The Signs & Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

This is a condition somewhat poorly misunderstood by doctors when it comes to how and why it begins and affects certain individuals. It is characterised by bouts of diarrhoea or constipation or both. In addition, vague symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, abdominal pain, etc are also felt. These symptoms are very real but there’s literally no cause within the body that points at why the patient has these issues. You might remember that B12 deficiency affects your gastrointestinal tract (because these cells are rapidly growing) and causes similar vague symptoms.

When your brain is affected by B12 deficiency, you could develop symptoms such as memory loss and failure to concentrate – something called dementia. Alzheimer’s also closely mimics B12 deficiency, owing to its manifestations of a decreased short term memory, irritability, and personality changes.

Since low B12 causes high homocysteine levels (which leads to atherosclerosis or thickening of your blood vessels), you might suffer from heart attack and heart failure, having all the symptoms of heart disease. In addition, you might have strokes and get permanent damage to your brain.

Depression, lethargy, excessive somnolence (sleeping too much), etc – those are the symptoms of hypothyroidism.  But even low B12 levels can cause the same problems, as you already know. In addition, those who have pernicious anaemia are at higher risk of getting hypothyroidism – they’re linked both ways!

Low levels of vitamin B12 affect all the systems of the body, as shows below: The Gastrointestinal Tract : Bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, Abdominal discomfort or pain, oral ulcers, gingival bleeding (bleeding from the gums), loss of appetite, weight loss, thickening of the tongue and malabsorption. The Cardiovascular System : Chest pain, heart attacks, stroke, increased heart rate, deep venous thrombosis (a condition in which clots form in the veins of the legs, causing pain and putting the patient at risk of dying suddenly due to breakage of these clots and transfer to the blood vessels of the lung, blocking them in turn and causing respiratory failure) and enlargement of the heart. The Nervous System : Altered sensations, depression, psychosis, mania, confusion, fatigue, suicidal thought, anger, phobias, apathy, irritability, delusions, hallucinations, loss of memory, exaggerated reflexes, tremors, cramps, numbness, pins and needles sensations and paralysis. The Immu...