Vitamins - Types, Timing

[epileric]

B12 Questions: Just curious how many folks have been tested for a Vitamin B12 deficiency? And if tested positive, was this before getting an epilepsy diagnosis or after? If there was a deficiency, was it considered as a possible cause of seizures, and/or was it considered a side effect of AEDs?

I've never been tested but I know my grandfather had to go for monthly B12 shots & that always made me wonder.

 

[RobinN]

I do know that B12 is showing improvements for other neurological disorders. These folks were not taking anti-seizure meds, so my answer would be it is a possible cause.

Vitamin B12 supports the sheathing that protects nerve cells and has shown in studies that it promotes the regeneration and growth of nerve cells.

In the past it has been difficult to remedy this deficiency. The reason for this is that while vitamin B12 is readily stored by the body, it is not readily absorbed by the body. For this reason much larger amounts have been used in supplementation, but even large oral dosages have not been an adequate solution.

The most common type of vitamin B12 used in supplements is called Cyanocobalamine. Taking Cyanocobalamine can result in absorption of as little as 1/2 of 1% of the amount taken, which makes it almost impossible to get enough of this vitally important vitamin.

In addition to the very low absorption, the body must convert the Cyanocobalamine (which cannot be used by the body) to a form of vitamin B12 the body can use called Methylcobalamine. Unfortunately, as the body gets older it loses this ability to convert Cynocobalamine to Methylcobalamine.

For the above reasons, as people get older, many physicians recommend regular monthly injections of vitamin B12 to maintain adequate body levels or to replenish greatly depleted stores of this vital nutrient.

A Remedy for this Problem:

You might have heard of the new type of vitamin B1 being produced, called Benfotiamine. It is a fat-soluble version of vitamin B1. What does this mean? It means this new form of vitamin B1 can be taken orally in large dosages and it will not flush out of the body the way ordinary Thiamine (vitamin B1) does.

The result is that by taking Benfotiamine the blood stream levels of vitamin B1 can now be greatly increased, nutritionally supporting the body to rapidly and effectively decrease or eliminate the symptoms of Neuropathy.

Also available is Methylcobalamine (called Methyl B12). This is the form of vitamin B12 that can be directly utilized by the body and is available in the quantities nutritionally needed by the body to repair itself. Methyl B12 can be taken orally and is immediately available to the body much like injectable vitamin B12.