Supplements - a quick question

I'm trying to work out what is best to take so just asking you clever lot ☺️

I am looking to boost my levels for B12, folate and calcium in particular.

I am planning on buying from Amazon Jarrows B12 lozenges to boost B12 and I know its methylcobalamin, so I believe this is a good one to go for.

Now the thing I'm not sure is whether to also look to take along side a good B Complex or instead take a good multi vitamin?

If I take B12 & BComplex do I need to take a separate Calcium supplement? Or if I take B12 and multi vit will that cover everything? I know.

Could do with a bit of clarification before I click purchase...☺️

Sorry if this all seems obvious my can't seem to get my brain around it.

Thanks again guys

[Hidden]

We have been advised that the best B12 to take by mouth is hydroxycobalamin, not methylcobalamin.

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Janeb, hydroxycobalamin is injection.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Not always. We've got tablets.

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Janeb, thanks, I didn't realise it was available in tablets.

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

I think you will find it is hydroxocobalamin.

This is very common and even on professional sites you often see both correct and incorrect spellings. Not a big deal - until you try to search...

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Correct - 'o' not 'y' in the middle!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ahh...okay..now I'm confused again 😳 is methyl just as good? I thought that was what the body turned it into?

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Ying, most people here are using methylcobalamin. I've never tried any other form of B12 so can't comment on what is the best form.

[Fruitandnutcase]

The Jarrows is very good, think a lot of us take it. I get mine from Amazon too. I've got a complex that sometimes I take too. I don't take calcium, think you have to be careful with that but I'm not sure why - someone else is bound to tell you why. I take vitamin D and vitamin K on the advice of my Pilates teacher who is a physio - she says that's what us ladies need for strong bones.

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Are they all separate tablets you take?

I'm trying to work out the simplest way to take what I need?

Is vit d and k in the multi vit?

Thanks for the reply ☺️

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Can I ask which B complex you use too? ☺️

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Hidden]

My B complex is Vitabiotics Vit B Complex - think it came from a supermarket.

Like clutter says, you don't get enough of any vitamin in a multivitamin if your levels are really low.

[Clutter]

Ying, Methylcobalamin + B Complex. Have you had a calcium test? If not, don't supplement calcium.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Hey clutter,

Taj is again for your reply

Ahh that's a plan, that's was what I was originally looking to buy, then I just wondered if perhaps if a multivitamin would be more balanced?

Yes my doctor told me my calcium was low (and now I'm wondering if this is why I have chronic pain for years in my kidney)

Thanks ☺️

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Ying, I don't think multi-vits contain enough of anything to improve low levels and wouldn't bother with them.

Ask your pharmacist how much calcium to supplement.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Ahh brilliant!!

B12 and a B complex it is ☺️

Can I ask which B complex you use?

thanks again everyone's help has been invaluable!

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Ying, I use a cheap as chips supermarket brand. Thorne is recommended but is pricey.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Ah okay, well I assume if you take it and continue to that you have no problems on them and you benefit from them.

Perhaps I'll look cost effectively as I'm on a budget and still have to go back to the doctors yet and that's not cheap!

Thanks again ☺️

[Justiina]

I have swansons bio available complex b. Wasn't too expensive. I ordered it from UK.

Then again it is hard to say what is expensive for others. Over here in Finland prices are x2 or x3 so whether I order from UK or US it is always cheap to me!

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

Ahh yes it works out cheaper for me to order them too...local prices are more expensive for sure.

I've ended up plumping for Jarrows 5000 B12 and Higher Nature B Complex to see how I get on.

Can't wait to receive them and hope they help....fingers crossed ☺️

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

I picked swanson because it contains m-folate instead folic acid.

My serum foliate was high I think ( 22 nmol/l <6 .) so figured maybe I have tons of folic acid in my blood but not working on cellular level.

I have not tried my swanson yet since it is high potent and I have to make smaller capsules from it to start slowly.

If b12 works for you , you should feel it in day or 2! I stopped yawning after 2 days. I might still be fatigued but brain work better. Without b12 I feel like I am drunk.

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

I think B12 will make a difference I had some loading injections end of April/ beginning of May and defo felt a difference, but was short lived..so think dailies might do the trick!

Oh right...how do you lower your folate? Not really heard of it being too high! I hope they work well for you...seems to be a lot of trial an error eh 😳

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

I agree dailies might be working better than injections, as you get high dosage and pee out the excess and then deal with whatever is left of that injection. That is just not enough for everyone!

It is good you had positive reaction to B12. If you were not deficient you probably would not have felt anything.

