B12 deficiency

[crashy]

Ok who here has this? I was just informed yesterday I have this and I am not too sure what this is all about. The Dr. explained but you know how most of what they say goes in one ear and out the other. Besides right now I can not remember ANYTHING!!!
She has me on B12 shots monthly and also taking a B12 pill daily.
I hate being autoimmune!!!! Does this ever stop?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Having a chronic disease is an incredibly huge responsibility to yourself. I suggest you take someone with you to your appointments to take notes.

I do this for a good friend of mine.

From Wikipedia about B 12 deficiency:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

[madness]

I have two relatives that have B12 deficiencies. One is in her 90s and it has to do with her bodies aging and loss of ability to absorb B12 normally. She's been on the shots for a few years and they have improved her health and energy levels a lot. I hope it does the same for you!

The other had/has (second time now) this because of severe alcoholism. It's disrupts the absorption, plus the fact that the vast majority of what he was consuming was alcohol which doesn't contain B12. He actually lost all feeling in his extremities and the doctors couldn't do much to stop it. The numbness slowly progressed up his whole body until he was paralyzed. Then is all slowly returned. That was a few years ago. Unfortunately, it has all started over again since he has done nothing to change his habits.

So those cases are obviously different than yours, but the bottom line is that it can cause anemia, tiredness, lack of mental acuity and when it gets really bad, nerve damage. From what I've heard, taking the shots really helps.

Oh, and there was some powder that she drank...ugh, can't remember it. But there are several "energy" supplements which have high B12 content. The doctor recommended cyanocobalamin as the best for absorption - not sure if it was just for her case, or if it is universally better. There are 4 or 5 different forms if I remember correctly.

[wy_white_wolf]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Having a chronic disease is an incredibly huge responsibility to yourself. I suggest you take someone with you to your appointments to take notes.

I do this for a good friend of mine.

From Wikipedia about B 12 deficiency:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

Good advise. At first my doctors hated that I required my wife to be at all my appointments. Now they are glad she is there.

[crashy]

I have to write down everything too!!! I am glad I am typing here I make a LOT of errors LOL And for the memory thing...... I really feel like I am going mental. Oh I hope this treatment works. And the dang tingling in my feet ooooo

[Ravenlost]

My husband and I both have B12 Deficiency. From what I've read it's actually very common because, as you grow older, your body doesn't absorb B12 well. Last year at our yearly physical our doctor had us both get B12 shots for three months and then start the B12 pill. However, it's one we're very bad to forget to take so I'm guessing we'll have to get the shots again. I'd rather get the shot once a month than take a pill every day anyway.

Oh, hubby and I always go to each other's doctor appointments.

[deb]

If you can't remember your doctor visits, then take someone with you. I used to go with my Mom to her visits.

As for getting general info, you can always go to the Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic on Vitamin Deficiency Anemia

It starts with general information and specific information about B12 Deficiency is on the 3rd screen

Deb
in WI

[nodak3]

When I ran low (low acid production) I got numbness, tingling, and killer depression. Now I take 2500mcg daily and feel fantastic!

[BlessedByGrace]

Unless the reason would be that you are up there in years, I would find the root cause of the B-12 deficiency. I was only 35 when I began getting the shots. Soon, it didn't last for a month -- I had to go in every two or three weeks, then I had to double the dose. At the end, the shots were only lasting me a week or two.

It might be a good idea to supplement with other B vitamins.

I knew there had to be a reason, so I sought out a different doctor to find the root cause of that and find whatever autoimmune disease I had. Long story short - anemia, celiac disease, and hyperthyroidism. Also my adrenals were shot.

Now that these areas are being addressed, my memory has vastly improved, I don't have tingling in my legs, feet, toes, arms and hands. My headaches have gone away, no more IBS, and I don't feel foggy headed anymore. No more fibromyalgia. It wasn't easy -- it took 5 long years to get this far. Also my cholesterol shot way up. I refused what the doctor wanted to prescribe me, I changed my diet and took supplements. I knew there had to be a reason for my cholesterol to be high all of a sudden...when I was eating a diet of 80% raw food. The worse my thyroid gets, the higher the cholesterol goes.

Everything is related. If one thing is out of sync it affects other areas of our body.

This is just my experience and I'm not saying everyone else has the same thing -- I only share this as I hope this can help someone else.

My grandmother took monthly B-12 shots and they helped her a lot -- but she was in her 80's.

[crashy]

How long was it until you all started to feel better? I had the shot on the 21st. and then I am taking 1000 mc daily.

