newly diagnosed

[36Hele]

I am a 70 year old male. I have just been diagnosed with PAS. My symptoms are fatigue, pins and

depression. I have been told to take one 1mgMecobalamin per day .Is this an adequate amount ?

How long can it take to get over this condition ?

[Jillymo]

Were you diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia or just a low B12 level ?

If you have been diagnosed with PA you should be given a loading dose of 6 injections every other day then regular life long injections there after.

If PA I would suggest you request your Gp to follow the 'guide lines' for the correct treatment. We are all individuals and the recovery time is varied on the cause of the deficiency. If an absorbtion issue such as in PA oral B12 will not sustain the condition. We are not medically trained on the forum just fellow suffer's.

nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b....

[Nackapan]

Tablets work if it's not an absorbtion problem I.e vegan diet .

I strongly suspect if your diet includes diary ,meat. ect its an absorbtion problem.

Pernicious anaemia or b12 deficiency.

Any absorbtin problem requires treatment with b12 Injections as stated above.

If tablets have no effect go back and request Injections as per doctors guidelines .

It then is delivered straight into your bloodstream and your body can use it .

Hope you get symptom relief soon.

[Narwhal10]

Hi 36Hele,

Welcome here. Please get a copy of your blood results in Hard copy - a print out.

Please consider joining the P.A.S. - £20 a year to find out about the illness and seek support.

Are you on oral tablets or injections.

Please keep a symptoms diary because your symptoms are yours.

Now, as we age we can have less stomach acid which means we cannot break down our food effectively. Those nutrients are vital. So, many of us take other supplements such as a multivitamin and mineral and with food take a shot of apple cider vinegar.

Are you aware that there is a Family History of this illness ?

How long to get better - well it depends on age, height, weight, metabolism, length of deficiency, severity of deficiency and other illnesses.

Some of us have been and still are bed bound or have very poor mobility .

I have no idea where you are in the world. Please give others a bit more details because there are different Health Care systems in the world.

Best wishes

🐳

[wedgewood]

You have a diagnosis of P.A. You should be having INJECTIONS of B12 —6 over 2 weeks and an injection often enough to keep any symptoms at bay ( Regularity varies from patient to patient) This regime is FOR LIFE . Pernicious Anaemia cannot be cured . A daily 400 mcg tablet of folic acid( vitamin B9) is a good idea , as it works synergistically with B12.

Yes , join us at PAS , and you will get help and support for a condition that is poorly understood and treated by the medical profession.

Our founder Martyn Hooper has written books on the subject !

Welcome to the forum . 36Hele

[Oneash]

Well the amount is right, but if the diagnosis is Pernicious Anemia you need B12 injecting. (I'm assuming here you eat plenty of meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Vegans get ill without supplements.)You will notice improvement within days of your first loading doses. But then there is what is known as the "reversing out" phase. Every cell of your body needs B12 for energy release, for blood haemoglobin formation and DNA repair. So you go 3 steps forward 2 steps back, as bits of your body repair, e.g. oxygen supply, then the next worse bit gets tackled now there's enough good blood going round. This phase they say goes on as long as the prior degeneration had been occurring.

Some nerve damage cannot be reversed, if you have been left without B12 for too long. So I would urge you to go back and demand injections from your Doctor asap.

Pins and needles are obvious neurological symptoms. So you should receive an injection every other day for as long as it takes those symptoms to stop. The reality is Doctors will give you injections for 2 weeks then go to one every 3 months. This is inadequate, so most of us on this forum, having hit this frustrating medical brick wall, take matters into our own hands and get our own supplies and syringes.

Do join the Pernicious Anemia society, read Martyn Hooper's books.