Autoimmune

[Honey1978]

I was diagnosed with autoimmune atrophic gastritis do anyone no about this

[fbirder]

Autoimmune metaplastic gastric atrophy (AMGA) is the underlying cause of Pernicious Anaemia. Your immune system is attacking certain cells in your stomach. These cells have two main jobs - they make something called Intrinsic Factor (IF) and they also make stomach acid.

The Vitamin B12 molecule is too large to cross from the gut into the blood unaided. IF is a protein that attaches to the B12 molecule and escorts it across the gut wall into the bloodstream. People with AMGA do not make IF, so they cannot absorb B12 and they end up with a deficiency that can cause a lot of nasty symptoms - pernicious-anaemia-society....

The lack of stomach acid also affects your ability to absorb folate, Vitamin D and iron. So people with AMGA often have deficiencies in those as well.

Because you cannot absorb B12 you need to have injections. For the rest of your life. Living in the US these will probably be cyanocobalamin (B12 comes in different types - all cobalamins, all effective). You'll probably be given the injections two or three times a week for a month, then once a month, but there is no standard treatment in the USA.

[Honey1978]

I take b12 vitamins and iron pills i stay in the us but it mild and i just took one injection when i first found out but my b12 good ans iron

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Some B12 deficiency websites; some info may be UK specific.

PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society)

Based in Wales, UK.

pernicious-anaemia-society....

PAS tel no [phone] answerphone

B12 Deficiency Info website

b12deficiency.info/

B12 Awareness (US website)

b12awareness.org/

Stichting B12 Tekort (Dutch website with English articles)

stichtingb12tekort.nl/weten...

B12 books I found useful

"What You Need to Know About Pernicious Anaemia and B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper

Martyn Hooper is the chair of PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society).

"Living with Pernicious Anaemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper

Has several case studies.

"Could it Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses" by Sally Pacholok and JJ. Stuart (USA authors)

Very comprehensive with lots of case studies. There is also a paediatric version of this book "Could It Be B12? Paediatric Edition: What Every Parent Needs to Know".

[Honey1978]

How

[fbirder in reply to Honey1978]

DOn't listen to the

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Honey1978]

Honey1978. Just to clarify a comment made here by another poster ...Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune disease and cannot be healed 'naturally' (as I'm sure you must be aware). This is dangerous and misleading advice so please take no notice 👍

[Honey1978 in reply to Foggyme]

I no

[Christineblue]

I would like to know about this as well, Honey what symptoms are you having, I have Hashimotos Thyroditis Autoimmune Thyroid but not on treatment for it, but I am on Lansoprazole for stomach acid(not sure this is the right treatment) I have B12 tablets, iron and VitD. I have an app tomorrow at the hospital to Gastrointestinal Dept. Drs have said previously its my thyroid, no it's not its my Gallbladder, no it's not its Gastritis, they can't make their mind up. I have pain and discomfort all the time

[Honey1978 in reply to Christineblue]

Well i take b12 and iron thats it....i dont take nth for it i have a appointment for the gastrointestinal feb

[ShootingStars in reply to Christineblue]

With Hashimoto’s you have low stomach acid, not high stomach acid. Prevacid/lansoprazole reduces stomach acid, which is the opposite of what you need to do when you have Hashimoto’s. With Hashimoto’s, your entire system slows down, digestion included. Pain and discomfort is from low stomach acid causing slow or no digestion. You might also have bouts of hyper motility where food is quickly moved through your system but is not well digested. Why are you not on thyroid meds for Hashi’s since you have symptoms?

Betaine HCL, Butyric Acid, etc increase stomach acid and are recommend for people with Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism.

[Christineblue in reply to ShootingStars]

Well I have had this discussion several times with Drs and consistently being told there is no clinical evidence between stomach acid and Hashi. Also told by a Gastro that there is no clinical evidence that a gluten free diet helps to reduce Hashi antibodies. The won't treat Hashi unless my TSH is over 5 with a low FT4. This happened on one of the blood tests and they gave me a trial of 25mcg Levo for two months but they caused headaches every day all day, after two months they checked bloods and TSH was in range 3.5 and FT4 was in range but low down so they ceased Levo med. I have stomach symptoms they call Gastritis and I have a Gallstone so not sure what is going on really, all this and menopause issues with HRT, been on patches for 6 years and fine suddenly sweats and flushes, fatigue etc are back so sounds like a multiple amount of symptoms but getting no answers. I have tried stopping Lansoprazole but the pain gets worse.

I am not sure us meno has caused these issues with the thyroid and gallbladder and gastritis or the Hashi Autoimmune causing attacks and inflammation.

[Honey1978 in reply to Christineblue]

I have I think it be premenopausal and I take vitamin d2 plus b12 and iron and I take levothyroxine for my thyroid

[Honey1978 in reply to Christineblue]

And was diagnosed with autoimmune gastric

[Honey1978 in reply to ShootingStars]

I take thyroid medication