What are your symptoms before B12 is due.?Getting daily headaches.

[Aly2]

Hi all,

I haven't posted on here for some time. I have been having b12 injections every 12 weeks for about a year and a half now, and have noticed that 2 -3 weeks before my injection is due I start to feel lethargic and out of sorts. I have tried to get injections sooner than the 12 week mark but my GP will not agree to this!

Anyway for the past 2 weeks or so I am getting daily headaches and it is really getting me down. I also suffer with anxiety so I'm worrying that the headaches are due to something else. I'm just wondering if anyone else gets headaches before thier injection is due? I'm having my injection this Thursday so I suppose if they go after that then it was due to B12. They are not debilitating headaches but like a constant ache that goes on most of the day. I have been taking paracetamol which takes the edge off but as soon as they start to wear off it comes back again. I dont want to keep taking pain killers but im so fed up of my head hurting!

Thanks.

[Nackapan]

Yes I have constant head pains. I understand how debilitating it can be.

My daughter is the same as you. Headaches are neurological symptoms.

I suggest you write to the practice stating you need to be treated as per bnf guidelines . Ie every 2 months for neuro symptoms.

My daughters Gp has changed her to 10 weekly . Mean but a start. She gets so fatigued before it's due. Same timing as you.

Copy in the practice manager as well as

Gp

Gp is being lazy and not read up properly.

I got mine to read online whilst in with her

[Aly2 in reply to Nackapan]

Thank you for the reply. Glad to hear there is someone else that has the same symptom (obviously not glad you have it but that I am not alone!) When I rang to book the appointment for the B12 I also asked for an appointment to see the GP to discuss frequency of the injection. Due to covid it will be a telephone call initially , so I will again speak to them and mention the BNf guidelines. If no luck again then I will write to them. I am not sure why they are so reluctant to give me injections sooner. Even when I booked the b12 appointment, the receptionist said I could have it from the 18th (exactly 12 weeks since my last injection and no sooner) i explained about the headaches and she brushed it off as not related. Hence why I asked to speak to a doctor.

I have an 18 month old so I'm tired at the best of times, but add in the daily headaches and I'm realy struggling!

[JanD236]

Yes I had headaches caused by tiredness/exhaustion when I wasn’t receiving frequent enough injections.

I think you really need to push your GP to let you have injections every 2 months. The guidelines do say that you can be given your injection every 2 or 3 months.

[fbirder]

Ask your doctor to check the entry for hydroxocobalamin in the BNF (British National Formulary). It changed almost two years ago. In the new version, the entries that read 'Every 3 months' now read 'Every 2 - 3 months'.

So your doc has no excuse for not treating you properly.

[Aly2]

Thanks all. I wi definitely mention the guidelines to my GP