I have been having the pin pricking sensation which you HU folk say is a side effect of low B12, but I am taking a sublingual B12 supplement of 1,000ug by a company called Nu U Nutrition, for a month now and still have the pricking sensation.
So I'm wondering whether these tablets are a good enough quality. I think they are a fairly new company and only sell on Amazon.
Would love some answers please from you very knowledgeable people ? Getting really fed up with sensation !!
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C70rol
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C70rol The ones usually recommended here are Solgar or Jarrows sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges. What is your B12 level? It may be that you need the 5000mcg dose rather than the 1000mcg dose, particularly if your level is below 500.
Thank you SeasideSusie, I think I'm going to get one or other of those. I was taking 1000 before my doc told me to stop taking it as my B12 blood test result was too high in his estimation 1523(180-800)
C70rol With a B12 level of 1523 you don't need to supplement at the moment. The Pernicious Anaemia Society recommends 1000. It is possible that it's not being absorbed but it's also possible that the pricking sensation is due to something else.
You need all the B vits balanced when taking B12 so you should have been taking a B Complex and that would have included some folate which Jazzw has mentioned.
If I had stopped supplementing for 2 months would that not have made me low in it ? And I do take a good B complex. Strangely I do not have the sensation in the evenings when relaxing.
I am so baffled and was hoping that it was just a B 12 problem. I have been feeling I need more Armour especially as I had an accident 3 weeks ago.
It is best to go on a maintenance dose rather than stop altogether. I got my B12 up from 660ish to 990ish by just taking 1000mcg daily. I then dropped down to taking it 5 days a week but I've just done a Plus Ten test and it's showing around 1200 so I'm only going to supplement 3 days a week now.
Are you also supplementing folate? You utilise folate while making use of B12, if that makes sense, so it could be that. Did you have yourB12 levels tested before supplementing?
Thanks for your reply, I am not supplementing with folate, and annoyingly when I had my blood tests done in early June my ferritin was tested but not folate. Ferritin was good at 150 (25-300). I don't know if that helps?
My B12 levels were 1523 (180-800). (Also in June), which my doctor said was too high and told me to stop it, which I did.
Then at the beginning of August I started with the pricking sensation, so I started again with the B12 tablets I mentioned above, everyday.
Perhaps I should get the Jarrows ?
Do you know if taking 2 of the 1000 per day at the beginning would be safe to do ?
I take Jarrow B12. It's the best and my B12 has jumped up to 1070 since being on it, it was 212 initially.
Though they were too strong for me [raised my B12 super quick and super high].
They are capsules rather than tablets, so I bought some empty gelatin capsules and divided out the contents, which gave me about 240 capsules rather than 60.
You need to absorb B12 in mouth, not in the gut, especially if you have any known gut issues, or gluten intolerance.
But as SeasideSusies says, you need to keep all the B's in balance, by also taking good quality vitamin B complex. One with folate in, not cheaper folic acid
Once you are supplementing B12 in any form - the blood tests are of little relevance as they will always appear high. B12 is not needed in the blood - it is needed in the cells and only 20% of your result will be transferred to the cells. Some of the blood B12 is bound and some is unbound. Only one type reaches the cells. This is clearly stated in the Guidelines for Folate and B12 Deficiency which your GP should have read ....
How low was your B12 before supplementing ? Do you have any gut issues ?
Thank you so much Marz for your reply.!t is so helpful. I was beginning to despair. I have been supplementing B12 for at least a year, but mostly on a maintenance level, ie about 3 days a week.
My 'gut seems to be well nowadays, thanks to Biona Apple C.V, twice a day and Biocare digestive enzymes.
It's so difficult when doctors have little or no knowledge of what we struggle with and so are unable to help. I value this site so much and the knowledge that people like you have.
I have made a note of the web sites you gave me and will check them out thoroughly.
Thanks again Marz, I follow your posts with great interest !!!
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