Do B12 injections sometimes just not work at all?

[Cherylclaire]

Had my once-a-month B12 injection last Thursday.

And yet, since then, every single day, I've had the following symptoms:

BACK PAIN ABDOMINAL PAIN HIP PAIN CLICKING HIP GROIN PRESSURE PAIN (BURSITIS?) DIZZINESS TINNITUS YAWNING BOUTS HAIR LOSS

ACHING JOINTS (ANKLES, KNEES, WRISTS) WEAK LIMBS TINGLING IN LIMBS SORE RED EDGES TO TONGUE & RED THROAT WHITE COATED TONGUE & MUCUS

DIARRHOEA ALL DAY BLEEDING GUMS PROBLEMS WITH NOISE, LIGHTS, FAST PERIPHERAL MOVEMENTS CONFUSION COGNITIVE PROBLEMS IRRITATION & IMPATIENCE MEMORY PROBLEMS MOOD SWINGS EXHAUSTION

- do injections just not work sometimes ?

Injections have now been reduced to once every 2 months and may stop completely once haematologist has written to GP. Yet I can find no other fit (not even close) for my many symptoms.

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Cherylclaire has your Folate level ever been tested?

There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.

The symptoms of anaemia that occur due to folate deficiency include:

persistent fatigue.

weakness.

lethargy.

pale skin.

shortness of breath.

irritability.

reduced sense of taste

diarrhoea

numbness and tingling in the feet and hands

depression

I am not medically trained.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to clivealive]

Nor me, clivealive , but I have to admit it sounds like me. A lot of these symptoms also sound like B12 deficiency too though and other B vitamins, so it is confusing.

Haematologist has now cast me adrift, saying all blood tests are "normal" except MMA which is raised (now at 393 nmol/L ) but which does not signify a B12 deficiency in this case since homocysteine also "normal".

Nothing normal to me about my symptoms. Still trying to find answers.

[Jennylind]

Have the injections previously worked for you at this interval?

Some people find they need them more frequently, and they certainly should have been started at intervals of every other day.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

I did have injections twice a week for 6 months and had less frequent and less severe symptoms but can't say that they made me better, just not worse. I was at my best when taking 3 months of folate and ferritin as well as the 2 injections a week, but perhaps expected too much in terms of recovery ??

Was diagnosed last year with Functional B12 deficiency but now undiagnosed by haematologist because Active B12 and homocysteine normal. No reason yet found for MMA being raised, but if I have to wait long enough they'll be able to say it's because I'm "elderly" and so even that will become normal. To be fair, they are going to test me for SIBO -and these bacteria eat vitamins; B12 and A, D and E being their favourite flavours. They also create folate, which is probably because it's considered rude to kill your host !

Personally, I don't find any of my symptoms normal and am still looking for answers in case this also leads nowhere. Thanks, Jennylind