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Why are so many Americans suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency, when animal-based foods containing cobalamin are so plentiful? And why aren’t more doctors catching it before it escalates into symptoms of fatigue, chronic pain, memory loss, and severe neurological handicaps? These are just some of the important issues that this eye-opening video about vitamin B12 deficiency will explain.

The video is Diagnosing and Treating Vitamin B12 Deficiency, and it is perhaps the most crucial 50 minutes you will ever see regarding one of the most rampant forms of malnutrition to impair millions of citizens in recent times- pernicious anemia…and the number is still growing.

Pernicious anemia

Once regarded a lethal disease, pernicious anemia is a condition which causes symptoms of intense daily fatigue, numbness and tingling in the extremities, dementia, dizziness, depression, and impaired muscle coordination.

Pernicious anemia affects your nervous system, cognitive functioning, and emotional health; it also increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and early dementia from old age.

The missing link, of course, is vitamin B12.

Pernicious anemia impairs your ability to digest vitamin B12 from the foods you eat every day; food sources such as beef, seafood, and poultry are all extremely rich in this vital nutrient.

For years, scientists have known that the cure for pernicious anemia is immediate and lifelong vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplementation in a non-dietary form, usually vitamin B12 shots.

Why then is vitamin B12 deficiency making its way back into patient files, when we thought we had it defeated long ago?

Doctor, doctor, get the news update

This very informative must-see video on the B12 crisis makes some very important points about the medical profession and the rising numbers of patients experiencing moderate to severe nerve damage from pernicious anemia.

• A significantly large number of medical practitioners are ill-prepared to catch symptoms of low vitamin B12 levels early on, and receive little or no training in the diagnosis of pernicious anemia.
• The idea that a simple vitamin may provide a cure for a specific illness is regarded by health officials as bogus, so the illness itself- pernicious anemia- is considered of no concern.
• While blood tests may prevent death from pernicious anemia, they are nevertheless failing us by allowing debilitating symptoms of neurological damage to completely fall off the medical radar.
• Increasing evidence shows that imposed folate fortification in cereal products may have backfired by increasing one’s risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Pernicious Anemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Which Causes Which?

Can Vitamin B12 Repair Nerve Cells?

Image(s) courtesy of vongvanvi /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To manage Crohn’s disease, it’s important to assemble a group of essential items that help with symptoms of stomach cramps, indigestion, and frequent diarrhea.  On Amazon, you can find thousands of vitamins, personal care items, and informational resources that aid people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Whether you’re looking for a good ice pack for hemorrhoids or a travel bidet for Crohn’s flare-ups, you’ll find these items amazingly helpful.

Gastrointestinal Surgery for Crohn’s (IBD) and B12 Warnings

If you’re taking plenty of extra vitamin B12 as part of your Crohn’s disease survival plan, then great! In addition to preventing vitamin B12 deficiency, your IBD prevention and management plan should include some of the following indispensable health tools.

Washmate Portable Bidet in a Bottle (300 ml)

Keep yourself clean at work, while out to eat, or on-the-go. What makes this product especially helpful is the small packaging- you can discreetly slip this into your purse or laptop bag without attracting attention on the way to the bathroom. This is a must for all people who suffer from chronic Crohn’s disease.  Order on Amazon

What customers say about this: ” It fits comfortably in one hand, and it holds more than enough water to clean you up very well… it makes washing up at the commode SO EASY, especially if your abdominal mobility is jeopardized. This is super helpful!”

Drip Drop Hydration 4 Powder Packs

Dehydration is one of the most debilitating ailments that result from GI illnesses that cause frequent episodes of diarrhea and vomiting. These hydration powder packets are easy to use, taste great, and are safe for adults and children alike. Order on Amazon

What customers said about this: “My children never would tolerate Pedialyte but they seem to like the taste of Drip Drop (it tastes like lemonade)”

Florastor Maximum Strength 250 Mg Capsules

Maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora by taking these essential probiotic supplements.  This is useful for sustaining digestive health and preventing gastrointestinal damage associated with chronic diarrhea, ulcers, and acid reflux from GERD or Crohn’s disease.  Order on Amazon

What customers said about this: “Out of desperation I began trying probiotics. Within just a few days my heartburn was completely gone. I’ve been taking Florastor daily for almost a year now, and feel great.”

