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Timeframe for Treating a B12 Deficiency

gracee41

Senior Member
Messages
115
I searched this forum and also online but have not found an answer. I'm sure everyone is different depending on their health issues but what is the general timeframe to cure a B12 deficiency? One of my docs said it takes a long time. I've read that online as well. However, no one seems to know a general timeframe. I've been taking Methyl B12 and Dibencozide for a little over 2 months now. I do feel much better but still have a lot of symptoms attributed to the deficiency.
 

Deltrus

Senior Member
Messages
271
This is my understanding of it. Your body does not have large stores of b12 which are low. Most water soluble nutrients are like this, your body does not store them in high amounts. What b12 does is support the b12 dependent metabolic pathways, which then slowly repair any degeneration caused by lack of b12. So b12 is no longer deficient when your body is 100% fully done fixing stuff related to b12.

It is possible you need other minerals/vitamins such as zinc, magnesium, other b vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. Some metabolic pathways need zinc + b12 etc in order to fix that degeneration.

How long it takes to correct a b12 "deficiency" depends on how much healing you have to do, and how well your body absorbs/processes the b12.

Whether this advice will lead to health progress, I have no idea. Disease is a tough nut to crack.
 
Last edited:

ahmo

Senior Member
Messages
4,805
Location
Northcoast NSW, Australia
It took some months for me to feel the full effects of B12, eventually overcoming my terrible insomnia. Many here report needing high amounts initially, as if the body needs to restore depleted reserves.
 

gracee41

Senior Member
Messages
115
Thanks very much for your replies. I am currently taking zinc as well and paying close attention to symptoms. When I first started taking the B12, I felt SO much better. I could finally breath and felt normal again. Within 2 weeks, major shortness of breath returned. I'm thinking new cells started forming and degeneration repair was taking place. I started off taking 2000 - 3000mcgs per day. That's all I could tolerate and really all I needed at the time. Now I'm taking 7000-8000mcgs and still feel like I need more.

The shortness of breath is the worse. I don't think it's a potassium problem at this dosage. I'm also drinking a lot of coconut water and eating bananas daily. I feel like I need to raise the dosage but not sure how high to go. Was trying to avoid the potassium dump but I may not have a choice.
 

Johnmac

Senior Member
Messages
756
Location
Cambodia
Thanks very much for your replies. I am currently taking zinc as well and paying close attention to symptoms. When I first started taking the B12, I felt SO much better. I could finally breath and felt normal again. Within 2 weeks, major shortness of breath returned. I'm thinking new cells started forming and degeneration repair was taking place. I started off taking 2000 - 3000mcgs per day. That's all I could tolerate and really all I needed at the time. Now I'm taking 7000-8000mcgs and still feel like I need more.

The shortness of breath is the worse. I don't think it's a potassium problem at this dosage. I'm also drinking a lot of coconut water and eating bananas daily. I feel like I need to raise the dosage but not sure how high to go. Was trying to avoid the potassium dump but I may not have a choice.

I never noticed shortness of breath in relation to B12 deficiency - but it is an iron deficiency symptom. Is there any chance you're low in iron? (Often vegos & vegans are low in both.) There are of course many other causes.

I'm taking mB12 & adenosyl B12 via transdermal oils now - which has been a kind of reboot. I noticed that energy came back on Day 28. A younger relative with lesser energy problems felt right after 1 day.

I asked a B12 scientist (the guy who sells the oils) about timelines, & he of course said it depends how sick you are. However he said that energy tended to come back first, and cognition & memory last. Assuming B12 deficiency is the problem, someone pretty sick might take a year to get 90% well.