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How to Treat Anemia With Vitamin B-12

Many types of anemia, a blood condition marked by a low hemoglobin count resulting in a loss of energy, can be successfully treated with vitamin B-12. By consulting with your health care professional, you can determine if your type of anemia can be treated with vitamin B-12 as well.

Things You'll Need

  • Vitamin B-12 supplements
  • Health care professional, such as a physician
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Instructions

  1. Treat Anemia With Vitamin B-12

    • 1

      Consult with your physician or health care professional to see if your specific type of anemia can be successfully treated with vitamin B-12. More severe types of anemia may require several types of treatment in order to get the hemoglobin level to normal. In rare cases, a blood transfusion may be required to maintain a healthy red blood cell count.

    • 2

      Decide on how you want to take the B-12 supplement to treat your anemia. B-12 is available as an oral or sublingual tablet, a liquid or even an injection. Since B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin, large dosages can be taken, although there may be mild side effects such as frequent urination, itchiness or a sudden warm flush to the skin.

    • 3

      Choose to take your B-12 supplement as part of a larger vitamin supplement, such as a B complex or multi-vitamins Other vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, vitamin C and iron are also useful in treating anemia and should be taken as well.

    • 4

      Treat your anemia by eating foods that are naturally high in vitamin B-12. These include eggs, shellfish, meat and dairy products. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, consider a dry cereal that has been fortified with vitamin B-12, along with iron, folic acid and vitamin C.

    • 5

      Pay attention to any differences in your energy level after you take vitamin B-12 to treat your anemia. You should also recognize a change in secondary symptoms such as the tone of your skin (anemia causes a person to appear pale) and the brittleness of your nails.

    • 6

      Schedule a follow-up visit with your physician or health care professional to determine the effect the B-12 treatment has had on your anemia. Your doctor will perform blood work that will measure your hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and red cell size and distribution to see how well the B-12 treatment performed.

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