Does anybody have gastritis as their root cause of B12D? I was hospitalised in 2009 with gastritis and I now believe that this was the beginning of my problems, with a Naproxen prescription and high stress levels in 2023 really exacerbating things in my stomach to the point where I was so unwell that I sought medical help. All the tests I've had recently for AI conditions have been negative but I was told in 2020 after a private MRI on my knee that I have the beginning of arthritis there. My own GP has not followed up on this. Since I am fairly new to this B12 journey, I wanted to see if anybody has the same root cause, to see what their treatment/recovery journey was like.
I have seen the Cambridge doctor, been SI EOD since April and have made huge improvements. But I would rather not have to pay £600+ to see a nutritionist (as I was advised would be the next step) if there is a way to heal without that. The doctor in Cambridge did advise that I should be able to eventually come off injections once my stomach was healed and switch the oral supplements. I have been gluten and lactose free since April and have just also ditched eggs as I found that I'm sensitive to egg whites it appears.
If anyone has a similar root cause, I would be really interested in chatting 😊
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ClaireWF1346
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First thing here tho...is that your GP needs to get to speed for you, and be dealing with your clear need for B12 injections via the NHS..not your pocket...
You are incurring a high cost there....but if your GP wont follow the standing NHS/NICE guidance - which he/she should (see the PINNED POSTS) - then lots in here are self injecting B12 at a fraction of the cost...
I believe I developed "autoimmune gastritis" (as the new description goes) by my poor diet etc, and then the Lansa came and wrecked by B12 / Iron and Kidney functions. My GP told me it was all anxiety - but my painful Peripheral Neuropathy started about 3 months later.
I tell you my sob story only to highlight the risks of not getting your B12 Def sorted quickly i.e. not taking a risk with your health.
I feel the challenge you seem to face here is the same for many of us , which is to restock your body's B12/Folate stores via injection. This is the proven and fastest way. Its not seen as feasible to load up via just food and B12 supplements.
If your stomach/Ilium etc do heal fully, and you suffer no lining errosion etc - then you may in time (a long time?) be able to take in what you need, and even B12 supplements will help you later on. But if you were hospitalised my lovely, then you were down the serious end of stomach / absorption things.
Now, I am a relative newbie in here - so please do listen to the wiser minds that will no doubt reply in time. But i am glad you are out of the 'Ozzy, and in remedial treatment..i hope it gets better soon
Thanks for your reply but I think you mis-understood, perhaps due to my use of acronyms 😜 I have been self injecting every other day since April and after a sickening battle with my surgery (my complaint is ongoing) they prescribe hydroxocobalamin to me. I had low folate so take that when I inject too, with some others such as iron.
My hospitalisation was in 2009 and I'm not proud of the fact, but it was alcohol induced. I was really, really ill. My inflammation markers were off the scale and beyond. They thought I had pancreatitis.
I understand that my stomach needs to heal and that's where a nutritionist comes in but I've already dropped what are suspected to be my intolerances, to give my tum chance to repair, so I'm wondering it is that all I need to do?! To see a nutritionist is so expensive and I only want to do that if it's absolutely necessary. How do you see yourself getting better in the long term? I hope your pain is improving?
Hi again Claire ..our stories are quite similar I think...my stomach troubles were poor diet and alcohol driven, made even worse with the high dose PPI. I was travelling all over the place, hotel foods, 60 hour weeks and party weekends. It got worse during Covid! By 2022 I was in big trouble.