BodySport Ring Cushion

Give yourself a comfortable seat when your bottom really hurts. This pillow for your behind conforms easily, is washable, and will fit in most car seats or chairs. People like this because of its discreet design. This is great for relieving pain from hemorrhoids, coccyx injuries, colitis, or Crohn’s flare-ups. Order on Amazon

What customers said about this: “The red rubber and clear vinyl donuts scream ‘Hey everyone, I’m having trouble with my bottom.’ The BodySport Products Donut Cushion is by the most comfortable, durable and discreet.”

Your turn!

Do you suffer from Crohn’s? What helpful tools would you add to this IBD survival kit?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

IBD or IBS- What’s the Difference in a Tummy Ache?

Crohn’s- 9 Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) Myths to Ignore

7 Natural Remedies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Searching for that perfect heating pad or warming gel to help ease chronic pain from fibromyalgia? Look no further! Listed here are some of the best, highest-rated and reviewed pain management tools, as featured on Amazon.com, including therapeutic lotions, hot and cold pads, and massage implements, all designed to fill your days with maximum comfort and relief from fibromyalgia.

Spoonk Mat, as endorsed by Dr. Oz and Oprah!

What is this? Similar to a bed of nails, this acupressure massage pad is great for fibromyalgia patients experiencing chronic back pain, poor circulation, and joint stiffness.  According to the manufacture, the Spoonk mat has 6200 stimulation points, excellent for relieving those sensitive “hot spots” in people suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or other forms of chronic pain.

Use it for: Relaxation, increased energy, fibromyalgia pain management, improved sleep, and circulation. Order it here!

The Original Backnobber II, the Pressure Positive Company

What is this? This is a hard plastic massage tool with a knob on each end that is excellent for applying trigger point therapy in chronic pain management.  The S-shape makes it easy to rub out those hard-to-reach knots in your upper shoulder and lower back muscles.  It dismantles easily, so you can take this on the road.

Use it for: Isolating fibromyalgia pain points, relieving knots or lumps, alleviating muscle fatigue, and applying do-it-yourself allover massage therapy. Order it here!

Herbal Concepts Comfort Neck and Shoulder Wrap

What is it? This is a soothing wrap that you can warm up in the microwave for heat therapy. This is a great product- it’s reasonably priced, extends from your shoulders all the way up through your neck, and emits a pleasing minty-floral scent that calms the nerves.

Use it for: Back pain, shoulder stiffness, headaches, and stress relief. Order it here!

Sombra Warm Therapy Natural Pain Relieving Gel

What is it? This is a popular line of topical analgesics that would be an asset for anybody suffering from fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other types of chronic pain. This product contains Capsaicin, which is renowned for its natural pain-relieving qualities.  The fruity scent gives an energy boost, as well.

Use it for: Fibromyalgia pain points, diabetes nerve pain, migraines, flu aches and pains, burning feet, and joint stiffness Order it here!

Battle Creek Thermophore Automatic Arthritis Pad

What is it? “This is not your average heating pad,” says one reviewer on Amazon.  This electric heating pad provides deep tissue pain relief, delivering up to 165 degrees of warmth to your aching muscles and joints.  Customers liked that it is weighted all around with small metal discs, providing even weight distribution, and enabling it to conform better to the shape of your body, so that it doesn’t just slide off while you’re lying down.

Use it for: Warming up your muscles for increased flexibility before stretching, relaxing in the evening, soothing fibromyalgia pain in the morning before you get up from bed, or just to sit more comfortably while watching TV or using the computer. Order it here!

Your turn!

What pain management tools do you use for fibromyalgia?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Previously, we discussed the risk for developing severe vitamin B12 deficiency if you have high levels of folic acid (folate) in your blood. (Warning: If you take Folate, you may have Vitamin B12 Deficiency) In order to avoid neurological damage, cognitive decline, and mood disorders resulting from pernicious anemia, it’s important to know the risk factors before adding folic acid to your diet.

Who’s at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency?

