I live in Charlotte, NC, USA. My GP asked to stop the injections after one month of loading doses when she tested for the serum b12 test which was of course above 2000. I want to know being in USA how can I order my b12 and keep self injecting myself. I am D3 deficient as well. Which form of b12 will be the best? I was being treated with cynocobalamine 1 mg thrice a week. Please help. How should I proceed with the treatment if my neurological and psychiatric symptoms are still present and GP is stopping the B12 injections.
My b12 levels were below 150 , they said they couldn’t measure below 150 level.
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psawant
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You need to find a new GP. Preferably one that isn't quite as stupid.
Of course your B12 levels were high. You'd just had 14 years worth of B12 squirted into your body. The problem is that it won't stay that high (unless you were deficient because of a lack of B12 in your diet).
Would your idiot doctor suggest that a diabetic stop their insulin shots because their blood sugar was normal again?
people do source B12 for themselves. Importing can be tricky - some source from Canada but that isn't always straightforward to do on-line.
Some use slimming clinics - ie sources that are not defined as being for medical use.
fbirder is right that your doctor is failing in their duty to provide adequate standard of care and as a consumer you are well within your rights to sack them and look for a new doctor on those grounds. it might be more practical to pointout the details in the BCSH standards. They are referenced by the AAFP
Ohh Okay , Thank you Gambit. I will show her those guidelines, Is there any other way I can assure that I do not have Absorption problem? Is there some medical test which can confirm the absorption problem, because if I don’t have the absorption issue I can Supplement with Higher doses maybe till the time I manage to get my jabs.
I dont know how it compares to what is at the doctor/pharmacy, cost, safety or for self injecting, but I just came across a local groupon.com offer for $55 for 5 b12 injections at a local spa. With insurance my b12 + injections are costing me $22 to 33 depending on where i get it so i may be looking further into this.
"What You Need to Know About Pernicious Anaemia and B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper
Martyn Hooper is the chair of PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society).
"Living with Pernicious Anaemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper
Has several case studies.
"Could it Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses" by Sally Pacholok and JJ. Stuart (USA authors)
Very comprehensive with lots of case studies. There is also a paediatric version of this book "Could It Be B12? Paediatric Edition: What Every Parent Needs to Know".
Hello, it is unfortunate your GP stopped your injections. I also live in the USA and a few months ago my b12 levels were high (I’ve been getting injections every 3 months for 20 years). My doctor did not stop my injections, however asked that we monitor my levels as I may need them less frequently. As some others have responded here you may want to get a new GP. I live in the Washington, D.C. area and I know that pain management/weight management clinics provide their patients with B12 injections. So, I suggest trying a local pain/weight management clinic, their pricing is reasonable and you may be able to order a 3-6 month supply.
I also live in the US, in California, and I also have a doctor who is quite ignorant about my P.A. I have taken my treatment into my own hands. I suggest that you find a Functional Medicine Doctor as they are much more enlightened. That’s what I did and it was such a good decision since my functional medicine doctor also helps me to manage some of the other crummy things that go along with P.A. Some of their testing, though not all, can be covered by insurance. You can find one locally by searching on their data base at ifm.org (the Institute for Functional Medicine) Also, high end pharmacies such as Pharmaca and some health food stores provide weekly B12 shots for vegans as do Naturopathic clinics. I know that this whole thing can be quite a lonely and frustrating journey especially while navigating through brain fog and fatigue. I wish you the best.
I have found 16 functional medical practitioners in the 10 miles radius. Are they specialized in treating b12 deficiency and PA. And will they continue my treatment. What should i do next Themaid.
Most functional med doctors offer a free consultation so I’d use that to ask them how much they know and what they plan to do as far as treatment. Do your homework. Read Martyn Hooper and Sally Pachalok’s books. Ask questions on this wonderful forum. I was diagnosed in March after YEARS of confusing and debilitating neurological symptoms. I was told that I was menopausal, had food allergies, exercised too much, exercised not enough, had vitamin deficiencies, electrolytic imbalances, social anxiety, fibromyalgia, PTSD, seasonal affective disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. I was put on anti-depressants and dismissed as a complainer. My B12 levels were never once discussed. I even saw a hypnotist because I thought that it might actually be all in my mind! Pernicious Anemia was discovered when I was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia (enlarged platelets). But even then I was only prescribed one B12 shot per month which actually made me feel worse. I started my loading doses in November and for the first time in YEARS I am actually starting to feel normal again. Stay on it. You really and truly have to be your own advocate. Good luck!!!!
Thank you very much for the elaborated response Themaid. I am very thankful to all you guys helping me out in the worst time of my life. I will surely give back all the help to this forum and all the other sufferers
Hi! I live in Portland, Oregon and go to a naturopathic doctor. I think a naturopath might be your best bet. She writes me a prescription which I fill at a compounding pharmacy. I need to get a B12 injection almost every day- 5x/week. My husband gives them to me. It costs me $55.00 for a whole months supply. I get syringes and needles from Amazon.
You are very welcome! I believe they are also called functional doctors, depending upon where one lives. I forgot to say that I am prescribed methylcobalamin.🙂
Were you diagnosed with P.A.? If so, docs in USA know your levels will be in the thousands. My doctor told me this. Mine never are for some odd reason.
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