Do you have experience with B12 injections?

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Jawa
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Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby Jawa » Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:08 pm

Just putting this one out there, was curious if anyone here has had experience with B12 injections and are not vegans or vegetarians.

I consider myself a normal eater, consume from all food groups, pretty fit so much as I cycle regularly and so far (36yo) have managed to stave off the middle age spread.

However, in recent times I’ve noticed it’s getting harder and harder to fight daily fatigue which I attribute to age, maintained cycling but an ever demanding work life.

So my query being has anyone tried B12 injections, who have also been in a similar situation and what were your experiences? Reading around the webs you would think that it’s some “miracle” cure for everything but being the internet that also comes with skepticism
Last edited by Jawa on Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Patt0
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby Patt0 » Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:19 pm

Having a B12 injection made me question taking any vitamins. I was about 25 at the time, good health and decent diet etc. Haven't supplemented the food on my plate since.

Didn't hurt me. Truthfully, I never experienced any benefit from any vitamin.
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g-boaf
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby g-boaf » Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:58 am

Jawa wrote:Just putting this one out there, was curious if anyone here has had experience with B12 injections and are not vegans or vegetarians.

I consider myself a normal eater, consume from all food groups, pretty fit so much as I cycle regularly and so far (36yo) have managed to stave off the middle age spread.

However, in recent times I’ve noticed it’s getting harder and harder to fight daily fatigue which I attribute to age, maintained cycling but an ever demanding work life.

So my query being has anyone tried B12 injections, who have also been in a similar situation and what were your experiences? Reading around the webs you would think that it’s some “miracle” cure for everything but being the internet that also comes with skepticism
How much sleep are you getting? That's the one thing you've not mentioned in your post - but you've hinted at it with the "ever demanding work life". 36 is not that old either.

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find_bruce
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby find_bruce » Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:22 am

Vitamin B12 injections were very popular for racing horses - you may have seen a bunch of trainers such as Peter Moody getting suspended for cobalt - injections of B12 is one of the things that may cause high cobalt readings.

The enthusiasm was based on a single scientific paper that suggested high levels of cobalt may have a performance effect. No one has yet been able to demonstrate any performance enhancement, even from large does.

I have not seen any evidence it is beneficial in people who do not have a B12 deficiency

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boyracer
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby boyracer » Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:00 pm

I took them on my GP's recommendations for a while. I had major surgery and have had liver function tests and bloods every 6 months since. Doc said my iron and B's were low so gave me a top up injection every 12 weeks. Didn't hurt and sometimes i did indeed feel a bit more 'bounce' after them for a day or two...could be placebo effect though too.
Have you had bloods done by a GP?

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ValleyForge
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby ValleyForge » Sun Jul 02, 2017 8:00 pm

There is a well associated placebo effect with B12 injections.

Because of the complicated process of absorption (unlike the other vitamins), deficiency can happen even in the face of adequate oral intake. Hence it is easily and cheaply available in a form which bypasses the gut (injection). It was also commonly seen following stomach ulcer surgery which essentially doesn't exist now. There are a few cases of B12 deficiency in patients after weight loss surgery.

A GP who will listen to you, taking a good history, doing a half decent examination and some simple blood tests will be able to tell you if you are deficient in B12. That's not to say you won't feel better after a B12 shot. If you want one, ask for it.
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bychosis
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby bychosis » Sun Jul 02, 2017 8:32 pm

I had a series of injections a few years ago. Apparently my levels were extremely low and I ended up getting weekly for about 6 weeks, then monthly for a while. I went for a routine checkup and mentioned fatigue, blood tests showed b12 deficiency. At the time we had a baby and sleep patterns weren't ideal. I still don't know wether it helped or not because of the baby and self inflicted lack of sleep.

recently I got hounded into going back to the dr after life getting in the way and my dr leaving the surgery. Found a new dr, got a new test and found my levels are a bit low, but not terrible like before. This time I've got a shot and 6months before the next.

I still don't know wether the b12 helps becuase I find work and family chew up A lot of time and 'me' time (including cycling) tends to eat in to sleep more than it should.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

Jawa
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby Jawa » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:06 am

Thanks for the responses guys. TBH, I did have a blood test a couple months back for something unrelated though by the GP’s interpretation all was good. When it comes to vitamin B levels though from what I understand what one doctor think is low, another thinks is normal. So my interpretation on things at the moment is purely self examined. (I know thats crap)

This seems to be where im at though, on the surface all is well but the fatigue remains longer than in years gone past and find it harder to “bounce” back and had read good things about B12 injections. Maybe finding a good doctor who will listen as ValleyForge mention may be the best first point of call.

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g-boaf
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby g-boaf » Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:09 pm

Jawa wrote:Thanks for the responses guys. TBH, I did have a blood test a couple months back for something unrelated though by the GP’s interpretation all was good. When it comes to vitamin B levels though from what I understand what one doctor think is low, another thinks is normal. So my interpretation on things at the moment is purely self examined. (I know thats crap)

This seems to be where im at though, on the surface all is well but the fatigue remains longer than in years gone past and find it harder to “bounce” back and had read good things about B12 injections. Maybe finding a good doctor who will listen as ValleyForge mention may be the best first point of call.
You didn't answer how much sleep you are getting. That's important too. You can't survive on just 4-5 hours of sleep per night and hope to do plenty of riding as well as work. It just doesn't happen. If you try and do it, you'll burn out and get sick, or at the very least you'll feel like crap.

You can't just use vitamins to compensate for important things like lack of sleep, if that is indeed the case.

Ivanerrol
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby Ivanerrol » Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:12 am

My family has a genetic disposition to lack of B12 - Kidney/liver function.
Passed down from paternal side.

One sister has quarterly B12 injections - needs them for the rest of her life.
Another sister and myself use sublingual spray or tablets 1000mg daily.

General yearly blood tests don't usually take B12 in the account. It's usually prompted by the doctor due to some issue like Thyroid or fatigue problems.

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ValleyForge
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Re: Do you have experience with B12 injections?

Postby ValleyForge » Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:28 pm

Ivanerrol wrote:General yearly blood tests don't usually take B12 in the account. It's usually prompted by the doctor due to some issue like Thyroid or fatigue problems.
The blood tests do take it into account indirectly - if you are truly B12 deficient you will have larger than normal red blood cells which are picked up on a full blood count (FBC) - a very routine test. And any decent lab will automatically test B12 levels if they see abnormally large red blood cells on your FBC.

Fatigue from B12 deficiency is actually a late sign - that's why it is called "pernicious anaemia".
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