B12 deficiency or just fibromyalgia symptoms?

[sweetkitty]

I have fibromyalgia so I’m usually very tired and in a lot of pain anyway.

However in the past 4-6 weeks I’ve had the following -
Pins and needs daily in my hands and now in my legs up to my knees
Sore and bleeding gums, my gums bleed when I brush or floss my teeth hard but today they were bleeding for no reason

I’m always extremely tired, slow and have difficulty concentrating plus an in chronic pain which I taken opiate painkiller daily for.
I am vegan so take a B12 supplement but haven’t been taken my usual vegan one for a few months but a supermarket one and have missed a few days here and there. I try to eat foods fortified with B12 as I know how important it is in a vegan diet. I have bloods done yearly and they are always perfect well above baseline levels.

I’m going to make an appt with my GP but that will be 3 weeks away and I’ve ordered some good B12 supplements in the meantime just wondered if anyone else had the pins and needles and bleeding gums it’s difficult when you have fibromyalgia not to just pass off everyone as one of the many symptoms.

Do you take a multi vit?

Vegans are also at risk of low iodine and iron which can affect thyroid function.

Pins and needles can be a symptom; I've had it for the first time this year when my tsh was low after 20 years of hypothyroidism. I can also get bleeding gums when low in iron and thyroid levels. My dentist once said the gums can reflect a lot of health issues.

Taking too much iodine is also an issue so one with rda is best. Vegan society do a good one.

I keep hearing about not taking vit b12 before a test but unsure if the ins and outs.

How is your folate level?

Don't take any multivitamin with biotin in it a week before a thyroid test; it can affect results. Early morning tests are better too.

I usually take a multivit with iodine and iron I’ve ordered more. I’ve had a thyroid test. I had loads of tests to rule out everything prior to the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

My gums feel so so sore too, my jaws usually sore too but I’ve had that for a few years reckon that’s normal.

It's tricky working things out isn't it!

I'd perhaps ask the Gp to rule out things (such as thyroid, ferritin, folate etc. Ferritin is generally best over 70/80 though they won't treat you unless it's much lower.)

Thyroids can fluctuate and it's possible to develop hypothyroidism later on.

Alternatively It may be a new annoying fibro symptom or something muscular? .I strained my shoulders trying to swim with a wetsuit on after no swimming since jan and had a lot of tingling in hands the day after; I think it was irritated nerves. hope it eases for you soon.

Avoid that multivitamin for a week/ few days if it had biotin in before your test.

The British thyroid foundation had a memo on it that I can't find, but this explains it:

www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/december-2018/vol-11-issue-12-p-3-4/

Sadly if you take vit b12 in any form, it could models the results. They talk about being off it for 4 months for accurate results.

Saying that, you can always text and if the results are low, you will know that there could be an absorption issue. If you suffer from malabsorption, which the common reason for low b12, no oral b12 pills will help, you would need injections straight into the muscles.