Vitamin B12 injection

[MsGymRat]

I was newly diagnosed Aug 26, 2012.

I went to my primary care doctor yesterday to discuss some lab results. Im on Betaseron and he asked me how i was doing with it. I toke him that it seems to be a very caustic medication. I started the full dose about one week ago.

I mentioned my fatigue and he prescribed a vitamin B12 injection for me. Has anyone had those? What were the results?

If it helps me, how soon would I be able to tell?

TIA!

Karen

[JerryD]

Karen,
If the doc gave you a shot of vitamin B-12, it should have had relatively immediate results. Meaning that the docs shot is usually a Mega-dose . I take 2000 mcg's daily. Regular PCP's don't know a lot about vitamins.
The doctor should have taken your blood and had labs for vitamin D levels, vitamin B-12 levels and magnesium levels. Then when you get the shot, the doc can track if it is doing anything, or what the shot is doing. I had the doctor do those blood tests yesterday.
The doctor should determine your levels and use supplementation to 'normalize' them. I was low on both vitamin D and vitamin B-12. I am on 5000 iu's of D daily and 2000mcg's of B-12 daily, sublingual. Vitamin B-12 is not absorbed very well if swallowed. It should be administered IM or by sublingual tablet. Good luck

[MsGymRat]

thanks

Thanks for your reply.

I felt the results in about 24 hrs.
I mentioned to the PCP that my neurologist had already tested my B12 and D levels. I didn't think I could OD on it so I didn't insist that he check with my neurologist first.

[Fed Up]

Thank You for posting the dose's. I put myself on the B 12, and a complex, weeks, prior to my lab tests. And Taking one subilnqual, for a boost, during activities. Not knowing how much to take.

My V D, is 500% of daily rec alllowance. I'll ask my M.D. about testing, as well.
Sure is nice of everyone, to help each other so much, here! ty Up

[JerryD]

Thanks for your praise, folks. I am not a medical person, so I am glad to post the info I learn and hear the feedback. It keeps me honest.
I wouldn't put too much trust in the RDA's values. Those values are values that are 'to sustain life'. I only use those RDA values as a 'starting point.
The best way to determine if you are taking enough of a vitamin is to get the blood serum levels tested in the lab. Tell your doctor the doses that you take ( or don't take ), and get him to draw blood samples to be tested in the lab.
Keep in mind that there is a 'known' deficiency throughout the US in vitamin D and magnesium. Both of these play a large role in autoimmune disease. Go figure... Good luck

[lydialou]

Vitamin B12

I have been considering checking into vitamin B12 and how it might help me feel a little perkier. Yes, I could take something like Provigil but I hate to tahe that stuff a lot. I would rather try to vitamin route-it seems more natural. I am not currently taking a multi-vitamin with that in it. I have a friend who is training for a marathon and she just started taking B12 by injection. She just had her first one a day ago so she is still waiting to see what happens. She has consulted with someone who works with athletes and does very thorough blood work first to see what is happening currently in their bodies. That makes sense to me.

I have thought about talking to my neuro about it when I see him in the spring. I know better than to say anything to my internist-he is not big on anything but prescription drugs. My neuro is the one who found my Vitamin D deficiency. I have been taking 50,000 units of vitamin D for nearly 3 years before getting to a point where it needed to be. At my visit in November, he did labs and called me back to say "hooray" your levels are acceptable. So now I take the mega dose every other week. I am glad that my levels are ok now. But I am not sure if I feel any differently. ???

For those of you who currently take vitamin B12, where do you get yours? And I had not heard about the sublimial (did I spell that right?). SO thanks for letting me know.

lydialou

[MyGirlsMom]

This is a very big issue in my life right now and I posted about it in a thread about a month or so ago.

It turns out that I was dxd with pernicious anemia about the same time as my MS dx (although my MS has been around for over 15 yrs.). My PCP believes that a once a month dose of 1ML injected (SubQ or IM) should be suFficient. However, I have been thinking that my dose has NOT been sufficient. For the past couple of years I was using the prescription B12 nasal spray. For the past two years I have had increasing peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet, which we all attributed to MS. It wasn't until I changed from the nasal spray to an injection that I felt immediate relief (within 24 hrs) of the pain in my hands and feet. (I changed from the spray to injections due to HUGE cost difference, plus heck, I've gotten quite good at manual SubQ injections with Copaxone!) The pain didn't entirely go away but substantially diminished and thus got me thinking to research B12. I have since learned that many symptoms of a B12 deficiency mimic MS.

