Abdominal pain from shots?

[EiCa]

I have had constant upper abdominal pain for two weeks. I had been titrating my sc injections because of side effects. I use hydroxy. When I did a 500 mcg. dose the abdominal pain started that day. I waited ten days to do my next shot and only too 250 mcg. My abdominal pain is the same. Nothing else has changed. My diet is the same. No new food, supplements or meds. I know injections are supposed to bypass the stomach but this is the kind of trouble I have with most meds and supplements. Could it really be the B12? I have had some improved sleep and a few other subtle improvements. I was hoping to be up to 1 mg. by now but with this stomach pain, I feel afraid to move forward. Any thoughts? The only excipient in the syringe with the hydroxy is acetic acid. Thanks.

[deniseinmilden]

I'm slightly confused - were you trying to titrate up or down?

I can't think of any way that the jabs would give you abdominal pain other than maybe dead nerves "waking up".

As the abdominal pain is constant, regardless of the shots or not or less, it would suggest to me that it's onset after a jab was just chance and the two are not connected.

If there was a direct correlation between the two I would expect you to have pain after a shot that waned with time after it and then an additional but lesser pain response after the second reduced dose.

There are lots of other reasons for abdominal pain (even anxiety about whether the jab might cause a problem - it's a very real thing and shouldn't be dismissed) and they shouldn't be ignored for too long.

I know I'm not you and am much more gung-ho about these things so I am definitely not advising or encouraging you but if it was me I'd just "suck it and see" and try another dose. If it didn't make it worse then I'd know it wasn't that and at least I'd be getting the known benefits of the B12.

Sorry I can't be more helpful but maybe it will trigger some of your own feelings and ideas about your situation?

[EiCa in reply to deniseinmilden]

Thanks, Denise. I was successfully titrating up. I did not have loading doses as I am super sensitive to all supplements, drugs and many foods. I started out at 400 mcg., then500 mcg. and felt very poorly for about two weeks (of nausea)...constant. I went down and then back up, thinking I was adjusting to the B12. I know it may just be a coincidence. I waited an extra three days for the next injection, and the abdominal pain got worse again...on a smaller dose. I don't want this to be causal. I NEED the B12 but the abdominal pain is pretty bad. My GI is writing it off as IBS, as always. I am hoping that "this too shall pass." I know not getting loading doses is not the norm, but I really didn't have anyone guiding me in this. The doctor who prescribed the hydroxy was not very B12 literate. I am still looking for a doctor to guide me with this. For now I am groping around trying to figure it out for myself. I hope I haven't harmed myself by choosing to do it this way. I had anaphylaxis to cyano many years back, and to a couple other drugs so I am (understandably, I think) skittish.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

There is some research going on on how B12 affects the gut related to why some patients need much more B12. Not quite sure how it works but it does seem possible that B12 injections could affect the gut. However not come across the situation you describe on the forum before, or don't remember it coming up

[SigNi]

Hi - there is a B12 - vagus nerve - gut connection. There is a lot written on this & I’m not qualified to summarize. But it might give you a lead if you want to do some online digging. If it helps, I too have had some gut pain with the initiation of jabs. But not too severe or prolonged- so I’m probably not as sensitive. Hope you can sort it out - it can be stressful. 💗

[lynxis]

Have you ever had an EGD (an upper GI endoscopy)? Been tested for SIBO? I have lots of gut problems, including chronic gastritis, that I'm still trying to sort out. I also wondered, as deniseinmilden said, if maybe your gut is waking up, as other symptoms tend to get worse before they get better. But lots of us struggle with gastritis, and that deserves the attention of a GI doctor. Is your pain central, just under your ribs? Or near your ribs on the left? That is where my stomach pain is.

[EiCa in reply to lynxis]

Yes. That is where my pain is. Left side; right under my ribs. I have unresolved SIBO as well but this pain is very different. SIBO is mostly bloating, aching. This pain is sharp and stabbing. What do you do for your gastritis? My motility has improved with injections so I know it is affecting my digestion in that (good) way.

