Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia

Home Treatment

If you have vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, you can take steps at home to improve your health:

• Eat a varied diet that provides enough vitamin B12 for your body's needs. If you do not eat any animal products (including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs), you can get your vitamin B12 by eating foods fortified with this vitamin or by taking vitamin pills that contain it.
• Eat foods that have folic acid (folate), another type of B vitamin. This is particularly important after you start treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. Foods that contain folic acid include leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and fortified cereals. For more information, see the topic Folic Acid Deficiency Anemia.
• If your blood is also low in iron, you may need to take iron supplements. For more information, see the topic Iron Deficiency Anemia.

If you have been taking shots, ask your doctor if you could switch to pills. For many people, vitamin B12 pills (1,000 to 2,000 micrograms [mcg] a day) can be as effective as shots. These vitamin B12 pills contain a higher dose of vitamin B12 than a regular vitamin pill. You don't need to worry about getting too much vitamin B12, because your body will pass extra vitamin B12 out in the urine. Pills are also less expensive and more convenient. You may need follow-up testing to make sure your body is absorbing the vitamin.^{5, 3}

If you need to take shots, you can learn to give them to yourself. A health professional can teach you how to store the medicine and where to give the shots. If you are unable to do it yourself, a family member can learn to give the shots.

You will need to take your shots or pills just as your doctor advises to keep the deficiency from returning. Most people need to take pills or shots for the rest of their lives.

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Author:	Ralph Poore	Last Updated: March 9, 2007
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
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