Numbness in hands and in face.

[sobs1962]

Does anyone know if the numbness,I have in my hands and in my face near my mouth could be a,symptom of folate deficiency or pernicious anaemia. Any advice strongly welcomed as it's really starting to worry me now and my heart rate was at 150bpm last night.

[Hidden]

Folate deficiency is a likely cause. Also B12. You are describing a neurological order.

[sobs1962 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that, I've thought it might be neurological but know that b12 deficiency can cause those symptoms

[Hidden in reply to sobs1962]

Do have your levels tested first. It’s important that you make sure your B12 levels are sorted first before you try to increase Folate

[sobs1962 in reply to Hidden]

That's part of the problem, the doctors at my GP practice, don't appear to have much of a clue, to be honest and have been tested for coeliac disease this year and told I was negative for antibodies, therefore I don't have it and I don't have any confidence in their ability to do their jobs properly as it appears doctors are not being trained properly and if they're asking the patient to tell them what is wrong, then they clearly didn't learn anything during their training. It's all very scary especially when you have(like me) serious mental health conditions that make you extremely paranoidand unable to trust anyone.

[Hidden in reply to sobs1962]

Do you have a Mental Health Nurse?

[sobs1962 in reply to Hidden]

No, I have senior practitioner from the community mental health team

[Topsy33]

Hi Sobs,I wonder if the facial and hand numbness you are feeling might be caused by the anxiety, at least in part.

It can be a product/outcome of over breathing….which many of us do without realising I have experienced it myself, particularly when stressed and I now see that I tend towards more shallow and faster breathing when stressed.

Since I have got into simple meditation, which has helped me to manage the way I breathe more consciously, it has been less noticeable and I feel calmer generally.

However, I would also get your vitamin B12 and Folate checked out because deficiencies could also playing a part and are quite frequently seen in people with thyroid problems.

Happy New Year.

[sobs1962 in reply to Topsy33]

Currently in A&E ,have done ct scan and it turns out I have had a stroke.

[sobs1962]

Happy New year to you and yes, I do suffer from quite severe anxiety.Its a vicious circle, if your anxious about a physical symptom you're experiencing , the more anxious you are the worse that symptom is. What worries me most is the inability of doctors to recognise and treat signs and symptoms of b12 deficiency. I was on proton pump inhibitors for over 15 years and they in turn prevent production of intrinsic factor which is vital to your body's ability to absorb b12.not to mention other nutrientsand it seems doctors get very little training about this so have very little knowledge about Itand consequently, it it us (the patients) who suffer the long term consequences.

[Topsy33]

Absolutely Sobs,

It is not surprising really that some symptoms we tend to have with this condition are sometimes caused by the condition itself and also quite often, caused by the ham-fisted treatment we get!

You are quite right to think that proton pump inhibitors can do more harm than good.....especially when one is left on them for years without review.....which to my mind is verging on criminal neglect.

My Doctor doesn't seem to have a clue either, so I plan to get my B12 and Folate tested privately in the next week or two and you might be wise to consider doing the same at some point.

All the best to you.

[chrisbuy63]

You do need folate if you are injecting B12. However, calcium/vit D deficiency can have similar symptoms of numbness in face sp perhaps also do some research on that.

[helvella Administrator in reply to chrisbuy63]

Much, much simpler. We all need folate.

But an excess of folate can cause many symptoms.

There appears to be many highly contentious claims about needing vast quantities of folate if injecting B12. This has frequently been discussed over on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum, with much disagreement between those who insist large doses are required and the rest who consider enough to achieve decent blood test levels to be sufficient.

[sobs1962 in reply to helvella]

Thanks for reply, I have now had several episodes of numbness in my left hand and fingers as well as numbness in the left side of my face,it's pretty scary and I can't get in touch with my GP until Wednesday as,it's closed till Wednesday due to Bank Holidays. I just hope it doesn't get much worse very quickly.

[helvella Administrator in reply to sobs1962]

I would consider ringing 111.

(In other circumstances than we are in, I'd have already strongly recommended you do so.)

[sobs1962 in reply to helvella]

Rang 111, advised going to a&e and I did, they find tests and a catscan and it turns out I've had a TIA AND subsequent scans have revealed carotid arteries on right side of neck are blocked and I need an operation, I think is called an endarterectomy to clear the blockage, anyone with any experience of this, I would be happy to hear from.

[helvella Administrator in reply to sobs1962]

So glad you went - but (obviously) very sorry that you have this problem.

I knew someone who had this done - on both sides of his neck - and was very much better for it. I actually picked him up from the hospital after one of the operations. He had what looked like sellotape all over the side of his neck. I think one of his issues was the way his beard hair made it itchy as it repaired!

[chrisbuy63]

Perhaps you really should get medical advice via helpline 111 because it is a long time to wait. You need blood tests to see if you do have folate or calcium or vit d deficiency anyway as you don;t want to overload on them. Please let us know what advice yo do get please and I hope you are soon back to normal.