MusicMan wrote:gumbiemama wrote:Some people don't digest b-12 from their food as well as other people. So, people who don't benefit from an oral/sublingual supplement might have to have shots. I have to use a sublingual liquid because b-12 in tablets doesn't affect me at all.
What effects have you personally received from B12? (Or anyone else.)
Also, where can you get the liquid form of B12?
I get my sublingual b-12 from Walgreens. they have it in a liquid and they also have tablets that dissolve under the tongue. These seem to be better absorbed by me than tablets that I have to swallow. Some people don't have the right enzymes in their digestive system to be able to use b-12 found in food/tablets. If the sublingual stuff ever stops working for me I'll have to go on injections.
Taking a supplement when you aren't deficient won't help a whole lot, but if you are deficient, it could take weeks or months to start seeing improvement. It took me about 3-6 months to start seeing major improvements with b-12 supplements. So, it would be best to find out if you are deficient before investing in several months of sublingual b-12. Mine runs around $10 a month.
I was B-12 deficient before I started taking it, and I was having numbness in my fingers and toes (peripheral neuropathy). This was discovered by my neurologist, as I didn't even know that I had lost the sensation until he started doing the pin prick test on my fingers up to my arms. We found I was much more sensitive in my arm than I am in my hand, and it really should at least be about the same. I also didn't feel the vibration test for very long at my toes. I also had really jumpy reflexes, especially in my feet. Also, whenever something "fell asleep" (like when you sit on your leg or lean on your arm too long) I felt excruciating pain for an abnormally long amount of time afterward. Sometimes it would anywhere from hours to weeks to recover.
Since treating my OSA and going on b-12 I have been able to stop taking antidepressants, which I had been off-and-on for over 10 years, I have more energy than ever before, I no longer feel a mental fog, and my memory has improved. I also used to get paresthesias (numb/tingling sensations) before being treated. My EMG test results have improved as well. Before b-12 supplementation my conduction speeds were very slow, and they have picked up quite a bit. I still have polyneuropathy, but it seems to be under control. I also don't have such a rough time from limbs "waking up" when I lean on my arms or legs too much anymore, but part of that could also be attributed to avoiding the cause For instance, when I use cpap, I am not inclined to roll onto my stomach in my sleep, propped up on my arms, just to be able to breathe. Doing that on a regular basis can cause permanent damage over time, not to mention all the horrible effects of (sleep apnea) needing to do that in the first place.
I imagine some of my improvement has been attributed to improved sleep. We started the b-12 therapy about 2 years before CPAP and the doctor saw neurological improvement on my test results within the first year, so I think the b-12 also plays a big part. If my nerve conduction was so poor before, and my brain is just a big web of nerves, there had to be improvement all over, not just in my hands and feet.
I am supposed to take 1000 mcg a day, but sometimes i take double that every other day. This keeps me up in the "normal" range of b-12. From all the literature I've read, and my doctor's own words, you can not take too much b-12. There aren't any side effects.
Just be careful with b-complex vitamins, because some vitamins in them ARE associated with side effects in large doses. If you need only b-12 and you can find it alone in a supplement, then I would take only that.
Your doctor can do a blood test to see where you stand with b-12. My neurologist recommends supplementation even for those who are borderline low if they are having symptoms that could be improved with b-12. Folic acid is another one that can cause similar symptoms if you are deficient.
I've also read web sites that say that b-12 deficiency can be linked to a number of non-neurological problems such as thyroid disorders, high cholesterol, etc. I am not sure about everything I read on the internet, but it is enough to make me want to keep up with my regular checkups and routine tests.