Question:
What are B 12 shots and why do you have to get them?

I don't want to ever get them. So trying to prevent it now. Really don't even know what they are. Any details please??    — Angela A. (posted on December 14, 2000)

December 13, 2000
I just gave myself the b12 shot for this month. I am not exactly sure what the b12 itself is for but I do know that when I start to feel real tired and draggy I give myself the shot and I feel so much better with more energy. The shot itself is not bad at all. I have the needles that are real thin and I inject myself intramuscularly in my leg. There is absolutely no pain. I do this because the Dr. tells me I have to for the rest of my life. Just like taking vitamins and iron and calcium everyday.
   — michelle M.

December 13, 2000
B-12 is a vitamin. If you don't get enough of this vitamin, it can gradually lead to anemia (not enough red blood cells) and nerve damage. This deficiency is common in WLS patients, because we don't have much functioning stomach tissue left. There are sub-lingual b-12 supplements (tablets)which you put under your tongue and let them disolve. That is what I take, and it has boosted my b-12 levels back up to normal. Some people's bodies don't respond as well to the tablets, so they have to go for the shots instead. People report that when their B-12 levels get low, they feel very tired and irritable. Then, after they get their shot, they get almost immediate relief. Hopefully your surgeon or PCP is giving you regular blood tests so you can monitor your B-12 levels and make sure they are normal.
   — Lynn K.

December 14, 2000
B12 Deficiency is not a problem with the <a href="http://www.duodenalswitch.com">Duodenal Switch</a> type of Weight Loss Surgery. Research the many different procedures to see which ones do & don't have this problem. Good luck in your research!! <a href="http://www.mywls.com">My Story</a>
   — [Deactivated Member]

December 14, 2000
Angela, there was a great article in our newspaper a couple months ago, but ofcourse I didn't save it. I'll explain what it said in my own words : The B-12 in the foods, or vitamins we eat picks up the transport system in the stomach, it travels with it through the small intestines to the door into the blood stream which is in the last part of the small intestine, Ileum, and right before the Colon. I can't process B-12 because I had an Ileum bypass also. No matter how much B-12 I take, it will not go into by blood stream even if it happened to be transported from an altered stomach. Someone, a salesperson, e-mailed me something from this site about spray vitamins into the mouth, I copied them, and brought them to my Dr. He looked them up in the PDR, and informed me that I would have to take 9 sprays 4 times a day. At $30 a bottle, it isn't worth the cost. It takes your body a while to get rid of stored B-12, but it can cause severe problems when it is depleted. To Me, it is worth the shot, I didn't feel it, to be alive and healthy again, in my 130# body! Look up my profile. Good Luck and God Bless You --
   — CohenHeart