Hi I have been directed here by the Thyroid UK forum since I have hypothyroidism and positive thyroid antibodies which I take medication for. I am here about my symptoms doctor says are not thyroid. Diagnosed with under active thyroid in 2012. Symptoms are dry skin, bruising, dry eyes, wrist pain, joint pain, muscle cramps, breathlessness, heavy and irregular periods, difficulty swallowing, feeling sick, goitre, hair loss, pale skin, weight gain. I also have neurological symptoms which I think really should be looked into since they affect my day to day functioning. I take 5mg folic acid and I had my first B12 injection 2 months ago which did not make me feel any different from the time I had it taken until now and I am starting to doubt I need them. Results after supplementing. Thanks for reading.
Folate 3.8 (2.5 - 19.5)
Vitamin B12 245 (190 - 900)
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Lightseeker1
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How long after your B12 injection and starting supplementing with folic acid were the above test results or are they both from before?
Symptoms of B12 deficiency tend to develop slowly and may not be recognised immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:
Weakness and fatigue
Light-headedness and dizziness
Palpitations and rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance
Nausea or poor appetite
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes
If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:
Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
Difficulty walking
Muscle weakness
Irritability
Memory loss
Dementia
Depression
Psychosis
Your having thyroid problems may put you at risk of developing a Vitamin B12 deficiency and I see you can tick several of the above symptoms.
If you are in the UK make a list of your symptoms and present this to your doctor and ask him to treat you according to your symptoms and (perhaps) even start you on loading doses "until there is no further improvement" according to the N.I.C.E guidelines below. Click on the link, then on "Scenario: Management" and scroll down to "Treatment for B12 deficiency"
More learned persons than I are suggesting it's more to do with your thyroid problems (about which I know nothing) but your Folate is still pretty low having supplemented for 4 months and a Folic acid deficiency may cause:
symptoms related to anaemia
reduced sense of taste
diarrhoea
numbness and tingling in the feet and hands
muscle weakness
depression
fatigue,
irritability,
poor growth
smooth and tender tongue
Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body and your B12 levels are "bumping along the bottom of the range as well.
Remember I'm not medically trained.
I believe b12 should be around 500 in results. I took my symptoms into my own hands when doctors told me everything was normal results and mine was 197. My symptoms were the same as you describe.
I take sublingual b12 everyday plus folic acid and I have never felt so well. After a long time going to the doctors and him telling me there was nothing wrong with me it was all in my head except hashimotos for which the only treatment was levothyroxine. I then researched this forum and found my own cure. I take vit c with my thyroxine on an empty tummy before breakfast. Then later in the day b12 and folic acid and vit d too. I feel wonderful. I am also losing weight.
I would say do your own research as doctors are not much good in thyroid problems unless you go private which many people can't afford.
Best wishes.
My symptoms were quickly and continue to be, relieved by taking supplements so much so that my symptoms, especially sore tongue and Neuro type memory loss have gone. I feel well. It works for me.
I hadn't felt well in 2 years. Levothyroxine I'm on the same dose as 2 years ago. The supplements are the only difference. I feel so well now.
Although many symptoms of Hashimoto's autoimmune overlap with PA/B12, the neurological symptoms above are more likely be attributed to poor absorption of B12, (as well as other essential nutrients) and should, therefore, be taken seriously, and be treated adequately and without delay.
"Chronic atrophic gastritis is clinically silent in most cases and only a small percentage of patients may complain about dyspeptic symptoms. A well-described clinical feature of thyrogastric syndrome is represented by the presence of an iron-deficient and/or a PA. In fact, it has been demonstrated that an iron-deficient anemia, refractory to oral iron therapy, in patients with Hashimoto's Thyroid, may be due to chronic atrophic gastritis (13). The clinical signs of this disease appear after several years of its onset, when the progressive reduction to disappearance of the parietal cells leads to atrophy of the gastric mucosa, impairing the absorption of iron, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), folate, and other nutrients (22). "
Good luck Lightseeker1
PS. Also Dutch links on PAS pinned posts with results and the need for early and adequate treatment
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