Vitamin B. 12 injections

Shinamae

After a friend, highly recommended these for increased energy and generally feeling better I have just completed a course of seven injections one every other day.
£25 a time and I’ve got to say I do not feel any different at all, I’m wondering if it’s just me?
She now wants me to do a top up every month for £30, but I would’ve thought if I would feel any benefit I would be feeling it now.
(by the way I am 70)

If your B12 levels were not low in the first place, I'm not surprised you didn't feel any benefit. However, I'm told by my GP that the effects are 'subtle' and may not be felt immediately. B12 is not a pep-pill.

I can't absorb B12 because of abdominal surgery and have to have life-time injections. I do feel the benefit - eventually. But I started from a very low base.

You could ask your GP to check your B12 via a blood test - if it is within normal range, or above, don't waste your money further.

Dickens

Shinamae

After a friend, highly recommended these for increased energy and generally feeling better I have just completed a course of seven injections one every other day.
£25 a time and I’ve got to say I do not feel any different at all, I’m wondering if it’s just me?
She now wants me to do a top up every month for £30, but I would’ve thought if I would feel any benefit I would be feeling it now.
(by the way I am 70)

If your B12 levels were not low in the first place, I'm not surprised you didn't feel any benefit. However, I'm told by my GP that the effects are 'subtle' and may not be felt immediately. B12 is not a pep-pill.

I can't absorb B12 because of abdominal surgery and have to have life-time injections. I do feel the benefit - eventually. But I started from a very low base.

You could ask your GP to check your B12 via a blood test - if it is within normal range, or above, don't waste your money further.

Thank you..

It's worth just mentioning that to fill your body with something that you are not deficient in will do harm as it distorts your whole nutritional balance. More is not better.

Shinamae is your friend a doctor and did they do a blood test to confirm your B12 levels were low? If not how did they reach that conclusion? Your GP is your port of call for a blood test and if it is actually needed you won’t be paying £25 a shot for them. If your levels aren’t low your friend has relieved you of a lot of money for no reason. To be honest Shinamae I find it a bit concerning.

Grannynannywanny

Shinamae is your friend a doctor and did they do a blood test to confirm your B12 levels were low? If not how did they reach that conclusion? Your GP is your port of call for a blood test and if it is actually needed you won’t be paying £25 a shot for them. If your levels aren’t low your friend has relieved you of a lot of money for no reason. To be honest Shinamae I find it a bit concerning.

No, my friend is not a doctor, but the woman who did the injections is a nurse. I’m sure there were no ill intentions behind her recommendation, but I will not be proceeding further and thank you all for your advice.

Shinamae

Grannynannywanny

Shinamae is your friend a doctor and did they do a blood test to confirm your B12 levels were low? If not how did they reach that conclusion? Your GP is your port of call for a blood test and if it is actually needed you won’t be paying £25 a shot for them. If your levels aren’t low your friend has relieved you of a lot of money for no reason. To be honest Shinamae I find it a bit concerning.

No, my friend is not a doctor, but the woman who did the injections is a nurse. I’m sure there were no ill intentions behind her recommendation, but I will not be proceeding further and thank you all for your advice.

I should also add that she is a beautician as well and think she mainly does bank work now as a nurse

I am glad you have stopped shinamae

I felt really worried that you where having something your body didnt need,especially if unprescribed for you by your GP.

Just got to say I admire you working in care,I am the same age as you,my DGD works as a carer,it can be a challenging role,and at 24 she gets exhausted,I am not surprised that you feel tired,take care.

I have been thinking of paying to have them too.The cost near me is £40 minimum so it sounds like you got a bargain IF they had made a difference!
I have read that if you have excess B12 intake it won't do any harm as it will be flushed away by your body but of course that does mean you have flushed money down the toilet pan.

My husband has been having these for a few years on the NHS. He says he doesn't feel any different. He is 77.

Kate, I would think that if your husband is getting them on the NHS he won't necessarily feel different but he would probably feel dreadful if they were stopped and he became B12 deficient

Last year when my husband was feeling under the weather our surgery did blood tests and one of the things they checked for was vitamin B12 but he was fine. They did however prescribe him vitamin D which was low. Ask your doctor for a blood test if you're feeling run down.

Yes. See your doctor saying you feel run down. Ask for a full blood test.

Try adding nutritional yeast to salads, soups etc. it is very high in B12 and a whole lot cheaper than injections. I quite like the savoury taste.

I was shocked to read that someone is selling vitamin B12 injections.
I have the injections every three months. But my injections were prescribed by my GP, following blood tests.
I can always detect a change in energy levels as the time approaches for the next injection.
My Vitamin D levels were found to be very deficient too. I had a booster dose of D followed by a six months course. I now have to take Vitamin D for life, but buy it 'over the counter'. The tablets I have are as prescribed by the GP and I have to ask the pharmacist for them, they are not out on the shelves. A higher dose than the usual over the counter vitamins.
It's definitely worth requesting blood tests.

Aldom
No one is selling B12 injections.
Let’s suppose you’re someone like me who needs them by monthly, signs with a new Dr and the nurse tells you you can only have them 3 monthly.
I’m lucky that I can fight my corner in these situations but some can’t and therefore go to a private Doctor for a top up when they know they need it.
B12 injections are not a one size fits all.

No one issellingB12 injections.

I'd disagree. OP has been persuaded to pay £175 for vit B12 injections, albeit administered by a nurse, without it seems any tests undertaken to see if she has a deficiency. So yes I would say OP has been "sold" the treatment

Interesting posts. I suppose the question next … what is/are the levels of B12 in the body that are acceptable. I had a low of 104 and had to have daily injections for quite a while then tailing off. I had symptoms like pins and needles and feeling generally unwell. I was told to just buy supplements after that which I don’t think are quite as effective. My B12 now has started to go down again however GP won’t give the injection - I have bought injections before last year and did feel the benefit however am paying out so much for other health concerns privately recently, I stopped buying last year. My levels are checked every 3 months and the levels since last autumn have been steadily going down to just above the 200 mark. I actually think there might be NICE guidance on this but need to check. Do any others think this or know their levels ?

I am so thankful that this thread came up, as I had forgotten to make a note of when my next VitB12 injection was due. Now duly noted.

avitorl

I have been thinking of paying to have them too.The cost near me is £40 minimum so it sounds like you got a bargain IF they had made a difference!
I have read that if you have excess B12 intake it won't do any harm as it will be flushed away by your body but of course that does mean you have flushed money down the toilet pan.

Why have them if your levels aren't low? If they are then you don't need to pay for them, they are free on the NHS?? I advise you to get them checked first if feeling tired, but you don't have to spend money on them!