“Vitamin-B12 deficiency" with the appropriate qualification

[WiscGuy]

While searching via Google Scholar I stumbled across an article from 1956, "Cerebral Manifestations of Vitamin-B12 Deficiency*", from the British Medical Journal. It was scanned as an image, and thus available online. Especially given the date of publication (1956), I thought the opening was noteworthy:

[Start quote]

The changes in the nervous system now known to be due to vitamin-B deficiency occur in the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and brain. By long usage the name

of subacute combined degeneration has been applied to these nervous lesions, but, as suggested by Jewesbury (1954), it would now be more satisfactory to use the comprehensive term “vitamin-B12 deficiency" with the appropriate qualification of “megaloblastic anaemia” and/or “myelopathy,” “neuropathy,” or “encephalo-

pathy.”

[End quote]

It's amazing to me that the world of medicine is still stumbling around searching for a name of the disorder, when a perfectly reasonable, and much more accurate, name was proposed as early as 1956.

The article, scanned as an image, is available here:

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

[Nackapan]

Thank you

[wedgewood]

It is indeed amazing that the world of medicine does not seem to have advanced in the naming of Pernicious Anaemia in almost 70 years . Thanks for forwarding that article .

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Saddened by what has become lost by time.

A respect for the severity of this condition for one ; a vitamin deficit able to cause spinal nerve bundle protection to unravel and disintegrate worthy of respect ? I'd say so.

To move forward, face backward .... glad you did, WiscGuy .

Where've you been ? How have you been ?

[WiscGuy in reply to Cherylclaire]

The days fly by quickly. I have been about the same, slowly, slowly improving, two steps forward, one step back; it's so kind of you to ask! My kidney function has been slowly declining; I have discontinued all of my nutritional supplements except for fiber, protein (though I cut the dose in half, to 15 grams per day), multivitamin, B complex, vitamin D, and Omega-3, to see whether kidney function stabilizes or improves. I am still injecting cyanocobalamin daily, but the presenter of a video recently posted here by a couple of members cautioned against cyanocobalamin, and Bruce Wolffenbuttel's article "Vitamin B12", in BMJ, says cyanocobalamin is contraindicated for people with kidney disease. So I need to check on availability of hydroxocobalamin here in the states.

I hope you and everyone else here are all doing reasonably well.

[tomdickharry in reply to WiscGuy]

Just a thought about your kidneys.... You don't mention medications but I was wondering.

I have been on esomeprazole for years now. I've stopped because my kidneys were not working any more. Oedema, negligible urine output, and dangerously high blood pressure. Apart from a very occasional capsule in urgency I now rely on antacids.

Blood pressure normal, oedema much reduced, kidneys working well. On the occasions when medication is needed the old symptoms start to return within hours.

Good health to you.

[WiscGuy in reply to tomdickharry]

Thank you for your response. The only medication I am on is two different eye drops for glaucoma (Dorzolamide and Latanoprost). Plus the supplements I mentioned earlier.

I am happy to hear that your kidney function returned to normal after dropping the problematic prescription.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to WiscGuy]

I did watch that video and found him quite convincing, although professional sources for evidence not always mentioned. If Bruce Wolffenbuttel's name is on a research paper, it's always worth reading.

Availability of hydroxocobalamin in the US ? I don't know that. In the UK, we usually get ours from Germany. wedgewood might know though. Might be a good idea to start a new post with that as the title. Sure there are a good few Americans on this forum who would know.

Alongside vitamin D, folate, ferritin and thyroid function, my GP used to regularly monitor liver and kidney function. She is now doing well working in a hospital, and so that came to an end. Lucky to get regular blood tests now.

Trying to listen to my body more, but seem to keep getting the silent treatment ! Doing my best to heal the rift. I asked a friend of mine recently, a nurse, why I have a deep splinter in my hand that seems to have no puncture wound and no way out .... She said "Because it's Dupuytren's Contracture." Well ! What on Earth is that ?....I can barely spell it to look it up. So glad I didn't try to dig it out with a needle, then !

Good luck with your search for hydroxocobalamin - let us know how that goes and whether you find that kidney function improves.

[WiscGuy in reply to Cherylclaire]

My daily cyanocobalamin is prescribed by my physician. I want to see whether I can get hydroxocobalamin prescribed instead. I will start the inquiry by asking my local pharmacist about availability of hydroxocobalamin in the US. (I feel like I am pestering her, and that makes me a little reluctant to call when I think she might be busy.)

What I am considering doing is, if possible, switching to hydroxocobalamin, and reducing my dose frequency from daily to 2 out of every 3 days. If that is going ok after several months, I would consider reducing frequency to every other day. All the while keeping an eye on kidney function.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to WiscGuy]

That sounds like a good plan to me, Wiscguy. I don't think a busy pharmacist would see this request as "pestering" .

Let's hope it is a prescription option available to you.