New symptoms following injections

[Numbsew]

Hi, I had b12 level of 319 but am symptomatic of PA and had deficiency in pregnancy as well as family history so my GP agreed to give me a loading dose of six injections over 2 weeks. Hooray! However, following the six injections although I felt less brain foggy and more like me I was still experiencing vertigo so that I can’t drive. I went back to my GP and showed him the NICE guidelines and asked for jabs on alternate days. He agreed to this and I had another injection yesterday. I woke up this morning with a numb tongue, worse muscle weakness in my right arm and altered sensation down my right side. SCARY!! I am due another injection tomorrow. I am not sure whether to have it. Please could anyone advise or had similar symptoms? Thank you

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Numbsew was your Folate level checked before your B12 injections?

It is 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.

It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are having 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.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anaemia (one of many causes of B12 deficiency) for more than 46 years.

I wish you well.

[Numbsew in reply to clivealive]

My folate levels have not been checked for a year. I will ask for this when I get my injection tomorrow.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to Numbsew]

Initially, replacing B12 will lead to a huge increase in the production of blood cells and platelets (which occurs in the bone marrow) and can lead to rapid depletion of folate and iron stores; this can then limit the expected recovery of Haemoglobin. Both iron and folate may be needed so please have these levels checked by your doctor.

[Numbsew in reply to clivealive]

So my folate level was 16.7 ug/l (3.9-26.8)which I assume is good?

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to Numbsew]

That's was fine a year ago and I see you are having it checked so that's good.

[Nackapan]

My B12 level was 106. It's 2 weeks since the 6 loading doses. I've just come off the phone to doctor . I've been much worse with new symptoms are symptoms. Presently bed bound . Vertigo / unsteady walking back. Tremors and sweats in night. Spots . Headaches. The new symptoms are nausea and back to noise and light sensitivity. I was told the regeneration of damaged long nerves is slow. Dusing the process new symptoms can occur. Exhaustion which I've got is within normal limits with the repair work. I asked if I need more injections which I'm loathed to have as seem to have had every side effect. He said no more time is needed my system is full of B12 doing its work. The first go appointment I drove to. That was 7 weeks ago. The main activity for my day is bathing eating and drinking. I do take vitamin d c and 400ug folate acid. Go didon't know if would help. On here everyone says needed. He said would do no harm at that dose. I'm not anaemic hb 14. So although symotoms alarming and very hard to desk with the hope is repair csn be done. Hope that helpful to you.

[Numbsew in reply to Nackapan]

Thank you. It’s encouraging to hear I’m not the only one! My hb is ok too. It’s 12. I have been having night sweats more too. I thought it was menopause coming I didn’t realise it was another symptom. Doctor had not checked my folate levels but agreed it ought to be done so will take blood when I have my next injection on Monday.