The key to healthy folic acid supplementation is to confirm that you are not at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, and to get tested often. A simple blood test can determine if your vitamin B12 levels are low.

It’s important to note that blood tests which measure serum vitamin B12 are not always accurate, and often fail to detect early-onset vitamin B12 deficiency.

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you may be at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, and should consider being tested before starting folic acid supplementations.

• Do you have a family history for autoimmune disorders?
• Has anybody in your family suffered from pernicious anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency?
• Do you take metformin for diabetes?
• Do you take protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) for GERD?
• Are you a vegan or vegetarian?
• Do you suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?
• Are you a senior citizen?
• Have you had bariatric surgery, such as a gastric bypass?
• Do you suffer from fibromyalgia of chronic fatigue syndrome?
• Are you battling alcoholism?

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, then you may need to begin an intensive round of vitamin B12 supplementation until levels are normal, especially if your folic acid levels are high. After a few months, you may need to continue taking vitamin B12 supplements for life in order to prevent nerve damage, mood disorders, and memory loss.

Vitamin B12 supplementation usually involves regimental vitamin B12 injections which must be inserted into the thick muscular tissue of your thighs, buttocks, or abdomen.

For many, vitamin B12 shots serve to prevent life-threatening symptoms, while not necessarily relieving many of the debilitating symptoms that may linger despite ongoing supplementation.

Many patients continue to experience intense fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, numbness, memory loss, and chronic pain, even when their vitamin B12 tests come back normal, regardless of folic acid.

This has resulted in a rise in over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin B12 supplementations, which are available without a prescription and can be purchased cheaply over the internet.

For many, OTC vitamin B12 is a life-saving device, as a large segment of physicians are still unaware of the consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency, and are hesitant to prescribe a vitamin as a cure for something that they’ve already diagnosed as a simple mood disorder.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Top Ten Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency a Real Illness?

Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid- What’s the Connection?

Sources:

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Are We Missing Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Primary Care Setting?

In vitamin B12 deficiency, higher serum folate is associated with increased total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations.

Folate and vitamin B-12 status in relation to anemia, macrocytosis, and cognitive impairment in older Americans in the age of folic acid fortification

Image(s) courtesy of Victor Habbick/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Folate fortifications have been mandated for years by the FDA to reduce neural tube congenital defects, but has our plan backlashed? Increasingly, vitamin B12 deficiency is on the rise, causing severe neurological impairments, mental distress, and increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

Many scientists believe that it is no coincidence that this nation is seeing an increase in vitamin B12 deficiency among middle-aged individuals…

Though no longer deemed a fatal disease, there have been numerous reports of people experiencing extreme fatigue, memory loss, chronic pain, heart palpitations, and muscular deterioration…

All from pernicious anemia, a severe form of vitamin B12 deficiency that physicians thought they had eradicated long ago.

Folic acid and vitamin B12

Folic acid and vitamin B12 have a symbiotic relationship with each other; they work together to support DNA synthesis and sustain normal neurological functioning.

Today, doctors understand that the healthy natural bond between vitamin B12 and folate is reliant upon a correct balance between the two, and that too much folate in your blood may increase your risk for developing severe neurological problems caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.

Did the FDA bring back pernicious anemia?

Scientists are concerned that the health mandate enforced by the FDA requiring folic acid supplements in all breakfast cereals and other grain products may have translated into a growing epidemic of undiagnosed depletion of vitamin B12, a nutrient critical for survival.

In 2007, a study focusing on elderly individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency noted a direct correlation with high serum folate levels and cognitive impairment resulting from pernicious anemia.

Numerous other studies have been conducted which arrived at the same conclusion- that while folic acid supplementation is healthy and recommended for people with normal levels of vitamin B12, for people who are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, it can be disastrous.

Consider that folic acid is a standard nutrient included in prenatal vitamins. If you have normal levels of vitamin B12, then taking folate is important for reducing your chances for giving birth to a child with severe neurological disorders.

But if you are a pregnant with undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency, increased levels of folate in your blood may exacerbate your condition, accelerating the already plummeting levels of vitamin B12, resulting in potential serious nerve damage to you and your baby.

