What do all of these chronic diseases have in common?
- Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive decline, and memory loss (collectively referred to as “aging”)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders
- Mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and psychosis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Learning or developmental disorders in kids
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Autoimmune disease and immune dysregulation
- Cancer
- Male and female infertility
Answer: Their signs and symptoms can all be mimicked by a vitamin B12 deficiency.
An Invisible Epidemic
B12 deficiency isn’t a bizarre, mysterious disease. It’s written about in every medical textbook, and its causes and effects are well-established in the scientific literature.
However, the condition is far more common than most healthcare practitioners and the general public realize. Data from a Tufts University study suggests that 40 percent of people between the ages of 26 and 83 have plasma B12 levels in the low normal range—a range at which many experience neurological symptoms. Nine percent had an outright nutrient deficiency, and 16 percent exhibited “near deficiency.” Most surprising to the researchers was the fact that low B12 levels were as common in younger people as they were in the elderly. (1)
That said, this type of deficiency has been estimated to affect about 40 percent of people over 60 years of age. It’s entirely possible that at least some of the symptoms we attribute to “normal” aging—such as memory loss, cognitive decline, and decreased mobility—are at least in part caused by a deficiency.
Why Is It Underdiagnosed?
This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.
Yet, it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL—levels considered “normal” in the U.S.—have clear vitamin deficiency symptoms. (2) Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of a deficiency, like Sally Pacholok, R.N., and Jeffrey Stuart, D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. (3) They also recommend treating patients who show normal B12 levels but also have elevated urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA), homocysteine, or holotranscobalamin, which are other markers of a deficiency in vitamin B12.
B12 deficiency can mimic the signs of Alzheimer’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and several mental illnesses. Find out what this vitamin does and learn how to treat a deficiency. #B12 #B12deficiency #cognitivedecline
In Japan and Europe, the lower limit for B12 is between 500 and 550 pg/mL. Those levels are associated with psychological and behavioral symptoms, such as:
- Cognitive decline
- Dementia
- Memory loss (4)
Some experts have speculated that the acceptance of higher levels as normal in Japan and the willingness to treat levels considered “normal” in the U.S. explain the low rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia in that country.
What Is Vitamin B12 and Why Do You Need It?
Vitamin B12 works together with folate in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells. It’s also involved in the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves and the conduction of nerve impulses. You can think of the brain and the nervous system as a big tangle of wires. Myelin is the insulation that protects those wires and helps them to conduct messages.
Severe B12 deficiency in conditions like pernicious anemia (an autoimmune condition where the body destroys intrinsic factor, a protein necessary for the absorption of the vitamin) used to be fatal until scientists figured out death could be prevented by feeding patients raw liver, which contains high amounts of B12. But anemia is the final stage of a deficiency. Long before anemia sets in, deficient patients will experience several other problems, including fatigue, lethargy, weakness, memory loss, and neurological and psychiatric problems.
The Stages of a Deficiency
B12 deficiency occurs in four stages, beginning with declining blood levels of the vitamin (stage I), progressing to low cellular concentrations of the vitamin (stage II), an increased blood level of homocysteine and a decreased rate of DNA synthesis (stage III), and finally, macrocytic anemia (stage IV). (5)
Common B12 Deficiency Symptoms
The signs can look like the symptoms of several other serious disorders, and the neurological effects of low B12 can be especially troubling.
Here are some of the most common vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms:
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
- Brain fog, confusion, and memory problems
- Depression
- Premature aging
- Cognitive decline
- Anemia
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Constipation
- Trouble balancing (6)
Children can also show symptoms, including developmental issues and learning disabilities if their B12 levels are too low.
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Why Is It So Common?
The absorption of B12 is complex and involves several steps—any of which can go wrong. Any of the following can cause B12 malabsorption:
- Intestinal dysbiosis
- Leaky gut and gut inflammation
- Atrophic gastritis or hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid
- Pernicious anemia
- Medications, especially proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other acid-suppressing drugs
- Alcohol
- Exposure to nitrous oxide, during either surgery or recreational use
This explains why a deficiency can occur even in people eating large amounts of B12-containing animal products. In fact, many of my patients that are B12 deficient are following a Paleo diet where they eat meat two or three times daily.
Who Is at Risk for a Deficiency?
In general, the following groups are at greatest risk for a deficiency:
- Vegetarians and vegans
- People aged 60 or over
- People who regularly use PPIs or acid-suppressing drugs
- People on diabetes drugs like metformin
- People with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac, or IBS
- Women with a history of infertility and miscarriage
Note to Vegetarians and Vegans: B12 Is Found Only in Animal Products
You cannot get B12 from plant-based sources. This vitamin is only found in animal products. That’s why vegetarians and vegans need to know the signs of deficiency—and the steps necessary to fix the problem.
A common myth among vegetarians and vegans is that it’s possible to get B12 from plant sources like:
- Fermented soy
- Spirulina
- Brewers yeast
However, plant foods said to contain B12 actually contain B12 analogs called cobamides that block the intake of and increase the need for true B12. (7) That explains why studies consistently demonstrate that up to 50 percent of long-term vegetarians and 80 percent of vegans are deficient in B12. (8, 9)
Seaweed is another commonly cited plant source of B12, but this idea is controversial. Research indicates that there may be important differences in dried versus raw purple nori; namely, raw nori may be a good source of B12, while dried nori may not be. One study indicated that the drying process used for seaweed creates B12 analogs, making it a poor source of the vitamin, while animal research suggests that dried nori can correct a B12 deficiency. (10, 11) Seaweed may provide B12, but it’s not clear if those benefits are negated when that seaweed is dried. I recommend caution for that reason.
The Impact of a Deficiency on Children
The effects of B12 deficiency on kids are especially alarming. Studies have shown that kids raised until age six on a vegan diet are still B12 deficient even years after they start eating at least some animal products. In one study, the researchers found an association between a child’s B12 status and their performance on testing measuring:
- Spatial ability
- Fluid intelligence
- Short-term memory
Researchers found that formerly vegan children scored lower than their omnivorous counterparts in each area. (12)
The deficit in fluid intelligence is particularly troubling, the researchers said, because this area impacts a child’s ability to reason, work through complex problems, learn, and engage in abstract thinking. Defects in any of these areas could have long-term consequences for kids.
I recognize that there are many reasons why people choose to eat the way they do, and I respect people’s right to make their own choices. I also know that, like all parents, vegetarians and vegans want the best for their children. This is why it’s absolutely crucial for those that abstain from animal products to understand that there are no plant sources of B12 and that all vegans and most vegetarians should supplement with B12.
This is especially important for vegetarian or vegan children or pregnant women, whose need for B12 is even greater. If you’re not willing to take a dietary supplement, it may be time to think twice about your vegetarian or vegan diet.
How to Treat a Deficiency
One of the greatest tragedies of the B12 epidemic is that diagnosis and treatment are relatively easy and cheap—especially when compared to the treatment patients will need if they’re in a late stage of deficiency. A B12 test can be performed by any laboratory, and it should be covered by insurance. If you don’t have insurance, you can order it yourself from a lab like DirectLabs.com.
