Sublingual B12 tablets: Hello everyone... - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

31,947 members23,087 posts

Sublingual B12 tablets

Teriburke profile image
32 Replies

Hello everyone

*Pernicious Anemia sufferer*

I just thought I would share something that has helped me greatly...

Been suffering with chronic fatigue, memory loss, concentration and balance problems, mental health... list not exhaustive! Ha! For the last couple of years. Started 3 monthly injections recently. They took a while to kick in but I still felt awful and dreading waiting the 3 months. I did loads of research online and read about sublingual b12 supplements. Basically you put the tablet under your tongue and it is supposed to go straight into your bloodstream so works even for those with pernicious aneamia as it doesn’t have to go into the stomach. After 2 weeks people started to comment that I seemed “brighter” and “happier “. I honestly think they work and want to help others stop the awful symptoms. I definitely have tired days still but I feel so so so much better and more positive. I don’t sleep as much, I’m more awake.

Bye for now! :-)

Written by
Teriburke profile image
Teriburke
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
32 Replies
Fl17 profile image
Fl17

Awesome, hope you continue to heal.

Fl17 profile image
Fl17

Just started injections, and feel the best I have in a while, brain mostly. Feeling a bit sleepy though.

On sublinguals for 7 months, just came across easy access to injections, and affordable.

Please read my posts for any tips, and of course do your research.

Best.

wedgewood profile image
wedgewood

That’s great . I envy you . I have tried sub-linguals, patches and sprays in the past , but only injections work for me .

deniseinmilden profile image
deniseinmilden in reply to wedgewood

Me too!

designer8 profile image
designer8 in reply to wedgewood

Me too 😏

Loza73 profile image
Loza73 in reply to wedgewood

Same here!

Tiredo profile image
Tiredo in reply to wedgewood

I took huge doses of sublinguals but injections work better for me. I read a paper by Dr Neuberger (spelling?) which partly explained why.

fbirder profile image
fbirder

Like wedgewood, I find that sublingual lozenges, throat sprays and skin patches to absolutely nothing for me.

To be absorbed across the membranes in the mouth a molecule needs to be fat-soluble and small. The B12 molecule is water-soluble and large. Perhaps it is right on the borderline so it is absorbed by some and not by others.

As with other things, individuals need to (quite literally) ‘suck it and see’.

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke

Sorry it hasn’t worked for you Wedgwood and fbirder:-( but glad to hear that the injections are working.

FI17 did you feel the sublinguals helped you at all? It does feel like we get left to sort it ourselves as the medical profession don’t take it seriously.

Fl17 profile image
Fl17 in reply to Teriburke

Ha ha yes. We're our own scientists, and alchemists to a degree.

Yes, but felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, or that I had to add more other stuff?

Feeling much better since injecting last week. Think drinking water, cutting out bread, and doing a few other things help.

Ox best wishes

Do you take on a empty stomach?

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to Fl17

Yes usually on an empty stomach. Seriously need to change my diet now I know I’m gluten intolerant.. just constantly feeling sluggish due to diet on top of the anaemia! So very Glad you’re feeling better :-)

Fl17 profile image
Fl17 in reply to Teriburke

Ty, you too! Mindset? All the best. ox ..

under your tongue i.e. is your mucous membrane one of a number in your body. I am glad that sub lingual works for you, great news.

Mistydawn profile image
Mistydawn

Hi Teriburke, which tablets do you use? I thought about using sublingual tablets but my limited research concluded that the sublinguals contain a different form of B12 than the injected form and was less effective.

Thank you

Misty

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Mistydawn

Most sublingual tablets are methylcobalamin, presumably because a lot of websites falsely say that it is he best type. But I’ve also seen adenosylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin.

When any form of B12 enters the cell the top ligand (methyl, cyano, etc) gets removed, so they should all be effective.

Some people can have a bad reaction to methylcobalamin. I’ve tried injecting it once - never again. But I can take doses 50 times bigger as sublinguals and I get nothing bad (or good) which is he main reason I think I’m not absorbing it.

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to Mistydawn

I use Vitamin B12 1000mcg Sublingual Tabs by Lindens UK. Yes they are less effective but taking them every day I feel like the b12 is constantly building up rather than going down waiting for my injection. I will still get the injections of course but I feel this is helping in the interim between them :)

Mistydawn profile image
Mistydawn in reply to Teriburke

That’s the worst bit, the time between the 12 week injections!

ChitN profile image
ChitN

I also get a bit of a lift from sublinguals but I find I have to take a lot - like up to 15000 mcg (i.e. 15 pills taken throughout the day). But injections do help me more. I take hydroxo lozenges by AOR. Only side effect to the lozenge is that it seems to cause a bit of heartburn which is weird. I may try different brands and see how it goes.

inky2 profile image
inky2

I use sublinguals and i feel fantastic on them too

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke

I’ll get back to you on the brand won’t be long... glad to hear the sublinguals are working for others too. I think whatever works we have to run with!!

