Why vitamin B12 is important
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin. Everyone needs it to stay healthy. Vitamin B12 helps your body work properly. It protects your nerve cells so they can grow the right way. Vitamin B12 also helps make red blood cells, which give oxygen to the tissues in your body.
There are many causes for vitamin B12 deficiency
- Celiac disease
- Alcohol abuse
- Strict vegetarian or vegan diet
- Long-term use of certain medications such as metformin and proton pump inhibitors
- Immune system disorders
- HIV infection
- Crohn’s disease
- Atrophic gastritis
- Gastric surgery
- Hypothyroidism
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are non-specific
Symptoms may include:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Fatigue, muscle weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Pale skin
- Memory loss
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen, red tongue
- Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
- Confusion or change in mental status
- Loss of balance
Talk to your doctor about being screened for vitamin B12 deficiency
If you have been diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, there are many ways to receive supplementation. Here are some of the common options:
| NASCOBAL® Nasal Spray | |
|---|---|
| FDA-approved |  |
| Prescription | |
| Once-a-week dosing | |
| Odorless | |
| Tasteless | |
| Can be taken at home | |
| Not an injection | |
| SUBLINGUAL (under-the-tongue) | |
|---|---|
| Once-a-day dosing | |
| Can be taken at home | |
| Not an injection | |
| INJECTIONS | |
|---|---|
| FDA-approved | |
| Prescription | |
| Daily to monthly dosing | |
| Odorless | |
| Tasteless | |