As always, adequate treatment depends on the underlying mechanism causing the problem. People with pernicious anemia or inflammatory gut disorders like Crohn’s disease are likely to have impaired absorption for their entire lives and will likely require B12 injections or high-dose oral cobalamin indefinitely. This may also be true for those with a severe deficiency that’s causing neurological symptoms.
Typically in the past, most B12 experts recommended injections over high-dose oral cobalamin for people with pernicious anemia and an advanced deficiency involving neurological symptoms. However, recent studies have suggested that high-dose oral or nasal administration may be as effective as injections for those with B12 malabsorption problems. (13, 14)
Try Supplementing
Japanese studies indicate that methylcobalamin is even more effective in treating neurological symptoms and that it may be better absorbed because it bypasses several potential problems in the B12 absorption cycle. (15, 16) On top of that, methylcobalamin provides the body with methyl groups that play a role in various biological processes important to overall health.
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Change Your Diet
Nourishing your body through whole food is the best way to get the vitamins and nutrients you need. If you’re low on B12, try eating some vitamin-rich foods like:
- Liver
- Shellfish
- Clams
- Oysters
- Organ Meats
Eating other kinds of seafood, like octopus, fish eggs, lobster, and crab, can also help you attain normal B12 levels. If you’re seafood-averse, you can also get this vitamin from:
- Lamb
- Beef
- Eggs
- Cheese
It’s important to note, though, that the amount of B12 in these foods is nowhere near as high as the levels in shellfish and organ meats.
What to Do if You’re Experiencing Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms
If you suspect you have a deficiency, the first step is to get tested. You need an accurate baseline to work from.
If you are B12 deficient, the next step is to identify the mechanism causing the deficiency. You’ll probably need help from a medical practitioner for this part. Once the mechanism is identified, the appropriate form (injection, oral, sublingual, or nasal) of supplementation, the dose, and the length of treatment can be selected.
So, next time you or someone you know is “having a senior moment,” remember: It might not be “just aging.” It could be B12 deficiency.
QUESTION>Am I having my first schizophrenic break (a little late in life) and/or displaying Bi-polar w/psychotic features or is it more likely my low vitamins as a result of poor diet and poor absorbtion from the gastric bypass surgery?
Posted question at the bottom too cause (I cannot be concice or spell when I’m hallucinating …Sorry 🙂 )
Here is my back-story/history:
I’m a 30 y.o. female who had gastric bypass surgery in the end of 2008. Just this past 6 months I got a check up and was defiecient in every vitamin(that they tested for.) I ended up doing Iron infusions (8 infusions 2x/wkly/1month) but my Pica is back and I just started eating Ice again yesterday. I am extremely depressed even suicidal at times, which I am a profesional working in the field of mental health (I went out of network for most psych care!!!) and out of work right now but they are holding my job awaiting FMLA/St. Term disability paperwork…. Here is the issue: I was normal (on the range of normal compared to other 30 y.o. women i’ve met) but now within a months time i’ve went from mild stress/depression (life on life’s terms stuff) to hallucinating (they are eposodic and last a few seconds i.e. tactile, auditory, especially visual) and occasional delusions (paranoia, intrusive thoughts.) My emotions are wild (i.e. laughing, crying, crying while laughing, rage, and loss of all social grace etc.) I know my B-12 is low and had 2/monthly shots but am 1 month behind for my 3rd due (my fault.) My Vitamin D is low (I was just prescribed 50,000 IU 1x/wk for 3 months) and all my other vitamins are low too. I’m under the care of a hemnotologist for the iron. QUESTION>Am I having my first schizophrenic break (a little late in life) and/or displaying Bi-polar w/psychotic features or is it more likely my low vitamins as a result of poor diet and poor absorbtion from the gastric bypass?
Posted question at the top too cause I cannot be concice or spell when I’m hallucinating …Sorry 🙂
First thing… you were given synthetic prescription D2 and studies show it does not keep D levels up when you stop taking the prescription. Natural D3 which can be bought at any Vitamin Store will work better and not leave you hooked on a prescription. I suggest you take the D3 as the D2 was prescribed and follow up to see when you can drop to a maintenance daily dose.
Most schizophrenics are magnesium and b vitamin deficient as are Autistics and people with food allergies that cause absorption problems. So, I wouldn’t be so confidant with that diagnosis of schizophrenia especially after a gastric bypass. Unless you stay on top of the deficiencies that you will now be plagued with you will suffer various symptoms for the rest of your life.
Find yourself a darn good alternative doctor that gives vitamin IV’s. Also get a good high quality magnesium like magnesium glycinate and see if your altered GI tract can absorb it. if not, IV and transdermal application like epsom salts baths will help. Good luck… you’re going to need it!
“A 2004 study published in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition” investigated the influence of antipsychotic medications common for treating schizophrenia and the connection to increasing magnesium plasma levels in diagnosed subjects. The study found that during acute episodes of psychosis in schizophrenia, magnesium levels were decreased and the administration of antipsychotic medications enhanced magnesium cell levels but not overall plasma magnesium. This resulted in symptom improvement but only with the administration of medication. This study built upon previous hypotheses proposed in a 1990 study published in “Neuropsychobiology,” which noted that low levels of magnesium exacerbates paranoia and hallucinations in schizophrenia.”
Psychosis can be a b12/folate deficiency. When accompanied by enlarged red blood cells it was called “megaloblastic madness” and described as the “most florrid psychosis known to man”. If it is caused by b12/folate deficiency, hallucinations can stop in hours following an adequate dose of the right brands of AdoCbl AND MeCbl, possilbly L-methyfolate. However, if anxiety is present that often would indicate that a person may be hyper responsive to L-carntine having unbearable anxity, panic, anger, rage and deppression occur in order over about 36-48 hours depencing upon dose. In those people benzos and possibly anti-psychotic drugs can casue a sort of pseudo Parkinson’s or something like that. Also, get an A&D extracted form fish liver oil (Cod, Halibut, Shark). It is fully active. This matters as does getting the correct brands of natual AdoCbl and MeCbl. In the 40s or 50s, when research was still being done with liver extract instead of CyCbl, they had done a study showinf discharge of schizophrenics in 3 days of treatment with the extract. The Liver exrtract effectiveness is generally equaled by the Deadlock Quartet, AdoCbl, MeCbl, L-methylfolate and l-carnitine fumarate. You need more specific information before you attempt these vitamins because they can hit like a ton of bricks and you need to be prepared. good luck.
Hi Everyone !!
As most of you here, I’ve regularly have checked my blood every few months during the past few years. I’ve recently discovered that I’m severely deficient in Vitamin D however my doctor also told me that about a year ago i was also deficient in B12 but said it looks ok now (yet from what I’ve read that routine blood-work isn’t really reliable). During that time my IBS was acting up and i couldn’t eat anything without getting sick so I’m not surprised. Also i have had low blood iron for most of my life which i take supplements for.
Right after that era i tried the candida diet and eliminated many many things for a while from my diet. I had been avoiding red meat long before that and looking back, around then i started getting numb (decreased sensation) spots in my body and they stay present. First tip of my fingers, side of my arms, then my big toes, lips…and now it has spread to most of my body…it’s the feeling that you are wearing a glove and i occasionally have Pins and needles again everywhere…mostly in arms and legs and stronger in the extremities. The decreased sensation is so uncomfortable that i can’t think of anything beside that and I’m extremely terrified of how fast this has been progressing recently.
