Anyone with low B12? What are your symptoms?

[JustlookingNotbuying]

I honestly don’t know if I am deficient or not but am not getting anywhere with my GP. I’m back and forth and still find myself with the same symptoms and just limp along until my next appointment and end up going through the same thing - it’s getting me down now!

I have had some chronic health issues for many years and they have been getting worse the last few years.

But every GP puts absolutely everything down to anxiety.

I have awful digestive issues (nausea, acid, excessive gurgling, bloating, pain, diarrhoea etc) had endless tests at the hospital) and told its ‘just’ IBS, I have zero appetite due to the gut issues. Nothing seems to ease these symptoms been told I need to learn to live with it. Hard when the symptoms wake me in the night and keep me awake for hours!

I am knackered to the point of pure exhaustion.

Daily, (absolutely annoying) tinnitus - drives me insane but again, told I just need to learn to live with it.

Was very iron deficient until iron infusions this year. Ferritin was 3 now 34 (not sure if this is relevant to a B12 deficiency). I requested the infusion, gp happy for my to crawl through my life with ferritin under 3.

I often feel weak, shaky and tired with palpitations as though I have a sudden drop in blood sugar levels and feel I need to eat something carly/sugary.

I do suffer daily bad anxiety and depression

I have very thinning hair.

Sometimes I get tingly finger tips (mainly the left first 3 fingers). Sometimes the tip of my tongue tingles too.

I get a really sore tongue with sore patches. This comes and goes and no idea what causes it. I was told many years ago it was geographical tongue?

I often get a ‘fuzzy’ feeling in my head, I suppose a bit like dizziness?

I have only had my B12 tested once, that was in 2017 and my level was 340. The GP said that was well within the normal range and was never discussed again.

However, I was just on a FB IBS group asking about my awful daily gut issues and a lady came on saying she had B12 deficiency and that my levels are really low regardless of what my doctor said.

It’s got my wondering if my symptoms could be all related?

Obviously, I have no idea what my levels are 5 years on. My diet is poor due to my gut issues and lack of appetite so maybe worse. I have a doctors appointment soon and will ask.

Could my symptoms be indicative of a B12 deficiency? Is 340 low or did that lady on the FB group get this wrong?
I have a new GP appointment tomorrow and will go with a list of symptoms and one of the things I want to ask about is Vitamin B12.

I have and your symptoms are very similar.
I have tinnitus, stomach issues, hair loss, pins and needles most of the time.

When testing Vitamin B they go by ranges (different HB’s have different ranges), so yours may be low but “within range”.

Mine was picked up in a blood test but was low within the range, several years later (and many trips to the doctor) my level had dropped even further and I was given loading doses and now get 12 weekly vitamin B12 injections.

Your right to get it checked out, long term vitamin B12 deficiency, caused me to develop drop foot, due to nerve damage, I now need to wear a brace to keep my foot up.
I put all my symptoms down to having a young family, full time intense job, the usual.

Thanks Welshrarebitontoast as my levels were tested 5 years ago, I suspect they may be lower as my diet is much poorer than back then. I’ll ask my GP to recheck. I hadn’t realised all my symptoms could be down to low B12 as I had written that off due to them saying it was all within ‘normal’ limits.

I’m sorry that happened Merry0409, I didn’t realise until today that untreated it can lead to all sorts of nerve damage, I will definitely get it rechecked.

Yes - I suffer with problems with absorbsion resulting in low B12 and I have injections every three months. When my injection is due i notice I feel extremely fatigued, more breathless after not much exercise and my mental health is dreadful (highly anxious and self critical, other-thinking everything). When I was first diagnosed and had my mega-loading dose it would be no exaggeration to say I felt like a completely new woman. I was whizzing around the house cleaning and I felt so much more confident in my interactions and was worrying less. Hope you get to the bottom of your symptoms OP x

Extreme tiredness, craving sugar, needing to lie down, memory loss, lacking concentration. And sorry for Tmi - loose stools.
I went to the docs wondering if i was peri menopausal but blood test showed low b12. Im now on tablets - but as pp said i feel like a new woman!!

Thank you FortheBeautyoftheEarth and mommatoone I will definitely ask my gp tomorrow to be checked.

I'd suggest you ask for a more comprehensive blood test to be done rather than just thinking it must be B12 as the symptoms you've listed are non-specific so could be an indication of other issues (for example, hyperparathyroidism and/or hypercalcaemia or even long Covid....these are just examples!)

Your previous levels are within normal range but they could definitely have dropped in five years so get them done again.

More importantly though is there a different doctor or even a nurse practioner you can see? Your doctor sounds like a total arse. I went through several different doctors before I got my b12 deficiency diagnosed and by that point it was so low I could barely hold a pen due to numbness in my hands. As pp said the damage can be permanent so please push to see someone else who doesn't essentially say its all in your head