Does stress cause symptoms to appear for you?

[anon4035]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced a return of some or all of their low b12 symptoms due to stressful events in their life. I am still having trouble figuring out if my issue is low b12, but I feel like sometimes my symptoms get worse when I worry about it or go down a google rabbit hole.

I'd expect stress would not really impact people with low b12 as once you find the right injection schedule for you, your body's going to have enough regardless of stressful situations?

Thanks, as always, for being a great help.

[mcg-woo]

From my experience, handling stress is a whole different ballgame when receiving adequate b12 injections. If my B12 levels aren’t right, nothing is right for me, causing anxiety and impacting my mental health pretty quickly—anxiety and phobias are first symptoms. I’d say not having adequate b12 injections in the past sent me down the google rabbit hole pretty quickly to the point of mania, obsessiveness—and I stayed there—searching for answers because I felt so crummy. My mind wasn’t working right either-I wasn’t able to clearly think. I took a very low dose antidepressant for 6 months when I was very symptomatic because recovery even on adequate injections takes time. I compare adequate B12 injections in a way to that antidepressant—it keeps the anxiety away, keeps my mental health in check and I’m relaxed—I rarely get worked up—I can handle stress. I had no history of any mental health issues until I suffered from low B12. I no longer needed the antidepressant once I had adequate B12 levels and my quality of life actually improved after discontinuing the antidepressant. If I didn’t have adequate B12 injections, I would no doubt be on an antidepressant—a drug that I don’t even need. It amazes me that doctors are so quick to write scripts for antidepressants yet patients with PA have to fight for adequate amounts of a vitamin necessary for health and life.

By the way, it’s important to continue adequate B12 injections until you are sure that you have full resolution of symptoms. I thought I felt so good after being so sick that I didn’t realize I was still having symptoms when my dr cut my shots back. Setback after setback, but I finally feel on track with adequate injections. It is truly a different world! Good luck to you!

[eloquentladybug]

Definitely. I have found stress does increase my symptoms

[Hidden]

Yes I agree,I decline quite quickly between shots and my health anxiety rockets to manic levels and any stress can tip me it’s as the op says it’s getting that fine balance of adequate b12 levels right and maintaining it at that level that’s the hard part because as soon as we feel well we have this irrational urge to reduce the frequency of the very thing that keeps us well,I know I did when I first started self injections and I Fannied around with trying to extend the time between shots then my stress levels would jump because id get my symptoms back and I’d start googling again and scaring myself so your then back where you started.stress is a demon for us.It’s taken me a year now of self injecting to see the improvements that b12 is making so I’d say reduce your stress where you can and keep to a regular schedule with your shots,if your having a particularly bad time increase your shots and monitor how you react.best of luck.x

[lindajanes]

Hi, anon4035. My answer is "yes". Both stress and heavy physical exertion seem to draw more heavily on my body's supply of B12 and symptoms return. Have not found a solution to the problem, but I am now that I have a mail order source for cyancobalamin, I am going to try increasing the frequency of my injections and see if that helps. I am in the US and have had the " luxury" (not my word) of twice monthly injections approved by a neurologist, but still experience symptoms in between. The US standard is monthly.

[anon4035 in reply to lindajanes]

Thank you for your feedback. I've been on monthly injections, with a few "loader" periods (4-6 injections weekly). There is some minor correlation that the further away I am from the loader period, the more my symptoms return. But I had an endoscopy (I think that's the name of the procedure.. taking a sample from my stomach) that showed no signs of pernicious anemia, H. Piori, or other stuff they can test for that way. Bloodwork has also not shown signs of pernicious anemia (though I know that one anti IF test is unreliable) or detected anything else.

So, my new concern is if the b12 injections have sort of been acting as a placebo for some other condition. I'm going for another MRI and EKG/ECG to re-check those areas too..

Wish I just knew what was wrong. But thank you so much for your reply.

[JanD236]

Now that I have the right injection frequency for me I don’t find that stress (or exercise or indeed anything else) makes any difference. So for me, stress doesn’t cause symptoms to appear.

[lynxis]

Stress, physical overexertion, and lack of sleep worsen my symptoms in spite of daily jabs.