Many patients of vitamin B12 deficiency suffering from fatigue, memory loss, and brain fog want to know how long it will take for vitamin B12 to take effect, and for how long they will have to continue taking vitamin B12 supplements.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 is important for sustaining healthy red blood cells and nerve cells, and also for converting food into energy. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may include extreme tiredness, poor concentration, memory loss, dizziness, and disorientation.
And those are just the initial symptoms; after several years, severe vitamin B12 depletion can cause significant damage to the nervous system, and also increase your risk for stroke, heart attack, and osteoporosis. Often, untreated vitamin B12 deficiency results in pernicious anemia, a once fatal disease.
There are many unusual symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and most will disappear once you have been taking vitamin B12 long enough to get your stores up to a normal amount, and have maintained stable levels of vitamin B12.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Short-term memory problems
- Confusion
- Headaches
- Tinnitus (ear ringing)
- Sore red tongue
- Painful numbness and tingling in the arms and legs
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle spasms
- Difficulty walking
- Poor motor skills
- Infertility
- Heart palpitations
- Feeling out of breath
40 Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency: the Ultimate Checklist
How long does vitamin B12 take to work?
If you begin early on, then you should start seeing results from vitamin B12 before long, depending on how much vitamin B12 you need in order to achieve a normal level.
Normal vitamin B12 levels are about 200 – 900 pg. /mL, but it’s not unusual to experience symptoms even if you are within the normal range.
Some people start to feel better, more energetic, immediately; others don’t notice improvements in memory or mood problems for a few weeks. Still others may not experience any relief for several months.
There is really no accurate way of measuring exactly how long it will take for vitamin B12 to help your body build new red blood cells, begin healing damaged nerve cells, or boost energy levels.
Most vitamin B12 is stored in the liver, and it took years for B12 levels to drop to the point that you started noticing the symptoms of B12 deficiency, so it’s important to be patient, and give your body enough time to slowly accumulate vitamin B12 in the bloodstream.
How much vitamin B12 do I need?
A standard dose of vitamin B12 contains 1,000mcg. Some vitamin B12 deficiency patients require 1,000mcg doses daily, weekly, or monthly. You need to continue taking vitamin B12 for life, especially if you are unable to absorb it naturally from the foods you eat.
Fortunately, there’s no way of taking “too much vitamin B12” because all amounts are completely safe, and many people even benefit by taking extra doses of non-dietary vitamin B12 between doctor visits.
There have been many studies associating mega-vitamin B12 doses with increased energy, healthy mental focus, and improved allover feeling of wellness.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Will Vitamin B12 Boost Energy if I don’t have B12 Deficiency? YES!
Vitamin B12 for Fibromyalgia- How Much do you Need?
Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid/Free Digital Photos