Questions regarding symptoms - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

31,973 members23,121 posts

Questions regarding symptoms

JennaShi profile image
19 Replies

Is it normal to have random bouts of nausea and dizziness (feeling like your going to pass out)? I’ve had lower blood pressure in general, but was higher for a bit and now seemingly gone down again around the same time as starting injections and have had a few of these episodes. I am taking a b complex, iron, magnesium and a potassium supplement (now once a week since the supplement is a higher content) all of these have been started recently except for the iron.

I have autoimmune Gastritis and low hcl so I am taking betaine hcl with pepsin, and the last time I checked my vitamins were all on the low end, so perhaps this is the reason (low/ or no hcl)?

Written by
JennaShi profile image
JennaShi
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
19 Replies
pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa

Dizziness can come from neurological damage or low blood pressure.

Nausea can arise from dizziness or stomach issues communicated to the brain via the vagus nerve.

Both can be caused by B12 deficiency or for B12 treatment.

What was your b12 test results before starting on injections? Do you suspect neurological damage?

Healing of neurological damage can change the signals to the brain and cause illusions that are very similar to the symptoms from the deficiency.

It takes the brain about 3 days to recalibrate to stronger signals after the jab.

Do you keep a logbook to see exactly when symptoms appear following each jab?

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to pvanderaa

Hi thank you for your note. I tested two months from my last sublingual supplement and the level was was at 500 something with serum b12. The labs around here don’t test for active B12 unfortunately and my homocysteine was at 10 something. I have tingling in my feet, had paranoia, clumsy, dropping things, forgetful, emotions up and down, anger, foggy, taste was gone, trouble sleeping, low iron, tinnitus that comes and goes etc. (I mention this because my not so low numbers). Previously, my serum b12 has been in 300 range but I haven’t caught it below. No I haven’t kept track, I just have noticed somethings leaving and this coming back. But I will. I haven heard the vasal vagal term before, it seems complicated.

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to JennaShi

Yes unfortunately I've had bouts of nausea. Also on a few occasions horrible dizziness when I thought vertigo might return. I put the severe time doen you seritonin dropping as had an upset stomach too. (In her wisdom my gp thought I needed my seritonin raised. HRt) even without a reason I get this also what i call a stagger walk that can occur after an injection. I've had horrid neurological symptoms from last October. I have noticed I have to be careful about head movements. I tried a bit of weeding sitting down. I suffered for 2 days since with head pain and being off balance. Seems no rhyme or reason at times. Never know how I'm going to wake up.

Hope it settles soon for you. I'M trying to stop over thinking everything. I set a regime and go with it for a while. All very difficult. I know. What works one month in a pattern changes the next.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to Nackapan

I’m sorry to hear about your symptoms, do you take anything for the serotonin issue? I haven’t heard of this before. I agree and hope you feel better soon.

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to JennaShi

The seritonin issue only happened as coming off Hrt. Only on it for 3 weeks. But gave me more headaches rather than less and pmt symptoms . Weepy ect. I'd refused sertraline 3 times. The same go tried to get me to take it again as low. I dudnt realise why at the time. I actually got as far as paying for prescription and picking it up. She dudnt tell me the horrible effects of dropping seritonin levels. Severe dizziness and chronic diarrhoea. So the sertraline was to counteract by raising seritonin . I was furious . I akso thought a sneaky attempt to get me on it. I would take it if I felt it epilepsy help. I also trialled amitriptyline after much resistance. I couldn't tolerate that. The initial respite from headpain good and to sleep. But after 3 days awful. I persevered as told to byou neurologist and go. But not for me . I seem very sensitive to any drug. So still hoping for more improvements from b12 injections

pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa in reply to JennaShi

Are you on B12 injections? Sounds like you need to be as sublinguals don’t seem to be working.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to pvanderaa

Yes, I stopped sublinguals for two months trying to get in 4 months of no supplements so that I could properly test in hopes to get injections covered but the tingling in the bottom of my feet reoccurred as well as then other symptoms I mentioned so I bought injections online and decided to do it myself. Yes, sublinguals brought my levels up to 600 something but I was still getting some symptoms.whenI stopped previously (before this last time) my serum b12 would drop back down to 300s and I didn’t understand nor link all this to my symptoms.

pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa in reply to JennaShi

I hope you get a clear diagnosis soon. Have you asked your GP for a trial on B12 injections?

