B12 side effects

[Itchyislander]

Hi, Has anyone had any side effects from B12 injections. I have had burping and rib pain. This seems to have started about the time of my 6 loading doses. Last week I had 3 or 4 days with no pain or burping. I had my top up B12 jab (after 3 months) and now the pains and burping are back. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience of this. I don’t have PA so could perhaps risk not having my next top up in May?

[pvanderaa]

These symptoms may be due to repair of the vagus nerve.

Could also be gall bladder?

Start a logbook of symptoms and measure the severity. Treat the jab as day zero and reset the clock. Nerve repair symptoms typically show up in the first three days after each injection. These are good indications that nerve damage is being repaired. That stronger signals on the nerve trigger responses in the brain like pain and hunger. These symptoms are illusions.

If you can convince yourself that they are good, and not stress out, they go away faster.

Gall bladder issues on the other hand arise from the b12 deficiency. An ultrasound scan can tell if there are stones forming from excess cholesterol.

[Itchyislander in reply to pvanderaa]

Thank you. I do have an ultrasound booked for a couple of weeks time. Just so annoying when you hope that the b12 boost will cure all!

[Gambit62 Administrator]

curious as to how you know you don't have PA - its the most common cause of non-dietary B12 deficiency and notoriously difficult to confirm as cause - so much so that the BCSH guidelines refer to IFAB-negative PA.

A negative result for IFA is a long way from proving that you don't have PA (gives false negatives around 50% of the time) though a positive is good confirmation that you do.

[Itchyislander in reply to Gambit62]

I do keep going back to the Doctor, but they are reluctant to re-test. I have a blood test the other day (just before my booster jab) and it was 419. I'm afraid I dont know anymore than this number as it was a nurse who gave me my results.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Itchyislander]

the test you are quoting is serum B12

quite possible that you haven't had IFA test done - would have been done before you were put on B12 if it was.

No point in repeatedly doing serum B12 tests if you are on injections

[Itchyislander in reply to Gambit62]

I did have a test which the Doctor called 'Stomach Cells' The process the nurse has told me, is that I will have the loading doses, and then booster every three months for a year. My worry is that if it is not PA, what else could it be that they are missing. My Doctors dont have much knowledge regarding B12 it seems. It took me 4 trips to the Doctor with many obvious B12 symptoms before they would even test.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Itchyislander]

sounds like the test may have been parietal cell antibodies.

bit worried about only having a year of 3 monthly - you will need for life if you have an absorption problem like PA.

Other potential B12 absorption problems include h pylori infection, SIBO, coeliacs, crohns, damage from gastric by-pass surgery and a number of potential drug interactions including NSAID, metformin, PPIs like omeprazole.

In terms of the drug interactions it might be better to refer to a pharmacist.

Getting to the bottom of exactly what is causing a B12 problem can be extremely difficult.

[Itchyislander in reply to Gambit62]

After the year I will keep an eye on things and go back at the first sign of B12 being low. I had numbness and severe brain-fog last time and now I have done loads of reading, so know the signs to look out for. I have just looked at SIBO and thats one to add to my list and request a test. I have been tested for H-Pylori by a stool test which came back negative. Its just this excessive burping and rib pain which is worrying me where the Doctors seem quite dismissive. Thank you for your replies- really helpful.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Itchyislander]

excessive burping could be one of the effects of low stomach acidity - which would also affect B12 absorption. think it could be a result of SIBO as well.

[Vicky2822]

My daughter has also started burping more since her loading jabs, I thought it was all the cofactor vitamin pills I was giving her. She also has left side rib pain but this is one of her b12 deficiency symptoms, I think it is quite common and have read it can be due to an enlarged spleen due to low b12.

[Itchyislander in reply to Vicky2822]

That's interesting. I guess I need to just put it down to B12 deficiency and be happy with that. Hopefully the burping is a temporary thing!

[Colorado76 in reply to Itchyislander]

I got my 2nd injection of B12 and 2 days after I started burping non-stop! Like every 2-5 min! I'm on day 3 of this burping and it's just making my crazy! Did you experience that? Could it be a normal reaction to B12 injections? Thanks!!

[Itchyislander in reply to Colorado76]

How funny. I totally forgot about the burping until I got alerted to your comments. It has all disappeared now. Look up the symptoms of low stomach acid (common with b12 def). I drank a drink of water lime and ginger which seemed to really help. The good news is that in 8 months time, you will hopefully be like me and have forgotten all about the burping!

[Colorado76 in reply to Itchyislander]

Haha!! Cute! Thank you! Hopefully this passes soon!

[Freezeframe]

Just finished my loading phase and have had the sharp rib pain that you speak of . Doesn’t last long just a sharp quick jolt on my left side . Like a gas pain .

[Itchyislander in reply to Freezeframe]

That's exactly it. Like someone is giving me a quick pinch. Hoping it calms down because it is really annoying.

[Freezeframe]

On a Facebook forum page I saw others complain of this too ! I thought that it was strange. A few days later I got my first jolt. Lol.