[mrsD]

There is so little mannitol in it and it is not absorbed.
I seriously doubt it. Large (and I mean large) amounts can be laxative in some people, esp the xylitol. If you chew sugarless gum or have sugarless mints, either mannitol or xylitol is in them as well

Timed release is useless-- to absorb orally you need immediate presence in the small intestine to work. Empty stomach is best as well. Timed release just doesn't release enough fast enough.
I don't know why it is made even...maybe because it "sounds" good?

The amount absorbed from 1000mcg B12 tablet is about 10micrograms thereabouts.. that is a minute amount.

These are the inert ingredients for Puritan's methyl B12--

Other Ingredients:Other Ingredients: Mannitol, Cellulose (Plant Origin), Silica, Vegetable Cellulose, Vegetable Stearic Acid, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Natural Cherry Flavor.

No Artificial Flavor or color, No Preservatives, No Sugar, No Milk, No Lactose, No Soy, No Gluten, No Yeast,, Sodium Free.

This from the website:
http://www.puritan.com/vitamin-b-12-...000-mcg-032860

Exactly what reactions are you having?
I'd get that homocysteine tested... to see if you are not methylating properly. Consuming folic acid....also is a problem if you are not methylating.

[julleri]

The reactions are hard to explain. I got too much energy and felt crazy. I couldn't think and my thoughts were all over the place. My stomach got upset and I got a lot of gas. I had to frequently urinate and the urine smelled awful and was a funny color. I felt terrible. My therapist whom I told said it was the xylitol. She says she's seen others react kinda similar, feeling crazy, etc.

I just need a little bit of daily intake of B12, but I do not want to "feel" the vitamin, if that makes sense. The shots are up and down, which is awful. I take other vitamins (ironically enough, a multivitamin that contains only 18 mcg of B12, which I am obviously not absorbing). I don't "feel" those vitamins at all. So, I dunno. Would I be able to "not feel" a B12 oral that I swallow, the non-sublingual kind, do you think?

Thank you

[deb54]

Originally Posted by julleri

I think I reacted to the mannitol in one of the brands I took. The other had xylitol, also something I negatively reacted to.

Are there any brands that don't have these in them, that I can just swallow and I just get the vitamin?

Julleri, I have all the same symptoms as you do. My story is long. I'm hypersensitive to everything, many allergies, etc. I wiegh 90 lbs, psoriatic arthritis, small bowel obstructions, have been b12 deficient for yrs, but discovered 7 months ago when I realized I didn't feel like I was dying when I ate GrapeNuts cereial..I realized I had never had a B12 source...never. I've had many intestinal surgeries. I've been working with my neuro, allergist, rheum, gastro and internist docs. 1500 mcgs/1 dose worked miracles and about killed me. First thought it was additives, witch it was, but after switching to nothing but methylcobalamin and water by Bio-Alternatives..online co. I switched and use Pure Encapsulations Methylcobalamin. I get it from my pharm but can be found online to buy. This is the one my docs recommend.

None of my docs would attempt the injections for fear of an uncontrolled reaction. Liiqiuid sublingual was deemed the safest for me.

There are nerve pathways under the tongue that readily accept the methylcobalamin and send it directly to the spine and then on to where the b12 is needed. I was told this is my best hope of repairing my memory and pain.

Methyl is the type of b12 you need to use because is works best for neurological problems. My 5 yr neck pain, level 10 is alleviated when I am able to take enough. I am allergic to cobalt. I cough constantly when taking the several doses of 20mcg...yes, mcg not mg...NOT the case for most. I'm hypersensitive and that small amt is keeping me alive with some benefits. After that first 1500, I used 1000mcg for a couple weeks, then 750mcg, then 500mcg..was taken off the b12, my cough and other side effects stopped the next day...back on at 200, then 100, then down to 10mcg per day. I am trying to desensitize my immune system to the cobalt. I can tollerate 60mcg now but...new hernia at my sternum from the cough...lovely.

So, point is, everyone is different...yes, I feel crazed with too much, yes, hard to breath, eyesight blurry, feel like you're dying, everything,..my hands can't feel eachother. But, I am so darned sensitive that the b12methly has restored most of my memory. I can read again, can think quickly...motivated. for 2 weeks I had leg and feet pains, then moved to my arms and hands..this pain is from nerves regenerating, I was told by my Neuro. B12 supports the myelin that covers the nerves.It's padding so they don't get frayed, sort of.

