Supplement related?

[Sue777]

Sue,

I always love reading your posts because you are so insightful. There may be a lot of truth in that last paragraph. Yes, it does sound like it could be anxiety. Have you tried breathing (rebreathing actually) into a paper bag that you close around your mouth and nose? If your tingling is from blowing off too much carbon dioxide due to hyperventilation (which is common with anxiety), then this will help.

Perhaps you need to replay the song "Let it GO" constantly in your head throughout the day?

Feel better,

Polly

Thanks for your thoughts, Polly. I am going to ATTEMPT to stop trying figuring it out, stop dwelling on it, and maybe it will just go away. And since so many things are changing within, I'll just try to let them all work together, settle in, and give me some peace and harmony.

Regarding that song? Why don't you just tell me to put "It's a Small World" in my head, too..... that would be just about as annoying! :) Tom Jones and Barry Manilow will calm things down... I'm an old-timer.

[brandy]

Sue I had the tingling sensation running up and down my arms when I was really sick from MC. I'm pretty sure mine was a B vitamin deficiency. It disappeared never to return after I supplemented with the absorbable B vitamins.

[Sue777]

Sue I had the tingling sensation running up and down my arms when I was really sick from MC. I'm pretty sure mine was a B vitamin deficiency. It disappeared never to return after I supplemented with the absorbable B vitamins.

Thanks, Brandy - that gives me hope! I ordered the type of B12 that Tex suggested and they should be here tomorrow.
Sue

[Polly]

Sue,

LOL - I agree that "Let it Go" is as annoying as "Small World"!

Polly

P.S. I take the sublingual liquid methylcobalamin (B-12). When I was taking the pill form my B-12 blood level was dropping steadily. This is something to consider for folks like us who may not be absorbing optimally from the gut. Also, the older we get, the weaker our stomach acid becomes, and adequate absorption of B-12 needs strong stomach acid. Taking it sublingually avoids needing the gut below the mouth.

[Sue777]

Sue,

I take the sublingual liquid methylcobalamin (B-12). When I was taking the pill form my B-12 blood level was dropping steadily. This is something to consider for folks like us who may not be absorbing optimally from the gut. Also, the older we get, the weaker our stomach acid becomes, and adequate absorption of B-12 needs strong stomach acid. Taking it sublingually avoids needing the gut below the mouth.

Oh, sure.... NOW you tell me! OK, back to Amazon I go to order some sub-lingual methyl B-12. I guess it's better to have too much than too little, right? I'm going to need a new cabinet for all my drugs and supplements!
Sue

[Polly]

Sue, you are a hoot!

If your absorption problem is due to methylation only, you might be just fine with the pill form. If I were you, I'd go ahead and try that first. You can always try the sublingual later if you haven't seen a relief in your symptoms.

Polly

[Sue777]

Sue, you are a hoot!

If your absorption problem is due to methylation only, you might be just fine with the pill form. If I were you, I'd go ahead and try that first. You can always try the sublingual later if you haven't seen a relief in your symptoms.

Polly

Well I guess you and the Universe agree on that because I snuck out of the office to go to my local GNC to pick up sublingual B12 methyl (which their website showed they have) but they didn't have any in stock.

The tingling/prickles are really bad today, ears, face, neck, scalp, so I wonder if I should cool it with all these supplements for a while... it seems to be getting worse the "healthier" I get.
Sue

[tex]

so I wonder if I should cool it with all these supplements for a while... it seems to be getting worse the "healthier" I get.

I have to say that's a good point. With MC, often for some of us, less is more. But that applies to the MC symptoms. Your symptoms are a real head-scratcher Whenever I ran low on B-12, my symptoms tended to be more like "tics" near the outside corner of an eye, or a muscle in my arm; or partial loss of feeling (numbness) at limb extremities; or "rogue" (ideopathic) sensations of heat, or cold, or pain.

Tex

[Sue777]

I'm going to continue building up the amount of magnesium I get into me, but I'm going to take a few days off from all B12. I only started B12 when I became vegan but now that I'm eating meat again, I don't really know if I NEED a supplemental at this point. It's certainly worth trying because I won't rest easy until I figure out what's causing the prickling. It's not rendering me dysfunctional, but it really does start to get to you after a while.

I'll let you know.
Sue

[Vanessa]

Hate to say it Sue...

anything having to do with firing of nerves ......ta da MAGNESIUM! I had prickly skin on just my outer thighs...But what came first? did the mag fix my fluctuating hormones and then took care of the prickly skin issue? who knows. but the answer remains the same. Mag, good methylated B's, Vit D. I am like a broken record. Good to see you and hope you are improving.

