Vitamin B tablets

[Somethingsosimple]

My gran who is 97 has pernicious anaemia. She has 3 monthly injections but GP has told her it is too dangerous to go out so suggested to switch to tablets - 100mg. I can’t see such a thing. It sounds very high so double checked and they definitely said 100mg. Can anyone advise me please

[sleepismysuperpower1]

is vitamin B6 the same? if so, there are some 100mg tablets here

[Pythonesque]

I understand that there is good evidence now that high oral doses can be adequate for many (? most) with pernicious anaemia to absorb what they need - because it is a disorder of absorption much higher than "normal" requirements are used for this.

[SirTobyBelch]

OP - you're right that there are no tablets containing this much vitamin B12.

The cyanocobalamin tablets prescribed to patients with B12 deficiency of dietary origin (rather than pernicious anaemia, which is a disorder of absorption) contain 50 micrograms, so you'd have to take 2,000 of them to get a 100 mg dose.

However, some research from about 5 years ago suggested that an oral dose of 1,000 micrograms (1 mg) per day could adequately control pernicious anaemia. These tablets are available on prescription or can be bought online (e.g. www.healthspan.co.uk/products/vitamin-b12). I think you should ask to talk to the GP - or perhaps a pharmacist - to find out whether 1 mg is the actual dose your gran should be taking.

sleepismysuperpower1 - vitamin B6 (pyridoxamine) is not the same as vitamin B12 (cobalamin). They are both (like all B vitamins) important in a number of biochemical reactions but B12 is specifically required for a key reaction in synthesis of DNA bases, so without it your body can't support rapid cell proliferation, such as production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.