Mistydawn i read that there’s 2 type of b12. One in the injections that is already b12 when it goes in the system... and the one in the sublinguals which converts to b12 inside the body :-)

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Teriburke

No. The sublinguals contain B12. Just in a different form (methylcobalamin) compared to the injections (hydroxocobalamin). Both types are converted to cobal(II)amin in the cells.

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to fbirder

The sublingual I take contains a synthetic form of b12 called Cyanocobalamin, that converts to b12 in the body, this is my understanding anyway.

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Teriburke

Cyanocobalamin is no more synthetic than hydroxocobalamin.

jacrjacr profile image
jacrjacr

the only subliqual that works for me is the methycobalamin form under the tongue...the cyano did nothing.....

edited by admin

I got my father (80) to check his levels & it was 250 which of course NHS say is fine so just got him to start taking sublinguals daily using the line that you don't wait for your car to run out of petrol before you put some in, and I've noticed he's had more memory issues and falling over a couple of times of late so hopefully this will help.

Amazon UK has best naturals 6000mcg ones £11.99 for 60 which is a good price so got him those - secretly it's my experiment to see if he has the absorption problem - I believe some gets through even if you do so hope this helps raise his levels. I tried the Jarrows 5000mcg ones & got through a whole bottle in a few days but didn't feel a thing.

My mother's level was 678 but she has all the signs of deficiency so now getting her to get a urinary MMA, will be interesting to get results of that as she has high platelet levels & saw one other report of someone who had functional B12d which was causing high platelet levels.

Anyway just thought I'd post as those 6000mcg ones have only recently appeared on amazon and I have the same brand B2 tablets which seem to work OK cos I pee bright yellow lol!

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to

6000mg oooohhh they sound worth a try :-)

Paulaw22 profile image
Paulaw22

Dub lingual sprays of B12 have been available for quite a few years now!

It is a different type of supplement to what we are given by the nhs over here.

I use one when my B12 gets low. I have my injections 6-8 weeks

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to Paulaw22

Jealous of your 6-8 week injections..!

Paulaw22 profile image
Paulaw22 in reply to Teriburke

My B12 is so low they have no choice but do it really

Mandymoos8 profile image
Mandymoos8

Hey

I’ve just been recently diagnosed - b12

Level of 80 and also pernicious anemia- I’ve had my six loading doses and have appt with the doc tom armed with the NICE guidelines as feel no better. I’m wondering whether to try the sublinguals anyway whilst waiting for the next injection which will be approx 11 weeks from now.

It seems patients have to take matters into their own hands / lives with this so I’m looking into all options. Can anyone advise any reasons why trying the sublinguals might NOT be a good idea at this stage ?

Many thanks - Mandy :)

Teriburke profile image
Teriburke in reply to Mandymoos8

I just tried them anyway as couldn’t feel worse than I already did! Helped me massively. Doesn’t help everyone though :( worth a try. Took about 2 weeks to kick in

MarsBarKid profile image
MarsBarKid

I also take tablets - never had injections. Been taking them now for a few years and outcome is current GP did blood test which included B12 and found it high at the time - couple years back now. Said 942 and 440 ml usual. Anyway I was taking 1000 mcg daily and he said go to 3 times a week. So I did. And gradually nerve pain in left heel which was reason I took B12 in first place started to comeback - get it in bed like most nerve pains.

So back to daily and feel so much better too - more with it. Realize I had neglected things for a while I usually was on top of etc. Its more necessary than seems to me GP's are trained on. I had PN age 15 and never got told it for for life.

Do keep them up - do the job obviously as well as having an injection and a lot less painful eh!

Read up on it and find lack can cause dementia, confusion etc etc. Makes me wonder how many others are short of B12 and never tested as not sure it is in standard blood tests.

You may also like...

Sublingual B12 Tablets

gov/pmc/articles/PMC4993789/. For the past 3 months I've been using sublingual B12 tablets. I...

sublingual lozenges/tablets

How is it that the sublingual lozenges/tablets work for some and not others, I was reading some...

I'm new here - does anyone else take sublingual B12 tablets as a treatment for PA?

for PA. I would be pleased to hear from you and your experience with the tablets. With thanks.

PA and b12 sublinguals

the b12 sublinguals(2500 mcg) and do my shot every 10 days. So far this combo is working much...

Vitamin B12 sublingual hydroxocobalamin

years. Since B12 dosing feel much improved and GP has put me on a 3 month B12 top-up program....