Got an injection, questions on supplementing

[Tarkettjim]

Very recent and first time B12 deficient.

For those wonderful people that read and helped me on my main post, I finally got an injection!

40 male, meat eater = non-vegan/vegetarian

Last B12 test was 460 pg/mL (range 200-1100) but I was supplementing for 7 days. I know I screwed up but I was traveling for work and desperate to function.

Daily oral 1500 mcg B12 (cyan)

After 3 weeks, I have been relapsing with night sweats and ulcered tongue.

I begged the doctor for an injection as I have been tanking.

I was given a single 1000 mcg/ml dose which I was told is “good for a month”. If I respond well, then we go from there.

As I read the many posts, this seems extremely light when I see others with “loading injections 2-3 times per week”.

Questions:

How quickly should I expect any results?

Do I continue to take oral B12 supplements?

If yes, how much? Daily? Feel it out?

What about a daily multivitamin which contains B12?

Any need to load up on potassium or anything else?

Thank you so much for any assistance you can provide.

Jim

[Pickle500]

The best thing about a B12 deficiency (if there is an upside) is that you cannot overdose on B12. This took me a while to accept, since I felt so desperately unwell like you and had to take supplements to get through life. So I made my own way just like you, for better or worse, since I could not convince the GP to give me anything.

You will need AMPLE injections of B12 at the start of your treatment. If you have small doses here and there, your symptoms could get worse. This is because the injections 'instruct' the body to repair itself and the body assumes you will give this dose every day/every few days.

If you listen to the Doctor, you may get worse. So I would recommend getting hold of injections 1mcg/1ml as soon as possible. You are in the US right? Some people source Cyanocobalamin from Canada. Or they have to go to Germany like the rest of us.

If the Doc is giving you Cyanocobalamin, it will stay in your system for a day. Hydroxocobalmin is DEPOT injection, which means it's designed to stay in your system for longer. Most people find Hydroxo works well and keeps their levels up and this is the formula we get in the UK - 6 over 2 weeks. In the States I believe it's Cyano, and treatment is an injection every day for a week (thereabouts) followed by weekly.

So the type of B12 matters in terms of dosage, when it comes to injections at least.

If I were you, I'd up my dosage of lozenges to around 10,000mcg. You can also get sublingual liquid - if the lozenges raised your levels the liquid should to. Then get your monthly jab, but try to get to a cosmetic clinic to get another one. I managed to run around the London clinics but still had to self inject.

Don't assume the oral is enough - I think you really need injections and plenty of them.

[MoKayD in reply to Pickle500]

I've never read any reports that say cyanocobalamin only stays in your system for one day. Can I ask where you found this information?

[Pickle500 in reply to MoKayD]

By saying 'stays in your system for a day' I am subverting things a bit. Reports suggest any B12 injection will last 48 hours in the system. And since Hydroxo has a longer half-life, it is prescribed at less frequent intervals, i.e. every other day.

Cyanocobalamin tends to be prescribed daily for a week to bring full benefits. So what I'm trying to articulate is that one injection is unlikely to come close to treating the deficiency.

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

[MoKayD]

Thank you for clarifying that. I wish I had a better understanding of all facets of B12 deficiency.

[Pickle500 in reply to MoKayD]

Like others here, I've obsessed over it since I've had to self-treat and manage the condition.

I learnt that Hydroxo has a longer half-life than Cyano. And it's also branded as 'DEPOT' as it's a slower release than Cyano.

It doesn't take away the effectiveness of Cyano. It's just that the dosage will be different.