B12 and iron deficiency link?

[GastritisB12]

Just found this article. It suggests a link between B12 and iron deficiency. I thought it may be interesting. (I had B12 deficiency and iron deficiency at the same time, the iron deficiency corrected itself mysteriously after 2 weeks of B12 loading doses)

Extracted quote to save you reading the whole thing:

"As for the cause of his iron deficiency, gastrointestinal bleeding is a less likely explanation since stool hemoccult test was negative. It is probable that severe intramedullary destruction and hemolysis of erythrocytes from ineffective erythropoiesis result in depletion of iron storage and lead to iron deficiency anemia."

hindawi.com/journals/crihem...

[fbirder]

Yes, there is a link between B12 and iron deficiencies. A link that these authors seem to have ruled out for no good reason.

If you have PA your immune system attacks gastric parietal cells. These cells produce Intrinsic Factor and hydrochloric acid.

Intrinsic Factor is essential for the absorption of B12. People with PA will, therefore, be deficient in B12.

Hydrochloric acid is an important factor in the absorption of iron. People with PA will, therefore, be more likely to suffer from iron deficiency.

So PA can cause both iron and B12 deficiencies.

They seem to have ignored the possibility of PA. Why? Almost certainly because of a negative test for IF antibodies. And we all know that test is pants.

[GastritisB12 in reply to fbirder]

Thanks! I forgot about the lack of acid factor! That is one key link.

[Midnight_Voice in reply to fbirder]

If a person is B12 deficient but IFab negative, are their gastric parietal cells still being attacked, and if so, do you know what the mechanism is in this case?

Or are we saying that the test is pants because the IF antibodies are actually present, but the test is not detecting them?

Up until now, I have thought not that the test is pants, but that the interpretation of an (accurate) negative IFab result by doctors to conclude that PA Is not present is what is pants here.

As this is where we are with our doctor at present, this is of more than academic interest to us, as our pleas of ‘Call it PA or don’t call it PA, it’s still B12 deficiency, and that deficiency needs treating’ are falling on deaf ears.

Fortunately, our first package from Germany arrived yesterday; the whole thing went very swiftly and smoothly, and ‘danke schön’ is in order.

[fbirder in reply to Midnight_Voice]

I believe it is the test that is prone to false negatives.

Martyn Hooper (chair of the PAS) was tested three times - two negatives and one positive. Strongly suggests he had them all along.

[Mollieharry]

I had 2 wks of loading doses of vit b12 and the anemia that I had suffered for months went away too.dont know if it was a coincidence or the ferrous femurate I was prescribed had kicked in eventually.

[Mannequin18 in reply to Mollieharry]

I was also like that, and put on Ferrus fumerate, and felt really good. How long did you stay on ferrus fumerate?. The reason I ask is because we moved area and my new GP took me off ferrus fumerate, and said it was poison.!!!!!!! He has also tried to take me off B12, which I have for PA. Telling me that people take too many vitamins. I fought him over my injections and they are now 're instated.

But I still don't feel well, and I am thinking of asking to go back on ferrus fumerate, because I felt so much better when taking that.

I am not sure if you can buy ferrus fumerate, if possible I would buy it.

[deniseinmilden in reply to Mannequin18]

I wish every Dr who says things like "vitamins and minerals aren't important" could be forced to have a course of chemo (which in many cases essentially locks up the vitamins and minerals in your body to starve the cancer) so they could experience what it is like living with deficiencies!

Why do they say this???? Is it so they can push lots of modern drugs and get the back-handers that are associated with these? Grrrrr!

Definitely worth pushing for your iron to be tested again as your B12 won't work properly without it as well as you feeling dreadful from the additional deficiency. I buy iron bisglycinate and take that but just be aware you can have too much iron as well as too little.

[Mannequin18 in reply to deniseinmilden]

Thank you. I don't know what my iron levels are at the moment. I will try and find out.

[fbirder in reply to deniseinmilden]

Yup.

Solgar Gentle Iron is iron bisglycinate (easily absorbed) and just 20 mg of iron per capsule. So not a stupidly high amount. I take one a day.

[Mollieharry in reply to Mannequin18]

I still take ferrous femurate ,i get regular blood tests as I have rhuemotoid arthritis,and so far the doctors haven’t stopped them.i also take folic acid,but this is because the drugs I take for this lower folate.

[Mannequin18 in reply to Mollieharry]

Thank you, I will see if they will 're instate ferrus fumerate.

Or see if I can buy it.

I wish you well.

[Nackapan in reply to Mannequin18]

I buy 210mg ferrous fumarate over the counteroad at my chemists. Cheaper than prescription charges. Higher than that you need a prescription. That was what the chemist told me.

[FlipperTD]

Excess iron is toxic. The body doesn't have mechanisms for removing the excess, so iron overload is a risk if intake exceeds usage. Blood tests will usually show whether iron therapy is needed.

Iron tablets of any sort are a particular risk for children. It has been a cause of fatal poisoning.

Intramedullary haemolysis associated with ineffective erythropoiesis is unlikely to lead to iron deficiency because the body has effective pathways to scavenge the liberated iron and store it for future use, although it's not to say 'it can't possibly happen'!

[Mannequin18 in reply to FlipperTD]

Thank you for your reply.

I have suffered on and off as far back as I can remember with bouts of anaemia. And was diagnosed in 2008 with PA also. I am on B12 injections, but also get anaemia.

[FlipperTD in reply to Mannequin18]

Iron deficiency is a symptom rather than a disease. Laboratory tests can generally identify the deficiency and its effects, but other conditions (for example chronic inflammatory states) can make utilisation of iron more difficult. It's important that iron replacement isn't continued once stores are replete, so regular tests are a good idea during and after treatment. Good luck!

[Mannequin18]

Thank you for your reply.

Why don't doctors know about this, or even its importance. It's very scary to have these autoimmune diseases, and not taken seriously. They are not doing their best for me.

[SouthernBell50]

do you have chronic autoimmune diseases contributing to this? Because I’m having iron anemia and I’m pretty sure I got B12 anemia to, my hematologist is gonna do the labs. But I suspect pernicious anemia