Are you keeping a logbook of symptoms? You’ll need this to monitor progress as repair of neurological damage is very slow.

Things may seem to get worse before getting better as new symptoms appear.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to pvanderaa

Thank you, and no she was pretty determined to go by the book and I thought I could wait 4 months. I have written here and there but not consistently and will do so again. Thank you, I hope this is the case.

pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa in reply to JennaShi

Try to make an assessment of the severity of each of your symptoms and then type up a dated list of all your symptoms especially the neurological ones and give it to your GP and ask for it to be included in your record. Tell your GP, the longer she waits, the more symptoms appear and the existing ones get worse.

The tactic has worked for others. Somehow holding a piece of evidence in their hands changes the way they think about it and they stop talking and start to listen.

Provide updates at each visit. Your Dr needs “evidence” so provide it to her.

This has worked for me when asking for more frequent injections both in the UK and in the USA.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to pvanderaa

Thats a great idea thank you! I’m glad it has helped you and many others. I will do this, at this point though, I think I walked away thinking they they don’t offer shots enough and so being able to inject myself has been very helpful. I do still think its good to write up a symptom list for them so that she can see what was happening and what is happening. I got a note from my gastro doc to send to her and although it had my diagnosis on it, he wrote to monitor my b12. How can we monitor successfully if there is no active b12 test available and their perception on how much to administer a month is skewed? At this rate people will not get better. It a year for my Gastroenterologist to see my point about Autoimmune Gastritis and even he doesn’t fully understand why all of these deficiencies occur. I am so glad that doctors like yours are listening now and that you are getting the help you need. I think it’s so important and hope one day more doctors will stop and listen as there are so many sick people in the world, it’s ridiculous.

pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa in reply to JennaShi

Unfortunately the book was written about 1930 and the medical community hasn’t kept up. LOL.

The computer she is looking at is very out of date on how to treat B12D.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to pvanderaa

Haha, I very much agree, It’s crazy!

LWhelan profile image
LWhelan

Yes I get this quite often especially if I’ve been exercising or working long hours - I put it down to low electrolytes though like you I supplement. Everytime it happens, as weird as it sounds when you are feeling nauseous, I eat and drink something and everytime within 10 minutes I’m fine again 😀👍

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to LWhelan

It sire sucks doesn’t it? I’m glad you have found what helps. I also get nausea when i dont eat, and dizzy after/ during workouts (which are usually 10 mins or less unless its walking). But the symptom I describe with the nausea/ sick feeling and dizziness I think is different and or not due to hunger.

LWhelan profile image
LWhelan in reply to JennaShi

It definitely is totally rubbish that we feel this way. Mine is not due to hunger.....it’s completely weird but I can get this an hour after lunch when Ive eaten a lot....... sometimes just a banana and a glass of juice or a smoothie helps me..... not sure why it works but it does !!

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to LWhelan

I agree, and that is strange, do you put bananas in your smoothie? Ive heard others (not in this group bit another group) talk about low potassium can happen with B12 but I can’t remember why, Have you considered this possibility? I have been told it’s good to test first and during as Hyperkalemia is not good either. I think I should probably test too.

LWhelan profile image
LWhelan in reply to JennaShi

My test always come back ok - been tested 4 times. I now try to eat at least one banana a day.

JennaShi profile image
JennaShi in reply to LWhelan

I understand that with certain things such as the thyroid, you have “in range” and “optimal” not sure if this applies to potassium as Ive recently started learning about it. I hope you get more answers as to why these things are happening and am glad you are eating more bananas.

You may also like...

B12 worse symptoms question

palps and can manage to take a b12 methyl sub , iron And magnesium . I have had a massive increase...

Suspected Pa , symptoms question

speed up fixing his levels as i have no idea how long they have been low . gp tested celiac in...

Questions regarding cofactors

properly in case of a future pregnancy. My Potassium was low at my recent appointment. Will a...

Questions about folate and neurological symptoms

80-100). She said it would have been higher.. it this true? I have started injecting every other...

question - weird symptoms

I have been receiving B12 injections since May, but only the last 3 weeks every other day. I have...