My GP said that it might be my very very low vitamin d that has caused my body to go nuts (it is 22 nmol/L). I have been taking Vitamin D since October and besides my joint pains and some muscle spasm not much has improved which made me think.
-My Question is could i still be very much deficient while my levels have sorta come up and are (in the safe range) ??
– i am very doubtful in how the number has decreased since i still very much avoid most animal products?
– Does it take many months to notice the difference in not so minor cases?
I have been taking B12 for a month but now they say
it is unavailable.. Why the shortage? What should I do?
Robert, Unfortunately, when only one or two brands work reliably, they become difficult to keep in stock. I try to keep 2 months ahead of my need in order to never run out. My feet go numb and my brain deteriorates 10 days after my last large enough dose of the correct brands. Nothing else does the trick. Good luck. There are a lot of online retailers that may have some of the right brands. Email the companies involved and tell them how important it is to have enough of the right brands.
That’s where I am at.Can my Dr. tell me the kind I need? or will he?
Robert, A couple of other possibly effective enough brands. Vitamin Shoppe housebrand 1mg Methylb12, AOR 15mg methylb12 (most any online retailer) and Kirkland (Costco, Amazon.com) 5mg methylb12.
@dolly
All of your symptoms could be due to B12 deficiency. The only way to know for sure is to try it. I’m not familiar with unicobal, but it’s worth a try if your insurance covers it. If that doesn’t work, you should try Fredd’s current recommendation – Enzymatic Therapy B12 Infusion. For either of the tablet forms, try to hold one in your mouth for as long as possible – an hour or more if possible. B12 is absorbed very poorly if you swallow it. It’s absorbed about 10x as well through the skin of the mouth.
hi.this is dolly..
since last 2 years,once in every 4 to 6 months, I suffered from light-headedness ,accompanied by dizziness and nausea.This continued for a while-around a weak,and then would subside..the doctor gave me Vertin along with some antibiotics .In july 2012,I had a the similar symptoms,but more intense, and lasted long…this time it was also accompanied by some vision problem… swaying moment,weakness and all..it took me a long time to get better.
However since that time I have never felt completely relaxed,as now and then i have a feeling of light-headedness,severe heaviness in eyes and sometimes in head , headaches- which are not very intense ,intolerance to crowded places especially malls etc., confusion.and so many more..
The doctor gave me antibiotics in intervals which made me felt better for the time being…
Finally I checked with the neurologist.He thinks it to be the Symptoms of migraine and also recommended a B-12 test..So finally today I was diagnose with the B-12 deficiency which is 171 pg/ml..He has suggested 10 injection of -UNICOBAL and also the oral cap.of the same..(I being a pure veg.no eggs too).He thinks my B-12 level triggers the Migraine…
My concern is that all these are really the symptoms of deficiency of B-12 . and nothing else!!.I am really really confused ..since last seven months not a day of my life has been normal…I feel depressed.Once a active and energetic me is becoming dull and depressed..
someone pl. suggest…
Hi Dolly,
The symptoms of methylb12, adenosylb12 and l-methylfolate deficiencies overlap. Along with l-carnitine fumarate the four make up what I have been calling the Deadlock quartet since the lack of any one of them can partially or completely prevent the others from working. Lack of these 4 items can cause horrid chronic headaches. I suffered with such for decades until I healed the casues. The Sublingual brands I have mentioned on other posts when held sublingually for 45-120 minutes in combinationtion are 100 to 10,000 times more effective than any CyanoCbl or HydroxyCbl injection or series.
Great article. I couldn’t agree more with the need of B-12 shots, as most of the modern medical society would like to see american’s on anti-anxiety drugs. Why do that, when B-12 can be dosed for the individual according to their need per diagnosis. I’m also a fan of the methyl B, and it’s delivery ability. While I loved this important, informative, helpful article – I would love to have three resources you deem reliable to order from – if possible. Thank you again, Victoria S.
Hi Victoria Stanley,
You can find the Enzymatic Therapy b12 infusion (methylb12), Anabol Dibenzoplex (adebosylb12) and l-methylfolate (Solgar Metafolin) at iherb.com. RED843 as a coupon code will get you $10 offf thye first order if $40 or more (and free shipping in USA) or $5 off if less. There are other reliable retailers. This is the one I’m most familiar with. Good luck BRAND is important for these items as there is much variability from brand to brand.
fred…you said this to me…but potassium is the only thing that I know what you’re talking about. I started about 2200 mg of potassium per day and stopped having the periodic weakness in my body. But now it is coming back sporadically. I’m having a spell right now and took another potassium pill. Should I go to 3000 mg potassium per day? What about all the other things you mentioned? I don’t have them and have no idea what they are. You said…
“So while mb12, adb12 and methylfolate titrated from very low lovels to 100mcg of a combined adocbl and mecbl absorbed and 200mcg of Metafolin, then titrate potassium to comfortable levels, ie 2000-3000mg daily in 5 doses or so. Also, Metafolin may have to be adjusted to anywere between 800mcg and 30mg depending upon a person’s specfic genetic needs for types of folates. Many people have paradoxical folate deficiency. After this intial balance is attained and reasonaby stable, other vitamins adjusted as needed, then a very low and slow titration of L-carnitine of the right variety and amount. If you prefer to think about things differently than this, that is of couurse your choice. I’m merely offering my best right up to the bleeding edge hypothesis. Good luck.
Fred”
Hi Robsct,
Those other things are the vitamins you are missing. When they cause healing to start, potassium drops through the floor. That is the reason for taking potassium, to go with those other things. If you were already low on potassium then watch out when you start these vitamins. The best brand of methylb12 is Enzy,atic Therapy b12 infusion. The most effect brand of Adenosylb12 currently is Anabol. Metafolin under any of several vitamin makers is l-methylfolate. These cause all sorts of healing and get the energy of the body working. l-carnitine-fumarate helsp produce energy and restore muscles to normal. They can be ordered from many different online retailers. If you go to iherb.com and use the coupon code RED843 you will get $10 off your first order if more than $40 and otherwise $5 off. The prices and service are good. They normally carry all needed products and deliver in much of the world. Good luck.
Help. Since I can no longer give myself shots and I have had no luck finding sublingual methylcobalamin, I ordered it from drugstore.com. It is microlingual, 5000 mcg, brand of Superior Source. I looked into the company and they seemed ok. However when it came in the mail today, and I bought two bottles of 60 each, the pills are tiny, ie: micro, and that part is fine. But, the bottles are full of fine powder, and the pills are crumbled up. The majority of them, in both bottles, are not whole. The cotton that was in there to “protect” them is not white but dark pink and completely full of the powder. The powder is really fine, almost like ink toner for a copier. I am so upset. Is this how this is supposed to be? I left a message with the company that makes it and will call drugstore.com, but is this how this is supposed to look? I am low 200’s and need my B12.
Cheese and eggs are both good sources of B12, so why does this article keep mentioning “vegetarians and vegans,” as if they were the same thing?
