Pa more frequent b12 injections

[Gavin64]

Fed up asking gp who just keep refusing to listen need injection more than every 12weeks .....Going to start buying my own does anyone else get their own supplies and if so where from...thanks

[clivealive Forum Support]

I think you ought to persevere with your doctor Gavin64 .

If you have a diagnosis of P.A. then both the B.N.F and N.I.C.E guidelines state that you should be getting your B12 injections every eight weeks and not twelve.

Treatment of cobalamin deficiency

"Current clinical practice within the U.K is to treat cobalamin deficiency with hydroxocobalamin in the intramuscular form outlined in the British National Formulary, BNF,

Standard initial therapy for patients without neurological involvement is 1000 μg intramuscularly (i.m.) three times a week for two weeks, then every three months.

The BNF advises that for Pernicious anaemia and other macrocytic anaemias patients presenting with neurological symptoms should receive 1000 μg i.m. on alternative days until there is no further improvement, then 1 mg every 2 months".

According to N.I.C.E this is how the doctor should be treating you:

Treatment for B12 deficiency

"How should I treat a person with vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia?

For people with neurological involvement:

Seek urgent specialist advice from a haematologist.

Ideally, management should be guided by a specialist, but if specialist advice is not immediately available, consider the following:

Initially administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly on alternate days until there is no further improvement, then administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly every 2 months".

It is your "right" to have the B12 injections (at least) every eight weeks.

Do you know what your Folate level is? This needs to be "healthy" to process the B12.

[fbirder in reply to clivealive]

You're assuming that Gavin64 has neurological symptoms.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to fbirder]

True fbirder I guess I assumed that that was his reason for wanting more frequent injections for his P.A.

[LucyG82]

It's so frustrating when doctors won't listen isn't it? I struggled for a long time on one injection every 3 months and eventually just bought my own and started injecting myself with great results. Luckily for me I moved and my new doctor is brilliant. She moved me onto once every 2 months and then onto monthly shots and was quite happy to do so on the condition that I kept her updated on my progress. So it could be worth persevering with your doc or asking to see a different one if you have no luck.

However, I do still keep a supply of B12 myself so it is there if I need it. I buy it here:

mycare.de/en/online-kaufen/...

But I don't get needles, wipes, etc here. I just order those from a UK site as it is a lot cheaper.