Before I found this site I had started to test a variety of supplements to see if I could reduce some of the symptoms I was experiencing. Eventually I tried B12 (125mcg, 4 * daily). The response was dramatic. I will note 3 of the 12 symptoms that it eventually helped. These 3 were rapidly improved - my noxious breath, post exercise myalgia (PEM) and peripheral neuropathy. Within 3 days I was able to stop the peroxide mouthwash which I was using every other day, within 4-5 days I noticed that PEM was dramatically reduced and neuropathy symptoms were changing again in the 3-4 day period. My serum B12 had been 421 pg/ml.
At the time I was quite concerned by the neurological symptoms as over the next fortnight I got increasing pins and needles and occasional shooting pains in my feet and to a lesser extend in my hands. The hands particularity worried me as I had been unaware of any problem there. The fact that at peak symptoms I needed to think where I put my feet when walking was also disturbing. I persisted because I found a report of someone else’s experience here and multiple claims on reliable sites (eg pubmed) that B12 was a safe supplement in very high quantities. As I had not looked at the various debates I initially used the cyanocobalamin form. About three weeks later I swapped to the methylcobalamin form as I was convinced by the evidence that this was better. I did however think that perhaps freddd's and Rich van Kronyenberg's treatments were not relevant to me as I was successfully methylating the cyano form. Thus my observation would be yes the cyano form is not as good as the methyl however it can have dramatic effects. Just because cyanocobalamin is effective it does not mean that methylation as a whole is working well. After reading some of the comments here criticising cyanocobalamin as a treatment it took me a while to realise this.
There is now more than the one description I found at the time of the presumed neurological repair symptoms of starting B12 treatment but I have also noticed people stopping B12 in the face of apparent worsening. My experience is that after two or three months all these symptoms reduced and while there is still some parathesia in my toes the symptoms are less than before I started B12.
Hopefully this description saves someone some time or thought
At the time I was quite concerned by the neurological symptoms as over the next fortnight I got increasing pins and needles and occasional shooting pains in my feet and to a lesser extend in my hands. The hands particularity worried me as I had been unaware of any problem there. The fact that at peak symptoms I needed to think where I put my feet when walking was also disturbing. I persisted because I found a report of someone else’s experience here and multiple claims on reliable sites (eg pubmed) that B12 was a safe supplement in very high quantities. As I had not looked at the various debates I initially used the cyanocobalamin form. About three weeks later I swapped to the methylcobalamin form as I was convinced by the evidence that this was better. I did however think that perhaps freddd's and Rich van Kronyenberg's treatments were not relevant to me as I was successfully methylating the cyano form. Thus my observation would be yes the cyano form is not as good as the methyl however it can have dramatic effects. Just because cyanocobalamin is effective it does not mean that methylation as a whole is working well. After reading some of the comments here criticising cyanocobalamin as a treatment it took me a while to realise this.
There is now more than the one description I found at the time of the presumed neurological repair symptoms of starting B12 treatment but I have also noticed people stopping B12 in the face of apparent worsening. My experience is that after two or three months all these symptoms reduced and while there is still some parathesia in my toes the symptoms are less than before I started B12.
Hopefully this description saves someone some time or thought