Confessions Of A Methylcobalamin Junkie
Published March 2nd, 2008 in Life Tags: absorption rate, alertness, B12, brain function, cyanocobalamin, health advice, hydroxocobalamin, injection, junkie, methylcobalamin, nervous system, supplements, syringe, vitamin b 12, vitamin industry.
Well, I think it is time I came clean.
I have been taking methylcobalamin. You could say I’m a meth(ylcobalamin) junkie.
Before you start organizing an intervention, I should explain that it is just good old vitamin B12.
It’s just that instead of taking it orally, I’ve been injecting it.
What?
There are many forumulations of vitamin B12:
Cyanocobalamin, Cobalamin, Methylcobalamin, Adenosylcobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin, and Hydroxycyanocobalamin.
I prefer methylcobalamin because your body doesn’t need to convert it to anything, it just absorbs it.
Why?
Why not take it orally like other “normal” people? Because when you ingest supplements the absorption rate effects how much benefit you get. Just because you’re taking 100 mg of B12 doesn’t mean your body is actually receiving 100 mg. In fact, chances are you might as well be popping tic tacs for all the B12 you’re giving your body.
Injecting the compound gives your body the best ability to absorb and use it. But shhhh… this is a big secret. The multi-billion dollar supplement and vitamin industry prefers you didn’t think about it.
Benefits
Your body needs B12 for healthy cell growth and function. Methylcobalamin improves your brain function, memory, nervous system, etc. It also gives you a boost of energy and alertness. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, then you need B12 more than us omnivores.
So that’s why I load up a syringe and go Chigurh on my lastus vateralis (or intermedius if my aim is off). I’ve spared you a picture of my hairy legs so use your imagination.
Dosage
Can you take too much? No. Unlike other supplements which you can overdose on, your body doesn’t store excess vitamin B12. But you don’t want to waste it. I usually go with ~1cc every week or so.
I’m not a doctor so don’t be silly and mistake what I write as health advice.
You should always consult a competent professional.
absorption rate, alertness, B12, brain function, cyanocobalamin, health advice, hydroxocobalamin, injection, junkie, methylcobalamin, nervous system, supplements, syringe, vitamin b 12, vitamin industry
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Jesus Christ!
Stabbing yourself with a needle is pretty fucking serious way of getting some goddamn vitamins. Did it ever occur to you that this *may not* be the best way of getting vitamins into your system? That your body is throwing away part of the pill because of a good reason? That by directly injecting it into your body your denying some very important metabolic processes, and in effect short circuiting 4 million years of metabolic evolution? Have you heard about the vascular diseases that this causes? the army did this with vitamin c a while back,and nothing good came of it - vascular disease for our troops!
Fuck the multi-billion dollar supplement and vitamin industry, just eat a goddamn banana! Are they so bad? too much chewing? how about a banana smoothie?
Mushrooms? Yeast (Vegemite)? Seaweed (Sushi, Miso)?? There ARE better ways then chemical dependencies.
If you think that you need some injected source of nutrition, the multi-billion dollar supplement has just won your money.
>”I prefer methylcobalamin because your body doesn’t need to convert it to anything, it just absorbs it.”
Did you realize that your body just absorbs lead, mercury and other toxins as well?
Just because it gets absobed quickly doesn’t make it a good thing!
Your body’s metabolic processes are *the most* mysterious and incomprehensible set of chemical reactions yet to be thoroughly understood by mankind.
>”I’m not a doctor so don’t be silly and mistake what I write as health advice.
You should always consult a competent professional.”
This is great advice, you should follow it yourself! Seriously!
Why do you do this? Do you have a health issue? “Anonymous” brought up some great ideas.
I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for all the insight.
I am going to disagree with these two. I have been a long time user of B-12 and I agree that it is of much value.
99% of all people do not understand the value of B-12, how it works and the fact that it is very difficult for your body to absorb (from supplements as opposed to food). Injectable B-12 is really the only alternative for effective B-12 supplementation.
My only concern with taking B-12 is that there is some limited evidence to that suggests there is a higher risk of developing a brain tumor when using injectable B12 supplementation. The current reasoning as to why this may happen has to do with the manner in which B-12 works in the brain. B-12 supplementation can help protect the existing structures in the brain as well as assist the brain in repairing certain structures.
These effects can also be used by harmful cancerous cells, thus allowing a brain tumor to form or accelerate in growth through the use of B-12 concentrations that would not otherwise exist in the body.
Still, though, there is conclusive link, just anecdotal evidence. I believe that the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Still, there are risks. Just very low probablility.
i’ve been taking B-12 b/c it works as a great “hang-over” pill…. pop a few of those puppies before you go to sleep after a hard night and you feel fresh the next morning
funny post though… keep up the good work…
avi
Anon, thanks for your concern, just so it is crystal clear, what I’m doing is ok’ed by my Dr. And to answer your questions, delivering drugs through injection is a safe method. Obviously I’m injecting something that is good for my body not “lead” as you suggest! lol What makes it a good thing is not only that it is absorbed well, but that the compound itself is good. Get it? Talk to your doctor and s/he will set you straight.
