Most people rarely think about vitamin B12. It’s not part of routine blood testing the way vitamin D is. We have been surprised that health professionals do not routinely request blood tests for vitamin B12 levels, especially for patients taking the diabetes drug metformin or acid-suppressing drugs like Nexium or Prevacid. Such medications can alter vitamin B12 (cobalamin) levels in the body. This reader developed serious symptoms triggered by low levels of vitamin B12:
Q. I suffered with severe fatigue and weakness for two years before being diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency. My regular physician didn’t diagnose me. The neurologist I saw after having a concussion actually tested my B12 level, which was at 38!
I read up on this condition and found that most doctors don’t test B12 levels, even when many symptoms are present. If my doctor had tested me soon after I reported fatigue and weakness, it would have saved me a lot of suffering. I had become so weak and tired I could barely get out of bed. I had trouble breathing and I would lose strength in my legs and collapse. My comprehension was poor and I experienced “blackouts” with my memory.
This deficiency has ruined my life, as it will take me six months to a year to recover. We had to postpone a cross-country trip we had planned because I’m not strong enough yet. I need rest after minimal exercise. People should ask their physician to test for B12 if they are having unexplained symptoms like this.
A. Vitamin B12 levels below 150 can result in cognitive impairment as well as severe fatigue, weakness, loss of reflexes and neuropathy. This deficiency might be more common as a cause of mental difficulties among older people than most health professionals imagine. People experiencing symptoms like yours are justified in requesting a test for vitamin B12.
Symptoms Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin B12:
- Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, anemia
- Irregular heart rhythms, palpitations, breathing difficulties
- Digestive distress, diarrhea, gas, loss of appetite
- Skin changes (pale or yellowish skin, smooth tongue, sore tongue)
- Nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy, numbness and/or tingling in extremities, muscle weakness, difficulty walking)
- Mental changes (forgetfulness, depression, irritability, cognitive impairment, confusion)
- Visual disturbances
- Medications and Low Levels of Vitamin B12:
To learn more about how drugs can affect vitamin B12 absorption you may want to visit this link:
Metformin Reduces Vitamin B12 absorption:
When you visit that link you will also learn that testing for vitamin B12 deficiency is more complicated than some health professionals realize.
By the way, vegetarians should recognize that a meatless diet can trigger low levels of vitamin B12. It may well require B12 supplements to counteract this effect. Here is a link to our article suggesting: “Vegetarians Should Be Wary of Vitamin B12 Deficiency.”
