In July this year my B12 was 105 pg/ml, and my GP had observed it dropping over time. My symptoms were: extreme brain fog, fatigue, eyes slightly out of focus, feeling lightheaded and occasional short-term memory loss.
I was given 6x loading doses, after which I felt great. I felt the best I had felt in years. All my symptoms disappeared.
I was then moved onto 12-weekly injections however after 9 weeks, all my symptoms returned. I was off work the week leading up to my B12 injection and spent most of that week in bed. The short-term memory loss returned and I cannot remember much from that week.
After my B12 injection I felt better. Not as good as I felt after the loading injections, but certainly better. However my GP is unwilling to let me have any more frequent injections as just before my injection my B12 levels were over 900 pg/ml.
I am worried. I cannot take a week off work every 12 weeks! Does anyone have any advice?
Written by
Loz224
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Guidelines say that once B12 injections have started there is no need to further test B12 levels. They also say that injections should be given every 2 or 3 months.
So I would be pressing my GP to increase injection frequency and stop the testing!
Unfortunately I can’t provide you with a link to the guidelines but hopefully someone will come along who can. If not, I’d suggest you read replies by sleepybunny as these contain links to many useful sources.
You must get your injections reinstated . Ask your doctor to read the latest guidelines . No further testing is required after injections have begun .You obviously need an injection before the symptoms start returning . Most of us on this forum are obliged to self -inject .I’ll send you some information.
from my experience you have a fight ahead of you. I suggest you get a referral to a consultant who will be more understanding and who will ask your gp to give you more frequent injections. It is not acceptable that you are poorly for the days leading up to your b12 injection.
Thanks. What consultant would be appropriate to see? My main symptom is extreme brain fog. I was not actually tested for anaemia when my B12 was found to be low so I am unsure whether a haematologist would even look at me.
Go gluten free, and make sure everything you eat or take is gluten free, your body is telling you that it is severely malnourished. I also take B12 tablets at my own discretion, along with folate and the only time I am in pain is when the supplements wear off which is when I first awake. Doctors are ignorant these days, so you can get yourself better on your own, if you wish, get the help of a nutritionist, but really you should see immediate results from the gluten free and the Extra B12 supplementation on your own. Your body will tell you what is not enough and what is working, I myself have had to lower my amounts, but none of that happened for the first 30 days. I am at week 6 and still having to take high amounts of supplements, as it usually takes a minimum of 90 days for the body to heal after stopping gluten. I am both iron anemic and folate anemic, I also have more symptoms than you do as I’ve been undiagnosed gluten intolerant all my life, as such, I know and expect it to take time to heal. Medications only treat the symptoms, and as long as you continue to eat gluten, you simply will NOT get better, once you stop it, and stay on a good supplement regimen, you will heal and get better. If you think about it, what do you need a doctor for, other than Diagnosis. I’ve spent $3,000 and so far, none of them could figure out, what God taught me, and I am very angry with myself for even thinking I needed them for anything. A good forum for information can be found at celiac.com. Please keep us posted about your own personal journey and remember it took time to develop these issues, and it similarly will take time to correct said issues.
Hello, I am also iron deficient. I got iron deficiency after my b12 injection treatment. My neurological symptoms went away with b12 injections. But I am still taking oral supplement for b12 and just started iron pills. I wanted to ask you how do you get to know when to reduce the dosage of b12 supplement as iron deficiency and b12 deficiency have almost same symptoms??? I still feel sleepy, brain fog, and have iron deficiency symptoms like headache, dizziness and shortness of breath after exertion.
Iron deficiency should be treated by a medical professional. Too much iron can be very bad for you too, so it needs monitoring by experts. Folate at very high levels can also be bad for you.
My GP checks these and vitamin D, thyroid, etc. regularly and then leaves the B12 to me - since these are the most likely to be affected alongside a B12 deficiency and unlike folate and ferritin, B12 is not dangerous at high levels.
It might be possible to supplement B12 with tablets -but not everyone with B12 deficiency will get any benefit from B12 tablets as it would require the same absorption process ( using intrinsic factor) as extracting B12 from food (extrinsic factor). Intrinsic factor in those with pernicious anaemia is compromised.
Although I have not had a PA diagnosis, I cannot get any benefit at all from B12 Boost spray, which some recommend as useful.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
B12: Symptoms returning even though I'm injecting weekly
B12 injections - what next?
Symptoms returning post loading doses
