A friend who suffered from trigeminal neuralgia told Hua Zi that the drug treatment provided by the doctor was carbamazepine for pain relief, and then instructed her to take a long-term drug called methylcobalt amine. But her strange thing is that her wife has diabetes and is also taking methylcobalamin for a long time. What kind of medicine is this, why do people with different diseases need to take it for a long time, and how long does it take?
Hua Zi said that methylcobalamin is essentially the active substance of vitamin B12, which can not only promote the development and maturation of red blood cells in the human body, but also nourish the nerves. For the adjuvant treatment of nerve damage caused by neuralgia, neuritis, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, trauma and other diseases.
I. Methylcobalamin for nerve nutrition
Nerve damage caused by any disease will cause pathological changes such as axonal degeneration, neuronal degeneration, and demyelination of nerve cells, resulting in pain, movement disorders (fatigue, inability to exercise) coordination, etc.), paresthesia (numbness, acupuncture, ant walking, etc.) and other symptoms.
Methylcobalamin can directly enter nerve cells, promote nerve cell metabolism, promote cell nucleic acid and protein synthesis, can promote nerve cell axonal growth Transport function and regeneration, is conducive to the formation of nerve cell myelin sheath, repair damaged nerve cells, thereby improving the symptoms of nerve injury.
Second, how long can I stop taking methylcobalamin
The human nerve cell is a highly differentiated cell with a lifespan almost equal to that of the human body and cannot be regenerated once it dies. Even if there is no death, but only damage, the rate of repair is slower. Depending on the degree of damage and the differences in the physique of different people, neural cell repair time is usually 3-6 months.
Hua Zi himself had damaged the mandibular nerve due to wisdom tooth extraction, and the right half of the lip was numb. After taking mecobalamin for about a month and a half, the numbness of the lips disappeared.
The drug can be discontinued when the symptoms of the nerve damage are tolerable or disappear. However, if you continue to use the drug for 1 month, and there is still no improvement in symptoms, you can also stop the drug.
Third, is there any adverse reaction of methylcobalamin
Many people worry that “it is a three-point drug”. Will there be any adverse reactions when mecobalamin is taken for a long time? Generally speaking, the adverse reactions of mecobalamin are mild. Few patients may experience gastrointestinal reactions such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after taking the drug, but the symptoms are usually not severe.
About 1 in 1,000 people may develop an allergy and develop a rash. If an allergic reaction occurs, stop this medication and seek medical attention immediately. The safety of the drug for pregnant women and lactating women is not yet clear, and it is not recommended to use it unless it is necessary. Children and the elderly need to reduce the dose as appropriate under the guidance of a doctor.
Fourth, vitamin B12 that can be “supplemented”
Methylcobalamin is essentially the active substance after vitamin B12 is metabolized in the human body, and the two have basically the same effect. Vitamin B12 is mainly found in meat foods, such as pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs, which have more vitamin B12. Vegetables and fruits contain almost no vitamin B12.
Eating more meat and ingesting vitamin B12 will metabolize methylcobalamin and also have the effect of nourishing nerves.
However, the absorption of vitamin B12 needs to be combined with the intrinsic factor secreted by the stomach. People with indigestion and vegans will lead to insufficient vitamin B12 in the body; Diseases such as blood uric acid and renal insufficiency need to limit meat consumption and will also be deficient in vitamin B12. For these people, taking methylcobalamin works better.
To sum up, methylcobalamin is a neurotrophic drug that promotes nerve cell repair. Nerve damage caused by various diseases can be treated with methylcobalamin as adjuvant therapy. The duration of medication is usually 3 to 6 months, or the medication is discontinued when symptoms improve. However, if you continue to take it for 1 month and the symptoms have not improved, it is not recommended to continue taking it.
The medicine should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any doubts about the medicine, please consult your doctor or pharmacist. I am Huazi, a pharmacist. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.