[RobinM]

Sorry I know this has been mentioned in the past, but for the life of me I can't find the post that states a recommended daily dosage of Methycobalamin!

I have numb feet and a 'dodgy' ulnar nerve in both arms. Now I found MrsD's article on Benfotiamine stating 300mg a day should be ample, what would be a good daily dosage for Methycobalamin... I have 5000mg tabs on their way in the post.

TIA.

[mrsD]

It is ideal to know before hand, what you need.

People really low, do better on 5mg a day on an empty stomach, at least in the beginning, until they develop good levels.

Without a test, you just will have to go by how you feel.
You can take the 5mg daily as a starter or twice a week (which would be similar to 1mg daily).

Not all of that is absorbed, you know. Only about 1%. Average tested absorption in a study of 1000mcg a day was about 13mcg absorbed based on blood work. The RDA for adults is 2-4mcg daily.

So in the beginning since you have neuro symptoms, you can take one 5mg a day and see how you feel. Without testing you
have only your response to go by. If you ordered the methylcobalamin form -- improved sleeping may be obvious in the first week, since methylB12 helps the brain make melatonin from serotonin.

It is fortunate that B12 doesn't have toxicity reported anywhere, so we can be liberal with it. It is not even expensive.

Typically I suggest taking 5mg daily for about 3 months, and if you don't get tested, and then retested, and you see no major responses by then, I'd assume you are not deficient. If you are over 50 yrs old, suggestions are to take some B12 daily since older people cannot absorb it well anymore. So by then you can do 1mg daily after your 3 months loading up on 5mg.

Make sure you do this when no food is present so the B12 does not get lost in food and miss its target location in the small intestine.

[RobinM]

MEGA... thanks MrsD.... I knew I could count on you!

[RobinM]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Make sure you do this when no food is present so the B12 does not get lost in food and miss its target location in the small intestine.

As an ex-international bodybuilder, I am addicted to milk and rarely have an empty stomach!!!! Would that have a noticible effect (in your eyes) in abhibiting absorbtion of B12?

I ask this because my standard nights sleep is... sleep for 2 hours then wake up, go to the toilet and then take a pint of milk.. then back to sleep... REPEAT. Somewhere after the 6 hour mark of doing this I will add my Methy12 dosage.

Would the milk lining my stomach be sufficient enought to inhibit B12 absorbtion... I do my best to take it sub-lingualy.

[mrsD]

B12 is absorbed in the small intestine.

Milk is curdled in the stomach by the acid and becomes a solid (like cottage cheese).

The fat content of the milk will determine how fast it leaves the stomach. The higher the fat, the slower it moves.
I don't expect much to be absorbed, sublingually.

Find some time of day when you are hungry and haven't eaten for several hours. Say before lunch? Before dinner?

To use oral B12 correctly so you will absorb it, you have to find a window where nothing is present to absorb it. (like a sponge).