B 12 Addiction

Hi is it possible to be addicted to B12 ? I have a jab from my doctor every month and my B12 levels in my blood are over the top. My doctor has been tiring to get me to only have a injection every 3 months. This does not work for me. How can I bring down my b12 levels in my blood and keep my monthly injections ? Many thanks. Jane.

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Hidden I assume you are having hydroxocobalamin injections.

What symptoms are you having to feel the need for injections every month?

I'm not a medically trained person but I've been having injections of cyanocobalamin 1000mcg every four weeks for 45 years and when tested last March it was still only in the mid 400s so perhaps you might try that.

Do you know what your Folate level is? It is essential to have a healthy amount to process the B12 you are having injected.

I understand that you cannot "overdose" on B12 as any excess to requirement is excreted via your urine.

I wish you well.

[Hidden in reply to clivealive]

Thank you for your reply. My doctor will not give me any Folic Acid so I buy my own. I have been having B12 jabs now for over 20 years and this is the first Doctor who has tried to stop m from having them. Some of the nurses at the surgery are against me having them as well. I have been fighting them for 2 years now.

At the moment I am not good and still have another 2 weeks to go before I can have a jab. I am thinking of buying some B12 and injecting myself. But I would like to buy it from a good supplier as you cannot buy it in England from a chemist.

The B12 from the injections is not excreted from the body. It is stored.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hidden an extract from the Methylcobamalninfo.com/B12-side-effects website

"Vitamin B12 Is Not Toxic

Some vitamins are dangerous in large quantities. For example, too much vitamin A will kill you (which is why you should never eat polar bear liver!), and high concentrations of vitamins D, E and K are also harmful. But these vitamins are fat-soluble, so they build up inside your body. Vitamin B12 is not fat-soluble; it’s water-soluble instead. So any excess B12 in your body is simply excreted out in urine."

Please just be certain that you have a healthy level of Folate whilst you are injecting B12.

[Raven321]

I'm not sure, but I think they can be addictive. I have had a b12 injection from my friend a few times and every time I have it's made me feel so much better! As much as I hate needles I crave to get another one asap.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

the definition of addiction is continuing to do something despite the fact that you know it is harmful. As B12 isn't harmful the answer has to be no on being addicted but that doesn't actually help in dealing with GPs. You need B12 injections in the same way as you need air. That isn't an addiction.

Once you have started receiving shots the levels in your blood don't really mean much unless they are showing that your levels are low. High levels should not be used as a basis for claiming that you don't need shots.

There are a number of things that can go wrong between blood and the cells where B12 is used, particularly after you have started having your levels artificially raised by injections, which is the main reason why levels can't be used as the basis for deciding you need more after you have received loading and are on maintenance shots.

What counts is what is happening with your symptoms as this is the best guide to what is going on at the cell level.

mentioning Raven321 .

[Hidden in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you for that. It is good to be in touch with others who also need B12.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Hi, LucyJane49: here's a thought.

I was started on B12 in Feb this year, because my level was slightly below range. I then found it a struggle to wait 3 months once loading stopped, and got worse: particularly obvious cognitive problems, and so 6 weeks after the 2nd 3-month injection in Aug had blood tests and reloading injections: blood test MMA revealed MMA high, so diagnosed with FUNCTIONAL B12 deficiency. In other words, B12 in blood very high, due to injections, but not reaching cell level so still deficient. MMA sitting there waiting to join up with B12 and convert, but left hanging.

Could this be your case? NOT an addiction, just a rather ignored area of a rather ignored deficiency. Can't find much advice from 'professionals' re. specific treatment, but those living with it suggest need for frequent injections in the hope that enough gets through to where it is useful. All of us are different in terms of frequency needed, but currently I am improving on 2 per week if spaced out evenly- a 1 week gap leaves me deteriorating. Needs a GP you can trust and who trusts you.