I panicked when I experienced weakness in my limbs.
I went to the doctor about a week later and was told I had a deficiency of vitamins B12 and C.
Here's how a B12 deficiency can look and how I'm feeling.
I ran around lower Manhattan on a wednesday morning in May. The weather was nice and I ate my usual meals. Something strange happened as I was getting ready to go to sleep.
I had pins and needles in my left arm while I was sleeping. I don't know why my left arm was sleeping. I contorted my body and tried to get rid of the feeling, but it wasn't enough.
My hand became numb. I thought it was all in my head after 30 minutes of panic. When I woke up in the morning, the same sensation had spread to all of my limbs. I was not sure what to think.
Even though the doctor at the urgent-care center didn't run any tests or give me any prescriptions, she told me the tingling was caused by a viral infection. When I stumbled in, I felt more like a failure.
With no change in my symptoms, I went to see my internist. I was so weak that I couldn't even walk around my block as I waited for the results.
The panel came back and said I had a deficiency of vitamins B12 and B.
According to Dr. Serrano, a B12 level of less than 200 pg/ml is considered low. The mine was close to 175. My numbers probably stayed the same.
Brad Kamitaki is an assistant professor of neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson medical school.
A lot of people are not showing any symptoms. Symptoms of B12 deficiency include cognitive slowing, fatigue, tongue swelling, arm or leg tingle, and difficulty walking.
B12 deficiency can be caused by either malabsorption or inadequate intake. Some conditions, like atrophic gastritis, can block the absorption of B12, while vegan and vegetarian diet can lead to insufficient intake, as animal products are a main source of B12
The treatment could be done with injections of vitamins B12 and B6 for a month. I thought my symptoms would go away after a week of shots. Serrano said that if there are neurological symptoms, they can last between three months and a year.
For me, that was the case. Even though I was getting treatment, my symptoms got worse before they got better. There was continued leg numbness. I didn't have an appetite and didn't eat often. I had a hard time with my brain fog. I couldn't sleep because of the headaches. I had a blurry vision. I was told by a neurologist that I had B12 deficiency and that my doctor thought I had a tumor or multiplesclerosis.
Kamitaki said there are some people who are more at risk of a deficiency of vitamins B12 and B6 than others.
Kamitaki wants people to be aware of the importance of adequate B12 intake during pregnancies and breastfeeding, as the effects of B12 deficiency in the developing fetus and infant can be significant.
Older people are at higher risk of B12 deficiency.
I was fortunate to act as quickly as possible. If symptoms were not treated, they could cause irreversible damage to the nervous system and lead to the inability to walk as normal. He said that symptoms can alter the ability to produce red blood cells, which can increase the risk of heart failure.
My symptoms have been almost completely gone for nearly five months. My strength and energy are back, my brain fog is gone, and I am able to run again.
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