WHAT IS VITAMIN B12 INJECTION GIVEN FOR?

Prevention/Solution

B12 injections are a solution of B12 that is injected into the muscle or into the blood stream. Because the vitamin is injected into the bloodstream, it does not have to be absorbed by the intestine and can be used to treat people who have difficulty absorbing B12.
Injections are often given daily for the first week of treatment, every other day for the second two weeks of treatment and then twice per week for two or three weeks. Often, after active treatment has stopped and the deficiency has been treated, a maintenance injection is given once per month to prevent the deficiency from reoccurring.

Causes

B12 deficiency can be caused by several things, including a lack of B12 in the diet. Strict vegetarians or vegans are highly at risk for this type of deficiency, since there are no good vegetable sources of B12. Lack of a chemical called "intrinsic factor," which helps B12 be absorbed in the body, can lead to B12 absorption problems and deficiency. This lack of intrinsic factor and difficulty absorbing B12 is referred to as "pernicious anemia." Some diseases, medications or infections may also cause a deficiency of B12.

Definition

Vitamin B12, also called cyanocobalmin, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is primarily found in meats, fish, shellfish and dairy products.

Symptoms

Deficiency of B12 is rare because the body is able to store several years' worth of the vitamin. When deficiency does occur, there are often symptoms of anemia, or lack of sufficient numbers of red blood cells. More severe deficiency can lead to nerve damage such as tingling in hands and feet, muscle weakness, loss of reflexes and balance problems. Other symptoms involve the digestive tract and can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and loss of appetite.

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods including meats, fish and dairy products. It is an essential vitamin, and deficiency can cause a number of health issues. Injections may be given to prevent or treat deficiencies of vitamin B12.

VITAMIN B12 SHOT & WEIGHT LOSS

Vitamin B-12 is required for proper DNA synthesis, brain functioning and red blood cell formation. While some weight-loss programs offer vitamin B-12 injections as a way to help individuals lose weight or boost metabolism, there is no solid evidence that vitamin B-12 shots have these effects. If you are concerned about your vitamin B-12 intake or your weight, call your doctor.

Vitamin B-12 Injections

Since only a small percentage of vitamin B-12 is absorbed when taken orally, vitamin B-12 injections are often used when large amounts of vitamin B-12 are needed. Individuals with pernicious anemia or a vitamin B-12 deficiency often require vitamin B-12 injections. Use of vitamin B-12 injections for these or any other purpose, including weight loss, should only take place under the care of a doctor.

Warning

People who do opt to get a vitamin B-12 injection should explore all potential drug interactions thoroughly before doing so. Vitamin B-12 may negatively interact with proton pump inhibitors, H2 receptor antagonists, chlorampehnicol or metformin. It also may interact negatively with other medications or supplements. To prevent a drug interaction, always report all of your current medications and supplements to your doctor before getting a vitamin B-12 injection.

Other Weight-Loss Options

While the scientific evidence for using vitamin B-12 as a weight loss technique is lacking, many other weight-loss methods do have scientific evidence to support them. Consuming fewer calories than your body burns each day will result in weight loss. This can be done by either limiting the amount of calories you eat, or by increasing your physical activity level to burn more calories. Certain medications may also prove effective at helping you lose weight, including phentermine, diethylpropion, phendimetrazine, orlistat, bupropion, topiramate, zonisamide or metformin. However, these prescription medications are typically only prescribed for obese individuals and may cause unpleasant side effects. Always discuss all of your options with a doctor to determine the weight-loss approach most appropriate for your situation.

Considerations

Vitamin B-12 is one of the few vitamins that does not have a tolerable upper intake level. This means that getting a large amount of this vitamin is unlikely to cause adverse side effects or harm. Because of this, some individuals opt to try the injections despite not having the scientific evidence to support its use as a weight-loss method. Keep in mind, however, that vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin. If you already have an appropriate amount of vitamin B-12 in your body, excess amounts of the vitamin will be excreted through urination and not have an effect on your body.

ARE B-12 SHOTS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Vitamin B-12 shots can provide important health benefits for people who're deficient in this vitamin, but the injections won't necessarily help you to lose weight. Many weight-loss centers use vitamin B-12 shots as part of their programs, but the medical evidence supporting the vitamin's use in weight loss is scant, at best. Before you receive vitamin B-12 injections for weight loss or any other purpose, consult your doctor.

Warning

Because vitamin B-12 shots aren't medically proven to promote weight loss, you should talk with your physician about the injections before receiving them, MayoClinic.com warns. Vitamin B-12 supplements and injections could pose health risks for certain people and interact negatively with certain other medications. Taking extra vitamin B-12 could increase your risks for complications following coronary stenting, cautions the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Although rare, some people may experience serious allergic reactions to vitamin B-12 injections, which could even become life-threatening, says the University of Michigan Health System.