To answer you question, i have a 3 year plan - I do a lot of heath stuff privately, but I dont use a nutritionalist myself. But I do know my stomach is healing. I can feel it is, and i have less and less GERD type days. I am mid Year 1. No use of PPI's,and I changed my eating habits a lot, hardly any processed foods, and I stopped drinking completely, much to my partners chagrin. I use B12 SI in the am, B12 SubL in the evening. Quality probiotics to restore my gut, more fibre for breakfast, using organic wholemeal breads for toast etc, no trendy "sourdoughs" - high strength probiotics in the morning, clean proteins, lots of greens, veg and salads, lots of trial mix etc, fruits but no oranges, full fat milk, and kefir drinks. I have coffee and tea only in the mornings. Two days a week i have low calorie days - basically Veggie meal days. No more Kettle crisps, no onion rings etc (they were a real miss for me! ) none of those carby based savories in fact. I have the 0.0% bottles of Corona lager and 0.0% Peroni at the weekends now. My partner now drink the O.5% Guiness. I do pretty regular walking with my dog, 10k to 15k steps a day. I also raised my bed 6 inches at the head, worked wonders that did. Drink a glass of water before i drift off.. I hope that helps...and wonder if you really need a professional nutritionist now you are discharged from Hospital?
Thanks for sharing your story. I did some pretty serious damage I think. I've travelled all over the world and always been susceptible to food poisoning and had bouts of gastroenteritis during my time at university. My mum told me yesterday that as a 6 mo baby I had a serious bout of sickness and diarrhoea that was never attributed to anything. I've perhaps always had an issue but it's been kept at bay until more recently.
I actually do most of the things you mention, apart from I can't have gluten so the best I can get in bread is brown GF flour that I use to bake my own bread which I add chia, flax, sunflower seeds to. I make my own dairy-free kefir and have natural yoghurt with berries too. Only have one caffeinated drink with breakfast then switch to herbal or decaf. 10+ veggie portions per day, lean meat, rice, red lentil pasta etc.
How often are you SI now? I am waiting for my latest folate/iron/vit D test results from bloods taken on Monday so that I can report back to the Cambridge doctor and hope to drop down from 2 day to 3 day injections. When you say you can feel your stomach healing, do you mean your symptoms of an upset stomach are going? I am still very bloated but learnt weeks ago that egg whites are not for me so in the early days of ditching those for a while. I just wonder what a nutritionist can do for me other than tell me to do the elimination diet, that I'm already doing. I could really do with not spending £600+ to be told that!
Claire, Hi Personally, I think you are doing a pretty great diet now, and I think you can eliminate food items by yourself? - i did, as i mentioned.
I am still in my B12 loading phase for another 2 weeks. I have pretty bad PN and nerve damage (NCS tested) . I am doing 2mg Morning and 2mg Evening - Sub SI - working on 8-10 hours - SubCue absorption. Plus my mix of enzymes/nutrients. I will go down to 2mg per day for a further two months, then 1mg EOD. I alternate between Hydroxy and Cyan to reduce Phagocycte "system" awareness in the long term..
One thing I do now is have four small "meals" before 7pm-7.30pm each day - i.e. no big meals. Breakfast - always lots of bran, then a green salad at Noon, then some toast and pate or Marmite around 4pm, and then my Evening meal. Proportion control is key for me - as I know my digestive capacity is low and I bloat up.
Everything has been gradual for me Claire...it all got sorted out over the last 2 years and still is...But I think the days of "light feed" are very helpful myself, but not at the expense of calorie / vitamin intake. The lower feeding days are the ones were my tummy felt better first. In terms of my stomach feeling better? I have much less GERD, no sleeping with a churning tummy, no runny No2's, In summary, I do think its a combination effect. Good diet, probiotics, small portions, lots of chewing of meats and tougher foods, water with your meal, bed raised by 6" inches (works great for wind and GERD) no alcohol, nothing processed. Build the regime that works for you, because you, know you best. I hope that helps.
PS...once i got my B12 & Diet Plan in place - I tried VERY HARD to not think/over think into it all ..I decided to just give my body the chance it needs to get to a good balance..
I think I'm afraid of decreasing my B12 jabs in the hope my stomach is fixed and ending up back at square one. I've come so far with my recovery that I'm scared to go backwards! Having a medical professional tell you X is the problem feels so much better. But I think with issues like this, that isn't going to happen. I will continue on my way, being as kind to my stomach as I can, and hope for the best!
