Anyone take Vitamin B12 supplements?

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Dignan

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I went to the neuro for a normal visit and noticed he had me down as taking 1000mcgs of B12. I wondered if this was a typo since I only 100mcg of b12 as part of a b complex in my multivitamin each day, or if it was something recommended.

He had already left, but his assistant said she "thought" it was his recommendation. I take keppra and have been told to supplement with b vitamins from other sources, which i do thru my multi vitamin with b complex 25.

  1. Do any of you take as much as 1000mcgs of b12 as a supplement?
  2. If so, what method do you use to take it? Pill, dissolvable lozange under the tongue, a shot?
  3. And, does it have any effect on you positive or negative?

I have picked up the dissolvable lozange type and haven't taken it yet, but it seems like a high dose (1000mcgs), and I always wonder how adding something new might work with my keppra or with my seizures.

The vitamin store person thought it would just give me more energy, which would be great, but I dont know how informed she is, and the medical assistant saying she "felt" that the doc was recommending it wasnt super convincing either. I already take other vitamins and supplements, but wanted the opinions of the people here who live with the same things I do.

Thanks,
D
 
Hi Dignan,

I have 1000mcgs of B12 every 3mths in shot form for my anaemia and it boost my system and gives me more strength but you can always guarantee half way through the 3mths I feel my levels going back down plus I also take keppra have done for years and there's no extra affect with them concerning myself.

You should get more energy if it is a jab but concerning lozanges i'm not sure....plus it's best to go back to the vitamin store and ask them to double check with any other meds your on for any counter reaction, as I can't take anything from a vitamin store through counter reaction with my tegretol release.
 
Th recommended daily B12 dose for adults is approx. 25-100 micrograms. I think that's the dose your doctor meant to write, since 1000mcg is usually only administered by injection, as in Tez's case. I think you should contact your doc to make sure.

I take B12 as part of my other supplements (and try to get it from dietary sources as well), since my CBC tends to run subnormal. It's hard for me to know if the B12 is having a positive effect, since there are so many other factors that can contribute to fatigue, and I don't have my blood tested that often.

B12 isn't known to affect Keppra or vice versa. Some anti-seizure meds can cause a b12 deficiency, but Keppra isn't on that list.
 
I take that much sublingually, daily. I don't absorb nutrients well and get deficient in B12. It is one vitamin that is fairly benign--you don't stand much risk of going toxic on these supplements. But I would probably try to clarify if that was a recommendation. If you are curious about B12, google 'Vitamin B12, Linus Pauling Institute.' They have a comprehensive database on all vitamins and minerals, their functions, deficiencies, toxicities, etc. A great resource.
 
1000mcg is just 1 mg. It is not an unusual dose. It should give you more energy and help you sleep better especially if you get it by injection.
 
spoke to the neuro office again about the B12 dose, and they dont know when that was written on my chart. They went ahead and told me to keep taking it but that they want to do a blood test to verify if I actually need it or not.

Seemed odd to me given that my numbers would be inflated from taking it for the past few weeks. But, thats what they said.

My chiro/naturo person says that doesn't make any sense.

I did look thru my old records and could only find one instance of getting B12 measured via a blood test. It was from 5 years ago, and I took dilantin back then, so i dont know if that matters. but the old 2009 results were:

316 pg/ml
ref range 211-911

I'm a little perturbed that my neuro office doesnt seem to know what they are doing here.
 
I was taught by an OG epileptic that B12 works as a natural alternative to caffeine. I use it in my morning smoothies and love it.

No medical advice though, sorry mate.
 
I take B12. Along with my thyroid tests I cam up deficient in B12. Dr. gave me a big syringe of it. Then she told me to take 2000Mcg a day. I haven't been able to find that dose, so I take 2500Mcg every day. I take the kind you put under your tongue. I've read the kind you just swallow doesn't get absorbed well.

A few months back I was sick for a few weeks, first the flu then a UTI. I quit taking my supplements because my tummy was upset from the antibiotics. Then I forgot to start them back up and felt like cr__. When I finally remembered and started back up I immediately perked up again. My blood tests for B12 now come back fine.
 
Just thought i'd post my last results in case it might of use to anyone. I had the B12 test done after I had already been taking the 1000mcg dose for 3 or 4 weeks (still dont know why they didnt do one prior to starting it). The only test I had done prior was from 2009 (when I took Dilantin) and that result is above.

