How long to feel better

[Barnster]

Quite newly diagnosed. My b12 level was 51. Have had loading shots and got acne! Have not felt that much better yet, due my next shot next week . How long does it normally take to feel better.

[Lisahelen]

How long is a piece of string?

Some people feel the benefits almost instantly, others it can take months of repeated injections also at more frequent intervals than gps are often prepared to administer.

Try to keep a log of original symptoms and how they improve or deteriorate after injections. That might help you get more a frequent dosage. Also try to take the time to read pinned posts which are invaluable and fbirder has put together a pack of info which is useful to not only you but might help you get the right treatment from your gp.

Think you will find from many on here that we are all different in not only symptoms but also how we repair.

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Barnster as Lisahelen says there is no set time before one starts to "feel better" and it is not unusual for symptoms to appear to get worse before they improve, this is because your brain is being bombarded by messages from part of the body's nervous system it has "forgotten" about as the B12 starts the repair work.

Do you know what your Folate level is? This is essential to process the B12 you are having injected.

Hopefully the acne will clear up over time but I'm not a medically qualified person.

Please try not to worry overmuch as that just uses up the B12 unnecessarily - you are on the right road now and things will improve.

I wish you well.

[MissGx]

Have you had your vitamin d level checked? I have recently been diagnosed with b12 deficiency and haven't seen much improvement since loading doses. Turns out I also have a severe vitamin d deficiency, which is likely why I'm still feeling unwell.

Hope you see an improvement soon.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

sorry to hear about the acne - as clivealive says it does improve for most people but for others unfortunately it does seem to be a regular recurrence with shots.

in most cases it isn't a direct reaction to the B12 injection but is caused by the way bacteria on the skin react to having more B12 - to some people the products are toxic and the reaction is acne.

I'm just going by what people have posted here and looking at research on the web but a recurrent problem seems to be more likely if you suffered from acne in the past.

As well as the nerves coming back to life your immune system can also go into overdrive for a while as its suddenly in a position to deal with things that it's not really dealt with for a while - I know one of my first reactions to really getting the levels of B12 that I needed was a stinker of a cold - but with a runny nose - a symptom I hadn't actually had for a significant number of years. A lot of the symptoms we associate with being ill - including the runny nose - are strategies that the body has developed to deal with infections so if the immune system starts working properly again then those processes start to work again.

If the acne is a significant problem - or has been in the past then please talk to your GP.

In terms of length of time - B12 is used by a lot of systems in the body and the symptoms of B12 deficiency can be caused by just one not working properly or by several not working properly. Some - such as the effects on red blood cells - will only be reversed as the damage is corrected - for red blood cells that means as they are replaced which will take several months. if problems are caused by lack of de-mylenisation of nerve cells (insulating layer deteriorated) then repair will also be slow.

Unfortunately we are all different and B12 deficiency affects all of us in different ways. I didn't really notice any improvement until my 3rd loading dose and even then it was pretty short-lived but that is my experience.

[scorpiojo in reply to Gambit62]

Hi, I've never had spots before and distressingly started to get them on the chin and hair line... I'm not sure if it was an hrt issue as that's going on at the same time! Annoyingly!! I've been given gel and tabs re the hrt... I'm si b12 once a week.. I've just been given Nicam 4% gel by gp re the spots... It's awful I know big hugs mine seem to have responded to this Nicam gel but inbox me if you want a link to different creams I've looked at... Jo x😊

[Barnster in reply to scorpiojo]

hi scorpiojo

I have been washing my face with manuka honey which has been fantastic. Sounds a bit strange but if you treat it like a normal cleanser with a little water on your hands it is super easy and gives great results without using harsh treatments. It also cleared up my eczema patches too.

[scorpiojo in reply to Barnster]

Worth a try thanks x

[evilellie]

I had really bad acne just after starting the loading shots, it lasted for a fair while, but then cleared up, and has not come back since with the maintenance shots, so hopefully it's just a temporary thing for you too.

With the loading shots, I felt better during the second week of them, but this seems very variable for different people.