Low B12 - Answer to my health anxiety

[fedup36]

Hi All

So i've suffered with health anxiety for about 3 years now...
My 'symptoms' are as follows:
- Dizziness - Zaps, jolts, feeling like im dropping, marshamallow feet
- Vertigo
- Numbness and tingling around my face
- Fatigue
- Vision problems and bluring of vision
- Psychological symptoms - impending doom, catastrophising etc

So I've had many tests including MRI's ECgs etc all of which have been normal. I was getting so frustrated as to what was going on. I was diangosed with low B12 about 4 years ago and subsequently put on B12 tablets, I didn't feel like these made much difference.

Around 3 months ago I went to the doctor again after doing some research and my mum also pushed me to ask for B12 injections. Well since my first injection 3 months ago I have felt like a different person. I am still attenending therapy but the combination of this and this injection has made a huge difference.

I have notcied that that past few days my symptoms have been slowly coming back and im starting to feel more anxious so called the doctor and surprise surprise im due my injection at the end of next week so must be low on B12 again.


I just wanted to put it out there as it could be something so simple which is adding to the anxiety... Infact I think a B12 defficency may play a role in why we have anxiety.

I know this won't be an answer for everyone but its helped me and my continued therapy is extremeley helpful and beneficial :)

We all can get through this :)

[worrywart29]

I recently had my bloods done and my b12 level was at 534 the doctor said that it was normal and not low at all but I read somewhere that anything under 800 is still considered low. Before getting my bloods done I brought b12 supplements because I suspected deficiency based off my symptoms. I was wondering if you knew if a level of 534 is considered low? I wanted to start the supplements but since she said it was normal I put it off plus the body excrete excess b12 so I don't think it would harm me anyhow.

[Trueman]

Really interesting. I have just had my Vit b12 taken today so will update. Also I have very low Vit d.

[Gossipgirlnyc]

Couldn't agree more with this post, I've had anxiety since 2009 , sorted myself out with CBT in 2012. However over the last year I had been suffering with more physical symptoms. These were, tingling in hands and feet, numb feet, increased acid reflux, dizziness. My worst symptoms were aches and pains and debilitating fatigue. I wasn't just slightly tired or a bit run down I would be so tired that I could easily sleep for 13+ hours and need naps in the day just to function. Some evenings I would go to bed at 8pm! On top of the physical symptoms I also had quite low mood and low motivation during this time. Anyway I went for a blood test about a month ago and it showed I had very low levels of B12.
I had three B12 injections in a week to get my levels back up and I can honestly say I've never felt better! All my symptoms have gone and I've never felt so full of energy , happy and alive. It is so nice to not feel exhausted.
Apparently pernicious anemia ( a type of b12 defiency which means your body can no longer absorb b12 through food/ supplements)has a strong family link do it may be worth asking if any family members have it.
If you are feeling that something is just not right and it goes beyond anxiety. I urge you to go and get checked out. A two minute blood test and a couple of injections and you could be feeling so much better.
Hope this helps.

[fedup36]

Worrywart I'm not sure what my levels at but my doctor is fantastic as my last blood test results were the low of normal and he didn't feel the need to retake them and just gave me the injection. He said that it would do more better good to give me the injection.

Also as said before my mum suffers with low b12 which may also be why I have it.
Good to hear others have had successful results :)

[Sam123]

Interesting post, deficiencies can cause a whole host of symptoms,
something so simple but many don't think of it being the cause or playing a role in their anxiety.

[Trueman]

Hi there. Little update. Got my B12 tested and normal so nothing to do with my symptoms at least. But I'm getting my Vit D done again because 2 years ago it was low at 11 and I believe it's meant to be something like 60!

[Sassystacey123]

Completely agree!

my health anxiety was rampant when I first went to the doctors to tell them there was something wrong with me. I was twitching, exhausted, in pain all over , and I felt weak beyond belief, and extremely anxious... My b12 was 152

Nutritional deficiencies affect your whole body : )

Hope this helps someone

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:09 ----------

Also people who are deficient in B12 have problems absorbing it ( hence the deficiency) So tablets will be no good... Only injections will work , to get it straight into the blood x

[Trueman]

Completely agree!

my health anxiety was rampant when I first went to the doctors to tell them there was something wrong with me. I was twitching, exhausted, in pain all over , and I felt weak beyond belief, and extremely anxious... My b12 was 152

Nutritional deficiencies affect your whole body : )

Hope this helps someone

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:09 ----------

Also people who are deficient in B12 have problems absorbing it ( hence the deficiency) So tablets will be no good... Only injections will work , to get it straight into the blood x

I wonder if this is true of Vit D then? I was supposed to get injections but they didn't have the system up and running at health centre! So tablets it was..

[MyNameIsTerry]

Completely agree!

my health anxiety was rampant when I first went to the doctors to tell them there was something wrong with me. I was twitching, exhausted, in pain all over , and I felt weak beyond belief, and extremely anxious... My b12 was 152

Nutritional deficiencies affect your whole body : )

Hope this helps someone

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:09 ----------

Also people who are deficient in B12 have problems absorbing it ( hence the deficiency) So tablets will be no good... Only injections will work , to get it straight into the blood x

It depends on the source of the deficiency. If its pernicious anemia, a medication, a condition affecting the stomach or intestines then yes. But some of these cn be addressed e.g. folate deficieny which can be corrected first which then redressed B12 going forward (still needs correcting to the required level though).

Its great to hear about people addressing issues like this as CBT or any other method is never going to address this, only reduce its impact as you can learn to control secondary pain.

---------- Post added at 08:43 ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 ----------


I wonder if this is true of Vit D then? I was supposed to get injections but they didn't have the system up and running at health centre! So tablets it was..

If tablets wouldn't be any use then I would have thought they would have rescheduled instead as what they gave you would be pointless.

There are issues that relate to malabsorption of vitamin D. I would suggest asking Davit about this as some of it concerns calcium and he knows a lot about that. There are medications or physical disorders that can also cause it but its going to be a GP for that.

Did you know we don't absorb a lot of what we take anyway? We don't absorb 100% of the supplementates we take either. (it may be different with medications aimed at replenishment as they will be targeted solutions). This is caused by things like eating a lot of processed food and how out gut bacteria changes.

[fedup36]

Hi again guys... Well I'm still feeling knackered can't wait for my injection!
I was taking tablets and it made no difference to me so was tested for penicious anaemia and it came back negative! In the end I just asked for the injection and its worked wonders!!