Q. I recently started vitamin B12 injections. I had gone to my doctor with numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, fatigue and memory changes. He gave me extensive neuropsychiatric testing and did lab work. The results showed a change in memory, as well as carpal tunnel in both wrists. My vitamin B12 was low.
I take metformin to prevent diabetes. After hearing your radio show, I wonder if the metformin is responsible.
A. Metformin can sometimes trigger a vitamin B12 deficiency, especially if the person also needs to take an acid-suppressing drug such as omeprazole to manage the digestive distress metformin may cause (Diabetes Care, Dec. 2012).
Metformin is a reasonable way to forestall the development of type 2 diabetes, and it also may be used to prevent several types of cancer. Considering the side effect you have suffered, however, you may be interested in a different approach. Our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy, offers non-drug options for prevention, including coffee, chocolate, stevia and vitamin D, among other possibilities. It is available at PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Research published in The Lancet Endocrinology (June 16, 2012) demonstrated that people who can normalize their blood glucose with regular exercise and diet cut their risk of diabetes in half.