[Sue777]

I agree that magnesium, built up slowly, is a good thing and probably very-much needed by my body.... I'm not giving that up. BUT... I now remember that when I tried eating Vegan in January and my doc insisted I take B12 I did and immediately told her that I was having a bad reaction to it. She first insisted that that was impossible but then told me to start slower and build up, which I have done. But I just found an article that states just about EVERY symptom I've been feeling lately:

10 Important Side Effects of too Much Vitamin B12 That People Don’t Think About
Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin that is found in food and is also taken through a shot, supplements and gel. Used to help in weight loss and other medical problems such as anemia in patients, this vitamin is an important part of our diets. Vitamin B12 helps to metabolize fats and proteins stored in the body, makes a special fatty coating that protects your nerves, helps you to produce and grow new cells, restores mental clarity and reduces the risk of several cardiovascular diseases among many other necessary and useful things. However, while it has many benefits, there are also some side effects that can make you ill if it is taken in large doses. Many of these side effects can be present when B12 is used at much higher doses than recommended.

1. Blood Clots in the Legs: This side effect can become a serious problem if left untreated. If you suspect that you are experiencing blood clots, you should seek medical assistance as soon as possible for evaluation.

2. Diarrhea: Mild incontinence can often occur as a result of medications and supplements and is often overlooked as a side effect.

3. Swelling: Swelling can occur in the area of the mouth and throat as a reaction to allergies or a full body feeling of being swollen.

4. Breathing Problems: This can be anything from a wheezing sound while breathing all the way up to shortness of breath.

5. Exhaustion: Many people who use B12, experience some fatigue but those who are dealing with the effects of too much of the vitamin are often utterly exhausted and sleep more than normal

6. Hives: Hives and other skin irritations and itching are common responses to allergy and are often overlooked on their own. If the level of acne produced by your skin goes up, there’s a strong chance that B12 is its cause.

7. Frequent Urination: B12 has been used for the purpose of losing weight; this is because B vitamins cause the body to process fats. However, consistent high levels of B12 can cause a more persistent and bothersome rate of urination.

8. Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Chest pressure, anxiety and even heart palpitations can occur as a result of too much B12 in the body.

9. Insomnia: While some people who experience extreme exhaustion will want to sleep all the time, others instead deal with the symptoms of insomnia. This does not always mean not being able to get to sleep. For some people, getting to sleep isn’t the issue; the problem lies in the ability to stay asleep long enough to get consistent restful sleep every night.

10. Dizziness and Lack of Coordination: Loss of coordination and even dizziness when combined with any of the above, warrants immediate medical attention as it could be linked to a less common side effect which could cause atrophy of the optic nerve.[quote]

The ones that have been VERY bothersome this week are the skin feelings, the inability to take a deep breathe, and having to pee SO MUCH more than usual!

This may or may not be the source of my issues, but it's certainly worth trying to lay off the B12 for a while to see if things improve, right?
Sue

[Vanessa]

I suppose anything is possible, but my understanding is the B's are water soluble and give you really expensive pee when you don't need them! I take the ReAline B complex. I don't know if that has anything to do with balancing the rest of them? But the high dosage never gave me trouble.

[tex]

Sue,

Here's my 2 cents worth:

You may be onto something because it's possible to be allergic to almost anything. Doctors (or anyone else) who recommends that someone should "start slowly and work up" in order to bypass an intolerance issue is a dreamer, IMO. That's attempting to force the body to accept a known allergen. This trick is used by immunologists and allergists to overcome allergies. It works, sort of, in that you can indeed force your body to accept it. But published research shows that this does not stop the inflammation. The inflammation continues in the intestines. And that's probably your problem. You're allergic to an ingredient in that supplement.

Tex

[Sue777]

Sue,

Here's my 2 cents worth:

You may be onto something because it's possible to be allergic to almost anything. Doctors (or anyone else) who recommends that someone should "start slowly and work up" in order to bypass an intolerance issue is a dreamer, IMO. That's attempting to force the body to accept a known allergen. This trick is used by immunologists and allergists to overcome allergies. It works, sort of, in that you can indeed force your body to accept it. But published research shows that this does not stop the inflammation. The inflammation continues in the intestines. And that's probably your problem. You're allergic to an ingredient in that supplement.

Tex

Well, Buddy.... your "two cents worth" converts to a MUCH higher value in my currency, so thank you for giving me the peace of mind and confirmation that this MAY BE my issue. Only time will tell, but I totally agree with your thoughts on "building slowly". If you need to "build slowly" then obviously it's something you're going to or could possibly be reacting to. And I am always leery of a doctor who tells me "that's not possible" when discussing a theory because every human body is different and reacts so differently to millions of factors. I don't believe there is any such thing as "not possible" when it comes to a person's reaction to something.

Thanks again. I'll let you know in a few days if symptoms let up, but the one with the inability to take a deep breathe and having to pee so often made a light bulb go off.... I wasn't connecting that to the prickly skin but it may all be due to the same thing. Oh, and they mention puffiness? I haven't been able to get my rings off for days and am confused by that because I have not eaten anything salty. Hope this is the answer but even if it's not, thanks to everyone for chiming in and trying to help.
Sue

[sunny]

Sue....Every body's body is so different, and even if you are the only one in this group that is reacting to Vitamin B12, that doesn't mean it's NOT happening to you....plus you have now mentioned a possibility that many of us haven't heard of.... I share some of those symptoms also...hmmm...I think it's worth looking into...
I'll be interested in what comes of this in your life and if it could be the Vit B12 that's impacting your health....
Sunny