At a recent visit to my neuro, he believes that I should inject B12 several times a week. (Quite a different approach compared to my PCP, huh?). I am waiting for blood test results to see what my levels are. But I have to say that I have been taking B12 sublingually 5,000 mcgs 2 times per day for the past month. I believe you cannot OD on it as your body will pass extra in urine. For the first time in two years, my hands don't hurt...my feet arent quite there, but so so much better...it feels like a miracle to me.

In the prior thread someone shared about a book called Could it be B12? I think that is the name. (I am so grateful to whomever that was that shared that info here at MSWorld!!) That book had a ton of info and I highly recommend it. Thus, sometimes it is easy to attribute symptoms to MS, but it might not be MS at all.

Best wishes on your B12 journey!

[palmtree]

I tried it twice. My answer to your question is: I don't know if it helped or not.

I felt a bit better but I haven't been eating well since my dx. [MS makes me lose my appetite] It could be that it was just supplementing vitamins that I needed anyway.

It can't hurt. If your insurance covers it, why not?

[Westgrl]

I was B12 deficient. Finally got my numbers way up but it did little for my fatigue.

I think maybe for a normal person, it would give them a boost, or someone not suffering from fatigue too severe. For me, no change. I keep my levels up though because it's essential to help protect the nerves.l

[JerryD]

I lost this post due to bad hand coordination. I want to say that if you are going to post about these topics, I would appreciate that you give dosages in the common measurement units. And I would appreciate that these discussions have a good amount of specifics in them.
If you are taking vitamin D, please tell us how many iu's daily and how many per dose (pill). And then tell us what your levels are now and how much they have changed. Same with B-12. If you take the B-12, and it is not IM or sub-lingual, it probably isn't doing anything for you. And if you have some numbers to prove that your vitamins are working, let us know what you are doing.

[Westgrl]

For B12, I was severely deficient. My numbers were 163.

I was given injections and after 6 months, it was up to 505. Like vitamin D, the numbers of normal that are provided really aren't high enough. The normal numbers can still lead to neurological symptoms. The doctor said he wanted to start me on supplements, stop the injections.

I did some research & found out the normal B12 isn't so great. What is best is B12 Methylcobalamin (also known as Methyl B12). Sublingual being even better.

I got them on Amazon. 5000 mcg. I would take 1 in the morning. After 2 1/2 months my numbers were 1797! That little pill did in less than 3 months what IM injections couldn't do in 6 months. I even stopped taking them a week before I got the blood work because I didn't want to get a false number.

I have heard that there is methyl B12 in injection form but most doctors don't carry it. If you aren't sure, you can ask. I have heard that will raise your numbers quickly.

[JerryD]

So Westgrl... the question is... do you feel any changes in your fatigue or anything? I appreciate the specificity in your post. Now we're talking. And with your levels up near 1800, how do you keep them up? Inquiring minds need to know .

[Westgrl]

Jerry - I keep them up by taking the same supplement. Same dosage. Not as frequently as I was, I adjust depending on my numbers.

As for the fatigue, I mentioned before, it does nothing for me. I had high hopes that it would. I think healthy people or those suffering from less fatigue benefit more from it but I don't.

[JerryD]

I feel the same, too. I guess you know now that feeling better will not come in any single form or dose. I continue to take B-12 sublingually, once daily, 2000 mcgs. I think there is a 'magic' combination and I am going to continue to experiment with combinations.
By the way, do you use LDN? It modulates the endorphins in your body to help your feelings of wellbeing. I don't know about taking this with other treatments. It could help you feel a little better. Good luck

[abcima]

B12

I get monthly 1000iu of B12 once a month and always know when I need it as I am more tired. It definitely helps and is easier than taking another capsule as I take a multi B, 5000 iu of D and several others. I highly recommend it and agree you should get your bloodworm done as well. Best of luck to you. BTW I have had MS for 23 years (I am 46) and have been on avonex, copaxone, Gylenia and Tysabri and think Tysabri is the greatest.