[lynxis in reply to EiCa]

Gosh, that could be many things. I have costochondritis on the left side and it is sharp and stabbing, made worse by certain positions or a tight bra. There is usually a flare and then it goes away, sometimes for weeks. But also in that area is the spleen, pancreas, intestines, etc. I wouldn't describe my gastritis pain as sharp and stabbing. I am still waiting to see (another) GI doc for gastritis. I haven't found anything to resolve it in the 20 years I've had it. (It is often caused by H. Pylori but I believe mine is autoimmune.) I really hope you find a doctor soon. There really are just too many possibilities to go it alone in this case, and some of them could be serious.

[lynxis in reply to EiCa]

Oh, and I just took a very in depth class on gut health and the consensus now seems to be that SIBO will not resolve on its own and cannot be managed with diet. If you can find an integrative or functional practitioner to work with, they may be more likely to listen and be curious and order more testing than a traditional doc. At least, that has been the case in the US, in my experience.

[EiCa in reply to lynxis]

Thank you so much. This is and has been a very long road for me. I know managing SIBO with diet does not work but I eat in a limited way to keep it manageable. I react very strongly to all antibiotics. Don’t do well w/herbal remedies either. I can’t really get a functional medicine doctor to spend enough time on me. They write it off as IBS, anxiety, malnutrition and depression. I have Barrett’s esophagus, SIBO, gastroparesis and IBS as well as a hyper-kinetic gall bladder. My GI refused to treat me further until I worked on my B12 deficiency. All oral forms of B12 hurt my stomach so injections need to work. As I said, they have improved motility, but this upper abdominal pain is unlike any other I have had previously and started as I titrate up with the B12 dose. My hydroxy dose has acetic acid (as a preservative, I guess) and I am wondering if that is the problem. I am going to call the compounding pharmacy and see if they can use something else. Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate it. This is a scary road to travel and I have to literally fight to get in to see specialists. They say “go to the ER” which is ridiculous and extremely costly. My pain is being marginalized as IBS and anxiety.

[lynxis in reply to EiCa]

I'm so sorry you're going through that. The uphill battle with the medical system is criminal and unconscionable -- having to fight to get care when you are sick is horrible and exhausting. I definitely understand being dismissed as having IBS and anxiety! This has happened to me over and over for 30 years and is infuriating and beyond discouraging. I'm not sure if you could tolerate Xifaxan but it is supposed to not be absorbed internally (which is how it works on the GI tract). Also, if you are financially able, if you are in the US you can order your own labs and tests through walkinlab.com or some other such service. That has helped me before, going to a doctor with a test result in hand rather than trying to get them to run tests. I hope the pharmacy is able to get you something different that works better for you. Oh, and you could also try methylcobalamin from vitaminb12online.com. The shipping takes a while, though. Some people have problems with methyl (I don't), but since you're having problems with cyano and hydroxo, it could be worth a shot (no pun intended).

[EiCa in reply to lynxis]

Thanks for all this. Yes, I have ordered plenty of labs myself though (regular) doctors dismiss them Sometimes I think their egos are involved. One doctor completely dismissed an at-home SIBO test that definitely indicated SIBO as it did not agree w/ the test he had ordered. THAT test was done wrong and only for 90 minutes so I paid for, and did my own 3 hour test. Unequivocally SIBO.

I looked at B12 shots. com. I have been getting my shots ready to go in the syringe which has been so easy. These shots are ampoules? Also, wow it takes long to the US! I also was unclear if these are SC or IM. I am worried about doing IM myself. That said, these are much more affordable than what I am paying now. $7.50/shot for hydroxy; $15 for methyl…I will likely try the methyl, as you suggested next though I did poorly with sun-lingual methyl. Gotta keep making a new plan. Thanks so much for your attention. I am grateful.

[lynxis in reply to EiCa]

I have used all injectable forms of B12 both IM and SQ. Yes, vitaminb12online comes in ampoules. Can you tolerate oral B12? There are forms other than cyano, hydroxo, and methyl available orally. I definitely wouldn't inject methyl if you did poorly with sublingual methyl. Lastly, have you ever tried the Autoimmune Protocol? With such a high number of things you are sensitive to, and with SIBO, you undoubtedly have increased intestinal permeability. (Although an AIP coach would tell you that you are definitely going to have to get your SIBO treated in order to make big improvements, it could still help to follow the protocol and remove many of the triggers from your diet and lifestyle.) I don't really have any other thoughts beyond that, but I hope you are able to figure things out soon.

[EiCa in reply to lynxis]

I am very appreciative of the time you have spent answering my questions. Thank you.