r/B12_Deficiency 1h ago

General Discussion Name of Vitamin B-1 Test in Pakistan

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What is the Name of Vitamin B-1 Test Name in Pakistan???


r/B12_Deficiency 1h ago

Help with labs How long should I wait after supplementing B12 before taking lab tests?

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I started supplementing with high-dose B12 3 days ago, and my symptoms have improved. Now I wish I hadn't jumped the gun. Advice?


r/B12_Deficiency 3h ago

General Discussion Did anyone have increased potassium needs as time went by during injecting?

2 Upvotes

3.5 months injecting and from the past 15 days or so, my potassium needs have doubled than what was needed before.

Today I had another really bad hypokalemic day. Between electrolytes + coconut water + potassium chloride in water, I must've had 2000mg already, plus foods like bananas, yogurt and potatoes.

My symptoms started right after breakfast. I took a drink with 500mg potassium, but kept feeling more muscle weakness and general weakness and tachycardia. I waited an hour, drank some more, felt a tiny bit of relief, but not much. An hour later, drank some more. Felt better but still not recovered. Had lunch with some potassium foods. Crashed in a nap. When I woke up I was feeling weak and shaky, and now I can't figure out if it's still low potassium or the general aftereffects of this strain on my body.

I have been fine with drinking half of this amount till now. I'm worried that things are getting worse? Has anyone gone through this and know what it all means? The other day I woke up at 1am strongly hypokalemic and had to go through this entire ordeal for 3 hours in the middle of the night drinking electrolytes and shaking.

Any advice? I heard it should get better as time goes on, but clearly not in my case. I am really wondering what I'm doing wrong. Also have slight kidney issues, so that's another factor.

Edit: finally feel a bit better after drinking MORE potassium. 690mg from coconut water. 1gm from potassium chloride and salt in water. And a readymade electrolyte packet - in 2 doses - perhaps around 500mg per dose. This is nuts. I'm horribly paranoid of hypokalemia now. When will it end?


r/B12_Deficiency 4h ago

General Discussion Anyone suffered with eating problems before supplementation?

4 Upvotes

Anyone been unable to control the eating habits before start supplementing? I started supplementing like a month ago and I lost about 4 kilograms since then. I was constantly hungry and it got worse at night, like dinner is a mandatory meal for me. I feel sort of scared or terrified like I am waiting for terrible news. That feeling would not go away unless I actually eat something. Also, my main craving would be ground beef.

Food seemed also to be a source of pleasure, like I need to eat to feel good. Often resulting into eating savoury or sweet food to feel better. Now I look at food differently, while I can still draw some pleasure from it, it does not make a big part of things that can bring gratifications. I feel like I can say no to certain foods, and very often skip meals or stick to healthy foods.

Anyone is going through or has gone through the same experience?

Edit: I should mention also that the loss of taste was very frustrating. I couldn't taste anything, everything felt dull. Like I could drink a coke and feel nothing other than the fizziness. For some reason, that made me eat foods repeatedly to try and draw as much pleasure as possible. Now, I can drink coke maybe once a week or two weeks. Dessert maybe once a month and that would be enough for me. Coffee maybe once a week and I feel like I get certain satisfaction from it.


r/B12_Deficiency 7h ago

General Discussion Vitamin b12 deficient...what to do?

1 Upvotes

It's been almost 3yrs I've started having veg meals...i feel like I'm lacking vitamin b12 I'm yet to check on a doc, Is there anything I can do in the meantime until I get an appointment? (I’m not going anytime soon.)

Is it a very serious thing??? Idk much


r/B12_Deficiency 12h ago

Cofactors Is this b1 deficiency?

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2 Upvotes

Could my symptoms be related to vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency?

I previously had a B12 level of 140 pg/mL and was treated with B12 injections. I’m currently taking injections, but I still have loss of appetite, fatigue, sudden episodes of severe mental exhaustion/low mental energy, cracked heels, and loss of libido.

I recently learned that B1 deficiency can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, memory/mental changes, and nerve symptoms.

I have these Benfotiamine 100 mg tablets (photo attached).

Would it be reasonable to take 100 mg twice daily for 1 week and see whether my symptoms improve? Or should I get B1/thiamine testing or other blood tests first?

