What Are the Six Precautions for Taking Vitamin B12?
When taking vitamin B12, it is important to pay attention to one's diet. Typically, patients taking vitamin B12 tablets should maintain a light diet, avoiding spicy, greasy, and pungent foods such as beef and mutton. Additionally, individuals with gout should exercise caution when using vitamin B12, as the accelerated degradation of nucleic acids can increase the risk of gout attacks by raising uric acid levels in the blood. Furthermore, patients with undiagnosed pathologies should not use vitamin B12 until a clear diagnosis is made.
There are several contraindications and cautions to be aware of when taking vitamin B12. Here are six key points to consider:
Firstly, patients with Leber's disease (a hereditary optic neuropathy) or smoking-related amblyopia should be cautious as abnormal elevations in serum vitamin B12 can exacerbate optic nerve atrophy when treated with vitamin B12, although hydroxocobalamin may be beneficial. Secondly, gout patients should be mindful that using vitamin B12 can accelerate nucleic acid degradation, leading to increased blood uric acid levels and potentially triggering gout attacks. Thirdly, individuals with neurological damage should avoid using vitamin B12 until a diagnosis is clear to prevent masking of subacute combined degeneration symptoms. Fourthly, vitamin B12 deficiency can coexist with folate deficiency, and while vitamin B12 treatment may improve blood parameters, it can mask folate deficiency symptoms. Therefore, it is advisable to supplement with folate for optimal efficacy. Fifthly, when treating megaloblastic anemia with vitamin B12, it is recommended to check blood potassium levels within the first 48 hours to promptly identify potential severe hypokalemia. Lastly, antibiotics can affect serum and erythrocyte vitamin B12 measurements, particularly when using microbiological assays, which can produce falsely low values. Therefore, caution should be exercised when assessing serum vitamin B12 levels before and after treatment.
Strict dietary considerations are essential when taking vitamin B12. Generally, patients should adhere to a cool and bland diet, avoiding spicy, greasy, and pungent foods such as beef and mutton. Additionally, dietary restrictions may vary depending on the individual's condition. For instance, patients with hot diseases should avoid spicy, greasy, and fried foods, while those with cold diseases should limit their intake of fatty foods, animal organs, alcohol, and tobacco. Spicy foods like chili, pepper, garlic, and liquor should be consumed sparingly, especially for individuals with weak spleen and stomach function. Patients with skin lesions or dermatological conditions should avoid pungent foods like fish, shrimp, and crab.
Certain individuals should avoid taking vitamin B12. These include patients with familial hereditary optic neuropathy and smoking-related amblyopia, as their serum vitamin B12 levels are often abnormally elevated, and vitamin B12 treatment can exacerbate optic nerve atrophy. Additionally, gout patients should exercise caution as the accelerated degradation of nucleic acids associated with vitamin B12 use can increase the risk of gout attacks. Furthermore, individuals with undiagnosed pathologies should refrain from using vitamin B12 until a clear diagnosis is made. Lastly, individuals who lack endogenous factors that affect intestinal absorption may require intramuscular injections of vitamin B12.