[Joshie]

Originally Posted by crashy

Ok who here has this? I was just informed yesterday I have this and I am not too sure what this is all about. The Dr. explained but you know how most of what they say goes in one ear and out the other. Besides right now I can not remember ANYTHING!!!
She has me on B12 shots monthly and also taking a B12 pill daily.
I hate being autoimmune!!!! Does this ever stop?

All B12 deficiencies are not created equal. WHY do you have this? What kind of B12 deficiency? My hubby did have it for a while but he needed only a few shots before his levels went to normal.

[ldc]

Crashy, many feel better after the first B12 shot. I did. I had parasites from working overseas and lost the ability to absorb B12 from food. I'd also been a vegetarian for 20 yrs, and comfrey is supposed to be the only plant w B12. Anyway, are you taking the SUBLINGUAL B12? I did nutrition in grad school, and they said that's the only one that works. The stomach acids destroy the regular pills before they can be absorbed. A B12 defic. is complicated, as other posters have noted. You have to take all other B vitamins to support the absorbtion of it. Your memory should start to come back soon. By the was, many people with dementia have a B12 deficiency (some in my family too), but no one seems to know which comes first; the illness or the deficiency. Take care of your self. Oh, and check your glucose. I had low blood sugar til 50, then it went right into diabetes, still eating the same veg, complex carbs, and protein of the last 20 years. Best wishes with this, ldc

[crashy]

Originally Posted by ldc

Crashy, many feel better after the first B12 shot. I did. I had parasites from working overseas and lost the ability to absorb B12 from food. I'd also been a vegetarian for 20 yrs, and comfrey is supposed to be the only plant w B12. Anyway, are you taking the SUBLINGUAL B12? I did nutrition in grad school, and they said that's the only one that works. The stomach acids destroy the regular pills before they can be absorbed. A B12 defic. is complicated, as other posters have noted. You have to take all other B vitamins to support the absorbtion of it. Your memory should start to come back soon. By the was, many people with dementia have a B12 deficiency (some in my family too), but no one seems to know which comes first; the illness or the deficiency. Take care of your self. Oh, and check your glucose. I had low blood sugar til 50, then it went right into diabetes, still eating the same veg, complex carbs, and protein of the last 20 years. Best wishes with this, ldc

I have been borderline diabetic for most of my life so one day I know its coming. My dr. is not quite sure how I have come to this right off the bat but I know I am looking at more tests. I am still not feeling better but I hope in a few days I will.

[snowshoehair]

Crashy, don't you also have that thyroid thing still going on? That is going to affect how you feel and lower your energy levels. It takes a few weeks before any adjustment to your thyroid medication is apparent. B12 should work fairly quickly.

BTW - so sorry you are having to deal with both of these on top of being borderline diabetic.

[Lada]

My husband just started B12 injections. He has Crohn's disease which prevents him from absorbing the nutrients he needs. He's also on a Vitamin D supplement. He hates the shots. He says they hurt and it feels like they're injecting peanut butter in him. I dunno. He's a huge baby, so I'm not sure how much of it's true and how much of it is him being...a huge baby.

[crashy]

Yes I do still have the thyroid thing going on I am calling my Endo. on Tuesday I am going to get it taken out eeep!!! I am scared!!!
I did not feel the shot it was not bad at all.

[snowshoehair]

I'm glad you are having that lumpy thyroid taken out Crashy. Not that I'm glad you have to go through the surgery but you won't have to worry about what your thyroid lumps are doing. Also, your doc will be able to get you on a good consistent dose of medication without having to see what the thyroid is up to first. Surgery is scarey, but just let us know when you are having it and we will be happy to "hold your hand" as best we can from here!

[Tatorbug]

Dr has me on the shots. According to him the gut would not absorb the B-12 so pills do not work. I can sure tell when I forget to give myself a shot. Get very tired and dragged out and yes--it is hard to concentrate.

I learned to give the shots to myself so that I wouldn't have to make those trips in to town. My B-12 was so off I had tingling in my hands. At first I was on one shot a day for a couple of weeks, then once a week, then once every other and now just the once a month. Dr checks my levels every year. That first year it took a good 3 months before I felt better in the energy department. Now I am fighting asthma so this is the least of my problems....

[crashy]

I think I am finally feeling better!!! I am not having the tingling in my feet YAY!!!! The crampin in my legs is still there but I feel its not as bad as it was I am so glad for that!!!
I will let everyone know about the thyroid issue when I get some new info.