How Often Should You Use Vitamin B12 Injections?
by Dr. Anand Thakkar, MD ~
Vitamin B12 is one of the essential vitamins that your body needs for proper function. You can find this nutrient in foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products. You also take this vitamin in combination with other B vitamins, such as B1 and so on.
Vitamin B12 injections can treat vitamin B12 deficiency and cyanide poisoning. Noting its role in the body’s proper function and development, the question stands. How often should you take your vitamin B12 injections?
Today, we will look at Vitamin B12 supplements and what they are. We will also discuss how often you should be taking these supplements.
Vitamin B12: An Overview
Known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is one of the essential vitamins that your body needs. It plays an important role in DNA and red blood cell production. It is also a key component to ensure your nervous system's health and function.
Another thing to remember about vitamin B12 is that it is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that it dissolves in water, making it easy for the body to absorb and take in.
Among food groups, you find vitamin B12 in meat and various animal products. Notable sources of this nutrient include meat, fish, and poultry.
You also get vitamin B12 in eggs, dairy, and foods fortified with this nutrient. For instance, some varieties of bread and plant-based milk.
Ways to Take Vitamin B12
You have natural sources of vitamin B12 in various food products. You also have supplements that allow you to take vitamin B12 for faster absorption. These supplements come in the form of oral supplements and injections.
The pill version provides an easy intake with a regulated dose fitting for every age bracket. Of course, you will need to see a doctor to know the recommended amount for you or your child.
Vitamin B12 injections also come into the picture. One of its advantages is in how the body absorbs the vitamin way faster when injected.
This is one of the best approaches to Vitamin B12 deficiency. It's also what doctors follow when treating cyanide poisoning or controlling homocysteine.
Why Take Vitamin B12 Shots?
The main purpose of taking vitamin B12 injections is to treat vitamin B12 deficiency. When the body doesn’t have any means to absorb vitamin B12 from food, an injection is the most direct solution. This way, it can go into the system faster.
The injection also has other uses to note for. For instance, it serves as a treatment for pernicious anemia. This one instance where one would need a lifetime treatment of vitamin B12 injections.
There are also other disorders and diseases that would need vitamin B12 injections. One of the benefits of vitamin B12 injections is that it provides you an energy boost after taking the dose. This applies well to those with vitamin B12 deficiency.
We also offer other weight loss programs that beneficial to the body. This allows you to get the needed energy boost and fat burning that the body needs.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem that everyone encounters. The elderly, however, are among the ones that are at risk with this deficiency. Diagnosis can be rather complex as the symptoms can take years for it to surface.
When a person experiences low levels of vitamin B12, folate levels drop. One crucial symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency has jaundiced skin. This also comes with fatigue and weakness and some drastic changes to mobility, and much more.
Upon encountering these symptoms, consult your doctor right away. The best prevention of this deficiency is to have enough vitamin B12 in your diet.
How Often Should You Take Vitamin B12 Shots?
The dose differs when you compare oral supplements with injections. In this case, with the usual dose of 30 mcg, you should take the shot for 5-10 days. Maintenance therapy has a different approach, where you take 100-200 mcg once a month.
For these, you can use both the natural and synthetic forms of vitamin B12. This works well when treating vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia needs 100 mcg vitamin B12 shots administered once every day for a week.
From that point, the frequency drops to every other day for seven doses. After that, it becomes once every 3-4 days over the course of 3 weeks. The frequency of the 100 mcg B12 injection then becomes once a month.
There is an alternate approach to the injection, wherein you go for a 1000 mcg dose. For this, you inject this daily for 7-10 days. This slowly becomes a weekly interval for a month before it becomes once a month.
For a precise idea of the dose, consult your doctor. This can help you gauge how much vitamin B12 should be in that injectable dose.
Notable Side Effects
The good news is that vitamin B12 is safe, even in large doses. Even so, it comes with notable side effects when you consider the injectable form. Among these would include mild diarrhea and itching, as well as headaches and nausea.
These can also trigger a rare allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms include swelling of the face, tongue, and throat. One may also have difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
When you encounter this reaction, call emergency services right away. Otherwise, there is nothing notable about vitamin B12 and its side effects. Consider bolstering your natural intake of vitamin B12 through your diet.
Check Out Vitamin B12 Injections Today
Vitamin B12 injections help out those who have a vitamin B12 deficiency. The injections can give you the needed energy boost you need for the day. When in doubt, consult your doctor to know more about how much you need for your body.
Need help increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals for that extra boost of energy throughout your day? We offer nutritional counselling to help you adjust your diet to best suit your body . We offer weight loss and wellness programs that can put your body at its optimal setup.
Dr. Anand Thakkar is a licensed Internal Medicine physician. He is Board Certified in Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. He has been a member of the teaching faculty for students at Chicago Medical School and has been featured on ABC, FOX, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes as a recognized authority in wellness, fitness & nutrition, weight loss, anti-aging, hormones & metabolic medicine, holistic medicine, lifestyle coaching and women’s & men’s health.
His mission is to help people become the healthiest versions of themselves using movement, nutrition, and a whole-body approach to medical care. If you would like him and his team to help you take steps towards a healthier lifestyle, contact Chicago Weight Loss Clinic to see what resources are available to you and schedule a free consultation. Find a location closet to you.
All our blog posts are for informational purposes only. Do not you make any major changes to your diet or start any exercise regime without proper medical supervision.