Newby and confused!

[Luciejh]

Hi all, I am currently going through lots and lots of tests and appointments to find out what might be wrong. I am trying to do research on a lot of things and have consequently become very confused regarding B12 deficiency! I suffer from severe fatigue, muscular aches and pains, cognitive issues, tinnitus, abdominal issues/bloating/ibs type symptoms, headaches etc. Due to the range of symptoms I have it seems it could be down to various hidden illnesses. So, in my aim to try and find out what on earth is going on I am researching! CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, Lymes and B12 deficiency are my top research items at the moment.

So, my question is.....if B12 results are showing as within the 'normal' range, is there anything else that needs to be taken into consideration? EG-is there something else that my body is doing or not doing that could be causing it to not process the B12 correctly? So although B12 levels are ok should I still be looking into this?

Thank you so much for any replies and help!

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Luciejh

Anyone at any age, can become B12 deficient. However, certain people are at an elevated risk. They include the following:

Vegetarians, vegans and people eating macrobiotic diets.

People aged sixty and over

People who’ve undergone any gastric and/or intestinal surgery, including bariatric surgery for weight loss purposes (Gastric bypass).

People who regularly use proton-pump- inhibitors. H2 blockers, antacids, Metformin, and related diabetes drugs, or other medications, or infections such as h-pylori that can interfere with B12 absorption.

People who undergo surgeries or dental procedures involving nitrous oxide, or who use the drug recreationally.

People with a history of eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia).

People with a history of alcoholism.

People with a family history of pernicious anaemia.

People diagnosed with anaemia (including iron deficiency anaemia, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia).

People with Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gluten enteropathy (celiac disease), or any other disease that cause malabsorption of nutrients.

People with autoimmune disorders (especially thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease) Type 1 diabetes, vitiligo, lupus, Addison’s disease, ulcerative colitis, infertility, acquired agammaglobulinemia, or a family history of these disorders.

Women with a history of infertility or multiple miscarriages.

Do you see yourself among any of the above people?

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

If you can post your blood tests on here there are others who will be able to give you advice.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anemia (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 46 years.

I wish you well.

[fbirder]

The B12 blood test is notorious for being neither accurate nor precise.

There are two tests that can indicate a problem with B12 getting to the right places in cells where it does it’s job. The two main processes that B12 participates in convert one biochemical into another. The two chemicals are methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine (hCys).

If B12 isn’t working properly then the levels of these two chemicals in the blood will increase. Tests for them aren’t common, so you may have to do a lot of persuading.

[Dadvatar in reply to fbirder]

I spoke to a professor today and one of the results from my daughters blood test was raised creatinine. He said it tends to rise and fall in line with MMA. It’s not used as a test for B12 Deficiency but it can be useful as it’s part of a standard blood test.