Anyway, my results are below:

Vit B12: 857 pg/ml Ref Range: 211-946
Folate: >19.9 ng/ml Ref Range: >3.0

Magnesium: 2.0 mg/dl Ref Range: 1.6-2.6

They told me to just keep taking the under the tongue B12/Folate tab. Still wish I had known what it was prior to starting the vitamin, if for no other reason then for reference.
 
I'm still waiting for either of the tests for b12 in the links below to become widely available.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622224451.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141027100516.htm

As for magnesium, less than one percent of your body’s magnesium is in your blood, so the blood serum levels may be misleading.

Dignan -- you might be interested in the following link about magnesium and how it might protect against hip fractures:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140218100704.htm
 
This may be already out there answered, but i can't remember, so I'll just ask again..

If the blood serum magnesium levels aren't all that reliable, what would be the best way to test magnesium levels, and how widely available is that version of the test, whatever it is??
 
First Choice: Loading/Retention Test: The person's urine is measured for mg content, they are given a certain amount of Magnesium Sulfate, and then their urine is measured again 24 hours later. If the mg retention rate is greater than 50% the person is considered definitely deficient. If the rate is greater than 25% the person is considered probably deficient.

Second Choice: RBCmg test: Measures the intracellular Magnesium levels by measuring content in red blood cells. This test is obviously a little easier to do. Some sites require a licensed doctor to do the ordering but the link below does not:
http://requestatest.com/magnesium-rbc-testing
 
Well I just got a blood draw. I have to say I'm trying to stay calm but am fairly freaked out. I can access my results online and my B12 is at 1385--this is way too high. B12 is one supplement you are not supposed to be able to get too much of, even with a very high supplement dose, and too high a level is supposed to be a bad finding indicative of all kinds of bad things (mostly cancers). In fact, everything was skirting high--calcium, potassium (none of which I'm taking), everything except magnesium (which i AM taking, strangely), not out of range but at the highest normal levels. If it turns out I'm told It's because I'm taking too much B12 I'll write back here, though I doubt I'll officially hear back for a while. I do know I feel like crap and haven't slept well in a couple of weeks.
 
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That all seems very strange. You should ask them to do a follow-up blood serum test sooner rather than later. Hopefully it's just a fluke or there's some other non-worrisome explanation. Please keep us posted.

BTW, Does your B12 supplement contain B6 as well? (Mine does). If so, then you might want to avoid taking it in the evening, since B6 can cause sleep problems for some people.
 
No it just has B12--but I was taking B complex every other day and low dose B6 every other day (just 25 mg) and not taking anything many days as well--I discontinued both about 2 weeks ago because of the insomnia and tingling in my fingertips and face. I was taking it well within 'safe' windows but I'm betting my B6 is too high too. . .though it's possible those symptoms could be the B12. I won't get the B6 result until later today or tomorrow and won't hear from the dr I'm sure until all results are in.
 
lindsayschu2 said:
Well I just got a blood draw. I have to say I'm trying to stay calm but am fairly freaked out. I can access my results online and my B12 is at 1385--this is way too high. B12 is one supplement you are not supposed to be able to get too much of, even with a very high supplement dose, and too high a level is supposed to be a bad finding indicative of all kinds of bad things (mostly cancers). In fact, everything was skirting high--calcium, potassium (none of which I'm taking), everything except magnesium (which i AM taking, strangely), not out of range but at the highest normal levels. If it turns out I'm told It's because I'm taking too much B12 I'll write back here, though I doubt I'll officially hear back for a while. I do know I feel like crap and haven't slept well in a couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

You probably already know this, but you can get a "bad" blood test. Things can happen and results may be skewed or flat wrong. If you are unsure, and the numbers seem way off from normal for no reason, I'd look into having another set of lab work done to verify.
 
When I started taking Keppra, my neurologist told me to take a B Complex pill. Keppra deletes the body of Vitamin B. I take one a day by pill.
 
Dignan said:
Vit B12: 857 pg/ml Ref Range: 211-946
Folate: >19.9 ng/ml Ref Range: >3.0

Magnesium: 2.0 mg/dl Ref Range: 1.6-2.6
Click to expand...

Update, I ran these numbers by my chiro/nutritionist and he says with numbers that high I no longer need to take B12 supplementation..

Don't you love it when the neuro says one thing and another guy says something else?

Is there any downside to continuing taking the 1000 mcg amount if my numbers are now good like this? Is my body having to work extra hard to keep me in balance or something?
 
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