B12 deficiency causing autonomic dysfunction?

[hikerunner]

Symptoms after two sessions of dental work which included the use of fentayl, nitrous oxide:

1.  extreme muscle aches

2.  fast heart rate at inappropriate times

3.  arms and legs falling asleep at night

4.  insomnia/fatique

6.  pins and needles feeling in my arms

Until I had that dental work I was in excellent health. I searched and searched and cannot figure out what caused this chronic fatique snydrome. I have had every heart test possible and they have turned out ok.  It appears to be some type of autonomic dysfunction. It is like my nervous system is out of whack. All typical Lab tests all come out fine. Wondering if these symptoms could be caused by Vitamin B12 deficiency after nitrous oxide use. I do have celiac sprue and may have had a subclinical Vitamin B12 deficiency. MCV, Hgb, Hct all within normal range but never had a B12 test. Before ill and even after ill was taking a Vitamin B complex supplement that included folate and B12, never took mega doses of anything.   Always very careful. Could the folic acid have covered up the hematological symptoms? What are the signs of irreversible damage.



Still waiting for neurologist appt researched and decided it was probably safe to take about 1000mcg of Vitamin B12 methycolbalmin orally.  All medical literature says it is non-toxic. But yet, I got very sick.  Got sick after 3-4 days stopped...felt better...started re-taking got sick again.  Dizzy, fast heartrate, vomiting.  Could I be correct in my assumption that it is B12 and I am repleting too fast?  Have you ever heard of this before? Could I get better?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Just two administrations of nitrous oxide would probably not be enough to causs a clinically significant B12 deficiency. However Celiac sprue is associated with B12 deficiency due to lack of absorption from the small intestine.



Folic acid can cover signs of B12 deficiency, but appropriate suspicion and lab testing should be able to make the diagnosis.



B12 deficiency can affect the spinal cord and cause problems with sensory symptosm and loss of balance. It can also affect eyesight, and cognitive function if severely deficient.



Despite many causes of B12 deficiency being malabsorption from the gut, high oral dose have been found to be effective. Alternately one can bypass the GI system and get B12 intramuscular injections.



I'm not sure why you had that reaction to B12. Although I cannot give you a formal medical opinion on this site, it may be a possible allergic reaction to a constituent of the B12 formulation. Perhaps B12 injections if you are truly deficient may be the better option - check with your doctors.



Good luck

[Citizen T]

Your B12 levels can be checked with a simple blood test.

[Citizen T]

Don't take any supplements as it will throw off the test...you want to know what your body is doing naturally first

[heart2heart]

A lot of your symptoms sound like fibromyalgia. Why would you have a vitamen B12 deficiency if you eat normally and take a multivitamen?

[NURSELPN]

Are you only taking B-12 or is it a combination B vitamin?



I have true B-12 definiency with a B-12 of 89 when found also my MCV, hgb, hct has always been normal. It is possible to have low B-12  & a normal CBC...I'm living proof. I'm not sure what the poster meant by subclinical, unless it's a B-12 between 200-400.

This is a good web site for B-12 info ... http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57840

[Floxie99]

Have you, in the past year, been treated with a fluoroquinolone-based antibiotic (levaquin, tequin, cipro, floxin, etc)? Maybe after your dental treatment?

If so, you may be suffering from an adverse reaction to that drug. These reactions can come on long after you are treated, and cause long-lasting pain and other symptoms like you describe. Very often those hurt think they have MS, or ALS, or fibromyalgia, or a host of other maladies. They spend thousands of dollars getting MRI, blood and other tests done. Most doctors don't know anything about the condition and often tell the patient it's all in their heads.

  

If you are suffering these weird symptoms, I suggest you check out the following sites:

www.medicationsense.com

www.fqvictims.org

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/quinolones

[wndchyme]

I don't know where to begin ... reading this post is like reading the difficulties I have had.  



I have not been tested for celiac sprue, which is what I believe may be the cause of my difficulties.  I finally got to the doctor during the time I was feeling awful (racing heart at inappropriate times, vomiting, weak, fatigue, bruising, bone and muscle pain, headaches).  I recently found a (MSN,ARNP,CDE) in my local doctor's office that has seen me sick and listened to me enough to send me for testing.



My MCV, Hematocrit and hemoglogin are all normal.  I had resorted to going to get my blood tested (women's panel) on my own.  The only thing out of the ordinary was my WBC counts which have a weird trend to them gradually increasing neutrophils (I don't have the results in front of me so I can't write what the other granulocytes were like).  Sorry a little side tracked -



I recently went to this same woman for awful jaw pain.  I went to the dentist first who said it was not a dental problem and to me to go to my GP.  They gave me tegretal for suspected trigeminal neuralgia - after two weeks of tylenol and one night of pain medication every 4 hours - and not much sleep) - I was able to sleep. I was sent for blood work B12 220 and Iron 45 (the iron in february was 78).  I was also sent for a MRI and they found a small (REALLY SMALL BENIGN TUMOR on my trigeminal nerve) which could have cause the trigeminal neuralgia. A week ago a gastric emptying test revealed that I had slow gastric emptying, which could cause the vomiting.



I don't know what to think ... I am 30 years old and these "illnesses" are trend toward people older than myself.  I just learned that BC could deplete my body of vitamin B, which my GYN failed to tell me.



I am sorry to write a book but I don't know what to think anymore.  If taking some type of vitamins would help me feel better I would love to know what to take instead of heavy medications (right now I am just taking what i need to avoid that awful pain).  I read that low B12 can cause all of the problems that I am having - including the numb limbs which I thought was carpal tunnel (although, I do type most of the day at work). Now because a small schwannoma was found I am being sent to a neurosurgeon for possible surgery - no thanks- although I'll go to the appointment.  How do I know that it was not there already? or the TN is not being caused by the low b12. Maybe I would feel differently if the other things could be explained.  I am actually comfortable with the woman I am seeing right now - I hate going to the doctor  and have to feel horrible for going but at least now i am getting some answers and not just leaving and getting a cold a few days later.



I did not know about the cipro thing - had problems with my kidneys in december and have felt worse in the past few months ... I hesitate to take medication for that reason. My husband and mother agree that I may want to get my medical records together and go to a major hospital for a diagnosis BUT what kind of specialist would I see?  I am going nuts because sometimes I feel so bad that I think I just won't wake up one morning ...



thanks for your time hope I did not write tooooo much

wndchyme

[wndchyme]

forgot to mention that during the "icky" times my lymph nodes are swollen also ... will not having enough b12 cause that also?



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