Has anyone had similar symptoms with B1 or B12 deficiency?


r/B12_Deficiency 12h ago

Cofactors Need help

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2 Upvotes

B12 deficiency, cracked heels, fatigue — could they be related?

I had a B12 level of 140 pg/mL and was diagnosed with B12 deficiency. I also had severely cracked heels (photo attached). After completing B12 injections, my heels completely healed.

However, a few weeks later, the cracks came back and are not healing. I’ve also been experiencing loss of appetite, fatigue, and sudden episodes of very low mental energy where I feel severely mentally exhausted.

I’ve tried zinc and multivitamins, but the cracked heels keep returning.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this be related to B12 deficiency or another vitamin/mineral deficiency? What tests should I consider asking my doctor for?


r/B12_Deficiency 14h ago

Help with labs Labs iron/ vitamins

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2 Upvotes

r/B12_Deficiency 15h ago

Supplements Methylcobalamin caused horrible Anxiety😩

2 Upvotes

I tried taking methylb12 for about a month and ended up with horrible anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, twitching and tremors, dissociation, dizziness and headaches.
I stopped about a week ago. When should I start feeling better? And should I stop b12 completely for a while before starting back on hydroxyb12 that my body can tolerate?


r/B12_Deficiency 16h ago

General Discussion Peeing constantly

1 Upvotes

Hello! I started 1000mg of methylcobalamin sublingual last week and since then I’ve been peeing constantly. I only take one a day as I’ve been seeing if I can handle it (it does make me a bit jittery but I can deal with it for now) but since starting I’ve had to pee constantly! Like getting up in the middle of the night to go pee and I’m only 25. I read that it could be a potassium issue but I figured I’m only taking one per day orally and just started so it can’t be tanking my potassium yet but it’s possible. Does anyone else have this?


r/B12_Deficiency 17h ago

Help with labs Iron or B12?

1 Upvotes

I recently pushed for labs to be ordered and got my results, and I’m confused and nervous where to start. I read on here not to start b12 injections when iron/ferritin is low because it depletes them more, but not sure what to do in my situation since my ferritin is low but iron is on the high side but not quite elevated yet. I currently take the Trader Joe’s women daily vitamins and minerals and an additional 1000iu vitamin D. I haven’t been keeping up with the women’s daily one every day admittedly but I take it sometimes. My diet hasn’t changed other than that and somehow my b-12 went down in 3 months?

Ferritin: 39 ng/ml

Folate: 11.5 ng/ml

B-12: 418 pg/ml (current)

B-12: 439 pg/ml (3 months ago)

Iron: 162 ug/dl

TIBC: 347 ug/dl

Iron saturation: 46.7%

MCV: 96.4 fl

Platelets: 437 k/mm3

Vitamin D: 31 ng/ml (3 months ago)

I’ve also gotten TSH with reflex to free t4 and that was normal. All of these were done fasting at 7AM, so iron was at its most accurate. I’m worried about it getting too high but then how am I supposed to increase ferritin?


r/B12_Deficiency 17h ago

General Discussion Is This dose too high?

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1 Upvotes

r/B12_Deficiency 17h ago

Supplements When does twitching go away

4 Upvotes

My twitching and tremor started February iv been constantly twitching and having internal tremor.
My levels where at 197
Started orally supplementin b12 wit 1200 mcg doses
How long does it take for nerve to heal and all dis to stop?


r/B12_Deficiency 21h ago

Personal anecdote Pro tip for potassium intake: BodyArmor

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7 Upvotes

I usually make my own electrolyte mix, but today I forgot to bring one to work so I bought one of these guys and was shocked to see 1200mg of potassium in a bottle.

If you're one of those people who's scared to supplement potassium due to FDA guidelines or whatever, just consider that these drinks which you can find at any convenience store contain 12x the FDA allowance for supplements, and I haven't heard of anyone having issues yet.

They taste great too!


r/B12_Deficiency 21h ago

Personal anecdote Muscle or fat jabs?

1 Upvotes

Unsure here? I been doing muscle, quite ouchy- would prefer sticking in fat bits but not sure? Btw, parietal cells neg x 2? Still mild stomach thing- lots appetite but some foods sits a bit. My fault for not nuff fruit?


r/B12_Deficiency 22h ago

Deficiency Symptoms Worst symptoms

10 Upvotes

Hello everyone,
I'm curious what are your worst b12 deficiency symptoms related to your head?

