.7 in 4 weeks. My folate also increased to >23.2ug/L - I'm a little concerned that this may be too high but can't find much information on it (Gambit62 - any thoughts?).

Can't say as I feel a lot better yet but I am hopeful that when the ferritin level gets to 80 I will be feeling a tad better :-))).

The information below is taken from a file on the PA/B12deficiency support group on Facebook. I had never thought to ask for my results as I always thought doctors know best so wouldn't have known about my low ferritin as it shows satisfactory because it is just above the lower limit. Thinking about it, GP's cannot possibly know everything about every possible disease which is why these sites are so very, very helpful.

2.(a) Always have your doctor check your folate (folic acid) and ferritin (iron stores) levels as often as the B12 level. When you get your test result for ferritin, look at the reference range. If the upper range is 300, then you need to have a ferritin level of at least 80. Folate levels need to be in the high upper end of the reference range, about 3⁄4 of the range. If the upper range for serum folate is 30, then you need to be at least 15.

(b) It is quite common for PA patients to develop another co-existing anaemia, either folate or iron. If you are low in either folate or iron, it affects the uptake of B12, meaning the B12 is not properly utilised. Further, research states that a low serum folate causes more B12 to be excreted. B12 needs folate as much as folate needs B12, they really do work hand in hand. Read more at the link below:

link.springer.com/article/1...

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to rusholme]

The main adverse effects of high folate are around interaction with B12 deficiency - so not exactly relevant if you are being treated for B12D

This is the resource I tend to use in relation to looking at what levels of vitamins might be bad for you

efsa.europa.eu/en/ndatopics...

Other possible downsides are interactions with anti-cancer drugs, may be linked to epileptic fits (artificial forms), and can lower zinc levels and potential interaction with cancer. I think there has been a review that was later than the above - which you should be able to find by deleting everything in the address afrter en/ and then doing a search.

Know my folate was above 20 last time it was checked - marked as 'no action' by the lab.