B12 deficiency, Pernicious Anaemia and a Slipped Disc.

[midnyteangelex]

I was diagnosed with anaemia when I was 13, I had to take iron tablets and eventually stopped taking them because I was unreliable (and just to add, I had the contraceptive implant put in at this time)...but years later when I turned 18 I was told I had to have B12 injections for the rest of my life, I have them every 3 months, I am now 22.

I have noticed I have gained weight and I feel more fatigued, tired and my muscles are absolutely in pain every time I try to use them, walking and daily tasks are okay but I am constantly aching, I don't do much exercise and when I do, even just walking around a town, I feel dead tired. I easily get ill, so my immune system isn't great.

I also have a slipped disc in my spine which is very painful and reduces me to hard exercises, which then causes me to have insomnia and not sleep very peacefully and in pain when I wake up, headache, groggy and just feeling like I haven't slept enough even after if I sleep a good 12 hours! I feel I have no energy at all! My hair used to be very long and healthy and now it is always damaged and does not grow, it just falls out everywhere.

I also used to suffer with very bad thrush down below as a teenager and now it has become better, but unfortunately replaced with genital herpes which causes me to have very painful blisters, (stupid ex boyfriend didn't tell me about it :@) but anyway as you could see I flare up very easily due to being run down quite a lot.

My only wish is to not feel so tired, lethargic, fatigued and in pain. I want to find a way to grow my hair and lose weight and gain some energy to do it!...any suggestions or something similar you have experienced please let me know it would help a lot.

Thanks.

[GavinUK]

Hi,

I'm afraid I don't have a huge expertise to offer, but really sorry you are feeling like that.

Some of the symptoms definitely sound B12 deficiency - but could also be symptoms of Folate or Iron deficiency.

Do you know if you have ever been tested for Folate/iron levels?

Do you symptoms improve when you get the injection and then get worse? it may be that the B12 injections aren't often enough

I'm only learning about this stuff recently, but much more experienced people do suggest that a low folate can often happen when you are on a b12 injection. Have you ever been prescribed other supplements or advised on them?

It seems to help a lot if you have any blood tests with figures, as that often gives a much better idea of what might be going on.

What should be happening of course, is that a GP is concerned about these issues and trying to solve them (with investigations/referrals if needed). Sadly these days that often seems to be harder to find, given time and financial resources on the system.

Do you have a good GP and have you discussed this with them? It might be that a referral to a haematologist would worth seeking to ensure nothing else is going on - people with the auto immune form of B12 deficiency seem often prone to other issues (thyroid, gastric, etc.)

Hopefully someone else can give you more specific advice, but it does sound like you need to find an answer - no-one should have to deal with symptoms like this on their own...

All the best

Gavin

[midnyteangelex in reply to GavinUK]

Thank you very much for shedding some light about it, I have no idea about this, I am going to discuss it with my doctor soon I think. No I don't take any supplements and I do notice that after about a month of my injection I feel awful, so yes I will ask for a blood test soon. I did take iron tablets before so I'm guessing yes? Haha I'm not sure.

[MariLiz]

It might be worth asking your GP to check your thyroid function too. Many of the symptoms of low B12 are similar to underactive thyroid. Both conditions can occur together.

[midnyteangelex in reply to MariLiz]

Oh dear I bloody hope not! My mum has overactive thyroid and a lot of other problems too she also has anaemia and a b12 deficiency..

[MariLiz in reply to midnyteangelex]

Well I hope not too, but if your Mum has issues then definitely worth getting it checked out.

I have both, plus fibromyalgia and a dodgy back.