Vitamin B12 is the hardest of all nutrients to absorb due to the many steps involved in the digestive tract. Of course you many not have malabsorption problems but if you do the B12 in the B complex isn't likely to be in a high enough dosage to bypass this problem. Due to issues with B12 absorption, you will find B12 commonly sold in sublingual form such as tablets, lozengers or sprays. I buy my sublingual spray from my local pharmacy. Can't hurt indeed...well if you have an injection it might. :P
Hi RS,
I had no clue about the absorption of B vitamines, that's shocking! Is your docter subscribing you this sublingual spray? I might ask my family docter to give me a B12 injection to see if this makes a change! It won't hurt me ;-)
HI again, well it is a possibility as i said. If you do have malabsorption issues with B12, a B complex including B12 isn't going to be of much help as the dosage would likely not be high enough. I personally use sublingual (under the tongue) spray which is extremely effective. I have autoimmune pernicious anaemia so i know. :)
Delivery System / Rate of Absorption*
Pill or tablet – 10%
Capsule – 20%
Gel Cap – 30%
Transdermal Patch – 45%
Sublingual Liquid – 50%
Intramuscular Injection – 90%
Intraoral or Sublingual Spray – 95%
Intravenous Injection – 100%
*Source: Physicians’ Desk Reference, NPPDR No. 18:676, 1997
One quick question, i just went to the website and got to the articles written by Tom Grier, who is he, is he a docter? Or medical professional? I'm doing my best to read, but i have low energy and concentration stuff :( this is because of neurontin, i need neurontin because of the terrible pains, so i don't mind this side effect :)
Hi Red_Star,
Thank you! My B12 levels were tested and the outcome was normal. I do take vitamine B complex including B12 everyday. I don't know how to get more B12 into my system! Do you have any suggestions? If this causes my condition i want help asap of course and not read books hehehehe ;-) So what could i tell my neurologist about this to convince him to give it a try?
I appreciate your input, thanks a lot!
Anja
Hi Ricobord,
I was "bitten"(is that the correct word?) by a tick about 5 years ago, i removed it myself, there was a red round spot but i thought it was due to the bite or so (i have a sensitive skin, same happens when ai have a mosquito bite!) but it didn't go away. A few weeks later i saw my family docter because i had bronchitis. I showed him the spot and told about the tick bite. He told me it wasn't anything serious, i shouldn't worry about it, the spot would go away and so i felt relieved! He was right, the spot did go away, so did the bronchitis after many weeks! I got anti biotics but i have intolerance of most antibiotics, i had diarrhea and my tongue was almost black!
I was tested for lyme disease this year and results were negative. But I do recognise what you describe and i was bitten by a tick, but this was 5 yrs ago and i had no previous symptoms!
Could i still be suffering from Borreliosis and can Borreliosis cause these severe symptoms even after such long time and with negative results on blood tests? And if so what should i do?
I will check the website, thank you!
Anja
Because neurological tests aren't showing anything so far, you might ask to be tested for Borreliosis. In Europe, it is more likely to cause neurological problems (and to mimic MS) than the joint problems seen in North America. Muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue are all consistent with it.
It frequently causes low magnesium and low B12, which can cause or worsen symptoms. Supplementing both can help with the neuro and muscle issues as well as the fatigue. Epsom salt baths are an efficient method of getting more magnesium into the tissues. Methyl-B12 shots can noticeably improve the fatigue.
You might check out lymeneteurope.org for more info.
Vitamin B12 is essential to maintain the myelin shealth around the nerves.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are numerous but include affected nervous system [pain, numbness, tingling, weak muscles...], fatigue and weight loss. You mention your platelets are smaller than normal and MPV [mean platelet volume] is lower than predicted when thrombocytopenia is caused by megablastic anaemia or bone marrow failure.
Megaloblastic anemia is usually caused by a deficiency of folic acid or vitamin B12. This is one possibility to check out. Simple B12 replacement may be the simple answer. It takes up to a year to repair the myelin shealth but nerve damage may be permanent if not treated in time with B12.
"Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?
B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 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 B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. They also recommend treating patients with normal B12, but elevated urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA), homocysteine and/or holotranscobalamin (other markers of B12 deficiency).
In Japan and Europe, the lower limit for B12 is between 500-550 pg/mL, the level associated with psychological and behavioral manifestations such as cognitive decline, dementia and memory loss. 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."
Excerpt from the article: "B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences" by Chris Kresser.
A book on the subject: "Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses, Second Edition" Author: Sally M. Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N., and Jeffrey J. Stuart, D.O.
I forgot one very important symptom: severe weightloss! (over 25 kilograms in 1 year)