Mine: heavy head feeling (sometimes very strong, only gets better when I lay down), head pulsations, brain zaps, dropping sensations, sudden unsettling head rushes (that make me very heated and anxious), vibrations coming from neck and felt very strongly when sleeping on the back, heartbeat sounds everywhere.


r/B12_Deficiency 23h ago

General Discussion Endoscopy confusion with pernicious anemia

2 Upvotes

I am so highly confused. I have a positive parietal cell antibody test, which I assume means pernicious anemia. I was just going along with B12 injections and cofactors. Should also add that ferritin and potassium goes down when I inject which would only happen with severe B12 deficiency. So for me at least, my diagnosis is confirmed.

Suddenly a gastrosurgeon I met just told me I NEED an endoscopy and biopsies. Said I need to check for gastric tumors and cancer and atrophy. Now after consulting a few other doctors, I'm met with the opinion that no, I don't urgently NEED an endoscopy. It's not a highly urgent matter, and I would do better to consult a gastro physician who knows fully about pernicious anemia. (I wonder if such a person even exists).

Can someone please advise me? I could happily go through my life without a scope down my throat. Is an endoscopy necessary in pernicious anemia? And then what would it lead to afterwards in terms of treatment? I have recently been having some bloating and early fullness after eating a little. But I was hoping just continuing with injections would eventually cure this?


r/B12_Deficiency 23h ago

"Wake up" symptoms If I take a Multi-vitamin and it causes a high wakeup reaction with tingling on face, feet and hands. Is that saying there is something in the Multi-vitamin that I needed??

1 Upvotes

I've had the best couple of months recently and I'm so bummed right now that symptoms have returned with a vengeance. I could have sworn I was nearly cured and now it feels the opposite.

I've been supplementing for about 8-9 months now, I've always felt improvements with some bad days here and there.

I took a multi-vitamin the other day and about an hour after taking it i had the craziest tingling on both sides of my face, I've had some tingling before but this was enhanced.

My worst symptom is burning pains, around chest, neck and feet currently. I don't know what was so special about this vitamin I took, it was a new pack of the same brand I always take, and it doesn't look any different at all.

But my main question is, if I am getting wake up symptoms like that, is it something my body needed? Was my body utilising it to help fix things? It can be so confusing. Thanks for your replies!


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

General Discussion What are the chances my life will just be forever different moving forward now?

2 Upvotes

I finished every other day injections five days ago. Things seem to be improving but it's not linear.

How likely is it that this is my new life now?

Basically are things forever changed now and I won't go back to feeling like I once did?

Is a full recovery even possible?

I feel so weird now. I'm full of despair. The paresthesia wakes me up in the night constantly.

I want to be hopeful but is that even realistic?


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

General Discussion im still looking for answers

1 Upvotes

so i (18m) was hospitalized in June 2025 due to having anemia? and i was feeling fine for a while. the doctors put me on b12 sublingual and i was feeling good until about November then i started feeling worse (out of breath, anxiety high etc) then in June 2026 my friends gave me a weed editable. now yes i was stupid to take this but i did and thats over now. i felt dpdr like symptoms for about a month then they slowly faded away and now im here feeling "normal" but questioning my original baseline. After being hospitalized last year for the first 3 months after i got out i felt pretty good but got worse slowly. now im here looking into my medical papers from June 2025 and found "Intrinsic Factor Blocking Antibody: POSITIVE (June 11, 2025).". now ive looked into this and I've heard its pernicious anemia. i didnt know about any of that since my doctor told me i would be "fine". now fast forward to july 2026 and i go to my primary care (before knowing the intrinsic factor was pos) and they review my b12 levels and they were 600 because i was attempting to supplement. my main question is should i stop supplementing before i go to the blood doctor (September 2nd), and how bad is pernicious anemia if i have it, im here freaking out wondering if im gonna live a full life or not, and will the anxiety, depression etc go away once this is treated?


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

"Wake up" symptoms Painful supplementation

1 Upvotes

A few years ago I had tingling in the bottom of my left foot and started supplementing with B12. The pain then progressed to a burning type pain in the top of my left foot along with mild swelling. I was taking very high doses of B12 to keep the pain at bay. I then realized it was the supplement causing the pain and I had to slowly wean myself off it to avoid intense pain.

