Sublingual B12

[terre]

I have some Sub B12 in my cabinet and the ingredients are:

B12 (Methyl Cobalamin) - 2000 mcg
Folic Acid - 800 mcg
Vit B6 - 5mg
Biotin - 25 mcg
Vit C (Sodium Ascorbate) - 3 mg

In a base of Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Fructose, Fruit Punch Flavor, Steraric Acid & Magnesium Stearate,
Croscamellose Sodium

What do you think? Does anyone have one they would recommend?

Terre

[JLH]

http://www.vitacost.com/heaven-sent-sub ... folic-acid

Sounds like the one I was taking. Then I got Freeda but it has mannitol and sorbitol so I won't buy it again.

[tlras]

Hey,

I was just advised by my doctor that I need to supplement with sublinqual B-12. My range was low normal and she was concerned...been having a lot of headaches and other signs that I have a deficiency. Ugh. Too bad no one else commented on this thread....surely there are a lot of us taking sublinqual B-12 you would think? And I'm assuming they all have sugar alcohols or artifical sweeteners in it. If anyone knows of one that doesn't please let me know!!! I'm off to my health food store on Friday and if it's gluten, dairy and soy free I'm getting no matter what kind of sugar alcohol is in it. I need to get my levels up and fast!! After reading up on B-12, this is not something you want to be deficient in! Will take the chance on the sugars! Have started taking a b-complex as well per doctor's instructions but that has Polyethylene Glycol in it....jeez! Braving that one as well and see how it goes. Need to get out of this funk.

And doctor didn't even advise me how much to take! 1,000, 2,000, more? Didn't think to ask!

Terre....if you know your levels are low, I would take what you have and see what happens!

Terri

[terre]

Terri, I wish I could be of more help....sorry you have yet another issue to deal with.

I'm going to ask my "female" doc to check my D level at my appt. on 8/27, but hadn't thought about B levels. Did your doc only check B12 or what? Thanks for bringing this to my attention, so I can get that checked at the same time.

Wishing you well,
Terre

[tlras]

Terre,

She only checked my B-12 and it was at my request! They don't normally check that. I'm appalled at my GI doctor who likes me to have bloodwork every 6 months but has never once wanted to check my b-12!!! It was reading this forum that gave me that knowledge....dang doctors.

I feel great other than some b-12 deficiency....symptoms are like that of anemia.

Take care,
Terri

[tex]

Terri and Terre,

I've never found a sublingual B-12 lozenge that didn't contain a sugar alcohol or two. Without them it would probably taste bitter.

I've used 5,000 mcg B-12 lozenges when I was deficient, but I finally settled on 1,000 mcg B-12 plus 400 mcg folic acid, because adequate folic acid is necessary in order for the body to be able to utilize B-12.

2,000 mcg of B-12 plus 800 mcg of folic acid sounds like a good combination, and that's a decent dosage level.

For me, the citric acid and sodium ascorbate would have been a bigger problem than the sugar alcohols. IOW, it seems to take larger amounts of sugar alcohols to cause problems than what is contained in vitamin supplements. I was never sure how much of a problem the citric acid and sodium ascorbate was — I just knew that too much was disastrous for me. It would cause not only D, but nausea and vomiting also).

Tex

[tlras]

Thanks Tex!

I have more of an idea what to look for now. I seem to do okay with sugar alcohols. I do well with citric acid too but not too much of the stuff. Doctor wants me on 500mcg of b-12. Hope I can find that dosage!

So does the b-12 you take now have citric acid/sodium ascrobate in it?

btw...my my folate levels were very good....is that the same as folic acid?

Terri

[terre]

Tex, thanks for the B12 info.

When I ask my doc to check D3 you said they should order the 25(OH)D test. What about B12....what test is best for that?

Also, should I just ask for a vitamin panel to check all levels or just ask for D3 and B12?

Thanks,
Terre

[tex]

So does the b-12 you take now have citric acid/sodium ascrobate in it?

No, but it does contain mannitol. I take Metanx, which is not a sublingual lozenge, but it is a prescription blend of the active forms of B-12, B-9, and B-6 (B-9 is folate). I take it to treat peripheral neuropathy, which apparently developed because I ran short of B-12 early on before I figured out that food sensitivities were my problem.

btw...my my folate levels were very good....is that the same as folic acid?

Yes, they are the same.

What about B12....what test is best for that?

The standard test that doctors order is the correct one. (For all I know, it may be the only one.)

Also, should I just ask for a vitamin panel to check all levels or just ask for D3 and B12?

I don't know if there is such a thing as a vitamin panel (that includes tests for many vitamins), but if there is, it would probably be very expensive. B-12 and D3 are the ones most likely to be deficient in patients who have IBDs, and they are the ones that are the most likely to provide the most benefits for IBD patients.

We also tend to be low on the mineral magnesium, but there is no point in asking your doctor for a magnesium test, because he or she will order a blood test, and the blood tests are totally worthless for determining magnesium levels. Those tests will always show a normal result, unless the body's magnesium reserves are so low as to actually be at a life-threatening level. The reason for that is due to the fact that the body always maintains blood levels of magnesium within a narrow range, by drawing magnesium from cells all over the body as needed. The only way to get an accurate magnesium test is to do a tissue test, and most doctors probably don't even know how to do that.

It's generally safe to just assume that we are magnesium deficient, if we are eating a limited diet. Many/most of us take a magnesium supplement, but be very careful with magnesium, because it's a laxative when used in significant doses (much above 300 or 400 mg). One way to judge whether or not we are magnesium-deficient is by the presence or absence of muscle spasms. If we have leg or foot cramps, or restless leg syndrome, the odds are high that we are magnesium-deficient. If taking a magnesium supplement resolves those symptoms (or at least reduces their intensity), that's prima facie evidence that a magnesium deficiency was the cause of the symptoms. Note that if magnesium doesn't resolve leg and/or foot cramps, then a deficiency of either potassium, sodium, or calcium (or a combination of 2 or more) may be the problem.

Tex

[terre]

I was having awful leg cramps at night....so the last few nights, I've been eating a banana before bed and the cramps have lessened to the point that most nights I am not awakened - sometimes they will start if I begin stretching before I get out of bed....but much improved!

Thanks for the info on the vitamins,
Terre

[tex]

Terre,

I was still editing my previous post when you posted. Please reread it in case you missed some of the information that I added about mineral deficiencies and leg/foot cramps.

You're very welcome.

Tex