Danny,

You need to keep in mind that RDA's are a minimum level to maintain a minimal health condition. They are not optimum nor are they for the needs of a recovering/struggling brain. 5000mcgs is only 5 mgs. You should have no problem taking a 5000 mcg tablet. You can beak it in half. I do that because I don't need the whole 5000 and it saves money. I'll break a months worth at a time so I can just grab a 1/2 piece.

No there is no danger with high dose oral B12. Only if you have a rare blood disease called polycythemia vera which is too many red blood cells, should you avoid high dose.

A 1000mcg dose of methylcobalamin will only lead to 13mcg absorption. All the rest is left in the stool.

You can take the 5000mcg for 3 months, as that will bring you up in the brain and spinal fluid faster than a smaller dose. Once you have been using for 3 months you can drop down to 1000 or 2000 mcg etc if you want. That is enough to maintain you. The B12 only gets into the spinal fluid and brain by a concentration gradient. The higher the blood value the more gets into the brain. Being low or having an injury requiring repair, does better with higher levels.

“I'm thinking of just ordering the 5000mcg version but I feel like that's an excessive amount.”


Hi DannyT, if you take B12 in the methylcobalamin form, research indicates that any excess is simply excreted by the body.

I do take a daily dosage of 5000 mcg of methylcobalamin, but I was diagnosed as having a B12 deficiency. From what I’ve read, if your B12 levels are normal, then you probably don’t need to take any more than 2000 mcg daily.

MrsD, I was recently diagnosed with Gilberts Syndrome or at least verified I have slightly elevated bilirubin levels.

Any issues that I should be aware of regarding supplementation with B-12 or any other vitamins/minerals/herbs? I only ask because I know the condition is related to red blood cell metabolism; referring the other condition you mentioned.

Ask your doctor if you have polycythemia vera. This disorder thickens the blood, and makes it more likely to clot under certain situations.
Polycythemia vera:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycythemia_vera

I would think increased tear down of red cells would be the reverse?

https://www.liverdoctor.com/liver-pr...bert-syndrome/

I am not seeing any references to polycythemia vera on this description.

Perhaps you should get a B12 test before you start this vitamin.
Then you could discuss the need to any supplementation when the results come in. You should be at least at 400pg/ml.

If you are above 400pg/ml you may not need to supplement at all.

Hello

Can't speak for the NOW brand, but all of the Jarrows products I have taken seem good - both my Rhodiola Rosea and NAC are Jarrows brand. They seem to have a wide range of products, which may imply that they are a large manufacturer and can therefore be trusted.

Did anyone use the PurOrganica B-12 super energy patch? I was wondering if that would be more effective than a pill... Its a patch that you apply to the skin (behind ear or upper part of neck) 1-2 times a week.

My teenage daughter suffers from PCS. We found a sports medicine doctor who told us to give her B2, magnesium, and green tea daily. I'm not sure about the B2. I use Trace Minerals Research ionic magnesium liquid and Swanson magnesium oil which seems to help with headaches. I use Solgar green tea capsules, as my daughter hates drinking the tea. I know green tea extract is high in antioxidant and nutrients.

I've also incorporated flax / chia / hemp / sunflower seeds in my recipes for extra fiber and antioxidant. Just started using Garden of Life Raw green super food...not sure about this one. I ordered Dr Danielle turmeric curcumin & alpha lipoic acid, cuz I heard curcumin is very helpful in cases of brain fogginess.

Let me know if you have tried green super food or curcumin and if that has helped? Or am I just wasting money or following some silly fad....

The PurOrganica patch is 1200 mcgs and is used once or twice a week. The research I found made two points. First, B-12 is a large molecule of the size at the maximum limit of skin penetration. It is 5 to 10 times larger than other substances successfully delivered through the skin. This creates a challenge for the B-12 to penetrate the skin.
It does penetrate the skin to some extent and results in increased blood concentrations but that increase can vary widely with a 5 fold different between subjects.

So, it would be hard to know if it would be right for your daughter.

Shots are the best way but there is no reason to not take oral tablets of 2500 to 5000 mcgs of methylcobalamin daily. Even with low absorbability, there should be plenty that makes it into the blood stream.

Regarding the B2, I would recommend a B-50 Complex with the B-12 so she gets the full complement of B's. Plus, she needs D-3. The anti-oxidants in green tea are good but don't neglect the other anti-oxidant sources, Vit E and Vit C.

Dr Danielle's stuff is OK if you can afford it.

What else is your daughter doing to help with her PCS ?

How old is she and how did she get her concussion ?

I've had some success with Dr. Danielle's Curcumin. It seems to help with the foggy headed feeling. I can attribute that to curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties. The formulation seems to aid in bioavailability which is important for certain molecules such as Curcumin.

I am awaiting the R-Alpha Lipoic Acid product from Dr. Danielle currently. Hoping to add it to my antioxidant stack in the morning. It, along with Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Ubiquinone (active form of Coq-10), has a reportedly synergistic effect: meaning they add to eachother in how much reaches the central nervous system.

Anyway, Dr. Danielle's products are a little over priced, as Mark hinted at, but if you can afford them, don't hesitate to purchase them. It should be noted that the company is fair and offers free second bottles with every purchase. You just have to write a review or join a mailing list.

My daughter got a concussion at 13 and suffers from PCS for 9 months now. She was hit on the head by a basketball. My doctor also recommends HRV biofeedback and breathing exercises. She also meets with a few therapists (ST & OT). She really likes cranial-sacral therapy. It helps relieve her headaches for a little while. I heard yoga and meditation are helpful in reducing stress & anxiety.

My neuropsych had a cognitive energy scale which was a good base line for tracking my daughter's cognitive moods. It was a scale of 1-5, with the emphasis on 3 (alert & attentive) as what she should aim for. 1-2 is exhausted/tired and 4/5 is distracted and hyper. So she has to keep a journal and track these energy scales to monitor her cognitive feelings, and my neuropsych comes up with strategies for her to avoid exhaustion and hyper-activity. It sounds like a good concept.

My doctor suggested Vital Nutrients because its suppose to be a pure form of supplements. Anyhow, it seems expensive and hard to find. Also my daughter does not really like pills, so I have to find alternative options like liquid and patch and oil based supplements.

Her main symptoms are mental fatigue, fogginess, and noise sensitivity. So I hope curcumin will alleviate the fogginess....