Found Jarrow Formulas B-12 in Colorado Springs
 

I found and bought some Jarrow Methyl B-12 at Natural Grocer/Vitamin Cottage in the Springs. They're across the street from Whole Foods, next to Petsmart. I think they had 1000mcg and 5000mcg. (An alternative to ordering online, if you're in the area....)

I just joined this community and saw the thread on B12. I asked my doctor to test because I am on high levels of Metformin and I had read that Metformin can deplete the B12 levels in ones body. We tested and found out I was low. I started taking cyancobalamin and then changed over to Methylcobalimin. I then switched to Metanx a prescription form which has Methylcobalimin, Folic Acid and B6 which I take 2 times a day. I did not know I should take it on an empty stomach so will make that change starting tonight. My question is how long after I take the Metanx should I wait before eating?
Thanks for your reply.

I'd wait an hour. For the sublingual types, you can chew those up and swallow with water...and I think it gets into the intestine faster. But a big solid tablet takes more time to dissolve.

The Metanx insert is very vague.
www.metanx.com/media/Metanx_PackageInsert.pdf

Does not elaborate as to the coating...on the tablet. Is it enteric coated to protect the P5P? If so it will take a long time to dissolve. There also are no directions regarding food.
Food impairs B12 absorption, because it relies on PASSIVE movement in the intestine.
This insert seems to focus on the methylfolate only.

So while Metanx appears to be a positive movement forward in treating deficiency...the product itself is promoted without regard to the needs of each ingredient.

This is a "medical food" and as such it does not have to conform to the FDA rules on drug pharmacokinetics, --meaning absorption, fate and distribution. The reason the insert focuses on methylfolate is that the FDA requires RX for folate 1 mg and over. The OTC B12 and P5P are therefore not addressed at all IMO.

Take a look at all the ingredients on that PDF... has to be the longest I've ever seen for an oral dosage form.

**

Thanks for the information. I haven't read teh package insert because I have never seen it. Also I don't know if Metanx is enteric coated or not, but you do bring up some very good points.

THANK YOU for telling me this!!! I never would have thought to look for a product like that. I just went to their website and saw that their products are carried in the 3 major stores in my area. So tomorrow I'm going to try some yogurt made from coconut milk! It will be interesting to see whether I've been reacting to the critters in the kefir, or whether the milk/lactose/casein was the problem. I used to be able to eat yogurt and not take a lactaid pill and have no problem. But not anymore; now it gives me a problem, even with a lactaid pill. I would rather get the probiotics from a food than from a supplment, if possible.

Alas, my local whole foods did not have the So Delicious cultured coconut milk drink. They just had the regular, non-probiotic-fortified coconut milk.

I have one more suggestion...

There is another digestive issue, that causes gas, bloating and diarrhea... it is fructose intolerance.

Most of the yogurts have sugars in them. Even the Kefir flavored ones. One in 3 people have fructose intolerance and will react to the sugars in the foods you eat. It can be very difficult to nail this. If some sugar is consumed with food, it can blunt the reaction. But when taken ALONE, that is when a reaction is more likely to happen and be identified.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption

I would expect the coconut milk yogurt to be difficult for fructose intolerant people. One hint, that can be historical is an intolerance to apples, apple juice and pears. In fact had I known this years ago, I would have been more comfortable myself. I cannot eat pears... never have been able to tolerate apple juices either! I discovered this for myself a few years ago. Since then I've avoided my triggers and have been much better.

For yogurt I use Carbmaster, from Kroger's, which has only 4 grams of sugar. I use the unflavored Kefir.

Hi all.

Just came back from the store. They had coconut milk, all the other kinds of non-dairy milk and then I spotted the LIfeway Kefir, on sale for $2.79.

Grabbed it.

That should last me 4 or 5 days.

All those good probiotics. Not that I need any, I'm doing just fine, I just like to have GOOD stuff in my body.

Because once you are used to eating sprouts and vitamixing your stuff (made a coffee cake yesterday using my vitamix) not for me, I had to go visit someone, well, I like to try all good stuff now.

Each and every day I discover something new and wonderful for my body, my digestive system, my blood and my arteries.

Turning 64 on November 4th. Don't care how long it took me to get there but I'm getting there.

And I go to the dentist every 6 months to get a cleaning and so far, no diabetes in my gums or mouth. The dental hygienist said "Melody, you have NO idea what we see in gums with people who are diabetic"

Never knew this.

Never knew lots of things.

Learning.

Will continue to learn until I drop

lol

Melody

Lucky you Melody..... At Kroger's here the unflavored Kefir, is
$3.89 a quart, and the organic is a dollar more.

It is certainly worth it to me however.

Make sure you shake well ...as it gets thick on the bottom.
Also when I pour out the last bit, I put in some water in the bottle, and
rinse and consume that. I also rinse out my cup and drink that. So as not to waste any!

Hope you enjoy them and can tolerate them. I drank some of the unflavored and the chocolate cultured drink. Compared to the Lifeway Kefir, the unflavored So Delicious was a bit less tart, but enjoyable. The chocolate was very lumpy, but tasted as I expected. I called the company to make sure it was ok with the lumps, and they said yes, it was normal for the chocolate to be lumpy, because of the cocoa powder.