I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency in December 2020 and receive 3 monthly injections via GP. I have always eaten a B12 rich diet, but now supplement with co-factors and additionally take B12 sublingually. I am able to manage facial and top of body acne injuced by B12 injections, and various continuing mental and physical neuro symptoms quite effectively - however I still cannot exercise overly much without immediate exhaustion.
However, I don't seem to tolerate COVID vaccines very well, and each one has exacerbated symptoms ten-fold. The third one, I received just before Christmas really affected my mental health with unusual anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia.
I am wondering if anyone else in the community has had such adverse reactions to the vaccines.
Many thanks
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I want to add that the mental health symptoms lasted about 2 weeks and during this time I doubled my B12 sublingual dose and rested as much as I could and took herbal anxiety meds. I now feel much better.
Yes, I was pretty anxious about third booster as I had been so unwell following previous ones, but very unusual to have the paranoia and other symptoms. My nerves strangely went haywire, and I was ulta sensitive to clothes, shoes, sheets, sound etc.
People do react very differently to the vaccines - but that seems to cut across the population at large, so nothing specifically related to PA/B12 absorption problems. Some on the forum have reported no problems and others have been completely wiped out.
I was totally wiped out by the first vaccination I had and that lasted for a good week - the second was a bit better and the third was a few days of feeling grotty and the aching arm as well.
I can't say that I noticed any specific affect on my mood - beyond what I'd expect from feeling that tired.
Poor you. That sounds dreadful. I felt diabolical after my first vaccine. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that unwell before. It lasted three days but I wasn’t right for a month after. I have PA and an under active thyroid. It exacerbated both of these autoimmune diseases and flared up symptoms of both. I had night sweats for a month after- it seemed to really upset my hormones. I have since had Covid and although I wasn’t well with it and it has left me with symptoms in my lungs, it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as after the vaccine. My second dose was fine but dreading my booster.
Aside from the typical side effects of fever, chills, headache from the first two vaccines I got severe, debilitating vertigo (treated with steroids) with first vaccine and uncontrolled migraines with the second despite usual testament that controls migraines. With the booster, I got a mild case of vertigo easily treated with antivert. I received Moderna so the booster was half the previous doses.
I can only speak from personal experience, but is it possible that what you are really experiencing are symptoms of an inadequate b12 injection schedule? Your symptoms sound a lot like mine when I don’t inject on a weekly basis. If I don’t have high b12. levels in my blood, I suffer from paranoia and fear things that normally wouldn’t bother me. When I received the first two Moderna doses, I felt pretty miserable—like a slight case of the flu. If I had not had adequate b12 levels, my anxiety would have been intolerable.I can only imagine what I would have been like with the severe vertigo. I would have flipped out for sure. With adequate b12 treatment anxiety is virtually nonexistent for me. I hope that you find this helpful and feel better.
I agree with mcg-woo. It sounds like symptoms are far from being controlled. Sleepy bunny (I hope I have that right; sorry if I do not) has posted a link to a tremendously informative article, published in the Mayo Clinic (US) Proceedings but written by Dutch researchers/clinicians, entitled "The many faces of cobalamin (B12) deficiency". The authors point out that there are two populations of B12 deficiency patients: hematologic, and neurologic, and treatment is strikingly different for patients in one group vs the other. In the section, "How should treatment be given", they describe treatment of hematologic population as relatively light, with a brief period of intensive B12 administration, followed by one injection quite infrequently, such as every two months. In contrast, "In case of neurologic symptoms or abnormalities, it is suggested to administer hydroxocobalamin, 1000 μg once or twice weekly for a period of up to 2 years." Physicians who treat neurologic patients with the hematologic protocol are committing a grave error that can result in great harm to patients.
@I find mcg-woo comment interesting as I have been self injecting for sometime now and I had minimal issues with the covid vaccines, I just felt a bit “off” and had a nasty headache after the booster but that’s all.
I self inject when I feel I need it. It can vary between twice a week if I have a lot on to once a fortnight which is the option I usually go for
I also had minimal effects with vaccines, mainly excess sleeping and feeling high - not unpleasant. I self-inject with my partners help. Usually monthly except when cruising or on holiday when it’s fortnightly.
Did you know in Oz you can buy B12 needles etc from pharmacists. Not expensive How cool is that?
Just taking a guess here, but I think my reaction to the covid vaccine has something to do with inflammation in my brain. The vaccine and the virus itself are known to cause inflammation in certain parts of the body, such as the heart.
I had a similar experience with severe vertigo during initiation of allergy injections. I also suffer from migraines—which obviously has to do with swelling of capillaries in the brain. My neurologist told me that all of her migraine patients who received the Moderna vaccine had the same experience with uncontrolled migraines.
My kids also had covid vaccine side effects including vertigo, dizziness, vomiting. For the follow up doses, my kids were premedicated with Benadryl on the advice of a pediatrician and they did well with subsequent doses. They also have allergies like me so I think genetics might be at play here? My husband was a little sore and tired and that was the extent of it.
I can only think how much worse my reaction to the vaccine would have been had I not been injecting b12 adequately, which for me is on a weekly basis.
It is very interesting how people react differently to the vaccine. My gynecologist told me that based on my reaction to the vaccine that she thought I probably had some good immunity. I do believe that high doses of vitamin d and b12 have resulted in a strong immune system for me as I have had very little illness over the past several years, including illness as minor the common cold. If given the choice, I’ll take vaccine side effects over covid any day.
prior to vaccination when facemasks started in shops, corner shop there ios a short walk, I was huffing puffing and caught myself in bthe shop semi panic attack ONCE I PUT FACEMASK ON! so my mental health didn't improve,went for a 2nd vacci ne, conveyor belt,all fab, didn't react first time.a young gp asked why breathing heavily? Do I? i caught myself AGAIN wearing a facemask wearing semi panic attack.i realised completely illogical fear, a gp wanted megood no harm, the same repeated with my own gp, alltests poss.DONE, all good, breathing heavily again, I know him who he is, so why again, turning into gasps, near enough full ;panic attack. 3 yrs ago started suffering one night troubled neighbour fear developed there.all i am saying, covid19 causes all sorts,we all are so spooked, people don't realise the mental health patients will triple, btw I am ataxian, my 2nd vaccinatio n caused all strength from my wrists gone, to a point of using arthritic help for opewn ing my door, a specialised key help.so all in all it is normal but SCARY when sthg go ne I believed permanently gone.Now 3rd, 4th might go haven't got my mind up.can srelfisolate and doing so....
Thank you all for your lovely replies, and also to WiscGuy for link, really interesting. I was quite worried by the extreme reaction I seemed to have to the booster, and not something I want to happen again.
I have been doing some research also and found the following on NHS Health Research Authority website, which may be helpful and give further information around how your body reacts to COVID infection and/ or vaccine:
Even though I have injections and supplement, I still think my active B12 level is low, and, so any type of infection will make it dip lower still.
I was not advised by my GP in December 2020, if I was low in any other vitamin, so will do a vitamin health check to test. It is Winter and I have been mostly inside and therefore vitamin D may be on the low side, even though I eat plenty of fish, eggs and mushrooms.
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