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Vitamin B12

S

sam0056

Member
Messages
11
Hello friends im back. I have a question for the community regarding possible b12 deficiency. My mohter is 68 years old and had T2 diabetes for the last about 4 years controlled quite well with metformin. Of recent she has started to develop tingling and burning sensations in her feet and legs quite regularly and upon some further reasearch i have discovered this may be due to lack of vitamin b12 vitamin which is possibly depleted by the use of Metformin. Before i go ahead and order a supplement of B12 for my mother i wanted to run this by the good people on this great forum who have really helped me in the past. What i really would like to know is if i do order b12 suplement which brand should i order and how many mg should be taken to have a positive effect. Thank you all for reading
 
I would have a google on the subject.

You can pay for fairly inexpensive tests (just a couple of big drops of blood onto a test kit, and sent off through the post) which will give you a clear answer rather than speculating whether your mum is B12 deficient. That will also let you know how deficient she is, which will likely help you in choosing the appropriate B12 supplement.

B12 supplements vary a great deal, from dose, to tablet or liquid, and B12 comes in several different forms which in turn are variously absorbable. There is a huge difference in price too.

There is lots of info out there, and your choice is going to depend on whether your mother prefers tablets or liquid, and what your budget is.

My personal advice would be to avoid the cheap generic stuff and go for decent quality, provided you are not breaking the bank.
.
When I was severely deficient in B12 a couple of years ago, I was recommended a 30ml dropper bottle that cost £60
I paid for it (in horror) and it worked like a charm.
But now I am on a maintenance dose I shop around, buy a lower dose, a different brand, and am confident that I don't need to spend big bucks like that again, unless I get very deficient again, which is very unlikely, now that I am educated on the subject.
 
@sam0056 - I would definitely agree with @Brunneria about testing existing B12 levels, prior to considering supplementing.

Firstly, it helps be certain the individual actually needs it, and secondly, it can help ensure there is no overdosing going on. B12 is one of the vitamins that can be detrimental if not required.

That your mother takes Metformin, makes her potentially more at risk of becoming deficient, as does her age, but that doesn't necessarily mean she is.

I think most of the usual suspects in the testing market, such as Medichecks, Thriva and Blue Horizon will do B12 tests, although costs can vary. I don't think MonitorMyHealth does at the moment.

As Brunneria says, it's a simple test your Mum can do in her kitchen or bathroom, then just pop the package back into the post. Results online are usually only about 48 hours, so it's quick.
 
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