Substituting B12 injections with spray

[betwelve]

I'm having lots of trouble accessing the injections I need. I've become very unwell but cannot pay privately.

I'm going to try a massive dose of the sublingual spray, although I don't think it will work as I have pernicious anaemia it is worth a try because I can't go on like this.

Don't say to contact the doctor, they are only offering the end of January and even then there's no guarantee they'll switch me to monthly. Even if they did there's usually at least month before they can fit you in.

I have thought about walking into A&E because I'm so fed up of the whole thing and desperate. If I were obese or a smoker or a drinker I'd get help. I've had nothing from the NHS except my birth but now that I need something they are a slow, inefficient, beaurocratic nightmare!

Any idea on how much I should try?

@ToughTitty Fully aware what sublingual means - what I am saying is that in a person like OP and my DD with pernicious anaemia who physically cannot absorb it other than from an injection it would be completely useless. It’s not the same as just having low B12 levels

That's not entirely true @MaloneMeadow . My sister has pernicious anaemia and often works in areas where she can't access the injections. Though injections are the preferred method, high dose oral B12 can be prescribed too. There are a number of research articles on this if you Google.

If you have PA, then you need injections - spray and supplements will not work. 30 years of PA here.

I am every 8 weeks with PA but for weeks 6 and 7 I am knackered- in fact, it's how I remember to make my appointment. Easy to sub cut injections if you decide to order online.

I’m the same. They didn’t realise what it was till a lot of damage was done. So no matter how many I have. I will never feel the same as I used to. It sucks.

Pernicious anaemia means you don't absorb it through the usual dietary way, so food or supplements you swallow. Sublingual tablets or sprays aren't meant to be digested though, they're absorbed directly into the blood system so in theory they should still work for PA, and some studies show it's better absorbed this route than via intramuscular injections.

For the cost, it's certainly worth trying them to see if your symptoms improve. I don't know what the dosage of BetterYou is without looking it up but you might find tablets more cost-effective. I have 6mg ones from Amazon, more than enough dosage, and b12 is water soluble so any excess will just pass out.

My OH was having b12 injections every two months ie about 13 weeks. He felt it was not enough. Now at 12 weeks, spot on 12 weeks or a day or two early seems to have done the trick. He does not get the funny feelings of not being well just before injection time

A word of warning about getting injections a couple of days earlier than agreed. Injections used to be via gp but now a nurse or nursing assistant and one would not do it 2 days before 12 weeks but then speak to a gp who agreed to it.

Same here 😭

Thanks, I'm relieved to know it's not just me. A cross between dementia and post-viral fatigue is the only way I could convey it to those who haven't experienced it. I know exactly how I am doing because of running and cycling most days, I get a clear view of things.

I am fairly certain it's the B12 as a few days after the shot I'm so much better.

Same here too. My Orthopaedic Podiatrist says a lot of irreparable damage has been done to my feet.
I'm now 8 wks (was 12) but was never given a 'loading dose' at the beginning (after stomach surgery which means my digestive absorption is permanently compromised). GP has now agreed to a blood test just prior to my next dose but I'm wondering if that's pointless if every 8 weeks is maximum anyway ?

@medianewbie Why weren't you given the loading doses? How long ago was it?

@betwelve. It was 5 years ago.
My GP is beyond rubbish.

It’s crap isn’t it? I’m on 12 weekly jabs for PA and feel rubbish by week 6, my initial symptoms start to
come back- dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations and tiredness.

The doc should do a b12 blood check every so often
DH used to get symptoms a few weeks early and he started getting injections earlier ad earlier this was years ago. The on the blood test they noted his levels we twice the max norm levels

One thing is for certain, the low and high levels are vastly different and some people with about mid range average reading seem to get symptoms and are better on higher levels that are within the recognised levels

Not sure but a few years ago in England husband said they had changed the low ad high levels for normal readings,

Not sure how to edit post, so wanted to add a bit more havig spoken to DH. When he had too much b12 - he got tingling hands ad feet, just like when it was low. However, OP check with doctor as for B12 blood test etc

I’m surprised you can get it and inject it yourself. Small needles sound like subcutaneous injections, but when I have mine they are intramuscular. Which is why they hurt!
Is it the same?

@FiveCows I think subcutaneous is preferred for self-injection of B12 because it's more likely that you will persist with it as it's less painful. There's also less danger of hitting a nerve etc. and causing damage with subcutaneous so it's more suited to people who aren't healthcare professionals.

Intramuscular is the preferred option for healthcare professionals I think because the B12 is retained for longer with this method of delivery.

Can you tell I've been researching this? Please can someone who knows this stuff grade me /10 😁

10/10

yes I don’t think I would persist doing it myself if it was so sore every time! But the practice nurse is so apologetic I just keep going back 😜😂

Oh no, I've checked Wikipedia and I'm wrong:

Intramuscular injection may be preferred because muscles have larger and more numerous blood vessels than subcutaneous tissue, leading to faster absorption than subcutaneous.

I’d be changing GP surgery, honestly. In the meantime, as long as you’re not taking 100 at a time or something stupid like that, buy some OTC tablets and increase the number of B12 rich foods in your diet. But if you need a B12 injection they should be giving it to you.

…didn’t RTFT but caught a couple of the latest posts, just really don’t inject yourself, really don’t. Doctors and nurses are trained and still fuck up on occasion. A poorly skilled injector could kill themselves by inducing an air embolism.

@WorriedMillie Have you thought about every two months? Although even getting that seems to be a challenge sometimes.

That's just really hard to understand. I don't know if there's any point in doing them at this stage?

If you mess up a subcut injection you can perforate your bowel. But I'm sure you'd know that as you've bought from a reputable source and trained in the technique....

Someone needs to tell all the IVF clinics (private and NHS) how dangerous it is then because we're all doing multiple subcutaneous self-injections a day…