questions on b12

[fiestyblonde]

Hello everyone,I just joined and my question is.what type of B12 should I take for low blood count.The Doctor told me to get some B12 or he will give me the needles once a month.I am not one for running to the Doctors all the time so I was wondering what type of over the counter B12 I should get.My symptoms are just tired all the time with the odd dizzy spells that don't last.and a little short of breath.I would appreciate any kind of advise .thank you so much.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

not sure where you are based but in both UK it is only injectable B12 that is over the counter - and it is similar in the US. Other formats - tablets, sublinguals (sprays and tablets), nasal sprays and skin patches - are all classed as vitamin supplements.

Monthly injections sound like you are probably in US and the form that would be used for injections is cyanocobalamin.

If your B12 is low because of an absorption problem then you will need to be taking at least 1000mcg daily if you are using oral - and there is no guarantee that this will work. If you are deficient you probably need to start by taking more than this to build up your levels. To be honest, you would probably be better off with the injections - even though this might mean regular visits to the doctor.

At 1000mcg the most readily available products tend to be methyl cobalamin. However, the body needs two forms of cobalamin at the cell level - methyl and adenosyl - and there are some reported cases of people who can't convert methyl to adenosyl - but they are still able to convert both cyano and hydroxo to methyl and adenosyl. Which form suits best varies so much from person to person that I am afraid it isn't possible to make a recommendation as to which is the form that will suit you best.

There is a lot of hype about methyl being the best form of B12 but the scientific studies don't actually back this up.

I personally find that a mix of B12s works best for me because different B12s seem to work on different symptoms.

Have you taken a good look at exactly what the symptoms of B12 deficiency are - B12 deficiency tends to develop very slowly symptoms may have been around for year and it may not occur to you that they are symptoms of B12 deficiency. I suffered 40+ years of depression and anxiety which actually went when I finally managed to get the levels of B12 that I actually needed.

pernicious-anaemia-society....

[fiestyblonde in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you so much for responding to my post it is very imformitive. I live in Canada ,Saint John NB. and lately I have suffered bouts of depression and anxiety the doctor also gave me anti depressents for this.he didn't seem to concerned about my blood being low.just said to go on B12 I will consider the injections as you suggested.I already have the prescription for it.lol .again thank you so much for yr advice .I really appreciate it.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to fiestyblonde]

Hi fiestyblonde You may also need to have your Folate level checked as this and B12 help your iron to make red blood cells.

Do you have any idea why your B12 is low?

What sort of diet do you have. B12 is sourced naturally by eating animal products such as red meats, fish, seafood, eggs, poultry and dairy produce.

Are you on any other medications? Antidepressants can have an adverse effect on Vitamin B12 levels.

I am not a medically trained person but have had P.A (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years

[fiestyblonde in reply to clivealive]

Hi Clivealive, I have no idea why its low.I have never had trouble before.I have given up some foods on a diet.butter,cream, potatoes {once a month} I do eat red meat anyway but fried.fish ,hardly any eggs .maybe I am over doing it.I leat lots of fruit and vegetables and salads.maybe I should rethink my diet.lol .I am 72 yrs old and have always been healthy.I am on a anti depressant now ''Lorasapam'' I have been on it for quite a while but he wants me to take this new one with the Lorasapam.I told him I did not want something that was going to space me out.lol.I just want to get back my energy and happiness back.lol

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to fiestyblonde]

Anyone at any age, can become B12 deficient. However, certain people are at an elevated risk. They include the following:

Vegetarians, vegans and people eating macrobiotic diets.

People aged sixty and over

People who’ve undergone any gastric and/or intestinal surgery, including bariatric surgery for weight loss purposes (Gastric bypass).

People who regularly use proton-pump- inhibitors. H2 blockers, antacids, Metformin, and related diabetes drugs, or other medications that can interfere with B12 absorption.

People who undergo surgeries or dental procedures involving nitrous oxide, or who use the drug recreationally.

People with a history of eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia).

People with a history of alcoholism.

People with a family history of pernicious anaemia.

People diagnosed with anaemia (including iron deficiency anaemia, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia).

People with Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gluten enteropathy (celiac disease), or any other disease that cause malabsorption of nutrients.

People with autoimmune disorders (especially thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease) Type 1 diabetes, vitiligo, lupus, Addison’s disease, ulcerative colitis, infertility, acquired agammaglobulinemia, or a family history of these disorders.

You may probably be able to "cross out" all the above bar one. At the end of the day it might just be your age causing your deficiency as our stomach acid levels decrease as we get older. I'm 76 and you're "catching me up"

[fiestyblonde in reply to clivealive]

IT IS THEN MY AGE LMAO! I have not had any of the above so that leaves my age lol thank you so much

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to fiestyblonde]

Canada makes sense from what you describe - one study in canada showed that oral could work quite well for maintenance for a lot of people but didn't work for all - but I'm pretty sure the study was about maintenance rather than dealing with the initial deficiency through loading doses - which would be injections to get B12 in quickly and available to cells - followed by maintenance to keep levels good given that you can't get further B12 in by dietary means - may be worth querying this with your doctor.

Depression and anxiety are among the symptoms of B12D but many medics not aware of symptoms beyond a particular form of anaemia - macrocytosis (larger rounder red blood cells than normal.

If you are taking an SSRI for depression then be aware that in some people this can cause a depletion of folate levels and as folate is needed as well as B12 for many key processes not having enough folate would leave you still symptomatic.

If the depression and anxiety tend to get worse as you go through the day then that would point to B12 being the cause.

If I remember correctly you can actually get injectable B12 over the counter in most of Canada - but wouldn't recommend doing your first injection without medical supervision if you decide to go down that route - there's a very, very small risk of anaphalactic shock and it's better to be safe.