Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/24/jane-metcalfe-co-founder-neo.html
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Spending $65 on hydration was worth it? I envy your hourly rate.
If everyone had access to this sort of treatment we‘d be in Star Trek. But there‘s a almost a billion people in poverty, and I guess the price is beyond what 80% of Americans could afford on a regular basis.
Is there any evidence that high dose B12 is an effective treatment for, well, for what exactly? I see it prescribed for unspecific symptoms mostly: you feel bad somehow? here, take this, it will make you feel better. Doesn‘t even give you a hangover.
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No, there is no evidence these injections or iv drips are effective for anything other than hydration or feeding basic nutrients like glucose.
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The injections are great for delivering a big dose of vitamins P, L, A, C, E, B and O.
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Pernicious anemia. 1000 umg injection once monthly for life. My father’s side of the family. Untreated you start off tired, lethargic, leading to memory issues and neuropathy. If you truly have low B12 a single shot isn’t going to do much. My first shot made me feel clearer, like a strong cup of coffee (but not hyped). That wore off in about 3 days. I had 4 shots the first month and my level was still low. Your body excretes any excess, so overdose is super difficult. I think the best thing out of this would be the hydration.
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Are you talking about PA or about low B12 in general?
Well technically both. Your body has enough storage capacity of B12 to last a year or more without consuming anything containing it. Vegans are prone to developing low B12 due to dietary intake, but this takes years to show up. A person who has no absorption issues can take an OTC multivitamin and be fine. With PA you are not able to absorb the B12. Typically the monthly shot is given, but an ultra high does oral option can also work. Once your body replenishes its reserves the shot will pretty much guarantee you are getting enough. (Although there is debate to where your level should really be at due to the nature of testing, thus the frequency of injection. )
I have read the wikipedia article. It does not explain why one shot would not be not enough for about the next year or so if you don’t suffer from PA.
If you were slightly low due to a dietary reason it probably would. Although your body stores 2-5mg and just because they are putting in 1mg that doesn’t mean that’s how much gets converted to a bioavailable form. The standard B12 test just measures a total amount of cobalamin like substances in the body, not actually what is available for use.
I think the overall here is that once yearly there probably isn’t anything wrong with getting one of these shots. If it makes someone feel better great, but it is unlikely that good feeling occurs the next month or week unless there is a deeper reason for a deficiency.
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