Originally Posted by paulmethyl

Greetings,
I have been living with intense facial neuropathy for 10 years. For years I was told that it was all "in my head." Unfortunatley, I believed the doctors. FYI, I was told this by the head or rhuematology at the Cleveland Clinic. I also got no relief from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. However, the pain/numbness increased with increased stomach problems, joint pain, extreem fatigue (could not get out of bed for weeks on end), and disorientation. I was diagnosed at the Hospital for Joint Diseases (part of NYU in New York City), with Auto-immune disease and Hashimoto syndrome. I have been taking methotrexate, prednisone, enbral, leverthoid, and folic acid. However, none of this helped my situation and only left me with more pain and numbness. Sometimes the skin on my face would burn, as if I had sat in an oven. I was told this was called RSD. The pain was so intense that I became completely disabled. After years of complaining about my symptoms with no relief, I tried a different doctor in New Jersey who is a DO, not a MD. He said that numbness and burning is often a sign of B12 deficiency or malabsorbtion. He placed me on methylcobalamin (10,000 mcg/ml) with 1mg self injectible shots 2x week. Within a month, the neuropathy was completely cleared, energy was restored, and mood was elvated. The problem is this. Since I've been on it, I have had intense facial acne in the form of deep and painful cysts. Every day a new one appears on my face. It has now spread to my back. I was given dicloxacillin 250mg 4xday, but that failed to do anything except give me an upset stomach to the point of vomiting. I also have a history of C Diff. This is because of enbrel. Enbrel lowers your immune system making you more likely to catch an infection. I was forever catching throat infections, so I was on a daily antibiotic, but that landed me in the hospital for a week with ulcerated collitis and C Diff. So, anti-biotics are out. Besides, the dicloxacillin did not do anything for the methylcobalamin induced acne. Are the other forms of B12 (cynacobalamin or hydroxocabalamin) as effective in treating neuropathies? If so, do they cause cystic acne the way that methylcobalamin does?
I really am feeling better now that I've stopped taking all of the drugs for my supposed auto-immune disease. I also now realize that my problem is based in B12 malabsorbtion NOT Hashimoto syndrome or any other kind of auto-immune disease with the possible exception of pernicious anemia. Also, by B12 blood level shows within the low but normal range. The DO that I saw in New Jersey claims that blood tests are not the decisive factor in determining B12 deficiencies. If anyone out there knows if cynacobalamin or hydroxocalabmin, and what side effects they have I would be most appreciative. Right now I'm of the methylcobalamin, and I'm very worried that the facial neuropathy will return.

Best,
Paul