If you are tested for B-12, a good idea, get the number results and unit of measure. Do not accept "It's normal" as an answer.
If the level is under 350, methylmalonic acid and homocysteine should be tested. These usually expose a false normal.
Make sure the doctor know that a large percentage of those with neurologic damage from B-12 deficiency are NOT anemic. They can become badly disabled and near death before developing the blood disorder.
Also,
Dear Dianne:
Sorry that your having problems. The usual things we think about causing symptoms of paresthesias can be vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetes, alcoholism, refsum, collagen vascular diseases, genetic diseases (which are pretty rare and likely you don't have these), etc. Most of these can be detected by some simple lab tests such as vitamin B12 level, CBC, ANA, sedimentation rate, etc. Some of these can be ruled out by history (i.e. symptoms eating certain types of food, family history, diabetes, social history). Assuming that your neurological exam is perfectly normal, then any one of these enities would be in their preliminary stages and might not be diagnosed by lab results only. Some diseases take alittle time before they become evident and only give "soft signs" early on. Some tyes of peripheral neuropathies can be detected by EMG but usually one waits for more signs of peripheral abnormalities. Evoked potentials can detect some demyelinating and neuronal loss diseases and is a possible test to consider. I would think that the best way to approach this is to get some of the basic labs as mentioned as see what would be next. In your favor is the completely normal MRI/MRA of the brain.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD