You may feel tired and weak. High amounts of vitamin B12 can also cause you to feel like your hands and feet are tingling. Some studies suggest that taking 25 mcg or more per day might increase your risk of bone fractures. Vitamin B12 injections should only be used to treat severe deficiencies.
Experts say the vitamin can boost mood, energy, memory and more in folks who are deficient. B12 is a nutrient needed to form red blood cells, DNA, and brain and nerve cells. In deficient people, the benefits of B12 injections include improved mood and increased energy levels.
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep your body's blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak.
Vitamin B12 supplements will only improve symptoms such as tiredness and lack of energy if they are caused by low vitamin B12 levels. How long does it take to work? It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve.
“How soon will I feel less tired after a B12 Injection?”- is the question we get asked a lot. Since B12 shots are injected intramuscularly bypassing the digestive process, they start to work immediately. Typically, our patients experience positive effects between 24-72 hours after the treatment.
“Take water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach with a glass of water,” recommends Dr. Perez-Gallardo. And since it can be energizing, Dr. Perez-Gallardo says that the best time to take vitamin B12 is in the morning, so it won't affect your sleep.
B12 is one of eight B-complex vitamins that does a lot of work for your body, like producing red blood cells, boosting your immune system, and protecting your nervous system. It also helps you metabolize the food you eat into glucose, which gives you energy.
Vitamins B9 and B12 are both thought to treat symptoms of anxiety. Folic acid has many uses in the body, and B9 deficiency has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. When taken in conjunction with B12, these B super-vitamins help metabolize serotonin, which is important for mood regulation.
B12 injections work quickly; they are the most effective way for your body to absorb Vitamin B12. Within 48 to 72 hours, your body will begin to make new red blood cells. For mild deficiencies, you may need two to three injections over several weeks to notice peak impact.
Whereas vitamin B12 injections can start to work immediately, if you have a vitamin deficiency and start taking supplements based on medical advice, it can take up to a few weeks before your low levels start to improve.
So does vitamin B12 give you energy? While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.
Vitamin B12
According to health experts at Click Pharmacy, as a general rule of thumb, take your B vitamins in the morning or with a meal. Vitamin B12, for example, should definitely be taken in the morning. This is because it is important for energy metabolism, which may interrupt your sleep if taken at night.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication: a certain eye disease (Leber's optic neuropathy), a certain blood disorder (polycythemia vera), gout, iron or folic acid deficiency anemia, low potassium blood levels (hypokalemia).
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
A mild deficiency may cause no symptoms. But if untreated, it may lead to symptoms such as: Weakness, tiredness, or lightheadedness. Heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
If you're at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, the following can provide some protection: Supplements. Even the lowest doses in B12 supplements are many times the recommended dietary allowance. Doses up to 1,000 mcg, though unnecessary, aren't harmful.
Inadequate dietary intake
A balanced diet typically provides sufficient vitamin B12; however, strict vegans and people with a poor diet are at higher risk of developing a deficiency. Good sources of vitamin B12 include: Meat. Fish.
You might get frequent headaches if your vitamin B12 levels are too high. Elevated levels of this vitamin can also cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. You may feel tired and weak. High amounts of vitamin B12 can also cause you to feel like your hands and feet are tingling.
B12 also plays a role in the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythms. It is possible that a deficiency of B12 could lead to disrupted sleep patterns. Vitamin B12 also helps in the production of energy. Low levels of B12 cause a reduction in the formation of red blood cells.
Vitamin B12 is one of those vitamins because it nourishes your hair follicles through production of oxygen-rich red blood cells, which promote healthy hair growth. In turn, satiated hair follicles not only provide fertile ground for growing hair, but vitamin B12 is also believed to strengthen and condition your hair.
Some combinations should be avoided, even if they aren't inherently problematic. For example, although it's safe to take vitamin D with vitamin B12, it's not advisable, says Virgilio Sanchez, MD, a board certified family medicine physician at Conviva Care Center in Miami, Florida.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that must be ingested daily because our bodies don't naturally produce it. B12 is important for many enzymatic processes, such as helping turn the food you eat into usable energy. The recommended daily amount for B12 is 2.4 mcg for adults.
Furthermore, caffeine interferes with the metabolism of certain B vitamins, including thiamine. However, because caffeine increases stomach acid secretion, it actually boosts the absorption of vitamin B12.
Other medications can also interfere with your uptake of vitamin B12, possibly raising your risk for deficiency. These medications include antacids and peptic ulcer medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, antiseizure medications, chemotherapy medications, the diabetes treatment glucophage (Metformin) and others.
Summary: As summarized in the table provided, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) absorption and utilization by the body can be compromised with the chronic use of certain medications which include: colchicine, chloramphenicol, ethanol, histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), metformin, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI).