More options for those who's B12 injections were cancelled

[Ctb567]

Like many of you my B12 injections were cancelled yesterday due to the coronavirus as they are classed as "non essential". I immediately did some digging and besides ordering them online and self injecting I found the following private ways to get them:

- Private GP. Private hospitals and clinics should offer this. This will involve a consultation and then hopefully an immediate injection. This seems to cost ~£150 but then in the future I believe you don't need to pay for the consultation, just the injection. I was told it would be useful to bring a certain amount of proof I need these injections, ie a drs or consultation letter.

- Beauty/cosmetic clinics. Ie places that offer Botox and that sort of stuff. A lot of these tend to offer b12 injections and are usually medically trained to give them, they can also be a little bit more lenient as to why you are getting the injections. I just googled "b12 injection clinic" and went on Google maps and multiple places came up. I spoke to one lady who said she could give the injection for £40 if I held a prescription or it would be an extra £30 to get the prescription (this would involve filling out a form to check this was suitable for me or not). Another clinic said I would have to have a consultation then they could give the injection.

So far all of these options still seem to be going, I think it's up to each organisation to decide whether they will still be running given this lock down.

Hope you all can find suitable solutions!

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Because these options are unavailable to many because of the prohibitive price (which is only likely to keep rising with demand) , and because I don't believe that any NHS practice should be categorising B12 injections as "non-essential" at all, I would like to suggest that everyone contact their practice voicing their concern about this.

This needs a rethink.

Beauty clinic practitioners being "usually medically trained" to inject and "a little bit more lenient as to why" you need them ? Well, come on : they would, wouldn't they ?

I think we can all do better than that.

Please everyone, contact your practice, in case they are stopping injections or considering it as a move later on. Even if you don't get a reply, you might spark a debate. If nothing else, it will demonstrate that your priorities remain the same even in a crisis, demonstrating how urgent it is for you that injections continue. Perhaps a nurse could show you how to do it yourself ?

And if all else fails, don't forget that B12 ampoules still cost less than £1 each .

No need to give your money away in bundles to the highly dubious !

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Cherylclaire]

.............aren't beauty salons supposed to be closed, anyway?

[Ctb567 in reply to Cherylclaire]

I completely agree with everything you say unfortunately GPs don't remotely care, in fact the receptionist was quite rude to me. Unfortunately a lot of beauty clinics and private hospitals have now closed and some private prescribers are only prescribing urgent medication. I am so angry at this whole situation. If anyone is absolutely desperate then I know some private GPs are still operating and some private beauty/health clinics are still operating low key and just doing health stuff. I think at worst people still have the option to order this stuff online as described in other posts.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Ctb567]

I disagree completely with you about what is safe:

I would far rather self-inject at home than go to a private beauty clinician or have one visit me. There are several reasons. No certainty that what you are getting is B12 being the least of them.

Paying for intramuscular injections given by someone who is unlikely to be medically trained, is flouting constant government and NHS warnings to "stay at home", not wearing appropriate PPE, and who could be a coronavirus carrier ?

Really don't.

I understand that not everyone can (or should) self-inject - for instance if you haven't had a B12 injection before at all, you might be unlucky and suffer anaphylactic shock. If you suffer from shaking hands or uncontrolled sudden leg jerks, you obviously shouldn't self-inject - and most likely couldn't if you wanted to. If you have cognitive and/or anxiety issues, it will perhaps be difficult to follow online instructions or videos. It certainly was for me.

For those who can, there are many posts on here about where (usually in Germany*) to source B12 safely online, where B12 is still available (for personal use) to the UK, where to buy medical equipment, what the correct needle and syringe sizes are, why you need 2 types of needle, and advice about how to do this safely. This is not only a safe option but a cheap one.

It's not easy always, and especially not at first - probably because it is impossible to relax muscles sufficiently when nervous. But it is safe if you follow advice given from those who have been having to do this for years, like wedgewood . You could ask your nurse for advice over the phone, if they are able to make time for you - or get a live-in partner to help you.

Please, everyone, take very good care of yourselves.

I'm not medically trained at all. I have self-injected for a couple of years now.

* In Germany, B12 is readily available at pharmacies.

[Ctb567 in reply to Cherylclaire]

When I say beauty clinic I mean like a cosmetic/beauty surgery place, obviously you have to check they're trained and insured 🙄 I got mine done at one of these places by an NHS A&E nurse and she showed me the box of B12 she was using and it was the same as the NHS. Some of these places are staying slightly open for medical needs such as B12, the government says we can leave the house for any medical need and I would say B12 injections is an important one for us. I think self injecting is fine but you can't say the way you've done it is better than the person I saw, the person who did mine was medically trained.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to Ctb567]

No, maybe not. I was awful at first. I've now done well over 400 -and starting to get the hang of it ! I know where the B12 has come from, what the expiry date is, where I injected last, where's good and where's bad for me, how slow to inject and how to do it painlessly.

Just that some clarification is needed here for those who might now be panicking - and following others' advice without ensuring safety, or knowing of the pitfalls.

Googling "B12 injection clinics" ,as you pointed out yourself, will bring up a huge amount of response in the UK. I can't imagine there are that many nurses with spare time on their hands right now !

[BadHare]

Wow! What a rip off!

I bought over a year’s worth of weekly injections plus needles, wipes, & sharps bin for £125. I hope the prices don’t increase as with other health & safety products.

[Ctb567 in reply to BadHare]

I know, I wonder why they don't sell B12 over the counter in the UK and I'm starting to think it's purely for money reasons... I paid this amount just so I can guarantee I actually get a shot. I have ordered B12 from Germany now but I wasn't entirely sure it would get to me okay given everywhere is on lock down but looks like it's on its way now!

[BadHare in reply to Ctb567]

Great, hope it arrives soon!

My equipment from the UK took longer to deliver. 🙃 If it’s your first time DIY, there are videos online to show you what to do. Getting the vials open without cutting myself is the hardest part, even with a snapper gadget.

My friend’s elderly aunt is due her injection today. I’ve offered my services if her appointment is cancelled. The poor old dear us batty at the best of times, but dreadfully so before her jab’s due. Three months apart is insufficient as it is!

[Ctb567 in reply to BadHare]

Thanks do you have any videos you can recommend? I've looked at a few on YouTube but I don't think some of the people on there are doing it right (wrong places on the body etc)

[BadHare in reply to Ctb567]

I don’t sorry, it’s a few years since I last looked, & only because I was inserting like an Acupuncture needle rather than perpendicular into my thigh. 🙃 What I remember is the US vloggers took cyanocobabalamun from a bottle, not our individual vials which I’m still clumsy with.

I found this very useful: b12d.org/submit/document?id=44