I've been SI methylcobalamin for over... - Pernicious Anaemi...

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I've been SI methylcobalamin for over 3 years but now its clear that obtaining methylcobalamin is not going to happen!

Abbeyr28 profile image
24 Replies

Can someone reassure me that the other two Hydroxocobalamin &Cyanocobalamin are okay? I've just heard that methylcobalamin is the better out of the 3 and like many, it took a whole lot if guts to start SI in the first place!

Alternatively has anyone found anywhere to obtain methylcobalamin?

Thank you lovely people! :)

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Abbeyr28
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24 Replies
Nackapan profile image
Nackapan

My friend in Canada was told methylcobalabin better by a naturopath, and at great expense changed from cyanocobalamin .She's also tried hydroxcobalamin.

She's gone back to cyanocobalamin.

Cheaper abd more readily available.

She personally found no better effects from methylcobalabin.

Some can't tolerate methylcobalabin.

I think we can get used to any form.

It's converted once injected anyhow .

Don't know the science.

I hate to change anything too.

Hope it works out .

I've always had hydroxcobalamin as in the UK.

.

ACritical profile image
ACritical in reply toNackapan

I haven’t been able to find Methylcobalamin to inject subcutaneous. Neither have I found B2 that can be injected that way.Most advise to be injected intramuscular. Can any one explain why this is so?

Wheat profile image
Wheat

I do not know which type of cobalamin is best, its a very individual thing. However, I s.i. hydroxocobalamin and going to try out methylcobalamin as well. I assume you are in uk.

Ordered from oxfordbiosciences.com/store...

Saline from apohealth.de product no. PZN: 02737756.

Hope this help.s

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toWheat

Thank you for your reply! Yeah I'm in the UK, are you able to find methylcobalamin currently? I'm probably having a moment, but have checked all of the German pharmacy's I've ordered from and can't seem to find it!

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply toAbbeyr28

None of the german pharmacies have methyl except Arnika, and you have to call/email them to order. Where did you used to get it from?

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply tojade_s

I'd gotten it from apotheke.de and versandpo but nothing when searched!

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply toAbbeyr28

I have not known them to supply methyl the last 7 years so unfortunately i can't help you. But you can get hydroxo from them, and many people do fine on that form. Best wishes

Wheat profile image
Wheat in reply toAbbeyr28

Sorry I did not make my reply clear to you.

The Methylcobalamin is dry in powdered form, add medical grade saline to reconstitute to injectable B12.

Available from Oxford Biosciences in UK (links in first post), so its a multi use small amber bottle, no need to refrigerate they said.

My 1st order of Methylcobalamin is being delivered today.

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply toWheat

Hi Wheat, just wondering how quickly your package arrived after you got the "your order has been completed" notice? And was it sent with tracking? I ordered some on Aug 4, got the confirmation on the 11th, and still waiting... my 1st time as well. Thanks!

Also doesn't it need to be refridgerated after you add the saline? I think I will do that anyway, to reduce the potential for any bacterial growth. I'm still a bit nervous about the whole thing :/

Wheat profile image
Wheat in reply tojade_s

Sorry to hear that you have not received it yet. I think you need to phone or email them.

I ordered Friday afternoon, received a confirmation of order. Monday received email from dpd saying awaiting parcel. Tuesday (yesterday) received email and subsequent delivery. So, 4 days, including weekend, so pretty good.

Its a tiny sealed amber bottle, with instructions. Says it does not need refrigeration but its ok to do so. I shall put in fridge however as once the saline is added its no longer sterile as such. Im nervous about that aspect too.

Hope you receive it soon! Best wishes .

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply toWheat

Oh wow, so quick! Thanks for letting me know :) I will contact them. Maybe because I'm not in the UK, it's taking longer.

The other thing I was considering was prefilling all the syringes, so that I open and expose the vial to the air only once. Still need to figure out how much I will need. I got the 20mL one, and normally inject 2mg at once, so I guess that will be a full 1mL.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! :)

Wheat profile image
Wheat in reply tojade_s

I do not think I will prefill. The bottle has to be open so much longer and the sterility of syringes and needles is potentially compromised for a much longer period.

I ordered 40g size. When its made up for injecting .50 ml is 2 mg. So, being cautious I will inject .25ml. for 1mg. Im sure this is right. Maybe it's different for a smaller bottle.

PS , I ordered the medical grade Saline from Germany. Awaiting delivery. Distance, it appears, does matter!

Good luck too.

