Can heart problems be part of B12 deficiency? I am having constantly noticeable heart beats which spike easily. My resting heart rate should be in the 60s, but is 85+. I can’t help but feel that this is part of a bigger issue, since my digestive/elimination system is sluggish and slowing and I feel terrible all over. I have no energy, no appetite, am extremely pale, shaky, weak, congested, confused, clumsy, etc.
I am to be scheduled to see a cardiologist, who knows when..I will get some labs today, my iron was fine in September. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated! Sita
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Sita505USA
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No, I haven’t had a standing BP. I hate to get anything else, but I don’t think I get a choice. I am feeling very miserable physically and down emotionally. Thanks for responding!
Hi Sita505USA . Yes, I had heart palpitations and arrhythmia with B12 deficiency. So bad in fact that twice I went to Emergency thinking something more sinister was going on only to be told my heart was all good. One of my B12 deficiency symptoms was also anxiety and panic attacks which also contributed to my heart palpitations. I've been 6 months on treatment now and the anxiety and heart palpitations have eased but not fully gone yet.
Before treatment for diagnosed P.A. , I used to get what I called “ funny turns” , when my heart would suddenly beat very fast , and I felt like fainting. They lasted about 5 minutes . Doctors told me there was nothing wrong . Since treatment ( and I have to self -inject weekly ) the “ funny turns” have disappeared . This is since treatment started , 4 years ago . I assume therefore that the B12 has fixed the problem .
P.A. also affected my gut , with bloating , burping and stomach pain . Since treatment with B12 , and helping the lack of stomach acid which comes with PA , ( probiotics and other means ) this problem has also gone . I do hope that you manage to get good treatment . Best wishes .
Hello Sita505USA, Yes heart problems can be B12 related. Chest pain and palpitations are not discussed here as often as certain other symptoms, but for me they have been some of the most disturbing. My experience is similar to that of YogiGreg: over the past two years I have been in ER (Emergency) twice with severe chest pain and palpitations. The first time was just after I learned I had PA and I did not know much about B12d symptoms. It turned out that the doctors in ER knew even less than I did: they could find nothing wrong with my heart. On the second occasion - only 3 weeks ago - it was exactly the same: ECG, X-ray, blood tests etc revealed absolutely nothing. Once again the doctors could provide no explanation and would not comment on my suggestion that it might be b12 related as they simply had no knowledge of this. On the second occasion I was at first convinced that this time it could not be B12 as I have been self injecting for over a year. I was wrong. When I came home from the hospital 3 weeks ago I decided to go immediately onto a daily B12 injection regime. The chest pain disappeared on day 3 and has not returned. What I have learned from this experience is that I need more b12 than I thought. I have now changed to a twice weekly SI regime and so far feel fine - not only has the chest pain stayed away but I also haven't had the brain fog, balance problems, muscle pain that I would occasionally experience on my previous one-jab-a-week regime. Why I need injections so often to keep symptom free, when other people can get by on one jab every two months, is a mystery to me. One of the many riddles with this awful disease... My advice to you is to rule out other possible causes of the chest pain (obviously) but if there is no obvious reason, and you already know that you have a B12 problem, then it is almost certainly B12 related. The good news is that it can be treated easily with a regime of injections - trick is to find a frequency that works for you Good luck to you.
May I ask how long you did daily injections before changing to your current schedule? And how did you make the decision to back off?
One of the problems I have is difficulty with no sensation and being able to tell that something is helping. I also have a terrible tendency to panic and change several things at once, then I haven’t a clue as to what may be helping or hurting. Thanks. Sita
Hello Sita. I stopped the daily regime of jags after 3 days because the chest pain went away. I then thought that it is logical to increase the frequency of injections from my old regime (once a week) to something better. 2 a week seemed logical to begin with. Obviously none of us wants to inject more than we need to so it is a question of increasing frequency slowly until we reach the regime that works. 2 a week currently seems to be ok for me, but who knows? If I get symptoms returning I may have to go to daily jags.
Thank you! I am having a tiny bit of chest pain, but mainly rapid heartbeats that I can feel and fatigue and an overall crummy feeling. I did my second SI in two days today, so I will see how it goes and experiment. If I can get to feeling better it will be easier to experiment. SIs leave me with bruises and sometimes lumps, so I would prefer to do as little as possible, but will put up with bruises, etc. to feel better! My best to you! Sita
Thank you so much for your reply. I have been injecting every other day for over a year, so I was thinking it must be folate or Vitamin D, or something entirely different. I had blood work done on those yesterday, so I will be able to check those levels. I will do daily SI for awhile and I will have my heart checked out. I know some folks have to do daily SI, this is such a baffling disorder.
You are right, heart problems are not discussed much on this site, but I have found them to be the most difficult symptoms to deal with.
Thanks again for your response, I very much appreciate it. Sita
The National organization for Rare Disorders cites that pernicious anemia may cause an abnormally rapid heartbeat (tachycardia). Here is the link: rarediseases.org/rare-disea....
This is one of the most challenging symptoms that I have. Please ask your physician to consider this and to ask what they suggest to do about this. For me personally on any heart palpitations on a daily basics, I use a magnesium supplement. Once again please ask your doctor for what will work for you.
Every two months in the middle of the night I am awaken to heart palpitations that range from 40 to 210 in a very quick manner. This may last for up to 6 hours. I am currently working on this right now.
I have not had this issue for over (15) weeks due to a daily doze of methylated B12 drops under my tongue.
Like others on this site, I may need B12 more often. I am hoping this is the solution for me!
For me, this is the most scary part of all this!
Any input from anyone else would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for your response and I am sorry you are having to go through this. Can you tell me the brand of methylated B12 drops that you use, and where you purchase them?
I take magnesium and try to be careful not to take too much of it.
I am glad you responded, maybe you and I and others having these symptoms can get good and helpful input that only members from this forum provide. I feel that I have already gotten good information, but this disorder is so different for each of us, that all information is helpful. Peace and good health to you! Sita
The Methylated B12 drops that I use are from a compounding pharmacy. (LaVita Compounding in San Diego) I had them made without the peppermint flavor filler. (I used it once with the filler and had very strong allergic symptoms) A doctor has to order it for me. However I am able to refill whenever I want due to the fact that it is not a "controlled" substance. I hope this information helps! Take Care!
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Good luck to you. 
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