Apologies for yet another post. But it’s my first B12 Christmas!
When I saw the consultants there were no questions asked about alcohol consumption and I was not told to avoid alcohol while B12 injecting.
I have not drunk much alcohol for the last 3 months as I haven’t felt like it but I have drank alcohol over Christmas. However my daughter has found an article on the internet saying there can be serious health consequences of having B12 injections and drinking alcohol.
I would welcome feedback on this as I am unsure but want a balanced approach to the life changes I need to make.
Thank you all in advance.
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Have been on B12 for years - no serious health consequences from consuming alcohol. I can't think of any way in which this would happen.
Some find that alcohol can leave you feeling very wiped out and as if you haven't had any B12 for a long time.
I wonder if the article was actually about the affect on B12 of liver damaged caused by over drinking. The liver is where excess B12 is stored and is used to regulate B12 levels. If the liver is harmed then this storage can be affected. It can lead to B12 dumping which can cause functional B12 deficiency. Longer term though the damage will mean that the person is unable to use stores to regulate their B12 which can result in susceptibility to B12 deficiency.
The liver stores are a bit irrelevant to someone who has PA or a B12 absorption problem though because the mechanism that is used to release them relies on the same mechanism that is used to absorb most dietary B12 so accessing any stores is at best very inefficient.
B12 is actually a detoxifier. And I think this is not often spoken about. Probably because it is counter intuitive to consider that meat (the primary B12 source for humans) could remove toxins from the body. Generally we think that juicing or vegetarianism is a means to purge toxins, but in fact B12 is the main source to remove toxins. And alcohol is a major toxin.
On top of that, low B12 contributes to high homocysteine levels. So if someone is low in B12 and they consume alcohol, they not only don't have enough B12 to help 'clear away' the alcohol toxins but they also risk increasing homocysteine levels which I believe is that feeling of heat/hangover that can persist when there isn't enough B12 to reset the body. Persistently high homocysteine can also risk problems with the cardiovascular system and blood cell formation.
As Gambit62 says, B12 is also reserved in the liver. So it may be that the liver has to work extra hard to detoxify the body when its low 0on B12, even when there's no liver damage.
Personally, alcohol led me to B12 deficiency in the first place. And Ive been sober for almost 2 years as part of recovery.
Interesting post thanks. I did not know b12 was a detoxifier . May I ask how you know your deficiency was alcohol related and not autoimmune? Thanks .. and well done btw it must be very difficult to achieve and maintain sobriety.
Thank you. I don't know for sure the cause of my deficiency. I was a 'heavy drinker' throughout my twenties which wasn't helped by a boozy City of London Insurance career. These days they don't allow daytime drinking if you're going to Lloyds but then it was part of the broking life.
I attribute that history of boozing to the complex reasons why I became deficient. I was not an alcoholic but a binger. When I drank I kept going. But I could leave it alone when not under societal pressure.
Theres a history of bowel cancer in my family. For that reason, and to support a reduction in harmful farming practices for the climate, I chose to become vegetarian for a year in 2011, then pescetarian, then flexitarian for about 6 years.
In 2018 I was under chronic stress in a job and relying on fast food to stay on top of the schedule. I slipped into bad habits and drank wine and pizzas. Then I had severe stomach pains after food poisoning and, low and behold, was sent for colonoscopy to check for bowel cancer. Had three polyps removed, then they found parotid gland tumour and thyroid nodule. The ENT Doctor asked me about alcohol consumption as its a risk for Parotid enlargement (or less so in my case a benign tumor). My alcohol intake was relatively normal then but my hear did sink at the thought that the years of booze were catching up.
Ironically, after the colonoscopy, I thought I had a stomach acidity problem. So I bought a juicer and thought more meat reduction was a good idea to avoid the bowel problems - so much messaging says meat is a risk for bowel cancer. But that was the worst thing to do as I think became B12 deficient from alcohol.
There are so many variables with me and no history of PA on my maternal side. Possibly there could be on my paternal side but sadly most of that side deceased before I reached adulthood - cancer mostly.
So, there seems a possibility it is autoimmune BUT what about the low meat intake? And boozy history?
