New here and scared.

[rosered44]

Hello everyone. I'm trying to figure out some issues I'm having. I'm having a lot of symptoms of pernicious anemia. I don't know for sure if I have it I just know that my blood test, my MCH showed that it was high at a 32.6. I'm assuming is from the lack of B12 since I am a vegetarian. All I know is I started having problems with my tongue having a sharp pain in it I'm kind of just feeling like it's bigger, then eye twitches here and there along with burning and tingling sensation in my hands down to my forearms when I wake up but would get better later on in the day. Three weeks ago I started getting twitches in my thumb that I thought was just overuse of using my phone. I was in put on Wellbutrin which I did not like and was only on it for 7 days at a hundred mg and I noticed all over body twitching very slightly. I decided to get off and that was 6 days ago and it switches have gotten worse and all over my body such as my hands up to my arms now, my back thighs other arm other hands and it feels like my muscles are just tensing up I go to the doctor on Thursday but I'm sitting here scared until then I recently had a brain scan that came out negative because I also get migraines. Thank you so much for listening and any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[Ritchie1268]

Hi rosered44.

The symptoms you are experiencing sound familiar.

I know it is really frightening when you don't know what is going on with your body & I'm sure, as I do, you're probably feeling like a hypocondriac right now!

My MCH when diagnosed was at 38.1, range 27.00-32.00 & my MCV at 115.9, range 83.00-101.00, which showed Macrocytic Anemia. My red blood count was 3.65 with the range 4.50-5.5010.

I was diagnosed with B12 deficiency, Folate deficiency & Pernicious Anemia.

I also had symptoms similar to you but since regular B12 injections, I'm pleased to say that most have gone, though not all but it is nowhere near as bad as I used to be & improving gradually.

The migraines, both the horrible terrible headaches that used to make me physically sick & the silent shimmering aura ones I'd get 2/3 times per week have now completely disappeared & I cannot remember when I last had either of them since injections.

It's good that you have a Dr's appointment on Thursday to try to get to the bottom of your suffering. Please try not to worry even though it is really difficult to do when you're having so many things happening.

I am by no means medically qualified & am still learning about PA having only being diagnosed last year.

Good luck with your Dr's appointment & I hope you get to the bottom of things & start to feel better soon.

Take care.

Ritchie

[rosered44 in reply to Ritchie1268]

Thank you so much for replying. Did you have twitches too? I also suffer from migraine like twice a week it seems espcially if I go outside with the light. I also get ocular migrains that starts with a flashing in one eye and then 30 minutes later comes the migraine. 😢

[Ritchie1268 in reply to rosered44]

I did get twitches yes, mainly in one of my eyes.

The migraines, I got first going back around 10 yrs ago now & I just put them down to having a very stressful job, I would only get them around once every 2-3 weeks but when I did, they would completely knock me off my feet, then once I was physically sick & slept, it would ease till it went. That's what gets me when some people say I have a migraine when it's just a headache as they can still function!

The silent one's first happened around 7 years ago. I was driving & had a light appear in one eye, to the point I had to pull over as I couldn't see to drive. It was like a shimmering oval shape with all colours around the edge that got bigger. My partner panicked & drove me straight to A&E where after tests, they said it was a silent migraine.

That's the first time I'd ever heard of them. I didn't get any headache come on after, no pain, no sickness, just the shimmering colours that took up the whole of my vision. They would last around 20 minutes or so then just gradually go till I could see again, never any other symptoms, just the shimmering. These I'd get 2/3 times per week after the first one.

As I said, thankfully, both have now completely vanished altogether & I haven't had either since having regular injections.

[wedgewood]

Yes those symptoms you have sound like B12 deficiency . You seem to have been given an anti-depressant for your symptoms .Did your blood-test have results for B12 ?

Most important that you find out . If your symptoms are caused by your vegetarianism alone , then oral supplementation of vitamin B12 will help . Vegetarians can usually source enough B12 from dairy products, eggs and cereals that are fortified with B12 . If Pernicious Anaemia is the cause , then only injections will help .

Also important is folate / folic acid ( vitamin B9) which acts together with B12 . So make sure you eat good amounts of green leafy vegetables.and other dietary sources of B9 . But your doctor should know all this . I do wish you all the best for your appointment on Thursday . Are you in the USA? This forum is based in U.K. , where treatment may be different . I ask because of the timing of your posting . Best wishes .