Stiff feet up to ankles

[Kangarooiom]

I have b12 injections every 3 months for pernicious anaemia which I was diagnosed with a couple of years ago. I had breathlessness issues and gastic issues. However my feet have felt stiff and tight before that. I also get more clumsy when my injection is due. However the feet issue never goes away and I feel its getting worse. I have mentioned it once to the nurse but it has never been discussed as to why this is a problem. Has anyone else had or have similar issues with their feet. I would be grateful for advice.

[3rdNettydoon]

I do Kangarooiom. My feet especially my toes are stiff and very uncomfortable most of the time. I sometimes have some discomfort when walking too. Makes me afraid this is some of the irreversible damage through years of under treatment, but I also hope it's a case of 'it'll get worse before it gets better.' ('One of my mams sayings)

[Kangarooiom in reply to 3rdNettydoon]

Thanks for your reply. You also might benefit from Litatamons reply below.

[Litatamon]

Just want to add -

Look into Miranda Esmonde-White's Classical Stretch series. She is a former ballerina that believes in mobility from your toes and all the way up. She has workouts that focus on that specific area.

I can get very tight in that area. But since I upped my cycling it has completely changed the tight and stiff feeling in my feet and ankles.

Also, check your vitamin d levels as well. I was diagnosed with both deficiencies at the same time & many joints were very rigid and stiff before diagnosis.

All the best.

[Kangarooiom in reply to Litatamon]

Thankyou, I shall look into that advice. I do take Vit d as my blood levels were low even though I go out most days walking.

[Litatamon in reply to Kangarooiom]

Have you had another vitamin d test since then?

[B12life]

If you have PA due to low B12, a lot of us require SI every other day if not every day. I have been doing daily SI for 2 years with cyanocobalamin. Hydroxocobalamin supposedly can be done every other day. I had my feet and hands going numb all the time and very tight muscles that took about 12 months or more to resolve. Those problems have resolved. I don't think once in three months would help much esp if you have an official PA diagnosis. Do you know what your b12 level was when it was tested before injections?

[Kangarooiom in reply to B12life]

Yes had official diagnosis back in 2020 almost same week as having TIA. Dont know what the levels were for B12 but now they are high but GP says that's to be expected due to injections. I get bloods done about 6 monthly. I don't have numbness just the tightness in feet which there are aware of but not concerned about. I doubt if I need more regular injections with levels now high. Perhaps I should see the GP re problem as it was the Nurse I mentioned it too and she didn't seem concerned.

[B12life in reply to Kangarooiom]

since the b12 test is a "Serum" test, it tests the b12 circulating in your blood stream. that is where the b12 injections are going and thus the test is skewed and worthless as it does not reflect what you actually absorb. So I don't recommend any more Serum b12 tests. As I understand it can take 3 months or more of halting injections before the Serum b12 test is accurate; but why bother, that just sets you back. It can't do any harm to do frequent injections unless you have an existing underlying liver or kidney issue.

Read this article:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

One of the primary symptoms that shows up immediately whenever I attempt to back off of injections or run my b12 low by extensive exercise are: fatigue AND muscle tightness! I thought that the muscle tightness was just old age. Nope. Went away with more injections.

So if you don't have any underlying liver or kidney issues, I suggest doing more frequent injections and see what happens. As that article states, the best way to know is through "clinical" results, which are resolution of symptoms, instead of blood tests as there really aren't any tests good enough to accurately indicate what your b12 metabolism is doing.

stichtingb12tekort.nl/engli...

I only make these suggestions as I care and hope that you can find a path to improve your symptoms and quality of life. Ultimately do as you feel best.

[B12life in reply to Kangarooiom]

Another point I should make is that if a physician tells you that you should reduce your injections due to your Serum b12 levels being high while you are actively doing injections, then they do not understand b12 deficiency or PA. I kept getting convinced to back off on my injections because of that, and eventually learned they were wrong. Again, as the articles point out, the best way to tell if you need the b12 injections is:

to start: 1. symptoms and 2. possibly some kind of confirmation such as a low b12 level from a test done prior to any b12 injections or as in your case an official PA diagnosis.

then as you continue injections, the only way to determine the frequency of injections is through the clinical results, i.e. the resolution of symptoms. The symptoms don't resolve over night but you should see some gradual improvement.

I'm curious, do you have any other symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, back pain, breathlessness or elevated heart rate? Or is it just the tightness in the feet?

Another thing to try is taking magnesium glycinate

[Kangarooiom in reply to B12life]

Thankyou for your reply. Prior to diagnosis I had breathlessness, and bad indigestion and that is why I had. Blood test taken. Im on a beta blocker which slows the heart rate, that was prescribed many years ago for high blood pressure due to migraines. I take a magnesium complex supplement. I only ever see the nurse for this as she does my injection.

[Hockey_player]

Miranda Esmonde is awesome for foot exercises. I was having injections once per month but could feel that my feet were not happy before the next one so I increased them to once every 3 weeks. My husband does them for me which is very cost effective.