I think I have a sensitive gut and the booze harmed the small intestine. Then, I wqs stressed in a job and had few B vitamins to draw from. I never got diagnosed because it was too late and my health deteriorated fast.
seems we have some things in common which is why I asked .. I’ve had a career in FS and the drinking culture was a problem so I’ve always wondered if my B12 was down to drinking but was diagnosed with PA at least I think I was .. the Dr was sketchy but large blood cells seemed to be the indicator
My count was just 50 when I found out . I was working and doing an MSc and was exhausted so the diagnosis was welcome but can’t say I’ve had it as bad as some on here. I was convinced it came about after a very stressful period in my life
I do still drink and probably too much but I also exercise a lot so I self inject weekly and that seems to work for me. But I do get v tired and sleep more than average but my lifestyle is a lot less stressful now ! Well mostly !
Thanks for the reply .. good to hear others experience
That's interesting. I think so much of B12 deficiency is very individual. And it makes it very hard to to apply a blanket rule - some people may manage well with alcohol and injections. Others not. For me, I can feel the toxicity in my body which makes me wonder if the stress, bad diet, lack of sleep and booze led to intestinal inflammation. And this then could have led to gut leakiness. So if I do have a drink, I may risk increasing the inflammation and I don't want to do that. Because Im not an addict, but perhaps an emotional drinker, I was able to stop without therapy. And I can say no to social drinking (much easier in pandemic times).
For others, the odd drink is unlikely to cause trouble. Its when its over the limits that the body will struggle to cope. For me that was more than 2 or three drinks at the point of deficiency.
Do you think the Doctor was aware of Pernicious Anemia as a term used to describe Autoimmune Gastritis? Or are they basing it on the original term, since you showed signs of anemia in your blood?
As usual you have all gone above and beyond with your replies and there is so much food for thought here and a wealth of info. I will read again and mull over and I will find the link and post the article my daughter read. Thank you all again.
I agree with Gambit. I have a glass or two of wine everyday and don't notice any bad effects. I have had to give up so much - gluten, dairy and sugar - life wouldn't be worth living if I couldn't have wine as well. I think we have to reach our own compromises. I remember reading about a couple who were following the longevity diet. Which is the theory that cutting your calorie intake well below your usual diet will add years to your life. It sounded a really miserable existance. What is the point of living longer if you don't enjoy it?
Shortly after my B12 deficiency diagnosis I went to a hematologist. The hematologist pretty much accused me of being an alcoholic. He kept asking me how much I drank. I drink maybe one glass of wine a month. After the appointment I looked up the effect alcohol has on B12 levels and saw that it affects absorption of oral B12 (see below.) I would like to know if it also affects B12 that is injected.
Consumption of alcohol (of any kind) affects the level of B12 absorption in the body even if taken in moderate amounts. Studies show that even a little amount of alcohol can decrease vitamin B12 absorption by about 5-6%.
Alcohol affects B12 absorption in the body in many ways.
Large amounts of alcohol irritate the mucosal linings in the stomach and intestines leading to a condition called gastritis which further leads to reduced absorption of B12 levels in the body.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol consumption also prevents the body from fully utilizing the absorbed nutrients by altering their transport and storage.
Gastritis reduces the production of hydrochloric acid which leads to the growth of intestinal bacteria. These bacteria use the B12 vitamins in the body thus leading to lesser amounts available for your use.
No, there is no basis to the claim that consuming any amount of alcohol will have "serious health consequences" while injecting B12. But drinking regularly and to excess of course will cause health consequences and regular excess consumption can lead to absorption problems with B12 and other nutrients. That's in addition to, as mentioned by Gambit, excess alcohol causing issues with the liver which is the primary bodily store of B12. It is true that B12 levels will be depleted by alcohol - the reduction is small with a single drink but probably worse if you go over that. However if your B12 is already borderline that could be enough reason for you to avoid it. Obviously, alcohol is a toxin and puts your body under some strain to detoxify it - the more you drink, the more strain to remove it from your system. It seems generally unwise to use alcohol when in the worst stages of recovering from serious deficiency, that would be just adding insult to injury.
B12 in the form of hydroxocobalamin can detoxify the body of cyanide. I have read claims that B12 is a general detoxifier but there is limited research supporting its direct action as a detoxifer. There is a paper on Hydroxocobalamin as a nitric oxide scavenger : journals.sagepub.com/doi/10... . Some pages also point to this study on bacteria : erc.europa.eu/projects-figu... which found evidence that B12 can be used by such bacteria to detoxify pollutants which contain halogen.
B12 is involved in the key metabolic process called "One Carbon Metabolism" though, and that process can be linked to a great many critical bodily functions, including detoxification among others. But there are many other nutrients that are critical to this process, not only B12.
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