As most all of us know anxiety and depression are a close companion for many of those with AIG/PA. Myself included.
I reached out a couple of years ago to Irina Billingham as she was referred to me. She's been a great help to me over this past year.
She is in Cotswold UK but can support anywhere in the world via teleconference.
Here's her website bodymindalchemy.co.uk
Rexz
Thank you Rexz. So sorry the depression and anxiety is a problem for you. It is debilitating. I'm glad she had helped you. I hope your are feeling better my friend.
Hi Rexz
Thank you for the heads up.
Glad you have found a way to get on top of anxiety and depression - I think it’s by far the worst symptom of AIG/PA and by far the hardest to deal with from my experience.
AIG/PA is a very debilitating disease in its own right but symptoms of anxiety and depression often allow medics to examine more familiar rabbit holes of mental health rather than the less understood yet more fundamental issue of vitamin deficiencies.
It’s important to us all that we understand and acknowledge that vitamin deficiencies affect our whole mental and physical systems. My experience is that we need to get our vitamin and minerals at optimal levels - just above minimum and just ok are not enough - to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Great post Rexz - hugs my friend
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‘Rabbit holes of mental health’. Yes I agree. I wouldn’t even mention depression to a doctor now. I see their eyes light up at the mention of it. All those ‘incentives’ from pharmaceutical companies.
Apologies for the cynicism!
No apologies needed. I completely agree. I refused to see a psyc doc and never took a antidepressant as I'd known people who became reliant on them. I don't want to say some people don't need them. But I was pretty bad for a bit.
I was too, in my twenties. But they didn’t help me. I reached absolute crisis point with alcohol, antidepressants and sedatives.
My pleas for help via therapy were rejected by my gp. In the end I hauled myself back to a semblance of normality. It was a very painful few years, mostly concealed from the outside world and even my family.
Fast forward another thirty years of a life half lived and I realised the problem must lie with faulty b12/folate metabolism. With b12 injections I am more or less in control of the depression for the first time and I feel that I’m finally living.
I now recognise it in other family members. There is a history of depression, mental breakdowns and a suicide.
Hi MorningMist
There’s a time and place for anti-depression meds - but not at the first whiff of a mental health rabbit hole. To me such meds are a last resort not the de facto solution as so many medics seem to think.
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Yes WwwdotImbalances of vitamin def is clearly something we've got to be aware of and manage. But the progressive nature of this AIG makes it a moving target sort of. The malabsorption issues you may have today...let's say your hypochlorhydria are not the same as that which you will have tomorrow or 6 months from now as you may progress to achlorhydria. In my case this disease has run its course. I no longer have oxyntic mucosa...all destroyed. In fact because my parietal cells are all gone it seems my parietal cell and Intrinsic factor Antibodies are lessoning and now approaching normal range. This is ever changing... 😜
Absolutely Rexz
That’s what many medics and indeed us patents don’t always appreciate. Our health is dynamic and we need to understand and listen to our bodies to adapt.
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Just caught up with your reply. I think the reduction in antibodies as the disease progresses is something doctors really need to be aware of. Assuming they are aware at all 😟
helllo Rex,
wow then what happens when those antibodies are gone? is that a good thing? I'm just starting to learn and treat the AIG no stomach acid my Betaine shows up today. I had felt a big difference in two days of apple cider vinegar, until the betaine shows up with pepsin. I've never had by acids tested but you sure are taking care of all the AIG with good Dr.'s and I'm glad your sharing it with us. I don't have any specialist here in Blythe.
Well damage is done. Oxyntic Mucosa (Parietal Cells are gone). The antibodies will lesson as there is no mistaken pathogen for them to attack. I'm thinking much like your immune system heightens to attack a bacterial infection and then when it is gone those antibodies will go away. Well maybe not entirely. The thing is with Oxyntic Mucosa being gone is that it will not heal. Those cells are all replaced by intestinal metaplasia. So will still have to live with the achlorhydria. Maybe though, just maybe, the active inflammation will lesson. YAY! 🤣
I also just started getting a little nausea for what ever reason then I usually have to have a bowel movement. I'm not sure if thats related.
That sounds very much related.
You may want to try Dr. Shailja Shah at UCSD. She is a national expert on AIG and Intestinal Metaplasia. Look at providers.ucsd.edu/details/...
She does do telehealth.
ok thank you Rex,
oh yes you mentioned her before and I will look her up on the link. did they have to put you under to test your stomach?
It was during endoscopy so yes... 😴
I don't know if any other PA sufferers have noticed the same thing as me: my depression and anxiety correlate directly with my stomach being off. When my gastritis flares the symptoms are particularly bad, if I eat less, and eat bland food, the situation calms down quicker.
Hi expatkerry
💯 agree.
When my gut is working best it can so are my mind and emotions.
I don’t sink into depression quite so easily now when I have a gut setback as I understand what’s going on and so I talk positively and sternly 🤣🤣🤣 to myself and I have to work much harder to keep a positive attitude.
The anxiety is harder as it sneaks back in the night when something is out of kilter but again I now know the cause and immediately increase my B12 and check co-factors which I do regularly now so it’s usually a B12 issue. I have my emergency toolbox of soothing music, breathing exercises, a book, some films on my iPad etc so that I can flit through my toolkit til the anxiety subsides.
I find depression and anxiety the hardest symptoms to deal with but I need to be strict and act fast!
Great post
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Hi expatkerry,You and Wwwdot are correct in that there is a correlation between how your gut is working, how you feel. There are actually many things going and it's quite complex. Firstly let's attempt to separate the two, anxiety and depression. Secondly please know I have zero qualifications to talk about this stuff other than my own experience and knowledge gained from that.
Depression: heck, I don't even know the true medical definition nor do I care to go look it up. I was always the guy who never really believes in depression or PTSD. When Id hear someone was depressed I would sort of discount it and wonder why they just didn't get up and get about their day. Well now I know it can be the most debilitating thing to cope with. There are certainly different degrees of depression, from mild to severe. With severe depression you cannot shake it. It's like a very dark cloud hanging over you and no matter how hard you might try it is truly unshakable to the point a person just stays in bed all day. For me this turned out to be clinical. And I believe now most severe depression is. As Wwwdot said, Vitamin and nutritional imbalance. It is known that severe B12 deficiency can cause hallucinations, depression and even what appears to be Alzheimer's. But other nutritional imbalance can also play havock with your mind. We all know micronutrient malabsorption goes along with advanced stages of AIG/PA. So we have to pay particular attention to what we ingest. Nutrient dense foods!!!
Then with clinical depression there is hormone imbalance. This was another big one for me. My hormones were all out of whack and some I had tested for were even zero! One of which was progesterone, who knew that guys needed progesterone? But they do, we all do. Just as women need testosterone just in much lower quantities. So now I take a low dose of progesterone, I call it my girl pill. Testosterone and others. Then there are Thyroid hormones, if you've been diagnosed with AIG/PA then have your thyroid checked for autoimmune antibodies. Studies show that 40-50% of those who have AIG/PA also have autoimmune hypothyroid aka Hashimoto's disease. Hypothyroid is an underperforming thyroid so again you'll need to supplement thyroid hormones.
OK anxiety!! In my experience anxiety is learned. One can get anxiety from life experiences. I happen to have anxiety in staying above the second floor in a hotel as I had a hotel burn down around me late at night years ago. Same with this disease. For quite some time before we figured out I had achlorhydria I would get very nauseous and vomit about 30 minutes after each meal. I learned to not eat. Eating was bad...if get punished by the vomit gods if I ate. I lost 90 pounds. But even after I was diagnosed and was prescribed Betaine HCI I had learned so well that I then had anorexia. I still didn't want to eat even though I no longer would vomit. I'm OK today but it took a lot of help to get through that. Then there's anxiety over eating anything to far away from home because of bouts of diarrhea or dumping syndrome. This anxiety lives with me today. So I think the anxiety that you feel, the same with myself and Wwwdot, when our guy starts to feel poorly that anxiety is oh no here it comes, something but not going to be a good day type anxiety where we might modify our plans for that day. If we were going for a walk or to the market we might not do those things. It has a real impact to how we live.
