Debbie (Aurora, Illinois ) on 07/15/2022
Hopejones (Sacramento, California) on 04/27/2017
C-bri (Cazenovia, New York) on 01/05/2014
Susan (San Francisco, Ca) on 05/15/2013
Mark (Newton Abbot, Devon Uk) on 05/14/2013
Brain fog permanently
Burning/painful hands feet and face.
Shooting pains in neck and back
Constant back pain
Constant joint pains
Extreme fatigue throughout whole body (struggles to stay awake throughout the day)
Lack of power in arms and legs (left side much weaker than right)
Heavy numb feeling throughout whole body, especially arms and legs
Unsteady on feet sometimes
Eye sight deterioration
Giving blood is almost impossible (nothing comes out no matter how long the nurse tries)
Severe tinnitus (since childhood but now far worse)
Odd perception sensation through sight (things appear more distant than they are)
Small white patches on skin around neck and head area
Thought process difficult
Cannot eat any meat without severe stomach upset / bloating (tried to eat meat again after 30 years without it)
Struggle to get started in the morning (no energy even after sleeping well each night)
Jo has always tried to stay extremely healthy she still manages to weight train, exercise and go to work as normal, she only ever eats mostly whole organic produce, is a non-smoker and a non-drinker she never uses any chemical based cosmetics or household cleaners only natural based variants, Jo is still functional but things are really starting to get difficult lately.
It would appear to me that the B12 in her blood is for some reason unable to do its job at a cellular level, I have been reading much on line especially on your site which I have become very fond of over the past year or so, We now believe she may have other factors and not just B12 causing her issues, I frequently read about the importance of glutathione and other essential elements such as zinc and amino acids, it appears her normal b12 pathways are being interfered with at some level, I was wondering if you are able to offer any advice or to suggest any tests that should determine where her problems lie and how best to treat her condition, I have of course read through your site and corresponded on a few topics but still to date her cause and remedy still eludes us, I was simply wondering how you as natural health advocates would approach this issue if in our situation.
I would very much appreciate your response in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Mark
Diane (Framingham, Ma) on 01/26/2013
Josie (Nashville, Tn) on 01/02/2013
A year and a half later, after having continually taken the sublingual B12, had another blood test. Although serum blood showed a very high level of B12, the cells don't appear to be getting it (still had low red blood cell count and wide red blood cell width). For well over two years, now, I have suffered from ataxia (very uncoordinated), muscle weakness, and exercise intolerance. Extremely weak and fatigued - very little to no stamina. Also, have suffered balance issues (to some degree improves with the sublingual B12). Have ruled out all gastrointestinal issues (no, it's not hepatitis of any kind, nor liver disease, although I have elevated liver enzymes). Also, ruled out rheumatological issues, muscle diseases, and metabolic disorders. Does anybody have any idea why such a high B12 level in the bloodstream, but the CELLS are NOT getting it? Thanks for your help.
Debbie (Billings, Mt) on 12/20/2012
Rosemary (White Rock, B.c., Canada) on 03/02/2012
http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/nutrition/food6.htm
causes of vitamin B12 Deficiency
Eating a diet that contains no meat or animal products
poor absorption due to cetain disease conditions or surgery
Surgery to the stomach or intestine
Oral contraceptives (the "pill")
Smoking
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Similar symptoms to that of Folic Acid deficiency (see above) including:
Nerve damage
numbness in hands and feet
Tingling (pins and needles) in hands and feet
Weakness in legs
Pale skin
Poor memory
Poor muscle coordination
Connie (Slc, Ut) on 05/04/2011
Nowadays, we're taught to fear or dismiss the very substance that could help us. Sometimes we don't get good results because the substance is combined with chemicals that interefere with its bioavailability. Sometimes, it must be taken orally, sublingually, and or parentally. (injection) This is true for B-12. I've been visiting many websites to try and understand why some people that seem to need this substance, do not have positive results with it. Of course, they may not need it. Some practioners believe that folks with high histamine (low- methylators), may have a negative reaction. ( I haven't measured my histamine, but I do flush hard and long after I take small amounts of niacin). Some researchers and B-12 deficient folks question the accuracy of testing. It is thought that serum B-12 is not a good indicator of the cerebrospinal content of B-12, for instance. So many of us are left with the choice to test ourselves and observe our own results. We try to distinguish what are and what are not the effects of this substance. This process is extremely difficult because it is truly impossible to completely isolate a substance and it is even less possible to suspend bias. But we try.
In my search of many sites that list the benefits of B-12 and my own results, I've found this list to be huge. I recommend that you visit Pernicious Anemia.org, and b12d.org for more information about it. Meanwhile, I'll include a list of more benefits that may interest folks here. B-12 may help these ailments : Canker sores, Shingles and Herpes outbreaks, Allergies, Constipation and Diarrhea ( when cause is vagus nerve disturbance), Depression and Anxiety, Greying Hair, Hairloss, General skin conditions including Hypo and Hyperpigmentation, Ridges in nails, Vertigo, Labored Breathing, Shocking nerve pain, Vibration of Nerve channels, (described as "cell phone vibration" here). This list is a fraction of what I have encountered. Of course, We know that there is no single substance that works for all, but its worth a try, possibly.