Kristy, I guess some people have a reaction to needles. All of Anon’s ideas are rubbish. He brings up vascular disease but not only does B12 not cause it, in fact doctors use B12 to treat vascular disease !! LoL Anon couldn’t be more wrong if he tried.
Robert, as I said, consult your doctor. I’ve done that and think this is good for me. Also the formulation may have something to do with it. If you take just regular B12 your body metabolizes it into methylcobalamin. So why not take the direct route?
Avi, LoL never thought of using it as a hangover cure but thanks for the tip.
I take it sublingually, I feel better than I have in years.
Where do you get your methylcobalamin?????
I just started a weekly dose of cyanocobalimin and have seen very little results. PLEASE let me know where you are able to get it. Thank you.
christine, maybe you don’t have a deficiency at all - did you consult with your doctor?
I’ve been getting B12 injections for over 6 months and they have relieved horrible PMS along with menstrual migraines that I’d been getting for about 10 years. I’ve been getting the shots at my local health food store but would love to be able to give myself shots at home to save time/money. I was able to get a prescription from my doctor, however, the prescription I got filled was for cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin. Unfortunately I’ve been breaking out with the cyanocobalamin. I must be allergic to the different form of B12 or another ingredient in it that may be different. It seems methylcobalamin may be more expensive and harder to find. I was wondering if you could tell me what pharmacy you get your injectable methylcobalamin? Is it a compounding pharmacy? I’m going to try to get my doctor to give me another prescription if I can find a pharmacy that has methylcobalamin.
Thanks!!
I just read these posts and I’d like to chime in. I’m hypoglycemic and have been using injectable B12 also. In my case, it helps with fatigue and brain fogging caused by hypoglycemia. I’m not an advocate of injecting anything that comes along but my experience has definetitly been positive w/ B12
this information is very bad
Sheela,
You base your statement on what? This information is not bad. You are ill-/misinformed. Do some research.
To Tammy - the “cyano” is cyanide. Although its in a form which doesn’t bother most people, apparently some people are especially cyanide sensitive. It sounds like you may be one. Stop taking it!
Generally, I don’t think theres any real need to inject cobalamin unless you are seriously deficient - just taking large dose methylcobalamin tablets will get you more than enough. Personally I wouldn’t consider injecting myself with anything, let alone something which can easily be taken sublingually. “Anonymous” is right about one thing - the body has evolved to take in B12 orally, so it should be able to do it provided you ingest enough.
Hi - I have some medical problems that require my needing the b12 injections. It is way to expensive to keep going into my doctor to do it, and would prefer to do this at home. All I can find on the internet is the other forms of b12 though. Pleeeeaaase tell me where I can get this form that you are using. I’m desperate! Thanx
With a prescription from your Dr., Methylcobalamin injections can be obtained from Hopewell Pharmacy in New Jersey, Coastal Compounding and Post Haste pharmacy amongst others. These are all compounding pharmacies and you should be able to locate them by using google. Hopewell will file insurance for you (depending on your carrier), Coastal and Post Haste will not.
Some of these posts show a serious lack of information, which is good to have before forming opinions.
Although the body is, of course, designed to absorb nutrients, there may be a number of reasons why that doesn’t always work properly. Vitamin B12 in particular has a very complicated assimilation process which can break down in various ways. When this happens B12 deficiency can cause many problems with digestion, poor immunity, brain and nervous disorders, sleep problems, mental fuzziness, low energy, premature aging, muscle weakness, and so on. Taking regular injections has been medically found to be the most effective treatment, and it is a great relief and blessing for many people to have such a simple solution for their serious problems.
Obviously, if you can’t absorb enough B12 from food through your digestive system taking an oral supplement won’t work either.
Because I have pernicious anemia I give myself subcutaneous injections, which is not as weird or difficult as one might think once you get used to it. A nurse showed me how, and the fine insulin needles I use hardly hurt at all.
Recently I’ve been learning that methylcobalamin is used by the body and stored in the liver more effectively than cyanocobalamin, which is what most doctors prescribe. There is some evidence that taking a methylcobalamin sublingually (under the tongue) may be as effective as cyanocobalamin injections, so I’m going to try it.
blessings
I’ve enjoyed most of your postings. I’ve never posted anything myself. After 6 months of health problems that started with a blocked intestine, I have been diagnosed as B12 deficient. I got my first cyanocobalamin shot about 3 weeks ago and feel somewhat better. However, I’m on an antibiotic regimine for gastritis which may make my B12 deficiency worse. I’ve been on the treatment for a week and have been taking an oral B12 (cyanocobalamin) supplement every other day to (hopefully) keep my B12 levels from dropping. I have a question. Can I switch to methylcobalamin supplements or alternate supplements from day to day? One symptom I continue to experience is irritated/burning tongue. I understand that methylcobalamin is readily useable by one’s body. I have also been eating significant amounts of B12 rich foods. One caution for everyone. If your serum B12 is in the low 200’s, even though that is technically “normal” you may still be deficient. In some countries below 500 is believed to be deficient.