Oh geeze I've rambled and written a book!! AND I'm completely unqualified to do so! 😳
But yeah there's a lot going on with depression and anxiety. You can have tests done that will check your hormone levels these are both blood and saliva tests. There is also, at least here in US, a blood test to check all your vitamin levels. And don't forget about iron and calcium.
Sorry for my diatribe! Best wishes, Rexz
Rexz
That’s a brilliant response and irrespective of OUR lack of medical qualifications, we are observant and inquiring in our approach to our health and that counts for a lot.
We are not statistics but individuals and therefore whilst generalisation can be helpful when looking at populations it is wholly inappropriate in my very humble opinion when seeking individual health solutions.
Top response mate and thank you sharing such incredible clarity of observation.
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That was a great novel Rexz. And I'm very glad you have a handle on it. The anxiety I get wondering if I can walk a tail and make it back to my car is very real. I even imagine having to call for help and need to be rescued. So I never go too far from my car. Anxiety, is the worst and I feel it leads to my depression. I'm nauseous very often with dry heaves and blinding headaches for days at a time. The apathy is debilitating. The disinterest in life really bothers me. I don't have any enthusiasm for life anymore. That really bothers me. At least I know why. I guess. I just wish the b12 would help with that a bit more.
Hi EllaNore
What is your B12 treatment frequency if I may be so bold as to ask?
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I inject everyday. Sometimes I will forget a day or two but pretty much daily. I have even done 2x daily but that gets expensive.
Hi EllaNore
One thing I have learned is that my body likes routine - like night follows day. My body rebels and suffers when I miss a “routine” jab and my body and I suffer as a result.
I now set alerts on my phone so that I have regular B12 and don’t miss a jab or go too long without. It has made a big difference. This way I can manage with a consistent dose and I rarely need to vary it.
What are your cofactor levels?
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Thank you www dot I don't really know what cofactor levels are. If you talking about other vitamins I'm not deficient in anything else. I take D3 but that's always low in almost everybody I know. Other than that all my other stuff like iron I'm not deficient in any of that. Thanks for trying to help. I really don't think it's my B12 I think it's another complication to Lyme disease. Thank you very much for trying to help me. I go for more tests pretty soon. I've got eight more appointments coming up between now and December. So we'll see what they find out
Hi EllaNore
Fingers and toes crossed for you, please let us know how you get on. So hope that you are able to shed some light on why you feel so rubbish.
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Yes agree! My anxiety skyrockets with those flares. Bland food and low histamine foods have helped me. I was recently reminded that the vagus nerve is the main connection between the stomach and the brain….so it certainly makes sense.
I hear you can also gamble in Vagus... 🤣
Ah the vagus nerve!! I'm having vagus nerve stimulation (via the ear) therapy at the moment, it's not a quick fix but studies suggest it could regulate gut - brain communication and modify response to pain. I've been having this therapy for a year now, things are a little calmer on the stomach front, but as I said it's a long therapy.
Hi, I have been looking into the Carnivore Diet. Meat and eggs , cheese if can handle dairy. Plants. Dr Anthony Chaffee. a neurosurgeon no less. And many many other doctors are eating the carnivore diet , as they say to ensure they don't end up on their own operating table.