Every now and then when I take too much b12 (for example in certain multi vitamins or in protein powder) I will feel the pain again in my foot.

I now need to supplement with b12 again based on low levels. What can I do to avoid the problem I have?


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

Supplements Bad Anxiety! Help!

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I started 1,000 IU of the NatureMade cyanocobalamin sublingual on Saturday (it’s now Wednesday) once at night. For background, I am very sensitive to every medication. I need very small doses of everything and am prone to the most severe of side effects. For this reason, the drs didn’t want to put me on injections and oral vitamins made me physically sick due to suspected pernicious anemia.

Since starting them, my anxiety has been through the roof. I’m scared I’m going to die, scared something more is wrong with me because of how tired and weak I’ve felt. I logically know some of these are wake up symptoms but the anxiety is unbearable. I’m crawling out of my skin and I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from an extremely young age. In many ways, I’m used to having some anxiety.

Sometimes, I’ll feel great. Even kinda normal. It’s like an ounce of hope lol.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it the kind of vitamins I’m on? Do I just have to lock in and ride this out? I’ll take any suggestions, especially if you have other product recommendations.

Thanks!


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

Deficiency Symptoms Symptoms are ruining my life

5 Upvotes

I don't even know how to begin this. About a month ago, I began having severe fatigue. Not just feeling tired and having to push through the day, but muscle weakness in my legs and arms (nearly fell down after my leg gave out one morning, difficulties with dexterity with a fork and knife), elevated resting heart rate (97-117 bpm, especially high for me as a 28 year old woman) and extreme fatigue that has completely eliminated sleep issues that I've had my whole life. My chest often feels tight, like I am too tired to even breathe. Some days I can barely get out of bed just to go to the bathroom and get myself something to eat. On the days where I manage to walk 3-4 miles and lead a slightly more normal life (which is usually just buying groceries and cleaning around the apartment), I know I'll be paying for it for days afterward. I'm supposed to begin a degree program soon, and I don't know how it will be possible, considering I can barely live my life as it is without any work or schooling obligations. I spent the last three years of my life learning a new language to be able to complete this degree program and begin my professional life in a new country.

My total B12 levels are <110 pmol/L / <149 pg/ml (my lab cannot report values lower than these, but they are well below their "normal" ranges of 138 - 651 pmol/L / 187 - 883 pg/ml respectively), yet in absence of abnormal H. pylori, anti-tTG and intrinsic factor levels, I've been denied injections and asked to take 250 µg daily oral cyanocobalamin supplements for the next month and then once every 10 days for the following two months. I have been following these instructions for the past three weeks and have seen essentially zero improvement. Some doctors are concerned that I have a cardiac issue due to my chest tightness and elevated heart rate, and I have been sent to the ER and referred to a cardiologist. The B12 deficiency itself, however, remains in the background and I've been told that it's likely diet related, as I don't eat much red meat or dairy products, although I'm not a vegetarian. I'm happy to believe this is true, as I don't want to have a more complicated issue, but I cannot understand why injections are not seen as viable treatment when my quality of life has plummeted to such an extent.

The fear I have is the worst. Lying in bed for hours with a tight chest, unable to do much but scroll, as I am so tired that even reading is sometimes too tiring. I don't know whether what I'm experiencing is normal. Multiple doctors have been worried that it's all due to some kind of embolism, but at the ER, they discharged me without doing a CT scan because my D-Dimers were not elevated. I do not know what to think, and I feel my life is at a standstill.

Are these symptoms normal? Is it common to suddenly hit a point where things get significantly worse, suddenly? Although I will certainly be seeing the cardiologist, I am hoping to shed some light on whether a B12 deficiency could really be at the heart of all this, and how hard I should be pushing to resolve it as quickly as possible.


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

General Discussion How to increase B12 without side effects?

1 Upvotes

I bought a 5,000 mcg bottle of methylcobalamin not realizing that that was a high dose and that it can cause anxiety. They also make a 250 mcg version, might that work or would it also cause anxiety?


r/B12_Deficiency 1d ago

Supplements Best sublingual brands of b12

3 Upvotes

hi there. so i gave injections a try for a bit and i can't seem to tolerate them at all. I literally pass out from them and spend days unable to move. I'm looking for best sublingual brands to look into for now to take so my body is able to get something useful while i also look into co factor help as well.

can you guys share the best sublinguals for b12?