Mr. Yang, 55, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as early as ten years ago, but his blood sugar has not been well controlled over the past decade. In the last two years, he has been experiencing numbness in his limbs, and upon examination at the hospital, it was found to be diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
The doctor informed Mr. Yang that this is a chronic complication caused by diabetes, often irreversible. In such cases, Mr. Yang can only manage the condition by long-term medication, including methylcobalamin prescribed by the doctor.
Many people are unaware of the composition of methylcobalamin and why it is used to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Methylcobalamin is an organic compound, a form of endogenous vitamin B12 found in blood and bone marrow, capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier without undergoing biological transformation. It can be used to treat or prevent vitamin B12 deficiency and its complications. Upon ingestion, methylcobalamin can substitute endogenous vitamin B12, increase vitamin B12 levels, and improve vitamin B12 deficiency.
Speaking of the benefits of vitamin B12, it is commonly known that it, along with folic acid, can treat megaloblastic anemia. However, many are unaware that vitamin B12 can also promote nerve nutrition, improve nerve conduction, and thus be used to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Hence, methylcobalamin is referred to as a friend of diabetic patients, especially those with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, who require long-term use of methylcobalamin.
What many are unaware of is that besides treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy, methylcobalamin can also be used to treat the following four conditions.
Firstly, methylcobalamin can be used to treat peripheral neuralgia.
Many diseases can lead to peripheral neuralgia, such as herpes zoster. As herpes zoster virus has neurotropic characteristics, patients with herpes zoster experience noticeable pain, which can be alleviated by methylcobalamin due to its nerve-nourishing properties.
In addition to neuralgia caused by herpes zoster, atypical pains such as trigeminal neuralgia, intercostal neuralgia, resulting from cervical and lumbar spondylosis respectively, can also be managed using methylcobalamin.
Secondly, methylcobalamin can be used to treat megaloblastic anemia.
Vitamin B12 influences the synthesis of pyrimidine, purine, and nucleic acids. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia. Since the primary component of methylcobalamin is endogenous vitamin B12, its use can prevent and treat megaloblastic anemia, especially when taken in combination with folic acid.
Thirdly, methylcobalamin can be used to treat hyperhomocysteinemia.
Hyperhomocysteinemia is characterized by elevated homocysteine levels in the blood (>15µmol/L), which increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Homocysteine is a non-protein amino acid that can be converted into methionine or cysteine with the assistance of B-class vitamins. A deficiency in vitamin B can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. Since methylcobalamin is a type of vitamin B12, it aids in the metabolism of homocysteine, reducing its accumulation in the body, thus treating hyperhomocysteinemia.
Fourthly, methylcobalamin can be used to treat optic nerve damage.
Optic nerve damage is a disease caused by the impaired conduction function due to certain pathogenic factors in the optic nerve conduction pathway. Methylcobalamin can be used to treat optic nerve damage due to its nerve-nourishing properties.
Considering the excellent effects of methylcobalamin, how long should diabetic patients take it for? Since diabetic peripheral neuropathy is irreversible, the duration of methylcobalamin use varies. For mild neuropathy, it is generally taken for 3-6 months, while severe cases may require long-term medication.
Despite its benefits, methylcobalamin also has side effects, the most serious being the possibility of severe allergic reactions, including rash, hives, facial swelling, anaphylactic shock, and occasionally mild gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
