Could It Be B12? Numbness, Nerve Pain, Autism, Tremors, Depression, Dementia, and more

Certainly, TMS can cause nerve pain and numbness, but what about B12 deficiency?

B12 deficiency is an underdiagnosed condition that can cause many physical and mental problems, ranging from nerve pain, tremors, numbness, heart disease, and cancer to depression, dementia, and autism.

One interesting discovery is that normal cells can look abnormal due to B12 deficiency and lead to a false cancer diagnosis. And while the patient is being treated for cancer, the B12 deficiency is left underdiagnosed and can lead to irreversible damage.

If it is caught early and treated, in many cases, physical and mental problems can be cured. Everyone from babies to the elderly must be tested. Because B12 is found only in animal products and dairy, those who are strict vegetarians are especially at risk.

The usual test for B12 blood serum is not accurate enough. Proper tests for B12 are

1. Blood serum B12 level
2. Homocysteine serum level
3. Urinary methylmalonic acid level (This is the most accurate test for B12)

This documentary explains more


You can learn more about B12 at http://b12awareness.org (Vitamin B12 Deficiency Awareness, Education, Symptoms, Misdiagnosis, Groups at Risk, Treatment).

Could It Be B12? is available on Amazon.

 

Your link is to a book by a nurse and an osteopath. I don't think you should be stating what you stated as though it were factual information.

 

According to Harvard Medical School:

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful
What harm can having too little of a vitamin do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.

Read the rest at
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780 (Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful - Harvard Health Blog)

 

And the same blog post says this:

The Internet is full of articles lauding the use of vitamin B12 to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and other chronic conditions or reverse infertility, fatigue, eczema, and a long list of other health problems. Most are based on poor or faulty evidence.

 

Hi Fred, pspa

I took it daily for several years; In fact it was the only supplement I took. My blood and urine work showed low levels of B-12 indicators, and my GP recommended it for nerve function etc. He was quite insistent citing that he takes it himself. He is also around my age 68. I think with some, old age is a factor for your body to absorb or make B-12. In addition to this my B-12 deficiency started around the time I eliminated meat and dairy in lieu of a more plant and fish diet.

The controversy regarding B-12 seems to be how it works in your body and not its benefits, so I chose to take 2 tabs daily until my discipline ran out. In all honesty I stopped taking it about a year ago because I got confused over the dosage amount on a refill; I am also averse to taking tablets.

On reflection for this same period of time I have felt overly tired and weary even for my passion windsurfing. I have noticed a severe change in physical strength and mental enthusiasm. It’s been a rough year with my wife had a second knee replacement, I was found to have cataracts and family issues plaguing my TMS personality. My tiredness could be related to B-12.

Presently I am changing to a new GP and have a physical in two weeks. She comes highly recommended as a good listener and assigns an hour for first visits. I will be sure to get a full bank of tests for B-12 deficiency and confirm my previous doctor’s results. I have heard she is a vegetarian and will be sure to know about this subject, unlike the pediatrician in your video link Fred.

Thank you for your post Fred, I am now more aware about B-12 and less a skeptic.

Hi pspa, hope all is well

I copied this from the web to understand what the benefits were, as I noted the lady next door to me died of pernicious anemia, sadly she just withered away during the ten years I knew her, maybe she had B-12 deficiency.

Reference:
“Your body needs vitamin B-12, also known as cobalamin, to aid with energy metabolism, to support the health of the nervous system and to help produce red blood cells, DNA and RNA. It promotes your body's use of iron and activates enzymes that regulate the level of homocysteine that you have in your blood. High levels of the amino acid homocysteine may increase your risk of heart disease. If you don't consume enough vitamin B-12, you may experience fatigue, diarrhea and possible nerve damage. A long-term deficiency of vitamin B-12 may make you more likely to develop heart disease, pernicious anemia or age-related macular degeneration.”

 

Andy, sublingual B12 supposedly is much better absorbed because it passes directly into the bloodstream. It might also be a workaround for your aversion to tablets. Some people get monthly shots and swear by them. There is no doubt B12 is important and that a severe deficiency can cause problems, my objection to the original post was that it seemed to overstate the case without evidentiary support.

 

Andy's suggestion is a good one. B12 is a large molecule and often hard to digest as we get older. Try sublingual. Easier to take and absorbs better.

There are also B12 sprays you can spray under your tongue.

 

I am confused on this matter as my GP said take B6 but my Neuro said don't take B12 as it can cause neuropathy?