I did my first self injected Vitamin B12 this afternoon and have a couple of minor questions. Keep in mind that the medicine is very dark.

1) The label said to not use if it is cloudy or discolored. How do we tell that it is cloudy? Or discolored? Obviously, if it comes out bright blue or yellow or something, we would consider it to be discolored. As dark as it is and as colorblind as I am, I don't know that I would notice any mild discoloration.
2) Typically, you insert the needle and then pull the plunger a bit to look for blood. This might work well if the contents of the syringe are transparent (kind of like water), but as dark as the medicine is, can one even see the blood, if any?

Also, is it okay to inject it into the thigh on the same leg with the DVT? Or should I just stick to the opposite leg?

Unless you have pernicious anemia, which you likely don't,
You can just take oral B12 if you want

Oral Methyl B12 1+mg is plenty for 99% of people w/o pernicious anemia

Yes, can inject into either leg.

As far as discoloration goes, the B12 is a little reddish to it. But so dark it looks almost brown. Have you ever seen motor oil that had water in it? It can have a light brown appearance, or have white streaks in it, kinda looks like sandy/muddy colored. Basically when you draw it up in the syringe, remember what it looks like now. And if it looks different, do not use.

But unlikely to affect you if you store it indoors and use it within the next few months.

OasisMan said:

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Unless you have pernicious anemia, which you likely don't,
You can just take oral B12 if you want

Oral Methyl B12 1+mg is plenty for 99% of people w/o pernicious anemia

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Definitely anemic, but I have no idea how severe.

From my most recent tests at BSA in Amarillo (assuming no typos):

RBC: 3.32 (low)
HEMOGLOBIN: 12.3 g/dL (low)
HEMATOCRIT: 35.9% (low)
MCV: 108.3 fL (high)
MCH: 37.1 pg (high)
RDW: 14.9 % (high)
MPV: 6.8% (low)
Monocytes: 10.1% (high)

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Yes, can inject into either leg.

As far as discoloration goes, the B12 is a little reddish to it. But so dark it looks almost brown. Have you ever seen motor oil that had water in it? It can have a light brown appearance, or have white streaks in it, kinda looks like sandy/muddy colored. Basically when you draw it up in the syringe, remember what it looks like now. And if it looks different, do not use.

But unlikely to affect you if you store it indoors and use it within the next few months.

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Thanks.

I have never been able to from a mental image of anything (aphantasia?) which makes it difficult to compare what something looked like in the past to now. At best, I get very fleeting bits and pieces in flashes lasting for a fraction of a second. About the best I can do is to remember a description and see if the description matches what I am seeing. So your description should be quite helpful.

When I picked up the medicine, they gave me enough for two injections. My next one should be in a week and a half from now. And then again in mid August. I have a followup visit the day before the mid August injection so I will wait and pick up the prescription a day or two before I need to take another injection. If something changes, the pharmacy can deliver it that morning.

eric76 said:

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OasisMan said:

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Unless you have pernicious anemia, which you likely don't,
You can just take oral B12 if you want

Oral Methyl B12 1+mg is plenty for 99% of people w/o pernicious anemia

---

Definitely anemic, but I have no idea how severe.

From my most recent tests at BSA in Amarillo (assuming no typos):

RBC: 3.32 (low)
HEMOGLOBIN: 12.3 g/dL (low)
HEMATOCRIT: 35.9% (low)
MCV: 108.3 fL (high)
MCH: 37.1 pg (high)
RDW: 14.9 % (high)
MPV: 6.8% (low)
Monocytes: 10.1% (high)

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pernicious anemia is a specific type of anemia,

you are mildly anemic,
mcv high = megaloblastic,

still a lot of causes

do you know what your b12 and folate levels were

OasisMan said:

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eric76 said:

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OasisMan said:

---

Unless you have pernicious anemia, which you likely don't,
You can just take oral B12 if you want

Oral Methyl B12 1+mg is plenty for 99% of people w/o pernicious anemia

---

Definitely anemic, but I have no idea how severe.

From my most recent tests at BSA in Amarillo (assuming no typos):

RBC: 3.32 (low)
HEMOGLOBIN: 12.3 g/dL (low)
HEMATOCRIT: 35.9% (low)
MCV: 108.3 fL (high)
MCH: 37.1 pg (high)
RDW: 14.9 % (high)
MPV: 6.8% (low)
Monocytes: 10.1% (high)

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pernicious anemia is a specific type of anemia,

you are mildly anemic,
mcv high = megaloblastic,

still a lot of causes

do you know what your b12 and folate levels were

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B12 was "<159 pg/mL" on June 26 which was before the first injection. This was from the local hospital and I don't see any folate test.

I received the first B-12. injection on July 2. They did a Vitamin B12 test about an hour after the injection so I doubt that the results are at all meaningful.

At BSA in Amarillo on July 6, they measured my Vitamin B-12 at 380 pg/mL and my folate at 19.8 ng/mL.

The doctor told me that he thought that I am probably unable to absorb much B12 any more. If that is true, would it also affect other vitamins such as folate?

I asked the doctor about taking a Vitamin B Super Complex daily and he seemed kind of noncommittal. He didn't say to do it but he also didn't object. So I started doing that, too.