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WHY DO GPs USE INJECTION OF VIT. B-12 SO FREQUENTLY?
OP KAPOOR
Ex. Hon. Physician, Jaslok Hospital and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai, Ex. Hon. Prof. of Medicine, Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Mumbai 400 008.
In the past I have often mentioned in my books that GPs are very fond of and have faith in Vit. B-12 in a number of situations where scientifically, we have no proof. This includes all the neurological conditions including hemiplegia and Bell’s palsy.
In my opinion, Vit. B-12 deficiency should be excluded in every neurological case including multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease or even doubtful spinal cord compression. There is no evidence of B-12 deficiency in the diseases in which the practitioners are using large doses of injectable Vit. B-12.
Now Homocysteine aminoacid has created excitement in the field of IHD for the practising cardiologist (as did H pyloridis for the gastroenterologist). The question to be settled is whether Injection B-12 has done good to the public by keeping homocysteine levels low? Hyper-homocysteinaemia is now considered to be one of the risk factors in IHD and even in the cerebro-vascular disease.
This does not mean that I am in favour of the GPs continuing to inject Vit. B-12 when injections are known to spread Hepatitis B and C viruses.
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