B12

Description

Side effects

(Don't be unduly alarmed. All drugs cause side effects for some patients)

Warnings

(These are standard cautions but may not be applicable to your case)

Comments

I have had 4 B 12 injections over 4 weeks and now every three months for the rest of my life! My sense of balance is shot to pieces and a blood test showed B 12 deficiency. This was discovered after RSD was diagnosed, although my balance has been a problem for many years. I found out that I have had RSD for at least 10 years. I was told that I cannot increase B 12 through diet and injections were the only way to increase the levels. I have never had any reaction to the injections. Pebbles (a member of RSD UK Group)

When I was in hospital last year being poked and prodded they said that I was B12 deficient. This was before they told me I had RSD. They said if I was suffering from nerve damage B12 would help to repair the damage. When I asked why I should be low on this they told me that either my diet was poor or there was a problem with my stomach. A lady came round to discuss my diet and said it was fine. Now I have been told I need to have these injections every three months. They have not explained why my B12 levels are so low. Helen - Coventry, Warwickshire, UK

If you lack vitamin B12 that causes anaemia - so, to take supplements of B12, if needed, would help resolve the anaemia, and help regulate oxygen flow throughout the body... - more efficient oxygen flow because of the B12 supplements would have a benefit on the pain wouldn't it? - Catherine, Huddersfield, UK (administrator of RSD_UK Group and rsd-crps.co.uk)

Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body, which is very important, and 'Anaemia' means that the level of red cells is low. Anaemia can be caused by lack of Vitamin B12, which causes a decreased production of red blood cells. However - there are also other causes of anaemia.
Decreased production of red cells is mainly caused by:
Not enough iron (iron deficiency) or
Vitamin B12 deficiency or
Folic acid (a vitamin, also called folate) deficiency.
For red blood cells to be produced by the bone marrow, many nutrients are needed, such as iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. These are taken in by the body from food, and iron is also recycled from red cells that have died.

Chronic (prolonged) diseases, such as infections, rheumatoid arthritis and RSD, can cause anaemia. Poor diet can also lead to anaemia. The main cause of vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is 'pernicious anaemia', in which there is inadequate absorption of vitamin B12 from the diet (mainly from meat and some vegetables). This anaemia can often take more than two years to develop because there are large stores of vitamin B12 in the liver. In some diseases of the small bowel, such as Crohn's disease, vitamin B12 absorption can be impaired. A strict vegetarian diet can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency.
The symptoms of anaemia include: tiredness, breathlessness, dizziness (especially when standing), and a weak, rapid pulse.
Anaemia is identified by blood tests to measure the number of red blood cells and the amount of haemoglobin in the blood. Iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels can be measured. Vitamin B12 deficiency is usually treated with monthly injections of vitamin B12 because poor absorption when taken by mouth is usually the problem.
Dave Barton - Group Organiser of SKIP (Supporting Kids In Pain)