B12 deficiency questions
 

Forgive me if this is the wrong place, but I'm brand new here and looking for some help:

I've long suffered anxiety/depression/panic attacks symtoms. (47 year old male.) Just recently went off prozac, but still on xanax. Also have had some low testosterone scores recently. I also was just diagnosed with a b12 deficiency by a Neuro, who ordered tests after she noticed that I had hyper reflexes in lower extremitis but slow ones in upper extremities. An MRI to rule out MS type things was normal, but blood tests revealed a slightly low b12 score of 355 I think. She said I should get monthly shots -- and that I would feel better in six months.

A few questions:

1) I've been feeling often cold and sorta stiff in the upper body since the shot 10 days ago. Is this all in my head since I was told about the slow reflexes in my upper body, and I'm a bit of highly suggestible hypochondriac? Or a side effect of the shot? Or a symptom of the underlying deficiency?

Are there any real side effects to these shots other than immediate allergic type reactions? I think I've been more depressed and anxious since I got the shot, and so I wonder if there's some connection.

2) Is a once a month shot enough?

3) Why would she say it would take six months to notice improvement? I read accounts of people feeling better in days.

4 Her office called me to reschedule and postpone my next shot since the doctor will be going on a long vacation. This means I won't get my second shot until 2 months after my first. They say this is not a problem. Is it?

Any thoughts on any of this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Welcome to NeuroTalk!

I think you would do better on oral supplements. Injections only stay in the blood for 72 hrs. The rest of the time, there is nothing.

I have a B12 thread at PN here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html

It gives MEDICAL links, and I try to explain how to use B12 successfully. (with little stress on you, or your budget)

Studies show oral B12 works...but I suggest you take it carefully
on an empty stomach so it can be passively absorbed correctly.
Most doctors do not know this, but it is explained in the link to AAFP I gave above.

You are not terribly low, as 400-500 is the cut off for treatment.
But to see faster results I'd suggest you take 5mg (5000mcg) daily on an empty stomach, for 3 months. And then get retested.
This will be easier than shots. The body then can take the B12 in a daily manner, and send it where it needs to go. Some has to be absorbed by the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and also stored in the liver. The seesaw feelings of nothing between shots should disappear as you take your oral B12 daily.

If you come up to over 1000 using the oral, you can continue with the 5mg (it it not harmful) or you can go down to 1mg a day.
Most of us use methylcobalamin form, which is the active form of B12. The injections use cyano...and some people can't convert the cyanide portion well. Since Methyl is the form your body needs, taking it directly is more successful. We are talking pennies a day for you in cost. Most of us use an online source, iherb.com or vitacost. Methyl is not commonly in local stores, but it is appearing some now.

That thread I gave you has at the end, information about a new dosage form of B12 coming soon. I don't know if it is available yet, or if it is methyl, but it looks promising. (and will probably be more expensive).

Thanks for your input. I'm also taking over the counter b12 supplments daily, btw.

Insurance covers the cost of the monthy injection, so money is not a concern at the moment, and most of what I read online continues to support injections as the best way to do.

Anyone else have any input on the questions I posed in the first post?

Thanks.

You appear to have all your bases covered.

I think you should direct your symptoms to your current doctor.

I have provided you with the most recent information available on B12. Anything else bothering you may be due to other medical issues which should be addressed by a physician.

Yes, I understand that you have provided me with your opinions and interpretations of issues related to b12. Thank you. I would like to hear from some other people if possible.

I also had depression and anxiety and many other symptoms from my b12 def. I started out just taking 1000 mcgs of sublingule b12 supliments daily, but my symptoms weren't going away fast enough for me. I was still really tired, sick to my stomach, nervous, shakey... etc.

I started getting shots, 1000mcgs on a monthly basis, but also upped my daily doses to 3000 mcg then now, 5000mcg. But my levels were lower then yours, 185. I think as long as your taking your supliments daily, waiting an extra month should be ok, if you start feeling symptoms, take an extra dose... I think you can take up to 5000 mcgs a day??? you may want to check on that, but when I was taking 3000 a day, I would have days where I was more stressed then usual and would feel shakey, I would take an extra dose and feel better.

Your depression and anxiety may be so much better after your treatment. And as far as why 6 mths. That I think, is different for everyone. Once I started getting the proper dose of shots, I felt better immediately. But my like I said, my symptoms come and go still and it's been almost a year. But I just think my body isn't absorbing it, and I will be getting treatments forever now.