Hello,

I have been diagnosed with pernicious anemia and get B12 shots, but I have 2 spots on my brain which the dr is not willing to say is MS. In the beginning of August I started coughing alot. The cough lasted 7 weeks and it got pretty bad. During that time, I had migraines almost daily with vision problems. I had extreme dizziness and fatigue and a tingling sensations in my head and face. I was a wreck! Heat was my worst enemy, because I got so much worse in the heat. I had to observe in a classroom for school (going to school to be a teacher) and it was very hot. The teacher came over to me and said "Are you alright?" cuz I was soooo dizzy and fatigued and I felt like I had feverish symptoms, but I didn't have a fever and I was just all over yucky feeling. When I got out of the hot classroom, it got better. I started taking prednisone for the cough and as I was tapering off the prednisone, I developed cramping muscles all over my torso and neck for no reason. I looked it up online and it said something about the MS HUG. I think that might be what it was. I looked on an MS website and someone wrote that every time she tapers off of prednisone, she develops the hug. After the hug, all of a sudden my symptoms resolved (not completely, but for the most part). I read online that prednisone is used to treat exaccerbations of MS, so I wonder if that is what was happening and the prednisone helped. I still have vision problems that never resolved. The world is wavy and sometimes my eyes will just go out of focus for no reason whatsoever.

My questions are:
-can prolonged B12 deficiency cause MS. I never read anything on that subject.
-can prolonged B12 deficiency cause "spots" on the brain.
-how many other people with pernicious anemia and MS? Are they linked? I know B12 deficiency is, but what about anemia?

Thank-you!

Hi Lolad, welcome to NeuroTalk.

I noticed that noone jumped right in here and it's probably because we don't have an answer to your questions.

If you are suspicious that you may have MS, the possibility is certainly there. B12 deficiency can cause MS like nervous system symptoms. As far as I know, B12DEF. doesn't cause MS, but you can have both at the same time.

If your Neuro hasn't yet ruled MS out, then perhaps he/she will do further tests in the future.

Thanks for posting here and you are welcome here.

Hi- are you taking folic acid/folate? Tested Homocysteine level?

Was just reading about those 3 yesterday.

I too am wondering what tests you have had to dx your anemia?? I have low B12 levels and a very high methylmalonic acid count which indicates that my stomach or intestines isn't absorbing B12 as it should. ...which can lead to the dx of hemolytic (sp) anemia. My bilirubin is also in the high level and has been for years.

Not sure if this helps or if you are interested but I recently heard about a new oral prescription alternative to the injections called Eligen B12. I recently read that it works even if you don't have intrinsic factor (so even if you don't have normal gut absorption). Apparently it came out a month or two ago.

This Eligen product is mentioned on our B12 thread on the PN forum...

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html

It has been in the pipeline for several years.

I see two disappointing things concerning it.

1) it does not have the methylcobalamin in it...which is superior to cyano form. We now know that 10-30 % of adults cannot methylate properly and convert cyano to its active form in the body. So this cyano product will not work for them.
This is called the MTHFR mutation.

2) And it is RX only and therefore expensive. All other forms of B12 are OTC.

As a dosage form improvement, it does look promising. But why pay so much when Methylcobalamin is easily absorbed on an empty stomach (even when intrinsic factor is missing), for pennies a day?

hi,
I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia last week, and ms in 1995. My low b12 and iron levels have benn remarked upon by doctors for at least the last 10 years. I've actually been told I am anemic all of my adult life and have taken iron pills on and off. I now also wonder has it been pernicious anemia from the start?

I also have primary biliary cirrhosis which is an autoimmune liver disease, I ment ion this because of your elevated bilirubin. They did a blood test for anti mitochondrial antibodies to diagnose it. I take two pills a day for that, without them I'd be looking for a new liver, I recommend getting checked for that right away.

I hope you are in the early stages of whatever it is and that b12 really helps you.