Hi KT,
I suppose “good sources” is subject to definition. While there is some evidence that the b12 in eggs is difficult to absorb for unknown reasons. Even if it isn’t I would have need about 20 eggs a day and a pound of cheese to supply a survival amount off b12. In any case I was a vegetarian eating eggs and cheese, almost every day, and I went downhill from day 1. Eating a “normal am,ount of eggs and cheesen each day is b12 starvation, maybe not as fast. A few people can get by adequately. But then, how many and how severe is an okay level of unwellness in the form of non specific symptoms to tolerate. They creep up on you. Besides, if a person also happens to be vegetable folate intolerant the more veggies they eat the sicker they get and no amount of b12 will overcome that.
Clams, oysters and liver are good sources of b12, red meats are medium, poultry is low medium and dairy products and eggs are pretty poor sources in practice. They are the worst that have any b12 value at all. Insects and worms are decent as well. Also, meats have active folate, l-methyfolate in the tissues as well as carnitine and both forms of active b12. Fish has omega3 oils that also help in the healing as well as low levels of b12. I believe a good balanced diet is usually the best bet, taking account of individual sensitivities. Intestingly, once b12 deficiency gets started it often causes a nutrient specific anorexia towards foods that contain b12.
I’m planning on having my serum B-12 tested. However, I was already supplementing with sublingual methylcobalamin. Will this skew the test results? If so, and currently not taking any now, how long should I wait (i.e. a couple of days, weeks, or month even) to have this test done?
In the interest of money and because sublingual methylcobalamin is said to be very non-toxic in even large dosages, I decided to circumvent having my B-12 level checked by just taking a B-12 supplement. I clearly had and still have a great many of the signs and symptoms and even some of the conditions caused by a B-12 deficiency. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to be of much avail to me as I haven’t really noticed a difference in how I’m feeling or functioning. However, if I haven’t noticed really any difference in how I’m feeling or functioning, I’m wondering two things — if I was already sufficient in B-12, or if, because of malabsorption issues, I need the methylcobalamin injections.
If someone could please get back to me regarding this, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
Veronica
Hi Veronica,
The active b12s cvary a great deal as to effectiveness. Right now I know of one 5 star methylb12, Enzymatic Therapy b12 infusion. Hold it under the lip for 45-120 minutes for 15-25% absorbtion. Then there is the other active b12 adenosylcobalamin, AdoCbl, Anabol Dibencoplex is the 5 star brandin that. Again, I use 1/4 to 1/3 of a capsule again between my lip and gum for 1-2 hrs for good absorbtion. Futher there are l-methylfolate and l-carnitne fumarate both of which can deadlock b12 grom working if they are lacking. The 4 of them, the deadlock quartet, will notmally start up healing in 3 days requiring addiotnal potassium and l-methylfolate. Also all usual vits and minerals and omega3 oils are needed or something else will run out right away. Any brand will rsaise your serum level. Some brands used properly woll actually work for healing.
Hi All,
I would really appreciate an answer. I am 36 years old and have had Hashimotos since I was 17 years old. In the past two years I have been getting tingly feet with toe numbness. I had an EMG that showed “severe sensory neuropathy”. The EMG did not show a pinched nerve, however an MRI showed that I have several, between 8-10 bulging discs, some pinching nerves. I have had blood work to test for Diabetes, though it’s doubtful as a FBS test a year ago was good (88). My TSH is slightly elevated and I have a goiter (I take 125 mcg Synthroid). My B12 level was either 312 or 320 (can’t remember what they said). I am now on B12 shots. I have no pain in my feet, simply numbness and tingling. I get online and read and read and then I see forums talking about HIV and sensory neuropathy and I get panicked (I have OCD also), even though I am married/monogamous and am not an IV drug user. Can the slightly elevated TSH, the B12 level, the back issues cause the severe neuropathy in my feet? I feel like the information is so conflicting!
Do you know of any study that shows B 12 injections working for people who have esstenial temors?
Since starting B12 injections in October after a while I started to have bouts of extreme weakness in my legs and I noticed I was peeing all the time and could not retain fluids. Drinking Gatorade and Pedialite seemed to help. I have not been taking extra potassium because I’m afraid too much of that will run up my blood pressure. But I’m wondering if this is the problem as I am having increased episodes of weakness and it seems to be linked to dehydration which can be low potassium causing that. I first had the weakness when I became dehydrated on days I would take a water pill. I’ve had to stop taking any water pills and I have kept losing fluid. Now I’m having bouts of leg weakness and feeling dehydrated anyhow. Any thoughts from Freddd or anyone? I’m going to increase my potassium until I start retaining some water again but I have the potassium gluconate kind and I saw freddd said to use the tartrate kind. What’s the difference?
Potassium LOWERS blood pressure if it is high or just normalizes it. It is the shortage, not the presence, of potassium combined with too much sodium that raises blood pressure.
Thanks Paul, I was way off on that. When I read your post I did a search and read up on it and I was way off the mark there. I’ve been starving my body of potassium and I bet that’s what’s wrong with me now.
A month ago my dad was completely healthy and then out of the blue he started showing signs of dementia. Forgetting what day and time it is and confusing day and night all together.He has been overly tired. He always complains now about being cold. The hospital diagnosed it as dementia but I got a call today that his levels of B12 are a little low and they want to do weekly injections for a month. Would his levels being just a little off explain everything or is there still a real chance it could be dementia and the shots will not help at all?
You will have MUCH better success possible with the right brands of sublingual MeCbl (Enzymatic Therapy B12 infusion), AdoCbl (Anabol Dibencoplex used as sublingual, 1/4 cap), and L-methylfolate. An extremely cautious titration of L-carnitine fumarate could make day and night differences. The reason why all four are needed is complex but amounts to each is dependent on the other 3 for their functions. Being COLD puts it squaraely on those 4. You MUST have potassium on hand, often 2000-3000mg a day to take care of induced hypokalemia on the probably 3rd day after starting. Titrate to effectiveness. I find the potassium gluconate easiest on my stomach. One study esteimated that more than 40% of dementia is from b12 deficiencies. If it is b12 lack it can reverse in hours to days. Some people need to take more than one tablet to get it into the brain.
Is it safe to take methylcobalamin, if I have mercury exposure/ poisoning from amalgam dental fillings? I heard that methylcobalamin could just cause the mercury to further spread throughout the body. I’m thinking about getting my amalgams removed, and am not sure if supplementing with methylcobalamin — before or after I get them removed — could be detrimental.
Veromnica, Yes it is safe taking MeCbl. 80% of the symptoms of mecury toxicity are MeCbl deficiency sympoms becasue it destroys MeCbl. Start with selenium that locks up the mecury, then after a few days start The Enzymatic Therapy B12 infusion, holding for 45-120 minutes under lip. Also the Anabol Dibencoplex (AdoCbl) the b12 for the mitochondria (energy and mood), anti-inflammation and healing nerves, L-methylfolate, the leve of which has a lot to do with how thorough the healing is, titrated by effectiveness, usually between 800mcg and 15,000 mcg daily in divided doses, depending upon how well you can utilize other folates, and then l-carnitine fumarate, the other half of the energy equation. Thes 4 items have mutual 4 way deadlock. Each is essential for the full performance of the others, or even any performance. The amalgams will have to be replaced as they age in any case. They have a limited lifetime. Let yourself get all healed up so they don’t make any difference. If you start the Deadlock Quartet of supplements you need to know more first to do it safely becasue they cause hypokalemia because they get so much cell formation going, so much healing. Brand and certain cautions must apply for the carnitine. Most people know within an hour if the b12s they have are effective. Over a number of years the MeCbl will help clear mercury from your body.
