Neuralgia

[Catherine50]

I have neuralgia in my head behind right ear. The pain is so bad i can not explain it. I'm currently on amoxocillian for chest infection, but do think a bit shot will help with the head pain?

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Some antibiotics can interfere with the bodies ability to process B12 but I'm not up enough to know if amoxicillin is one of them. If you are fighting an infection your body is going to be using up more B12 anyway so it could be that as well.

I presume by 'bit' you actually mean B12.

Looking back through posts it looks like you self-inject. You could try more frequent injections for a while and see if that helps.

However, also need to remember that symptoms of B12 overlap with other conditions so always a possibility that it isn't B12 ... though having said that I do find that more B12 helps me with all sorts of aches and pains that, on one level, I wouldn't expect it to have any effect on.

Hope you get some relieve soon.

May also be worth double checking any painkillers you are using for any interactions with B12.

[fbirder in reply to Gambit62]

IIRC some antibiotics can interfere with B12 absorption. If Catherine is self-injecting then amoxicillin will be irrelevant and absorption is bypassed.

[Catherine50 in reply to fbirder]

So would you advise me to inject or not ... little confused fbirder?

[fbirder in reply to Catherine50]

I would advise you to carry on as before. If you were injecting then continue to do so, antibiotics won't affect it.

However, as you say you had a rash near where your pain was I would get myself to the quack ASAP and ask about shingles.

[Catherine50 in reply to fbirder]

Got appointment tomorrow 9.30 to get myself checked over.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to fbirder]

my understanding was that the problem caused by the antibiotics isn't related to absorption but to how effectively the body processes B12 it has absorbed - as I say - can't remember which antibiotics were involved but the problem wasn't absorption because the advice to avoid the antibiotics related to people who are receiving B12 supplementation

[fbirder]

The neuralgia sounds just like what my Mum suffered from when she got shingles. This can be triggered by stress - and it sure sounds like you may be stressed right now.

Do you have, or have you had, a rash in that area?

[Catherine50 in reply to fbirder]

Had a small cluster at bottom of head.in the middle but not behind ear