Am I deficient in b12

[Sweenco]

Hi

I’ve been having what I think are b12 symptoms for years but my blood test are always in range (200-899) 231,245,223,251 and most recently 253 this is ove a period of 5 years. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and hashimotos 2 years ago with antibodies in the thousands. Anyway I’m experiencing nail ridges,constant tinnitus, stomach pains, tingling/burning in hands and feet, no appetite body twitches, acne(whiteheads every morning) scalp acne, body aches and pains,shoulder blade pain,hip pain numbness in my left thigh,pins and needles in my fingers when in bed, low mood, irritated easily etc etc.

Has anybody experienced these symptoms?

My doctor says I don’t have a deficiency!!

My folate is also very low 4 (3-20).

[wedgewood]

It is possible to have a normal B12 Reading , and be suffering from Pernicious Anaemia . Have a read of all the articles in the “Pinned posts” column on the right . You will find an article where this is mentioned . Also up,to 80% of any. B12 result can consist of b12 which is not available to your cells

. If you have P.A. , you will have low/ no stomach acid ( Hypochlorhydria/ Achlorhydria) which can give you stomach ache , nausea and reflux . The P.A. antibodies destroy the ability of the parietal cells to produce the Intrinsic Factor ( necessary for the absorption of VitaminB12 ) and also stomach acid . ( necessary for absorption of minerals and other vitamins .)

[Sweenco in reply to wedgewood]

Hey

Thanks for the reply 😁

Are these symptoms of a b12 deficiency? Because I have been on at my useless doctor for years and the symptoms have been getting worse along with my hashimotos symptoms. I just don’t feel like me anymore it’s horrible 😢

[wedgewood in reply to Sweenco]

Yes, your symptoms do sound like P.A. /B12 deficiency . It’s difficult because many of the symptoms of PA , and thyroid problems overlap . If you have one auto-immune condition ( which P.A. is ) , you are likely to get another ( thyroid is a common additional condition that comes with P.A.) There are many auto-immune conditions . .....

I’m assuming that you are not a vegan or strict vegetarian .. Those diets may not give you sufficient B12

Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient . Luckily one cannot overdose on it ( in spite of what some doctors say .) Try to get your GP to give you loading doses at least , and you will then see if you benefit . It might be difficult to get them , as your B12 reading is not abnormally low . If you have no success with him/ her , I would consider self-injecting .

You need to increase your folic acid / folate intake(. Vitamin B9 ) . It works together with Vitamin B12 .Best wishes

[Seabird4 in reply to wedgewood]

I had within range b12 but after a protracted to and fro to my GP surgery including an appointment with a Neurologist, I was finally diagnosed with PA (After reading info on this forum I requested the GP to test my intrinsic factor which came back positive.) Following further discussion with GP I'm now on 6 weekly injections with significant improvement in my presenting symptoms. Still room for improvement though but trying to be patient.

[wedgewood in reply to Seabird4]

It will take time for you to get better .Everyone is different . Glad that you got your diagnosis ( that is lucky too - many PA patients

Test negative )

If you eventually find that 6 weekly injections are not sufficient , try self injecting .

Best wishes .

[Seabird4 in reply to wedgewood]

Thank you. I regularly read the info on the forum to try and keep up to date with developments its such an invaluable asset to us all . Without it I would not have known about intrinsic factor or b12 for that matter. Thanks again for sharing.

[Chacha2309 in reply to wedgewood]

How can you tell if you have low/no stomach acid?

[wedgewood in reply to Chacha2309]

If you have P.A. you will have low / no stomach acid , as the Intrinsic Factor Antibodies destroy the parietal cells ability to produce stomach acid and the Intrinsic Factor - both needed to absorb VitaminB12 . Lack of stomach acid upsets the stomach flora ( good bacteria) enabling bad bacteria to take over . Food then tends to ferment , producing gas and stomach pain , nauseous reflux and IBS symptoms . This can be helped by taking probiotics ( Symprove is good but expensive ) Also taking an acidic drink with protein meals helps ) In serious cases , betaine Hydrochloric acid capsules with pepsin at main meals helps . I had symptoms when I found that I had P.A. . They disappeared after probiotic treatment and sufficient B12 injections. There is a simple home-test for low stomach acid , using bicarbonate of soda -baking soda (NOT baking powder) . Google for instructions.

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

I've written a very detailed reply with links to lists of B12 deficiency symptoms,UK B12 documents, B12 websites, list of B12 books and other b12 info in following link to another thread on this forum.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

Hopefully there will be some info you find useful on it.

