Is this B12 deficiency?
Posted , 5 users are following.
- I have been vegan for 21 years
- 3 years ago I developed the following symptoms
finger jumping/hand twitching
mild occasional limb jerks
slight numb feeling in left hand and left foot
a strange feeling that my left foot and right foot arn't quite acting as a pair anymore
poor coordination in hands (missing objects that I go to pick up, missing my mouth with the spoon)
head pressure top rear right, right back and side, accompanied by blocked ear feeling on the right
'raw nerve patch' at specific point on my back, feels like somethings rubbing it but nothing there
slight numbness/tingling in left top lip that spreads to left nostril and left eyelid
Got my b12 checked. it was 200 (so techinically within normal range). doctor said symptoms were probably due to anxiety
started taking b12 supplement. became pregnant. symptoms subsided. stopped replacing b12.
now 1 year past birth, symptoms back, this time accompanied by:
- tickly cough (scientific journal says b12 deficiency can cause this)
- difficulty speaking (slight hesitation, slight jumbling of words)
any thoughts on this greatly apprecitaed 
1 like, 4 replies
marion29181 natalia64684
Posted
It sounds to me that you should return to supplementing B12. If you are vegan you won't be getting enough from your food alone, and the pregnancy will have further depleted your stores of B12. Especially if you had nitrous oxide during the birth, and have breast fed your baby.
Your level of 200 was quite low, will your doctor do a repeat blood test to see what it is now?
Supplementing is fairly easy now, with many forms available, sublingual lozenges, sprays, and tablets if you can digest them OK.
tom72133 natalia64684
Posted
Hi natalia,
I am not a physician, (I do however have a PhD in medical science)
also, the symptoms I experienced with B12 deficiency did not quite match those you mentioned, maybe others here can comment on those.
The only things I would like to point out -
blood serum of 200 is by no means within normal range
any doctors that tells you otherwise, do not know what they are talking about
supplement unitl you are atleast over 400, and dont look back
if after being on within healthy range for a a few months your symptoms go unchanged, then, you should continuing looking for other potential causes.
Dena58 natalia64684
Posted
Were you taking folic acid during your pregnancy?
Your B12 is normal range low. Most of us will say that normal doesn't apply. Each body is not a cookie cutter mold so each is different.
Believe what your body is telling you.
During pregnancy, most women supplement multivitamin and folic acid.
At a B12 count of 200, I was bedridden and lost the use of my left leg and still was not diagnoised.
clivealive natalia64684
Posted
This is my third attempt at responding to you. The first, 3 days ago, has just been "deleted by the moderator" (no reason given) the second a few minutes ago simply disappeared into the ether..
I am not a medically qualified person and I've now reduced my comment to one of the many reasons for B12 deficiency is "Infants born to and/or breast fed by women who are symptomatic or are at risk for B12 deficiency."
Given that you are vegan it is unlikely you will be getting enough B12 from your diet so please get yourself and your baby checked by your doctor for serum B12 and folate levels.
As a P.A. sufferer of over 45 years I know the importance of maintaining healthy levels of B12 and I'm still "clive alive" at 75.
Here goes - 3rd time lucky??