To bother my GP and ask for a B12 injection

[JRUIN]

I have pernicious anemia and have been having 3 monthly shots of B12 for years. Was due my last one a couple of days after lockdown was announced and it was, quite rightly, cancelled. For the last week though I have done nothing but sleep-which is good in one way because I have been struggling to sleep at all for the past year, but obviously not ideal because I am still feeling so weak and tired that I am struggling to do the simplest of tasks. I'm guessing these symptoms are due to low levels of B12, so would it be wrong of me plead for my jab under these circumstances or should I suck it up and wait until it's safe?

You could mauve try high strength vitamin b complex just to tide you over

I'm getting mine next week. No cancellation of it at my practice but a friend's GP has given her B12 tablets instead for the meantime. So no reason for you to get any treatment for it at all.

I also have PA and have had 2 B12 injections since lockdown. The first was literally the day we went into lockdown and the second was last week.

You wouldn't be unreasonable to ask.

*to not get

I needed a blood test and it was arranged really quickly. Also had to speak with GP this morning and said I was feeling a bit guilty to be taking up his time what with the current situation. He said that although a lot of specialist services are on hold right now the GPs are here for us. If we have symptoms or medicine requirements we absolutely must get in touch. Give them a call OP and I'm sure they will get it organised for you.

Thanks everyone. I will give the surgery a call in the morning. I feel a bit guilty pestering them but I do feel absolutely whacked ALL the time. I don't have the energy to even cook a meal or anything. Just hope they agree to sort me out and I feel better afterwards.

I had mine two weeks ago. I was asked when I booked if I was having symptoms because I needed the B12, I answered that I was and I was given an appointment for that day. I start to go downhill about 4 weeks after each injection. As they are 3 months apart, by the time the next one comes round I am suffering from extreme fatigue, brain fog, anaemia, balance issues etc and missing one is not an option. My deficiency is caused by malabsorption so I can't take B12 in tablet form. I don't feel guilty for getting my injection, I just feel grateful.

I feel absolutely dreadful if I miss a b12 injection. Do ask your GP. My surgery started doing injections this week and I was first in line. If you can't absorb b12 through your diet then tablets will have little effect. Also make sure your iron levels and folic acid are decent because b12 needs those to convert to the b12 that your cells need. Otherwise it just floats around in your blood.

It’s essential medical care! I don’t think it should have been cancelled in the first place!

We haven't cancelled ours, I have been giving them almost daily, anyone who wants one gets one. Some have them in their car in the car park if they're shielding.

Practice nurse here.
I've been giving them throughout all this.

@Livelongandprosper you can have them from 8 weeks if you feel you need to, the guidance changed last year. Ask your GP to change the interval on your prescription, explain that you get symptoms and need it more often.

You absolutely wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask, definitely give them a call. I work at a GP surgery, and we’ve just started doing them again routinely.

@cptartapp

Practice nurse here. I've been giving them throughout all this.

Same here. I treated it as giving prescribed medication and therefore essential. Plus, it gives me something to do! CCG gave us a whole list of things to stop doing because we would be overwhelmed with covid19, while at the same time the public health advice was NHS 111 for covid19, so we've been ridiculously quiet and I don't like it!

Practice nurse here as well. We are giving them, especially for confirmed PA.

Here’s the RHS guidelines should you need ammo with your practice.

b-s-h.org.uk/media/18259/bsh-guidance-b12-replacement-covid-1924042020finalversion2020-4-3.pdf

I had my vit b12 injection 2 weeks ago. Give your practice a phone.

Definitely call up. The corona is now at a place where the hospitals and 111 aren’t reliant on GPs to take part of the strain. You shouldn’t let it affect any current health conditions you have!

Why dont you just get a B12 oral spray( Better You) or B12 nutritional yeast from tesco/holland & barrett etc etc. This is what i do and I think one table spoon sprinkled in anything (delicious on roast potatoes or in sauces etc) is like 100 % of the B12 you need. Its so easy.

Mines been cancelled was due in March. Will follow it up soon

@Livelongandprosper have you tried sublingual tablets or sprays? If you can’t absorb through your stomach, having the under-the-tongue type could still work for you.

I used to gave the injections as mine was borderline low. When they tested for Intrinsic Factor antibodies it came back negative so they stopped the injections.

I now buy super strength sub lingual lozenges from Amazon and feel fine. Haven’t had bloods for a while but don’t have any low B12 symptoms.

Been getting mine every 10wks, had no problem booking in with the practice nurse. Also for a 4wkly hormone injection too.
I would definitely ask as the effects of not having it are awful and long term pretty grim x

@mrsspooky some people don’t absorb vit b12 if taken orally.

I bought syringes and needles to inject myself as our GP practice has stopped doing them.
I've got 8 vials of b12 so I'm going to be getting one every 8 weeks or so.

@MarkRuffaloCrumble I have tried everything. My B12 levels were way below the minimum when originally diagnosed whilst being investigated for severe anaemia (which turned out to be a side effect of the lack of B12.) Nothing else works except injections and I'm told I'll be on them for life.
@gammeldragz Thank you for that, I'll have another try at speaking with my GP to request more frequent injections. The first time he just told me I should expect to feel tired at my age - I was 60. I was so tired and ill my head was almost on his desk and it just wasn't possible for me to fight back at that time. The second time I asked he told me some people "imagine" more frequent injections have some effect but there was really no evidence to support this. He actually had me wondering if I was a hypochondriac. I think where I've been going wrong is tackling him when I'm feeling so dreadful. I'll do it now.