B-12 is an unusual water-soluble vitamin. It does not leave your body when you urinate. Instead, your liver stores excess B-12. Vital for the health of red blood cells and nerves, this nutrient is available from meats, dairy and eggs, as well as from fortified foods. You do not need to supplement it unless your doctor determines the need. Vitamin B-12 and certain drugs may interact adversely, whether you get the nutrient from foods or supplements.
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Proton pump inhibitors treat Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Excess gastric acid that results in ulcers characterizes Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when stomach acid flows up into the esophagus, causing injury and sometimes cancer in the alimentary canal. To alleviate these two conditions, proton pump inhibitors reduce gastric acid. Food-derived B-12 can only be released into the bloodstream if there is enough stomach acid to extract the nutrient from the food. Thus, when you take proton pump inhibitors, not only is gastric-acid production impaired, so is the absorption of vitamin B-12.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, an anesthetic used in surgeries, prevents your body from assimilating vitamin B-12. The interaction can result in a type of anemia associated with low levels of vitamin B-12. You can also develop a condition of the peripheral nerves known as neuropathy, characterized by numbness and weakness.
Chloramphenicol
An antibiotic, chloramphenicol can neutralize the effect of vitamin B-12 supplements during anemia treatment. As B-12 promotes the production of red blood cells, chloramphenicol keeps the same cells from maturing.
Arsenic Trioxide
Arsenic trioxide treats cancer of the blood and bone marrow. When administered to patients who are also taking vitamin B-12 supplements, this drug may induce an abnormal heartbeat. Doctors may prescribe potassium, a mineral that supports the heart, to counteract this effect.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B-12 -- All Information; Linda Vorvick, M.D., et al.; March 14, 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin B-12; Jane Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; August 2007
- Linus Pauling Institute: Glossary -- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
- Linus Pauling Institute: Glossary -- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Drugs.com: Drug Interactions Between Chloramphenicol and Vitamin B-12
- Drugs.com: Arsenic Trioxide
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