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Help! I just want to feel like myself again! I know this is long.. but PLEASE read : /

Posted , 4 users are following.

kristinrenee
kristinrenee

I'm a 24 year old female who had no medical history or issues until April of this year. In April, I was sitting in a business meeting out of town when suddenly my heart just began racing for no reason. This was quickly accompanied with numbness sensations. Let me just clear up now, this is not a "pins and needles" type sensation. The only way I know to decribe it is as if there is no blood circulation. Anways, it started in my feet and lower legs and before I knew it this sensation was running up my arms and finally my face around my mouth. I panicked and quickly exited the meeting where I spent an hour walking around, splashing water on my face - I felt like I was losing my mind. I finally returned to the meeting, never comfortable, and flew back home that evening. I was freeked out, but I attributed this to extreme exhaustion from a busy work week combined with travel and little sleep. Unfortunately, since the moment the sensation came upon me it never fully left. I spent days feeling insane yet maintaining my composure, until the day I broke. I was out for lunch very relaxing day even though I felt bad.All morning I couldn't feel my feet, legs, hands, face, neck, arms, NOTHING. Then, the rapid heartbeat returned. This time it was accompanied with dizziness and this terrible feeling that I couldn't breathe. I truly believed I was dying.  I told my boyfriend I had to go to the ER immediately. The ER basically told me I had panic disorder, gave me a klonopin, and told me to see a doctor. I saw a doctor, she immediately drew all sorts of blood and told me my b12 was low. She called me in a few weeks worth of shots and explained that once the shots were done, I wouldn't need anything further. She then insisted that Xanex would fix the real problem. Her explanation: She partially attributed the numbness to being deficeint in B12. The real problem: Anxiety. The "acute" numbness sent my anxiety through the roof, this caused my numbness to become worse and also caused the shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. Here I am, six months later. The doctor I was seeing bumped my Xanex all the way up to a total of 1.5 MG Daily. This helped, but not completely. I'm a logical person, and I know there is no way I suddenly developed such severe anxiety that this is what I have to take to feel relatively normal. I HATE XANEX. Fortunately, I am stubborn, and I've continued to take 2500 MCG B12 Vitamins OTC despite my doctors advice (she never rechecked it to see if my levels were in normal range). Yesterday, I finally had enough of popping Benzos all the day long and saw a new doctor. I asked the doctor to please draw blood and test my B12 level and she agreed. I am still awaiting the results. The issue now is that the Doctor saw how much Xanex I'd been prescribed and panicked. Her solution: She cut me down to 0.5 MG QD and gave me no alternative medication. I begged her to the point of tears to be put on something less aggressive to help ween me off and told her I couldn't function day to day without something. So, she prescribed me Propanalol - A MEDICATION FOR HYPERTENSION - Reasoning this would help my rapid heart beat sensations and shortness of breath and Hydroxyzine Pamoate - AN ANTIHISTAMINE - Saying this would help me feel calm. HOW DOES THIS HELP ME WITH NUMBNESS OVER 95% OF MY BODY? Doesn't. This is what brings me here. The doctors I saw never mentioned Pernicious Anemia to me, but a doctor (ophthalmologist) I work closely with did. I looked it up, I took a questionairre - it's all there. I am convinced I have this. And I even read that it is commonly misdiagnosed as anxiety. I've contacted my doctor and left a message with her nurse asking if she would look into this. So now, my question is has anyone out there felt these similar things? If so, how are you coping?  I'm also curious to know what dosage/freq of B12 people who are experiencing symptoms as severe as mine are taking. Any feedback is welcomed! 

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • kelly09968
    kelly09968 kristinrenee

    Posted

    Hi, Your posting has come through on a mainly British forum, so some of the terms you have used are a little alien to us Brits, but I will try to clear things up for you a little bit bearing in mind we have the NHS in the UK. Although I'm in the UK, I self supplement and my supplements are American so you should be able to buy online the Methyl B12 and because B12 is linked to Folate issues you should purchase Methyl Folate, and inform your doctor what you are doing because it will skew any bloods. Also you may feel a bit worse before you get better, plus there is a difference between a B12 deficiency and Pernicious anaemia, again it may not be possible to tell which you have if you have treatment. As for the Xanax, I'm coming off Venlafaxine after 8 years. Your saving grace is that you have been on the Xanax for a short time, as strange as it sounds in America it seems a popular thing to take antihistamines to ween you off Venlafaxine because it mimics various chemicals, and does not give you withdraw issues, so I think that's what your doctor is doing regarding the Xanax

    I hope this bit of information helps?