Coming up…How to find out if you’re at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, and what you can do about it.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Top Ten Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency a Real Illness?

Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid- What’s the Connection?

Sources:

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Are We Missing Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Primary Care Setting?

In vitamin B12 deficiency, higher serum folate is associated with increased total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations.

Folate and vitamin B-12 status in relation to anemia, macrocytosis, and cognitive impairment in older Americans in the age of folic acid fortification

Image(s) courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) does more than just give you constant heartburn- chronic acid reflux can create a host of ailments that many people don’t link with symptoms of GERD, including vitamin B12 deficiency.

What is GERD?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive system disorder which prevents food from traveling through your stomach and intestines, and instead causes the food you eat, along with digestive enzymes, to seep back through the esophagus, causing irritation, heartburn, and other debilitating symptoms.

11 Surprising Symptoms of GERD

GERD and vitamin B12 deficiency

If you take GERD medications, protein pump inhibitors (PPIs), then you are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.

That’s because your body relies on certain digestive enzymes in order to properly extract vitamin B12 (cobalamin) from the foods you eat- meat, fish, and poultry.

As the function of GERD medications is to stop making these digestive enzymes, your body’s ability to manufacture intrinsic factor is impaired, resulting in vitamin B12 malabsorption, a condition in which vitamin B12 travels through your esophagus and the rest of your GI tract, without ever getting digested or distributed through the blood, resulting in severe vitamin B12 deficiency, or vitamin B12 anemia.

Because of GERD medications for acid reflux, vitamin B12 deficiency is often a comorbid condition of GERD, one that goes undetected for years, until depleted levels of vitamin B12 begin to manifest themselves by producing debilitating ailments, symptoms which are not always linked automatically to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Symptoms indicating vitamin B12 deficiency, which may occur as an indirect result of GERD, include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Painful tingling in the hands and feet (pins and needles)
• Numbness
• Muscle spasms, twitches
• Vision problems
• Stomachaches
• Diarrhea

Take action

If you suffer from GERD and take PPIs or medications which reduce stomach acids, then it’s important to get your vitamin B12 levels checked frequently with a simple blood test.

If you are B12 deficient, and you wish to continue taking GERD medicines, then you will need to supplement with mega-doses of non-dietary vitamin B12, until your vitamin B12 levels get back to normal.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

25 Medications that Cause Vitamin B12 Deficiency

GERD led to B12 Deficiency- What do I eat now?

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

Sources:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease- PubMed Health

B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences

Image(s) courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) does more than just give you constant heartburn- chronic acid reflux can create a host of ailments that many people don’t link with symptoms of GERD.

What is GERD?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive system disorder which prevents food from traveling through your stomach and intestines, and instead causes the food you eat, along with digestive enzymes, to seep back through the esophagus, causing irritation, heartburn, and other debilitating symptoms.

Think of your digestive system as a one-way street. Normally, you swallow food, it slips down your esophagus, passes through the stomach where it combines with various stomach acids, and then travels through your intestines.

There are no U-turns in a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

With GERD, however, the esophagus suddenly becomes a two-way lane, as the esophageal sphincter, which is supposed to seal the door between the stomach and the bottom of your esophagus, instead loosens, allowing food…and harmful stomach acids to travel right back up through the esophagus, causing damage to your sensitive esophageal linings and creating debilitating symptoms such as heartburn, stomach cramps, and nausea.

But that’s not all…

GERD led to B12 Deficiency- What do I eat now?

GERD symptoms

The earliest symptoms of GERD may include the usual heartburn and stomach discomfort.

But left untreated, after several years, chronic acid reflux can cause severe damage to your digestive system, as the continuous flow of acidic stomach contents and undigested food wears away at your esophagus, increasing your risk of stomach ulcers and malnutrition.

