I was hoping this day would never come – the day that I had to admit there might be some potential side effects to vitamin B12 supplements! I have heard from a few people over the years that they had a reaction to vitamin B12 supplements. In those cases, it was not clear whether it was the actual vitamin B12 or possibly another chemical that was included in the supplement preparation. But in June of 2010, someone wrote me saying that there had been some discussion on a German Blog that several people started getting “bad” skin after taking b12 supplements. As I am not a reader of German, I noted it but did not research further. Then, on October 27, someone commented on the Will a Multivitamin Cover B12 Needs? post, saying they had developed acne after supplementing with vitamin B12. I did some more research and found some cases in the scientific literature in which vitamin B6 and/or vitamin B12 was thought to be the cause of acne and rosacea. I have added the page Side Effects of B12 Supplements to Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?
in order to alert people to this possibility. It would be good to know what sort of dose could typically cause this problem, how much of a culprit vitamin B12 is compared to vitamin B6, and if all forms of vitamin B12 are implicated. I found very little on it and the most recent report was from 2001, so it is not an area of much study at this point. Of course, if you suspect high doses of vitamin B12 to be causing a problem for you, opt for smaller doses more often (see Recommendations). This entry was posted on Thursday, November 10th, 2011 at 1:05 pm and is filed under Acne, Vitamin B12. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.“Does vitamin B12 really do anything for autism?” is a question that comes up many times in the practice of providing biomedical treatments. Sometimes, the desire to use B12 is even the primary driving force that brings patients to our office.
2004 conference, Methyl-B12 was awarded “most recommended medical treatment”. Here are the top questions and answers about vitamin B12 that I encounter in the practice: For the correct patient, subcutaneous methylcobalamin is an effective, inexpensive, and safe therapy that can have a significant impact on the child’s ability to take therapy and improve. As with most biomedical treatments, it is most effective when administered under the supervision of an experienced physician. Tags: advice, ASD, asd advice, ASD advise, autism, autism advice, autism advise, autism etiology, autism puzzle, autism treatment, casein free, CF diet, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Complementary and alternative treatments, DAN doctors, diet for autism, doctors curing autism, food allergy, GF diet, Gluten free, vitamin b12, vitamins and ASD, vitamins autism This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 at 11:36 am and is filed under >ALL<, Alternative and Complementary Medicine for ASD, Autism Therapies, Diets, Patient experiences, Vitamin B12.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Mission Statement & Financials Autism Youth Ambassadors (AYA) Stay Fit & Run For TACA Family & Friends Campaign Hope, Faith, & Recovery Project Jeans Day for Autism Gift of Appreciated Stock & Mutual FundsVitamin B12 is a large complex compound the body relies upon for DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, electrical nerve conductance and healthy metabolism. A lack of dietary consumption is more of a concern -- especially for vegetarians -- than taking too much of it. Vitamin B12 toxicity is very low, but allergic reactions to synthetic supplements are possible, so use caution and consult your physician if you have concerns. Healthy Levels Vitamin B12 status is measured by blood tests, and the the National Institutes of Health says healthy B12 blood serum levels should be at least 250 picograms per milliliter in adults.
Deficiency in fairly common in the United States, as somewhere between 2 percent and 15 percent of Americans are thought to be affected. Chronic B12 deficiency leads to a variety of problems, including anemia, debilitating fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of balance, depression, constipation, loss of appetite, reduced cognition and other neurological issues such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. To prevent deficiency issues, the recommended daily allowance of B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms. Toxicity The toxicity of B12 is low enough that it doesn’t have a tolerable upper intake level set by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board. No toxic or adverse side effects are associated with large intakes of natural B12 from food, termed cobalamin, and only rare allergic reactions are associated with mega-dosing synthetic supplements such as cyanocobalamin. Cyanocobalamin doses as high as 1,000 micrograms a day by mouth or 1,000 micrograms by intramuscular injection have been used in studies to treat anemia without significant side effects.
When taken orally, the absorption rate of B12 in the stomach is very low -- typically less than 1 percent -- and dependent on gastric production of intrinsic factor, which may partially explain the vitamin’s low toxicity. notes that people who are sensitive or allergic to cobalamin, cobalt or any other ingredients in the supplements should avoid vitamin B12 supplements. Typical allergic reactions include itching, hives, difficulty breathing, swelling in or around the mouth, vasculitis, increased heart rate, diarrhea and stomach upset. Elevated heart rate might be a result of the vitamin’s natural potential to increase blood volume because it stimulates red blood cell production within bone marrow. Do not attempt vitamin B12 therapy without consulting your health care provider. Supplement Types The most common type of B12 supplement is cyanocobalamin, a synthetic compound used primarily because of its low cost. The body converts cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, which are the bioactive forms of B12.