Dr Chaffee eats only steak and salt. Lots of reviews that I have come across as I have been researching that a must have diet for anxiety /depression . Healing autoimmune conditions etc . Interviews with Jordan Peterson on you tube who's daughter was crippled with anxiety/depression and with arthritis and had to have a hip replacement at age 15. Put herself on the carnivore diet as a young adult and healed herself . Interesting
It is interesting, my diet is basically fish, eggs and a few vegetables (this is all I can tolerate) absolutely no sugars or dairy., only carbs from low carb vegetables. If I stick to it and don't tax my stomach too much as far as quantities go, I don't have any anxiety or depression. My son doesn't have PA but chooses to eat a carnivore diet and he's as fit as a flea 
That is very interesting expatkerry. Thank you for replying . It seems that you have found the results of your own elimination diet successfully. And fabulous that your son is thriving on a carnivore diet.
I listened to a podcast interview on which a Functional Health doctor explained that when a junior doctor he noticed that when on the ward, their arthritis patients symptoms lessened to a noteable degree when they had been feeling too ill to eat. He deduced that foods may be instrumental in arthritic attacks but was silenced by the heirarchy. It seems today that this mindset is becoming more acceptable or the lay person is pursuing his own intuition
I invite anyone suffering from depression and anxiety to investigate the availability of TMS therapy (transcranial magnetic stimulation) in your area. It is non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical based treatment that changed my life and helped me regain control of my feelings of being "sick". It was covered by my insurance here in the USA, but I have no knowledge of how it may work with NHS. But for me, it was a much better alternative than the usual pharmaceutical approach as most of those drugs causes GI bleeds and made me feel worse.
Hi scnuke
Thank you. Very interesting.
I will look into that!
Was it applied by a therapist or is it a device you buy?
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I know of one device called Flow that is getting good feedback in medical trials. Possibly available at an NHS near you, but don't hold your breath... also can buy it for around £400 to use yourself. Details here:- flowneuroscience.com/
It is a fixed location device. It looks much like a dentist chair with an MR device about the size of a salad plate that is placed in a specific place against the side of your head. The treatment last 19 minutes. My protocol was a 19 mins, five days/week, for six weeks. I could feel the difference in my mood and thoughts after the second treatment, but everyone is different. While I haven't had the need, it is very common for more than one course of treatment to be needed for maximum effectiveness or if symptoms return. There are no side effects and it is not painful. A mild headache was my worst issue, resolved by Tylenol. Here is some info from one of the providers in the UK. I have no knowledge as to the reputation and skill of this location. It is only for general knowledge. smarttms.co.uk/ If you are suffering, please check it out, it gave me back a better life.
Hi Rexz - Thanks for the link. As you probably know from reading my (somewhat repetitive) posts, I have really been suffering from anxiety and depression, brought on by B12 deficiency, for the last few months.
It's been so bad that I've been suicidal, and was prescribed an anti-depressant (mirtazapine) that I've been taking for a week but have decided to come off (the withdrawal symptoms after long-term use are horrific, and when I'm healed of my B12 blues, I don't want to go through it again).
Did you have any tips for handling the anxiety? It feels like a wave of unease, constantly bubbling under my rib cage and waiting to overwhelm my body. I'm 2.5 months into injections (EOD initially, every day for the past week) and nothing's improved on the anxiety front.
Saying that, I had my first proper hypnotherapy session today and it was MIRACULOUS! It dropped my anxiety from a 9/10 to a 5/10 in the space of 45 mins. I don't know quite how it happened, but I'm glad it did. Have booked in for 8 more sessions!
Have you tried CBD? It seems to be very helpful for some people although I struggled to find a form that didn't taste disgusting, then it was discontinued.. . I did have anxiety in the early months of SI, thankfully not as overwhelming as yours Laverdista, and had a mantra I would chant inwardly of 'it's not me, it's the B12' which gave me a bit of distance from the feelings. Hypnotherapy can be amazing, hope you continue to get relief using it x
Thanks. Funnily enough, I ordered some CBD oil a few days ago, which should be here today. Fingers crossed that it helps.
I hope it does x
Help with getting a diagnosis for myself and daughter!
Help with test results! 
Help with a mystery needed
Depression and Anxiety - B12 issue?
Help needed !