Hi. Yes, I was diagnosed with gastritis several years ago. I was prescribed omeprazole. I also take metformin for diabetes. I understand that both of these medications can stop the absorption of some vitamins and minerals. More recently I have needed B12 injections and an iron infusion. My stomach seems to have got worse and I am speaking with a gastro consultant soon. I was also diagnosed with acid reflux, but am not aware of that. I also have arthritis in one knee. ARe we twins??haha
Ha! Is it your left knee?! I most probably have it in the other one and my wrist (was told it was carpal tunnel after all tests/scans came back negative, but I know it isn't that) but I only had an MRI on one knee after a fall that made my knee inflamed and tender for months. I was given omeprazole after I left hospital, for 30 days I think. I'm sure that didn't help but perhaps the damage was already done. I also have polycystic ovaries so have been on the contraceptive pill to control those symptoms for 10 years and I'm considering coming off that as I think that can be a B12-zapper too. And I was against it from the beginning but went on it as I was out of control with my mood swings! I the gastro consultant on the NHS, if you don't mind me asking? I'd be really interested to hear what they say, if you don't mind reporting back after you've seen them? My GP has pretty much just signed me off as no longer their concern since I've paid to see the Cambridge specialist so I feel like I'm trying to diagnose and treat myself without medical help!
arthritis in my right knee, fingers and right wrist. I had a steroid injection in myright knee. It has worked wonders. Really worth having. I'm supposed to be having a telephone chat with the gastro man on August 1. Message me after that and I'll give you the low down, I'm wanting an internal stomach examination because it is getting worse. I am now taking Peptac (like Gaviscon) before I go to bed, as well as a proton pump inhibitor.
We'd be a right pair then! If I kneel for even a few seconds, even on carpet, my knees feel bruised for days. Family history of arthritis so it's no surprise really. Good luck, and speak after 1dt August.
Beware. Nutritionists may be very good, or not. Dietitians however are regulated by the Government. They are HCPC registered, along with a wide range of other health professionals, and are bound by strict codes of practice. Someone calling themselves a nutritionist rather than a dietitian? You don't know what you're getting into.
This is like buying cans in the supermarket when the labels have come off... I apologise to the nutritionists I've just insulted, but I'm more than happy to argue for registered practitioners! [I was one, once upon a time, until I retired.]
I must admit that I don't know the difference! More research/self-education for me! I am sceptical that anyone will be able to unpick my medical history and say "X is your problem, stop eating this and all will be well". They are not magicians after all. I'm only three months into SI but I like to have a plan for everything so am looking to the future and thinking "now what?".
Many people don't know the difference. That's why I would advise caution regarding unregistered, unregulated 'professionals' especially charging that sort of fee. With a registered dietitian, you've got protection. Put simply, a 'Dietitian' can be described as a 'nutritionist', but a nutritionist ain't a dietitian, or they'd tell us they were. If you search the HCPC website, you can find all the regulated professions, and find all the registered professionals, discipline by discipline. Nutritionists do have a voluntary register, but they're not registered by law. Someone calling themselves a Dietitian whilst not being registered is breaking the law, and it's a serious offence.
I would always be careful not to use an unregistered and/or unregulated consultant of any kind; especially when that much money is involved! It is a case of Dr K referring to me needing a 'nutritionist' but the person he referred me to is actually a 'dietician'. Semantics to the layperson. I just checked and she is registered with the HCPC until 2026 so it seems a safe option if I chose to go down that route. Thanks for your guidance.
I'm not surprised. In the same way as you could describe a medically qualified pathologist as a 'technician'. That's based on what he does. Describing a person who wields a spanner as 'an engineer' is another matter. They may be, they may not be! Yes, semantics rules OK.
“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less” is a famous line from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass (1871). The character Humpty Dumpty says this to Alice in a scornful tone during an exchange about the meaning of words.
if your gastritis is autoimmune then I don’t believe it can repair itself you just have to manage it. If it was down to alcohol then maybe you can ?
