Question:
Anyone have problems taking B-12?

I have tried taking B-12 vitamins in the past and I think they were causing inflamation in my joints. I have had pain in my knees and the feeling like they are swollen and when I stop the B-12 the problem goes away. The last few days I have tried taking it again in order to be prepared for surgery but I developed pain in my breast bone area. I'm pretty sure it was not my heart because the pain aggrevated when I pressed on my bones. I of course will ask my doctor about this and everything I read on B-12 says I can't megadose on it, but I'm wondering if it might be an allergy. Has anyone else experienced this?    — MaryCinFL (posted on March 30, 2003)

March 30, 2003
You didn't say what form of B12 you're taking. If you're a bypass patient, the only forms that we can absorb are either sublinguals or shots. Pills are useless for us because we lack intrinsic factor. I'm sorry I can't help you with your symptoms as I've never heard of B12 causing problems like that, but then again, we don't do the pills. You're right, though, we can't OD on B12, we just pee out the excess.
   — Leslie F.

March 30, 2003
You could be allergic to a filler in whatever you are taking. Have you tried a different brand? (And as the other poster said, sublingual?) I was on Synthroid for my thyroid defiency and had problems with extremely dry skin and an off and on rash between my fingers. I switched to Levoxyl (same drug, different brand) and all that went away.
   — koogy