So I had extreme fatigue. I was so ill that my gut stopped working and could not digest anything. I was dizzy ,depressed. My blood test showed low b12 and iron and high tsh(4.7). I went to the doctor, he told me nothing about the low b12 and gave me levothyroxine that did nothing and later i took T3 that improve some symptoms but i know that's something else.
My b12 is 231 and the ranges are 193-700. But don't care about the cost of drugs because they are dirty cheap. 3x1mg Hydroxocobalamin
cost 3 euros. I am a bit of scared to do them in my thigh because of hitting a nerve. So i prefer to do them in my belly. But some people say that it is not absorved properly when you inject into fat. Is that true? Also how many injections i need? I am thinking of injecting 1mg every other day for 3 weeks and then every month.
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eleos
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Yes , I.M.injections( intra-muscular ) are supposed to be more effective , but if you prefer sub-cutaneous into your stomach with a short needle , they will work .
You will NOT hit a nerve in your thigh , but you need a longer fine needle for I. M. —- one inch long and 25 gauge , unless you are very overweight , when you will need a bit longer needle . You need to inject into the the outer middle third of your thigh where the muscle is nearest the surface . Look up some videos on u tube . Look up several , as some are not so informative . Also make sure that you are getting plenty of folate ( green leafy vegetables spinach , peas) Failing that take a folic acid (vitamin B9) tablet (400 strength ) Vitamins B9 and 12 work together -important to know this .
If you have PA , you will have gut problems because you will lack stomach acid .The pareital cells in your stomach which produce the acid and the essential Intrinsic Factor are attacked by antibodies . This will upset your stomach flora . Taking a probiotic will help a lot , or making organic raw sauerkraut ( the cheapest way to get probiotics ) Also taking a diluted drink of organic cider vinegar will help.
Also you have to understand that i leave in Greece. We are WAYYYYYY behind the advanced world. Doctors here never tell you to check b12, just iron if you have fatigue. And i doubt they would prescribe injections.
I live in Crete and find the Docs very open to suggestions. Lots of people I know here have B12 injections. Docs still need educating on the thyroid but lack of knowledge about B12 & Thyroid seems to be a global issue - sadly. Medical Schools sponsored by Pharmaceutical compnies doesn't help either 😊
Hey Marz. The problem is this. I do blood tests every 3 years from when i was a kid and not one time a doctor suggested to do b12 test even though i had visible symptoms like fatigue and pale skin. Only general blood test plus ferritin, (fe) and vitamin d. I guess i was unlucky with the doctors.
We will see but if in the near future i become heatlhy then i will become happy after many years and maybe a little sad for all the years i lost feeling tired and miserable.
Totally understand - you may wish to click onto my name above and have a quick read of my Bio - only takes a couple of minutes I had endless illness and surgeries and no-one thought to mention B12 is metabolised in the Terminal Ileum - which I do not have !
Thanks for the replies. I just did my first injection in the stomach area with a 2.5ml/23g needle. The reason i didn't buy the small insulin needle is that the b12 drug comes in 1g/2ml. It didn't hurt when i inserted the needle but when i was pushing it hurt a little bit because i was squeezing my stomach skin. Basically i am not afraid of the pain or needles but the air bubbles and if i make a mistake. I watch them but what if i miss one...
Anyway all good so far. I also bought a 400mcg follic acid from solgar.
Intrinsic Factor Antibody test can help to diagnose Pernicious Anaemia but the test is not always reliable and it is still possible to have PA even if IFA test result is negative or normal range.
It's possible that some doctors in Greece may not be aware that it is possible to have Antibody Negative Pernicious Anaemia.
Having an IFA test close to a B12 injection may affect the test results. In UK, I think doctors try to leave at least 48 hours and up to 2 weeks after a B12 jab before ordering an IFA test.
Coeliac disease (spelt Celiac in USA).
UK guidelines for Coeliac disease suggest testing anyone with unexplained b12 deficiency, folate deficiency and iron deficiency for Coeliac disease.
Have you ever eaten raw or undercooked fish? Having a fish tapeworm can lead to B12 deficiency.
One sign of tapeworm infection can be an increased number of eosinophils which are a tpye of white blood cell. Eosinophils would be counted as part of a Full Blood Count test (known as Complete Blood Count in USA).
Giardia Lamblia is another parasite that may lead to B12 deficiency.
A lot of people on forum find it helpful to get copies of blood test results. I was told my test results were normal and then found some of them were abnormal when I got copies.
Ι don't know if this is placebo effect but after the injection(2-3 hours) i felt like an energy rush ,increased body temperature and a tingling effect in legs, arms. Plus for once i digested the food with little burping. Tomorrow is the second injection.
I will do 10 injections in row, i will wait for a month, i will do blood tests and then if the results are good, i will do one every month. I aim at above 800.
Ok here is my update. After my first dose yesterday i felt good for 12-13 hours and then i crashed and the muscle spasms in legs and eyes returned. After my second injection this morning i felt much much better and with energy. I am getting better and better. The b12 injections are working.
This morning i did my 4th injection in a row. I saw again an improvement in energy and all my symptoms were gone. I went outside and walked for many miles but after i arrived at my house i felt a little tired and my eyes twitched again. Lack of b12 really mess with your nerves and muscles. The b12 defficiency was also affecting the nerves in my stomach and i could not digest anything.
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I had endless illness and surgeries and no-one thought to mention B12 is metabolised in the Terminal Ileum - which I do not have !
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