Treating the symptoms

[rosebudsmith]

Many of other people's experiences with GPs seem similar to mine, and I'm still in the labyrinth with no answers, but I came across several refences to nasal sprays. Can anybody give advice about how to buy them, or indeed what to ask for if trying to obtain them on prescription?

[fbirder]

I'm fairly sure that nasal and sublingual sprays, as well as patches and sublingual tablets, aren't available of prescription. 

I used to use the sublingual spray from Amazon - amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Boos... - but didn't find that it worked for me. Others think it's great.

[Chocolate41]

Hi you can buy them all on Amazon.Not to expensive but worth having a go.

Good luck 

[jillc39]

you can buy b12 sprays at a health store - but if you have had PA diagnosed you will have been told your body cannot absorb b12 in this way.  has to be by injection.

[engels in reply to jillc39]

You've got that wrong. The whole point about sublingual tablets, sublingual sprays and nasal sprays is that the B12 is absorbed directly via membranes in the mouth or nose and not in the gut. This means that they will, in theory anyway, help someone with PA or a B12 absorption problem. This is not the same as oral tablets i.e. those which are swallowed and the B12 released into the gut. They will not work for anyone with PA.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to engels]

Interestingly there was some reference not that long ago to some firm pushing an oral tablet as the miracle alternative to injections - and that was an oral tablet!

[engels in reply to Gambit62]

Do you mean Eligen? Having just looked at their web site, the only claim the manufacturer appears to make is that one (cyanocobalamin) tablet a day will "normalise B12 levels". That tells me that they know nothing about B12 deficiency.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to engels]

Yes, think that rings a bell.  Agree on their knowledge of B12 deficiency.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

I get my nasal sprays form detoxpeople - they have a whole range of B12 products including nasal sprays/drops for hydroxocobalamin and methylcobalamin.

As Fbirder says above they won't be available on prescription because they aren't licensed as prescription medications - they are treated as vitamin supplements.  The only reason injectable B12 is only available on prescription is because anything injectable is defined as a prescription only medication in the UK

[Twench]

You can't get them on prescription probably because none of these delivery methods have been evaluated by an approved route. You can get nasal sprays from on-line stores, along with nasal drops, sublingual liquids and tabs, and patches. I need high-strength versions so I buy from Your Health Basket in Essex. I have never tried an off-the-shelf nasal spray but I have, in a fool-hardy spirit of enquiry, decanted the content of a Boost B12 into a suitable bottle and had a go at snorting that. It was quite effective, in alleviating symptoms, but smarted like crazy.