B12 Deficiency, anyone?

[MEkoan]

I just found out I have a B12 deficiency (also low iron) and I must admit that I'm feeling very hopeful that sublingual B12 will take care of a number of my neurological symptoms which would be thrilling! 

Anyone have any experience with treating a B12 deficiency and seeing an improvement?  A great big improvement!  I fully expect a great big improvement!

Anyone?

 

[cassea]

No experience, but I'm hoping for you JustME. Getting a doctor to test for this in Australia is a real challenge

[MEkoan]

Cassea,  I'm so sorry to hear that.  I feel positively giddy with the experience of having a test that leads to a positive action!  I am sorry that it is denied you.   

[Hysterical Woman]

Hi Justme,

Can you tell us what lab work they used to test you for B12 deficiency.  If you can get a copy from the library, the book "Could it Be B12?" is an incredible resource.

Take care,

HW

[MEkoan]

I don't know, HW.  I was only interested in the celiac panel and assumed everything else would be boring.  I didn't even know she requested a b12 measure. 

Then, when she called today, I didn't understand what a really significant piece this could be until I googled it after the fact so I didn't ask any questions and we don't get our lab results here - they are the property of the doctor.  The doc's office did not want to tell me anything over the phone because OHIP (provincial health ins.) doesn't pay the doc for phone calls.  She called me anyway with the results but I felt kinda pressured to keep it short. 

It must be a standard, traditional test because OHIP paid for it when they would not pay for a celiac panel.  So, whatever the oldest, most commonly used blood test to measure B12 is, that's it. 

This could mean I will be able to think again at some point!!!  It could mean I will stop twitching, veering, vibrating, tingling and... what was I saying?  Oh yeah, forgetting!

 

[Karin]

You might want to talk to your doc about B12 shots. That would be the best way to make sure you get enough of it into your body.

[Psychonaut]

Hi JustMe.

There is a good run down of B12 here,

http://forum.notcrazy.net/index.php?topic=8128.0

Deficiency or not some find B12 shots helpful, something I will try myself next month.

[MEkoan]

Thanks Karin and Psychonaut,

I will check out the link.  I've been reading studies comparing shots and sublingual and they seem to be a wash.  Of course, you have to dissolve many times the amount but I'm ok with that - I've already dissolved 2000µ.  If I don't experience a huge improvement in 6 mo., I'll repeat the blood test to see if sublingual worked.  If not, I'll do shots.  But, I'm really gonna work the placebo effect and assume great things will happen!

 

[gracenote]

Here is what Cheney says in one of his protocols:

Hydroxy B12 – One cc SC at bedtime or a.m., or twice a day if you feel better with it. Try SL and compare effectiveness. Hydroxy B12 is a potent scavenger of NO (nitric oxide). About 10% of people will get acne at the high doses which will go away at a 50% reduction. This may be a detox response thru the skin. One percent of people will feel worse on these doses, probably from NO down regulation and decrease in microcirculation.

[MEkoan]

Gracenote,

Cheney is talking about injected dose, yes?  I have no idea how to translate that into sublingual terms. 

I have 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg tablets which I will probably break in 1/2 first, and then in 1/4.  According to what I read today, you need to take between 650 mcg and 1200 mcg per day to improve serum profile. 

Do you have any idea how I might... no brain!  No brain!  Thank heaven for this development because, no brain!  I'm going to see if I can get more info about what cheney has to say about sublingual doses.

I have taken 2000 mcg this evening so I hope I don't get acne 

[Wildaisy]

My daughter always tests low in B12 and is always having to take B12 injections.  There is a book she always recommends to other people called Could It Be B12? 

[gracenote]

Gracenote,

Cheney is talking about injected dose, yes? I have no idea how to translate that into sublingual terms. 

I don't have a good answer for you. I would think, though, that start slow and build up would be a good way to go.

[jace]

Oh wow, JustME, I so hope this helps you get your brain working again.  That would be a gift.  I've heard that the shots are more effective, some types of sub-lingual are not absorbed effectively, so if you don't get improvement with the tabs, could you push for the shots?

 

[Nina]

Hey JustME,

I've been diagnosed with B12 deficiency about a year before I knew I had ME.

The first round of shots didn't do much for me. A couple of months later I was still showing a megaloblastic anemia which can be a sign of B12 deficiency (but also of folate and B6 if I remember correctly).

This time I received daily shots for a week, then 1 shot a week for 4 weeks and then one a month. That worked miracles for me. No more dizziness and brainfog and much improved strength and energy. That lasted for about 10 weeks before I declined again, and no amount of B12 was able to stop that.

I have since found out I am severely deficient in at least half a dozen other things that are essential for normal mitochondrial function and ATP pruduction. So my best guess is that the B12 worked well until the bottle neck was somewhere else, and some of these factors are impossible to replete for me, like carnitine or Q10.

I also would like to encourage you to try all different forms of B12, (adenosyl hasn't been named on this thread I think), they all do different things for me.

Many people have reported good improvement on various B12 regimes, so I hope you will benefit a lot from it, too!

[garcia]

I'd agree with Nina about different forms having different effects. Also shots have different effects from sublingual. The 2 are not equivalent (at least not in me). One isn't necessarily better than the other - they just seem to be different.

Could it be B12 is a must purchase IMHO if you feel B12 is a big part of your picture. It won't tell you everything, but it's a good start.