What's the best place to get hydroxycobalamin from to send to the US?

[kngswim]

I was getting the brand Panpharma/Rotexmedica from mycare.de, but I guess they no longer ship to the US. I saw this brand (see pic) from Amazon.de, but I didn't know if it's a decent brand (do brands just maybe use different fillers, but otherwise the same quality?). I wasn't excited to switch brands, but if it's my only option I will. If need be, I also probably could ask for a prescription from my PCP as I think he's finally in agreement with my SI, but I don't think he's wild about how often I inject (every other day as if I back off my symptoms come back). Anyways, thought I'd ask as the B12 market seems to switch around a bit. I usually get a bunch at once, since it lasts for 2 years. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

[wedgewood]

i used the Hevert B12 depot ampoules for 2 years . They were excellent . I only changed because I discovered Rotexmedica ( Now caljed Panpharma) which are cheaper and also 1 ml . I prefer injecting 1mlto 2ml . Hevert are very good . . Get them sent to your friend with confidence .

[kngswim in reply to wedgewood]

Thank you for your report! I have been SI injecting with Rotexmedica/Panpharma since I've started and was a little nervous to change. For as with a lot of us, it was a hard road for me to get to normal when I was first diagnosed and I don't want to mess with what's working! So thanks for relieving my anxiety over it!

[wedgewood]

I believe though that mycare.de still delivers to USA . USA is referred to as “ VEREINIGTE STAATEN von AMERICA , not USA in the drop down list of countries that they deliver to . Try registering , and put the country in first before the rest of the address .

[kngswim in reply to wedgewood]

I was able to get my order to go through on mycare.de, but then I got a succinct email back to the effect that they no longer ship vitamin B12 to the US. Hence my order had been canceled. 😞

[Hidden]

I’ve got these ones being sent to me, so I’ll let you know how I get on. Wedgewood said they were really good the other day, so I’m looking forward to getting them 😊

[kngswim in reply to Hidden]

Good luck Disco5! I hope they work out well for you too! It's at least nice to be able to ship from Amazon!

[Jillymo in reply to Hidden]

I ordered this brand recently it arrived quite quickly. It seem's to be suiting me albeit they are larger ampoules so more liquid to inject !

I hope you get on with them.

[Hidden in reply to Jillymo]

Thank you. They’ve literally just arrived! 😊

B12 ampoules

[Jillymo in reply to Hidden]

Bingo, have you looked at them ? I brought the 100 box too.

Fingers crossed it suits you. 🤞

[Hidden in reply to Jillymo]

Yes, had a look. They are indeed a lot bigger! Small price to pay though. Can’t wait to get home to my needles & syringes!! 😆 thank you 😊

[kngswim in reply to Hidden]

Disco5 and Jillymo,I haven't gotten mine yet and since they were in German I couldn't read the details. So each ampoule is 2 mL? Are you injecting it all at once? I don't believe it's sanitary to save the other mL, right? If you're now injecting 2 mL are you going to try and push back your timing between injections? I'm thinking most of the other mL is just going to be waste - too high of a dose at once. Wish we could still get the other brand-was so much cheaper! I think I am going to try and go through my doc for a Rx next time.

[Hidden in reply to kngswim]

Hi kngswim. I haven’t actually started on the 2ml Hevert ampoules yet as I’ve got 3 boxes of the 1ml’s I’m going to use first. When I do start on the 2ml ones, I will inject the whole 2ml, as it’s exactly the same amount of B12 (1ml) as the 1ml ampoules. It’s just more liquid/saline to inject, but I’m not too worried about that. So I’ll still inject at the same frequency. I’m SI every other day at the moment, as I’m boosting up (because I went without for a couple of months as I ran out out of ampoules). I’m going to have 1 or 2 a week after that to maintain. Hope this helps

[kngswim in reply to Hidden]

Disco5,Thanks for the explanation of the added saline/liquid to make 2mL! Very good info to know that the B12 amount is the same! Yes, we'll take a little longer to inject, but otherwise not a big deal except it's also more expensive. Mine haven't come yet, but I still have my old ones to use up first. Thanks!

[Hidden in reply to kngswim]

Very welcome

[Frank77]

Yes this brand is fine - use it myself. Only slight disadvantage is the amount if liquid in each ampule - 2ml rather than 1ml . But B12 amount is exactly the same as in the ampules i used previously, so no problem at all.

