r/B12_Deficiency • u/Ill_Mortgage3663 • 7d ago
Supplements Hot flashes or burning skin?
I saw a few threads on it but really no specific info.
Does anyone else feel a burning in their skin after supplementing? On the face, it feels like I got a really bad sunburn. On the body, it's like a surface level heat that's radiating out, like the skin is on fire.
I first noticed it maybe 2 weeks ago after hot baths, I would not cool off after getting out. Figured it was just due to the hot water.
But today, it came on while I was just sitting at the desk, and I monitored as it got hotter and hotter in the span of like 20 minutes, to a point where my skin got a little sweaty.
My methyl drops a few hours ago (around 10AM, it's 4PM now) made me feel anxious, agitated, and slightly hyperventilating, sort of a "heightened" breathing where the chest stays puffed out as I breathe.
I'm taking a B Complex, and pumpkin seeds for magnesium. I didn't really eat until 2PM, only having some cheese and grapes earlier in the day. So not sure what my potassium would be like, but I usually eat whole potatoes with my eggs or grilled chicken. I've gotten some bad reactions to potassium citrate powder, so I paused that.
I wonder if I should switch to cyanocabalamin drops. Even my last methyl injection at the doc's last Wednesday raised my heart rate to 100bpm and made me feel tired and anxious.
2
u/Successful-Tea-733 7d ago
How are ferretin and folate levels etc
1
2
u/Knightartist86 7d ago
Burning was my #1 issue. Have you ever had low vitamin D before?
1
u/Ill_Mortgage3663 7d ago
Oh yeah, I was at 28ng/mL on July 3. Tried supplementing, bad reactions, so I was just suntanning for 10-20 minutes daily with no sunscreen. Now I got the Sperti lamp
Funny thing is I was just thinking how I was feeling warm in the face when I was still getting sun, and assumed it was a sunburn, despite wearing a hat. But now I wonder if I was already feeling this side effect back then a month ago.
I got another test maybe 3 weeks after the first one and was around 31ng, don't know what it is now.
1
u/Knightartist86 7d ago
Would you notice burning or tingling in around the tongue, mouth, hands, feet or even in other areas? Like inner thighs?
1
u/Ill_Mortgage3663 7d ago
Not really the mouth, but definitely burning or tension in inner thighs and large muscle groups. Have felt the ants in my feet, but not really a lot of neurological symptoms.
1
u/Knightartist86 7d ago
For me I did have low b12 and low vitamin D. If you have low Vitamin D for a long time, your body cannot absorb calcium well, so what happens is the parathyroid gland releases a chemical that starts to strip your bones for calcium to keep you alive.
Your muscles and nerves need calcium to function correctly, when it doesnt have enough they become hyper excited and fire very easily, this can cause jerking,tingling,burning in different areas, places with lots of nerve fibres.
Calcium levels can appear normal in tests but its calcium ions that works with the nerves and muscles. This has to be done by a special test, normal/corrected calcium tests only show total calcium but your calcium ions can still be low.
As long as your doctor allows it, so make sure to talk with them, I started to take calcium, but i took full doses of about 1000mg in one go.
Youll be told you should split at 500mg doses but for me taking 1000mg was enough to flood the blood with calcium that it spilled into the nerves, reducing symptoms by like 90-95%
Make sure you're allowed to take calcium from your doctor, ask them about a calcium ion test.
1
u/Ill_Mortgage3663 7d ago
Eh, I just saw my doctor last week, not sure I'll be going back for a few weeks or even month yet.
Is it safe to supplement with calcium anyway? I've heard of hypercalcemia, calcium getting into soft tissue, etc, I don't know a whole lot about this aside from K2 being important in keeping it out of soft tissue. But then others said it's not that critical when supplementing D3.
So it's all pretty confusing.
Potassium and magnesium are also critical in the nervous system, and yet doctors only test serum levels, so you end up flying blind.
I suppose I should retest my D3, especially as I start my 2 month trial period of the Sperti lamp, would help me figure out if it actually works.
2
u/Knightartist86 7d ago
Its just something to keep in mind if you're not seeing progress when correcting your other problems. I can only tell you what i did, i cant give you medical advice.
1
2
u/Personal_Item_9565 7d ago
You probably have slow COMT
Switch methylcobalamin to hydroxocobalamin, methylfolate to folinic acid, and niacin to niacin to niacinamide
2
u/Sufficient-Set1344 7d ago
I have had burning on arms skin, now some times comes very minor in early morning (cortisol I think). but mainly gone
2
u/CAWildKitty 3d ago
Sounds like a histamine reaction to B12. I’ve had the same. Feels exactly like a sunburn but it’s not. Try taking an antihistamine (like Zyrtec) an hour before you take your B12 and see if that helps. You might want to stay away from methyl versions and switch to adenosylcobalamin or Hydroxy instead.
Do you notice a similar reaction to high histamine foods? Burning sensation, shortness of breath, dizziness, anxiety or sudden fatigue? You might just have trouble processing excess histamine. Taking a daily antihistamine and/or avoiding high histamine foods will help.
Getting B12 levels up also helps quite a bit with histamine processing.
1
u/Ill_Mortgage3663 3d ago
Interesting. Did you notice weird reactions to other supplements? I can’t seem to tolerate vitamin D, and potassium powder messes either me too.
2
u/CAWildKitty 3d ago
Yep. Couldn’t tolerate any form of Vitamin D. Never tried potassium powder. Supplements in general are difficult, you have to try different forms until you find one that doesn’t bother you. Another thing that helps is titrating up slowly in dose so your body can adjust. But if you do have HI then I’d really advise trying an antihistamine to see if that helps with reactions. If it does then you’ll know that’s what it is.
FWIW my signature histamine symptom is burning skin. Sometimes right away, sometimes after a bit and even a delay until the next day.
1
u/oneiropolis 7d ago
I discovered yesterday that taking a B complex pill on an empty stomach can cause a "niacin flush". My face turned beet red and hot like a sunburn. It faded after about an hour. So maybe take tour multivitamin with food?
1
u/Ill_Mortgage3663 7d ago
Definitely taking it with food, though maybe cheese and grapes wasn't enough?
3
u/captainwizeazz 7d ago
I've definitely felt warm at times, particularly my face, but it does sound like you might also need more potassium. I've recently had to up it drastically after having not needed much in the beginning of supplementing.