I don't have CFS but I thought I would post here as I have Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy. Fibro sufferers have many of the same symptoms as CFS and they are often confused.

I just started on home B-12 shots after getting weekly injections from the doctor. I can't tell you how much they help with fatigue and muscle soreness. One time I decided to stop the injections for a few weeks and went right back to feeling like I wanted to sleep most of the day and the soreness came back too. Once I went back to the injections, the difference was amazing.

Some people have had good results with the 1,000mg B-12 sublingual (not the pills you swallow). I tried those but they aren't as effective as the injections for me. They are worth trying though. My doctor said the B-12 is safe to take.

I just thought I would post this in case it would help anyone else.

Susan

Hello, I belong to the cfs board and I would like to ask a question to you and anyone else who might want to answer it. I've been seeing this cfs doctor in the country that I'm living in. My body has been on a weird cycle for the last 8 months where it takes about a month for all the symptoms to build up last for a week and then settle a little bit. I have all the classic symptoms of cfs (I believe). Thing I want to ask about is the treatment I'm recieving and specifically b12. Whenever I get the b12 twelve shots I feel better immediately. The muscle pain the nueropathy in my left hand and my soar throat seem to feel better within minutes of the shot. But l'm curious, this doctor also has me taking intravenous immunoglobulin, I was on predinsone but I'm not anymore, still on prozac and rivtril. He swears by this treatment regime and that If i continue it that my cfs or whatever it is will go away. My problem is, I've done some reading and basically I have read that his methods have been proven to be ineffective. Does anyone know about this? Secondly if I'm feeling better after the b12 shots which wears off after about seven days is it possible that I could be b12 deficient only? Is b12 deficiency possible without having abnormal blood tests?

Yes you can purely have a B12 deficiency...are you a vegetarian?
There is something called pernicious anemia which is an aneamia caused by a deficiency of B12 but I would assume your dr would have checked you for that. Also there is something called the intrinsic factor...what this is is the guide that helps the B12 into your blood stream..imagine B12 does not know where it is going when you take B12 in food or via a tablet that you swallow the b12 cannot get from these sources into your blood stream without the intrinsic factor to take it there. which is why shots are good as they deliver the B12 straight to the blood stream, also sublingual B12 tabs can work apparantly they do not rely on the intrinsic factor either but don't quote me on that! If you do not make enough intrinsic factor as (some people genetically have this flaw) the B12 will never make it into the blood stream no matter how much you take in via food and swallowed vitamins. I take sublingual tabs 5mg doses twice a day and they seem to work for me.

leanne R and levente,
You are correct about the sublingual Vitamin b12,I take 5000mcgs a day under my tongue,along with my monthly b 12 shot.When they tested my blood it was 170.I was told on a health board,actually this one and another that you should take at least 1000mcgs a day,but if your number was real low and was'nt climbing fast enough to go to the 5000.Hope this helps.Boo