Vitamin B Injections?

CanadianMommy · Post by **CanadianMommy** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:11 pm

I don't believe I've seen a discussion about this before, but I could have missed it.... Have any of you had success with Vitamin B injections? I am currently taking a pill form Vitamin B complex, which my doctor and Pharmacist both believe is "safe" for my tummy. But I have recently been given the option of a Vitamin B injection to see if it might help settle down my D. The doctor said it is good for about 8-10 months. Would this be a better method than the pills I am currently taking? Would it be absorbed better through injection and possibly be easier on my tummy?

Also, is there another form of Iron rather than pills? I know they can be hard on my tummy, doctor confirmed this as well.

Thanks for your input!

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:19 pm

I have had Vit B12 deficiencies in the past, I had good results using a Lingual version of Vit B (absorbed via saliva etc rather than gut)

the other topic that is discussed a bit, moreso recently is taking active forms of Vit B12 and B6

My take on this, when our bodies are super inflammed having drastic change or high level of something injected can cause immune/adrenals to react which affects the gut. when I was super inflammed, with supplements/nutrients etc i found small doses through the day, working gradually up to full dose worked alot better.

i know there are others that have had Vit B12 injections, so it might be worth doing a search and seeing the discussions on that topic.

Post by **tex** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 8:10 pm

To add to what Gabes posted, most lower-priced vitamins use the inactive form of B-12, cyanocobalamin, which may not be absorbed well by someone who has MC. That's why many/most of us here use the active form of B-12, methylcobalamin (the label will show you which form is used in the product), especially early on, when we are not absorbing nutrients very well.

Research shows that the methylcobalamin lozenges designed to be dissolved under the tongue are just as effective at getting B-12 into our system as the shots that doctors use. They are more expensive than the regular cyanocobalamin tablets, but probably cheaper (and certainly more convenient) than going to the doctor's office for a shot.

When I was recovering I used a lozenge that contained 1,000 mcg of B-12 (in methylcobalamin form), plus 400 mcg of folic acid. I chose that combination because adequate folic acid must be present or the body cannot utilize B-12, and 400 mcg meets the average daily needs. These days, many foods are fortified with folic acid, but unfortunately, we have to cut most of those foods out of our diet, because they contain gluten, or some other ingredient that we cannot tolerate.

The iron issue can be a tough one. Can you tolerate blackstrap molasses? A few members here have used it with some success. Brandy has had a lot of experience with the iron issue. Hopefully she will see your post and respond with some insight for providing safe supplemental iron.

Tex

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:57 pm

Tex,

I got 15 injections of B12 Hydroxocobalamin in 2013, but it had no noticeable effect as to my fatigue, tingling, neurological pain and unsteady gait.

The GP I have today says that taking B12 injections will not help, since the vitamin in this form does not reach into cell level, but will just "float around in the blood system and be of no use".

B12 sublinguals, Methylcobalamin 5,000 micrograms taken together with B9 folic acid however, has helped me a lot.

Lilja

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:56 am

I have been taking these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDP ... UTF8&psc=1
and also these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HW7 ... UTF8&psc=1

They have the active form of the b vitamins.

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:27 am

Welcome to the forum. You are certainly on the right track. I have a dehydrator and make jerky out of ground meat. It's really pretty easy to do and you have a go to protein that you can take with you. Your daughter might even like it. I know my granddaughter does.

http://gnowfglins.com/2010/01/20/not-so-tough-jerky/

I make it with just ground meat and salt.

This is the B12 I take:

http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitami ... rry-flavor

Another trick I have learned is to change what I tell myself about the way I eat. It is hard to stick to a plan if you keep telling yourself that you are bored with it. Instead turn around what you say to something that works for you like "I am grateful to have a way to eat that is simple and is letting me heal." Also remind yourself that any food that is making you sick is not a food for you. It is a poison in your system, no matter how good it may taste. I believe that working on my mind and attitude has been as important as figuring how to eat to insure my healing.

