B-12 for weight loss, morbidly obese pt. best injection site?

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I just read on a website about a morbidly obese patient giving herself IM injections of B-12 below her belly button. Has anyone heard of this? One of my patients tonight is on this for wt. loss also and told me (ordered me) to give it in her abdomen. She said that is where the hospital nurses gave it. She is in excess of 400 lbs. Suggestions?

Blessings, Michelle

Specializes in jack of all trades.
very small amounts are indeed absorbed, but the dose needs to be in the one mg - 5mg range, since it is only ~1/1000 that is absorbed...... if you are giving yourself shots weekly, how much per shot?....because it shouldnt be nec to give the usual 1000 mcg more often than 1 mnthlty if you are storing.....

1000mcg weekly IM for the moment. Initially after loading we went to once monthly and by the 3rd week I felt like doo-doo lol. Consider also I am over 50 which tends to not store as well as someone in thier 20's or 30's. Some of the fibro specialist recommend doses as much as daily!! I'm not taking due to weight as that is far from an issue with me but fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue. Since on the injections I function pretty much to my previous norm with much less pain and fatigue. I dont take lyrica or any other meds since I have been on the b-12. :yeah:

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1000mcg weekly IM for the moment. Initially after loading we went to once monthly and by the 3rd week I felt like doo-doo lol. Consider also I am over 50 which tends to not store as well as someone in thier 20's or 30's. Some of the fibro specialist recommend doses as much as daily!! I'm not taking due to weight as that is far from an issue with me but fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue. Since on the injections I function pretty much to my previous norm with much less pain and fatigue. I dont take lyrica or any other meds since I have been on the b-12. :yeah:
i am totally pro B12 and other supplementation, but this is out of the norm, even at your age ( i am older) what do the docs think is the problem? have you tried the oral, needs to be on a totally empty stomache....methyl is better than cyano.
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Specializes in jack of all trades.

I utilize the methyl :) http://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=HW_CAM&AEArticleID=hn-1187001

There are numerous MD's in alternative medicine that recommend giving more than monthly.

Trimnutrition.com is where I obtain mine as they also send the syringes, etoh swabs, bandaids. They use a reputable compounding company and I have had significant difference with this treatment over my previous regimes. Best of all, less pain, more energy, and no other meds. There are numerous other studies available related to this issue and the more frequent dosing.

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to the op who was curious about the injection site for the b12shot; the following was copied from the website http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a605007.html#how

"cyanocobalamin comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected into a muscle or just under the skin". so yes injections in the abdomen are fine.

to the person who posted the following:

"am totally pro b12 and other supplementation, but this is out of the norm, even at your age ( i am older) what do the docs think is the problem? have you tried the oral, needs to be on a totally empty stomache....methyl is better than cyano".

if you don't have intrinsic factor in the gut, your body can not absorb vitb12 in the intestines, thus oral vit b12, no matter the brand or dose, would be futile, thus the need for inj.

thanks to all for the great info:yeah:

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:up:

to the op who was curious about the injection site for the b12shot; the following was copied from the website http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a605007.html#how

"cyanocobalamin comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected into a muscle or just under the skin". so yes injections in the abdomen are fine.

to the person who posted the following:

"am totally pro b12 and other supplementation, but this is out of the norm, even at your age ( i am older) what do the docs think is the problem? have you tried the oral, needs to be on a totally empty stomache....methyl is better than cyano".

if you don't have intrinsic factor in the gut, your body can not absorb vitb12 in the intestines, thus oral vit b12, no matter the brand or dose, would be futile, thus the need for inj.

thanks to all for the great info:yeah:

long held miss conception, small amounts of oral supplementation will be absorbed passively, hence the large doses; on an emptry stomache

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