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B 12 levels

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:43 pm
by Critter
About 6 years ago I read something about low Vitamin B12 levels contributing to rls. So I had mine checked & it was low. So I began taking B12 shots, 1/day for about a week & 1/week after that. For about 2-3 weeks I had no rls! I thought I had discovered the cure!! But after about 3 weeks it returned inspite of continuing with the shots. I no longer take the shots as a subsequent test showed a normal level. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this? Critter

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:27 pm
by becat
Hi critter and welcome to the baord.
Yes, B12 is important to RLS and yes taking B does help.
First, a B12 shot is like a "feel good" shot that you can get to boost your system. I begged for them for years, but my GP would always answer that there must be something else dragging me down. "let's fix the problem, not patch it." Oh, Ok. The lets patch it first so I can keep up with life. LOL Never did get one.
Anyway, it's great for someone if you have tested below normal levels, coming off a long illness, lasting fatigue, etc.
But your body requires you to take all the B vitamins in the long run to work right. This could be part of why it stopped working for you....I'm no doc though. :D It just could be that you leveled out.
Critter I hope someday to tell you I understand, I'm still waiting to try one.
Glad your here, only sorry that you needed to find us.
Again, Welcome.
Lynne

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:36 pm
by DAMoquin
I never knew there was a link. I, too, have low B12 and low ferritin as well. No wonder I'm miserable !!

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:53 am
by SquirmingSusan
GNC makes a great cherry flavored, sublingual B12. It's recommended by the docs who did my gastric bypass. I'm supposed to use it daily, but I forget, so when I do remember, I usually use 2 under the tongue at once.

Susan

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:41 am
by Yankiwi
About a month ago my GP ordered a long list of blood tests including B12 which I had never had. He said it was low and suggested I go to the local natural health shop to buy a B12 oral spray. The brand recommended is BetterYou. I spray 4 hits on the inside of my mouth daily. I know it has only been a few weeks but so far it is working very well. Hardly any rls symptoms in the evening (I still can't sit for long) but more important—I sleep with no pain for longer blocks of time and can lie in bed in the morning which is a rare luxury.
Since Critter, who started this thread about 12 years ago, had relief for a few weeks after shots and then no relief, maybe a lower daily dose as in this spray would be more effective.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 5:05 pm
by badnights
yankiwi, is that 1000 mcg in each shot? So 4000 daily total?

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:59 pm
by Yankiwi
Hi Beth,
The label says "1200 mcg, 160 measured sprays". Since the instructions are for 4 sprays, I don't really know if the 1200 is total or for one spray!?! I'll ask at the health shop where I bought it and let you know.
One of the benefits of vitamin B12, according to the Healthline website (and others), is "Helps With Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention". Maybe it helps boost serum ferratin levels.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:17 pm
by Stainless
My doctor put me on B12 and threatened shots if it did not come up. She said it might help RLS but it didn't. I tried those gummy bear ones from CVS for 3 months and it didn't get any better. I went to methylcobalamin B12 drops I buy from Amazon for $30 for 30 mL and my number shot up to 361 pg/mL. Normal levels are above 211. I did some research and found I was not that low to start (like 250) but probably not a bad thing since aging and drinking affect B12 absorption. I started at their 100 ml recommended level from a dropper under the tongue per day but have cut down to about half that. Next month I will see if I had any reduction in level. It tastes great and I do it on an empty stomach first thing in morning while decaf coffee is brewing.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2019 7:05 am
by badnights
Thanks yankiwi .
One of the benefits of vitamin B12, according to the Healthline website (and others), is "Helps With Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention"
Among the many forms of anemia (red blood cell deficiency) are one caused by iron deficiency and another caused by B12 deficiency. So B12 may help with anemia but will not (directly) increase iron stores, which are reflected in the serum ferritin level.

B12 might help WED/RLS in other ways, though. It's involved in a lot of metabolic pathways, any one or more of which might impact WED/RLS symptoms.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 12:44 am
by Yankiwi
:twisted: Re the B12 spray: as far as I could get an answer, 1200 mcg is the sum of the four sprays.

RLS, so many variables cause and effect it. :twisted:

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 5:24 am
by badnights
thanks

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:18 pm
by Yankiwi
It's been about three months since I started taking vitamin B12 and I'm pretty sure it's helping as it is the only change to my daily regimen which is .25mg ropinerole divided into two and taken approximately two hours and 1.5 hours before bed, 60mg codeine an hour before bed, an iron tablet with vitamin C and a 100mg SR tramadol with a paracetamol just before bed.
I still wake up with pain in my achilles area but it is much milder than previously. I sleep in longer blocks and can often lie in bed which is a rare luxury.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:38 am
by badnights
Wow. You're not the only one who reports B12 helping the symptoms. I hope it continues.

I took a sublingual tablet of B12 (methylcobalamin) for many months without any apparent effect, but it might be worth a try again since I had a lot of other things going on then.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:44 pm
by Polar Bear
Yankiwi ..... you mention dividing a .25mg pill into two. Do you have success doing this?
I am prescribed Adartel (ropinerole) and the pill is dome shaped, so difficult to split. The cutter slides over it and all sorts of random measures are scattered as a result.

Re: B 12 levels

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:12 am
by Yankiwi
My ropinerole tablets are pentgon shaped and easy to cut, close to in half.

Beth, try the B12 again but wait at least a month before you decide if it is helping or not.