Jean

henrym · Post by **henrym** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:24 am

nerdhume wrote:I have been taking these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDP ... UTF8&psc=1

They have the active form of the b vitamins.

I am going to try the sublingual form of b12 instead of the injections. What about adding the above multivitamin (also for folic acid and d3)? Or is that overkill?

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:51 am

I read on the group recently that B vitamins need to be taken together because they are excreted together. Taking too much B12 alone may cause a deficiency in the other B vitamins.

aquilegia · Post by **aquilegia** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:04 am

My cat was given B12 injections monthly for inflammatory bowel disease and it helped him. He had really bad diarrhea for months. The vet tried antibiotics, probiotics, etc. and none of those treatments worked.

Post by **tex** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:31 am

Lilja wrote:Tex,

I got 15 injections of B12 Hydroxocobalamin in 2013, but it had no noticeable effect as to my fatigue, tingling, neurological pain and unsteady gait.

The GP I have today says that taking B12 injections will not help, since the vitamin in this form does not reach into cell level, but will just "float around in the blood system and be of no use".

B12 sublinguals, Methylcobalamin 5,000 micrograms taken together with B9 folic acid however, has helped me a lot.

Lilja

Hi Lilja,

The problem is that hydroxocobalamin is not an active form of B-12, so the body still has to convert it into a useable form, and when we have health issues (such as an IBD), that may not be practical or even possible. IOW the injectable form bypasses a malabsorption problem, but it still does not address a conversion problem that some of us may have (especially if we are reacting).

Tex

megamoxie · Post by **megamoxie** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:01 pm

CanadianMommy wrote:

Also, is there another form of Iron rather than pills? I know they can be hard on my tummy, doctor confirmed this as well.

Iron pills were horrible on my stomach. I could not tolerate them, so I used to have iron infusions periodically (at my worst, 2X per year). They gave me an IV with saline, gave me some IV Benadryl to prevent a bad reaction, and then hooked up what looked like a small bag of rust alongside the saline. It took 2-3 hours altogether. The Benadryl made me a bit woozy so I had to have someone drive me to and from the infusions. But I felt MUCH better afterward.

This was for some years before my MC diagnosis (July/August this year).[/quote]

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:39 am

aquilegia wrote:My cat was given B12 injections monthly for inflammatory bowel disease and it helped him. He had really bad diarrhea for months. The vet tried antibiotics, probiotics, etc. and none of those treatments worked.

This is interesting!

My D came back just as I had run out of B12 sublinguals, let's say I had been without them for 7 days (and 10 days after my last Entocort tablet) . I order B12 from Denmark, since pure B12 sublinguals are prescription-based here in my country. And, I don't think my GP would agree that I need them, since my values are within the established ref values of B12. However, I think the B12 sublinguals helped me with a lot of issues.

It will be exciting to see if my D calms down when my new batch arrives.

Lilja

Post by **tex** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:26 am

Lilja wrote:It will be exciting to see if my D calms down when my new batch arrives.

It certainly will, because this would be a new direction for MC treatments. Here's why I have a hunch that it may work: Hormones have a strong effect on MC, and vitamin B-12 is linked with estrogen.

Research

A study reported in the January 2000 “Mayo Clinic Proceedings” found that postmenopausal women who were given estrogen therapy for six months showed no significant changes in vitamin B12 levels. Another study, reported in the January 2006 “International Journal of Vitamin Research,” found that obese postmenopausal women who took a vitamin supplement containing vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 over an 8-week period had increased levels of estradiol, one of the primary estrogen hormones.

More Research

An article in the April 2005 “Maturitas” reported a study of postmenopausal women who had also undergone surgical removal of both the uterus and ovaries. Some of the women were given estradiol as a nasal spray and a control group was not given the medication. Among those women who received estradiol, vitamin B12 levels showed a tendency to increase, while vitamin B12 levels in the control group did not change.

Does Vitamin B-12 Affect Estrogen Levels?

Tex