Allergic?

[pafamily]

I got some good feedback for my daughter regarding the difficulty she has taking B12, but I also am wondering: Is it possible to actually be allergic to B12 (I've heard it happens but is rare), and would the allergic reaction be similar / different to the other negative side effects that people have to B12 (though not allergic)? Would it be a drastic reaction even for tiny doses?

[fbirder]

There a a few reports of people suffering anaphylactic shock reactions to B12 injections ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/159... I wouldn’t be surprised if less severe reactions were possible but unreported.

However, an allergic reaction would be similar to other allergic reactions and would be unlikely to resemble B12 side-effects. In fact those side-effects are also rare. So people get acne over a period of time. Some people have an adverse reaction to methylcobalamin. But I’ve not heard of rashes or hives, etc.

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Link below mentions side effects of hydroxycobalamin.

bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/hydrox...

There is a document in PAS library section "Doctors that treat patients allergic to B12" available to PAS members.

pernicious-anaemia-society.... See page 2.

[Alessia]

Hello there my friend. Hope that you are doing fine. This is a really bad position to be in. Allergies are really hard to deal with. I am sorry to hear that you have to deal with one. Come to think of it... Are you sure that your daughter is having this allergic reaction? As far as I know you can be allergic to pretty much everything. So yeah there is a chance that your daughter is allergic to B12. Even though the chances are super slim... As you mentioned yourself, there are side effects to taking B12! Maybe, and hopefully, what your daughter is going through is normal? I am just trying to be positive. Do check out with a DR. They can tell better. Hope everything goes smoothly. God bless you! Do update us in the future. Wish you all the best xoxox

[MoKayD]

Hi,

I have reactions to my B12 shots though they are not considered "allergic" reactions. After 6 months of shots I had a reaction that included my face turning bright red, sweating, a headache, my stomach hurt, my heart raced, and I had really bad insomnia. This lasted for a few days. After it happened a second time right after my next monthly shot I realized it must be a reaction. My doctor told me that it couldn't be a reaction to B12 and didn't have any solution. I went to see an allergist who confirmed that it wasn't an "allergic" reaction, but it was some sort of reaction. He suggested I take antihistamines the day before my shot and for a couple of days after. I took Claritin during the day and Benedryl at night. It worked like a charm. I did some research and realized that I am sensitive to histamine and I think, for some reason, my body doesn't like it when I inject large amounts of B12 into it. I've recently started cutting out/back on histamine producing foods. Unfortunately, this includes chocolate and wine. I'm also trying to increase my body's ability to produce DAO which is a chemical your body produces naturally to get rid of excess histamine. Two foods that help your body produce DAO are beets and olive oil. (It must be good olive oil, not the adulterated type you sometimes find at the grocery store.) I've been eating a beet every day and now I cook with good olive oil instead of butter (most of the time.) I'm also trying to reduce my stress level as this promotes cortisol and histamine production. After my last shot I only needed to take the antihistamines for a day. I hope this helps your daughter. I felt really frightened when I thought I would have to feel bad every time I had my, very necessary, B12 shots.