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Could very low vitamin B12 and D be worsening my mum's confusion

13 replies

Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 08:35

My mum is 79 and lives alone since my dad died 7 years ago.
This year she has become very confused and has had a couple of UTIs resulting in hospitalisation.
This week she has been in hospital again and I insisted on her vitamin levels being checked specifically Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
Every day I've asked for the results and eventually got told they were normal.
I asked for numbers which they reluctantly gave me. Her B12 is 128 and Vitamin D is -14
They've agreed this is not normal and given supplements and she's been discharged from hospital with carers in 4 times a day.
I'm wondering if supplements will be enough as I think these numbers are very low.
I can't find anything online regarding Vitamin D reading as low as -14.
I'm feeling these being so low could be causing this massive decline in her cognition?
Anyone able to offer advice please?

OP posts:
Namechangedasouting987 · 02/08/2026 08:39

I am not sure about the vitamins but my FIL had massive issues with delusions and confusion when he had any kind of infection. He has dementia too, but with an infection his confusion seriously ramps up.
Poss she has an ongoing infection, or never really clears her UTI?
Sure the vitamin levels cant be helping tho.

Supersimkin7 · 02/08/2026 08:39

Suggest get her a private vit D injection. They work faster. If you’ve got her nhs login, you can access test results yourself. Useful cos no one else does.

UTIs confuse people madly, as you know, so give her a bit of time to recover.

Rocknrollstar · 02/08/2026 09:10

UTIs are known to cause confusion as is being in hospital and away from her usual routine.

Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 10:41

Namechangedasouting987 · 02/08/2026 08:39

I am not sure about the vitamins but my FIL had massive issues with delusions and confusion when he had any kind of infection. He has dementia too, but with an infection his confusion seriously ramps up.
Poss she has an ongoing infection, or never really clears her UTI?
Sure the vitamin levels cant be helping tho.

Thank you.
It's difficult to catch a time between but she did have one clear sample about 5 weeks ago.
I don't imagine the heat and potential dehydration will have helped.
Did the dementia come on gradually or was it a rapid decline?
The carers are encouraging her to drink more now she's back home.

OP posts:
Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 10:43

Supersimkin7 · 02/08/2026 08:39

Suggest get her a private vit D injection. They work faster. If you’ve got her nhs login, you can access test results yourself. Useful cos no one else does.

UTIs confuse people madly, as you know, so give her a bit of time to recover.

Thank you, yes I think the injections are the way forward hopefully the GP can arrange that.
Unfortunately she doesn't have the app which would be helpful as I live a distance away from her.

OP posts:
Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 10:45

Rocknrollstar · 02/08/2026 09:10

UTIs are known to cause confusion as is being in hospital and away from her usual routine.

The routine is very tricky especially now carers are popping in. She rang last night telling me a .an had just walked in her house.
Bless her though she does need the help.

OP posts:
PinkBuffalo · 02/08/2026 10:46

Absolutely op, I has low vitb12 as I cannot absorb it through pills or eating. I has end up to pay for private vitb12 jabs from a local clinic and I feels so much better

the lady at the clinic did recommend a spray that goes under the tongue from Holland and Barrett so might be worth a try. I definitely feels so much better from the jabs though I did feels so much unwell for weeks by that point

Namechangedasouting987 · 02/08/2026 10:59

Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 10:41

Thank you.
It's difficult to catch a time between but she did have one clear sample about 5 weeks ago.
I don't imagine the heat and potential dehydration will have helped.
Did the dementia come on gradually or was it a rapid decline?
The carers are encouraging her to drink more now she's back home.

FIL was slowly declining at home (started mildly in covid lock down, undiagnosed). But then he caught pneumonia and he has never got back to where he was before. He has vascular dementia and alzheimers. Vascular dementia tends to step down following any crisis. He never made it home, hospital for weeks, sectioned and in a mental illness unit, and now a dementia nursing home.
He gets regular UTIs and becomes delusional and his behaviour massively deteriorates until the infection clears, but each time his cognition is below the level it was at before the infection.

Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 11:13

PinkBuffalo · 02/08/2026 10:46

Absolutely op, I has low vitb12 as I cannot absorb it through pills or eating. I has end up to pay for private vitb12 jabs from a local clinic and I feels so much better

the lady at the clinic did recommend a spray that goes under the tongue from Holland and Barrett so might be worth a try. I definitely feels so much better from the jabs though I did feels so much unwell for weeks by that point

Thank you, this is looking like the way forward. I feel we need to try everything.
I'm glad it's helped you and you're feeling better.

OP posts:
Newforthis26 · 02/08/2026 11:16

Namechangedasouting987 · 02/08/2026 10:59

FIL was slowly declining at home (started mildly in covid lock down, undiagnosed). But then he caught pneumonia and he has never got back to where he was before. He has vascular dementia and alzheimers. Vascular dementia tends to step down following any crisis. He never made it home, hospital for weeks, sectioned and in a mental illness unit, and now a dementia nursing home.
He gets regular UTIs and becomes delusional and his behaviour massively deteriorates until the infection clears, but each time his cognition is below the level it was at before the infection.

That's so hard for you too.
It sounds like the nursing home are keeping on top of things and hopefully spot the signs quickly.

OP posts:
Ilovemyfam · 02/08/2026 11:25

Mum mother has dementia that slowly became obvious over a couple of years. She has frequent UTIs. We have now become used to her getting mega-confused when she has an infection.

She has recently had to move to a care home for her own safety. Her behavior when confused was part of this. It is a pity because she would have been happier at home with 4 carer visits a day if only we could have trusted her to stay in her chair between visits. Cameras in the house were showing us how she was getting into trouble and the cause of her falls.

BauhausOfEliott · 02/08/2026 11:33

I don’t know about B12 but I do know a serious Vit D deficiency can affect cognitive function and cause confusion and brain fog (as can UTIs, of course). Vit D deficiency also affects the immune system so might also be a factor in why she seems to have become more susceptible to infections?

If the supplements are prescription ones from a doctor, they may well be a lot higher in dosage than the ones you buy off the shelf, so it could well be the appropriate treatment but I think you’d need to check with the doctor.

InWithPeaceOutWithStress · 02/08/2026 11:37

The NHS really underestimate the impact of low B12, it’s sad, especially for the elderly.

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