In addition to my daily Thyroxine dose of 100mcg I have been prescribed Vit B12, 4000 mcg per day by my Endo. The chemist has dispensed Cyanocominn which I understand is a synthetic Vit B preparation and I am led to believe not a good idea to take.
Should I insist the chemist dispenses only natural B12?
Are you also supplementing folate? Its usually recommended to take a good methyl B complex or you could take that in addition to your stand lone B12.
Likely chemists only stock cyanocobalmin but worth asking them if they have methylcobalmin.
Drops or a mouth spray are better absobed than tablets but not likely to be available on prescription.
cytoplan.co.uk/vitamin-b12-...
amazon.co.uk/Better-You-Boo...
B complex suggestions: Slightly cheaper options with inactive B6:
amazon.co.uk/Liposomal-Soft...
Contains B6 as P5P an active form:
bigvits.co.uk/thorne-resear...
healf.com/products/basic-b-...
Explanation about the different forms of B6:
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
B complex comparison spreadsheet:
Should I insist the chemist dispenses only natural B12?
I'm fairly sure that the NHS only prescribes cyanocobalamin in tablet form because it is the cheapest form there is. They prescribe hydroxocobalamin (also artificial) for injection and that is the cheapest form of injection.
For info on the different kinds of B12 that are generally available in the UK you should read this link :
perniciousanemia.org/b12/fo...
The other two forms of B12 that can generally be found online without prescription and aren't used by the NHS (probably because they are more expensive than cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin) are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. They are both active versions of B12 that don't require any form of conversion before they can be used by the body.
Completely agree with humanbean. The 2 active forms of VIT B12 are not licensed for NHS use, and won't be supplied to you on the NHS. They are more expensive. Nature Provides does a very good liquid B12 you put under your tongue , and is a combination of the 2 active forms. Slow Dragon often recommends it. If you can afford to buy this for yourself, I believe this would be the absolute best option for you. Some people can't convert to the 2 active forms, so very important to get this right. You can also alter the dose at will . 2 drops of this would be 461 mcg. You say your Endo has prescribed 4000 mcg daily. If you bought the Nature Provides , 4000 mcg would be 17 drops. G.P.s usually prescribe 25 mcg cyanocobalamin. Can you check the dose you have been prescribed by the Endo? I wonder if it may be 400mcg rather than 4000mcg he has prescribed? I am impressed with your Endo if it is 4000 mcg they have prescribed, but not that it will be in an inactive form.
I get mixed up all the time with mg and mcg . Can you confirm I've not messed up here , humanbean ?
What you've written looks fine to me. 
Sorry your quite right, my B12 prescribed is 100mcg per day. My D3 is 4000mcg!!
Are you sure your D3 dose isn't 4000 iU?
iU and mcg aren't the same thing. This link allows you to convert between the two.
grassrootshealth.net/projec...
I take 4000 iU = 100 mcg per day and I think it is quite a common dose taken by people on the forum.
Had a look at LONGEATON's previous posts now, and she has an empty sella, which I think you have too. So she is likely Central Hypothyroidism. Her B12 and folate are much too low and her G.P. and Endo have actually prescribed her 100 mcg cyanocobalamin! She doesn't seem to have acted on previous replies from SlowDragon in previous posts. She will get no help re. the injections she actually needs for B12 if she challenges her G.P. or Endo re. the B12. I was given 25 mcg cyanocobalamin from my G.P. when I think I actually need injections. I therefore know if she challenges her G.P. she will get nowhere as g.p.s don't even know there are active forms of B12 (Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin), much less what they do, and can't prescribe them anyway, unless off license. There is no chance that that will happen!
bookish , GlowCoach
Can an administrator step in here, to advise Longeaton again, as she is very ill and weak , from lack of core vitamins and is 86 years old, and in no fit state to battle with an incompetent Endo and G.P. She is quite confused, which is hardly surprising with her levels of core vitamins.
It is hardly surprising that you feel as weak and ill as you do . Your core vitamins are far too low. Your Endo and G.P. incompetent. I have asked an admin. to step in and advise you again as you do not seem to have been able to implement advice given to you in older posts, and need to try when they reply to do what they advise. Is there a family member who could help you with this? You could show them what advice you have received, and they may be able to help make sure you act on it. Things don't need to be this bad!
Hello, have they retested your B12 since you were taking the lower dose supplement and has it raised (and more importantly have symptoms improved?). I can't for the life of me see why they would give you oral, especially if you have neurological symptoms. Anyone over 50 is likely to find absorption increasingly difficult and I would have expected them to give you injections of hydroxocobalamin - at least a trial of loading doses (6 jabs over 2 weeks). 4000mcg is a decent dose but I wouldn't go straight to that much methylcobalamin ifyou do buy your own. Might be too much methyl. Start a bit lower and build gently. Jaydee has made a great suggestion of Cytoplan or Better You - I use the former and Dad and sister use the latter (but I also get weekly injections). Prior to jabs I was using 15000 mcg a day, but I've been using oral for 40 years and increasing slowly over the last 8! I see that your vit D was horribly low too - has that increased now? Best wishes
Vitamin B12 "normal" and /Serum Folate low
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Active Vitamin B12
Vitamin b12 injection or vit b complex
Starting Levo. B vitamin supplementation without b12.