After coming across this website and doing extensive research on vitamin B-12, I decided to supplement with it. For about nine months, I supplemented with it in its sublingual methylcobalamin form. I started taking just one 1mg. pill once daily, then titrated the dosage, taking three 5 mg. pills daily. Unfortunately, this has been of no avail to me. I even started taking methylfolate sublingually with it. Though I strongly believe that I have hypochlorhydria/ achlorhydria, I’m wondering if its possible that I’m not assimilating the methylcobalamin even in its sublingual form. On the other hand, I’m wondering if perhaps I don’t have a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Should I consider methylcobalamin injections? Though I never actually had my B-12 level checked, I do have reason to think that I may be suffering from a vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Why not just get your level checked (making sure to ask the doc what the number is. Disregard what he/she says about whether or not it is normal.)
Hi Mary,
I’m planning on having my B-12 level checked. It may be that I’m not deficient in it. But, at least I’ll know for sure one way or the other. Do you happen to know if methylcobalamin injections are any more effective than sublingual methylcobalamin supplements? According to many sources, they appear to be equal in terms of efficacy. I know oral (non-sublingual) methylcobalamin are the least effective, but wonder if perpahs B-12 injections might be more effective for me. However, at this time, I will be sure to just get this checked. I’ll have to do this anyway, if I want to try the vitamin B-12 injections. Also, do you happen to know, if having no moons on the fingernails is sign of a vitamin B-12 deficiency? I read this on the Internet, but can’t seem to find any studies done to back this claim up.
Well, thanks for replying to my message.
Hi Veronica,
I don’t have the answers. I cannot get methylcobalamin injections here, but my doc is working with a compounding pharmacy to try and get them. I was taking the Jarrow Sublingual Methylcobalamin recommended previously by Freddd, but he recently said that Jarrow is no longer a good brand for it. I think that might be why my levels, even with daily 15000 iu sublingual methyl b12 AND weekly cyano injections PLUS a b complex were not raising my levels more than a few hundred points. Supposedly there are b12 supplements WITH intrinsic factor, but I havent seen them yet. It may be that no oral b12 will work for people like us. I don’t know.
Hi Veronica, I tried the pill form of B12 called Zipmelts and was using 5000 Zipmelt 3-4 times a day. I tested off the chart for B12 in my system at over 1200. I found that my body was not using this form of B12. The reason I believe this is because when I finally got my doctor to agree to B12 injections I could feel an immediate change in my body from the shots. I reasoned that if my body was using the pill form B12 there should have been no change when I used the injection, but there was. Considering all the changes in my body now I think I may have been B12 deficient all my life. Things I thought were “just me” I have found are not me anymore.
Hi Robsct,
Thank you for your reply.
Do you happen to know what form of B-12 (cobalamin)–cynacobalamin or methylcobalamin–that you were taking? And, if you were taking it orally was it sublingually? I ask these two questions, as, vitamin B-12, according to my research, when administered orally, is best taken sublingually in its natural methylcobalamin form. The cynacobalamin form, the most common, but synthetic, form of B-12 is what is found in most multivitamin products.
I’ve tried two different brands of sublingual methylcobalamin, and, even taking between 10,000-15,000 mcgs. (or 10-15 mgs.) for a period of nine months, I feel no difference. Hence, I’m considering getting B-12 objections as I have so many of the signs and symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency. Are you receiving methylcobalamin or cynacobalamin injections? According to my research, and you reaffirm this, vitamin B-12 shots are more effective than oral B-12 supplements.
I think its interesting, however, that your B-12 test results showed that you were more than proficient in B-12. Though blood tests aren’t always accurate, I really don’t understand how that could be seeing as you were already taking an inferior form, one your body probably couldn’t utilize.
But, it’s great that the B-12 shots have helped you so very much–to the extent that you even feel like your back to yourself again.
I, probably like you did, feel like something is biologically wrong with me, especially nutrition-wise. Thus, I’m hoping methylcobalamin injections might help me. I’ve been to so many doctors–psychiatrists, endocrinolgists, and neurologists–and not one of them mentioned my possibly being deficient in B-12. I also had my thyroid checked, but that really isn’t a problem for me. Hence, I think in addition to the signs and symptoms that I have of B-12 deficiency, that its very likely I could be vitamin B-12 deficient, especially since because not routinely tested in a physical examination and never suggested by a doctor to have this done, I never actually had my B-12 level checked. And, while I’ve known how important B vitamins are for the mood and mind, I always thought that just taking a good B-complex supplement would be enough. And furthermore, while I’ve heard of vitamin B-12 shots, I didn’t realize that B-12 had to be taken sublingually and in its methylcobalamin form, if not administered intravenously or intramuscularly in its methylcobalamin form.
The injections are the cheap kind, cynacobalamin I believe. I have seen some signs of improvement but I didn’t mean to give the impression that I was back to myself again. I still have serious medical problems. I have not seen any miracle improvements and still need the Parkinson’s medication to move freely for a while. I have read that healing of the nervous system can take many months.
Robsct, Most brands of MeCbl don’t work well. A 5 star brand currently is Enzymatic Therapy B12 infusion. It has a strong effect on body and nerves. Taken in combination with (Anabol Dibencoplex) AdoCbl, L-methylfolate and L-carnitine fumarate, 95% of the time for people with suitable symtpoms the effects will be seen starting withiin an hour. There are 6 specific levels of healing that can get turned on with various combinations and quantities. Most brands are totally or largely ineffective. Anything you can’t makes last 1-2 hours under the lip won’t stick around a long enough to make a real difference.
I got diagnosed with B12 deficiency although i went to my GP 18 months previous, i was tod because i was a shift worker it was lifestyle, however i was so tired and run down July this year i got shingles, 2 months after the numb tingly sore patches i was getting were consideraby worse and more painful, i went back to my GP he gave it a name and carried out blood tests my B12 level was at 100, before though i thought i was dying, i couldnt remember, lost balance, kept bumping into things and dropping things, was so tired was sleeping for 16 hours then waking and feeling like i hadnt slept then having to go back to bed, i was breathless, chest pains, joints hurt especially neck and shoulders,. I then had a 6 B12 injections and have to have them every 12 weeks, however im due for my next injection in 4 weeks and i can notice that i need another soon, im starting to feel tired again and sleeping a bit longer had to go back to bed for the first time in weeks this afternoon, i dont want to feel like this i feel out of control i get upset and tearful, it is dibilitating and people dont understand i find thats the worse when i get tired i get very tearful even at work,
I also like to add onto this i dont have pernicious anaemia, i had blood test for this, i eat plenty of animal products red meat, white meat,fish, cheese ,eggs, yoghurts, pasta, and i also have to take folic acid tablets,
Actually, not only can’t you get B12 from plants, but you can’t get three out of the four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K, E) in their final, usable-by-human-bodies form from plants, and I’m not sure about the fourth, vitamin E.
The second, vitamin D3, is indeed obtained from sunlight (the other source you mentioned), but nobody can seem to make up their minds whether anyone north of South Carolina’s latitude can do that between October and March–or possibly at other times of the year. Might explain why salmon became a sacred food in lands far to the north; sockeye in particular is one of the best dietary sources of D3.
