B12 jabs and tablets giving me palpitations. Anyone else have trouble

[john159]

Hi, I now find if I take a sublingual B12 tablet of 1000ug I experience palpitations. I have reduced to

500, and then 250ug same problem but slightly less severe. The symptoms came on soon after taking the tablets and lasted a few hours. I swapped back onto my injections Hevert B12 Depot Hydroxocobalaminacetate 1000ug. About 24-30 hours after the injection I started having palpitations and these lasted a week or so. They were tolerable but a bit worrying. A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Afib but treatment with Bisoprolol betablocker reduced it to ectopic heart beats now and again.

I can only guess that it might be an allergic reaction. Palpitations are listed in the side effects of B12 administration. Has anyone had this problem and found a way to stop it. I have starting taking a quarter of a 250ug tablet , taking it sublingually and will keep reducing the dose until symptoms stop (hopefully)

Any information will be gratefully received John

[wedgewood]

In 10 years of reading posts on this forum , on a daily basis , I’ve never heard of this happening . It could well be an extremely rare allergic reaction . I wonder if the type of b12 you use comes into it ? Sublingual B12 is usually Methylcobalamin . You have been injecting Hydroxocobalamin. I suggest that you try injecting Cynocobalamin . This was for many years the only treatment for Pernicious Anaemia, and is widely used in USA .

Cynocobalamin is easily obtainable from our usual German Online Pharmacies , made by the same pharmaceutical companies that make Hydroxocobalamin, Namely Panpharma , Pascoe and Hevert . Its description is just vitamin B12 , without the DEPOT .

You will have ingested Cynocobalamin already , as it is the Cobalamin that is added to many foods like breakfast cereals etc. ( In marmite now ) You will find it supplemented in quite a few foods . Food companies use Cynocobalamin because it is the cheapest .

Panpharma cynocobalamin ampoules reference number is 16199707

You really need to get round this difficulty . You really need your B12 ,which you obviously are not able to absorb from food . Sorry that I’m not more helpful. Best wishes .

[john159 in reply to wedgewood]

Thank you Wedgewood for your help again. I think the root of the issue is my AFib. Very hot or cold foods I think would stimulate my vagus nerve and cause my Afib as well as my Sleep Apnea. Sometimes the CPAP machine didnt respond quickly enough and I would wake up with an attack. Taking Bisoprolol calmed it down. Maybe the sublingual tablets were irritating my esophagus. The tablets I use are Boots and Healthspan which are Methyl, and Lindens which is Cyano. When I check the list of B12 side effects often it does mention palpitations. Mine are not severe but I like to avoid them if possible.

I am on Edoxaban anticoagulant so injections were causing bruising and tenderness and tablets did work for me thats why I prefer to use them. If I have to I will use the Panpharma injections thank you. To begin with I will try the Lindens sublingual and see what happens.

Thank you John

[charks]

When I first started taking oral B12 I experienced a buzz like taking a stimulant. I had masses of nervous energy. Personally I liked it. I knew that the B12 was working, that my body was getting better. Are you very sensitive to stimulants? Some people get heart palpitations just drinking coffee.

I found the effect wore off within a month when my body adjusted to the B12. Which was a shame!! I suspect the same thing will happen to you.

[john159 in reply to charks]

Hi thanks for your input. I have been taking tablets and sprays for a couple of years now and injections for a year. I didnt get that buzz you mention but do feel a lot better after a few days . I do feel caffeine now and used to feel alcohol (before I packed in 7 years ago) I'm limited to 3 caffeinated drinks a day due to my AFib but never had it with B12. I am going to try Cyanocobalamin as recommended by Wedgewood and see if thats better.

[PlatypusProfit8077]

hello, I get palpitations (v-fib yacht, ectopic) post B12 injections unless I increase my dietary potassium massively (coconut water, bananas etc). Maybe this is happening with you too?

[B12life]

first of all, shouldn't they be treating the afib with something like ablation? Keep a watch on that and don't let them drop the ball there. I say this as my parnter died right in front of me because the only treated his with beta blockers; And he was already on a high level of blood pressure medication because he had genetics for HBP since teenage years. Too much blood pressure medication can actually trigger an SCA.

however, his case seems to be different as the beta blockers made his syncopy worse not better and in your case you get good results. Thus, I'm not saying demand ablation now, just keep a watch on that as life goes on. basically his primary symptom that really signified the issue was frequent episodes of syncopy where he didn't faint but he would feel faint frequently throughout the day, to the point he actually passed out once. It was 1.5 years after that instance where he actually passed out that he had the SCA. thus I say, just keep watch for those symptoms. Do you have high blood pressure since a young age, then this syncopy is something to watch.

However, if your b12 deficiency is not caused by diet, then you may have no choice but to inject. with your case it may be that you find a way that works for your condition.

as far as palpitations due to the b12 injections. yes, that was part of my HEALING process. It lasted a while, I don't remember, like a month or two and then it went away. I believe it's something healing that was deprived from b12 that is now healing because of the b12. Because I inject with the same b12 and I no longer get the palpitations.

B12 is responsible for cell genearation; often times, b12 deficiency goes undetected and gets so low that by the time it is treated there is so much damage done, that if not treated can become permanent. Thus it's important to treat it which ever way works, orally or injections. for me, i absolutely do not process b12 orally. I have to inject. I have tried so many times to stop or space out injections and the complete set of symptoms come back, taking 1.5 months to recover. now everyone is different because of either it being just a diet or the b12 metabolism is so complex that it could be variations of cause and thus variations of needs. Some here are able to space out the injections.

Also my resting heart rate went high as in 105 for 4 months or so, then that went away. It now sits at 68-75. again, it must be something to do with organs and systems in the body healing now that b12 is there. we would slowly die if deprived of b12.

My palpitations were strong and worrying. the odd thing is they would come on at night yet I was injecting in the morning.

I wonder if splitting your doses to smaller doses throughout the day would help.

Or maybe with your condition work on reduction of dose.

Regardning the high dose oral b12, I abosolutely couldn't tolerate the high dose oral b12. the symptoms were not good. And in my case, since everyone is different and my b12 deficiency isn't due to diet, the oral b12 wasn't helping; only injections helped.

[john159 in reply to B12life]

Hi thank you for that very informative reply. I have been treating myself with B12 for 3 years so not just a short time. The latest thing I have tried is Methylcobalamin - a quarter tablet so only 60ug a day but again suffered palpitations after 2 days. Wedgewood has kindly suggested Cyanocobalamin. I have just ordered some tablets from a chemist where I had to fill in a health questionnaire and reason for purchase. The highest dose they do is 50ug. Never had this before even with injectables! I will give these a try. I think the reason is all synthetic B12 meds contain cobalt.

To take the tablets sub-lingually I developed a technique. Keep the tablet under the tongue until it completely dissolves and then try and keep the saliva without swallowing as long as possible (total time usually 10 minutes). Relax as much as possible and I do not chew, suck or swallow the tablet. It took a lot of practice but then eventually I did get positive results. Sitting watching TV or on the PC took my mind off it. I have also used a flavoured liquid that is sprayed into the mouth.

My first Afib attack was March '21 and I will get my first appointment with a cardiologist next month. My first GP would not refer me and the second one referred me but I have had to wait 12 months. The NHS policy is to be seen around 6 weeks. I will tell the specialist about my B12 symptoms and see what he says. I think I will be better off risking the palpitations than stopping the B12. My symptoms of tiredness, brain fog and headaches have got a lot worse when I stopped taking the B12.

Thank you for your support

[B12life]

Article explaining the misconceptions of b12 by the medical field.

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