Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms present as neurological symptoms and if severe can eventually cause nerve damage and possibly brain damage. Before you become very alarmed however, this takes many years to reach that point.

Signs of vitamin B12 deficiencies take about two years or more before they are noticed. The symptoms listed below may start a bit sooner.

The causes of this can be due to anemias, chronic alcoholism, gastric bypass surgery, and lack of intrinsic factor. Lack of intrinsic factor is perhaps the most common cause. This may be either an inheirited problem, or it can be the result of drugs such as H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors. These are medications that reduce stomach acid which is needed for intrinsic factor to bind to B12 in food sources and carry it across the gut to the rest of the body.

An additional medication that could cause B12 deficiency can be metformin which is a common medication used in diabetes. At the present time, studies have indicated that 10-30% of diabetics who take metformin are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms. A good way to counter act this effect is to take sublingual vitamin B12 .

The following are vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms:

Confusion or change in mental status
Tingling in hands and feet
Unexplained worsening of neuropathies, such as carpel tunnel syndrome
Decreased sense of vibration
Worsening memory
Worsening headaches or migraines
Worsening mood such as depression and/or anxiety symptoms
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Weakness
Gait disturbance in severe cases

Severe B12 Deficiency

The MRI above shows a brain. On the right is a normal brain. The red circle is around the cerabellum which helps control many movements including walking.

On the left is an example of atrophy of the cerabellum. This occurs over several years and can happen in the presence of severe, long term vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms. Most commonly this is seen in alcoholism.

Read more about: what does vitamin B12 do?

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References:
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