Vitamins A and K come in their very best form from animal origins. I have reasons, though lay in origin, to believe that people are poor converters of K2. I know for a fact that people are poor converters of beta carotene, the best-known precursor of A. Two studies I’m aware of, though with a small sample size, in the U.S. and UK determined that just under half their respondents couldn’t convert beta carotene adequately. The glaring flaw other than the study size in both cases was that I don’t know if they prescreened for conditions known to interfere with beta-carotene conversion, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes. If they did prescreen, the number’s higher than 45-49% (I can’t remember the exact percentage), which means more than half the population.
On top of that, researchers now believe that the so-called established conversion ratio of BC to vitamin A, about 4 units of BC to get 1 unit of A, is too low. They think it’s more like 6:1, possibly higher. But right now people are believing that carrots or sweet potatoes are much higher in vitamin A than they might actually be after BC conversion, thanks to the federal government allowing plant foods to be labeled as having vitamin A when they don’t, or specifically the amount of vitamin A you’d get from a serving if you had optimal conversion. Which most of us don’t.
I hear Paleo people opining that they think most other Paleo people are getting too much A and I wonder, “Where in the world from?” I hope they don’t mean veggies. The Mayo Clinic says urinary tract defects are the most common class of birth defect in the United States, and I’ve learned vitamin A is important in the development of that system. Then there are all the kids with baby-tooth decay, which is blamed on bottles but occurrence is uneven in children who fall asleep with bottles. Vitamin A’s important in tooth enamel development. Then there are all the kids who grow up wearing glasses; vitamin A, of course, is well-known as important in eye development, up to and including the prevention of eye defects. And then there’s all the infertility in the adults, paired with such fun conditions as menorrhagia (a condition cured in the Third World with vitamin A supplements!).
I could go on but you get the idea. Then there’s the connection between K2 and both dental health (it keeps dentin healthy) and insulin sensitivity… well, no wonder so many diabetics have cavities.
We overestimate how nutritious our food really is, especially when we try to skate by with precursors.
How do you folks in the US get your B12 for injection? I have had a super hard time, at all pharmacies. It is on back order everywhere. And forget the M type, I cannot even find a pharmacy that can get it at all.
Chris, I am so confused. Are you familiar with Dr. Dommisse? The mess that surrounds him, and how has this affected the thoughts on what you and all of us believe regarding B12 deficiency? I happened upon him and then upon the mess that came about because of him. Can you put some clarity on what happened there? I am having a hard enough time with the pharmacy as well as the dr.s to get medicine to combat my issues. I always drop to 250 or less unless I am giving myself injections, and when I spoke to the pharmacist today about tryinng to get the M type of injectable B12, and the fact that problems may crop up down the road should you use the other type, even though you may see help initially, she was not helpful, told me she knew nothing of any kind of studies and on and on. I don’t know what to do. This is so hard.
Moreover, can I add that I need something more than other patients beliefs to take to my Dr.s to help me have something to fight with. I respect and appreciate all of that, but the Dr.s will not listen to that, they will not do anything based on that, and then there is Dr. Dommisse.
Hi Jan,
As the Enzymatic Therapy sublingual 1mg yields about 150-250mcg absorbed daily if held as liong as possible under a lip and works far better than any injections other than a rare 5 star injectable methylb12 every day, it is the easiest and most reliable way to get the best mb12. As far as opinions go, like orifices, everybody has them. What I’m offering up are the results of decades of experience in attempting to heal and succeeding starting 9 years ago, thousands of titration trials of mine and others, multi brand comparisons for effectiveness, multi injectable mb12 batch comparisons, comparison of sublingual to injection, and a whole lot more. Much of it only learnable by somebody going through this. I have sucessfully healed myself of almost everything that isn’t from subacute combined degeneration, and that is significantly in remission and holding and traumatic damage from a car wreck. As long as I keep taking the right everything, the SACD stays in remission. I had a crash relapse last summer caused by a formerly 5 star brand not remaining so. Scares me badly. Anyway, not all opinions are equal. You believe whatever you want. If that belief doesn’t have you actively healing in a month and mostly recovered in a year, change your belief and hopwe that your ridiculously low b12 level hasn’t killed you or caused permanent brain damage by then. I know what the stake are. I too am playing you bet your life. If I hadn’t found this I would be long dead by now. I would expect that with a combination of both active b12s you will be feeling very different 15 minutes after you put them in your mouth. And with the right cofactors that healing would turn on Would you be the cost of a few vitamins that could change your life, that could give you your life back, versus a treatment that is the worst possible, intermittant inactive cobalamins. I believe you can WIN and get better, virtually completely except for daily increasing permanent damage. Your doctor may believe that you will never be better than now even with the usual treatment, thats what all of mine beleived as they didn’t succeed in treating me effectively for 54 years. Believe what you choose to for your best benefit. You are the only one who will pay the price for things that don’t work or that do damage. Be In Good Health
It is not personal, Fredd, but the reason that studies are done is the fact that people have different reactions and benefits from rememdies. If any Dr. or diagnostician took the word of patients from a website without the benefit of medical studies, they would be remiss. I can appreciate that you have been fortunate in what you have found to be the healing combination for your disease or lack of ability to properly absorb B12. However, you understand that the reasons we have this problem are not the same for all and for that reason, as well as the complications for each individuals health issues surrounding their deficiencies, you cannot just look at what worked for one person or a group of people. I don’t care how knowledgeable they are or seem. Hence, I have to have something for my Dr. I cannot go in there and say “This worked for Fredd” and him say, “Well, that is all I need to hear. If it worked for Fredd and his peers, it must be right for you”. The amount of ignorance in the medical community about this defiiciency, along with my inability to even find the right kind of B12, if baffling at best. So, believe what I choose? I cannot even find the damn vitamin to treat myself.
Hi Jan,
Well, You could try the the vitamines that thousands of others have found works very well. You can test the hypothesis that they work better than any injection you have had. That is testable by you. You don’t have to have a doctors ok to take an OTC vitamin. That too is your choice. The medical profession based on the research on a Nobel prize winning mistake, has taken a seriously wrong turn whrn it comes to b12 and folate. These deficiency diseases are largly manmade. When you get desparate, enough as I and many others have, you likely will try the vitamins. Fixing the problem works irrespective of the cause of deficiency which are mosrtly not repairable and most would die before they would ever find out that why they are deficient. IF insufficiency amounts to 1 or 2%. A tiny fraction to bacterial overgrowth or parasites. The rest are not from known or maybe recognized causes. Don’t hold your breath. Your serum level is sufficiently and dangerously low that IF insufficiency for one reason or another is a pretty good bet,.It really is serious to get this taken care of one way or another. And LOTS of studies have been done showing that using a daily b12 supllement is more than equivalent to 1-3 month interval injections. Good luck.
AGAIN Fredd, IF I could find them. Are you in the states? I am. I cannot find methyl anything! I cannot “try” a blessed thing. I would not inject anything I did not get fr a pharmacy and have concerns where I buy any med. there were contamination issues, is what the pharmacist intimated when I asked, and he said you have to have the patent to make it. NO one can get it, none of the pharmacies. I have called everywhere.
And again, this is not personal. Please don’t make me feel attacked and or belittled. I am glad it worked for you. I have been tested for everything we need to look for and I am not an idiot, I am older than you and have been on this list for some time. Thx.
