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vitamin b12 deficiency

For more information about: vitamin b12 deficiency visit the Vitamin B12 CQFZ.net today.

Q: If I get anemia for vitamin b12 deficiency, will Iron supplements help me to cure that anemia?
I am asking this because most of the doctors just prescribe iron supplements without examining the reason of anemia.

A: You need intramuscular injections of Vitamin B12 for Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Q: How to differentiate folate and vitamin B12 deficiency clinically?

A: Left untreated, B12 deficiency will produce neurologic deficits after a while, parathesias in extremities might be noticable before the central nervous sytem abnormalities. Folate deficiency will not

Q: vitamin b12 deficiency and shrinking brain?
I have read in the subject. The thing is that I’ve been a vegetarian for about two years and i don’t think i have gotten enough vitamin b12. i mean, i ate eggs, but only occassionaly. i’m really cared now because of the whole thing that the brain shrinks when there is a vitamin b12 deficiency, seeing as that vitamin is extremely important to brain function. and the brain shrinking can cause all sorts of problems. for two years of being deficient, can my brain really have gotten smaller? and is it reversable???

A: Don’t worry I was B12 deficient for a while – I got pins and needles and numbness in my hands and legs which is a sign of nerve damage. This was when I was vegan and I felt better once I started taking supplements (and I am no longer vegan). Whilst vitamin b12 deficiency is serious and bad for you I think my brain is fine as I am doing a maths degree and haven’t noticed any problems with my brain. I was probably deficient for about 2 years but your body can store some so in 2 years you won’t have done serious damage.
In fact the NHS website states that:
“It can be stored in the body in small amounts, and around 80% of this is stored in the liver. It may take three or four years for the symptoms of deficiency to develop.”
Do you drink milk?
If you do you are not likely to be deficient as half a pint of milk contains over half your RDA of b12 but you should consider getting fortified foods like cereal or drinks like horlicks, ovomaltine and milo that have vitamin b12 – a mug of one of these drinks will give you 20% of your RDA.
Also one teaspoon of marmite has 60% of your RDA of B12.
Adding one of these foods/drinks to your diet daily will ensure you’re getting enough.
The RDA is 2.4 micrograms.

Q: What is the name of the protein that is destroyed when somebody has vitamin B12 deficiency?

A: Vitamin B12 deficiency is sometimes called pernicious anemia.

Vitamin B12 normally combines with a protein in the stomach called intrinsic factor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrinsic_factor. Without intrinsic factor, the Vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed by the ileum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Illu_small_intestine.jpg and passes through the gastrointestinal system undigested, leading to a B12 deficiency.

Although B12 deficiency doesn’t destroy intrinsic factor, intrinsic factor is a protein that can cause B12 deficiency if your body doesn’t produce it.

Lack of intrinsic factor can be caused by autoimmune diseases such as diabetes or thyroid disease,

Since Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver, it can take some time before low intrinsic factor actually causes B12 deficiency signs/symptoms.

Q: do you recover from a vitamin B12 deficiency illness?
parent very ill with a vitamin B12 deficiency. injections don’t seem to be having any effect. has problem with dementia. will this improve?

A: yes

Q: Vitamin B12 deficiency due to cerebellar damage?
My anatomy instructor who is also a doctor told us that he believes a damaged cerebellum can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency. I looked on the internet and found that there is credence to this via research papers. Can anyone tell me exactly why this deficiency of folate occurs though?
I just found that damage of cerebellum can result in Vitamin B12 deficiency…I am just not sure as to why.
sorry i meant to say that the deficiency causes the damage of cerebellum

A: Firstly folate and B12 are two different things though both can be causes of megaloblastic anaemia and both are B group vitamins. Severe B12 deficiency cause neural damage. If a person has an intrinsic factor deficiency (a protein that binds and transports B12 from the gut into the bloodstream) they can get pernicious anaemia ie. they are B12 deficient even though they may eat lots of vitamin B12.
I haven’t heard of the damage being the other way around either.

Q: What are the physical signs of a B12 vitamin deficiency?
Facts only please :-)

Link it if you can.
Hey lo :-)

what’s this lingo now?

A: Ey up, Me.

According to NHS Direct:
Soreness of the tongue,
·Loss of weight,
·Pale skin, often with a lemon tint,
·Intermittent diarrhoea,
·Menstrual problems, and
·Poor resistance to infections.
If the deficiency goes on too long, the nervous system is liable to be affected, causing:
·Tingling of the fingers and toes,
·Muscle weakness,
·Staggering,
·Tenderness in the calves, and
·Confusion.

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=42&sectionId=10

Phew! Never had any of those. Well, maybe a little staggering, but it wasn’t from vitamin deficiency !

Q: why do chronic alcoholics suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency?

A: the b complex of vitamins is a water soluble complex and gets washed out by stress created by toxicsludge alcohol ……. not just alcohol either … excessive amounts of caffeine, sodas and pop, processed sugar, processed salt, animal protein and saturated fat will wash out your b complex of vitamins too ………. ;0)

alcohol will also acidify your bloodstream prompting your body to rip the precious minerals calcium and magnesium right out ofyour bones in an attempt to neutralise it …. ick.

alcohol wrecks everything.

peace baby
♥

Q: Iam a vegetarian and eat egg and milk also. I have B12 vitamin deficiency. What to eat to overcome B12 ?
I am in my 40s and I lack B12 vitamin. Doctors told me that it will happen since I am a vegetarian. I am vegetarian but also eat egg and milk.I have this B12 problem for the past one year. I cant continue for long with B12 injections/tablets but want to get B12 in my daily food. Can you please tell what fruits/vegetables/nuts/grains etc should I include as part of my daily food to have intake of sufficient B12 vitamin. I shall be thank ful if you can help me in suggesting/advising me of the food I should eat daily for this purpose.

