Just found out I have a fairly severe B-12 deficiency...

[armyowalgreens]

The doctor said I need to start taking B-12 tablets immediately. And I now have to get weekly B-12 shots.

This could explain why I am so lethargic all the time. Vision problems, memory loss, muscle weakness, limited energy, depression. I heard these could all be tied to a bad B-12 deficiency.

Does anyone have experience with this?


I hope this is in the right section of DU.

[notadmblnd]

1. A lot of women go to the diet drs for b-12 shots

some do it to aid in losing weight, some get them to help with their energy levels. I keep vitimin b complex and take that daily. I buy it over the counter. Trader Joe's has the melt in your mouth ones. I like those too.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Let me guess. Sunbelt?

Exposure to sunshine can produce vitamin-D, but it destroys vitamin B-12, especially among people with fair skin.

[armyowalgreens]

4. I live in AZ.

I haven't gone back to the doctor yet, but they took the time to call me after hours in order to immediately schedule a shot for tomorrow. So it must be pretty bad.

I'm pretty young, 19, so do you think that changes anything with the diagnosis or treatment?

[Xipe Totec]

15. What matters is how much time you spend in the sun, without sun block

Fortunately, there are a lot of foods with vitamin B-12, especially breads which are fortified.

If the doctor has called you in, he (or she) will have all the advice you need so don't worry about it.

Take care! :hi:

[peacetalksforall]

19. Would a tanning light be equivalent to the sun in terms of destroying B-12?

Just curious. I don't use one, but I like to know the logic as trivia.

I believe I get sun sick. I think I'll try B-12 after being in the sun to see if I feel better. Seems kind of questionable for an occasional outing in the sun, but I'd like to know why I feel sick. I've complained about not being able to think straight.

[Xipe Totec]

27. There was a Scientific American article last year

On the evolution of melanin (skin pigmentation) and why dark skin is predominant in equatorial regions and light skin predominant in Arctic regions.

"Skin color results from the presence of the pigment melanin, an organic molecule that absorbs UV radiation and neutralizes free-radicals produced by UV radiation. Why do we need worry about UV radiation? UV radiation causes mutations in skin cells leading to skin cancer, and also destroys the essential B vitamin, folate, which is involved in DNA synthesis. The more melanin, the more protection against UV radiation and the darker the skin.

Hmm, if that is the case, why do not all humans have dark skin? Better to protect against cancer then, isn't it?"

It all boils down to a balance between vitamin D production and vitamin B-12 protection.

Here is a link to a related article:

http://www.scientificblogging.com/the_evilutionary_biologist/colors_of_the_world


To answer your question, yes, a tanning light would cause the same loss of B-12.

If you take in enough UV to tan, you should check your vitamin B-12 levels.

[peacetalksforall]

34. Not me, no money to pay for UV - no interest, either. Thanks for a perfect

and complete reply. I found this all helpful.

[cpompilo]

3. I had many symptoms of B12 deficiency. I now do shots at home.

Here is some info on B12 deficiency: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/scdinfo/message/29153

[timeforpeace]

5. Vegan?

[armyowalgreens]

7. Nope. I enjoy my meat products.

I have considered becoming a vegetarian. But now I'm not so sure that's a good idea.

[Sanity Claws]

6. The next question is why you have this deficiency

Are you vegetarian? If you are, that may be why you are B12 deficient.
If you eat meat regularly and are still B12 deficient, then you are not absorbing it. There is a condition called pernicious anemia you may want to research. Another possibility may be celiac disease, in which gluten destroys the small intestine, preventing the absorption of nutrients.

[armyowalgreens]

9. I have an issue maintaining weight.

I'm 19, 5'9'' and 125 pounds. I lose weight faster than I gain weight.

If I get sick and stop eating, I can literally lose 5-10 pounds in a matter of days.

[Sanity Claws]

14. Has your thyroid been checked?

[armyowalgreens]

16. I think they checked function with my last blood test. I see the doctor next week.

My family has a long history of thyroid problems.

[Sanity Claws]

20. What kind of thyroid problems?

Autoimmune disease?
Have you been tested for autoimmune disease?

[armyowalgreens]

21. I don't know about my younger brother who was just diagnosed.

But autoimmune disease also has a long history in my family

My mom has multiple, including RA. My grandma and aunt both have MS. All of them have thyroid problems. I don't know a whole lot about them.

Edited.

[Sanity Claws]

23. With that medical history, I'm surprised it took this long to find

the B12 deficiency. I would imagine that they would have run such basic blood tests early on.
Good luck to you.

[armyowalgreens]

25. My medical endeavor has been fairly odd...

It took a really long time for me to really pin down the individual symptoms and realize that they were all connected.

