B12 deplete faster with more activity? - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

31,950 members23,089 posts

B12 deplete faster with more activity?

Ctadds1 profile image
27 Replies

Good Morning :)

Is it possible that injections don’t last as long when physical activity increases? I have been increasing my activity level and pushing my body to do more and more. I was a very active and physically strong person until over a year ago when all of this took hold of me. I have been feeling a little better so I have been much more active but now I seem to be regressing. I inject weekly but I swear my last injection (wed) was just burned up by my body so quickly. Is this possible ?

Written by
Ctadds1 profile image
Ctadds1
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
27 Replies
fbirder profile image
fbirder

Not in my experience.

My energy levels now are way better than they were five years ago, but still nowhere near as good as 10 years ago.

Low level energy use s fine. I can walk many, many miles at a slow pace. But just changing a duvet cover has me needing to sit down for half an hour.And it makes no difference how much I inject - three times a week or once a fortnight.

PointOfReference profile image
PointOfReference

Anecdotally and from experience, exercising is one of three things that seems to negatively impact my B12. Alcohol and stress are the other two.

All three are being avoided during recovery!

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan

I'm still not able to do much. I rode my bike up and down the road which I found amazing as always ridden a bike. ( well from 4yrs old(

I was relieved to know balance back .

I then tried round the block. Half a mile. On getting in head was awful and body weak abd shaky.

I've not had enough energy to try agsin yet.

The following day so weak

Energy/fatigue a real problem.

I've trued pushing through in a small way several times as have been well enough uo be bored of my limitations .

Everytime it sets me back. ??

I'm in a set back at present. Literally having ti sit it out.

For me stress, talking ,walking standing food shopping all has a big impact.

For some reason I can fo more on the 3rd or 4th day after an injection

Not sure what that means

I stick to injections weekly.

For me this condition has made me slow and exercise intolerant.

I have on a few occasions had a surge then want to do everything at once.

So to answer your question for me it must be used up more as when I do certain things I definitely have to have days of nothing. But on the day of nothing more b12 wouldn't change it.

It's very odd . Like fbirder

I cant life anything as I used to or carry anything. I can't do long walks though either . I try on occasions to go that bit further but unfortunately it results in head pain. Nausea vision down and weakness.

I used to swing bales of hay round no problem. Heavy lloads s of wet washing .

My job entailed carrying all sorts of equipment. Boxes of tinned baby milk for clinics that was heavy.

I've never had an office job.

So a real shock.

I had 4 big cartons of milk yo take yk my mum. I stepped down the road and had to turn back. Had to sit down. Horrid

Good job long life as took one each time.

Drives me crazy

Infact before I knew what was wrong with me I bought a shopping trolley as was really struggling as

The last straw was when an elderly woman insisted on helping me get it to the car.

Woukd love to know on 'a better day what is actually happening/ connecting or level of b12 so I csn bottle it.

Hope you csn get to function as best you can and maintain it.

I woukdnt push too hard

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Nackapan

Good to hear your balance is improving. May I ask how long were your symptoms left before starting a course of injections? My balance is all over the place and I fear that I've been left for too long to get any improvement.

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to Silverfox2

I'm not sure . I think like alot of us my b12 declined slowly. For me definitely the menopause a trigger. Symptoms if b12 deficiency there but ignored by me then medics and put down to stress and the menopause ! I knew something wrong. .opticians. New shoes . Ho trios after 7 years if not going. Falls abd akit more.

So it took a very bad fall to Gp no tests then a collapse snd vertigo to get my very first b12 test at 57.

It was 106 range (200-900)

Collapsed 1/10/1

Blood test back b12 18/10/18

B12 loading doses started early November 2018

Then 5 werk break then re started every other day.

Balance was improved by the elley msnouvre done at home as the Gp failed.

Akso I paid for physio concentrating on getting walking again.

Cawthorne exercises I still do.

That might help you.

Alsi move differently like a toddler.

Try and avoid bending from the waist.

Spotting.

Not movi g head too quickly.

Not turning yo talk wait until instant of you.

It takes time alot of patience.

Csn make you feel very sick.

Oh and don't reach up to high shelves.

Think before moving.

All very very tedious but does pay off.

I found trainers indoors helped

Bare feet otherwise.

No slippers or mules to throw you off.

Hope you improve

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Nackapan

Thanks for that. Very informative. I hope I improve otherwise my life is pretty much ruined. :(

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to Silverfox2

What is your time frame? Did you have a low b12 then a delay in treatment?

It took me a long time to get walking.

Strangely if I had a headache I could walk straighter.

Don't give up.

Basic Cawthorn exercises yiu csn Google . I did eye exercises when bed bound .

