B12 deficiency??

[Fuzzyhead]

Do any of these sound like it? Started with left side head tingling, left side eye pain and temple, tingling and numbness, fatigue, brain fog, off balance, irritable, feeling of breathlessness but i can, just dont feel right at all.

 

[mattie]

why not ask your GP this question,
and have him measure your b12 levels?

or if you don’t want to take that route,
take some b12 shots or sublinguals to see if that helps.

many PWME do a bit better on extra b12.

symptoms of ME and B12 deficiency overlap a lot.

 

[Moof]

If you do go down the testing route, you need to be aware that the serum B12 test is hopelessly inaccurate – I honestly don't know why anyone wastes time and money on it. MMA and homocysteine tests will give you a better indication.

If there's any reason you might have low intake (a vegan diet, for instance, or vegetarian without dairy), or become unable to absorb B12 from food (e.g. a history of h. pylori infection or gastritis, or relatives with pernicious anaemia), then I'd definitely take it seriously. If you do have absorption problems, oral supplements won't necessarily work well, though still worth trying in the first instance.

 

[Fuzzyhead]

Ive had gastritis in the past.

 

[brenda]

There is no need to have testing done - just start supplementing. You will find out. Best to try hydroxocobalamin first.

 

[Moof]

Ive had gastritis in the past.

H. pylori-related gastritis over several years is what caused my severe deficiency. Which the GP initially refused to treat because my serum levels appeared to be very healthy! He didn't realise how inaccurate the test was, and I had to go down the self-treatment route to begin with. I'm now on top of it, and the GP no longer uses the serum test. Good result...eventually.

If you've had gastritis, it may have impaired your parietal cells' ability to absorb B12. It's difficult to show to what extent this has happened, though, which is why many people try sublingual supplements first and then go on to injections if they see no improvements within a couple of months.

 

[Galixie]

As for the neurological symptom of tingling (peripheral neuropathy), I personally believe it can start anywhere in the body.

My doctor was initially skeptical because mine started in my hands and she had been taught that it usually starts in the feet and moves upward. I've also experienced a version where it feels like there is a drop of water on my scalp even though it is dry.

Gastritis can definitely cause an absorption problem. To get around that difficulty, you could try sublingual B12 or skin patches. Those don't require the same process as oral supplements to reach your blood, but they don't always work that well either. Everybody is so different that it often takes trying a few different things to find something that works.

 

[Fuzzyhead]

I have a feeling of cold patches on parts of my head.

 

[antares4141]

Do any of these sound like it? Started with left side head tingling, left side eye pain and temple, tingling and numbness, fatigue, brain fog, off balance, irritable, feeling of breathlessness but i can, just dont feel right at all.

I have a burning pain like a chemical burn that migrates around my scalp, to my ears, cheeks, throat, eye's.
It only happens once a year or so. Hallmark symptom since I got CFS 21 years ago. Sometimes I also have had soars on the roof of my mouth at the same time. So I've always attributed it to some type of viral outbreak like a herpes blister but it's eating at the nerves coming off of my brain stem. Sometimes I have unusual types of headaches I call "meningitis headaches" They can sometimes travel down all the way between my shoulder blades. These are also relativly rare compared to the usual fatigue, brain fog, air hunger, etc. etc.