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply toWheat

Ah yes i didn't think about the needles 🤦‍♀️ Thanks!

am111 profile image
am111

They have different characteristics, and not exactly equivalent. Especially with cyanocobalamin, you should see how much of it is absorbed. There are tables. Anything below 50mcg is almost fully absorbed, but the absorption goes down to about 300mcg of a 1000mcg injection. I have not seen tables for methyl but Hydroxo is almost fully absorbed, at least upto 500mcg and about 800mcg/1000mcg injection. Hence, while switching, it probably makes sense to look at the equivalent dose. Also, your body will tell, but an approximation might help to decide the dose.

Switching is not easy, so don't if you don't have to.

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toam111

I'm not able to take tablets due to my stomach not having intrinsic factor to absorb.

I'll give hydroxocobalamin a go as I believe that's what I've now got! I'm just being a scaredy cat! I'd rather stick to methylcobalamin but finding it is a mission!

ACritical profile image
ACritical in reply toAbbeyr28

Methylcobalamin is more unstable then Hydroxocobalamin to transport, it can become inactive I have been told.

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toACritical

Oh that's good to know, makes me sway more toward hydroxocobalamin! I read somewhere that methylcobalamin was the only naturally derived form and the others are synthetic! But I see conflicting articles about this!

Technoid profile image
Technoid in reply toAbbeyr28

All injectable B12 is synthesized from bacterial fermentation. As to whether that is natural, it certainly wouldn't happen under normal conditions but is an industrial process designed and run with human intervention at many stages of the process.

All forms of B12 are converted to the base cobalamin molecule, then to hydroxocobalamin and then to whatever active form is needed (methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin). If you take methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin, the "methyl" and "adenosyl" parts are not used by the body in the rebuild process that they undergo after being converted to the base cobalamin.

Anyone who tells you methylcobalamin is best because methylcobalamin is the only natural form has no clue what they are talking about. The natural forms are never directly used by the body so it makes no sense, biochemically speaking, to claim that these forms benefit the specific processes in which the active forms are involved.

Injectable methylcobalamin is the least stable form and is quite light and heat sensitive. Cyanocobalamin gets a bad rap but is the most stable form.

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toTechnoid

It's hard to research because when I do it says things like " cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin are forms of vitamin B12. Cyanocobalamin is synthetic while methylcobalamin is natural. But the body can convert synthetic forms into natural ones " - healthline.com. So it just becomes confusing.

But only just learnt from comments on this post that methylcobalamin is heat sensitive, so it's good to weigh up the pros and cons!

Technoid profile image
Technoid in reply toAbbeyr28

healthline isnt the best source (although its not bad on many things), I would instead use the info in Jade's pinned post, "Various B12D/PA resources" or in the links provided in Sleepbunnys posts. But there is a lot of information and agree it can be overwhelming. It takes a while to sort the wheat from the chaff but the forum has been doing so for some years.

I recently made a post with some resources on how to do your own research:

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

am111 profile image
am111 in reply toAbbeyr28

you can still absorb orally without intrinsic factor. About 1.2% of an oral dose is absorbed.

How much are you SI'ing? Generally, I have found that Hydroxo is very strong, methyl is in the middle and cyanocobalamin gives a more stable, diffuse and stable B12 to the body, so I SI about 50mcg/day cyanocobalamin with a target of gradual reduction, as 10-20mcg/day cyanocobalamin/day (equivalent to 1000-2000mcg/day oral) seems to be sufficient in many studies. In smaller doses, Hydroxo and methyl are OK, but I found large daily or alternate day doses of methyl and Hydroxo creating too much of a up and down during the duration of the injection and I didn't like it, especially with Hydroxo.

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toam111

I was told by my IBD consultant that I can't absorb b12 when taken orally, if it's just for the sake of 1% then it's not worth it really for me.

I take a b12 oral spray but i feel like that's more a placebo effect.

I'm seeing good replies about hydroxocobalamin, which is reassuring me greatly! Thank you for your reply :)

Flembot7 profile image
Flembot7

I've been using methylcobalamin injections for over 7 years for PA and my compounding pharmacy changed to hydroxcobolamine. I had a really bad reaction I took a shot in my deltoid and I was in so much pain it almost felt like it crystallized in my muscle. It's been about 8 months and My arm finally feels better it's still tender. This was McGuff compounding pharmacy's first batch since they had changed from Methyl to Hydro But it scared me enough to want to stay with Methyl all the way, I've never had a problem with it except My doctor hasn't found a reliable source to buy from. I've been doing sublingual methyl. If anybody could help me out that would be great, thank you

Abbeyr28 profile image
Abbeyr28 in reply toFlembot7

That sounds horrific. Sorry you went through that!This is the reason I'd probably try SC for the hydroxocobalamin, I just haven't got the trust there that I've built with methylcobalamin. I'm actually tempted to go over to try and get some from Germany!

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