Questions for those who do B12 injections

BTW, you can take your used needles once your container gets full or whenever you want to any hospital or clinic and ask if they would mind disposing them. I have to have shots for another issue and I take them to my Dr office every time and they dispose of them. I felt guilty putting them in the trash. Bio hazards and needles from health care providers are incinerated first before going to landfill.

I'm too much of a chicken-**** to inject it myself. I take the vial to the walk-in and they do it for me.  By the way, my insurance doesn't cover it at all - you're lucky you at least get the B12.

At least in Texas it's legal to put your used syringes in an old milk carton and either tape it up (wax carton) or put the screw top on and then put it in the trash.

I find taking a B12 shot easier than remember to take another pill. But that is just me.  I also take Embrel shots and the company provides the little red "sharps" containers for free.

My insurance does not cover syringes either. But mine don't cost much either.

Just a side note - I also try to get my doctor to order the largest bottle of B12 each year - even multiple large bottles are better.  In case we ever have some sort of catastrophic event I never want to be without a supply of B12!  In my case I have Pernicious Anemia and so B12 is vital
to keeping me alive...so I stock pile it all the time!

Just FYI Cheers, Tee

I use www.allegro.com

My ins won't pay for them, but if I get rx, I pay no sales tax. BUT they'd be about 2/$1 I prefer to get them more like 6/$1

All told, that's $16 or so a year for every 2 weeks. For us, 2 ppl x weekly, we need 52 EACH, so I usually get a better deal on 4 bx.

One time the promo was a sharps box. I got another "new" sharps box on www.freecycle.org I got one at Costco for under $3. Then I got this HUGE one...forget where. Costco took the small ones. My doc office said they'd take the big ones if I took them out of the box (not possible), so at some point, we toss the syringes in various bits of trash (part in plastic recycle, but the plungers in the trash). Only the needles go in the sharps container.

That said, not sure where the big one will go when I can't fit one more in there. Weighs a ton. LOL

When I had gestational diabetes, I was told to cap the needles, and put them in a heavy plastic container with lid and write sharps on them.  I used an empty litter jug with the lid.  It held a lot, and I only had to dispose of them once when my pregnancy was over.  That is what I plan on doing again after surgery when I get on B12 injections.

Question about the B12 injections. How often do we have to get them? I was going to just go to a clinic and they told me that the dosage is 1000. Would that last 2 weeks or will I have to get them weekly?

It really depends on whether your B12 is low or not.  If it's good, the ASMBS recommends 1000 mcg once a month.  Mine's low so I'm doing it once a week to start with.  I'll cut back once the numbers go up some.

Kelly

My insurance pays for the B12 and the needles.  That makes no sense to me, how do they expect you to do the shots without the needles.  I Would call the insurance company and aks them why on this one.

As far as the needles go, I have a biohazard container for another injectable medication I use but you can buy them in any pharmacy and once they are filled, you can return them to the local hospital or some ambulance corp or fire departments.  Some doctors offices will even take them for you, you can check with them.  In NY, it is illegal to put them in the trash.  Kids can get there hands on them and stick themselves.

I plan to call the insurance company today.  It makes no sense to me either.  If they pay for the B12, it seems like they should pay for the needles since you must have the needles to use the B12.

I'll check with my doctor's office or the local hospital and see if they will take the needles.  It didn't seem right to me to thow them in the trash.  I would be afraid someone might get into the trash and stick themselves.  I mean, not that you should be going through someone's trash, but it happens.  Or what if raccoons get in the trash or something?  That happens around here.  They can take the lids off the trash cans and everything.

Kelly

Which type of needle did your doctor prescribe?  IM or SubQ?  It is possible that the IM is not covered for some rediculous reason but SubQ has to be covered, those are insulin needles and diabetics have to give themselves injections.  Maybe that is a way around it.  Try to get the insulin needles.