Hello,my doctor has given me 5 injections of methycobalmin 1500 mcg on alternate days.
Now within 1week got relief from burning sensation and tingling.but during work time my legs cramp and it hurts very much.does any one knows how much time it will take to recover?
He has also given a course of voltaneuron dn tablet for 20 days.
After loading doses I felt pretty rubbish for about two weeks. I think may be writing rubbish that low potassium can cause cramp and this can be depleted with injections. I now drink two litres of coconut water over two days when had my b12 and it has helped.
Please Make sure you check/monitor your folate and ferritin levels as these nutrients get used up rapidly once b12 injections have been given and new healthy red blood cells are produced.
No. Folate and iron do not get used up any faster than normal.
Fbirder i respect your comments. Please comment further or possibly supply a link as i believe once b12 injections are started and the production of new healthy red blood cells starts, the folate and iron get used in the process and without also monitoring and possibly supplimenting these, the b12 cannot produce healthy cells in the absence of the needed cofactors.
Please know i just mean during the first initial healing phase not the maintence phase.
If i am wrong i would like to know as i dont want to have incorrect info in my mind.
Folate doesn't actually get used up in the reactions it takes part in with B12. It is converted to methyltetrahydrofolate, which passes on its methyl group to the B12 molecule. The remaining part of the folate molecule is then remethylated ready to go around the loop again.
While suffering from a B12 deficiency the body continues to make the normal mount of haemaglobin (or close to it). It's just that this haemaglobin is in red cells that are too large to do a proper job (which is why the Mean Cell Haemaglobin goes up in macrocytic anaemia - bigger cells hold more Hb).
Also, the body has stores of iron which should be enough to cope with the burst of red cell formation when B12 levels are restored. This is different from potassium, which the body doesn't store to any appreciable extent.
Thank you. I am going to ask further due to really respecting the knowledge and comprehension of how things "work"
sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/iron...
I had read this article which shows that even with normal ferritin stores of 100 and iron supplimentation in healthy males, once new red bloid cell production was enabled, the iron store levels were reduced significantly.
I know this article is in regards to a kidney issue however, no one wants to spend money on researching vitamin defiecencies so i try to gain knowledge in unusual ways.
When b12 deficient, arent we just as low in healthy red blood cells and production is boosted into high gear with the b12 injections.
I've no idea if the increase in red cell production in normal people dosed with erythropoietin is going to be anything like the increase in red cell production following a B12 deficiency.
The whole point of giving erythropoietin is to boost red cell production beyond what is normal.
Also, following macrocytosis the large red cells will be destroyed, releasing their stored iron.
Hi kimbprash
It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.
I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.
A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.
If you can get to see a doctor please also ask him/her to check your Folate level as this and B12 help your iron to make red blood cells and to function properly.
If possible take someone with you who can validate your neurological symptoms as the doctor is less likely to pooh pooh you in front of a witness.
I am not saying that this is an easy thing to do but try to stay calm, write out what you want to say and keep to the script and be confident that you are "in the right" and your facts are correct.
As KimberinUS says it is also important that your Folate level is monitored as this is essential to process the B12.
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.
Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:
symptoms related to anaemia
reduced sense of taste
diarrhoea
numbness and tingling in the feet and hands
muscle weakness
depression
Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body
I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.
I wish you well
Yes I will.but he has given me the tablet which contains folic acid contents. does it matter?
If your doctor has prescribed the tablet, that suggests he is aware of its importance.
He has also given calcium tablet for once in a week.
He obviously has access to your blood test results and is treating you accordingly.
I wish you well
clivealive .thanks.
But I want to know how much time will it take to recover from this and pain free life.
Sadly no-one can tell you that as we are all different.
A good idea is to make a list of all your symptoms and "score" from one to ten alongside each one every day their improvement.
It is far too long ago now for me to remember how poorly I felt before treatment started and how long before I was "back to normal" - suffice to say - it happened.
Hopefully it will happen for you too.
I'm in the same boat! Burn burn burn with loading shots for two weeks....I hope it's a good sigh! Best of luck
Testing for Functional B-12 Deficiency
B-12 
Vitamin B 12 - Foot & Calf pain 
High B 12 but deficiency symptoms 
