I was recently diagnosed with PA and had my first 6 injections, my next one is due at the end of May, however over the past few days, I've noticed that I've started going dizzy, keep getting a buzzing sound in my ears, numbness in my big toe, I'm saying and doing things wrong.... could these be signs that my B12 injections aren't working or possibly need another one sooner rather than later??? I dont want to bother my GP if I'm just being stupid.
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Eric69
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It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are having starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.
I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.
A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery.
Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.
Do you know whether you had your Folate level tested?
I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anaemia (one of many causes of B12 deficiency) for more than 48 years.
...so sounds more like it IS working , don't you think, Clive?
Note Eric69 : While these sound like typical symptoms to us and a common reaction for them to worsen early on, you might find that your GP's not so familiar with all of them, and may want to attribute some to other conditions/ deficiencies . Having said that, Clive is right - good idea to have folate level checked. Ferritin , vitamin D, thyroid can also be affected.
You mention Thyroid could also be affected.... I was really ill with an upper respiratory tract infection and severe sinusitis just before being diagnosed with PA, at the end of January.. my left thyroid in my neck, has been swollen and sore since then. I have been referred to the ENT Specialist and was due to go last week but I got a call from the hospital telling me not to come to the appointment and a clinician would be in touch soon.... any how could this be linked to PA??
I know that people with autoimmune conditions (like PA) can often have others (like psoriasis, vitiligo or thyroid conditions). Often close family members also share some of these problems.
I wouldn't know specifics, being not medically trained. Might be worth asking on the Thyroid HU site - some of the members obviously belong to both forums. Hope you hear from the clinician soon, Eric.
Thanks Cherylclaire.... I have a daughter, sister, 2 aunts and three cousins all type 1 diabetics... (all on my mother's side) my mum, aunt and daughter all have thyroid problems too!!!
As for keeping safe, I'm working from home, not left the house in a fortnight.. same goes to you too.
Many on forum source their own supplies and self inject. My personal feeling is that this is a last resort but many are being forced by current circumstances to consider this.
Some people get injections from private GPs and some find that high strength oral b12 eg tablets, sub lingual lozenges, sprays, drops help a bit. I think most people on here find that injections are more effective than other methods.
I wrote a detailed reply on another forum thread with links to B12 books, B12 websites, UK B12 documents and other B12 info which you might find helpful.
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