TREATMENT DATABASE
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a member of the B vitamin complex. It is naturally found in animal products and is required for proper digestion, food absorption, protein synthesis, metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, myelin synthesis, nerve function, and activation of folic acid (used in the formation of red blood cells). Its name is derived from cobalt, the mineral to which this vitamin is bound. When cobalamin is ingested, contact with stomach enzymes splits it apart, freeing it to join with a special protein called "intrinsic factor," which is secreted by the stomach lining. Only when vitamin B12 combines with intrinsic factor – which converts the cobalamin into methylcobalamin – can it be absorbed by the body. Because vitamin B12 is highly unstable outside the body, cyanocobalamin, a synthetic form of B12, is normally used in supplements. Oral vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed in malabsorptive states such as pernicious anemia.
USES IN ME/CFS: Many ME/CFS specialists have observed that B12 injections are highly beneficial to their patients, even in the absence of vitamin B12 deficiency or any sign of anemia. Some 50% to 80% of patients demonstrate improved stamina and energy with vitamin B12 therapy.
Vitamin B12 may also help correct the red blood cell abnormalities in CFS/ME patients discovered by New Zealand researcher Dr. Leslie O. Simpson. Dr. Simpson observed that hydroxocobalamin injections corrected this defect by increasing production of disc-shaped cells. About 50% of the patients in this group felt better with B12 injections.
In addition to mitigating the harmful effects of free radicals, B12 also helps correct one of the immune system abnormalities found in ME/CFS patients. Research has found that ME/CFS patients experience a shift from Th1 (cellular) to Th2 (humoral) immunity. This imbalance allows for the proliferation of viruses within cells. Vitamin B12 is one of the most effective means of re-orienting the immune system back to Th1 (cellular) immunity.
| Rating | Side Effects | Reason for Treatment | Dosage / Duration | Age | Sex M/F | # of years Ill | Additional Comments | Illness Severity | Date Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaphylaxis | Took for 15 years as prescribed self injections. No noticeable but if stopped it became deficient. Am now anaphylactic to it developed Iast 2 years. | 15 year 1 unit 40 somethings 1X week | 53 | Female | 20 | When I had it regularly would be like mild flu fever muscle aches headache sore throat for 3-5 days. But without it and becoming deficient was like dementia and had tremors, absence seizures. | Moderate/Severe | 09/18/19 |