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Nackapan

Looking back I've had symptoms going back over nearly 10 years. It's all so incredibly gradual and as during that timeframe I developed Uterine Cancer and Hashimoto's I found I didn't realise what was going on. It's only in the past year that my walking and balance problems have got so bad that I realised something wasn't right. I even queried my GP over this and she was useless.

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to Silverfox2

Yes most Gps have little knowledge on b12.

So your symptoms were masked in a greater way than mine.

It does take yesrs to use stores up if you start to absorb less snd less.

So many symptoms cross with other things.

Si hopefully with enough b12 symptoms caused by that will gradually improve

My mum had an oophorectomy for ovarian cancer at 38 and a load of other heath problems including vertigo.bajdnce issues Ect ect. We thought from the treatment ect and early menopause.

She had certainly late treatment fir undiagnosed low b12

She's 91 now and still benefits from her b12 injection .

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Nackapan

Thats good to hear. Did any of her nervous symptoms/ balance problems improve?

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to Silverfox2

Yes . Virtigo much improved . Can't remember the last' bad do'. Mobility more a problem from arthritis in her hips now rather than balance. Her mind is definitely brighter.

At one point I thought dementia.

Turned out a combination ation of bp tablets too high a dose and needed b12 injections.

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Nackapan

Thats also good to hear. :)

Jengastar profile image
Jengastar in reply to Silverfox2

Hi! I actually saw a physio, and did work on proprioception which really helped my balance! It started with simple exercises such as standing with eyes closed, and walking in a straight line while looking to the side. I found that with a bit of practise it came back quite quickly!!

Silverfox2 profile image
Silverfox2 in reply to Jengastar

Thanks. The fact I can barely walk let alone in a straight line at the moment might rule out some of that, but here's hoping. :)

KEFNB profile image
KEFNB in reply to Nackapan

Hey Nackpan, my friend and I had the same experience of feeling better (or best) about four days post injection. Now I inject every four days and have very few down days

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to KEFNB

That's useful to know. Do you count injection day as day one ?So say Monday inject then Thursday?

KEFNB profile image
KEFNB in reply to Nackapan

I count four 24-hour segments. So inject Monday then Friday. I do not feel bad on that Friday, so I tried to go to weekly, but wound up on the couch. I am going to try every five days though after we come back from vacation

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to KEFNB

Oh okay I do 5-6 days . Say Monday then Friday or Saturday .sc too.I count injection day as day one when recording symptoms.

So stuck with that for frequency.

I trued 2 weekly gir a year

Been doing this for a year

I'm not bothered how often at present just want to get functioning.

If that happens I'm not changing a thing.

Gaudygoat profile image
Gaudygoat

My experience has been very similar. I was very active, playing sports, running or cycling most days. Then PA symptoms meant exercise was really hard.

On two monthly injections at the doctors I felt awful when I exercised and better when I had a bad injury and couldn’t train. My legs felt like I had done a heavy workout when I had done nothing for a couple of days.

I now inject weekly and it has taken a while but I can push myself 4 days a week without crashing.

I don’t know if the exercise depleted the B12 levels or it is simply that my body doesn’t function as well and can’t cope with being pushed to the same level as before but for me it certainly felt like I had a B12 shortage after exercise.

Don’t overdo it. Depending on how long you’ve been depleted it can take a long time before symptoms stop improving and I found out the hard way that overtraining too early can be counter-productive.

JanD236 profile image
JanD236

My experience is that once I found the right injection frequency for me (twice weekly) AND my body had recovered from the B12d then activity made no difference and hasn’t depleted B12 any faster.

I do a lot of cycling and when my B12d/PA was discovered I was really struggling. My GP initially gave me injections every 2 months (no loading doses) and I remember meeting a friend for a bike ride but was so exhausted by the meeting point that I turned round and went to bed for the whole day. It shocked me, that just isn’t me.

Over the next couple of years I brought down my injection frequency. My GP allowed monthly but it still didn’t leave me feeling energetic throughout the month, my energy levels tailed off when the next injection was due.

I started si, first weekly and then settled on twice weekly and now I feel mostly ‘normal’. I can still have times of a touch of brain fog and losing words or taking longer to recover than others or need to rest or go to bed early. However, in the main I can live a normal life and I’m truly grateful for that!

If I had any advice it would be to take your return to activity slowly. Only do what your body is telling you is ok. Don’t push through your limits as for me that led to one step forward and two steps back. And only do all this once you feel your injection frequency is the right one.

I’m a few years down the road (about 3 or 4 I think) on twice weekly injections and I’m fully back to the long distance cycling I love. I’ve been training for an event in a couple of weeks time and on Friday I did a 150 mile ride (in pouring rain) and felt great.

