If you need regular injections of vitamin B12,
It's used to treat and prevent vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia (when you have low levels of this vitamin in your body). Your body requires vitamin B12 to make red blood cells. You can get it from your food or supplements, but sometimes there may not be enough vitamins in what you eat.
B12 may be injected into a muscle or under the skin at 100 mcg daily for a week, every other day for another week, and then every three or four days for a month. Thereafter, 100 mcg should be injected once a month for life.
For the majority of people, I recommend once weekly for 4 weeks. Then B12 shots can be helpful monthly as maintenance. If we are treating autoimmunity or pernicious anemia, you will receive B12 weekly or twice weekly for 6-12 weeks.
Simply put, how long the B12 shot will last is different for everyone. Though it differs a bit from one person to another, the effects of B12 vitamins usually last around 48 hours to 72 hours after the initial injection.
Since B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, it's generally considered safe, even at high doses. No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for B12, due to its low level of toxicity.
If you need regular injections of vitamin B12, cyanocobalamin would need to be given once a month, whereas hydroxocobalamin can be given every 3 months.
How Often Do You Need a Vitamin B12 Injection? The usual frequency for intramuscular doses of B12 shots is every 10 days, followed by maintenance doses at varying intervals. After this period, injections can be administered once per month, which this frequency is enough to reverse the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Do not stop using the medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Untreated vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia or irreversible nerve damage. Pernicious anemia is also treated with folic acid to help maintain red blood cells.
Though this vitamin is naturally produced in your body, the injection of additional B12 may cause some internal side effects you should know about. It is common to experience headaches, dizziness, and weakness immediately after the injection. These should fade fairly quickly.
The most common B12 shot side effect is swelling at the injection site. Some people also experience mild diarrhea. Call your doc ASAP if you notice any negative B12 shot side effects.
It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
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.
Getting large amounts of vitamin B-12 through vitamin B-12 shots is not likely to harm your health. But vitamin B-12 may affect how well some drugs work. And some drugs can affect vitamin B-12 levels. So if you want to get vitamin B-12 shots, tell your health care provider first.
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to Vitamin B-12 or cobalt, or if you have Leber's disease (an inherited form of vision loss). This medicine can lead to optic nerve damage (and possibly blindness) in people with Leber's disease.
extreme tiredness (fatigue) lack of energy (lethargy) breathlessness. feeling faint.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, and the risks of dose-related side effects are low. Your body can usually get rid of excess vitamin B12 through your urine. In rare cases, high doses of vitamin B12 injections have been associated with skin reactions. This isn't the case for oral vitamin B12 dietary supplements.
Vitamin B12 Shots Are Very Effective
Injections are usually given as hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin. These are very effective at raising blood levels of B12 and preventing/reversing a deficiency. Bottom Line: If you are deficient in vitamin B12, then the injections are very effective at raising your blood levels.
Bananas also contain fibre and potassium. It helps manage blood pressure, reduce stress, and relieve constipation and ulcer problems. The fruit also helps regulate body temperature. Another fruit that is rich in vitamin B12 is blueberries.
Despite the numerous processes in which vitamin B12 is involved, there's little evidence to suggest that it has any influence on weight gain or loss.
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.
The reaction is thought to occur due to impurities in the B12 injection, notes Drugs.com. If a reaction occurs it is usually within several weeks after the first injection. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and airway and hives.