Connie (Slc, Ut) on 04/07/2011
Hi y'all; I've wanted to post suggestions to people with these particular symptoms, but I was having so many recurrences- I began to have doubts that I could help. A recent blood test brought me to realize that the recurrence of these negative symptoms were because I was not taking B-12 with enough frequency. My long time condition of macrocytosis (big blood cells) had returned. It's probably pernicious anemia, a B-12 deficiency of an autoimmune cause, because I consistently need high amounts of it to stop and reverse the nerve damage that keeps reappearing when I try to reduce it. Many people may have a B-12 deficiency for reasons of : low consumption of foods with it, low stomach acid, intestinal absorption problems, and medication interactions.
The symptoms that B-12 supplementation has relieved for me are so many, that I hardly believe them, but it doesn't matter, I don't even have to believe it; the relief happens anyway. So here goes : Numbness, tingling, pain, of hands, feet, lips, tongue, flank, and gums. (3 years ago, my left hand was becoming claw-like and I nearly lost the use of it. I'm left handed. ) My right foot would shuffle along beside me. My left big toe would present with distractive pain. My vision was blurred and doubled. My hearing was decreased, and there was intermittent tinnitus. I was very irritable and paranoid with very poor memory. There was worsened insomnia and poor physical coordination. I was unable to recover from a PTSD episode, and memories of other traumas began to recur when I was B-12 deficient. I have a long history of IBS, constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence that was not completely relieved by probiotics, magnesium, or potassium supplementation. I have a long history of anxiety, depression, and OCD, (trichotillomania, hair pulling). B-12 has brought immeasurable relief from these conditions for me. Some of these conditions may take a year to relieve. Please tell others of this.
With restarting B-12, I have also noticed that it has helped me with an hypersensitivity to acids. I've been reducing acids in general, to my great benefit, but I was having to become ridiculous about it. Apparently, B-12 is rebuilding the sheaths of my nerves so that I'm less vulnerable to acids. It also is active in metabolizing many acids. I have found it to have no negative side effects for me, but it does have an antagonistic relationship with potassium. If someone with low potassium begins supplementing B-12 in large doses, there could be trouble. I suggest caution. There are many symptoms that low B-12 and low potassium share, such as anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and more. Taking potassium with B-12 has sped my recovery from nerve damage. For now, I'm going to take 1000 to 5000 mcg. Of sublingual methyl- B-12 daily. I also take B-complex and a little extra folate. (400 to 800 mcg. Folate is powerful. Caution). Meantime, I'll continue to treat my liver well, and negotiate this autoimmune business. But I am grateful to this buxom red jewel of a molecule!
Janie (Mattoon, Illinois) on 01/05/2009
I am a vegetarian and know the importance of getting protein especially. Little did I know until later that I wasn't getting enough protein when I thought all along I had! Last year I went through a sleugh of tests to try and figure out why I was having this God-awful stabbing,jabbing pain directly below my right rib cage which to me, felt like a heart attack. It seemed to flair up an hour or two after a meal. I also suffer from Gerd so I would somehow associate it with that. But, I would have this uncomfortable pain consistantly every day -And it was more apparent at night or in the wee hours of the morn. My doc thought it might be gallbladder so I underwent tests for that. They came back Negative. During the many visits and not to mention the dollars spent trying to get to the bottom of what was causing that pain - I decided to get up on the internet to try and find the answer myself. Realizing that I am a vegetarian and have been for many years, I checked out everything food related and that I needed in the way of nutrtion, that was beneficial to my living this vegan lifestyle. During the research I found that a lack of B12 could be the cause for this sharp, unexplained pain that I was having - and I had been having it for more than a year or so - Anyways. to make this long story short, I went back to the doc. Told her what I found that might be causing this pain - She ordered up a blood test and found out that I was deficient in B12! She didn't want to give me the shots so I was put on B12 supplements that she recommended from the health food store ( Must contain methylcollomin - check my spelling on that word though ok?) - Anyways,after taking the 1,000 mcg's of B12 - 2 a day at first - now down to one,the pain was gone almost immediately (with-in a week I'd say) and remains to be gone to this day!!!! Yeah.... The brand I take is B12 Infusion by Enzymatic, for those of you who might be interested. Thanks for letting me share my story.
Terry (Vancouver, Washington) on 04/16/2008
Christine (Virginia Beach, USA) on 04/04/2008
Nevertheless, I have found that as long as I take 4 B12 dots (500 mcg) under the tongue once a day, I am fine. When I don't, the reflux comes right back.
Justin (Port St. Lucie) on 08/22/2006
I have also, overtime, added a supplement called 5-htp and always carry around Altoids. I take the 5-htp when it just feels like things aren't going my way, and within an hour I am as giddy as a 3yr old watching blues clues! The Altoids help me out just whenever, they give me my own personal break from everything. The freshness it gives just puts everything back on a balanced level. The extreme peppermint taste relaxes me. I pop one in before any stressfull meeting, event, issue and i'ts like my own personal shield from stress!
As a side note since taking these new vitamins I have only been sick with a cold for one day out of 2 years! I have not gotten a single sore throat, flu, ear ache...Everyone in my family can be sick and I get nothing! I feel invincible! Smiling more.
Anonymous (USA) on 03/01/2004
Kim (Sussex, England) on 08/24/2008
