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b12 issues!!

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Posted 5/10/2010 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys,

I've been trying to have b12 jabs 3 monthly for several years now. I'm at uni and my GI and GP are at home (which is 170 miles away from uni). I have to do this as i'm in the UK and on humira so it goes through PCT ect ect.
I am at uni alot, as obviously i'm trying to get my degree. Each time i'm at home i start ringing my GP surgery to get an appointment for my b12. I've been doing this for 3 months now and i CANNOT get an appointment for love nor money. I'm getting really desperate! Each time i ring they have no appointments with a qualified nurse. So they refuse to give it to me. The odd times they have had appointments i've had to be at the hospital or i've had to be back at uni (for exam/assignments ect).

I've been googling and have seen b12 patches and sprays. What are your thoughts in these? I'm not entirely happy with the patches as there isnt a huge amount of scientific info there and the study they talk about has a laughable sample size. So i'm leaning more towards the sprays. Will i still absorb some b12? maybe not all of it, but some has got to be better than none?

Help guys!! smhair
Posted 5/10/2010 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
I heard the sublinguals were really good and that if not doing the shots these were good, but haven't heard anything about the spray or patches.
Posted 5/11/2010 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
I get monthly injections but often wondered about the other forms of getting this vitamin, outside of eating lots of liver, ugh? If I couldn't get someone to give me my injections I would find a way to get it thru other means. To some B-12 injections are a must because of removal of the intestine that absorbs B-12 as it can lead to pernicious anemia. As well I imagine if that area is constantly inflamed it probably won't be doing a very good job of absorbing B-12 so may need supplementing.
Hope you can find someone to give you injections.
Posted 5/11/2010 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah the sublinguals are meant to be good, but you have asked your doctor/nurse about being able to give yourself b12 injections? It maybe different where you are but I was getting sick of needing appointments all the time to get a B12 shot. I have had surgery and can't absorb B12 through my digestive system because I have had that part of my bowel removed.

After asking the nurse was there a better or more convenient way to get a B12 shot she said that I could do it myself. I thought that it might hurt and be hard to do myself but it hurts way less than when someone else does it. It would be worth asking as it maybe something that could save you a lot of hassle.

Andrew
Posted 5/11/2010 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
I'm with Andy - the B12 shots are not hard to give to yourself and eliminating the run-around you're getting with be well worth it.
Posted 5/11/2010 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
I am assuming here that for whatever reason you want to stay with your GI and you don't want to register with a local GP.

Maybe this is too simple, but generally  there are three breaks from Uni, Easter, Xmas and summer, with summer being a three month break  in itself so can you not phone(in advance of  going home!!) and arrange an appointment (lets say a month in advance of each break) and then for the summer break book one in for start of it and one in for the end and that way you should get one done approx every three months??

Posted 5/11/2010 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
I use a sub-lingual liquid B-12 that I take under my tongue. It definitely gives me more energy so i guess it must be helping. Try this form and see what it does for you!
Posted 5/11/2010 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
You would think that ringing my GP 6 weeks in advacne would get me an appointment, wouldnt you! nope, i get told to ring back closer to the time, so i leave it two/three weeks and bam they are all gone. Its insane.
I refuse to change GI's and changing GP surgeries to a local one would mean that all my paperwork would have to be resubmitted to allow for the humira. Its kinda like swapping insurance companies!

I'm due to see my IBD nurse so will talk about giving the jabs myself. I already inject humira and havent killed myself yet so hopefully this will work!! I've filed numerous complaints about my GP surgery's ineptitude before. Maybe thats why i cant get an appointment????
Posted 5/11/2010 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
 

You would of hoped so-that is appalling service.

You are may be right re the complaints but it is still appalling. Is it not possible to change GPs without having the agro of redoing all the paperwork(especially if still under the same PCT and GI)?

I guess that as you are managing to give yourself humira then there should not be a problem with the B12.

I'd file some more complaints smilewinkgrin

Posted 5/11/2010 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
If you can find a way to give yourself the injections, your quality of life might improve. 
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