Allergy to Vitamin B12 Supplements

Someone forward you this email? No Sweat! Sign up here to get your own If you're having trouble viewing this email, click here Follow Us Allergy to Vitamin B12 Supplements Did you know that you can have allergic reactions as a result of taking large doses of vitamin B12? People who receive vitamin B12 injections, or take large amounts of vitamin B12 supplements, may experience whole-body itching and rashes as a result of contact dermatitis to cobalt.   Daniel More, MD Allergies Expert Contact Dermatitis to Cobalt Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the formation of blood cells and in the normal function of the nervous symptom. Cobalamin is usually available from dietary sources, and most multi-vitamins contain an adequate amount of vitamin B12 for good health. READ NOW Share Evaluation of Contact Dermatitis Contact dermatitis is an itchy, blistering skin rash typically caused by the direct contact of a substance with the skin. There are 2 types of contact dermatitis: irritant and allergic. This difference is often difficult to tell apart, and is not usually an important distinction to make. Contact dermatitis results in 5.7 million doctor visits each year in the United States, and all ages are affected. READ NOW Share All About Patch Testing Patch testing is used to identify causes of contact dermatitis. Contact dermatitis is an immunologic reaction to a particular substance; poison-oak (and poison-ivy and poison-sumac) is an example of such a reaction. Contact dermatitis is not a true allergy; therefore patch testing is performed in a very different way than allergy skin testing. There are no allergic antibodies involved in contact dermatitis; rather, various white blood cells entering into the skin cause the reaction. READ NOW Share MORE FROM ABOUT.COM • Does Yoga Build Strength? • Weight Gainers: Top High-Calorie Foods to Help You Gain Weight • New COPD Treatment Recommendations Published • How to Manage Your Hunger When You're Trying to Lose Weight • 10 Worst Things to Eat When You Have IBS • Foods to Avoid on a Shellfish-Free Diet • 11 Ways to Lose Weight With a Food Allergy • Top Tips for a Vasectomy Recovery Advertisement About Health   |   Follow Us: You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Allergies newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2014 About.com - All rights reserved