Haven't posted on here for a long time - but thought that for anyone who remembers me I would post an update.
Think the last post was around start of May when my GP tried to put me on anti-depressants rather than talk to me about the implications of my B12 Deficiency. Anyway, that resulted in me trying a nasal spray at high doses and that really seemed to work for me. Went from struggling to walk and balance to being quite comfortable perching at the top of a ladder pruning my grape-vine in just a couple of weeks.
Life is still quite stressful - mainly the job and just not being happy there anymore - but I would generally say that I was stressed rather than depressed - and the 3-4 days before a period can get really bad - certainly did last month. However, I'm actively looking for a new job now so just a question of waiting for the right thing to come along and selling myself properly ... don't want to go from frying pan to fire and I'm actually really bad at selling me so there's a bit of stress there as well.
I'm finding it a lot easier to be around other people and actually initiating conversations a lot more and find myself strongly suspecting that I've been suffering from the effects of B12 deficiency on the psychological level for many years which makes me sad that it seems to be a condition that GPs are unaware of on so many levels. The US equivalent of NICE has a section of it's website devoted to B12 and that starts with the banner headline that 1 in 31 of the population over the age of 51 will be suffering from a B12 deficiency, which to my mind makes it much more of a mainstream illness than the knowledge of GPs in the UK would suggest. Leaving aside autoimmune conditions that prevent absorption of B12 from the diet as you get older acid levels in the stomach change and that affects the absorption as well so as you get older the chances of developing a deficiency increase ... and that goes for so many vitamins.
I've been spending a lot more of my time on the PAS forum than this forum - very different - as tends to be about support in diagnosis and treatment than a place to share what is generally going on in your life and gain contact with people.
Cats are all well ... including the neighbour's cats who are siblings of mine and regularly come round to visit ... so getting through a lot of catfood. Have enjoyed counting butterflies and running over the summer ... and generally enjoyed playing bowls - helped by the weather having been much better than last year - at least until recently. Still meditating though not quite as regularly - certainly found it extremely useful when the anxiety got really bad a couple of weeks ago.
Anyway, hope everyone else is well.
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Gambit62
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Nice to read what happening in your life. I'm glad your feeling better, good luck
With job search, although that would be a bit stressful.
I take B vitamins and never have many problems like you have experienced.
I suppose I never found it hard talking to people or stuff like you have experienced.
I think also if someone has Clinical Depression they would need antidepressants,
As most Doctors now say we are taking too many supplements, a sensible balanced
Diet is enough. They say we don't need all the vitamins we take. But if you feel
Better that's the main thing. I always got the impression that you were anti
Antidepressants, but the thing to have is balance.
I'm glad Cats are good too, do you miss the support element we have here? Or
Do you feel you cannot relate? I think everyone gets stressed at some stage of
Their life, and if you live alone it makes it a bit harder I think.
Gambit it's good to hear from you. And I hope you get a job you want, I'm sure
That will help too. None of us has everything. I'm retired now and love this, but
I have been diagnosed recently with Spinal Problems.
I have found the breathing excercises in Mindfullness Meditation good, for me
It's trying to get a balance.
Hannah xx
Gambit nice to talk again.
Hi Gambit,
Glad to here you have found help with the vit B deficiency that is helping you, I agree with Hannah, having a good balanced diet is the best, but from what I read it never seems to be enough anymore due to pollutants and processed foods. Hopefully in the future they will develop a simple testing system that will be able to tell us what minerals or vitamins we are deficient in, which will make GP’s lives a lot easier J, until then I think they still hand that one over to the alternative therapists and just focus on mainstream illnesses and correcting them, without the thought that those may have been coursed by the deficiency in the first place.
I guess at the end of the day all we can do is try some of these supplements and see what the effects are? When you find something that makes a difference, stick with it.
It’s sad that so many people are now stuck in stressful jobs they hate, when you think we spend a third of our lives working! I so wish it was the same as when I was young and if you went for 6 interviews you would have 6 offers to chose from! Now you are lucky to even get replies L But you cant get the right job unless you keep plugging away at it, so you are on the right path there. You can always look to extra studying if that appeals to you? The main thing is to sit and decide what it is you would most like doing and what you need to do to achieve that?
Just to be perfectly clear - I have an absorption problem with B12 so it wouldn't matter how balanced my diet is I would not and do not manage to get enough of it through diet. It isn't a vitamin that you can synthesis from food/other vitamins either.
B12 Deficiency is a serious condition which left untreated results in degeneration of the nervous system, cardiovascular problems and organ failure. It is actually a killer. Unfortunately the symptoms are frequently mistaken for other illnesses so the problem just gets worse and worse and many people have permanent nerve damage before they actually start getting the treatment they need ... which is actually very scary. The regime for treating it in this country is far from ideal with a one-size fits all approach that doesn't actually seem to have much if any real scientific basis and leaves many sufferers feeling like zombies most of the time. That is probably the thing that scares me most.
Unfortunately the answer is probably no though someone posted about some research on some research that was throwing up a test that might be more accurate that than the ones that are done at the moment. In UK the test that is done on NHS is a blood serum which counts total B12 not just the active forms so you can be suffering without it actually showing up. There is a more accurate test (active B12) but that isn't available on the NHS - though I don't think it is that inexpensive - but there isn't anything that is anywhere near as accurate as the blood-glucose etc that you can use for diabetes, which is probably part of the problem.
Siblings of my cats Though I'm not sure that it wouldn't be nice to be a cat - providing I was pampered.
Hi Gambit nice to see you again. I am sorry you are still having B12 problems but the nasal spray sounds hopeful. Don't be a stranger and do keep in touch please. Lots of love xx
Good to hear from you and glad things are going well for you.
I also find taking B12 helps things - it's interesting that you say it helps balance and coordination problems as that's what I have found too. I'm also taking some other supplements and when I stop taking them after a few days the joint problems recur, so who knows...
Keep in touch when you feel like it, I just dip in now and then, otherwise just quickly skim for people I know.
Nice to hear from you. I haven't been on since early in the year either as I cut down on my meds and my mood actually went up. I nearly got off them completely when my hubby decided to tell me he was falling in love with my BF! That totally knocked me off my pedestal and put me back to square one.
My Mum has to have B12 injections too and is suffering with a lot of digestive probs so much so that she has to go in for a colonoscopy tomoz and is terrified as she is also diabetic and they've said she could go into a hypo coma so has to stay overnight.
I was just wondering about the nasal spray you mentioned like where you get it from etc.
Sorry to hear about your hubby. Have you managed to talk things through properly? it is quite a disconcerting thing to happen to say the least so not surprised that it bowled you over.
Sorry to hear about your mum - guess she spends a lot of time sitting around waiting to feel better before her next injection. Was the diagnosis pernicious anaemia - another autoimmune response and unfortunately you can get several together and as the symptoms of B12D overlap with diabetes and thyroid it can get awfully complex. Digestive problems are often associated with B12 though I don't think its quite clear when its cause and effect. Really hope that the procedure goes well.
In general I do two squirts x3 per day so one bottle usually last me 3-4 weeks so quite expensive on one level ... as B12 is water soluble anything that the body needs is dealt with so no risk of overdosing (hydroxocobalamin is even used at doses much higher than I'm taking to treat cyanide poisoning). Need to be careful with other vitamins though - eg B6 as these can have some nasty side-effects if you have too much. Other people try sublingual tablets and even skin patches to supplement.
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and I'm actually really bad at selling me so there's a bit of stress there as well.
Update 
This time of year.....
The Weekend me: anyone else completely different at weekends? And how can I move beyond the surface with people; does it all take time?
after some advice? (long post)
First time 
