Has anyone had insomnia from B12 injections?

[Krysagnes]

I have not been able to sleep since my B12 loading injections (EOD for 6 weeks) - has this happened to anyone else? If so, for how long?

[Nackapan]

I as definitely 'wired 'then groggy shaky . Tinnitus . Migraines Sleep definitely affected but I think more from pain .

Also couid suddenly fall asleep in the day .

I've nevef been able to nap

That was horrid .

It's early days for you.

Sleep should improve with other symptoms .

[Krysagnes in reply to Nackapan]

Thank you for your time and encouragement.

[Wwwdot]

Hi Krysagnes

Great you are getting treatment and well done for persevering.

Yes I had terrible insomnia in the early days of treatment.

May I ask do you self inject and what time of day?

🤗🤗🤗

[Krysagnes in reply to Wwwdot]

Thank you Wwwdot. I have been injecting hydroxocobalamin and usually before midday.

May I ask you how long your insomnia lasted for and was it continuous? I am really struggling...

[Wwwdot]

Hi Krysagnes

It is a struggle and that’s because your body is having a rude, but much needed, awakening. My insomnia lasted about 6 months and it really only improved once I started focussing on treating my gut as I was suffering dreadful IBS and lack of appetite So I was mentally tired but physically quite agitated. It took a while for mind and body to synch .

Initially I found taking my B12 before bed helped as I experienced tiredness after a jab and as I improved and became physically more active I moved the jab to the morning so my tiredness at the end of the day helped me sleep. I listened to a lot of music and read novels and tried not to stress over it - which I inevitably did - but in time things worked out and I now sleep like a log!

I think the key is to accept your body is adjusting and to keep good notes as what may work for you now may not in the future and vice versa. Undoubtably stress about what is happening leads to insomnia - so managing that is key

🤗🤗🤗

[Krysagnes in reply to Wwwdot]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I have not had an injection for 5 weeks now as I am too scared in case my level is too high for me- as that's how I feel. My body seems to be rushing inside with too much stimulation...

[Wwwdot in reply to Krysagnes]

Hi Krysagnes

You seem to have an open minded approach as you are listening and observing and thinking about what your body wants. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas and keep a record of treatment, supplements and symptoms. I do think you can have too much B12 that you experience discomfort due to rapid change but too much B12 is not harmful as it’s not retained but expelled if not used. I don’t know if you are a member of PAS but it’s certainly worth joining and reading all the literature and supporting info. It will give you ideas to try and reassure you that you’re not alone.

🤗🤗🤗

[Krysagnes in reply to Wwwdot]

Thank you again Wwwdot, yes I am a member of PAS. Yes, I am trying to listen to my body and support it as best as I can.

[B12life in reply to Krysagnes]

What was your serum b12 level before your first ever injection?

[Wwwdot in reply to B12life]

106 ng/L.

[PlatypusProfit8077]

I think I have just come through the insomnia phase - it was horrid. Feeling exhausted but unable to sleep plus if I got woken during the night (thanks puppies), it would take ages to get back to sleep

I’ve had just about 4 nights without being woken up at all and it’s been bliss. I usually do my injection at night because it wipes me out.

Try different things and write everything down! See if there’s a pattern

[Krysagnes in reply to PlatypusProfit8077]

Thank you so much- yes I am currently trying different things to get me to sleep. How long did your last?

[PlatypusProfit8077 in reply to Krysagnes]

I’m on month 4 of treating but only just getting into a more regular injection schedule. The loading doses here in australia are 1 per week for 3 weeks before they move you to monthly. I did horribly on it, big crashes where I would have 1 or 2 good days and go straight back to all the horrible symptoms. Plus reversing out. I’m now injecting EOD and have eased back on the folic acid (I have noticed a correlation between the folic acid and insomnia but I’m not 100% sure)

[B12life]

what dose are you using?

[Krysagnes in reply to B12life]

I was using 1ml hydroxo in the early part of the day

[B12life]

try dosing in the mornings. Walk a 1/2 mile or what ever you can tolerate to help it circulate. However when I was early in the stages of recovery, I couldn't tolerate any exercise..

[Baklava22]

I am also suffering insomnia but didn’t think to link it to my B22 injections. I just thought it’s anxiety. I can be so sleepy and then go to bed and my mind goes wild. But I’ll take more notice and see if it’s worse on the days I inject and get back to you.

[Krysagnes in reply to Baklava22]

Thank you - that would be helpful. With me, my mind is not racing at all, but I just feel buzzing with an uncomfortable energy that won't allow me to dip down into sleep mode...

