Metformin & Vitamin B12

[Martin9]

Hi everybody peeps 🙂🙂
I've read a few articles lately about people who take Metformin have lower amounts of B12 in blood samples and some of the articles suggest taking a B12 supplement along with Metformin.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the above and or advice...?

 

[Amigo]

Hi everybody peeps 🙂🙂
I've read a few articles lately about people who take Metformin have lower amounts of B12 in blood samples and some of the articles suggest taking a B12 supplement along with Metformin.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the above and or advice...?

‘Tis true it seems (in some people) Martin. These were American studies but confirmed the link between Metformin and depleted B12. GP’s often fail to make the link.

‘The largest study thus far to examine the link between metformin and vitamin B12 is the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DDPOS). This study looked at B12 levels of individuals with prediabetes who took 850 mg Metformin 2x/day and compared them to those taking a placebo. At 5 years, 4.3% of the metformin users had low levels of B12 (<203 pg/ml) vs 2.3% of placebo takers and 19% of metformin users had borderline low B12 levels (204 –298 pg/ml) compared with 9.5% of placebo.

Vitamin B12 levels decreased over the years among individuals who took metformin. At 13 years, 7.4% of metformin users had low B12 levels and 20.3% had borderline low levels.

One study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that 33% of individuals who took metformin were deficient in Vitamin B12

A 2015 systematic review and meta analysis which looked at a large number of studies, concluded that metformin treatment is significantly associated with an increase in incidence of B12 deficiency and reduced serum VB12 levels.’

 

[Martin9]

Great answer thanks @Amigo, perhaps will get some B complex supplements then..!

 

[Amigo]

Great answer thanks @Amigo, perhaps will get some B complex supplements then..!

It’s not a given Martin but worth having checks. I find GP’s pretty hopeless on vitamin deficiencies generally.

 

[Mark T]

I believe if you are taking a general multi-vitamin then you will be ok, rather then having to go for a specific B12 supplement.

 

[Shiv Gaffney]

Yes Martin I have B12 deficiency - diagnosed as pernicious anemia but endo also said not helped by long use of Metformin/Glucophage. Get your doctor to do a blood test for same if you are worried.

 

[Amigo]

I’m not convinced a multi vitamin would yield the optimal amount of B12 necessary for someone with a diagnosed deficiency. May be ok for day to day supplementation where levels are not defined as low.


Sorry to hear you have pernicious anaemia Shiv. My mum had this and it needed to be closely monitored because obviously the health implications are much greater.


• Lack of intrinsic factor. Most people with a vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia lack intrinsic factor — a protein secreted by the stomach that is necessary for absorption of vitamin B-12. Lack of intrinsic factor may be due to an autoimmune reaction, or it may be inherited.

• An autoimmune disorder. People with endocrine-related autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes or thyroid disease, may have an increased risk of developing a specific type of vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia called pernicious anemia.

 

[Shiv Gaffney]

Yes Amigo - I have a blood test every 3 months and usually need injections. Both of the above causes have been given to me (along with others including Metformin usage). My own immune system has really began to dislike me over the past 10/15 years!

 

[Martin9]

I have a bottle of Tesco vitamin B complex which are obviously not strong but think I might add a tablet daily just as a precaution ...

 

[Amigo]

Yes Amigo - I have a blood test every 3 months and usually need injections. Both of the above causes have been given to me (along with others including Metformin usage). My own immune system has really began to dislike me over the past 10/15 years!

Well my lovely mum lived to 88 Shiv so I wouldn’t be too pessimistic!

 

[Karsten]

Great answer thanks @Amigo, perhaps will get some B complex supplements then..!

you need to get methyl B12 not just B12.. and sub lingual which mean tablets you put under the tongue.

remember it reduces the ability to absorb.. so you will just pee out cheap vit. B12

 

[rustee2011]

Certainly food for thought about the B12.
But better to get a test via GP, as you could have good levels. What are the effects of too much B12 in your body?

 

[Bronco Billy]

There are some very serious side effects of taking a B12 supplement. No supplements should be used without consulting an appropriate medical professional.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/vitamin-b-12

 

[mikeyB]

b12 is a water soluble vitamin, so in tablet size doses the excess gets peed out. Reliable sources suggest that it’s safe in megadoses if you exclude folk certain diseases. It’s certainly not a tablet to choose to kill yourself with, because you can’t.

Though I agree with Bronco Billy. You should never take a supplement without first discussing it with your doctor. Both my GP and neurologist know that I use CBD oil. It’s one of my five a day