Recently diagonossed with B12 deficiency. I am 36 and my B12 is at 206. I had burning sensation which started in my left arm one fine day and spread over to left leg, hand and shoulder blade. Then next day it started with muscle pain in both hands and shoulders.
I was shit scared as I thought it to be a Heart issue. My GP who has 35 years experience asked me to do B12 test along with other blood tests. He examined me and took an ECG which was normal. My Lipid, Cholesterol, sugar tests are all NORMAL. but B12 was at 206 which he said is deficiency. He said I need to be at around 600 at least. He has started course of 10 injections - twice a week 1500 mcg dose.
My burning sensation is gone. Also the muscle pain has reduced a lot but then at times the rib case bone near my breastbone has dull pain. Since last 3 weeks, he checked my BP twice a week which was always in the 120/70 range even when I am anxious.
The lasting impact of this left side burning and muscle pain is that I am under constant fear of being a heart patient. I do not smoke, do not drink, am I vegeterian and walk 30 mins a day without any sweat. I dont know but I get depressed about if I am a heart patient. He has counselled me many times that had it been the case, he would have noticed it while physically examining me (Even ECG was normal) but somehow every 2-3 days I get this feeling of doom. He says its all in my brain and I should let go this thought.
I wonder if this feeling of depression or anxiety is also because of B12 deficiency. I have had 7 jabs already and now 3 more to go before he starts with tablets. How much is usually absorbed by body out of this 1500 mcg jab?
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linkerror
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Depending on how strict a vegetarian you are that may be the cause of your deficiency as it is from eating animal products that we source B12 from our food.
It is also important that your Folate level is monitored as this is essential to process the B12.
There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.
Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:
symptoms related to anaemia
reduced sense of taste
diarrhoea
numbness and tingling in the feet and hands
muscle weakness
depression
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.
It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are having injected starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.
I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.
A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.
I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.
Was very pleased to hear your doc treated you promptly with injections but a bit concerned to hear that the plan is to put you on tablets afterwards as if you have absorption issues they will be of little use. It sounds like you are starting to heal with the help of jabs so do point out the latest BCSH guidelines to your doctor. It can be a long road to improvement but keep at it. Hopefully the more improvement you see the better you will feel emotionally too. Feeling rubbish and not knowing why could also be causing your anxiety. So you know why you are deficient?
I am based in India sorry to miss out on this info.
This deficiency all of a sudden struck me in mid Jan this year. I had 0 anxiety and chest pain issues in my life so far. I might have been deficient for some time and it might have crashed so badly that all of a sudden I fell sick.
The chest pain is dull (kind of very mild) but the impact that it had on my brain is so severe that I get scared the moment I feel a little discomfort. My pulse when I am anxious is always between 80-95 while at rest its between 60-78. All the blood reports indicate that I should not have any heart issues but the anxiety is through the roof.
I do not eat any kind of meat but eggs once in a while. My main source of B12 has always been Milk and dairy products (Cottage cheese, cheese, Yogurt etc).
The symptoms have started to vanish but I still have this muscle pain (I feel so) in my back, around ribs, shoulders and at times in legs. I dont know when this thought and anxiety related to cardiac issue is going to heal. It has started affecting my social life too nowdays. Wife is tensed to see me depressed as I have never ever been this depressed in my life. I was operated for an inguinal hernia 3 years back even then I was not at all tensed/anxious. Chest pain has made me miserable for no good reason.
This is why I was wondering if this anxiety and sense of doom is also because of the B12 deficiency. I hope this would also go away sooner than later. Any idea on an average how much B12 is absorbed when taken through intramuscular injection? Have had 7 1500 mcg jabs already and getting impatient to be NORMAL again
linkerror - thank you for clarifying where you are based - protocols for treating B12 deficiency and PA vary a lot from country to country and most of what is talked about on this forum by way of guidelines relates to the UK and may not be appropriate to India.
are you being treated with methylcobalamin? this can cause anxiety in some people and it may be worth trying either hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin to see if this improves things.
This post may help you understand a bit more what may be going on with the intrusive thoughts about a heart condition and help you find a way of dealing with those thoughts
the tablets your doctor prescribes will be high dose oral - these can be very effective for people with absorption problems but they don't work for everyone so if the symptoms start to get worse or come back then do talk through with your docotr
I am having Mecobalamin jab twice a week. It also has folate in addition to B12. The jab has 1500 mcg B12 strength.
I am done with 7 shots already and 3 are pending. Post that he would prescribe me oral supplements. This has happened for the first time in my life and so I am at sea as far as coping up is concerned.
Fortunately, the burning sensation in hands, legs and shoulders is almost 90% gone but I still have very dull muscle ache in left arm and lower back. Since last 2 weeks or so, having this mild chest pain which is troubling me. The idea of heart problem is troublesome more than the actual pain. Its a very mild pain near breastbone and at the bottom end of rib cage on left side (Near stomach).
I had asked him for another ECG which after checking me he politely refused. That time I had BP 118/73 and pulse of around 80. He said its only my anxiety that is troubling me. My blood reports are normal which indicate I am clinically good and my BP and first ECG (When I was at peak of trouble) is normal.
I hope this muscle pain would subsidies and would help me calm down as early as possible. I dont think I am not able to absorb B12 as this is first time (I am 36 now) I am having this trouble. Being a Vegeterian has its own issues. May be I should now include dairy products in my daily diet.
Hi linkerror. My sympathies are with you as for many many years i have battled with this too. It was made more complicated by having a hiatus hernia which causes same sort of symptoms as heart attack. Also had very bad panic attacks and depression. This went on for years until one young lady doctor picked up on some of my symptoms and did blood tests. My B12 was 96. I still have to fight battles at our health centre but I found on the wonderful B12 patches. Such a blessing. Also they have made a vast difference to the leg cramps i was getting every morning. I live in the UK and get the patches of Amazon uk. Hope you get the help you need. ☺
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