COULD IT BE B12?
Vitamin B12 deficiency may be one of the most misdiagnosed diseases. It can mimic a whole range of serious conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), early Parkinson’s, diabetic neuropathy, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome, dementia and heart disease. If you are unsteady on your feet, suffer with gastrointestinal problems, osteopenia or osteoporosis, tremors, leg pains, any kind of numbness in the limbs, forgetfulness or depression, B12 may be a factor. It’s suggested that deficiency of Vitamin B12 is “an epidemic causing more health damage than the polio epidemic” and it’s been called “a silent crippler’ stalking among us.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is not only common, it's very serious and could be affecting you or a member of your family or a friend right now. Indeed, it’s likely to be a problem for several people that you know. Unfortunately, they probably don’t realise it.
The good news is that vitamin B12 deficiency can be cured if you are tested and diagnosed in time. Treatment costs almost nothing. The bad news is two-fold. Firstly, regular screening is not routine and many doctors still don't consider it a priority. Secondly, the parameters that medics use for B12 are, according to the new research, nothing like high enough. So you could get tested, be told that all is well and still be deficient! Vitamin B12 is most commonly prescribed for the condition known as pernicious anaemia but unless there are obvious signs and symptoms, testing remains rare. And yet being able to recognise B12 deficiency should be textbook stuff for a first year medical student! |
Sally Pacholok’s work in raising awareness of the devastating effects of this deficiency condition has resulted in her being hailed as the new Erin Brockovich and there is now a feature film about her life and work. Her book is also published in Spanish under the title Vitamina B12: La cobalamina puede salvar muchas vidas (see further down on this page)
I found Sally Pacholok's book an inspiration and can fully understand why it has already saved lives. First published in 2006, this new edition is updated and includes all the latest research. I've reviewed it on Amazon and am more than pleased to be able to talk about her book within these pages and in articles elsewhere.
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What we know as Vitamin B is actually a complex of nutrients. They include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9) and cobalamin (B12).
Apart from B12 which is stored in the liver, the B vitamin group is not retained in any quantity by the body and needs to be supplied by the diet. Good sources of B vitamins include dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, green peas, pulses (beans and lentils), nuts - especially almonds and pecans, yoghurt, cheese, chicken, fish, eggs, wheat germ, bananas, whole grains including brown pasta and brown rice, potatoes, chili peppers and molasses, If you choose routinely from these foods, you should be getting worthwhile amounts of most B vitamins. So you’d think that, from this list, you’d also have no problem getting B12 from diet. But you’d be wrong. B12 is an exception. It’s not available from plant products and is hard to absorb from meat sources, a complication which worsens with age. And yet it is essential for hundreds of really complicated processes in every one of our cells. Without it we cannot metabolise proteins, carbohydrates or fats, can’t produce healthy blood cells or build and maintain the protective sheath around our nerves. Why it's important to know your B vitamins:
I had a conversation recently with a friend who, despite symptoms, assured me that she didn’t need B12 because she had been taking B vitamins for years. When I pushed for more information, it turned out to be B6, not the same thing at all. This could be a good time to point out that it is a really bad idea to take isolated B6 for long periods of time as this can cause nerve damage, skin lesions, gastrointestinal symptoms plus imbalances of other nutrients. |
Case history: A patient with MS has symptoms worsening over nearly 40 years, In all that time, no-one had ever tested him for Vitamin B12. When his balance and walking abilities got so bad that he couldn’t go anywhere without a walking aid and needed to hold on to walls and door frames around the house, I did some research on his behalf, found Sally Pacholok's book and presented the information to the patient's doctor. She then ordered a blood test which showed that the B12 was 330 pg/ml (picograms per millilitre). For his age and health profile, the levels should apparently have been three times this. In some countries readings around 300pg/ml would simply be considered low but still normal and nothing may be done as a result. In others, they could be borderline or deficient. Generally, older adults with B12 levels between 200-500pg/ml would be expected to show symptoms. So he started B12 injections, 1000mcg of cyanocobalamin, once a week for 5 weeks and now once monthly. After only two injections, his balance improved and he was able to walk around the house without falling over. Except where there is uneven terrain or where he may be bumped into by other people, he no longer needs to use his stick. B12 is not a cure but the improvements in his symptoms are there for all to see.
