Andie
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
Thanks,
i have many of those symptoms to.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
It's important to know that a B-12 deficiency can occur because of an amino acid deficiency. Without amino acids, your body can't properly process B vitamins.
Also, B-12 doesn't work if you don't have folic acid.
The doctor I'm working with on my deficiency had me start with sublingual B-12 tabs with a drop of liquid form of folic acid on it. He tested my amino acids, which were in the tank. So I then started those.
The amino acid test is a 24 hour urine test. The others are through blood. But my doctor noted that the ranges for normal are usually lower than what you really want.
Posted by lifeline (Member # 3445) on :
Thanks for posting this, Tutu. Great info! Vitamin B12 plays a bigger role than I thought.
lifeline
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I was surprised by it to....and it's similarity to lyme symptoms.
Posted by mountainmoma (Member # 6503) on :
I was becoming anemic last fall and looked at my diet, realized I was eating plenty of iron, but you need folic acid to absorb it. I had cut out some sources, like wheat, because of candida concerns, taking folic acid supplement cleared the anemia right up. Although, realy, even without wheat, the eggs, beans and greens I did eat should have provided enough. So, maybe it is a lessened ability to properly absorb teh folic acid while we are ill. I would definitely recomend trying it.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Tutu, this was excellent! I guess I should be spending more of my time on the celiac/gluten...NO WHEAT/RYE site to learn more for myself plus CASEIN FREE site..no cow's milk, egg whites, eheese, & garlic area! Bettyg
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
I found a B-12 supp. that I really like. It has some B-complex for absorption. It seems to work well for me.
Sublingual BTotal Liquid Solutions Mfg by Nutraceutical Solutions Inc.
One dropperful has 16666% RDA (1000mcg.) B-12 plus 100% RDA Folic Acid, B2,B3 & B6 plus 300% RDA B5
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
I take "No Shot"(great name, right?) sublingual tablets whcih you can get with or without folic acid. They are inexpensive and do the job.
This study is from the same website LymeToo gave - if you look around a bit. I have another study that proves the same thing that was published in a journal a couple of years ago.
Is Oral Vitamin B12 as Effective as Intramuscular Injection?
Clinical Question
Can vitamin B12 deficiency be treated orally?
Evidence-Based Answer
In patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, two oral regimens have been shown to achieve neurologic and hematologic response in the short term. Effective dosages were (1) 2,000 mcg daily or (2) 1,000 mcg daily for 10 days, then weekly and monthly.
Practice Pointers
Vitamin B12 deficiency causes macrocytic anemia, fatigue, loss of appetite, and mood disturbances. It also can cause serious neurologic and neuropsychiatric illness such as paresthesias, ataxia, and memory loss.
The process of vitamin B12 absorption can be impaired at the level of the stomach, where intrinsic factor is produced, or at the level of the terminal ileum, where intrinsic factor bound to vitamin B12 is absorbed.
Medications such as metformin (Glucophage) or antacids also can impair absorption. A small amount of vitamin B12 is absorbed by passive diffusion without intrinsic factor.
Traditionally, vitamin B12 replacement has been administered intramuscularly because absorption through the gastrointestinal tract is deficient. However, this route is less convenient for patients than oral medication and may not be covered by health insurance.
Because a small amount of vitamin B12 is absorbed by passive diffusion, megadoses of oral vitamin B12 medication have been used as a cost-saving and more comfortable alternative to intramuscular B12 administration.1
Vidal-Alaball and colleagues searched for randomized controlled trials comparing oral with intramuscular administration of vitamin B12.
They found two trials with a total of 93 patients who were followed for between 90 days and four months.
All patients had vitamin B12 deficiency, defined as vitamin B12 level less than 244 pg per mL (180 pmol per L).
Some patients had conditions that cause malabsorption from the gut, but no patients with inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease were included in either study.
One study used a daily oral dosage of 2,000 mcg, and the other an oral dosage of 1,000 mcg daily for 10 days, then weekly for four weeks, then monthly for life.
In both studies, high-dose oral B12 was as effective as intramuscular injection at achieving neurologic and hematologic response.
Vitamin B12 is available over the counter in the form of tablets (100, 500, 1,000, or 5,000 mcg) and lozenges (50, 100, 250, or 500 mcg).
REFERENCES
1. Oh R, Brown DL. Vitamin B12 deficiency. Am Fam Physician 2003;67:979-86.
Vidal-Alaball J, et al. Oral Vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005;(3):CD004655.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
quote:Originally posted by mountainmoma: I was becoming anemic last fall and looked at my diet, realized I was eating plenty of iron, but you need folic acid to absorb it. I had cut out some sources, like wheat, because of candida concerns, taking folic acid supplement cleared the anemia right up. Although, realy, even without wheat, the eggs, beans and greens I did eat should have provided enough. So, maybe it is a lessened ability to properly absorb teh folic acid while we are ill. I would definitely recomend trying it.
If you have an amino acid deficiency, your body can't process the folic acid. It doesn't matter how much of it you take.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Bettyg