[WiscGuy]

"...Probably could ask for a prescription from my PCP as I think he's finally in agreement with my SI, but I don't think he's wild about how often I inject...".

Your physician needs to understand that the only risk in treating B12 deficiency is undertreatment - that is, failure to provide sufficient B12. There is no risk involved with treatment with any amount of B12 with any frequency. Ask what his objection is so you can address the specific objection. Sleepybunny has posted many references. One effective one in this case is "The Many Faces of Cobalamin (B12) Deficiency". It contains a text box listing the most common MISunderstandings of physicians. This article might be especially effective because it's written by physicians for physicians, and carries the power of the Mayo brand, because it is published in the "Mayo Clinic Proceedings etc". The only reason Mayo would publish this description of B12 deficiency is that misunderstanding among physicians of B12 deficiency and its treatment is so widespread. You can make this point to your physician if you think doing so might minimize the ruffling of feathers. The article can be found at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... .

The article also contains six patient profiles, which might be interesting to your physician (your physician likely is under the impression that B12 deficiency is a blood disorder, and therefore lacks understanding of the severity of B12 nerve distraction).

Also, along the same lines, the article points out the TWO populations of patients with B12 deficiency (blood symptoms and nerve symptoms), and describes the treatment appropriate for each of the two populations. This also is likely to be news to your physician.

If your physician poohpoohs this information, ask him for the references backing up his understanding of B12 deficiency and its treatment (he won't have any). If you get to this point, it's probably time to start shopping for a doctor with a clue.

To print, start by clicking "PDF" in the upper left corner, then follow your normal printing procedure.

[WiscGuy]

Typo correction: "...therefore lacks understanding of the severity of B12 nerve DESTRUCTION."

[Jillymo in reply to WiscGuy]

Thanks for posting this link it made interesting reading.

I have changed my surgery twice and now running out of options - where do you find a Dr with a clue ? ? ? They seem to be very few and far between.

Most of the one's I have seen live in cloud cuckoo land. 🤪

I am as sure as hell going to bat this to my surgery. 👍

[WiscGuy]

Good question. I have given up on finding a physician, general practitioner or specialist, with a clue as to what B12 is and how to treat it. The best we can probably do is find a physician who is not impervious to information and provide that physician with information. The article "The Many Faces of Cobalamin (B12) Deficiency" is excellent for this usage because it is written by physician/researchers, and is quite an accurate and complete complete summary of issues pertaining to B12 deficiency (a miracle in itself), and as such illustrates the seriousness of the disorder in a way that is hard to dismiss and includes description of appropriate treatment for the two general populations of patients with B12 deficiency.

[Jillymo]

My Dr like many others put me on 3monthly injection's and thought her job was done. Still being very ill I managed with a fight to get them 2monthly but she wouldn't give them more frequently. I were still very ill so she refered me to a neurologist.

I repeatedly emailed her information and asked how she intended to control my symptoms whilst I were waiting to be seen. I am now 20months into treatment and seeing the neuro today. Had I have not self injected I think I would have ended up in hospital.

It is a sad frustrating situation for so many of use.

[kngswim]

Thanks WiscGuy-Wiscon? I'm in MO. I actually defended my position aggressivly when I was going through my recovery. I actually have read that paper - good one. I'm now in grad school and have done a couple of papers with a B12 twist so I have quite a number of B12 papers in my arsenal. My doc is aware that it's water soluble and that we need to treat by symptoms. In the US they generally treat B12 once a month with cyano, so I think it's a little hard for him to comprehend that I can need a shot every other day.

As far as finding a good doc, early on (my def. came to a head 12/17) we butted heads a lot! I read up - evidence based, brought a bunch of papers in etc. He teased me when I said that the B12 serum testing was bad, but then the next time I came in he said I was right!! I just looked at him and he said that he read up on it! He told my husband that he thinks he's read up more about B12 than any other area doc and told my son he had to read up to keep up with me! For sure true over my hemotologist, she still wanted to test my B12 serum even after I started injecting. 🙄 A doc that admits he was wrong is probably rare, funny that it was at the point that I decided to stay with him. A doc that is willing to admit he was wrong, is open minded & willing to read up on B12 might be more important than how much knowledge they originally had on the matter!! It also might have helped that I was an obvious B12 patient that went from visibly seeming healthy (but had neuro & blood symptoms) to crashing fast 10# in two weeks etc. The weight loss is something that gets their attention. Good luck Jillymo!