Before I got treatment, I had many of the symptoms you have mentioned plus many others.

Letters to GPs about B12 deficiency

b12deficiency.info/b12-writ...

I am not medically trained.

[MontyW]

Hi,

I'm B12 deficient and I have had the following symptoms and signs that you mention. Nail ridges, tinnitus, stomach pains, scalp acne, body aches and pains, shoulder blade pain,hip pain low mood, irritated easily, fatigue and brain fog.

It was the stomach pains and lower back pain that set me on the journey of being diagnosed. At first the Doctors thought I cancer, lower back and abdominal pain - thankfully all clear. Then I went to my Doctors saying was so low and that was went he said lets see about your thyroid etc.. and thats when I got me B12 results.

After being on B12 injections the first symptom to go was my tinnitus, followed by all my aches and pains, and slowly I am starting to feel much better.

Be persistent with your Doctor and good luck.

[Chacha2309 in reply to MontyW]

Hi month did your acne get better or worse?

[Thompson36]

I’m also having very similar symptoms to you, specifically nail ridges, excruciating shoulder pain not relieved by physio/painkillers, upper and lower back joint pain, severe calf cramps. Severe temple pain with dizzy spells. Enlarged blood cells. My GP laughed at me when I suggested PA/B12. He would rather order a head MRI than consider PA. I’m going to keep pushing for diagnosis.

[gingerbear644 in reply to Thompson36]

Once you reach these stage, back and neck pain you need specialist treatment. U need to make sure the damage has not reached your spine Sub Acute Combined Degeneration. Get rid of that GP now. Enlarged blood cells is Vitamin B12

[gingerbear644]

Switch doctors or get them to do HCY, Active B12, MMA tests. Tell him most doctors know that you are deficient in the low range. Ask him how does he not know this or just change the docs.

These are the people who are killing us regretfully. Abnormal blood cells is a sign so he is really laughing at himself. Change the docs, keep a record of his diagnosis in case you want to take legal action later

[Thompson36 in reply to gingerbear644]

I’ve pushed them to do the “antibody” test now but not sure what more they’ll do. They have pretty much washed there hands of me and referred me to pain management 😥

[gingerbear644 in reply to Thompson36]

Can you change doctors? Health care facility? Pain is there for a reason.

Send a legal letter, something?

[Edited by Admin]

[Thompson36 in reply to gingerbear644]

The blood test result should be in this week so I’ll see. Also having an ultrasound of my shoulder and seeing the breast clinic. I’ll look at doing the letter to the GP once I get the results. I’ve started taking the B12 mouth spray, will this help or I have just wasted money?

[gingerbear644 in reply to Thompson36]

Honestly it depends on your absorption. If you can't absorb through the stomach, won't help. Also depends on the type.

The Sublingual, oral did not work for me and it was the right form. I do not have PA either.

I had to do an MRI and the results which was not good. Dont know if an ultrasound would show damage an MRI would. My spine was paining and burning like its on FIRE!

Before you write to the GP, u need documented proof. Don't do it alone, get guidance if you can. These people only care about legal ramifications and of course, your money.

[Edited by Admin]

[vivo1]

I recognize all of your symptoms. I am from the Netherlands and had the same b12 bloodlevels as you, it is within the 'gray area' as they call it here. I have also similar neurological syptoms as you have and this was taken quite seriously by my GP. In the Netherlands such a case a Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) bloodtest is done along with the b12. In a large percentage of people within the low-normal b12 range if the MMA level turns out to be high it means that you are not able to transport your b12 well to where it is needed in your body. This way they are able to diagnose the b12 deficiency.

If I understood well your b12 level and even your MMA level could also be 'false' high because you've taken b12 supplements or even unknowingly taken it through some of your food (it is more often added then you think), you will have to stop and wait months before you are clean to test your blood.

I advice you to go and see some documentaries about b12 and inform yourself about it even more. From my own experience: many doctors are ignorant about b12 . I've read and heard about this beforehand and saw it present in the doctors I dealt with too. It is not a part of their education so it seems. Luckily I have a GP that listens and wants to learn, but if I had not informed myself thoroughly beforehand my treatment would have been completely wrong. That you are not treated at all seems completely wrong to me. There is also an organisation in the UK you could contact. They support patients and doctors and advocate the b12 cause I forgot their name, but I am sure some people on this forum will know about it. You should not wait to inform yourself and act quickly before any permanent damage is done to your body.