Supplement question: spray or pill?

[SadieKate]

For all you folks who have access to clinical studies: are there any 3rd party studies of the efficacy of one over the other?

Once again I've tested low for B12 and D and I really do need to start supplements, but pills make me nauseas. Truthfully, I know some of it has to do with my mother forcefeeding me shovelfuls of them in my childhood, but I do still have stomach problems with vitamin pills.

The only info I can find through an internet search has a lot of marketing spin. Do you get better absorption with one delivery system over the other? The whole area of supplements drives me batty because it is so difficult to find reliable info.

Thanks for your hep!

[Possegal]

Let me look around, but you are very right in that finding the kind of information you are looking for is difficult. The manufacturers are not required to do studies to prove safety and efficacy and that are then independently reviewed. So what I have found is that I'll see them claim that clinical studies showed X, but what I find is just their propoganda, not the information in a peer reviewed journal.

There are things that I know have been shown to have the same kinetics when given intransally as given orally, so that isn't out of the question. But whether that holds true for B12 and D, I don't know. But I'll search around and see what I can find.

Of course one option is for you to be your own study with an N of 1. Try the nasal spray and then get retested and see if you are still deficient. If not, then for you, this works.

OK - just found a couple reports of sustained blood levels of B12 with intranasal administration. The study was done to compare intramuscular administration, which is what you would do for pernicious anemia, with intranasal.

Not finding the same for Vitamin D though, in fact one abstract that isn't letting me get to the whole article even though I think it should, is saying it is best taken orally.

But your instinct that perhaps the information you seek is not out there, is probably right. I will keep looking though. Did you ask the dr that diagnosed you as deficient? Though they probably won't have the answer either.

[SadieKate]

Thank you so very much!

Yeah, the doctor didn't have any recommendations either but that's the norm with doctors.


PS - The OTC sprays I've found are oral sprays, not nasal, but I haven't done a huge amount of research. A friend mentioned Dr. Mercola, but, well, there you go with possible credibility problems.

Editing - just looked up intranasal sprays. By Rx only??? Still awaiting the results of methylmalonic acid and homocysteine tests so sticking with OTC for now. Hmm, I wonder if my previous doc ran these tests 4 yrs ago? Must go check.

[Possegal]

ah, I missed that. Then it really becomes a formulation issue and one that only the companies can probably answer but since they don't have to do so, those data are likely not out there. Then I go back to being your own personal study.

I can understand the pill taking issue. My sister has cancer and at one point was very sick from the meds and got to where if she saw a pill, she ran to the toilet. I finally recommended mashing them up in apple sauce. I also got her a powerful anti-nausea med called in that eventually got her back on track. But it was so hard to watch her get sick literally just by looking at a pill. Pavlov's dog indeed.

[SadieKate]

Then I go back to being your own personal study.

Oh, goody.

My mother would have me take the vitamins immediately in the morning. It took me years to figure out why I would nearly pass out in the shower about 20 mins later. I thought it was the heat until I went off to college and changed my habits. But Pavlov's Dog had been trained too well!

Vit B does not burp well . . . .

[spazzdog]

I get sick to stomach too if vitamins/supplements are 1st thing down the hatch.

I eat/drink yogurt first then take my daily dose... no more problems.

spazz

[Possegal]

I had a renal failure cat who I gave fluids too and they included B complex in the bag. IT STUNK BEYOND BELIEF! She died in the summer of '06, and I can still smell that crap on things in my house. Because of course it would leak out a bit, or she'd play me for the fool and bolt with the needle in her and then it would spray around the room. OY! smelly smelly smelly.