VITAMIN B12 DESCRIPTION NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED.
Vitamin B 12 is sometimes used at home as an injection. Before using Vitamin B 12, a health care professional will provide detailed instructions for appropriate use of Vitamin B 12. Ask any questions that you may have about Vitamin B 12 or giving injections. STORE Vitamin B 12 as directed on the prescription label. IF YOU MISS A DOSE OF Vitamin B 12, use it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not use 2 doses at once.
Pernicious Anemia
(Vitamin B12 Deficiency · Addison's Anemia · Congenital Pernicious Anemia · Combined Systems Disease)
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I buy Vitamin B12 at Canadian Prices?
Yes, if you are from the U.S. then you can
buy Vitamin B12 at Canadian prices. Currently we will only accept
an order for Vitamin B12 from U.S. and Canadian residents. Both
U.S. and Canadian residents do not require a prescription to
purchase Vitamin B12 and when you order Vitamin B12 it will
be delivered with express or regular shipping.
The Facts
The blood that circulates throughout the body performs a number of critical functions. It delivers oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, and carries life-sustaining nutrients. By serving as the vehicle for long-distance messengers such as hormones, blood helps the various parts of the body communicate with each other. These important functions are performed by blood cells working in partnership with the liquid part of the blood (plasma). Most of the cells in it are red blood cells (erythrocytes). White blood cells (leukocytes) are also present in smaller numbers. Their role is to defend your body against foreign matter, including infections, viruses, and fungi.
Anemia is a state that occurs when hemoglobin (an iron-protein compound in red blood cells that transports oxygen) is diminished and your body has too few red blood cells. When there are too few red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12, the condition is described as pernicious anemia. The term pernicious was adopted many years ago when there was no effective treatment and this condition was inevitably fatal. Today, excellent therapies are available and most people can lead a normal life with very little adverse effects.
Pernicious anemia can affect all racial groups, but the incidence is higher among fair-haired people, especially those whose ancestors came from Scandinavia or Northern Europe. It usually doesn't appear before the age of 30, although a juvenile form of the disease can occur in children. About one in every 1,000 people is affected.
Alternative names for pernicious anemia are vitamin B12 deficiency (malabsorption), Addison's anemia, congenital pernicious anemia, and combined systems disease.
Causes
Pernicious anemia is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12, which is needed for normal production of red blood cells. It is often hereditary. Risk factors include a history of autoimmune endocrine disorders, a family history of pernicious anemia, and Scandinavian or Northern European descent.
The meat and dairy products we eat are our primary sources of vitamin B12. However, except in strict vegetarians, pernicious anemia isn't simply caused by not eating enough of these foods. Usually, it is because of a failure in the complex process the digestive tract must go through to absorb vitamin B12.
In order for vitamin B12 to be absorbed by the small intestine, the cells that line a part of the stomach must produce a substance called intrinsic factor (IF). This substance attaches itself to vitamin B12, and both are absorbed in combination into the lowest portion of the small bowel (ileum), just before the small bowel enters the colon. If the ileum is damaged or removed in the course of surgery, the intrinsic factor/vitamin B12 combination will not be absorbed. People with conditions like Crohn's disease, who often have surgery to remove part of their ileum (the part of the small intestine where vitamin B12 is absorbed), should be screened for vitamin B12 deficiency and treated if needed.
Lack of intrinsic factor may also be congenital (present at birth). This form of pernicious anemia (called juvenile or congenital) is usually seen before a child is three years old. It is believed that only one parent needs to carry the gene for this disorder to pass it along to a child.
Less common causes of decreased B12 absorption include chronic pancreatitis, malabsorption syndromes, certain medications, and, very rarely, increased metabolism of B12 through long-standing hyperthyroidism. A very common cause of B12 deficiency in the elderly is inadequate absorption of dietary B12.
Pernicious anemia is often is also seen in combination with some autoimmune endocrine (gland) diseases such as type 1 diabetes, hypoparathyroidism, Addison's disease, and testicular dysfunction.
Symptoms and Complications
In most cases, there are no early signs of pernicious anemia. As the disorder progresses, there may be shortness of breath and less endurance during exercise. A rapid noticeable heartbeat may also be evident. People with pernicious anemia often have very low hemoglobin but few symptoms of low hemoglobin, such as fatigue. Because the hemoglobin has decreased slowly over time, the person's body has gotten used to it. In contrast, with iron deficiency anemia, the hemoglobin level drops more quickly and people are more likely to notice symptoms of low hemoglobin. Other symptoms that may develop include:
pale skin
a sore tongue
poor appetite and loss of weight
tingling and numbness of hands and feet
disturbed walking gait and balance (especially in the dark)
mental changes, including memory loss, irritability, mild depression, and dementia
yellow-blue colour blindness
If left untreated, the lack of vitamin B12 may gradually affect the sensory and motor nerves and cause neurological effects. The anemia can also affect the gastrointestinal system and cardiovascular systems, result in tongue problems, impair the sense of smell, and cause bleeding gums and the loss of deep tendon reflexes. In very advanced cases, paranoia, delirium, and confusion may also occur.
