B12 Patches

[Margaret-S]

Hi. Can someone help me with a query about B12 patches. I get B12 injections every 8 weeks and it's not enough so I wondered if anyone else uses the patches between injections? I saw a locum doctor last week and he had never heard of the patches but said to go ahead and buy some if I wanted to. Does the patches help in this situation? I have read good reviews about certain ones and would appreciate any help.

[Lisahelen]

Im a person who has used them. They worked for me but other people will tell you they were a waste of money. It is, like many of the b12 products a trial and error thing. The ones i have used were high dose and with other added b’s. I dont put them on my neck as the blurb suggests as that gave me headaches but use them on the inner upper arm.

[Margaret-S in reply to Lisahelen]

Dear Lisahelen...I think I am losing the plot?? I have just replied to one of your posts from a year ago 🙃 everything is a bit upside down just now. My apologies. Not been well this time after using a 5000mcg patch. So fed up with it all. I get injections monthly...at least at the moment. The patches were brilliant but I was using the 1000mcg ones and maybe I should go back to them only after this horrible episodes it's made me a bit scared. Any suggestions please?

[Lisahelen in reply to Margaret-S]

Cant really shed any light, except that it might just have been a bit much for your body to cope with as you are getting fairly frequent injections anyway. What do the 5000 contain as well as 12 ? If its a multi b it might be too much b6 in it. Dont think folic would be too much of an issue if you use the ones with it in.

Have you not considered injecting yourself?

[fbirder]

I found them on super-duper special offer on Amazon a year or two ago. So I bought loads.

Didn't do a thing. Which didn't surprise me. Our skin has evolved to keep stuff out. Things that do work via dermal absorption tend to be small molecules that aren't very hydrophilic (like nicotine). B12 is large and is hydrophilic.

[Margaret-S]

Thank you Lisahelen and f irder. It's interesting to get different opinions. I have ordered a months supply from Amazon so will see how it goes. It's awful that we have to be so desperate that we resort to doing this.

[wedgewood]

I can only say -give them a go . I tried them ( I have PA ) and found them totally useless! They are quite expensive . Cheapest way of getting B12 in the system is injection — £1.00 a shot ,when everything is bought in bulk .

[Margaret-S in reply to wedgewood]

Are you in the UK wedgewood? I don't know where to buy things that come from a safe source. It's so difficult trying to get anyone to actually listen 😣

[wedgewood in reply to Margaret-S]

Yes Margaret -s , I’m in the UK. I was on 3 monthly injections which were not enough. So I tried everything , patches, nose -spray , sub-lingual lozenges - to no avail . Totally useless for me . But I do read on this forum that some people benefit from them -so I don’t dismiss it for others . I then had to grasp the nettle and find out about self injecting . The very idea appalled me ! You can watch videos on U tube on how to do it . I found very good reliable online German pharmacies. ( no prescription required in Germany for B12 ampoules) The one I use is called

versandapo.de They have a site in English .

I buy 100 ampoules of Hydroxocobalamin B12 for €55.90

Vitamin B12 Depot Rotexmedica (ref no.PZN 3862305 ) You get a long sell-by date .This price is a 19% reduction on normal prices . There is a courier charge of €8.00 -no matter how much one buys . Takes about 5 days . These ampoules are 1ml/1mg

All other requirements for self-injecting can be obtained online from U.K. medical suppliers. I use Medisave.com . But I believe that needles, syringes, swabs and sharps boxes can be obtained from Amazon uk .

Everything you need to inject an ampoule of B12 will cost about £1.00 . That is amazing value !

There -you have a bit of info now . I have been self injecting for over 2 years now , weekly . And I can recommend it . Once you have got over that initial fear , you will bless the day that you decided to do it . It has been life-changing for me . Not to be at the mercy of doctors who seem not to have any knowledge about P.A, is marvellous .

But don’t forget to supplement with either folate, in the shape of green leafy vegetables ,peas , or with a folic acid tablet 400 mg ( this is vitamin B9 ) The 2 vitamins work together . I wish you all the best in your quest for better health .

[wedgewood]

Sorry I just noticed that I made a TERRIBLE mistake - the dosage for folic acid should read 40 mcg NOT 400 mg! MICROGRAMS !!! It’s too early in the morning !

[wedgewood]

Wrong again ! Should be 400 micrograms dose of folic acid ! Apologies !

[Ryaan in reply to wedgewood]

It normally says 400ug on the bottle for Folic Acid (daily recommended dosage).

[Ryaan]

B12 injections are cheap. If you’re in uk the German site is versandapo de and work best but depends if you want to or can self inject. It’s easy to learn to inject from YouTube.

If you google versandapo and go on to the site, go down to bottom of page and click to translate to English. (If you search B12 depo) It comes in packs of 10 x 1ml ampules of Hydroxocobalamin The make is Rotoxmedica. Cost of delivery is same whether you buy 1 box or more. I ordered 10 boxes for 1 yr supply and came to about £58 total including delivery. The delivery is quick. about 3 days. You can also email them for any enquiry and is quick response. (Good site, good product, established for many years).

You can inject 1 per month first and see how it goes. I inject every 2 weeks which works best for me. Also take 1 tablet of Folic Acid 400ug daily as it works together with B12. (Also very cheap to buy). £1 something from large supermarkets or local pharmacy).

(Just in case you decide to self inject)

[Margaret-S in reply to Ryaan]

Thankyou Ryan. Great info and what I do next depends on my talk with Practioner Nurse tomorrow. Unfortunately no appointments available with the Doctor or medical review man. Anyway here's hoping that things go well.

[spacey1]

I buy mine from the german Amazon site - you can just log in with your UK Amazon password and you need fairly minimal German because the site is laid out identically. Again, good prices and swift delivery (sadly, not prime!).

I'd have been appalled at the idea of injecting myself when this all started, but it's so easy and bypasses al the arguments with the GP. They inject me every 8 weeks, I do the ones in between. They don't ask; I don't tell them. Easy peasy!

[wedgewood in reply to spacey1]

Only trouble with not telling your doctor is that then the GPs all think that the 3 monthly injection regime is fine . My own GP told me that I was the only PA patient in the practice who self-injects , when I supply 2 of those patients with ampoules . But they won’t tell the doc because they don’t want to fall out of favour . I had my hands tied because I could not bring myself to tell her that that wasn’t true ! So I think we should all confess to S.I.Then perhaps the GPs would be convinced that the 3monthly regime is not right for everyone .

[Margaret-S in reply to wedgewood]

Totally agree with you. The locum I saw last week had never heard of the patches but said go ahead and buy them and see what happens.

[spacey1 in reply to wedgewood]

I know, I know, I do have this inner debate about standing up to be counted! I just feel that they think I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, (which is an odd position to be in when I work for the NHS myself!)

[Margaret-S]

Thankyou spacey1. I like the way you are dealing with this. 😀

[Margaret-S]

It was only last night I came on here and already I have been so encouraged by the replies. Thankyou 😊