Benefits

Despite their likely ineffectiveness in promoting weight loss, vitamin B-12 oral supplements and injections have many real health benefits for people with certain medical conditions. Most commonly, vitamin B-12 supplements and injections are used to help treat pernicious anemia and other medical conditions that cause a B-12 deficiency, MayoClinic.com notes. People who have malabsorption disorders, gastritis or ulcers due to Helicobacter pylori bacterial infections, or HIV/AIDS are all very likely to have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Vitamin B-12 supplementation can help treat people with deficiencies who also have depression, anemia, high homocysteine levels, age-related cognitive decline, canker sores, chronic fatigue syndrome, cystic fibrosis, low-back pain, osteoporosis and sickle cell anemia. Vitamin B-12 supplements or injections may help in treating sleep disorders, restless leg syndrome and fatigue, as well as help reduce the risks for certain types of cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Misconceptions

Although some people believe that vitamin B-12 injections can boost their energy and metabolism to help lose weight, these effects aren't likely to occur unless you have a B-12 deficiency, MayoClinic.com says. Excess vitamin B-12 won't necessarily increase energy or metabolism, either. In fact, no conclusive scientific evidence supports the use of vitamin B-12 shots for promoting weight loss, and weight loss isn't listed as a recommended use for B-12 supplementation.

Weight Loss and Vitamin B12 Injections

Vitamin B12 is a vital ingredient needed by the body for performing various tasks. Vitamin B12 is responsible for building DNA as well as for producing red blood corpuscles. It is a major source of nutrients, required for healthy functioning of the body. It is rightly called 'energy vitamin' since, it provides a real energy boost for the body. It is an instant remedy for fatigue, as it accelerates the rate of metabolism. Vitamin B12 injections are apparently useful in reducing weight.


How Vitamin B12 Injections Help to Reduce Weight
These injections do not reduce weight directly by themselves. There are several factors which contribute to weight loss along with vitamin B12. People who opt for vitamin B12 shots are likely to be on a vegetarian diet with an extra consciousness about their weight. Hence, there is more probability that these people also watch their diet and follow a strict exercise regimen. Vitamin B12 simply speeds up their metabolism and provides them with an unlimited supply of energy. This added vigor helps them to exercise for a long time, on a regular basis, without getting tired. It also motivates them to follow their diet more religiously. All this collectively results in weight loss. 


Vitamin B12 Injections for Weight Loss
The main sources of vitamin B12 are meat, poultry, milk, eggs and fish. Naturally, those who follow a strict vegetarian diet have to rely on vitamin supplements. There are several people who opt for vitamin B12 injections as a cure for obesity. Vitamin B12 shots are directly injected into the muscles for better absorption. People who choose them, often have a history of chronic fatigue syndrome or a vitamin B12 deficiency. There are many reasons why vitamin B12 works for them. 


Side Effects
Vitamin B12 injections are capable of inducing certain unpleasant effects. Most people show mild to severe side effects after being administered vitamin B12 shots. The common side effects include:

• Mild diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• A feeling of pain and a warm sensation in the area where the shot was administered
• A swelling sensation throughout the entire body
• Headache
• Joint pain

Apart from these, some serious side effects like rapid heart rate, palpitation, excessive coughing or wheezing, chest pain etc. may also occur in rare cases. 

If you decide to go for vitamin B12 injections, it is recommended that you consider all the pros and cons before administering it. Always opt for it as a last resort, when your diet or exercise cease to work. Otherwise, changes in your diet and self motivation for exercising can work far better than vitamin B12 shots in the long run and that too without any side effects.


Effectiveness
As mentioned before, it is unlikely that vitamin B12 injections induce weight loss by themselves. It only replenishes the supply of vitamin B12 in the body. This vitamin B12 can be easily gained from your diet itself. The basic mechanism for reducing weight remains the same. Vitamin B12 rich diet acts as a metabolism booster, allowing more calories to be burned. The more the calories burnt, the less is the storage of fat. This ultimately results in weight loss. Vitamin B12 injections do not come cheap, you need to shell around $65 for a single shot, which is a pretty expensive affair. Besides, you may have to pay around $200 towards initial consultation. The fact is, you can get the same benefits by simply making little alterations to your daily diet, and that too at far lesser expense. Moreover, vitamin B12 injections are helpful to only those people who have a deficiency of vitamin B12. Although, excess vitamin B12 does not necessarily cause any harm, there is no need to take it externally, considering its high cost. 

Popular diets include B12 shots and vitamin cocktails of B vitamins and amino acids. Do they really help shed pounds?

Vitamin Shots Claim to Augment Weight Loss

The theory is Vitamin B shots speed up the metabolism while fighting stress and depression. Popular diets include, sometimes in a single combined injection the following:

• shots for energy (B12)
• shots for craving or fat removal (MIC)
• shots for mood (B6)
• shots for fat burning (chromium)

Programs are priced weekly from $45 to $65 after an initial fee around $200 to $300 for EKG and lab work and evaluation. Competitive pricing is seen in areas with many weight loss clinics. The frequency of injections, whether daily or weekly or monthly, is usually more one of convenience than of necessity. It is often a part of the visit when medication is dispensed.