Pernicious anemia is a chronic disease that progresses slowly and steadily. In the past, before much was known about the disease and there was no treatment, it would eventually cause death after many years of suffering. Today, the prognosis is excellent. Replacement therapy with adequate amounts of vitamin B12 will correct the deficiency and allow a person to lead a normal life.
If the condition progresses for a long time before it's detected, it may damage certain parts of the body, primarily the nervous and digestive systems. Gastric polyps may develop, which leads to a greater chance of developing gastric cancer. Vitamin B12 deficiency will affect the appearance of epithelial cells on the cervix, and an untreated woman may get a false positive result on a Pap test.
Making the Diagnosis
The basic symptoms will probably lead a doctor to perform various tests for anemia. One of these tests will measure the amount of vitamin B12 in the blood. The blood will be examined under a microscope to assess the size and shape of the red blood cells. In cases of pernicious anemia, these cells will be larger and there will be fewer of them.
A bone marrow test may also be done. A sample of the bone marrow will be examined to determine whether antibodies to intrinsic factor are present. This is an indirect way to tell whether intrinsic factor itself is present.
A doctor may order a Schilling test to see whether the vitamin B12 deficiency is due to a lack of intrinsic factor, or whether there's a failure to absorb the vitamin for some other reason. The test measures the amount of vitamin B12 excreted in the urine after ingestion of a dose of vitamin B12. A one-stage Schilling test (without intrinsic factor) or a two-stage Schilling test (with intrinsic factor) may be used. A second test will be conducted about one week after the first stage if the two-stage Schilling test is given. A third Schilling test may be performed after a course of antibiotics if overgrowth of intestinal bacteria is suspected as the cause of inadequate vitamin B12 absorption.
The Schilling test requires that urine samples be supplied over a 24-hour period, and certain drugs that may interfere with the test may have to be discontinued for the duration.
People with pernicious anemia have an increased incidence of stomach cancer. The doctor will need to follow up on any clinical findings (e.g., symptoms, positive test for traces of blood in the stool) that suggest a problem with the digestive system, and further tests such as X-rays may be ordered or endoscopy (inspecting the inside of the body with a small viewer on a flexible tube) may be necessary.
Treatment and Prevention
The amount of B12 stored in the body is directly related to the amount that is taken in. The main treatment for pernicious anemia is injections of vitamin B12. Calculating the required amount of vitamin B12 needed can be difficult, because it must also replace the B12 stored in the liver.
At first there may be five to seven injections in a short span of time. This therapy usually makes a difference within 48 hours to 72 hours, so there shouldn't be any need for a blood transfusion. Eventually, injections can be given once a month and will probably continue indefinitely. Recently it has been found that vitamin B12 can be given by mouth in very large doses (0.5 mg to 2 mg per day) for maintenance treatment, making injections unnecessary.
Pernicious anemia cannot be treated without the help of a doctor. However, a well-balanced diet is essential to provide other components for healthy blood cell development, such as folic acid, iron, and vitamin C.
Vitamin B12 therapy must be maintained for life unless the underlying cause of the deficiency is corrected.
The key to prevention is in finding out if you have a family history of pernicious anemia. It's possible to prevent this condition if you know that you have a relative with the illness, which allows you to work with a doctor to develop a plan for early detection. In this case, your doctor can test your blood every few years without waiting for symptoms to appear. Also, people with other types of anemia (such as macrocytic anemia and folic acid deficiency) should be tested for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Buy Vitamin B12 Injection At 77 Canada Pharmacy
Information On how to buy Vitamin B 12 from 77 Canada Pharmacy
The Vitamin B 12 you see above is authentic Vitamin B 12. You can order Vitamin B 12 by buying online or calling us toll free 1-800-545-1106 to purchase Vitamin B 12. Your purchase of Vitamin B 12 will ship between 24 and 48 hours and all Vitamin B 12 purchases are guaranteed by 77 Canada Pharmacy. When you receive your Vitamin B 12 please examine to make sure it is the same Vitamin B 12 that you ordered. |
