B12 deficient from bulimia

Hi, I read your post this morning, and there are a lot of parallels between our story's!

I started to have problems with tiredness when I was about 13 but I have always been a fussy eater, but to be fair to mum she did ensure I had a fairly well balanced diet when I lived at home, but I was getting more and more tired, which made me more stressed and depressed, which meant I was not eating properly, so I spent most of my teens and very early 20s being slightly underweight.

Unfortunately all my G.Ps thought I was anxious and depressed so from the age of 17 to 28 I was prescribed antidepressants on and off for years, so my eating habits and weight fluctuated and in between all this I left home and came back a few times! Then at the age of 28 I was prescribed a antidepressant which strangely did help a bit, plus I went to university (again ) which enabled me to live a lifestyle which sutited me, but I was still often tired.

Then I finished uni, I muddled on for a few years, then I became a student mental health nurse at the age of 32 again I muddled through a couple years of the course, this is where the wheels fell off my life! ... my weight was increasing (it still is a issue), I was getting more depressed despite being on antidepressants, even more knackered, having migraines/head aches, I was always prone to getting bugs but I would catch every plauge going, all in all I felt dreadful. So I was forced to give up on my nursing course, but during this time I moved to another town/city so I changed G.Ps where thankfully I G.P discovered that I was B12 deficient at the age of 34/35.

I have to be honest once I got into a good regime of taking (the correct type) B12 and folic acid, I did feel confident and well enough to come of my antidepressants (it's another story how to come off antidepressants), so at the age of 36 I'm finally antidepressant free and depression free! Unfortunately I'm not able to work or return to nursing because I have been unfortunate enough to develop a couple of conditions linked to the B12 deficiency or conditions which effect the B12 deficiency.

What I'm trying to say is that the bingeing could of been your body desiring certain nutrients, and because you felt so rough it gave you the unfortunate effect of developing full blown bulimia. And clivealive is 100% right the Blulimia has not helped, but as I said earlier you should improve when you settle into a routine/regime, and hopefully you won't develop further issues like I have.

If you have any other please don't hesitate to ask, Im sure someone will be able to give you a answer or respond

Good luck

Kelly

Hi Sarah.

I was diagnosed only 3 weeks ago. I've been very depressed since. Shocker, right? I too, am a recovered bulimic. Age 16 to 27, hard core except the duration of my two pregnancies and then intermittently till about 35..if I felt too full. Still have the scars on my knuckles. I was tired, felt fatigued, hips were so achy, hair loss, blurry vision in one eye, ringing ear, heavy periods. Figured now that I'm 47 as of last month that she was trying to tear me down with age. It was incredibly difficult to maintain daily life activities. My doctor listened to all my complaints, drew 13 vials of blood and diagnosis found. My vitd was 17. My vitb12 was 99. My iron was 9. I've got the dreaded antibody. I have questioned both sides of my family. No one has been diagnosed with this. None had red blood cell abnormalities. None of them had digestive issues passed down the line. I have been fretting about my kids having this. I plan to get them tested, as they are young adults now...but I am still not over the anxiety of this diagnosis. I couldn't handle it at this time if I found out so given neither are symptomatic now, I've been having them take oscal tablets with d3 and calcium daily, sl b12 drops daily and a few times a week, iron pills, 328mg. Can't hurt to keep up the stores if they haven't depleted them, right? But after seeing your comment, I started looking around and sure enough, this may be the link I have been trying to find all along. Bulimia, I think is my issue too. If this was passed in families, I would have found at least one other. I mean seriously....just one! But I haven't. Since it's a digestive auto immune condition, someone would have presented by now other than just me. Now my dad had colorectal cancer. I haven't seen him since I was 13. I heard it killed him 10 years ago. However, I'm told it wasn't because he was always sickly as a child and young adult and that's why, but told he pumped meth , cocaine, heroin, pills and heavy alcohol abuse more than half his life for at least 30 years. That he was destroyed inside out with cancer therefore not so much a genetic disposition but self inflicted. A few family members has diabetes 1. So again, no link to PA specifically. I am really hoping and praying that it was my bulimia that did this to me. I would not want to pass this legacy down to my kids. Who would? I will fight whatever comes to be here for them. I've overhauled my diet. No soda which I've drank for 43 years. Low carbs, balanced fibers, no alcohol. Sure I kick myself today for not doing this in my earlier years instead of treating myself so poorly. This is my cross to bare. But I am trying to give my gut the most balanced environment I can and the weeks into therapy I feel so much better. Mentally, I'm getting over my anxiety. Seriously though, been going nuts trying to find a link. At this time, it gives me hope for my children. I hope you are doing well today. Sorry for the short novel.....