Symptoms which indicate the many stages of GERD may include:

1. Heartburn- pain in the chest that is worsened at night, while reclining, or while bending over
2. Nausea
3. Sensation of having food stuck in your chest
4. Vomiting
5. Increased saliva, “water brash”
6. Coughing
7. Bitter taste in mouth, bile
8. Sore throat
9. Hoarseness, change in voice
10. Difficulty swallowing food
11. Hiccups

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Acid Reflux Medication Warning: One Big Reason to avoid PPIs

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

Sources:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease- PubMed Health
Image(s) courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are some of the most pernicious symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Most people who suffer the effects of low B12 don’t even know it- not until they start noticing unusual signs like extreme fatigue, memory loss, depression, and dizziness; symptoms that otherwise healthy individuals wouldn’t link to a mere vitamin deficiency, such as vitamin B12 anemia.

Vitamin B12 and the brain

Vitamin B12 is one of the most important nutrients for the brain- it helps to maintain healthy red blood cells, which is needed for delivering oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body.

Vitamin B12 also helps to sustain myelin, a fatty substance that coats your nerve cells, increasing intercellular communication and protecting your nervous system from harm.

Thus, depleted levels of vitamin B12 puts your nervous system at risk for damage, as well as impairing your nerve cells’ ability to act efficiently and convey messages quickly to the brain.

Vitamin B12 deficiency also results in oxygen depletion (hypoxia), which causes symptoms such as fatigue, disorientation, and memory loss.

This may explain why many oft-cited scientific studies, doctors have noted a direct correlation between healthy vitamin B12 levels and reduced risk for depression, anxiety attacks, and other mood disorders.

When Vitamin B12 Deficiency has you under its Spell…of Depression

In vegan-oriented societies, such as India, where B12-rich foods such as beef and seafood are shunned, depression and anxiety are epidemic.

Mental illness symptoms

Scientists have noted a variety of mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, which often occur as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency, or may be exacerbated by plummeting levels of vitamin B12.

If you suffer from any of these symptoms, it’s important to have your vitamin B12 levels checked right away, in order to avoid misdiagnosis or prolonged symptoms caused by underlying vitamin B12 deficiency.

Mental illness symptoms linked with vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Chronic depression
• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Memory loss
• Delusions
• Irritability
• Aggressive behavior
• Brain fog
• Inability to focus mentally
• Altered sense of taste and smell

In addition to mood disorders, other signs of vitamin B12 may include painful numbness and tingling in the extremities, muscle spasms, learning disorders, difficulty walking, poor motor skills, and difficulty conceiving pregnancy.

Your turn!

Have you noticed any of the early signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as extreme fatigue, brain fog, or memory loss?

If so, have you tested for vitamin B12 deficiency?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Can Elevated Homocysteine (Low B12) cause Mental Illness?

Tired of being Tired all the Time…It’s Tiring!

Eating Your Way Out of Depression with B-12

Sources:

Folate & B12 Deficiency Linked To Some Depression Subtypes

Treatment of depression: time to consider folic acid and vitamin B12.
Image(s) courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Pernicious anemia (PA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are both autoimmune disorders that cause fatigue, chronic pain, and physical handicaps, but that is where their similarities end. If that’s the case, why are so many doctors quick to diagnose multiple sclerosis before testing for simple vitamin B12 deficiency from pernicious anemia?

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS)

There is single test to determine multiple sclerosis; if you suffer from symptoms indicating MS, then you may need to visit a neurologist, who will run a series of tests in order to determine if you are indeed suffering from multiple sclerosis, and not another condition with similar disorders, such as pernicious anemia, which often mimic the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Criteria used to diagnose multiple sclerosis include:

• Symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, muscle pain, and vision problems
• Symptoms that began between the ages of 20-50
• Signs of neurological disorder
• Two or more brain lesions that are evident from MRI scans
• Debilitating symptoms that occur in phases at least one month apart
• Vitamin B12 levels are normal
• No other underlying diseases are detected

Tests and procedures that confirm multiple sclerosis include:

• MRI brain scan
• Spinal tap
• Evoked potential tests
• Blood tests

Diagnosing pernicious anemia (PA)

The main indicator of pernicious anemia is severe depletion of vitamin B12 levels in the blood. However, pernicious anemia is not the only cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. (Other causes of vitamin B12 deficiency include vegan dieting, bariatric surgery, autoimmune disorder, GERD or diabetes medications, alcoholism, and old age.)

In order to determine that vitamin B12 deficiency is from pernicious anemia, your doctor will need to run some tests and look for specific criteria that indicate pernicious anemia.

