B12 Deficiency

Allergies, blood and immune system
1

So I am a mum of 3 children aged between 4 & 8. I am 29 years old and had been feeling very tired (falling asleep for an hour + when on my own with my children.)

I went to the doctors who said they would carry out a "full m.o.t" to determine what was wrong. I have been told I have an Iron Deficiency, Vitamin D Deficiency and a severe Vitamin B12 deficiency. I have had a booster course of vitamin D tablets which were 20000 units and I'm currently a daily tablet of 1000 units. I have also had my 6 booster b12 injections and I'm awaiting my next injection (due in 4 weeks). I am at the point of extreme exhaustion again. Simple house duties make me feel like I've done a major workout... and walking my children to school makes me feel like I've ran a marathon. I have gained a fair bit of weight recently which is making me feel very depressed and angry with myself but I just don't have the energy to exercise. I am unsure as to how long I have all these illnesses before being diagnosed but I have also realised I have started to walk oddly.

Walking as easy as it should be really isn't. My legs feel like lead weights and I find myself over compensating which causes very painful pulling down the inner and outside of my lower legs. On top of weight gain and knowing I'm walking oddly has made me very anxious. This doesn't help On top of being short of breathe very quickly from a very simple task, which quickly turns into a anxiety attack... I started sweating alot and feel like everyone is staring at me.

I feel trapped, I'm failing as a young parent as I can't do much with kids before I'm in alot of pain and exhausted. I'm slipping on household duties... I'm so depressed but feel like nobody around me understands. I wish I felt energetic again as this would solve alot of my problems.

Anybody else feel like this and have been able to resolve it?

2

Hi Natasha,

With the combination of the three deficiencies, iron, Vitamins D and B12 it's not surprising that you feel down and depressed.

Lower level Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a number of non-specific symptoms, including possibly chronic fatigue (experts have for many years noted an association between sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalitis (CFS or ME) and low blood levels of Vitamin D). It has been estimated that between 50-70% of people living in the northern Europe (where daylight length reduces your chances of receiving adequate sunlight in the winter) are deficient in this vitamin by March each year. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include chronic pain, weak bones, frequent infections (recent research has detected an association between vitamin D deficiency and severe pneumonia), depression and fatigue. 

Symptoms of B12 deficiency tend to develop slowly and may not be recognised immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:

Weakness and fatigue

Light-headedness and dizziness

Palpitations and rapid heartbeat

Shortness of breath

A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance

Nausea or poor appetite

Weight loss

Diarrhoea

Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes

If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:

Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

Difficulty walking

Muscle weakness

Irritability

Memory loss

Dementia

Depression

Psychosis

Do you have any or all of the above symptoms?

Do you know whether your Folate (a.k.a folic acid or Vitamin B9) level was tested?

There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.

Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:

symptoms related to anaemia

reduced sense of taste

diarrhoea

numbness and tingling in the feet and hands

muscle weakness

depression

Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body.

You don't say what treatment you are having for your iron anaemia and ideally your B12 loading doses should continue until there is no further improvement in any neurological symptoms you may have identified above..

I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anaemia (a form of B12 deficiency) for 46 years.

I wish you well.