I started methylcobalamin shots the other day. My doctor wanted me to do them IM. I read that if they are given IM (and sometimes even if given sub-q) they should turn your urine red. That's not happening to me. Does that mean I have not yet reached the point where I have any excess to excrete?
Posted by KentuckyWoman (Member # 38894) on :
I just started the Methyl B12 myself. I did my first one subcu. I took a picture of it bc even though it didn't really hurt, it looked HORRIBLE. It disappeared in 2 days
I showed the pic to my Dr and he said, "Why are you doing that sub q?" I said bc that's how the pharmacy recommended it. He said, "Don't do that. Take it IM." My soon-to-be LLMD Doc.
I am not sure, but I might've gleaned the "how to take methyl B12" from the internet, and not nec from pharmacy. I can't remember exactly.
Anyway, 1cc makes a big red lump under the skin. At least IM puts it in deeper w/o the ugly and the lump.
I too am waiting for urine to turn red. Idk how long that should take.
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
Thanks Kentucky,
Have you tried it IM yet? I have a hard time determining if I'm in the muscle. The first time I don't think I was. It was painless. The 2nd time my muscle hurt so I'm pretty sure it got in. I do it on the side of my leg.
Several pharmacies also told me that most people do it subcutaneous if they are doing it at home. My LLMD didn't give me a choice. He wanted it IM.
[ 12-22-2012, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: Summer3 ]
Posted by twicebitten (Member # 5412) on :
I took B-12 shots, pretty high doses, to replenish my very low levels several years ago. My urine never turned red, and doc never said it would. I now am on sublingual methyl b-12 daily. I have never had my urine turn red. I did do the shots myself in the thigh muscle after the first few doses I did in doc office. I was told both by the doc and the pharmacy to do the shots in a large muscle. Since I can't reach my arms, I did in the thigh muscle.
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
I think the B12 is really helping me significantly. I tried to skip a day yesterday and I felt pretty bad. Today I woke up feeling HORRIBLE so I did my 3rd one and I was able to make it out of the house shopping all day and eat more than usual.
Posted by MannaMe (Member # 33330) on :
What does the B-12 do for you?
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
Well it helps me for energy and it's giving me more of an appetite. It hasn't helped numbness or twitching though. The energy is not long-lived either. I only skipped one day of the last 3 and I was NOTICEABLY weaker.
It's probably just masking things though. I have only done 3 doses so far.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Summer, if the dose is not high enough, the urine will not turn red.
"the urine is expected to turn red shortly after each dose- if the urine is not red, a higher dose may be needed or the present supply may have lost potency." (page 29 of Burrascano)
And, here is what Burrascano says that B12 does for the body:
"Methylcobalamin is a prescription drug derived from vitamin B12. This can help to heal problems with the central and peripheral nervous system, improve depressed immune function, and help to restore more normal sleeping patterns. Many patients note improved energy as well. Because the oral form is not absorbed when swallowed or dissolved under the tongue, Methyl B12 must be taken by injection. Dose is generally 25 mg. (1 c.c.) daily for 3 to 6 months. (page 29)
That's a lot of great things!
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
I take the dose that is recommended by Burrascano and my urine doesn't turn red. Neither does my husband's either. We have been on the injections for almost a year.
We have had two different LLMD's say sub q is fine and we inject around the belly button.
Posted by KentuckyWoman (Member # 38894) on :
Summer
I was on cyano B12 IM injections for about 3-4 months. I did some research and found that Methyl B12 in not a synthetic produced and your body doesn't need to convert it. I switched. Some ppl do great on the Cyano though.
The IM injections: I got alot of Youtube video instructions. I was a little nervous at first, but caught on quickly.
Just Google B12 injections and you are "in school"
I also had a nurse friend of mine help me with my first one. The Pharmacist was also pretty instructive.
I use a 1" needle. I also am switching the needle gauge as well to 28 or higher. The larger the number, the tinier the needle.
KW
Posted by jwall (Member # 22999) on :
My urine turns red. I reach around to the fatty part of the back above the bottom/back of hip, grab the fat there and inject it. I guess it is working since my urine will turn red for the rest of the day. My home nurse taught me how to do them when I was on IV.
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
Thanks for the replies. I may try the hip area soon. I'm doing it in my legs right now because I have a 1" needle and I'm not sure if that's long enough to reach the muscle in another location.
[ 12-28-2012, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Summer3 ]
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
So this morning, after skipping a few days of B-12 I had horrendous anxiety and panic which is becoming a common herx symptom for me. I woke up at midnight and never went back to sleep. I took the B-12 shot at about 7 a.m. and it calmed me significantly (though not all the way).
Is that a coincidence? I know the full moon is also contributing as is starting two new meds within the last few weeks.
However, could skipping a few shots cause such a drastic difference in the severity of herxing I experience? It almost seems as if the shots were helping me to not notice the herxing and when I stopped them it hit me hard. If that's so, I guess I'd better stop trying to conserve the shots and just do my 1mg daily (I can't afford the dose suggested by Dr. B.). I can't imagine that I would have become deficient in only a few days so I'm assuming it's more coincidental.
My main worry is that I will overuse B-12 and it will no longer work when I really need it for something (like last night). There are very few things that give me any improvement consistently and I would hate for those things to stop working from overuse.
Posted by KentuckyWoman (Member # 38894) on :
"My main worry is that I will overuse B-12 and it will no longer work when I really need it for something (like last night)."
I doubt that is even possible. Since Dr Burrascano recommends 1cc/daily and you aren't even taking that much.
I can't find the links I've read in my B12 research, but it is nearly impossible to overdose it. You can just google for info on B12 and find that.
Your body will not become "immune" to the effects of the vitamin. It responds to it bc it needs it. Some ppl don't need as much, but then some need every bit of what Dr B recommends.
I'll quote somebody else's byline: "I'm not a doctor.."
So, in that case, do mention this Q? to your Dr. Add it to your list of Qs for Dr appt kw
Posted by hadlyme (Member # 6364) on :
I do as jwall does, the waist area, around the back of your waist toward butt, pinch a two inch area of fat and inject! Doesn't hurt there!
I find if I'm really low, I do not see any 'red' in my urine. If I'm not as low, then I see more red. Yesterday's shot did not show up at all... which I take it as I was really low and it was all absorbed.
I use a 1 1/2 inch length. You want to go deeper as it will discolor your skin with time if you don't get it in to the muscle. (at least that's what I was told to begin with years ago).
I've been on shots for 13 yrs now. I can tell when I get low by my eyes getting foggy/blurry. It always goes away after a shot.
Posted by Summer3 (Member # 35286) on :
Thanks hadlyme and Kentucky,
I have done them daily this week and it's been keeping the anxiety and depression suppressed somewhat (although it's still there). It's not doing much for energy though.
However, I'm having a lot of weird things happening which I think is from some of my new meds building up and creating a herx.
I've yet to have any signs of red urine so I guess I'm either really depleted or the dose isn't high enough.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I was a little nervous at first, but caught on quickly.