Vitamin def and supplementing

[NutriHelp]

I posted this on the expert forum but would really like feedback on a personal level from people with experience.

I appreciate any comments.

Hello.  I am vit b12 and vit d deficient and have been working with my PCP on getting my numbers where they should be.

The biggest problem i have is numbness and tingling in. My hands and feet and sometime occasional odd (for lack of a better description) sensations elsewhere.  I also have some trouble losing weight and eye issues.  And, while not depressed, I do certainly feel I suffer from sad, more on an unmotivated level (also low vit d levels in winter months).

In doing some reading on the deficiencies I came across info on inositol/choline for many uses (depression, pros) including tingling and eye issues.  

Since I am b12 deficient I know I can also be deficient in other b vitamins, and while technically not a vitamin, I know that inositol/choline are/were considered b vitamins.  

Can I get some info on supplementing inositol/choline, what doses, taken when and if anything else should be taken (or avoided) with them?

Thank you.

[Paxiled]

How on Earth would you know what Solgar products contain?  Nobody's checking each batch.  This is my area of expertise, and we all stopped carrying Solgar products years ago.  You won't find many on any store shelves now, and there's a good reason for that.  Now, as I said, B12 and D aren't usually a problem, since they're manufactured at pretty much the same labs no matter who packages them, and I'm not saying Solgar isn't possibly good, what I am saying is, why recommend a company that has had so many problems with false labeling when there are so many alternatives out there?  I realize you follow one company that does random checking, and their seal of approval is your lodestone, which is fine with me, but why recommend it to others when this isn't your area of expertise?  It would be like me recommending an engineering book -- what would I know?  I sold Solgar for years, and I watched the company be destroyed on purpose by the Centrum folks to kill off a rising competitor.  I watch my friends who worked for the company quit one by one.  I watched them dismantle the company's highly rated antioxidant research department and watched Dr. Passwater leave, one of the pioneers of Pycogenol research, because the company went so wrong.  As I say, it is an independent company again because they basically bankrupted it, but again, why take chances when there are so many other companies to buy from?  Just sayin', better to play it safe.

[NutriHelp]

Thank you so much for the replies. My PCP checked my b12 b/c of tingling.  I've had fatigue of unknown origin for years, mood swings (not depression but more easily frustrated kind of thing), inability to lose weight,  hair loss, dry skin, digestive issues.  I've also developed eye issues, excessive tearing and irritation.  I have eye drops from the eye doc that help, but the issue flares up.

My b12 was hovering around 200, which by western standards isn't deficient, but with symptoms my PCP decided to treat with injections.  I did a lot of reading and did get a short trial of weekly injections and my level went into the high 400s.    I felt some improvement but not complete.  At which point I saw a hematologist who felt I was being over treated and now I'm back to monthly injections and my level has remained in the 400s.

Many European and Asian treat below 550 but not here.  And, I get cyanocobalamin instead of methyl cobalamin which is supposed to better help with energy and neuropathy.

She did test mma and another related (sorry, I'm forgetting which now) but the hemo said that since the tests were done after I'd been receiving injections, they were worthless.  Never tested any other b vitamins.

My d level was 9, and I've been doing 50,000 iu weekly and it's up to around 30 (over a year, being tested every 3 months).  She's happy with it over 30, but my reading suggests 50-70 is optimal.  I am trying to get it there.

And, that brings me to the inositol/choline.  I happened across inositol as helping with neuropathy and since it hasn't improved with b12, and inositol is closely related to b vitamins, I thought it was worth a try.
I understand it needs to be taken with choline.

I am going to try this regimen.  Please let me know if this sounds appropriate and if I should add anything else or remove anything.

Vit D3. 50,000 iu weekly, with 500 mg magnesium and vit k
Vit D3  2,000 iu other days of week with magnesium and vit k

Monthly cyanocobalamin injections

Methyl cobalamin sublingual (see what dose I can get, but hope 5,000 mcg or higher)
B complex
500 mg inositol
500 mg choline bitartrate

Any adjustments?

FYI. Mid 40s, not vegetarian.  Coffee drinker (do I have to stop?!)

[gymdandee]

Sorry Pax, But Solgar B12 and D are to excellent products and contain what is stated on the labels!! I haven't checked other Solgar products! Will do so if asked.

[Paxiled]

Solgar was a good company about 20 years ago, but it got purchased by the same company that makes Centrum and self-destructed -- failed a lot of random ingredient checks and lost virtually all of it's experienced staff.  I believe it's back to being an independent company now, but to be safe I'd avoid it.  Some of the veterans of the old Solgar started a mew company, Bluebonnet, that has an excellent reputation.  B12 and D aren't vitamins that are usually a problem, but I would just be careful about buying too much from Solgar.  As for the as post, I'm sure your doctor has tested you well, but the symptoms you're describing sound like they also involve B6.  You might ask your doctor about this.  You're right about B vitamins -- taking a lot of B12 can throw off other Bs, but mostly the three connected are B6, B12, and folate, so that's something else to consider.  As for choline and inositol, they are also in balance.  Inositol has been used in large dosages for anxiety sufferers, and it has helped a few in studies.  Choline Is involved in a lot of processes of the brain, including memory and other cognitive function.  You will find these two in a B complex or stress B formula, but they are best taken separately if you want larger amounts.  The best form of choline is phosphatidyl, and you don't usually find that form in the combination choline/inositol supplements.

[gymdandee]

B12 Deficiency signs: Memory problems,Confusion, mood swings, sleep problems, Weak immunity, Low energy, Hearing and vision, Tingling in the extremities, Dizziness and digestion problems.
Are you a vegetarian? B12 is only found in red meat and a few other animal foods. How old are you? As you get older, the lining of your stomach gradually loses the ability to produce hydrochloric acid, you need that to absorb B12 from food. Some drugs can also lower your stomach acid secretion.
A sublingual (under the tongue) B12 is what you should use. It goes directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your digestive tract is the type to use.Take a supplement made with the methylcobalamin form of B12, which research has shown to be the safest and most effective. Most experts recommend taking a minimum of 1,000 mcg a day of sublingual methylcobalamin. Higher dosages of up to 15,000 mcg per day are sometimes required to bring levels back up to an optimal level and to restore energy, mental function and mood balance. B12 has no known drug interactions and has never shown any adverse or toxic effects in humans, even when given in very large doses.  Solgar, Sublingual Methylcobalamin is a good product. Solgar makes a good vitamin D3. I suggest trying the B12 and D and see if they help!