Why injections? Unfortunately a standard vitamin pill won’t protect you. If you are taking a B complex or a multivitamin, the label may say that it contains Vitamin B12 but the amount will be too small to make any significant difference and, in any event, is extremely unlikely to survive its journey through the stomach. If needles freak you out, you can take the supplement by mouth but it is not so effective. B12 by injection, on the other hand, delivers directly into the muscle, bypassing the problems of digestion. |
IMPORTANT NOTE:
B12 levels can be affected by a number of conditions and medications so it is important to get medical advice and not to self-administer.
http://www.b12deficiency.info/what-to-do-next/
http://www.b12deficiency.info/b12-writing-to-your-doctor/
B12 levels can be affected by a number of conditions and medications so it is important to get medical advice and not to self-administer.
http://www.b12deficiency.info/what-to-do-next/
http://www.b12deficiency.info/b12-writing-to-your-doctor/
LA VITAMINA B12
La cobalamina puede salvar muchas vidas
Descripción
¿Y si fuera la B12? La vitamina B12, también llamada cobalamina, es esa desconocida que puede salvar muchas vidas. Este libro arroja luz sobre un gran escándalo sanitario: Masivos errores diagnósticos por la incapacidad de identificar y tratar la carencia de esta vitamina. El déficit de B12 puede provocar graves problemas de salud, lesiones, discapacidad e incluso muerte prematura, y sin embargo, sigue habiendo ignorancia y conductas negligentes. La mayoría de las víctimas del déficit de B12 son también víctimas de médicos que descartaron erróneamente dicha carencia. Desde niños con retraso crónico en el desarrollo a adultos jóvenes a los que les dijeron que tenían esclerosis múltiple, hombres y mujeres de mediana edad con demencia precoz o principio de párkinson, pacientes con depresiones profundísimas, esquizofrenia, ancianos con alzhéimer, etc Título: La vitamina B12
Autor: Sally Pacholok y Jeffrey J. Stuart. Fecha: Noviembre 2016 ISBN: 9788416233960 |
La mayoría de las víctimas del déficit de vitamina B12 son también víctimas de médicos que descartaron erróneamente dicho déficit o hicieron caso omiso del diagnóstico. Algunas son niños con retraso crónico en el desarrollo, otras son adultos jóvenes a quienes se les diagnosticó erróneamente esclerosis múltiple o se les dijo que iban a ser «estériles» de por vida; otros pacientes son hombres y mujeres de mediana edad a los que se les diagnostica demencia precoz o principio de párkinson cuando tienen solo treinta, cuarenta o cincuenta años; otros padecen depresiones profundísimas; otros pasan por esquizofrénicos, y otros son ancianos que terminan sus días en una residencia porque sus médicos les diagnostican alzhéimer. Pues bien, ante esta epidemia de demencia, enfermedades cardíacas, depresiones, disfunciones del desarrollo, esterilidad y trastornos neurológicos, la vitamina B12 es esa desconocida que salva vidas. El principal objetivo de este libro es precisamente ofrecer respuestas a algunas de estas desconcertantes cuestiones que muchos profesionales médicos no saben explicar de manera satisfactoria, tratándolas por tanto solo de forma sintomática, con resultados imprecisos. Los autores arrojan luz sobre un gran escándalo sanitario: la incapacidad de identificar y tratar a cientos de miles de pacientes que sufren el déficit de vitamina B12, lo cual ha generado masivos errores de diagnóstico.
Sally Pacholok, licenciada en enfermería y enfermera de urgencias durante veinticuatro años, obtuvo su titulación académica en la Wayne State University. Antes de adentrarse en el campo de la enfermería, sacó un sobresaliente cum laude en Ciencias Aplicadas. También fue Técnico Médico de Urgencias y trabajó de paramédico antes y durante sus estudios. Ha trabajado en la Sanidad durante un total de treinta y dos años, cuidando y atendiendo a miles de pacientes. Por otra parte, es especialista en Soporte Avanzado de Reanimación Cardiovascular (ACLS, por sus siglas en inglés), y ha dado clases en escuelas de paramedicina (atención prehospitalaria). Tiene conocimientos y títulos de traumatología y pediatría, y es miembro de la Asociación de Enfermeros de Urgencias. En 1985, Pacholok se diagnosticó a sí misma un déficit de vitamina B12, después de que sus médicos hubieran sido incapaces de diagnosticar su enfermedad. Por consiguiente, siente pasión por la necesidad de mostrar al público en general las peligrosas consecuencias de este oculto y frecuentísimo trastorno. Jeffrey J. Stuart es osteópata. Como médico ha practicado la medicina de urgencias durante dieciocho años. También es especialista en ACLS, pediatría y reanimación neonatal. Obtuvo el título de doctor en osteopatía en el Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine y su formación incluye los campos de la amputación y de la descontaminación de materiales peligrosos, habiendo participado en sesiones de entrenamiento del Detroit Metropolitan Airport SWAT y en investigaciones cerebrales sobre la visión en el National Institute of Mental Health de Bethesda (Maryland). Es miembro de la American Osteopathic Association, el American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, la Macomb County Osteopathic Medical Association y la Michigan Osteopathic Association. Para más información, podéis visitar: www.b12awareness.org |