B12 patches

[monkfishx]

Has anyone tried using B12 patches I see that they are available on line would these be better than self injecting

[Louise234cats]

I have I found they do give me some energy bit don't do much for other symptoms, at first I only used 1 patch a day but then I tried 2 patches and I got a good boost of energy and I was able to go on a night out and I almost felt normal. There are cheap and you can't overdose on b12 so I think it's worth a try x

[monkfishx in reply to Louise234cats]

Thanks for your reply

[wedgewood in reply to Louise234cats]

I found them totally useless , even when they were plastered all over my body . If they seem to work I think it must be all in the mind .

[fbirder]

They cannot possibly work.

Tests have been done on transdermal administration of B12. And it can work - but only if you apply an electric current across the skin (iontophoresis), or if the patch consists of loads of very fine glass needles.

[monkfishx in reply to fbirder]

Ok thanks for the information

[keith1954]

I have tried b12 patches did nothing for me,the b12 spray is good.

[monkfishx]

Thanks for your reply

[Monbretia]

I have been trying them but haven't noticed any benefit. Had hoped they might be of helo between injections but still having symptoms while using them.Am hooing with the pandemic my GP surgéy may change their stance on SI

[theverytiredperson]

I tried using these during a pause in my treatment where my Dr thought I might be allergic to B12 injections. To begin with I felt as though they might be working but after a couple of months my symptoms started to return.

My active B12 level also dropped from 150 to 120 during this time so if they were doing anything then it wasn't enough to keep my levels topped up.

I'm back to injections now and have had to resume alternate days at present in order to try an get on top of the nerve symptoms again.

[Hidden]

I have used them regularly since being diagnosed last year, as a boost between B12 injections, usually towards the end of the cycle. They work in the same way as nicotine patches. I use the ones from Pure Science Supplements 5000mcg active methylcobalamin which I get through Amazon. There are ones with a lower dose but I didn't find them as effective. I put one on for 24 hours and that's usually enough for 5 or so days. I don't self inject so don't know how they compare to that. I think their efficacy does depend on the severity of your symptoms though, and how long you went before a diagnosis. I have found them very useful, you've nothing to lose by giving them a go. Hope that's helpful.

[monkfishx in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply lots of different views

[Hidden in reply to monkfishx]

Yes, this site always has lots of views to choose from! You could give the patches a try, and if they don't work for you, they don't work for you; something else will.

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

One of the difficulties in assessing those patches (assuming I have found the right product) is the number of claimed active ingredients:

Consist of 11 Essential active vitamins

Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) -5000mcg

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) - 2mg

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) - 2mg

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) - 25mg

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - 10mg

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) - 3mg

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) - 500mcg

Vitamin A (Retinol) - 1mg

Vitamin D - 125mcg

Vitamin E - 15mg

Vitamin K - 150mcg

Although B12 testing might reveal if there is absorption, any positive effects could be due to the other ten ingredients.

[fbirder in reply to helvella]

And all of those molecules are quite a bit smaller than B12 and, as far as I can remember, all are more lipophilic.

So those molecules might actually get absorbed, Measurements show that B12 isn't.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Thank you for your comprehensive reply. I can only speak from my own experience.

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

I sincerely hope it didn't come across other my accepting your experience. I was pointing out that multi-ingredient products do have this issue.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

They do not work like nicotine patches.

To quote the experts - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"Delivery through skin, however, is restricted to small and moderately lipophilic molecules due to the outermost barrier, the stratum corneum"

Nicotine is relatively small, especially compared to B12 - b12science.com/B12Science/D... Nicotine is also relative lipophilic (it likes fat, not water). Look at the B12 molecule. Every one of those red atoms (oxygen) increases the number of hydrogen bonds it can form, which reduces its lipophilicity.

So B12 is neither small, nor lipophilic. It does not cross the skin easily.

To quote from that paper's conclusions -

"A transdermal route for delivering cyanocobalamin holds promise when enhancement techniques are incorporated. Therapeutically relevant doses could be delivered through skin with the use of iontophoresis and microneedles."

In other words - B12 patches only work when you put an electric current across the patch, or the patch is made of scores of tiny needles. Pouring a load of B12 on a sticking plaster cannot work.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am speaking from my own experience, just as valid as your opinion.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

That's not my opinion. That's scientific facts.

Your's is an opinion.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

No mine is lived experience.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

Experience of the placebo effect.

[deniseinmilden in reply to Hidden]

And similar scientific fact currently states that B12 injections every 3 months are fine for all people and no one needs methylfolate or folinic acid, and, and, and!

There are a lot of people here who appreciate your replies, thank you!

My lived experience is that I need 1.5mg jabs every day and no amount of trolling will ever make it otherwise and no amount of trolling will make this forum better either!

Keep safe! x

[fbirder in reply to deniseinmilden]

You will have to show me where this ‘scientific fact’ is that says 3 months is enough. Because the BNF and the MHRA have been looking for it for ages.

No. The current ‘3 months is enough’ is based on experience, not scientific fact.

You do not know what ‘trolling’ means. It is the deliberate posting of provocative material in order to provoke a response.

[deniseinmilden in reply to fbirder]

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Do you know, people like are the reason I very rarely use this platform. This is a difficult enough condition to navigate without people like you and your 'facts'. (all gleaned from Dr Google). Everyone experiences this condition differently: different symptoms to different degrees. This platform is for the exchange of information, hints as to what helps, and yes, lived experience. What works for one, doesn't necessarily work someone else. We're all living to some degree with trial and error, especially when we're first diagnosed. 'I know better than anyone else' snipers like you are not helpful, I thought this was supposed to be a community not a dictatorship. I've never posted before, I just wanted to share my experience of using patches, sorry is it doesn't match your 'science', my post if just as valid as yours. One thing I learned early on when using this site is that 1) misery loves company, and 2) its full of armchair experts like you with nothing better to with their time. You're nothing better than a troll. From now on I don't feed trolls, it only encourages them. Whatever you post in reply I won't read, so don't bother.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

Oh Good.

[meitu in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. I have experienced this also. There are "experts" on this site that tend to ruin what this site could be.

[Nackapan in reply to Hidden]

Why are you 'hidden' ?

[Technoid in reply to Nackapan]

A "Hidden" user has closed their account. So their username is no longer shown but their messages remain to preserve conversational continuity/comprehension.

[Nackapan in reply to Technoid]

Or has been asked to leave i think.As restricted

For continuity only old ones surely would stay on .?

[Technoid in reply to Nackapan]

Possibly. Defer to Gambit62 on that. The help text on clicking on a hidden account though shows:

"When you see a Hidden account, it means the account has been closed by the member."

[Nackapan in reply to Technoid]

I have thanks 😊 foggyme a while back and forgot I knew!Haven't seen 'hidden' for some time

I guess if you have no alerts it soon gets boring .

Even if you are 'banned ' access still possible bot user name deleted

I.T for you !

[meitu in reply to Hidden]

I have used them also from the same company. I placed them behind my ear and left them on for days, not just the 24 hours recommended. They worked fine. I used them about 10 days before my monthly shot was due. They helped me.