B12 Supplement - Reaction ☹️.

[Sarahlouise1980]

I’ve been supplementing with 1000mcg Jarrows sublingual methylcobalamin for the last four weeks but think I might be allergic to it or the high dosage. I’ve got a rash all around my mouth going down my chin and neck area, it’s like my skin is so sore it’s splitting. Also lots of little whiteheads elsewhere. It’s so sore.

I know I need to get my levels up because they are very low. I’ve been into the chemist to show my face to the pharmacist and she said to try a lower dose. I’m thinking of trying the 50mcg Cyanocobalamin tablets I brought at the chemist. Would this help?

I know it’s the sublinguals as when I stopped them for a few days my skin wasn’t as sore and irritated.

[fbirder]

Fixing a B12 deficiency can often result in acne. Why it does this is not really well known, but it's complicated - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Some people will try and tell you that it's because taking B12 releases lots of homocysteine which makes the acne grow. This is totally and utterly wrong.

You may as well try the 50 mcg tablets and you'll be absorbing the same amount of B12 from both supplements (and some people have a reaction to methylcobalamin).

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to fbirder]

How many of the 50mcg tablets should I take a day do you know fbirder? If the reaction was just acne spots I’d persevere but it’s like a rough scaly rash and it’s really sore.

[fbirder in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

Just one a day should be enough.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to fbirder]

Thank you I’ll try one a day xx

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to fbirder]

sarahlouise1980,

you have posted a number of times about the supplements and the acne.

It would appear, if I remember the threads correctly that you are B12 deficient and the cause isn't dietary deficiency, but an absorption problem.

As stated before if you have an absorption problem the 50mcg tablets will make no difference to you.

It isn't very clear what your GP has prescribed and I know you are anxious about injections because of the reaction you are having to the sublinguals.

Did you ask the pharmacist about a skin wash?

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to Gambit62]

Hi Gambit62 i would be very wary of the injections especially now after this reaction to the sublinguals. Its not acne as such its a very sore scaly red rash all around my mouth going down around my chin onto my neck. Its also starting around my nose now too. I went to see the pharmacist and she suggested trying a lower dose and taking antihistamines as she said it was an allergic reaction. My face is fire engine red. My doctor thinks my low b12 is down to use of the contraceptive pill for many years.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

if it is a sensitivity (allergy used properly would result in more severe reaction like anaphylatic shock) then you could look at testing and desensitisation protocols, as suggested by palmier.

If you have an absorption problem then 50mcg is NOT going to be affective in doing anything about your B12 levels.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to fbirder]

Also sorry to ask many questions - will the 50mcg be effective in raising my levels? Due to my reaction to the sublingual I am now even more reluctant to have the injections. The skin on my face looks almost raw 😳.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to fbirder]

Will one 50mcg cyanocobalamin tablet a day really be enough to raise my levels of b12 fbirder? It says on the packet 1-3 a day. I am so very worried about the need to raise my b12 but I really don’t want another reaction like I had to the sublinguals.

[palmier]

You could ask to be tested for cobalt allergy, I think that is the reason why some people get an allergic reaction to b12. For some people desensitisation works, some have to settle for a smaller dose of b12 than is normally recommended, and some are only sensitive to some forms of b12.

There is of course a possibility that you react to some of the additives in the tablet. I think the Jarrows 1000 mcg contain natural lemon flavouring, so if you have a citrus allergy that could be the problem.

I don't know much about cobalt allergy, if antihistamines work, for example. Have you discussed it with the doctor who told you that you were b12 deficient? Is it due to absorption problem or deficient diet? Perhaps there's an allergy forum where people know more about allergies than here?

[Budsa]

Why not try 1000 mcg slow release tablets. It might be just the sublingual process and the additives used to make it effective sublingually that you are reacting to. 50mcg will do little to raise your B12 level if you have absorption problems.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to Budsa]

But how do i know i have absorption problems? I'm so confused!

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

unless you are a vegan/vegetarian who avoids animal products like dairy and eggs, your B12 is low because of an absorption problem.

I believe you have said in early posts that you do eat meat.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to Gambit62]

I’m not vegan but I don’t eat eggs and I eat very little dairy and meat.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

i that case try the 50mcg tablets

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to Gambit62]

I'm going to try the 50mcg tablets, i'll take one a day to start and try to raise it if no reaction.

[palmier]

According to this page

healthline.com/health/citru...

citrus peel can cause contact dermatitis similar to the symptoms you describe. It's rare, but happens. Perhaps you'd know if you were sensitive to citrus, on the other hand it might be worse with the (supposedly) concentrated flavouring in a tablet. Jarrows 1000 mcg contains "natural lemon flavour" which could be aromatic oil from the peel (think of how zest is used to flavour food).

So you could try a different brand without flavouring before giving up on tablets. If you're lucky it's not the cobalt/b12 you're having a reaction to.

[Sarahlouise1980 in reply to palmier]

Thank you palmier, your posts are much appreciated. I have 50mcg cyanocobalamin tablets from the chemist and I will give those a try. I’ve been trying to push on through and continue using the sublingual but the reaction is quite severe. It wouldn’t be as bad if it was on my body but it is on my face and very noticeable.

The only symptom I think I have relating to low b12/folate is hairloss and to be honest the skin problem it’s causing is worse than the hairloss!

[palmier in reply to Sarahlouise1980]

I agree that you shouldn't take the tablets you had a reaction to.

As I said, it could very well be the natural lemon flavouring you had a reaction to. Lemon peel contains a substance called limonene which seems to be the one most likely to cause a reaction. According to this article from 2014, reactions to limonene are quite common:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2...

So it looks as if sensitivity to limonene is more common than sensitivity to cobalt, which gives hope that it wasn't the b12 itself you had a reaction to.