B12 by Injection, Tablet, Sublingual Pill, Drink

Injection seems to be the most effective way (aside from diet) to provide B12 but there are oral and sublingual forms too as well as health drinks with added vitamins. The vitamin gives an energy boost to those who lack it, for example, those with chronic fatigue syndrome. According to the nutrition department at the Mayo Clinic, there is no research proving B12 aids weight loss. Why then is it so popular in diet programs?

Vitamin B12, cobalamine, is necessary for the health of the nervous system and the red blood cells. It is naturally absorbed from food (e.g.fish and fortified cereal) within the digestive tract. Those with impaired absorption whether through aging, stomach stapling or lap band surgery, diets (vegetarians), or genetics, are required to take some supplemental form of the vitamin.

Typical Diet Pills

• Phendimetrazine (Bontril, Preludin)
• Phentermine (Fastin, Adipex,Ionamin)
• Xenical (a lower dose equivalent is now found OTC)
• Ephedra (banned OTC but may be prescribed if followed by a physician)
• Phen Phen (withdrawn due to pulmonary hypertension risks)

The pills are designed to be used short term. Tolerance increases with duration of use; the pills become ineffective and the weight rebounds if the pills are the sole support of the weight loss program.

Appetite Suppressant Pills

Many injection diet programs are actually based on supplemental diet pills. This becomes the basis of the program. The prescription drug, an anorectic, is dispensed during the visit along with the shots. Although the shot seemingly is the basis of the diet, the pills depress the appetite thus resulting in decreased food intake.. Eating less by following a strict caloric program is the foundation of the weight loss with or without the shots.

Long Term Weight Loss Program

When going the route of a vitamin injection weight loss program based on diet pills, select a program with a good nutritional background including a balanced diet and calorie intake. Exercise must be a part of any sustained weight loss plan.

Although the vitamin shots do not appear to cause any physical distress the pills must be curtailed within a few weeks to a few months. Losing 10 pounds a week isn't realistic despite the claims of advertising.

Motivated dieters following a healthy program who also receive a vitamin injection may have an augmented or even placebo effect that enhances their weight loss but in reality, are losing weight on their own.

Vitamin B12 Injections and Weight Loss

Some people might go to a clinic to get shots. These shots are administered directly into the muscle, allowing for better absorption. People who get these shots mainly suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome or a deficiency. They might also claim that taking these shots help them to lose weight.

However, injections by themselves do not directly induce weight loss, nor are they intended to. So why do people who get them lose weight?

There are many factors to take into consideration.

B12 causes the metabolism to speed up, which in turn increases weight loss. People who go to get injections tend to be more conscious of their health and are already on a vegetarian, or other weight loss diet.

Shots give a tremendous boost of energy. This generally helps people to maintain their diets, and motivates them to exercise and increase physical activity. Vitamin B12 also helps to fight stress and depression, symptoms which are sometimes associated with weight gain.

While the shots can be a great benefit to some, particularly those with a B12 deficiency, there can be some negative side effects when taken excessively or along with certain other substances. There is also a risk for those who have certain pre-existing conditions. It's important to consult a physician before undergoing injections.

The Best Places to Give Vitamin B12 Injections

Giving yourself or someone in your family an injection is not always easy. Vitamin B12 is often prescribed to be injected regularly. It is much more convenient to give the medication at home instead of going into a doctor's office several times a week. There are specific recommended sites for intramuscular tissue injections according to Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, or CHKD. You should not self-inject B12 unless you understand how to give the injection.

Tips

Dispose of used syringes at home by making a used-syringe container. Dr. James Neubrander, M.D. works with B12 patients frequently and recommends they use a large metal coffee can for this purpose. To make one, cut two small slices in the lid and tape the lid onto the can securely with a lot of tape, for example, duct tape or masking tape. Place used syringes in the can through the sliced lid. Check with your local health department to find out if the cans can be discarded with regular home trash removal. Most cities allow for the disposal of personal medical waste in this manner.

Buttocks

Vitamin B12 is also injected into the upper part of the buttocks, according to Wellness Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to verify this site is an acceptable site for your B12 injection and also to obtain instructions on how to safely inject the shot there.

The Upper Thigh

The outer part of the upper thigh is one of the most common injection sites for vitamin B12 shots because there is enough muscle and fat under the skin to help utilize the B12. The shot should be given in the middle portion of the upper leg and not too high up or too close to the knee. To find the right location, visualize an imaginary line dividing the upper leg in half. Place your hand on the line and slide it about half way around the outer part of the leg. Give the injection according to your doctor's instruction.

Considerations

Always check with your doctor if you have any questions about giving yourself or someone else in your family injections. It is recommended to have someone with you when injections are administered in case of rare but potentially dangerous adverse reactions.

Other Sites

The upper, outer part of the arm in the deltoid muscle and the outer hip muscle called the ventrogluteal muscle are used for injection of B12. The hip is a good site for B12 injections because there is less danger of hitting nerves or blood vessels in this area.