Could it really be B12?

Well, it was really no surprise that my MRI turned out completely clean.  So, at that moment, the only possibility was the low B12.  I wondered, "Could this all be B12?"

After asking myself this question, I immediately started doing research, and I was astounded at what I found.  The more I read, the more the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.

First of all, in the United States, the "normal" range for B12 is 200-1100.  That's quite a range! The first time my B12 was checked it was 237, and the second time it was 222.  In my opinion, those numbers are not on the low end of normal, they are barely within range.  I also read that it is not unusual for people to become symptomatic when their levels drop below 400.  Um, hello?!  Actually, in Japan, you are treated for a B12 deficiency if your numbers are below 500.  Some people (some doctors, nutritionists, etc.) believe that the current standard range for B12 is quite out of date, and that the low end of the scale is, in fact, much too low.

I also discovered that the list of possible symptoms associated with low B12 is incredibly long and widely variable.  Because of this, it is often misdiagnosed as many other things, including (but not limited to) Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Lyme's disease, even Alzheimer's and dementia.  Crazy, huh?  The scariest part is that if B12 deficiency goes untreated for too long, it can cause severe permanent damage and even death.

You may be wondering, "Well, what do you get B12 from?"  Click.  (That's another puzzle piece fitting into place.)  B12 comes exclusively from animal products.  I am a vegetarian.  A vegetarian who just learned something new and incredibly important that no doctor had bothered to mention to me.  I also read that your body has the ability to store B12 for a long time - up to 5 years.  Again, click.  I went full vegetarian 4 1/2 years ago.  Why did no one say anything?!

I returned to the doctor with this new information to ask him about it.  At first, he appeared rather non-plussed by the possibility that this was what was causing my problems.  He simply said that I could pick up a supplement to start taking daily, but I had the feeling that he didn't really believe this was the root of the problem.  He did mention that it would take awhile for my levels to build, and to give the supplements about a month to determine if they were going to be effective in resolving my symptoms.  He then turned around and said that it's possible to see neurological problems in B12 levels up to 350.  After asking what a good target range would be, he said probably between 500 and 600.  Seriously?!  222.

After doing some research on B12 supplements, I learned that there are many different forms of B12, and certain forms have been proven to absorb better than others.  So, once I had chosen a supplement, I began taking them immediately.  At first, especially considering the poor mental state I was in, even I had trouble believing that this was actually the problem.  Surely, a vitamin can't cause all this.  Within a few days though, my appetite returned.  I was actually hungry throughout the day.  By the end of the first week, the nausea was mostly gone.  And slowly, over the next two to three weeks, my symptoms continued to disappear.  Approximately three weeks after starting the supplements, I began to hear the comment "You look like yourself again" over and over again.  The wonderful part was, that I was also feeling like myself again and finally believed that I was well on my way to recovering completely.

This experience, while horrible at the time, has taught me a lot about myself, and it has prompted many changes in my life.  Being faced with something like this will do that to a person, I suppose.  And that's what I am hoping this blog will now be about - the changes that I have made for the better.