Hello - I have been reading various posts on Methyl B-12. I do not have a deficiency. I do have severe DPN. Is this something that could be useful regardless of whether there is a deficiency? 1000 mcg or 5000 mcg daily?
Is it safe to take with prescription meds?

Thanks!

Cheryl

Clare,

That's the way it is here too, because most doctors are decades behind on this issue (understandable for some, because so many medical references haven't been updated on it as they should have been).

Those two tests are good (if you haven't taken B12), much better than the B12 test, but not 100%.

Regardless of what they show regarding B12, the homocysteine (spelled somewhat differently some places) will be good for you to have. You want to aim for the lower half of the normal range.

Sounds likely that you have more than one thing going on, but a very important root of much or all could be insufficient stomach acid. In fact, many doctors still give people stomach acid reducers when they don't have enough acid.

It's kind of a chicken and egg thing. With or without stomach-acid reducers, the stomach eventually atrophies to some degree (some early and badly, some much later). This can contribute to many problems, including overgrowth of bacteria, malabsorption of B12 (and possibly iron and calcium), and too many other things to try to mention. Stomach acid is protective and helpful in many ways.

The chicken and egg thing comes in with: what happened first, the low acid or a condition such as B12 deficiency that may have contributed to the problem.

Probably in most cases low acid.

Low stomach acid can also cause stomach contents to back up into the esophogus. And stomach contents are unpleasant and damaging there whether low in acid or not.

I would do a lot of reading on the vitamin (nutrient) forum, and at the very least I would take any kind of B12 I could get (not timed release or delayed release) in a 2000 mcg per day dose. It's inexpensive and safe. And if you need it it is very important.

rose

Cheryl,

Methylcobalamin has been shown helpful to a percentage of people who have problems and cannot be shown B12 deficient, even with proper testing.

Yes, I would take the 5000 mcg and hope. If it is doesn't help directly, at least it won't hurt, and having a good store of B12 is a very good thing for the body.

Many things can interfere with B12 absorption, but I have never seen anything indicating that B12 interferes with meds, etc.

I'm very bad at acronyms . DPN?

rose

Hi Clare,
Your gift of hindsight will do you well, you sure mention some things that suggest you could be low on B12.

I for sure understand what you are saying about how a country's "low" dictates whether or not a person is viewed as having a deficiency. I have an article on my site about how the low for B12 in Japan and some other countries is 550. That's hundreds of points higher than here in the U.S.

If I were you I'd get Methycobalamin lozenges, or the hydroxy form that people on different forums here have said is available at your chemist.

I'd do that no matter what the doctors say.

Hi Cheryl,

My experience has been that I can't feel my feet because of PN. Once I got a stick stuck into my ankle and I didn't feel how it was getting infected until I could barely walk, and then even worse, I had a broken needle in my toe that I didn't feel.

I now know, for sure, that more B12 decreases PN and increases feeling and balance. I was having a lot of trouble with balance, too, but that's getting to be less a problem.

I'm curious, do you have ridges on your fingernails? and do you notice that your moons are beginning to disappear on some fingers? That can be a sign of B12 deficiency in terms of internal tissues.

[QUOTE=Cheryl;151310][COLOR="Blue"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Hello - I have been reading various posts on Methyl B-12. I do not have a deficiency. I do have severe DPN. Is this something that could be useful regardless of whether there is a deficiency? 1000 mcg or 5000 mcg daily?
Is it safe to take with prescription meds?

Cheryl I am also trying to learn as much as possible about B12 which I discovered is ESSENTIAL....... it is my new learning that as B12 is a water soluabble vitamin, it should NOT build up to toxic levels under normal conditions within the human body. Perhaps one of the more knowledgable members would care to agree/disagree .... substantiate this comment?

Cheer's from Clare in Tassie

Yes, B12 doesn't build up in our systems. What our bodies don't use, they excrete.

It's important to remember that we need B12 in all of our tissue, and just as it takes a long time for it to be depleted, it also takes a long time to replenish it.

Just because we have a lot of B12 in our blood doesn't mean it is going in the same big numbers into our tissue where it is needed.

I think that's why I've been having replacement therapy for nearly ten years, and my fingernails are now much smoother, but not smooth.

Hello everyone I have just returned from the booked visit with my GP regarding blood tests taken and ordered one week ago.

Sadly ONLY ONE of the ordered test results was back - serum B12
I was told, after the receptionist checked with the laboratory, that the Hyc and MMA can take up to 2 weeks for the results to become available.

Doc /GP was in a good mood and was open to discussing the possibility of me having subnormal B12 for my bodies requirements - subject to the results of the other tests backing this theory up.

Results of S. Vitamin B12 September 18, 2007 362
Results of S. Vitamin B12 April 23, 2007 548

Ain't difficult to see a marked DECLINE in those two numbers
(please note they are sill within the 'good level' guidelines issued for Australia)


My Red cell Folate from April was 1376
HCT Measured May 2007 is 0.38
again within 'normal' standard range for Labs in Australia


When discussing possible problems with him, Doc said 'DEFINITELY NOT pernicious anemia'.

He is willing once he sees the other lab results, and if MMA shows any indications etc.... to get my IF (intrinsic factor) tested.

In the interim I can have (generous of him) 1 x IM B12
Take a B multi vitamin
Drink 1 glass per day of Red Wine

Will write more shortly
Cheer's from Clare in Tassie

It is rather difficult obtaining sub-lingual methyl-cobalamin in Australia. Luckilly we are members of Life Extension Foundation so can purchase what we need on line and have it sent to us here.

I now have the 5mg sublinguals, but will wait to begin taking them I think untill after I see the GP in a further 2 weeks.

I have injected IM B12 and each time I seem to have had a reaction to it. I injected every second day (that is 3 times in one week on alternative days) and each time I felt markedly worse after each shot. Freezing cold shivers, more aches and pains, sore tongue, bowel problems etc.......

Maybe this is a case of you got to get worse before you get better? I wonder! I will give myself another shot tonight.... and try and be a patient patient! hahahah I want to use up the small store of injections I have in my refrigerator before commencing the daily sublinguals.

Q.
Instructions on the bottle of sunlinguals say to take 1 - 8 per day!!!!
then tell you
DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED DOSE!



Ok these are 5 mg....... how much of this sublingual actually becomes available to my body and how much will be excreted? any suggestions?

Thanks again..........

Clare in Tassie