I'm new here and have a quick question. I'm 31 years old and a 7 year vegan who took proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec) prior to going vegan. I doubt I have full on PA but I am seriously b12 deficient (159 on the b12 test) and have caused myself many symptoms (depression, muscle wasting below the waist with left leg specifically, trouble walking, poor digestion, weight loss etc) which I am terrified are permanent. I just started supplementing about a week ago with b12 shots (1000mcg cyanocobalamin bi-daily) and sublingual methylcobalamin/adenocobalamin on the offer days. I have vastly different responses to either option.
- If I'm on a morning shot day, I get this amazing boost of clarity, happiness, energy, and strength for about 6 to 8 hours or so. Truly feels great.
- If I do the sublingual methyl/Adeno or a 500mcg tablet of cyano, I almost immediately have negative symptoms for the rest of the day. Lower body weakness, depression, unable to focus/brain fog, and neuro symptoms I never had prior to supplementation like pins/needles and twitching with a loss of coordination.
Does this make sense to anybody? I've read that symptoms may get worse while your body reboots the nervous system back up but a lot of the symptoms I get from the oral sups I never had before which is scary. Should I stick with the shots only? Would it hurt to combine the 2 types of supps together in some way to cover all my bases?
I really hope to overcome this as I desperately want to live again.
Thank you everybody. This forum has been great so far.
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lownskater52
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I just saw your other thread and the symptoms you get from oral supplements. A small percentage of people do get allergic reactions from methyl form but its rare. In your case some of your symptoms seem to get worse which is normal. Being deficient for so long causes several of your systems to slow down/hibernate so when you start supplementing you get all sorts of weird sensations. Pins/needles and twitching is experienced by several people including myself. They will change in frequency and in upcoming weeks/months hopefully you will feel lot better.
I think there is no difference between b12 forms you are getting. And there is no harm in combining the shots with oral therapy. Injections make you feel energetic because of the sudden boost in b12 blood levels and b12 contributes to energy production so you feel great.
I would suggest to track your symptoms maybe in a logbook. This way you can go back and monitor your progress. Do not worry too much about these new symptoms, they usually subside or at least lessen with continued supplementation. I wish you fast recovery.
Thank you so much for responding to my post and for the guidance. I'm alone in this and very scared. Words cannot describe the gratitude I have for any help.
- The reaction to oral supplements doesn't feel really like an allergic reaction. It really just feels like every symptoms I've had for many years (leg/muscle weakness, low libido, poor digestion, depression) is turned up to 11 and some new symptoms I've never had (pins and needles all over, twitching, brain fog, uncoordination, balance issues) all begin to show up and really hinder my life. I've taken oral cyanocobalamin b12 too and the same thing happens. While on the other hand, a shot typically brings out the good feelings and gives me hope.
- I have indeed been b12 deficient with notable symptoms for at least 3 to 4 years so I'm a long term sufferer. I think and hope you're right about the hibernation and the symptoms being related to my body turning things back on. I'm definitely tracking and experimenting with everything in regards to different types of b12 and the associated symptoms.
Your reaction to methylcobalamin sounds like the reaction I had to methylcobalamin injections. And several other people have mentioned the same symptoms.
I would try just the injections. You don't need methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin as they are both identical to cyanocobalamin once they enter the cell - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Thank you fbirder. I just read that entire study. Contradicts what most people say on this site. A bunch of methyl fans here for sure. I like it though. I will probably continue to use cyano. I will say, yesterday I took a 500mcg oral tablet of cyano and the same negative effects came up. I've order a bunch of different type of supplements and will experiment to see which ones work best and update this forum.
Lownskater52. Some people do react badly to methylcobalamin and report the same kind of reaction you have experienced. This is not an allergic reaction in a 'true' allergic sense, but rather the body’s reaction to something that (for various reasons), the body 'does not like' (for want of a better way of putting it - perhaps to do with methylation). Methylcobalamin affects me like that too.
Suggest you stick with the cyanocobalamin injections only and give the oral methylcobalamin a miss.
It can take some time for the body to repair following B12 deficiency and the rate of repair varies from individual to individual and is also dependent on how long a deficiency has been present.
So stick with it and things should improve over time.
Thank you foggy me. I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with cyano injections for a while. If I keep mixing all types of supps I'll never know how each one affects me.
I will say though. I took a 500 mcg oral tablet of cyano yesterday and had the same negative effects.
I'm going in today for my 3rd cyano shot in 3 days and my 6th one out of 7 (it's been 1 week since I discovered my illness). I will be keeping everybody posted.
Oral methyl supplements make me feel really bad. I've tried them twice and each time I, almost immediately, felt sad, anxious, and kind of out of it. They're not for me.
I havent PA, but low B12 due to malabsorption the dic and I are still sorting out. I had all kinds of neuro symptoms. Pins and needles, emotional volatility, depression, and poor balance. I do supplements, not shots, have done since August of last year. While some of the symptoms improved in the first few months, only recently have I noticed my balance improving. It can take time to see a difference and it's very much an individual experience. Be patient with yourself. It took time for me to develop a deficiency, it took time for me to show improvement.
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