Vitamin B12 injections

[Queeniz]

Ive just done my first B12 injection (fingers crossed) it goes okay.

Im not sure how many im meant to take & how often ??

[fbirder]

What type of B12?

In the UK the recommendations differ for those with neurological symptoms and those without.

Without those symptoms (see below) the recommendations are loading doses of hydroxocobalamin of 3 per week for two weeks, followed by injections every 8 to 12 weeks.

With those symptoms it's injections thrice weekly until the symptoms stop improving. Then every 8 weeks.

Many people find every 8 weeks insufficient. It's matter of trying to find a frequency that keeps the symptoms at bay.

Neurological symptoms

Balance Problems

Dizziness/Feeling Faint

Numbness/Tingling/Pins and Needles

Burning Legs and/or Feet

Neuropathic Pain/Fibromyalgia

Vertigo

Tinnitus

Sensory Impairment

[Queeniz in reply to fbirder]

I do have neurological problems which have gone untreated for over 4 years …. long story short ive had to buy my own Vit B12 injections cos if I hadn’t I hate to think how much worse I could get

I know ive got a fair bit of damage already.

[Tigerlilly81 in reply to fbirder]

Oh man I have basically all of these symptoms

[Queeniz in reply to fbirder]

I don’t know cos it’s in germen on the box ... plus I’ve got awful neurological problems & they aren’t getting better 🙁

[fbirder in reply to Queeniz]

It will say something ending with ...cobalamin The bit in front will begin with H, M or C.

[wedgewood]

Well, if I were you , I’d start by giving myself the “loading doses” , that you should have had from your GP .— 6 injections over 2 weeks . If you have neurological symptoms , then inject every other day after the loading doses , until you feel no improvement . Don’t worry , you cannot overdose on B12 Also take a modest folic acid tablet say 400mcg daily ( Amazon.uk) .It works together with B12 . Thereafter , you need to inject as often as necessary to keep symptoms at bay .

As you have had no treatment for so long , please be patient with yourself . Some people feel a bit worse before they start feeling better . It’s a sign that the B12 is doing its job! It doesn’t happen to everyone, so don’t expect it . ( perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned it . !) I’ll send you a bit more info about injecting . Very best wishes .

[Queeniz in reply to wedgewood]

I did the loading dose in feb & after that I’ve done one every other day & I don’t feel any improvement in fact some things have got worse I fall pass out & wake up on the floor nearly every night, my hands go numb and hurt, plus I’ve got osteoporosis which I’m in pain with all the time but they won’t give me better painkillers (I dunno why?)

I don’t really go out cos I’m so tired & if I go out I have to have someone with me cos I get confused & don’t remember things that drives me mad 😿

[wedgewood in reply to Queeniz]

As you have been b12 deficient for so long (, 4-5 years?) you will not recover quickly ,so please try to be patient with yourself . Also ,make sure that you are getting a good supply of VitaminB9 ( called folate in food like green leafy vegetables , peas etc . and folic acid in tablet form — 400mcg being a reasonable dose ) It works together with B12 .You need it daily, as it can’t be stored in your body .

We often read on this forum that so many people get worse before they get better , so please don’t loose heart. Best wishes .

[Queeniz in reply to wedgewood]

I’ve been anorexic since 13yrs old & from that I’ve got osteoporosis & blood problems

[wedgewood in reply to Queeniz]

So as a result of that, it may well take you a bit longer than usual to get better ., DONT lose heart 👍

[wedgewood]

Help for U.K. Pernicious Anaemia/ B12 deficient patients and others wanting to self-inject

ALWAYS MAINTAIN ABSOLUTE HYGIENE WHEN SELF-INJECTING

B12 ( Hydroxocobalamin) ampoules can be obtained from some German online pharmacies . These pharmacies are strictly controlled by the German Health authorities.No prescription needed in Germany . Many members of this forum use these pharmacies , and they are very reliable .

Search for Rotexmedica vitaminB12 depot . Don’t forget “depot” because otherwise you could accidentally order B12 Cynocobalamin which Rotexmedica also produce. Cynocobalamin would work for you , but the NHS uses Hydroxocobalamin. Cyno is cheaper . These ampoules are 1mg x 1ml

bodfeld-apotheke.de. ( In German, but can be obtained in English from a drop-down list in the top right hand corner of the site )

versandapo.de ( In German only ,so you might need a translation app , or use Google Chrome )

These pharmacies use a courier to deliver , taking about 4-5 days . At the moment it costs €9,89 , no matter how many you order ( I order 100 at a time , and they have a use-by date of 2 1/2 years hence ) You can pay with PayPal , a card or Amazonpay .