So please feel that with a slow and careful recovery there is hope.

Just to mention I don’t feel stress affects my B12 levels but the one thing that really negatively affects me is alcohol. My tolerance is very low nowadays. I have a couple of small glasses of wine one night a week and just about get away with it (I wouldn’t do it on an evening I had stuff to do the following day). Any more than that and the exhaustion and nausea the next day just isn’t worth it!

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to JanD236

Its great to hear you back to cycling that you love and managed to maintain it. Ive been on a higher frequency for a year now.

I maybe got on my bike too soon? Dont think so as I'm so cautious and wanted to try to see if bskanxe there .

Only up and down the road though.

Such a wonderful feeling.

In total about 5 times.

Om 2.5 years in .

I truly think if b12 drops so low and bad symptoms severe symptoms step in in takes so much longer with how ever much b12 to get functioning at your best.

I think caught early and treated or pre-empting saves so many.

I think you spot on not to push through .

So tempting through sheer frustration at times.

All I want is to be able to cycle a few miles and walk a few miles. It's relaxation and freedom.

I love being put and about locally.

I'm getting very bored of half mile walks around the block as know I can get back.

Well actually not been able to do that recently but will get back to it.

I will get on my bike again.

It's been cleaned and serviced ready!! Hopefully before the next snow!!

I've moved it out if sight for now.

Lowered expectations too.

Was my transport for years cycling miles a quick mile or 2 would suffice ...

Makes me feel 'normal'

I hope everyone gets to do a bit of what makes them happy however small. 😊

JanD236 profile image
JanD236 in reply to Nackapan

Being able to do a bit of what makes you happy is so important.

I’m sorry you’ve had such a slow recovery and I hope you keep moving forward and will be able to return to your bike as you would like.

I do wonder if I’ve been relatively lucky because my PA was diagnosed before I had even noticed I’d been feeling rubbish. That’s not to say that with hindsight I later realised I had been feeling rubbish but I hadn’t been feeling so awful that I’d gone to the doctor.

Wishing you luck Nackapan x

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to JanD236

Thank you. Yes i truly wish the Gp had tested me on the two occasions I went after 7 years of not going.

Surly that was a red flag?

I knew something was wrong .

Yea I was under alot of stress. . Alot are!

Yes the menopause was new

For one thing I didn't push for tests which in itself out of character!!

Yes it was rather dramatic the way the stack of cards fell in my cases.

I think you right getting treatment before severe symptoms is the key.

nipping it in the bud helps I'm sure .

Hindsight a wonderful thing .

Even the dentist said b12 deficiency causes havoc with your mouth and gums. First one to say that as I asked on Friday.

You had an extraction too as I remember. Some is coincidence bit not all.

We do know ur bodies.

Im determined to get there.

Expectations dropped.

But the new me has to get better than this.

I've a granddaughter to enjoy too now.

A retired nursery nurses dream .

NHS pension kicks in this month too .

So a new era begins.

So take care and enjoy every moment you can. X

MoKayD profile image
MoKayD

I find I need more frequent injections during the summer months. I attribute this to being more active during these months. After 2 years of receiving B12 injections I can now walk 3 miles a couple of days a week and still have the energy to get my house cleaning and gardening chores done. During the winter I get my injections once a month. During the spring and summer I self inject every two or three weeks (depending on how I feel.)

Nackapan profile image
Nackapan in reply to MoKayD

Good you've got a regime that works for you

lynxis profile image
lynxis

If I push myself physically in a particular day, my tingling, vibrating, and electric-current sensations come back at the end of the day. Even though I inject daily. If I skip injection days, it's much worse. (My GI and cardiac symptoms resolved with treatment but the neuro stuff hasn't. If I inject every day and don't push myself physically and am not under a lot of stress, I can feel "normal.")

jillc39 profile image
jillc39

I certainly find that stress/a lot of activity seems to 'burn up' my b12. No doubt about it.

You may also like...

Active B12 results & pregnancy

Hi all, I’ve been receiving b12 injections every 8 weeks for the last 6 years and throughout my...

Depleting levels of b12

....2 years ago my b12 level was 226 supplements of b12 raised the level to 2000, so I stopped...

Depleted B12 after surgery

shocked how quickly I developed neurological symptoms and realised that my B12 levels must have...

Do B12 injections deplete iron/folate &/or other B vitamins?

on improving the levels but until then I'm worried that having more b12 injections may be depleting...

Is a test for active B12 worth doing?

the total B12 result as I have been having the injections but can the active B12 result be of any...