B12 deficiency - does anyone know what causes this?

[LateDecemberBackInLowB12]

I am actually very excited about this being discovered.

I had thyroid cancer last year, had a hemithyroidectomy, but been feeling awful since, over the last 8 months the left side of my body has been tingly/numb and I have had nerve pain.

Got sent to physio which didn't help, have an appointment with neuro, but the doctor said she thought my symptoms were a psychological reaction to having cancer.

Saw a different doctor a couple of weeks ago who called me today and told me I was B12 deficient.

I have to go for injections every couple of days for 3 or 4 weeks then go onto folic acid after that.

She did say when I go for my first injection that I need to get a blood test done as it could be a couple of things that have caused the deficiency (rather than the deficiency causing my symptoms) but I was so delighted they actually found something wrong rather than thinking I was making it up, I didn't listen properly and Google is bringing up all sorts of things.

Could anyone tell me their experience of B12 deficiency (and how sore the injections are) or does anyone know what the main things are that could cause ut (definitely not diet related).

Thank you so much.

I find the injections really painful (in the arm). I now take sublingual tablets so it’s absorbed through the lining of the mouth under my tongue. Last time I had a blood test my levels were at the good end of normal so it obviously works just as well as injections but without the pain! Get the jabs first but in the longer term if you find them painful there are options. (Swallowing the tablets won’t work if your stomach can’t absorb it).

Another cause is being a vegetarian/vegan as B12 is mainly found in animal produce. Presume your doctor would have asked you that, but just because nobody else has mentioned it…

Hope you get it sorted ASAP. I imagine the neuro appointment will be to make sure there’s no lasting nerve damage as B12 is used to create the myelin sheath which covers your nerves to help them send signals. Without it you can end up with long lasting nerve damage, so hopefully having caught it and treated it, yours will be reversible.

Hopefully the neuro appt is nothing to worry about.

I would definitely ask for coeliac screening.

Omeprazole is prescribed with naproxen for the prevention of gastroduodenal ulcers, & to relieve acid reflux

Not all vitamin B12 deficiency is treated with injections, although you may need these given your symptoms. The treatment will depend on the cause of the deficiency & other tests may be needed to investigate this. This should all be discussed with you at your appointment.

Read these articles, if you can, before your neurology appointment. It might be useful to make a list of your questions to ask on the day

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/symptoms/

patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/anaemia-leaflet/vitamin-b12-deficiency-and-pernicious-anaemia