Does Vitamin B-12 help with neuropathy?

Posted by Retired Teacher @retiredteacher, Jan 24, 2019

I have developed neuropathy in my feet----especially the soles. When I walk, it's like walking on shards of glass that are on fire. Several articles indicate that B-12 can help. I don't want to take any prescribed meds. I have Diabetes 2. This not being able to walk without intense pain has kept me from even walking the grocery store to buy groceries. Can anyone give me information about B-12 and foot neuropathy?
Thanks,
Carol

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

@sheilarob116

Have never taken B6,just started B12, but bought a bottle that says both, so not sure now. Will look up information thanks

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Most daily multiple vitamins have B6 in them. This is unnecessary because there is B6 in many of the foods that we eat. That’s why I stopped taking a daily multivitamin. A blood test showed my B6 to be a bit high. Yes, look up the Facebook page that deals with B6 toxicity. It will have all the information you need. Good luck.

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@fbell330

For me b-12 made things worse. Make sure you have your levels checked. To much b-12 can aggravate the nerves.

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I have heard a few people say treatment with b12 has made matters worse initially but this is short term and eventually improvements materialise. My b12 injections became effective within two days.

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@dreamerdave1

I have heard a few people say treatment with b12 has made matters worse initially but this is short term and eventually improvements materialise. My b12 injections became effective within two days.

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Welcome @dreamerdave1, Thanks for sharing your experience with b12 injections. Do you mind sharing a little more about your neuropathy diagnosis and any treatments you have tried?

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@johnbishop

Welcome @dreamerdave1, Thanks for sharing your experience with b12 injections. Do you mind sharing a little more about your neuropathy diagnosis and any treatments you have tried?

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I will reply a little later with the info. I'm strapped for time at the moment.

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Hi! I am taking B 12. I had oral cancer in 2012. A result from chemo was neuropathy. I have just finished a second round of chemotherapy as a result of ovarian cancer. My Dr put me on B 12 at the beginning of chemo. They told me that it helps with neuropathy. They have done everything they can to try and keep my neuropathy from getting worse. I can’t honestly say that it helps. But I was never told before that it was used for helping prevent or keep you from having neuropathy. I have been on Gabapentin for 12 years. So I was willing to try anything. Sadly I have had to up my dosage of Gabapentin. But if you have little pain I would try it. Wishing you the best!

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I was getting B12 injections along with suction cups and stimulations. After about 3 weeks I started getting welts on my feet, so I discontinued both. The injections had not improved my neuropathy symptoms or pain.

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@fbell330

For me b-12 made things worse. Make sure you have your levels checked. To much b-12 can aggravate the nerves.

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Not true?

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Hi I have pernicious anemia (my stomach doesn’t produce intrinsic factor that is needed for b12 absorption) it’s an autoimmune disease. without shots I would suffer horribly and die in about 5 years incontinent in pain and unable to move or think. I need them every other day or I get symptoms. Pain starts for me in the neck. (Without b12 the spinal cord degenerates) Before my diagnosis I was a mess. I couldn’t exercise I did not have enough blood cells. My legs hurt if I wore tight pants and I was very forgetful. I saw many doctors - blood tests did not find it - endoscopy did, Every cell needs b12. In my shots I give myself - the package slip says you cannot overdose b12 and there are no known side effects except for b12 testing being high and maybe acne. The acne is gone now after 2 years. I learned a lot at the first international b12 conference in Rotterdam last year. If you have what I have please let me know I can point you in the right direction. There are Facebook groups with 60000 patients. Most doctors usually don’t know much about this disease since it’s quite newly found and looks like many other illnesses. I learned B12 tests are not always accurate and b6 in food and iron deficiency changes the typical diagnostic tool (large blood cells) to normal size. Please don’t suffer any more. some parts of your body might not recover if you wait for a doctor to prescribe shots as frequently as I need them.

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@kindly

Hi I have pernicious anemia (my stomach doesn’t produce intrinsic factor that is needed for b12 absorption) it’s an autoimmune disease. without shots I would suffer horribly and die in about 5 years incontinent in pain and unable to move or think. I need them every other day or I get symptoms. Pain starts for me in the neck. (Without b12 the spinal cord degenerates) Before my diagnosis I was a mess. I couldn’t exercise I did not have enough blood cells. My legs hurt if I wore tight pants and I was very forgetful. I saw many doctors - blood tests did not find it - endoscopy did, Every cell needs b12. In my shots I give myself - the package slip says you cannot overdose b12 and there are no known side effects except for b12 testing being high and maybe acne. The acne is gone now after 2 years. I learned a lot at the first international b12 conference in Rotterdam last year. If you have what I have please let me know I can point you in the right direction. There are Facebook groups with 60000 patients. Most doctors usually don’t know much about this disease since it’s quite newly found and looks like many other illnesses. I learned B12 tests are not always accurate and b6 in food and iron deficiency changes the typical diagnostic tool (large blood cells) to normal size. Please don’t suffer any more. some parts of your body might not recover if you wait for a doctor to prescribe shots as frequently as I need them.

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Welcome @kindly, Thank you for sharing your experience. Since you mentioned having pernicious anemia, I thought you may want to read the experiences of others in the following discussion:
--- Pernicious anemia: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pernicious-anemia-1/

It sounds like you have had a long struggle getting a diagnosis, there are quite a few related discussions for pernicious anemia that you may also find interesting if not helpful. Here is a link to the discussions found in a search of Connect - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/?search=Pernicious%20anemia,

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Hi John. This is really helpful. Thank you!

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