    • kristinrenee
      kristinrenee kelly09968

      Posted

      Thank you very much for your insight. I just received my lab results and I'm more confused than ever. My b12 was very high and I was advised by the doctor to stop the B12 pills. I was also informed that my B12 levels were never low based on the records from the first doctor I saw back in April. I asked why in the world she would've ever put me on B12 injections they told me they weren't sure. I am being advised to see a neurologist now. They are taking me off everything that made me feel halfway "normal" . Well, could've been a placebo effect I suppose! Hopefully answers will come soon!

    • kelly09968
      kelly09968 kristinrenee

      Posted

      Hi again, I see clivealive has posted a answer, and as per normal he is right in what he says. Dare I say it as terrible as it sounds I would follow what your doctors are doing now, because there is a strong likelihood that your bloods are skewed. But when you go to the neurologist make sure you take the Pernicious anaemia survey which you filled in with you, because in the UK there is a lot of ignorance to the symptoms of B12 deficiency / P.A. Try not to feel too down about taking Xanax and withdrawing from it because your doctors are taking your symptoms seriously, and they are getting you off the antidepressants!
    • clivealive
      clivealive kristinrenee

      Posted

      As I thought and expected - your serum B12 test result "was very high" because of the tablets you were taking but one consolation is that you cannot overdose on B12 as any excess is excreted through your urine so you have done yourself no harm.

      Lets hope your neurologist comes up with some answers.

      I wish you well for the future.

  • clivealive
    clivealive kristinrenee

    Posted

    Hi Kristinrenee, I too like Kelly09968 am British and I'm interested in your comment "The doctors I saw never mentioned Pernicious Anemia to me, but a doctor (ophthalmologist) I work closely with did. I looked it up, I took a questionairre - it's all there. I am convinced I have this". 

    I  am not a medically qualified person but would like to know did the questionaire list reasons why you might be Vitamin B12 Deficient as per the below and can you tell us which ones apply to you?

    Vegetarians, vegans and people eating macrobiotic diets.

    People who’ve undergone any gastric and/or intestinal surgery, including bariatric surgery for weight loss purposes (Gastric bypass).

    People who regularly use proton-pump- inhibitors. H2 blockers, antacids, Metformin, and related diabetes drugs, or other medications that can interfere with B12 absorption including the contraceptive pill.

    People who undergo surgeries or dental procedures involving nitrous oxide, or who use the drug recreationally.

    People with a history of eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia).

    People with a history of alcoholism.

    People with a family history of pernicious anaemia.

    People diagnosed with anaemia (including iron deficiency anaemia, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia).

    People with Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gluten enteropathy (celiac disease), or any other disease that cause malabsorption of nutrients.

    People with autoimmune disorders (especially thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease) Type 1 diabetes, vitiligo, lupus, Addison’s disease, ulcerative colitis, infertility, acquired agammaglobulinemia, or a family history of these disorders.

    Women with a history of infertility or multiple miscarriages.

    Infants born to and/or breast fed by women who are symptomatic or are at risk for B12 deficiency.You wrote- "I saw a doctor, she immediately drew all sorts of blood and told me my b12 was low. She called me in a few weeks worth of shots and explained that once the shots were done, I wouldn't need anything"further".

    Did you not feel any benefit from the B12 injections?

    Do you know what your Folate level was back then?

    The fact that your doctor said that "once the shots were done you wouldn't need any more" suggests she thought it was a temporary B12 Deficiency due to your (then) lifestyle rather than P.A.

    The fact that you have been taking " 2500 MCG B12 Vitamins OTC" (presumably oral tablets/sprays?) and are still feeling no better suggests you may have an absorption problem.

    I think you might have to be prepared that the B12 test results will be skewed because of the supplements you've been taking.

    Do you know if you were tested for Intrinsic Factor or Parietal Cell antibodies?

     

  • debbyog1
    debbyog1 kristinrenee

    Posted

    What were your exact B12 levels before the injections and after do you know?
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