Surgery

[Gcart]

Hope ok to ask here usually on thyroid uk

Had B12. 411 back in June

I know that's not very low, but I had symptoms of pins and needles and numbness in feet and hands. Not all the time but at night and when I sat down.

Not sure if it was due to b12 or thyroid issues.

Anyway I took sublingual B 12 and continued getting thyroid levels ok.

Whatever helped doesn't matter because that problem has all gone🙂

I have lost half of my colon to surgery and second surgery took hemicolectomy to cancer. That second up was. Mostly the caecum excised. So not too much left !

Would that cause b12 slightly low? Or is all the b12 used in the stomach alone.

Thanks for your kind consideration X

[fbirder]

Would that cause b12 slightly low? Or is all the b12 used in the stomach alone.

Sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations.

B12 is absorbed in the small intestine (the ileum), but it needs an escort molecule (Intrinsic Factor) to get across the gut wall. IF is produced in the stomach.

So the large intestine isn't involved with B12 absorption.

There are many different causes of your neuropathy symptoms (I have a book all about it). The best thing to do is to see a neurologist and ask him to try and find a possible reason for it.

[Gcart in reply to fbirder]

Thank you very much for clearing that up x

[Polaris]

You've had gastric surgery Gcart, so it's absolutely essential that your GP ensures you do not become more deficient by monitoring and treating with B12 injections for life, as set out in the guidelines and latest research below. I suggest you write a tactful but firm letter to the surgery and take someone with you for moral support to your next appointment to ensure that the surgery comply, as "deficiencies in the spinal fluid begin to appear below 500 pg/ml" :

BCSH Guidelines - See B12 deficiency guidelines on page 4 :

bcshguidelines.com/4_HAEMAT...

(Bottom of page 10) :

"Poor absorption due to gastrointestinal surgery or disease.

1 Patients who have had gastric surgery have a high preva- lence of cobalamin deficiency (Sumner et al, 1996), "

..............

Also latest BMJ research document :

cmim.org/pdf2014/funcion.ph... :

Page 2

Box 1 Common causes of vitamin B12 deficiency5-

* Impaired gastric absorption

• Pernicious anaemia• Gastrectomy—partial or total • Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Page 5 :

"Summary of treatment and management of vitamin B12 deficiencyIdentify and treat the cause

Administerhydroxycobalamin(parenteralvitaminB12)1mgintramuscularlyonalternatedaysfortwoweeksifthereisnoneurological involvement

Prescribe lifelong maintenance parenteral vitamin B12 treatment with hydroxycobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly every three months if no neurological deficit, or every two months if there is neurological deficit to all those with irreversible malabsorption or after gastric surgery, pernicious anaemia, and any other irreversible cause "

[Gcart]

Thank you Polaris. Finding my way round all of this, your input is invaluable

This forum is a god send. I have been trying improving my well being since joining 🙂😘