Aa
B12 issue
Hi all~!
I have been getting some bloodwork done over the last 2 months to try and figure out what is causing my numerous symptoms. Dr seems to be looking into my B12 alot but it keeps coming back low but normal. 225 and 248. I am not sure what the other syrum tests and all that stuff is showing. I am just wondering if anyone else with low but normal levels are having some of these same symptoms or if this could be something else. He has mentioned early on that it could be MS but the brain MRI showed neg results as well as what the Neuro said. He is sending me to another Neuro for a second opion but that is a month away. Here is a breakdown of what my symps are:
numbness and tingling in feet/legs/hands/arms/face
gets worse with hot water or getting in a swimming pool
starting to get a burning feeling in the top of my hands and feet
very tired
irritable
needing my reading glasses more at work then before
my toenails turn blue at times
shaky at times
loss of strenght at times
a few times after getting out of the bath and I have more numbness in extremities, I have a little urine leakage
sex is painful most of the time
the last few days my heart starts beating hard and when I feel my pulse it stops when I feel and can see my heart "skipping" "pumping" hard.
Forgetfulness (I never had a problem remembering things but just last week i totally forgot about a conversation I had until one thing sparked my memory and then I remembered the entire thing)
less concentration than before
Any suggestions or comments about your experiences with similar symps are greatly appriciated. This waiting is really tough and I think if I talk about it more and hear from others what there stories are it may help ease my nerves in this loooonnnggg process. Thank you!
I have been getting some bloodwork done over the last 2 months to try and figure out what is causing my numerous symptoms. Dr seems to be looking into my B12 alot but it keeps coming back low but normal. 225 and 248. I am not sure what the other syrum tests and all that stuff is showing. I am just wondering if anyone else with low but normal levels are having some of these same symptoms or if this could be something else. He has mentioned early on that it could be MS but the brain MRI showed neg results as well as what the Neuro said. He is sending me to another Neuro for a second opion but that is a month away. Here is a breakdown of what my symps are:
numbness and tingling in feet/legs/hands/arms/face
gets worse with hot water or getting in a swimming pool
starting to get a burning feeling in the top of my hands and feet
very tired
irritable
needing my reading glasses more at work then before
my toenails turn blue at times
shaky at times
loss of strenght at times
a few times after getting out of the bath and I have more numbness in extremities, I have a little urine leakage
sex is painful most of the time
the last few days my heart starts beating hard and when I feel my pulse it stops when I feel and can see my heart "skipping" "pumping" hard.
Forgetfulness (I never had a problem remembering things but just last week i totally forgot about a conversation I had until one thing sparked my memory and then I remembered the entire thing)
less concentration than before
Any suggestions or comments about your experiences with similar symps are greatly appriciated. This waiting is really tough and I think if I talk about it more and hear from others what there stories are it may help ease my nerves in this loooonnnggg process. Thank you!
Lucky we have the internet! :) I'm guessing your 225 and 248 is in pg/mL. If so, that converts to 166 and 180 pmol/L. Sublingual is available in other forms but i've found the spray is the easiest as you don't have to wait for the tablets to dissolve under the tongue.
B12 deficiency symptoms >>>
http://b12d.net/book/export/html/29
Homocysteine - the silent killer >>>
http://www.squidoo.com/homocysteine-hcy
Sublingual B12 >>>
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=B12+sublingual+spray&x=0&y=0
B12 deficiency symptoms >>>
http://b12d.net/book/export/html/29
Homocysteine - the silent killer >>>
http://www.squidoo.com/homocysteine-hcy
Sublingual B12 >>>
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=B12+sublingual+spray&x=0&y=0
Thank you! :) I wonder why the dr is taking so long to diagnose this and not trying to treat it. He has not mentioned even taking otc b12 sups. I really hope the nerve damage isn't perm. I got in to see the dr. within a week of starting these symps and now we are going into the 3rd month!
Again thank you!
Again thank you!
You have vitamin B12 deficiency.
"Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?
B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.
Yet it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL."
B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences >>>
http://thehealthyskeptic.org/b12-deficiency-a-silent-epidemic-with-serious-consequences?utm_source=The+Healthy+Skeptic&utm_campaign=8b111bfd2f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email
Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency >>>
http://b12awareness.org/about-b12/causes-autoimmune-malabsorption-gastric-bypass/
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are numerous but include:
Neurologic signs and symptoms:
Numbness—tingling
Weakness of legs, arms, trunk
Impaired vibration—position sense
Abnormal reflexes
Unsteady or abnormal gait
Balance problems
Difficulty ambulating
Dizziness
Tremor
Restless legs
Visual disturbances
Forgetfulness, memory loss
Dementia
Impotence
Urinary or fecal incontinence
Psychiatric symptoms:
Depression
Irritability
Paranoia
Mania
Hallucinations
Psychosis
Violent behavior
Personality changes
Haematologic signs and symptoms:
Anaemia
Macrocytosis (enlarged red blood cells)
Generalized weakness
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Pallor
Not everyone will suffer the same symptoms (even with the same level of B12 deficiency) but the most common of all B12 deficiency symptoms is fatigue. I personally recommend sublingual (under the tongue) B12 spray. I take 2000mcg daily for my autoimmune pernicious anaemia. You should see symptoms start to improve within a few months but it can take up to a year for nerves to repair (nerve damage can be permanent). I have permanent nerve damage; my B12 serum level went down to 126pmol/L. Vitamin B12 serum levels are not optimal until they are above 800pg/mL or 600pmol/L.
"Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?
B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.
Yet it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL."
B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences >>>
http://thehealthyskeptic.org/b12-deficiency-a-silent-epidemic-with-serious-consequences?utm_source=The+Healthy+Skeptic&utm_campaign=8b111bfd2f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email
Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency >>>
http://b12awareness.org/about-b12/causes-autoimmune-malabsorption-gastric-bypass/
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are numerous but include:
Neurologic signs and symptoms:
Numbness—tingling
Weakness of legs, arms, trunk
Impaired vibration—position sense
Abnormal reflexes
Unsteady or abnormal gait
Balance problems
Difficulty ambulating
Dizziness
Tremor
Restless legs
Visual disturbances
Forgetfulness, memory loss
Dementia
Impotence
Urinary or fecal incontinence
Psychiatric symptoms:
Depression
Irritability
Paranoia
Mania
Hallucinations
Psychosis
Violent behavior
Personality changes
Haematologic signs and symptoms:
Anaemia
Macrocytosis (enlarged red blood cells)
Generalized weakness
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Pallor
Not everyone will suffer the same symptoms (even with the same level of B12 deficiency) but the most common of all B12 deficiency symptoms is fatigue. I personally recommend sublingual (under the tongue) B12 spray. I take 2000mcg daily for my autoimmune pernicious anaemia. You should see symptoms start to improve within a few months but it can take up to a year for nerves to repair (nerve damage can be permanent). I have permanent nerve damage; my B12 serum level went down to 126pmol/L. Vitamin B12 serum levels are not optimal until they are above 800pg/mL or 600pmol/L.
No MRI of the total spine. I am planning on asking the Neuro about that when I go see him in 3 weeks.
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