I became b12 deficient due to a vegetarian almost vegan diet coupled with my gp prescribing Omaprezole to restrict my stomach acid - I had recurring 6 monthly amounts of 10mg a day for over 6 years!
My mother and sister, both of whom were on very restricted diets due to oesophageal problems were both on the same PPI’s but at 20mg - my mother developed dementia and my sister who had diabetes 1died of a heart attack - both on the symptoms list of b12d.
I do not regret being vegetarian/vegan but it does concern me that so many people are advocating vegetarian vegan and flexitarian diets without any warning of b12 deficiency. The latest one I’ve read about is the concept of ‘clean eating’ and trying to get to ones ‘leanest weight’ (what ever that means!). Coupled with the almost daily advocation of flexitarian diets with meat being consumed only several days a week. I support and agree with the latter two and certainly eat as ‘cleanly’ as possible but these changes to diet are being advocated as very healthy and, without b12 supplementation they are most definitely not healthy- even the vegetarian and vegan societies warn that b12 needs to be added to such diets..
As a former teacher, I was aware of many teenagers, mostly female, who for animal welfare reasons in some cases but others for weight loss reasons went on very restricted diets. Many of these women became ill!
The problem with b12 deficiency is the multitude of symptoms it creates which, when shared with doctors who, in my experience, are totally ignorant of b12d and it’s consequences, ends up with patients being taken down medical routes which are completely wrong. As a consequence, they do not receive treatment for b12d!
One doctor wanted to go down the mental illness route with me because I suffered auditory hallucinations- a verifiable symptom of b12 deficiency!
I was lucky at my gp practice as they immediately assumed that I had PA hence the injection regime started and I have never enlightened them about that fact that I can (I think) absorb b12 naturally. This is not true for many people.
I read all the articles about the rise in dementia but never once have I read that b12d may be a major cause. I have elderly friends who are forgetful, have nominal aphasia, balance issues, the shakes etc and I tell them about b12d and they just shrug their shoulders and ignore me as their doctors in almost all cases are treating their symptoms with drugs - with a lot of them prescribed ppi’s.
I think b12d is dangerously under reported and that many illnesses that young women and elderly people suffer from should be looked at from the position of b12 deficiency as given the dietary life style changes which are being advocated and the decline in the ability to absorb b12 that comes naturally with ageing we, as a society, are heading for an awful lot of very ill people.
I hope my comments add to the debates on this site and that they are helpful.
Good health
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Alfabeta
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There are many vegan websites that have a sensible attitude to B12. This one (sorry, can't remember who originally found it) is fantastic - veganhealth.org/vitamin-b12/
I post a lot on Quora and it's incredible the number of people who think that vegans can get enough B12 from a plant-based diet.
Couldn't agree more. I have friends who live in areas where a vegan diet is promoted heavily and usually without emphasis on likely need for supplements.
Link to letter on Vegan Society website which emphasises need to supplement B12.
"I have elderly friends who are forgetful, have nominal aphasia, balance issues...tell them about b12d and they just shrug their shoulders and ignore me as their doctors in almost all cases are treating their symptoms with drugs"
I have watched someone fade into dementia and am convinced it was B12 deficiency.
Did you know that GPs get extra funding for diagnosing people with dementia in UK?
I worry that this means less incentive to check for treatable causes of dementia type symptoms. It isn't just the elderly; I had dementia type symptoms before I started B12 treatment.
"ends up with patients being taken down medical routes which are completely wrong."
I was told my physical symptoms were due to depression, that I had psychosomatic symptoms, I was diagnosed with hypochondria, diagnosed with ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia.
I was forced down the mental health route despite me saying repeatedly that I felt there was a physical cause of my symptoms.
I had multiple neuro symptoms, gut symptoms, symptoms affecting other body systems; all typical of B12 deficiency.
I was hampered by the fact that all of my B12 tests were normal range apart from one for which I had one set of loading doses then nothing else despite having many neuro problems including spinal symptoms.
When I asked for more treatment and further trials of B12 I was refused. In the end when I had exhausted every possibility of NHS treatment (I tried so hard including writing letters) I resorted to setf treatment and the symptoms greatlky improved and many disappeared.
A couple of threads where I have written detailed replies...
Thank you for your response. The problem doesn’t lie with the Vegan Websites - they know only too well about the absence of b12 from their diet. But the problem is far worse than just the irresponsible articles in food pages etc. Major scientists involved in climate control are pushing for a massive reduction in meat eating and products emanating from meat - dairy products included.
Although I totally agree with these arguments - it’s a no brainier as far as the environment is concerned - but b12 is an essential vitamin and can only be accessed from meat/dairy products hence any advocation of reduced or meat free diets must be accompanied with a health warning - just like cigarette packets and alcohol bottles.
The major concern I have is for teenage girls and young women who are increasingly dieting and shunning animal products for ethical reasons. It is no surprise that more and more young women are reporting b12d on this site.
In my experience and reading the continual responses on this site of the ignorance of the medical profession it is likely that many of the illnesses being diagnosed are b12 related rather than through other causes and this, in my opinion, is possibly a major cause of dementia in the elderly.
"it is likely that many of the illnesses being diagnosed are b12 related rather than through other causes and this, in my opinion, is possibly a major cause of dementia in the elderly."
Thank you for the articles. My doctor automatically diagnosed my b12d as PA but I don’t have PA - I had a multitude of symptoms and, fortunately, my doctors just saw me as a hypochondriac and simply continued with the injections. I did speak to some ‘specialist’ on my b12d on the Benenden call line and this person took me down the mental illness route!
There are lots of symptoms that indicate other illnesses as the articles identify - ME is one which causes disputes between doctors some thinking it is psychological and others medical when it is just as likely to be b12d.
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Various B12D/PA resources 
Difference between PA and B12 deficiency
B12d and Cortisol?