Also, I am the kind of genius that lets symptoms go on for months without telling anyone.

[phillysuse]

13. Pernicious anemia, no aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia is a total marrow shutdown - no red blood cells, white blood counts or platelets.

[Sanity Claws]

17. Thanks

I noticed that I made that mistake and changed my post.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. We do at our clinic

A lot of our autistic patients have to have B12 shots, as do a number of our older patients. Personally, when I get mentally foggy and tired I take some B12 powder under my tongue. Perks me up right away.

[virgogal]

24. Is under the tongue B-12 available everyplace?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

29. We get ours through NOW foods

and it is distributed and sold nation wide.

[virgogal]

30. Thanks ! eom

[virgogal]

32. Thanks again---just found 3 retailers near me including

"Whole Foods".

[Warpy]

10. B-12 deficiency is usually a malabsorption thing

meaning you'll have to rely on injections to get enough of it since you won't be able to absorb it through your GI tract. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's very treatable by injections, usually once a month, and that you will likely feel much better very soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

[armyowalgreens]

12. I hope so. I've had issues with lethargy and depression for almost 2 years.

I went to a neurologist, an allergy doc and now they finally found the B-12 deficiency.


Words cannot express how I will feel if this is the solution to my health problems.

I find it odd that the doc wants me to get shots weekly.

[Warpy]

18. I don't, not for a severe and long standing deficiency

The doc is going to want to correct it ASAP before more damage is done.

[BonnieJW]

38. It didn't say anything about sun exposure

destroying B-12.

[phillysuse]

11. Unless you have a most peculiar diet, my guess is that you

have pernicious anemia which can be an autoimmune disease in which antibodies are made to the gastric parietal cells in the stomach which make the intrinsic factor which allows B12 to be absorbed in the terminal ileum. Other causes of B12 deficiency are in the patient who has had the last part of their intestine, the terminal ileum, removed because of Crohn's disease.

At 19 with PA, I would think you would be at risk for other autoimmune diseases such as Grave's disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, lupus etc.
The good thing about B12 deficiency is that it can be treated with replacement so that people no longer die from it as they did before B12 was found. (That's why it was called pernicious anemia).

[OHdem10]

22. I ,too, have B12 Deficiency. Began to interfere my food absorption

causing wght loss along with all the sx you mentioned.

Took injections for quite a while. Now I am using sublingual.
It is weird, how you can feel the difference as Medication
is absorbed.

[armyowalgreens]

26. Thanks for the info guys.

:pals:

[alc]

28. vertigo can be symptom (I think)

I have 2 friends who didn't have any or your symptoms but had bad vertigo. They both finally went to the doctor who said it was B-12 deficiency. The shots helped very quickly and they continue with supplements and no vertigo problems since. Not sure that info helps you at all but thought you may want to hear about it. I didn't even know vertigo was a real problem or about B-12 deficiency until I heard about one of them, then talked to the other. Good luck. Hope shots work for you as well as my other friends.

[armyowalgreens]

31. I also have issues with vertigo.

thanks for the info.

[choie]

33. Yes indeed. I had some scary symptoms...

Starting in November 2007, I experienced weird symptoms that sent me to the ER a couple of times: elevated BP, racing heart, panic attacks (I was certain I was having a heart attack and felt doomed, unable to breathe), tremors, insomnia, and so on. The ER docs checked my heart out via ECG, sonogram, and a CAT scan (to rule out a clot) and said it was fine and I was probably just having a panic attack; meanwhile, my GP just gave me beta blockers to lower my BP/heartrate and calm me down. A second ER visit with the same tachycardia/shortness of breath/facial numbness resulted in no new ideas, except that the ER doc suggested maybe I should see aneurologist just in case the numbness might be Bell's Palsy or MS.

The Neurologist asked me some questions, did a quick neuro exam, and said, "you know, you're pretty young for an MS or Parkinson's diagnosis. Before we freak out about that, did anyone ever check you for b12 deficiency?" Turns out nope, they didn't, though I did have a CBC at the ER, and two separate blood tests from my GP. So Neuro Doc did a test, and .. yep, turns out my b12 level was 150 -- ridiculously low.

Until doing the research I had no idea that low b12 could cause such symptoms. It explains soooo much about what I've been feeling since November: the apprehension/panic attacks, the racing heart, the weird tremor/buzzing sensation I have in my extremeties and face, the sore mouth, tinnitus, lethargy, depression, restless legs... it's astonishing and scary.

