B12 injections
The treatment for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia depends upon what’s causing the condition. Most people can be easily treated with injections or tablets to replace the missing vitamins. At Cotswold Surgical Partners, Dermatologist Dr Charan Singh Thandi can support treatment via the administration of injections.
Treatment menu
Treating vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia
Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is usually treated with injections of vitamin B12, called hydroxocobalamin.
At first, you may need injections every other day for a couple of weeks or until symptoms start improving. At your first consultation Dr Charan Singh Thandi will discuss your medical history and the treatment regime so you can make an informed decision. Treatment will not commence until you are happy to begin.
After the initial period, your treatment will depend upon whether the cause of your vitamin B12 deficiency is related to your diet or whether the deficiency is causing any neuorological concerns, such as issues with thinking, memory and behaviour.
The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK is pernicious anaemia, which is not related to your diet.
Diet related
If your vitamin B12 deficiency is caused by a lack of the vitamin in your diet, you may be advised to take vitamin B12 tablets every day between meals.
Or you may need to have an injection of hydroxocobalamin twice a year.
People who find it difficult to get enough vitamin B12 in their diets, such as those following a vegan diet, may need vitamin B12 tablets for life.
Although it’s less common, people with vitamin B12 deficiency caused by a prolonged poor diet may be advised to stop taking the tablets once their vitamin B12 levels have returned to normal and their diet has improved.
Good sources of vitamin B12 include:
- meat
- salmon and cod
- milk and other dairy products
- eggs
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, or are looking for alternatives to meat and dairy products, there are foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, such as some yeast extracts, breakfast cereals and soy products.
Check the nutrition labels while food shopping to see how much vitamin B12 different foods contain.
Not diet-related
If your vitamin B12 deficiency is not caused by a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, you’ll usually need to have an injection of hydroxocobalamin every 2 to 3 months for the rest of your life.
If you have had neurological symptoms that affect your nervous system, such as numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency, you’ll be referred to a haematologist and may need to have injections every 2 months.
Your haematologist will advise on how long you need to keep taking the injections.
For injections of vitamin B12 given in the UK, hydroxocobalamin is preferred to an alternative called cyanocobalamin. This is because hydroxocobalamin stays in the body for longer.
Practitioner & Treatment Pricing
Meet your Dermatologist and provider of this aesthetic skin care treatments – Dr Charan Singh Thandi here
The cost of a single injection is £50.00, with the procedure taking around 15 minutes.
Pain is minimal, and mainly associated with minor discomfort at the injection site with little to no recovery time.
Our bodies require a daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals in order to properly function. If one of these vitamins is deficient, it can result in serious health problems. Vitamin B-12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in many functions in the body, including: – DNA synthesis – energy production – nerve cell health – red blood cell formation – neurological function
Consultations
To find out if you would be suitable for B12 injections, contact us to arrange your consultation. The cost of a B12 consultation is £50.00 which is redeemable against the treatment cost should you proceed (meaning the consultation effectively becomes free and part of the treatment plan).