I have registered with the above pharmacies . It makes it so much easier when you re-order .

amazon.de ( German Amazon, available in English ) The disadvantage here is that the several pharmacies who sell b12 ampoules through amazon.de , do not all deliver to the U.K. You need to trawl through till you find one that does . Some times the first one to appear will send to UK .

Needles, syringes , swabs and sharps disposal boxes can be obtained from medisave.co.uk . Always buy 100 of every item ( no, not the disposal boxes!)

I buy long withdrawing needles 21G x1 1/2 inches, because the extraction process blunts the needle on the glass ampoule .( ouch!)

I use a 25 G x 1 inch injecting needle .

Open the ampoule using the swab to avoid nasty cuts .The weakest place on the ampoule is marked with a spot on the neck.

If you have trouble with this, a device ,an ampoule opener , about £3.00, obtainable from amazon.co.uk

exchangesupplies.org also supply needles and syringes .

I use a 2 ml syringe although the ampoule is 1ml , to make sure I get every last precious drop of B12 , I pull out the plunger , and inject the air SLOWLY into the ampoule . Then when the plunger is pulled out for the second time, every last drop of B12 is in the syringe . Then put on the injection needle , and expel the air until a tiny droplet of B12 appears on the end of the needle . Now you are ready to inject into the middle outside third of your thigh ( vastus lateralis muscle ) , which is where the muscle is nearest the surface . If you are needle phobic there is help in the shape of a device called an auto-injector . Available from a Danish company unionmedico.com costing about £100.00. I don’t use one, but I’ve heard good reports .

You can find videos demonstrating Intra -muscular injections on utube. Some are good , others no so. . You can also inject sub-cutaneously , but I know nothing about this method .

If you are injecting B12 for the first time, you should have someone nearby, in case of anaphylactic shock . This is a very rare reaction , but I feel obliged to tell you . Do not worry about overdosing on B12– it’s water-soluble . It is not possible . That’s a proven fact

I have been self-injecting for 4years now , and I don’t turn a hair . But I cannot tell you how nervous I was the first time . I was shaking like a leaf .🌿. But it has changed my life. Best of luck 🍀, and very best wishes .

P.S. I hope that I’ve not omitted something important .

Also remember to include vitamin B9 in your daily diet . Also known as folate ( found in green leafy vegetables , peas etc.) and in tablet form, as folic acid . A modest tablet of 400mcg daily would be good . It cannot be stored in your body for long .

B9 works together synergistically with B12 .

[Queeniz in reply to wedgewood]

thank you for replying to my post I did my first injection at 6pm tonight

[Nackapan]

Hope it helps you

[Queeniz]

I’ll tell you what’s happened with me nearly 5yrs ago I asked my Gp to do blood test and she did. She sat there and told me to my face “bloods came back fine”..... I knew that couldn’t be right cos of how I was feeling .

4 yrs later last summer I saw another Gp I was telling how bad I felt & it’s just getting worse he said “I’m not surprised with how ill you are”??? He saw on my face “I didn’t have a clue what he was going on about”???

He said “you didn’t know did you?”

The other Gp had put on my notes that “she’d told me & I refused treatment “..... wtf I never said that cos “she lied to my face”

So my Pernicious Anemia & other problems has gone Untreated for nearly 5yrs and now I am very poorly from all this, anyway I can’t get proper treatment so with nearly 5 yrs of damage down I’ve had to treat myself (which I think is out of f**king order but that’s life

[Queeniz]

December just gone I was sitting with my friend id just come back in front room I sat down then he said “I sat down smiled then went into a massive fit, but I very quickly turned blue’ ….. he said he knew it was more than a fit cos of how fast I turned blue, he locked for my pulse there wasn’t one my heart had stopped so he started CPR & called 999, they came so fast but as they came in id come round I was shouting at him “Why have you called 999?”….

I didn’t remember a thing, so strange they took me to A&E

They couldn’t find out what or why it had happened & Dr said it could happen again “helpful “ cos im not with someone 24/7

If he hadn’t been here my ollie would’ve come home to a dead body, its frightening it could happen again any time, and there was no Warning!!!!!