Sorry this is so long...wanted you to think even harder for a reason you can't tollerate this vitamin. Is it the preservatives, additives, is it too much at one time, taken at the wrong time for you??? It's taken months for several docs and myself to come close to my answer and we're not there yet. ...so frustrating.... good luck to you..

deb...

[mrsD]

Originally Posted by julleri

The reactions are hard to explain. I got too much energy and felt crazy. I couldn't think and my thoughts were all over the place. My stomach got upset and I got a lot of gas. I had to frequently urinate and the urine smelled awful and was a funny color. I felt terrible. My therapist whom I told said it was the xylitol. She says she's seen others react kinda similar, feeling crazy, etc.

I just need a little bit of daily intake of B12, but I do not want to "feel" the vitamin, if that makes sense. The shots are up and down, which is awful. I take other vitamins (ironically enough, a multivitamin that contains only 18 mcg of B12, which I am obviously not absorbing). I don't "feel" those vitamins at all. So, I dunno. Would I be able to "not feel" a B12 oral that I swallow, the non-sublingual kind, do you think?

Thank you

I think you should swallow the B12... most of it is not absorbed.
It is not really believed that B12 is well absorbed sublingually, as the molecule is really huge and the area under the tongue is so small.
The studies comparing oral B12 to injectable, measured serum levels, and response to swallowing oral, and they both compared over time with improvements.

There are people who have "chemical sensitivities" and react to many things. Chemical sensitivities are not well understood, however.
B12 is so small a dose, it is not going to be obvious in the urine.
Other B's however, do cause color changes, and B1, will impart an odor which some call "yeasty". B2 and B6 typically cause a yellowish or light greenish cast in the urine about 2-4 hours after taking.

People reacting so quickly, may have a genetic issue with methylation. Folic acid is affected by this too. Folic is synthetic like cyano is synthetic, and so there is an active form for it available now for the genetic people who cannot make activated forms of both vitamins B12 and folic acid. It is called methylfolate and is OTC. Solgar makes it.

There is a theory that methylation issues contribute to some mental issues. Rapidly thinking thoughts, is a hypomanic state, and bipolar disorder is thought to be a methylation disorder. The drugs used to treat it block methylation of DNA.
The Pfeiffer institute has a site to explain this:
You can read this paper by Dr. Walsh and discuss with your doctor/therapist:
http://www.alternativementalhealth.c...s/pfeiffer.htm

It is possible you are triggering something that you normally do not feel, with the B12.

Certainly for people very low for very long times, there is an adjustment when the B12 is first given. But this varies from person to person. There are other forms of B12 that are slower in onset than methyl. You can try one of these to compare:
This one is recommended for those to are over reactive to the methyl form:
http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews...lets/2454/?p=1

[julleri]

Thank you for all your help.

It is amazing how up and down I feel. Yesterday morning I felt "anemic." I had a hard time breathing, had absolutely no appetite, felt dizzy, could not think, etc. Sometime around 3:00 in the afternoon I felt yesterday morning's shot of cyanocobalamin kick in (apparently by body can methylate it well) and I felt better. Not great, but better. I had a bad evening again, where I felt a lot of pain and felt horribly depressed and confused. Today, I felt more "stable" and "even." I felt pretty good. I looked in my sharps container and I've given myself 8 injections so far. Is it normal in the beginning of this to go between a good day and a bad day so rapidly like this? I am afraid of going only once a week. My therapist recommended that I keep taking the shots every other day for this week and calling my doctor if I need more shots and ask him to continue every other day if I have to. But this can't be normal, right? No one takes these shots every day or every other day on a normal basis.

I found a B12 pill that is not a sublingual that I am willing to give a try. It is a capsule form, and is only 500mcg. The only other ingredients in this (besides the caynocobalamin) are rice flour, gelatin, and beet powder. I don't think I should "react" to any of these. I know it's only 500, but I could not find any 1000 mcg or higher that didn't have any sugar alcohols in them. Would it be OK, if I try this 500 and don't negatively react to it, to take two 500's and get the diffusion effect? Is it OK that it's a capsule?

I read that it takes about 20 injections to fully reload the liver of it's depleted B12 stores. Will these up and downs finally even out at about that time? Also, since B12 is stored in the liver, could it be that I have a liver function problem? I see B12 deficiency is really only caused by diet or absorption issues, but do you know if there are any B12 deficiency caused by liver problems known?