I have PA and gastritis hence I SI once a week with b12 and take vit supplements etc. I also have arthritis in my knees and hips. Plus other damage I won’t bore you with .
At 57 I’m prettty active but just recently Im trying to really get my health sorted . I came across a company called Zoe. All science backed and I would recc taking a look as lots of good nutritional advice . My intention is to start and in some cases carry on with the following ; this is after all my research
Fast for 14 hours a day
Eat more protein , fibre and fermented products
Lift weights compound progressive as heavy as you can 2/3 times a week - muscle is vital to good health - lots of advice online
Supplements to reduce inflammation for joints and chronic to include omega 3 and polyphenols and turmeric with black pepper - again research
Good quality sleep
Pilates or yoga and cardio to top up weight training - flexibility and heart health
Make sure you have sufficient hormones especially if your menopausal pre or post
There’s a good podcast called diary of a CEO and he has many experts on in the field of wellness nutrition and exercise.
I do most of this but have now spent time researching exactly what I feel I need to do . I doubt I’ll stick to it all 100 percent of the time but 80 is good enough . Good luck
Thank you for your advice. It sounds like you've spent hours researching! I have heard about the CEO podcast and that's a good reminder to stick it on when I'm in the garden or cleaning.
I'm pretty "on it" with my diet (med diet/kefir etc) and am working my way through couch to 5k to keep my heart healthy but I do need to return to weight training as I stopped when I started becoming too exhausted to go to the gym after my intense shifts at work.
Inflammation I struggle with. I currently can't wear my engagement ring because my fingers are swollen and my wedding ring is getting snug now too. I also have PCOS and currently taking a contraceptive pill for this (soon to come off if I can figure out an alternative) so who knows what is going on with my hormones. I'll take a look at Zoe, thanks!
It’s such a pain isn’t it !! I think chronic inflammation is a big thing and a root cause of a lot of stuff. But keeping on top of everything is so tiresome!
I am in California. I am trying to figure out what causes what. Although I have good docs and insurance, no one has yet put it all together for me. Maybe you guys can. Here are my issues:
1. Three yrs ago had a repeat of anemia. Endoscopy showed: autoimmune gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.
2. Mild anti-parietal cell antibodies, but doc didn’t make a big deal of this.
3. B12 low, folate normal, so have been on B12 injections once a week since. b12 levels increased so now do injections every few weeks.
4. A yr ago, had bout (several months) uncontrollable coughing, for which I was diagnosed with silent GERD. I have never had stomach or indigestion/heartburn issues. Also thought it may be asthma. Went on omiprozole for a few months. Coughing stopped, even when I stopped omiprozole. Seemed unrelated. All good.
5. About 2 months ago I got awful, unrelenting pain in right side and stomach. Couldn’t sleep. Not seemingly related to food. Testing showed no issues with gallbladder or any other organ. Pain has radiated to right of belly button, deep down, like gas but not. Also have numbness/parathesia to right of belly button. Annoying.
Hi Ojie. I'm afraid I can't help with most of this. Perhaps copy/paste on to the main forum to see if others can help. People won't see your post here unless they are reading mine.
All I can say is that when I was hospitalised with gastritis, I was in agony with frequent sickness and I it was extremely painful. I was on tramadol for a few days and couldn't bear my stomach to even be touched, it was so sensitive. In A&E they suspected it was pancreatitis because my inflammation markers were extremely high; I certainly knew I was very unwell!
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I do pretty regular walking with my dog, 10k to 15k steps a day. I also raised my bed 6 inches at the head, worked wonders that did. Drink a glass of water before i drift off.. I hope that helps...and wonder if you really need a professional nutritionist now you are discharged from Hospital? 
Autoimmune gastritis due to PA
B12 deficiency and endometriosis 
Are these symptoms from B12 deficiency?
