USA B12 guidelines ?

[Ctadds1]

Are their any straight forward guidelines out there for B12 injection treatment in the US?

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

I'm in UK, I'm not aware of any national US guidelines but wondered if there are state guidelines.

I also wondered if the American Society of Hematology had published anything.

B12 Awareness (US website)

b12awareness.org/

US link about PA

rarediseases.org/rare-disea...

B12 article from Mayo Clinic in US

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Table 1 in above article is about frequent misconceptions about B12 deficiency.

I am not medically trained.

[helvella]

Have a look here:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Recognition and Management

aafp.org/afp/2017/0915/p384...

Also, on that link, at the bottom you can click and see and the references - which might themselves be of some use/interest.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

The reference given by helvella is the closest to a country wide standard that I am aware of in the US - protocols for treatment actually vary from hospital to hospital let alone state to state.One of the links in the reference is to the BCSH guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of cobalamin and folate disorders, though these refer to treatment with hydroxocobalamin whereas the form generally used in the US is cyanocobalamin

[MoKayD]

Hi, I'm here in the US. What kind of B12 treatment you receive will be determined by either your insurance company or your doctor. My GP told me that the "standard" treatment is loading doses (one shot a week for 6 weeks) then one shot a month for the rest of your life. I find that once a month is not enough so I asked my doctor for more frequent injections and he told me to come in whenever I wanted to get a shot. I now go every 3 weeks and sometimes self inject in-between. If you doctor is't cooperative, find another doctor.

[Ctadds1 in reply to MoKayD]

Thank you for the response. I get 2 a month but sometimes it’s just not enough. I will get a shot and feel pretty good for days and then like you flipped a switch I feel awful again. Doc won’t budge with more frequent injections tho. I’m seeing someone new in 2 weeks so hopefully they will be willing to work with me. Thanks again

[Annamaudebug in reply to MoKayD]

I’m also in the US and my Treatment is identical to yours.

[Ctadds1 in reply to Annamaudebug]

Do you feel it is sufficient in keeping symptoms at bay? It’s not nearly enough for me or something else is wrong with me but all tests come back fine

[KristinCC]

I'm in the US. My doctor gave me loading doses every other week for 3 months and then once monthly injections after that. I found it wasn't enough and now self inject every third week. My doctor was kind of like, why? but didn't say don't do it, so I am.

My insurance won't pay for vitamins even with a doctor's diagnosis so I look for goodrx coupons to help with the cost.

[AlaskaRuth]

I am in the US and Self inject once a week and some times sooner, if I need it. I have been around the block with my providers and sometimes they are reluctant to prescribe it at once a week. I just wear them down and face their disapproval. I am 65 and have been self injecting since 1998.