Criteria used to diagnose pernicious anemia include:

• Family history for pernicious anemia or autoimmune disorders
• Underlying immune system malfunctioning
• Lack of intrinsic factor, a digestive enzyme needed to absorb vitamin B12 from foods and pills
• Gastrointestinal problems (Crohn’s disease, celiac disease)

Tests and procedures that confirm pernicious anemia include:

• Physical exam
• Vitamin B12 blood test
• Intrinsic factor antibody
• Parietal cell antibody
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Reticulocyte count
• Homocysteine
• Methylmalonic acid (MMA)
• Iron-binding capacity
• Bone marrow

Also read:

Is it Pernicious Anemia or Multiple Sclerosis? Part 1 (overview)

Is it Pernicious Anemia or Multiple Sclerosis? Part 2 (Symptoms)

Your turn!

Have you been misdiagnosed with MS, when really you have low vitamin B12 levels?

How many years do you think you had vitamin B12 deficiency before you finally got a correct diagnosis?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Pernicious Anemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Which Causes Which?

Can Vitamin B12 Repair Nerve Cells?

15 Chronic Pain Causes and 15 Treatments (Vitamin B12 is one)

Sources:

Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis

How Is Pernicious Anemia Diagnosed?

Image(s) courtesy of Sura Nualpradid/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Pernicious anemia (PA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are both autoimmune disorders that cause fatigue, chronic pain, and physical handicaps, but that is where their similarities end. If that’s the case, why are so many doctors quick to diagnose multiple sclerosis before testing for simple vitamin B12 deficiency from pernicious anemia?

Is it Pernicious Anemia or Multiple Sclerosis? Part 1

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis often vary for the individual, making a diagnosis even harder to achieve.

Multiple sclerosis can be elusive; some days you may feel fine, while other times you experience unusual warning signs of nerve damage, pain symptoms that last for weeks, only to have them disappear again for months…or years at a time.

Like pernicious anemia, the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis usually occur in your 30s and 40s.

Early signs of multiple sclerosis may include:

• Painful numbness and tingling in the hands and feet (“pins and needles”)
• Constant itchiness
• Sore, burning tongue
• Vision problems- blurriness, double vision, eye pain, partial blindness
• Difficulty manipulating arm and leg movements, making it harder to walk or grasp small objects
• Poor balance
• Loss of muscle strength
• Muscle spasms, tremors
• Brain fog, disorientation
• Extreme fatigue
• Memory loss
• Dizziness
• Low sex drive
• Poor bladder control

Symptoms of pernicious anemia

Symptoms of pernicious anemia occur as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency, which in turn triggers debilitating conditions caused by diminished red blood cells (and thus oxygen depletion) and damage to the nervous system (peripheral neuropathy).

It’s worth noting that may of the symptoms of pernicious anemia are almost identical to those experienced by multiple sclerosis patients.

Unlike symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which come and go in stages, pernicious anemia symptoms- chronic fatigue, muscle pain, dizziness- are ever present,  and continue to worsen until vitamin B12 levels get back to normal.

Signs of pernicious anemia include:

• Brain fog (fuzzy thinking)
• Debilitating fatigue
• Short-term memory loss
• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Painful numbness and tingling in the hands and feet (“pins and needles”)
• Difficulty balancing on one leg
• Decreased motor skills
• Gait disturbances
• Sore, burning red tongue
• Eye twitches
• Muscle spasms
• Muscle weakness
• Partial paralysis
• Vision problems
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heartbeat
• Heartburn
• Diarrhea

Stay with us! Part 3 discusses ways your doctor may diagnose multiple sclerosis or pernicious anemia.

Your turn!

Have you been misdiagnosed with MS, when really you have low vitamin B12 levels?

How many years do you think you had vitamin B12 deficiency before you finally got a correct diagnosis?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Pernicious Anemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Which Causes Which?

Can Vitamin B12 Repair Nerve Cells?

15 Chronic Pain Causes and 15 Treatments (Vitamin B12 is one)

Sources:

Early Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Tingling, Numbness, Balance, and More

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Pernicious Anemia?

Image(s) courtesy of renjith krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net