I also voiced my concerns over the high boost of energy I get from the methylcobalamin form to my therapist, and she suggested I try maybe 500mcg shots instead of the full 1000. Any ideas on this?

This B12 issue is so complex. I wish it were just as easy as take a tablet everyday, feel better. It really doesn't help that I'm also in the thick of antidepressant withdrawal and maybe other health issues as well.

Thank you,
Jason

[mrsD]

There won't be a problem with the B12.... you may need two of them, and take on an empty stomach.

However, if you have the polymorphism, the MTHFR error, you won't be able to activate cyano form and it won't work.

If you are anemic you may be making red blood cells very quickly and this depletes POTASSIUM. Low potassium can make you weak and shakey. So massive dosing to methylB12 should be accompanied by potassium rich foods. If you take diuretic drugs for other reasons, you could be very low in potassium. Also magnesium.

[julleri]

Originally Posted by mrsD

There won't be a problem with the B12.... you may need two of them, and take on an empty stomach.

However, if you have the polymorphism, the MTHFR error, you won't be able to activate cyano form and it won't work.

If you are anemic you may be making red blood cells very quickly and this depletes POTASSIUM. Low potassium can make you weak and shakey. So massive dosing to methylB12 should be accompanied by potassium rich foods. If you take diuretic drugs for other reasons, you could be very low in potassium. Also magnesium.

Thank you

I tried to post a reply but for some reason it didn't get posted.

Supposing I don't have the genetic error (what is this by the way?) then I would be able to convert the cyanocobalamin for my body to use, right? I didn't react to it, so I should probably be OK to take 2 capsules a day, correct?

Tomorrow morning I plan to take 500mcg of methylcobalamin shot. Would it be OK to take the cyano capsules as well?

I still really don't feel very well. Completely up and down. One day I can feel OK, the next day I could feel like I'm dying again. Is this normal in the beginning?

What again is this genetic error and would there be any other indicators that I'd have it?

Thank you

[mrsD]

I wish I could tell you what to do....but we are not doctors here.

Seems to me if you inject MethylB12 you don't need oral cyano.

Anything further I think you should seek out a physician who can
test you out to see if your B12 is working. The test is called MMA.

This will answer your question hopefully. If the MMA is elevated, that would be a bad sign, and point to further testing to see if
you have the MTHFR mutation, which is a DNA test.

Without answers to specific tests, no one will know what is really going on with you.

[julleri]

Originally Posted by mrsD

I wish I could tell you what to do....but we are not doctors here.

Seems to me if you inject MethylB12 you don't need oral cyano.

Anything further I think you should seek out a physician who can
test you out to see if your B12 is working. The test is called MMA.

This will answer your question hopefully. If the MMA is elevated, that would be a bad sign, and point to further testing to see if
you have the MTHFR mutation, which is a DNA test.

Without answers to specific tests, no one will know what is really going on with you.

I understand you are not doctors. I've already learned a lot from you. Thank you so much.

I have an appointment with a gastro-enterologist on May 1. I also submit a request to be contacted by a doctor at a neurological center close by.

I will continue the methylcobalamin B12 shots and hopefully will feel better soon. I have to realize that I didn't get this overnight, so it might take a long time before I feel things getting better. The trouble is, that after the shots, I ALWAYS feel better, just depends on the number of hours after the shot depending on the type of B12. I just hate the feeling when it wears off and I feel very sick again. Just was wondering if that was normal, especially within the first few weeks of treatment for low B12.

[mrsD]

The injections do wear off quickly for some people.

One of the references I use, states that the cyano form only remains in the blood serum for 72 hours.

I have read that methyl B12 is cleared faster even.

Our bodies are designed to have 2-10mcg absorbed orally when things are working well. (intrinsic factor present and active).

So I tend to recommend oral high dose 5mg on an empty stomach daily, to mimic the normal absorption pattern.

Over the years there have been some who report this swinging effect up and down. I think the B12 is just being sucked up by the liver and brain very fast in people who were very low. The oral way may be more gentle.

This product is partially activated form of B12. It may be better than cyano orally, but less quickly utilized and hence slow down the swinging responses:
http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews...lets/2454/?p=1
I would take it on an empty stomach too.

I'd watch your folic acid intake for a while. Try not to supplement this yet, and see if you tolerate better. If you do take folate, take the methyl form..MetaFolin. People can have genetic errors in activating these two vitamins -- it is called methylation errors.(MTHFR)