I saw your comments on Annie59's post. I think you know what I'm going to ask . . . has your primary doctor checked your vitamin B12 levels?! Numbness in extremities is a huge red flag for that.

They should also check your homocysteine level. Some disagree about this but your B12 number could be, for example, 400 (normal range) and if your homocysteine is elevated, that means your body is not getting enough of B12. Methylmalonic acid, another simple blood test they can do, might be elevated too.

My B12 deficiency came on slowly. I passed it off as being tired from working too hard (1997-99). By the time I was diagnosed, I had numbness in my hands, ankles/feet and face, was so tired I couldn't stay awake, felt faint, had palpitations, signs of dementia and just felt like the life force was being sucked out of me. Do you have any other signs that the numbness? Is it equally on both sides? Have they checked your lower back?

A B12 deficiency is very common, as is a Vitamin D one. With B12, people often don't have enough stomach acid to properly digest their food and not enough of the B12 is absorbed. I'll stop there because I can go on and on about this.

Please get it checked out. If it is a B12 def., the longer you go with one, the longer it takes for the peripheral nerves to recover.

Annie

I have been taking 600 IU of D twice a day and 500 mg of b12 plus what I get in my multible. Just had bloodwork done for both because I was thinking of taking 5000 IU more of D each day and neuro wanted to check before I started.

When I called to find out about the results, his nurse told me my D levals were good but I might be taking TOO much b12 but don"t change anything till I see the neuro. Dec. 27th.

My amino acid hvae been checked and is OK.

It would be wonderful it was just a vitamin deficiency.

Tony

Well, the reason your B12 levels were high is probably because you are taking it! That would be like eating a bar of chocolate before getting your glucose checked or having your sodium checked after eating takeout fries.

Is the B12 sublingual? It couldn't hurt to see how your homocysteine is.

When I was talking about acid it wasn't amino acids but stomach acid. As we age, our stomach does too and we lose the ability to digest our food as well.

One more thought. Anything that affects circulation affects the nerves. So make sure you rule out peripheral artery disease too (via a cardiologist).

I hope it's not some other disease. It sounds like you have a good doctor. Good luck in figuring it out and getting it to feel better. I hate that feeling of neuropathy. I still have some in my feet/ankles.


Annie

Last time I saw my cardiologist was more than ago. Got a clean bill of health from him to make sure I could continue IVIG's but I did not have this problem then.

I looked up peripheral artery disease and found the clasic symtoms are simular to the way I feel. I will talk to my neuro this month ( in my notes already) and have him check for whoosing sounds over arteries and see if he recomends seeing cardiologist.

I will follow up on this. Thanks;

Tony