Michael, I can tell you from my own experience that sublingual methylcobalamin works much better for me than sublingual cynanocobalamin. My energy stays more level, and I can even take it to handle moments of stress better.
I am also continuing with the injections, which I seem to need more often than the once-a-month that doctors routinely prescribe. Since I do them myself it’s no problem.
You have to remember, the reason some of us must take injections or sublinguals is because we can’t assimilate B12 from food or oral supplements.
I had a problem for more than ten years - buzzing and tingling in my feet. Not like the “pins and needles” of a limb going to sleep, but a very pronounced buzzing like my feet were on an electric massager turned on high. I probably spent $20,000 or more looking for answers to this problem that was absolutely destroying my life. At times, it felt so bad, I felt almost suicidal. I was told it was scar tissue - it was not. I was told it was a trapped nerve - it was not. I was told I had nerve damage - I did not. I was told I had MS - I did not. I was told I had diabetes - I did not. Finally, the doctors put it all down to “stress” and told me to stop looking for a solution. Of course I didn’t.
Finally, someone thought to check my B12 levels. They were only in the mid-100s. Very low. And no wonder. I’m a vegetarian and I didn’t take supplements. To make matters worse, I had been taking Prilosec for about seven years and B12 can’t be absorbed from food when there’s no acid in the stomach.
I immediately started on sublingual methylcobalamin twice a day. The sublingual tablets work as well as injections and they’re more convenient. Within a week, I was feeling significantly better and within a month, I felt “cured.” However, I do know I’ll have to take sublingual methylcobalamin for the rest of my life or again face the distressing symptoms I lived with for ten and one-half miserable years. I don’t care. Letting a pill dissolve under my tongue twice a day is such a small thing to do for my health. I’m just lucky I don’t have nerve damage because it can occur if the B12 deficiency is severe and goes on long enough. And you don’t have to be very deficient to get symptoms.
Supplements of cyanocobalamin are okay if you’re not deficient, but if you are, then you need either injections or sublingual methylcobalamin.
I never thought I’d find a way out of the nightmare I was living in, and if I did, I never thought it would be as easy as letting a tablet dissolve under my tongue twice each day. I can’t emphasize the extreme important of methylcobalamin. In my opinion, everyone should be using it.
Hi Yelena, I’m glad you finally figured it out. I had a similar experience but was able to diagnose the problem within 6 months. Like you, I was told that my health problems were due to stress. I’m sure stress is a factor but reducing stress won’t solve the problem. After many tests and ruling out a variety of conditions, I asked the doctor to check my B12. In fact my B12 had already been checked but they didn’t interpret the data. My B12 at 211 was in the “normal” range but clearly it wasn’t normal for me. I had many symptoms including enlarged red blood cells (which the doctor would have known if he had really looked at my lab work), tingling hands and feet, burning tongue, the list goes on and on. Thank God I’m being treated now even though all the symptoms have not comletely gone away. Hopefully over time I’ll get back to normal. It took me many hours of research to isolate B12 deficiency as the culprit. Doctors don’t have that kind of time to spend on each patient. I read somewhere that the average dr only listens to a patient for 16 seconds before starting a diagnosis. Doctors need to be made aware of the symptoms and debilitating effects of B12 deficiency.
I care not for anonymous’ language. Grow up. Proper language comes across better. Not language of a filthy sailer. Wether you’re right or wrong.
I started my cyan 5 weeks ago and am so amazed at how I feel now. I was so far down I was doing 1cc every 3 days….I know that might sound harsh but I have Crohns disease and can not hardly absorb anything. That last shot from the bottle finally got me up and out of bed. FINALLY!!! Now I just do about .7cc every 5 days…or whenever my energy really falls off…1cc seems to really buzz my head so I’ve backed down on the dose..
I took this upon my self to try after reading on a body building forum and days of investigating this…trying to find some way to get energy and do it safely.
I’ve been working out for 20 years just so I can keep my body going and staying alive.Exercise is about the best thing you can do for crohns and have a good diet but….. There’s not much I can drink besides tea and water….I’ve spent so much on all the protein drinks and whatever else they come out with only to not be able to get help from them. I even eat 3 lbs of meat a week and still can’t get any nutrition from that.
I’ve always studied nutrition for the last 20 years and taken care of myself. But this has been a rough year, seriously felt myself going down hill a lil too far…and hadn’t worked out for 6 months…
So I did the B 12 shot and it sure has made a world of difference to me and now back in the gym. Just wished I would’ve started this 10 years ago….
Like you said Michael we need to tell the world but then the FDA would pull all this off the market along with the other good stuff our bodies need….just like they did to Ener-B Gel in the 90’s….wow now that was some good B 12 up the nose….that was even 5 times stronger than the shots we take…
Thinking about trying the super-complex after this next bottle….
it feels good to be normal again I tell ya that!!!