Hello everyone, I hope today finds you strong and happy.

I went to the Dr about my severe leg/foot pain along with tingling/numbness down my left side.

He told me I was low in B-12 and gave me a shot, need to do that every other week for 3 months and than once a month. He also did xrays of my hip {to make sure I don't have a pinched nerve} and is scheduling an MRI of my brain to compare to last one taken in March.

He told me not to panic but he wants to rule out MS, that my heaviness and weakness and double vision is certanly the MG but the other symptoms are not. So we need to rule out the MS and hope it is just B-12 deficiency.

I have to say I actually feel calm right now because I am hopeful it is just the B-12. Always stay positive!

Hey Joanmarie,

Well, that does sound encouraging and he seems to be covering all the bases which is good. My Mother was suffering with much of the same things you are and she too had to have B12 shots and they made such a big difference. I think it took awhile for them to start having an effect. Did he tell you it could take awhile? I hope you have the MRI soon...waiting is such a pain and the sooner MS is ruled out the better! Hang in there and I'll be keeping good thoughts.

Big Hugs,
Pat

Joan Marie,
I am glad you are feeling calm about this and I will be praying that it is the B-12 and not MS. It is so strange how we emailed yesterday about how our symptoms are so similar. Well this is even more ironic but I was taking sublingual B-12 and stopped taking it about a week and a half ago because I was having days I couldn't hardly get up due to fatigue. I was taking B-12 and Manganese. I stopped both and started having so much more energy the very next day. Since then I have felt pretty good but that is the around the same time that I started having the twitiching in my legs, the pain coming up stairs, dizzy spells and ringing in my ears. Now I am wondering if I need to add the B-12 again! Maybe the Manganese is what was making me feel so bad. It is definitely worth a shot. I have a pretty busy day tomorrow and don't want to risk feeling bad but will take it on Thur when I am off. I will let you know if it makes a difference and please let me know if it helps with yours!!! I will be anxious to hear if this corrects it. Fingers crossed!!!
Take care,
kendra

Hey sweetheart! I'm so sorry to hear about your pain! We could be TWINS! I'm having the exact same problem - to the point that I now have to wear a pain patch in addition to some pain meds....the drs have no idea what is causing me to hurt this much, but have ruled out anything major!

I love the fact that you DO always stay positive. It would be so hard to do so while you hurt so much! That takes true GRACE!

I bet it is a B-12 deficiency! You should be up and feeling GREAT soon!

Love,
Erin

Thank you all for being so sweet. I am sure it is the B-12 as I have spoken with others that had the same problem. Yes, pat I was told it could take awhile to work but thats OK, as long as it works..LOL. Well off to spend some time with my son, he just got home from a trip to Oregon with his Aunt and Uncle.. he even got to fly a helecopter for the first time while there.. so going to listen to all the details! Be back later

Joanmarie, I'm glad you got this answer. A B12 deficiency can cause all kinds of neurological symptoms! Your neuro may not know if you are better until months later.

When I had my B12 deficiency back in 1999, I was beginning to have dementia. My B12 had been slowly going down for years. I did the B12 cyanocobalamin shot thing for the first year and did NOT get better. And why would you want a shot that has cyanide in it anyway?

When I started methylcobalamin sublingual B12 in 2000, that's when my symptoms started going away. Because it took so long for GOOD healing, I have permanent damage in my ankles/feet. You don't want to have hot, burning feet for the rest of your life!

Cyanide is used in the purification process when making cyanocobalamin. Cyanocobalamin needs to be processed by the liver into methylcobalamin in order for your body to use it. So the shot does not go to work right away. Sublingual methylcobalamin goes to work right away in the body, in the cells that have been deprived of the B12. Some gets stored in the liver and the rest gets urinated out.

I am very passionate about this topic because it took so long to get this figured out and I had to BEG my doctor twice to run the test. And I had gotten so bad before I was taken seriously. A B12 deficiency usually doesn't kill anyone anymore, although it did before those shots, but it can do major damage to the body.

PLEASE do not only do the shots. Get some methylcobalamin. www.iherb.com has supplements that cost much less than in the stores. I've been using them since 1999. I use the Source Naturals because I like the flavor of it and it works (have been tested off and on since). Some people like the Jarrow brand. If you have more questions about this, you can ask Mrs. D. about it.

You can't overdose on B12. Studies have shown it does not do damage in high doses. It's a quite unique vitamin and many people have deficiencies of it (particularly older people who don't have enough stomach acid).

I have put up studies from PubMed here before. It's proven that sublingual B12 is as good if not better than those shots. And you need to think of the B12 issue not only as what you consume but what you use up. When you are deficient, you use up much more than people who aren't.

Enough of the lecture. I'm glad you know you are deficient. I hope you will do everything you can to help yourself. And don't forget to have folic acid in a supplement too. You need to take B12 and folic acid together because the lack of one can cause a deficiency of the other.

I hope you feel better soon.

Annie

Hey Joan,

As weird as it may sound, I'm happy that the doctor discovered this because I feel pretty confidant that it's not MS, but the B12 deficiency...The nerve problems that happen can be really extensive...

I watched an episode of Mystery Diagnosis a month or so ago, and it was about a lady who had had a B12 deficiency for like 4-years...She had digestive issues, would lose balance while standing with her eyes closed, weakness on one side, mood problems...The whole nine-yards minus actual anemia...This is why it took forever for her to get a diagnosis...Sometimes, a person can have all of the other signs of a B12 deficiency way before the anemia sets in....

I've heard of plenty of other people who were thought to have MS but turned out to have a B12 deficiency...

I totally agree with Annie...The sublingual ones are great...my sister had this deficiency and has been using those supplements for the past year, and is feeling much better now....Try to find out why you have the deficiency,though...

I think that you're going to be feeling much better in no time...Thank God the doc. figured it out!

Nicky

wow thanks for all these info... a pity my b12 seems to b ok. Stay positive and strong Joanmarie! Do hope that its the B12 for you, keep us updated!

Hi Joanmarie,

I'm glad you have a Dr that seems to be caring and right onto things!! thinking of you
take care
Kate