I found Methycobalamin at my local health food store as well as at vitamin Shoppe, which has a website also.
Hi Jan,
Many folks order from iherb.com, they shi all over the world. Just follow their guidlines for total package shipping wioeght and value. They have The Enzymathic Therapy b12 infusion (methylb12), Ababol Dibencoplex (adb12 with boron), Solgar Metafolin and many pothers. Also a lot of other resellers. There are certain chains of stores in Europe that carry an occasional one of these.
As you know there has been a problem with a pharmacy in the USA with mold infected steroids. Contamination is a potential problem. For methylb12 injections contamination could happen. However, except for people with certain combination of hereditary and neurological problems most folks don’t need to inject b12. The current reliable brand of mb12 has been for about 10 years so far. Part of the problem of injectable mb12 is that there is nothing at all patenable about it so nobody produces it in commercial quantities. The small pharmacies that mix it to order may expose it to light and make it useless.
“you have to have the patent to make it. NO one can get it, none of the pharmacies.”
This is 100% pure unadulterated nonsense. There is no patent. There is no known restiction of any kind of which I am aware. There are a number of pharmacies in the UK that make it up for folks regularly. The problem is that they can be difficult to locate. I don’t know where you are.
Older than me? Perhaps. I’m 64. I had a 100% total crash in 1987 at age 39. I couldn’t walk 20 feet. I was totally crashed until May 21st, 2003 at 6:05 pm. Then I took a Enzymatic Therapy mb12. It was obvious my life was changed in 10 minutes. In one hour I could walk up the stairs without resting every few stairs. A lifelong depression lifted. Energy started flooding back. Burning bladder and burning tonge were better in 10 days. Burning muscles no longer burning in 10 days. Hundreds of symptoms improving, Taste and smell came back. Vision brightened. Multi sensory hallucinations went away. Daily nausa and vomitting was gone. Balance came back. Skin healed. Intestines heqaled. Almost everything healed with additional items as needed.n Since then, much debugged the whole thing. It’s a working system, for me, for many others. It’s not perfect. Right now I would say that the odds are about 50% of substantial recovery in one year to the point of beginning physical rehabilitation. My thigh muscle was down to a thumb”s thickness. It’s back now as are all the rest.. These vitamins are readily available from online retailors that ship all over the world. You don’t have to depend upon the docs that know nothing about it and appear to have no intention to learn. This site is important becasue Dr Kessler is not afraid to speak up in furthering knowledge on thos important subject. Carmen Wheatley’s new paper “The giant gorilla in the room; adenosylcobalamin ….” is available for free download. It lays out the theoretical foundation for why the active b12 is so much more effective than hydroxcbl. She hypothecizes that the hydroxcbl pathway to controlon g inflammation is a workaround starvation path and that the adenosylcobalamin is “radically” more efffective and complete at controlling inflammation. Good luck
Ok, you get the old prize. You put that you were 54, a typo I suppose, in another post. I am 60.
In the US, I am assuming, a patent is necessary. That is what the pharmacist told me, I am not making that up, that is what I was told. I am frustrated to death, so kill me. But, I do have neurological issues with my disfunction, and have had to use injections. I do not respond to any other form. I am negative for all other issues, intrinsic, etc, and I suppose I could push for additional testing and see if after multiples I get a positive. My neurologist did say he thinkst that I have pernecious anemia this past visit. Our problem, as we ALL know, in this country are the low low levels allowed for normals in our labs, in part. And, ignorant physcians. But, how many Dr.s listen to patients? Not many. Not in my town. I live in a city with two major hospitals, one as a teaching hospital with a huge research end. Does not matter. The clinic end of that eats the patient up. You become a number not a human if you are not careful. I spent nine trips in the hospital in 2011, and only two this year. I did have certain treatments, along side B12 injections. Which helped me? The treatments were IVIG. I do not know for sure. Yes, I could not walk, had to pull myself up stairs. I was misdx with MS originally in 06, gave myself betaseron shots every other day which served to damage my heart in that it caused a myopathy, a small spot formed outside of it, on the top. That then messes with the electrical current and throws me into ventricular tach, fatal. I had to have an ICD implanted. Tried to ablate, the spot is in the wrong place, and the risk was too huge. Heart is in fabu shape otherwise. Thanks doc for the misdx and this crap. Brain tumor also. Stem, inoperable. pilocytic astrocytoma. Was told it was not a tumor but a hamartoma, akin to a freckle which is different, well guess what? it is NOT a hamartoma. And, they did a lumbar punch which could have killed me. I questioned it. MS doc said, oh, the tumor is gone…no, it was not. Brain surgeon said “It is not a tumor” Saw the 123 protein, backed off, said, “Uh, uh oh, it is a tumor” Thankfully, I did not die. So, yes, I have neuro to deal with. I have lots to deal with and cannot feel my feet. Spent two ten day visits passing only blood, one time ischemic colitis, meaning something blocked the blood supply to my colon, nine inches of it. Almost lost that part. Was really really sick. Why? NO one knows. I was 50, too young. So, yes, lots of things. I need injectibles.
HI Jan,
The 54 years was in reference to the number of years I have been getting wrong diagnoses and treatments. Horrendous, isn’t it. Of my parents and 2 sisters all but one of us have had botched medical care including surgery. And we are all invloved in one way or antoerh. I do group medical care software and data analysis, consulting and so forth, my father ran HMOs and consulted for the last 40 years of his working like, until a botched surgery at 80 forced his retirement. Another sister is a pediatrician, she had botched care. My other sister is a hospital adminstrator and consultant. Apparantly she knows what it takes to get good care, or maybe where.. Of course it was reconstructive surgery in Denver for ski injuries.
Subacute combined degeneration is a dymyelinating disease very similar to MS except that it is bi-lateral by definition whereas MS isn’t AND a body b12 deficiency is ruled out for MS, but that means nothoing bybecasue of the standrds used. I was falling because I couldn’t feel my feet and couldn’t tell where my leg was or it’s parts, 4 years ago now. I was 5 years into healing my body and my brain and cord were still going downhill. I was real close to a wheelchair when I found the solution. Since then I have regained control of my toes, I haven’t fallen since then and feel fine even working on the roof. I have most of my skin feeling back and some of my muscle feeling. Those are the only atrophied muscles left on my body.
I had a bit of a relapse this past summer and know the casue and have corrected it and things are immproving again. It helps a lot to be working from a verry functional pragmatically developed system. In my opinion, it is a good hundred years ahead of the formal research and the therapies thereby developed. I know of several people up out of wheelchairs in literally hours to weeks. What you are looking for is somebody who knows how to cause serious remission of Subacute Combined Degeneration and polyneuropathy.
5-star versions of AdoCbl, MeCbl with needed cofactors are likely 100-10,000 times as effective as HyCbl or Cycbl injections. There are 60 years of research based on a lab mistake that is being defended. The mistake was shown in 1959. It was basically ignored.As the active forms became avaialable since 1998 it has become opssible for these interested to try what are LITERALLY THE REAL THINGS.