A: Vitamin tablets are ok, but you pass most of it out in your urine anyway. Nutritional yeast is a great source, as is some seaweed, but both of those are medically disputed sometimes, so see how your body reacts. Fortified foods eaten at frequent intervals (so you don’t pass it all out) are the only solution if you’re deficient…I was told once that it needs to be taken in combination with iron and fat to be fully absorbed, but again, see you how react. Make sure to vary your sources, too.

The link below is really comprehensive. As it will tell you, b12 isn’t found in any fruits/vegetables, only in microorganisms. Do what they recommend and you’ll be fine in a few weeks.

Q: Can you have iron and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia at the same time?

A: Hi,

Yes, anemia usually means a deficiency in either iron, b12 or folate. It could be any one of those or any combination of the three. So it is definitely possible to have both iron and b12 deficiency at the same time.

Q: What should i do, in pregnancy with vitamin B12 deficiency?

A: It is vital that a multivitamin tablet be taken daily to ensure you get the required vitamins and minerals for pregnancy (and just for healthy living in general). Prenatal supplements are ideal for the child-bearing stage of life to ensure that you have plenty of all the nutrients necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Two of the most important supplements for a healthy pregnancy are calcium and folic acid.

Q: Vitamin B12 deficiency?
Found out today I have a vitamin B12 deficiency, have to have a shot every month for an indefinite amount of time, maybe always.
Doctor said it is from having a vegetarian, and the time span (the reserves of B12 in your body being gone in 4-5 years ) is right on.
The only thing I ever really thought about was the amount of iron and calcium I was getting.

I have problems with my legs, thought it was circulation and was told I had swollen veins due to phlebitis(before I got a blood test). My legs hurt, were sensative, throbbing, swollen a bit, tingly, and I got spider veins and bruises.
My doctor didn’t really know much about it, was looking in a book even.
The doctor just basically said that it caused the tingling and pain in my legs.
So does anyone know, does this mean sensation in whatever part of your body that is effected will return to normal once you are getting B12?
Thanks to those of you who actually answered my question, which is will the nerve damage repair itself once you are getting B12. I get enough folic acid, so I had no anemia, it had to progress to my nerves before anything seemed wrong.

I didn’t ask anyone to make assumptions about my diet. I eat healthy, and am not lacking in anything else. The only animal product I eat is cheese, which is apparently not an adequete source of vitamin B12. I didn’t think about it.
One serving of cheese has 6% of B12 you need daily.
If you go in a grocery store, you’d be hard pressed to find cheese or even milk (besides soy milk) that has B12 listed in the nutritional info.

As for my legs, I was diagnosed with phlebits BEFORE I got blood test results, by another doctor that was my second opinion at the time. I am pretty positive I don’t have phlebitis, that it is from B12 deficiency.

I would love to see a specialist, but my doctor unfortunately has to be the one to refer me to one
By the way Scocasso !, the first link you gave me clearly says that phlebitis can be related to not having enough B vitamins.

A: It sounds like Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage due to vit b12 deficiency) If caught in time it could be reversed.I was not treated early enough,now im numb from waist down.The pain is agonizing 24/7.

Q: What is Vitamin B12 deficiency?
Hi, I am a 24 year old female. I have been told by my doctor that I am low in vitamin B12, and I need to take shots. Does anyone else have experience with this? Will I need to take the vitamin forever?

A: Vitamin B12 (also known as cyanocobalamine) is found primarily in meat and is essential for human body. A deficiency can lead to a type of anemia called pernicious anemia which is readily detected when doing a microscopic examination of a blood smear. Long term B12 deficiency can lead to neurological symptoms.

Vitamin B12 is also known as “extrinsic factor” and it cannot be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract without “intrinsic factor”, which is normally produced by the stomach. If the stomach stops producing the intrinsic factor in suffiicient quantities, the body cannot absorb B12 from the diet. The only way to get the B12 into the body/blood stream is to inject it.

Unless your body can start making intrinsic factor again, you will have to take the B12 shots for the rest of your life. It is the only way to prevent the development of pernicious anemia, which, ultimately, can be fatal.

Q: Vitamin B12 Deficiency During Pregnancy?
My wife suffers from vitmain B12 deficiency which she receives injections for every 8 weeks. She is now 5 weeks pregnant and is due an injection in a couple of weeks time. Is it safe to still receive injections during pregnancy ? The doctor doesn’t seem to think it will be a problem but the medication she has says it will ? Now looking for a second opinion. Thanks.

A: Your wife should continue her vitB12 infections throughout pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time when B12 deficiencey is often first noted – if it is treatment starts straight away (though women are retested post natally to confirm diagnosis is not linked to pregnancy).

Q: Macrocytic hypochromic anemia is seen in vitamin b12 deficiency?

A: In fact, that kind of anemia, it is caused by B12 deficiency and/or folate, due to inadequate intake or insufficient absorption.

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