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A form of Vitamin B12 called Hydroxocobalamin is injected into the muscle by Intramuscular Injection. At first this may be a few times a week to help bring Vitamin B12 stores back up and then every 3 months. It would depend on you response to treatment and the levels of Vitamin B12 in the blood.
We recommend having you levels checked in our Vitamin B12 finger prick tests. These come as a Vitamin Blood Test and include Vitamin B9 (Serum Folate), Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D for £65.
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin required by the body to make healthy blood and nerve cells and in the production of DNA. It can be used to prevent Megaloblastic Anaemia, a blood condition which can leave you feeling very weak and tired. Other symptoms include: pale skin, heart palpitations, weight loss, infertility, numbing of hands and feet, low mood, poor memory, confusion, sore mouth, impaired nervous system and loss of appetite. In infants this could mean they fail to thrive.
The amount your require is dependent on age and is measured in micrograms (mcg). For an adult this amount is generally 2.4mcg however is not the case in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
If you have a well balanced diet you will receive what you need. Vitamin B12 can be found in Fish, Meat, Poultry, eggs, milk, diary products, beef liver and cereals. Vitamin B12 has also been added to many foods.
You may already receive Vitamin B12 from your GP in the form of Cyanocobalamin. This maybe due to a medical condition that puts you at risk of having low Vitamin B levels.
Another reason could be if you have Pernicious Anemia or an Autoimmune disease. In these conditions your body can not make Intrinsic Factor and is unable to absorb Vitamin B12 itself as it doesn’t recognise itself and sees itself as foreign. Another problem is that in these conditions your body can not make Intrinsic Factor and so can not absorb the Vitamin B12.
There is a 2 step process when absorbing Vitamin B12 from food. The first is when the Hydrochloride acid in the stomach separates vitamin B12 from the protein it is attached to. In the second step the now free Vitamin B12 combines with another protein made by the stomach named Intrinsic Factor and as this new combination they can be absorbed.
Many elderly patients also have trouble absorbing Vitamin B12 as they have less Hydrochloric Acid to break it down first. If you have had stomach or intestinal surgery you may also find the 2 step process difficult. Certain medications such as PPI (drugs used to lower Gastric Acid such as Omeprazole, Lansoprazole, Cimetidine) and metformin can lower the absorption of Vitamin B12.
As a general note, if you have sufficient stores of Vitamin B12 in you body, taking supplements will not give you any added advantages. Have you levels checked as having low but also high levels can be cause for concern.
email: jas@thepharmacistgroup.org.uk