[Beadbuddy in reply to Krysagnes]

well B12 it does give you oodles of energy

[Krysagnes in reply to Beadbuddy]

Strangely though, when I was injecting I was fine, it is only since stopping after 6 weeks of EOD. The reason I stopped was because anxiety and panic attacks started... then the insomnia

[GalDriver]

I had insomnia (really wide awake) for a couple of months - it was exhausting! After that I started sleeping better than I had for years and that's lasted ( 2 years on). I rarely have sleepless nights now but when I do I feel confident the normal pattern will resume soon. I hope you come out of your insomnia soon, you've done well to hang on in there. x

[Krysagnes in reply to GalDriver]

Thank you so much - yes it it exhausting. I'm glad to hear yours cleared up... I'm desperate for my normal cycle to resume as I feel crippled the next day. It also compounds the anxiety...

[Orchard33]

I have learnt not to inject in the evening for that reason.

[Krysagnes in reply to Orchard33]

Yes, I have always avoided that too.

[MoKayD]

I know what you're going thru. I had insomnia during the first six months or so of my injections. Extremely frustrating. I tried just about everything to fix the problem. I was also going through the throes of menopause at the same time so I wasn't really sure what was causing the insomnia.

Here are a few of the things I tried and seemed to help, iron supplements, magnesium citrate, calcium supplements (or just eating or drinking dairy foods before going to bed), ginger tea, hibiscus tea, and L-theinine supplements. Another tip is don't lay there and stare at the clock. I now place my clock in the drawer of my night stand. If it seems like you can't get to sleep, get out of bed and read a book using a book light.

[Krysagnes in reply to MoKayD]

Thank you MoKayD - I was also wondering if it was hormonal as I am going through the peri-menopause also. Thank you for all of your tips, did you have anxiety/panic attacks along with it? I also have these, so I feel really awful right now, just hoping to get through the other side...

[MoKayD in reply to Krysagnes]

I had horrible anxiety before I started B12 shots but almost immediately after I started loading doses the anxiety lifted. Anxiety was one of my last symptoms to appear but was the first to go away, last in, first out I guess. Hang in there, it gets better. I just tried to be happy that I finally knew what was wrong with me and I was doing what I needed to do to get better. Be kind to yourself.

[Krysagnes in reply to MoKayD]

Thank you again.

[EiCa]

EOD for 6 weeks seems like aggressive loading doses. My pre-treatment serum B12 was 112. I was super-stimulated even by sub-linguals. I am going to tell you MY truth as it is not popular or advocated here.

I never did loading doses. I started really low and really slow self-injecting, maybe only 100 mcg. every few weeks at first. My MMA was very high but normalized (within range) within a few months. I checked to make sure I was progressing. I slowly increased my dose and frequency and now do 500 mcg weekly with no problems of hyper-stimulation. I am also tolerating small doses of P5P (B6) and folinic acid with each injection. I wasn’t before The B’s all gave me insomnia

I know this is not protocol anywhere but it is working for me. I am celebrating getting to this point. I now hope to tolerate more B6 and folinic acid.

I was never able to have the courage to tell the truth of what I was/am doing here . I responded so poorly to methyl forms I used hydroxy. I also understand the diminishing returns of higher doses so it made sense to me that lower doses more often just might give me the needed amount without the hyper-stimulation. I inject early in the day and believe I am starting to sleep better.

I, in no way, am promoting what I have done. There is just more than one way to skin a cat. Doing it my way (even if it was psychological which I don’t think it was) got me to what amounts to 2000 mcg/every 4 weeks. The doctors’ recommended dose was 1000 mcg. every 3 months of cyano. So I have come far not listening to my doctors and doing what my mind/body could handle. BTW, no doctor even told me about loading doses.

It is obviously too late for you to take it slower but they loaded you up good. Maybe you can go a bit slower until your body adapts.

Am I better? Well I was at high risk of stroke and heart attack with B12 of 112. That was 5-6 years ago. I already had serious spinal issues but as I have reached my current dose, my spinal pain is less, not gone, but I likely had some de/myelination which won’t reverse. I had spinal pain for 17 years prior to treatment w/B12.

If the mods would prefer this not be published I understand. In my situation my own protocol worked.

[Krysagnes in reply to EiCa]

Thank you so much EiCa for taking the time to write. It is so difficult to know what to do in the beginning when you realise you have a problem absorbing B12. I was going on my doctor's advice and the general advice given in the UK to treat every other day until no further improvements. I had read that there is a window of opportunity for treatment and if you miss this then you may not recover. At the moment I am not injecting at all and haven't been for 5 weeks now. I appreciate your comments - thanks again

[Ettenent]

B12 has never given me energy. I do not understand it. When I first began I would get very sleepy after injection and need to lay down.

[carr_trip]

Check out HRT if you are 49...it does wonders for your sleep

[Krysagnes in reply to carr_trip]

Thanks. Yes, I am on HRT, but maybe it needs changing... I've only been on it a year. What did you use? Gel, patches, tablets?