The l-methylfolate, AdoCbl and MeCbl is what your body and mine and that of every animal in the world runs on. Folic acid, cyanocbl and hydoxycbl are oxidized (if iron think rusted) and more stable thereby. They are not used by any animal on the planet. And so you are convinced that the almost non working forms supplied by the medical people who haven’t exactly solved your problems so far resulting from a lab mistake in the cbl forms when the real genuine natural forms of the vitamins are avaialbe.
I spent $200,000 and 20 years chasing a diagnosis and effective treatment. It seems that there is absolutely nothing else but the real vitamins that can fix the vitamin deficincies because they literaly affect every reaction in the body. It matters not in the least that you don’t have antibodies. So what? The correlation isn’t great in any case. It doesn’t matter. The longer you go without the real vitamins in amounts needed to reverse SACD significantly, the longer it will keep getting worse and more of it unfixable. As far as I can telll iit is either better or worse, no holding in placve. That is the illusion after reaching an equilibrium and it slides out of control quickly at any slip-up. I’ve had two and so far each time is a little worse recovery.
“a patent is necessary” Only for a patentable item. Methylcobalamin is a natural vitamin and unpatentable. Metafolin, while a form of l-methylfolate, it is a stable form whereas the natural one is not stable. That is what Merck invented, a process for making a stable l-methylfolate.
When I was too disabled to work any more, my eyes wouldn’t focus much of the time, I took myself on as a client to solve the problem and gave it my full treatment. I solved the problem. Now I am not disabled, last summer I was climbing up and down 2000 feet of vertical every day and 3-5 miles typcially walking. I can stand on one foot, either foot except not with my eyes closed. You don’t have ANY probability of finding a doctor with the knowledge you need. Just ask them how much and how quickly they can put Subacute Combined Deficiency into remission, if at all. So far they are not even interested in treating it to keep it from continuing to worsen as the twiddle their thumbs or whatever.
It’s going to take an awful more lot than luck. You are going to have to trust your own judgement instead of the authority of the doctors who so far have struck out every time and likely continue. I’m serious. You are in big trouble. If I were in your position I would be ordering those essentials for overnight delivery or quickest possible. These things worsen by the day.
And remember, BRAND can be everything. The details are critical. Compliance is difficult. And no doc is going to tell ypou because they are covered as long as they apply “standards of care” even if it is “on the way to the grave” as long as they do it by the book. Also they don’t know. The average doc knows 10 drugs well is what the statistics tell us. What doc has 20,000 hours to spend to research and figure out this problem? I take approximately 100+ supplement pills per day in various timings, quantities and so forth that about 2/3 are pretty standard and just multiples. Some are purely custom to me since exact amounts are all titratge to effect.. I’ve run a 9.5 year longitudinal study of myself and unknown numbers have run similar trials and we compare info learn a lot about ranges, and difficult combinations, and some potentially dangerous side effects that a person has to be ready for. Healing is pretty rugged. Numb areas come back with intense shooting pains over and over fer each square inch of skin or so. Then it goes to intense burning pain and all sorts of pain that slowly fades to hypersensitive and then to, if lucky, something approaching normal but with no redundency. Feeling increases in from edges or out from islands of feeling. One isn’t even aware of loss until down about 70%. I would guess I have it back to about 15% in my feet. I’m pretty funtional but have very messed up feeling in my feet and hands especially. Some of the areas may be in pain the rest of your life rather than numb. I would rather walk with pain, hike, climb and do everything of a normal life with pain than to be in a wheel chair. I have no way of knowing how extensive your damage is. The man I know up out of a wheel chair doesn’t trust his balance to hiking but is no longer on disability and is back at work which is physically demanding sometimes. Results will vary as will pain. In this I suppose you could call me a consultant of last resort. I’m a systems analyst, not a doc. I am willing to offer you information. Purely my opinion you understand, from experiencese, is that you are in a hell of a spot. You won’t find a doctor with the information you need. For all sorts of reasons, partly becasue of where you live. Each country has it’s own blind spots in this. They only include some b12 symptoms on any countries official lists, ones that they find culturally important. Each country might have reasons or traditions for the things included or not included. That doesn’t help most people get treatmenrt. In industry jargon it “limits access” by denying coverage by definitions of allowed disorders. I wrote software to enforce the rules but I don’t create the rules.
You have no reason to believe me. My health was so bad I never was able to finnish college. After dropping out for health reasons for the 5th time I gave up on finishing school. I have no credentials. None the less, whatever else is wrong you have a dealy low B12 level and need to bring it up well and carefully in a way that works but also doesn’t damage you. The best available b12s that I know of are OTC and at best a few rare prescription mb12 batches have been as good.
However, there are also no docs around that will give you the same information, whether that is good or bad. I’m not selling it. The cost is the cost of the vitamins wherever and however you get them. If they are going to work to some degree you will know very fast. However, once started things work out better if continued and adapted as needed. Stop and start makes things worse. I was cheated out of so much of my life by these man made deficiency diseases. I don’t like to see that happenb to others. So you do as you please. If you want to know all details, to run in fromt of your doc or whatever, we need to exchange email. Most of the things are NOT footnoted yet and half of them may not even be possible to footnote yet. There is that one “gorilla” paper by Wheatley that is esential reading for your doc or anybody who wants to understand this, Then there are perhaps 30-40 pages of information describing things and logic and so on on derived pragmatically. This includes a decision tree that is posted here further up the page. SInce it isn’t by a doc yours isn’t likely going to want to read it. Good luck
Freddd
Carpal tunnel surgery or possible B12 deficiency??
Median nerve damage was just found in both arms, and the doctor brought up surgery. My arms were initially numb and tingling, but my hands HURT now, and advil isn’t helping. In the last month, I’ve mostly lost the ability to use a manual can opener, roll up my car window, turn a key in a lock, open boxes, and do any lode bearing activity involving the fingers. I just started bracing my wrists, and I’m haven’t woken up paralyzed since, but it hasn’t helped any of the things I mentioned.
Testing shows no B12 deficiency and the doctor dismissed the idea after that. He is pushing surgery now. Any suggestions?
Hi Fortis,
With b12 deficiency there are usually way too many symptoms over many body systems to make a doc happy. Combinations are typically used; such as the combination of neuropathy symptoms AND abnormal fatigue AND burning red tongue. Said another way, if there are epithelial lesions/inflammation AND metabolic problems AND neurological problems or blood abnormalities of several kinds . As there is a set of over 300 symptoms and signs and a person with b12 deficiency might have anywhere from 25 to 300 symptoms typically more info is needed. If you have only those and no other symtoms the probvabilty of b12 deficiencny gets more slender, however it always starts with a first problem or 5 and those are unpredictable. The real test is to try the Deadlock Quartet of adonosylb12 (very strongly anti-inflammatory), methylb12, l-methylfolate and l-carnitine fumarate odf the right brands and forms.. If you take suitable doses of the first three you will know at about a 90%+ level if they will have any significant effect within 24 hours. However, as that could be CNS based and if you have CFS/FMS type symptoms that could indicate a difficulty getting enough mecbl/adbocbl into the brain and require a 50mg single dose as a test. If there is no deficiency of any kind they won’t do a thing. So I suggest not being in a rush and get the right brands and test it at the two doses, the high one only if the first is totally ineffective. You can know with good certainty in a week. If you have anxiety as a symptom carnitine could cause an extreme neuropsyc reaction and must be microtitrated and would be unneeded in this circumstance to test the active b12s. Good luck