B12 injections

[Inishfree]

I am new here and need a bit of advice. I ordered the B12 hydrocobalmin today but am struggling to work out what needles I need for subcutaneous injections and do I need swabs etc. I would be grateful for any advice.

[Nackapan]

I do subcutaneous b12 injections. I use a 30G 1/2" needle ( yellow) to inject .

27-30G suitable.

I use a seperatd 21G 1" needle to draw up b12 from ampoule as if thr needle hits the ampoule inside the glass blunts the needle.

No need to swab. I choose to with alcohol wipes individually wrapped.

.

I use a 'snappit ' device to break ampoule top off.

A 2ml syringe.

All bought ftom medisave online .

Are others .

A sharps box can be bought ftom any chemist .

I inject at least 2" away from belly button and upper outer thigh.

Hip area if enough flesh good too. Anywhere a roll can be pinched gently to inject .

Hope it goes well.

[Inishfree in reply to Nackapan]

Thanks so much for your help, I’m no spring chicken but willing to try anything to improve my symptoms, fingers crossed

[jade_s]

Hi Carrigart47,

I use a 27G 1/2" needle with a 2 mL syringe. Because I draw up and inject with the same needle, I find the 30G too fiddly - takes too long to draw up the liquid LOL.

I sent you a Chat message in case you want extra information.

Got my finger crossed for you! 🤞😊

[Inishfree in reply to jade_s]

Thanks Jade, that’s very helpful, I’m finding it’s bit of a minefield to be honest due to anxiety and brain fog but I’m taking my time to make sure I get the best needles for me. I’ll read through the links you sent me and let you know how I get on 😄

[jade_s in reply to Inishfree]

I think we can all sympathize with the anxiety & brain fog 🙃

Feel free to ask again if you need more help 😊

[Inishfree in reply to jade_s]

Hi Jade, sorry for the delay in replying but not in the best place at the moment, i appreciate your help and reaching out to me and so many others. Do you think the 27G needle would be ok for me to start with or would I be better with a drawing up needle?

Regards

Carrigart47

[jade_s in reply to Inishfree]

Hi Carrigart47, no need to apologize

I think you should be fine, but it's very much a personal preference

If you already have some 27G's, you can also draw up with one then switch to a new 27G if you've scraped the ampoule too much.

If you're worried about cost, or don't want to attempt swapping needles, i'd say just go with the 27G.

Some people find it difficult to draw up from an ampoule, so the longer needles are good for that.

But it's quite easy to tip it facing down (liquid magically doesn't spill out - due to surface tension) and then draw up from the 'neck' of the ampoule.

Sorry i hope i haven't confused you and added to your stress. Xx

[jade_s in reply to jade_s]

Is this your first injection of B12 ever? It's best to get the first one in a medical setting, such as a health spa. There is a rare but possible risk of allergic reaction / anaphylactic shock and you need prompt treatment if that happens.

Try googling 'b12 injections near me' and look for companies like 'Get A Drip' . They will give you an intramuscular B12 jab in your arm for a small fee. Just say you're looking for a boost. If you mention deficiency then it can invite too many questions.

[Inishfree in reply to jade_s]

I have had two shots at a salon in the last two weeks with no adverse effects, just tingling and burning sensations in my arms and legs and difficulty sleeping. I’ll order the 27G today and give it a go, again thanks for your help x

[jade_s in reply to Inishfree]

You're welcome! Good luck x

[Sleepybunny]

Hi Carrigart47,

Just wondered if you had managed to get any treatment from your doctor.

Are you in UK?

I'm asking because if you are there's lots of information I can pass onto you if NHS GP is being unhelpful.

[Inishfree in reply to Sleepybunny]

Hi Sleepybunny

I was prescribed B12 tablets by my GP but unfortunately they didn’t help much. He is lovely and normally very amenable but feels that oral treatment is just as good. I’m in the process of changing GP surgeries at the moment (to one closer to me) so in no man’s land.

[Sleepybunny in reply to Inishfree]

There are some UK forum members here who manage their condition with oral tablets. Many report that these are not as effective as B12 injections.

"I was prescribed B12 tablets by my GP"

When I read this I wondered if you were in Gloucestershire.

See blog post below about B12 treatment in Gloucestershire if interested.

b12deficiency.info/gloucest...

Some links about oral B12 treatment.

Note on oral treatment - from B12 Institute Netherlands

b12-institute.nl/caution-no...

Search online for this article "Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency"

The review compares treating with oral B12 with treating with B12 injections.

I found the conclusions interesting.

B12 article from Mayo Clinic in US

In my opinion, one of the best B12 articles I've come across. A good one to pass to GP.

Treatment with oral B12 is mentioned.

Aimed at researchers and health professionals, may have some details that could be upsetting.

The Many Faces of Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) Deficiency

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

Table 1 in above article is about frequent misconceptions about B12 deficiency that health professionals may have.

You might find this article interesting.

It discusses patients who self inject B12 in UK and their reasons for doing it.

Patient safety, self-injection, and B12 deficiency: a UK cross-sectional survey

Natasha Tyler, Alexander Hodkinson, Naeem Ahlam, Sally Giles, Andrew Zhou and Maria Panagioti

British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (725): e891-e898. DOI: doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2021.0711

I'm not medically trained.

[Sleepybunny in reply to Sleepybunny]

It might be worth having a go at getting B12 injections from GP.

Links to forum threads where I left detailed replies with lots of B12 deficiency info eg causes and symptoms, more UK B12 documents, B12 books, B12 films, B12 websites and B12 articles and a few hints on dealing with unhelpful GPs.

Some links may have details that could be upsetting.

Some of the info will be specific to UK.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

Next thread was started by someone who was put on B12 tablets.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

Link to thread about Patient Safety, has useful links for those in UK having difficult health experiences.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

[Inishfree in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thank you Sleepybunny, I will look at the links tomorrow when I’ve more energy. I will definitely ask my new GP for injections when I get accepted by the surgery so it will be good to have more ammunition to fight my case.

BTW I live in Kent.

[Sophie1668Lc]

I use red blunt filter needle for drawing up 1.2mm x40mm 2ml syringe and blue 0.6 x 25mm to inject. Hope this helps 🥰