The ER doctors didn't bother checking because they (understandably) had to rule out the worst things first. My crappy GP did a blood test but apparently didn't check my b12 levels. From all I've read, it's not unusual for docs to misdiagnose this. The symptoms of untreated b12 deficiency are almost identical to Alzheimer's/dementia/Parkinson's, and I've read a lot that indicates some doctors misdiagnose these illnesses when it's actually low b12 that's the cause. There's a correlation between hospitalized mentally ill people and low b12, too. (BTW, normal levels should be in the 500 - thousands range. "Low" levels are usually below 200. Actually, the US is behind the curve in this area; in Japan, people will get pegged as b12 deficient if their levels drop below 500 and are treated much more quickly.)

ANYway, I began taking megadoses -- 10,000mcl -- of b12 sublingual tablets, plus I got one injection. BTW, note that there are different types of b12; there's the most common OTC version, which is Cyanocobalimin, and then there's Methalcobalamin, which is harder to find in drug stores but easily available on the Web or in health food/vitamin specialty stores. The Methyl is usually preferred, because unlike Cyano, it is a more 'direct' version that doesn't requrie extra 'conversion' by your digestive system -- Cyano has to be converted by your system to Methyl before it does its job. Also, definitely go for sublinguals (which one should let dissolve slowly under your tongue) rather than regular oral capsules. Personally I recommend Jarrow's Methyl B-12, which you can get from iHerb or other vitamin stores.

I've taken the tabs regularly until about six months ago, and I've been taking them sporadically ever since. The serious symptoms went away, but I'm afraid the tingling/tinnitus/tremors still occur, primarily when I'm tired. I suspect I caught this too late to repair the worst of the nerve damage, probably because I'd had the deficiency for many many years. However, thanks to having taken the b12 to boost my severe level depletion, at least the damage won't get any worse.

An excellent and easy to read article is here at the American Family Physician site. Or you can also try this helpful b12 tipsheet.

Best of luck to you!

[armyowalgreens]

35. I've had basically all those symptoms you mentioned...

Including sore mouth. I never even thought that could be connected.


Thanks for the info. I hope I didn't catch it to late. I'm only 19 and I don't want to have these problems for the rest of my life.

[choie]

36. Couple o' questions and some tips

Do you know what your exact level was? Anything under 500 is a warning bell, and under 200 is definitely alarming; as I mentioned, mine was 150, which is right on the edge of 'severe'.

About how long have you had the symptoms? Several months, a few years...? You're very young and your body is likely resiliant, so there's a good possibility that with taking the vitamins you'll get better. But repairing nerve damage is a gradual journey. Recovery isn't a straight line, and the odd thing about this deficiency is that as your nerves start to repair themselves, the symptoms may actually seem worse or more pronounced. It can take several months and even a few years (depending on how deficient you were, and how long this went on) before things improve completely.

The GOOD thing about this is that it is *very* easily treated, and low cost (generally speaking). Some suspect that this is one of the reasons that b12 deficiency is so undertested; not as profitable to Big Pharm. (I'm not quite that cynical, but hey, you never know!)

I will add that there are other vitamins that you can take that can be very helpful in combination with the b12. I've seen the following strongly recommended to those with b12 deficiency:

- Methyl-b12 (as mentioned, this is the optimal method; Jarrow makes a sublingual version of 5,000mcg tabs you can take once or twice daily; btw, there are NO bad effects to megadoses of b12; there is no overdose level. Double-check with your doctor, of course.)
- Omega 3 fish oil
- Methylfolate
- "B-Right" (a brand of b-complex with Niacin)
- Dibencozide (adenosylb12) - this is another form of b12 to be taken in conjunction with the methyl-b12

Do check with your doctor first, of course, but none of the above are anything but beneficial (except perhaps the B-Right w/Niacin ... Niacin can cause some allergy-like symptoms at times), and could be of great help in general anyway. One of the most amazing resources for b12 deficiency is this incredibly long thread at WrongDiagnosis.com. There are people who've been wholly incapacitated due to their b12 deficiency -- as I said, b12 deficiency can mimic Alzheimer's and MS symptoms -- and have found themselves able to walk and think straight again thanks to diligent care. You might even want to sign up and post your story there to get some advice and support.

Hope this helps! :)

[armyowalgreens]

39. I've had symptoms for just about 2 years now...

They started shortly after I had meningitis early in 2007.


I don't know my exact level yet. I see the doctor next week, but I am getting my first shot tomorrow.


Thanks for the info!

[BonnieJW]

37. My MIL has this deficiency.

She's 86 and just be glad your doctor found your deficiency early. I think my FIL was hiding my MIL's problems for quite some time. She now suffers from dementia brought on from lack of vitamin B-12. We have another friend who, in his late 20's, was having terrible coordination problems and could not get a diagnosis. I urged him to go to Johns Hopkins where there is a great neuro dept. He did and was diagnosed with severe B-12 deficiency. He began treatment, but after a couple of years, he still has problems walking.