I keep my fingers crossed too that it works for you

It is not so much about lowering the folate, as they say the test only measure folic acid not active form folate in your blood. So i figured I might be full of inactive form which I cannot transform to active form for my cells to pick up. So the build up of folic acids blocks proper methylation, which can also lead to B12D.

And yes it is a lot of trial and error, especially when I dont know about my genetic mutations.

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

Oh wow, okay, never thought of it like that!! That definitely sounds viable, I really hope it works for you!! It's amazing really how it all works!

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

It sorta makes you realize how complicate human body is lol. 6 months ago I though only old people suffer from B12D as we are taught over here. Was shocked when I started to read about stuff!

[greygoose]

I Don't want to complicate things even more, but I agree that calcium suppléments aren't a good thing to take because they tend to clog up your kidneys and things. Have you had your vit D tested? Because the best and safest way to raise your calcium is to take vit D3, magnesium, zinc and vit K3. Now, if you vit D isn't low, you might get enough of what you need from a multi-vit - but you're going to have to read a lot of labels!

And if you take sublingual methylcobalamin and a good B complex - one with methylfolate rather than folic acid - that will bring up your B12 and folate. What was your B12 reading? Dépends on that how much you need to take.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Hey greygoose,

Not at all, great to have the advice ☺️

I was told my Vit D was fine (although I don't actually have the number)

My B12 was 266 (200-680) last time it was tested

folate was 1.9 (2.5-17)

I don't have the calcium figures but was told low

Now here's where it shows what my brain is like...I was pretty much settled on getting B12 and B complex (and was sure that was what I ordered) doubled checked it today and I ordered a B12 (jarrows) and a multi vit (Higher Nature Advanced Nutrition Complex) which I thought was a B complex.

It does look like it has a pretty good balance though? It seems to have calcium and a mixture of B's etc Not sure now as it wasn't what I was intending to buy...whoops!

Thanks for you help ☺️

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Always, always, always ask for a print out of your results, because all too often what your doctor thinks is fine, isn't fine at all! You cannot decide what to take like that.

That B12 is so dangeroulsy low. You're going to need about 7000 daily if not more. Did he not test for Pernicious Animea? Or did he think it was 'fine' because it was 'in-range'? You should actually be having B12 injections on the NHS with it that low. So, you're really going to need a B complex with that.

So, I've just had a look at that multi vit, and honestly, it's not one I would buy. It contains folic acid - you want methylfolate. It contains vit D2 - you want D3. It contains vit K but it doesn't say which one. Same with B12. And it contains calcium - I explained why you don't want that - and iodine which you Don't want because you're hypo. And what sort of iron is it? It might not agree with you. The only thing it appears to contain enough of is vit A. And it is a prime example of why I Don't like mutli vits. You are much better off deciding which you need to take and taking it all seperately. Still at least it wasn't as expensive as some I've seen with the same ingrédients.

So, guess you'll have to take that now, but make sure you buy a B complex next time.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Ahh, yeah, I know now to ask for print outs (the last time I asked something about printer issues?!?) defo asking from now on!

My doctor wasn't really concerned at all about the B12 levels...she did give me 3 x injections over a month ago but that's all she's doing as she said its in range..she said I'm not anaemic. I have ordered the 5000 B12 jarrows to hopefully make my levels better..I really hope it works as I don't feel right at all!! Keep walking into things and misjudging things quite scary really.

Ahh and thanks for your take on the multi vit...I really took so much time comparing all the vitamins that I got a bit lost to be honest I thought I was looking at a B Complex...only realised today 😔😔

I was really starting to get confused with what vits I needed and which ones to buy. There's so many different things to look out for.

Hopefully the jarrows one is ok and perhaps I'll start looking at separate vitamins like you say ☺️☺️

Thanks for all your help, really do appreciate it, I've had much more help on here than from professionals ☺️☺️

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

The problem is, the professionals know nothing about vitamins, minerals or hormones. They only know about blood tests and drugs. Your doctor obviously has no idea of the terrible dangers of low B12. Did you tell her you were walking into things? That should have set alarm bells ringing for her. But it didn't, did it. You're in range, so all is well! Not.

Yes, it does get complicated when you start comparing things. But, then again, it's no good just looking for 'the best one', because what makes it the best? You have to know exactly what you're looking for. There's a lot of stuff out there that isn't nearly Worth the price. It's just taking advantage of people who are concerned about their health but Don't really understand what they're doing. It's thoroughly immoral, in my opinion, but there you go. But Jarrow's is good for B12 and iron. Their multi-vitamin is just a con like most of the rest, though.