Hmmm, B12 deficiency can cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, dementia:

[Deja Q]

Should I at least send a big letter of complaint to my HMO, of the incompetence of their counselors and psychiatrists? (Oh, I've a big list of things to mention, but the natural vitamin deficiency issue is one they should have tested for early on, instead of trying to get me to pop a bunch of pills. x( :grr: :mad: )

[Lorien]

1. So have you added B12 and seen a difference?

I've started taking B50, Sam-E and flax seed oil, and I've been feeling better than I did on Wellbutrin (also cutting out wheat and sugar, as per one DUers suggestion).

[Deja Q]

2. I haven't taken the prescrip B12, but I did buy a very potent B12 pill for

$5. (250 tablet).

I'm no longer as depressed or fatigued or as nauseous or as bad of ah eadache. Though those problems remain, they are rather better. (I still have a slipped disc to contend with that is that is the cause of the muscle weakness and is highly likely related to the other symptoms as well.)

B12 was a factor and they ignored it utterly.

They still have a point with anxiety, but if they really had a degree worth having, they would know that nutrition or autoimmune disease can have a physiological effect on the brain which in turn causes psychiatric illness.

They are quacks. And I intend to let them know that.

[RagingInMiami]

5. Did you buy the b-12 methylcobalamin?

It's suppose to be much more concentrated, although a little more expensive. You can buy it in sublingual tablets

[u4ic]

20. Sublingual B12 is best

I get the Trophic methyl cobalamine 1 mg sublingual tabs, bottle of 90 for $8.00. Not bad at all. I do take 3 a day, however, but that is particular to my case.

Some people lack an enzyme to digest B12, therefore sublingual is the better option.

[Lorien]

6. ONE tablet for $5?

Ouch! I didn't know that B12 came as a prescription too.

Yeah, they are quacks. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It seems like everything the traditional doctors prescribed made things worse (and were very expensive, naturally). Much of what I've found out on my own, or have been told about by friends, has helped to some degree.

Are there other symptoms of B12 deficiency?

[Deja Q]

10. Whoops! One bottle containing 250 pills to pop...

:D

Flotx I think is the name of the prescrip B12. It contains a HIGH dosage of B12 (2mg), with other bits added. The B12 I bought from the store is 500mcg (25% that of flotx.)

There are many symptoms, virtually all of which are nervous-system related: http://www.google.com/search?q=b12+deficiency+symptoms&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

Of course, there are blood cell problems with B12 as well, but by and large, B12 loss affects the nervous system.

[Lorien]

15. Well, that's better.

;-)

I wonder how much the shots cost?

[amazona]

13. symptoms of B12 deficiency

The symptoms can be indistinguishable from the onset of Alzheimer's disease. This is what happened in my friend's case -- see my previous post. You cannot pop a pill and expect a good result. You must get a script for injectable B12. A certain number of people lose the ability to use B12 from food or oral injestion as they grow older.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Lorien]

14. Those shots are all the rage in Hollywood

my movie producer cousin gets one about every two weeks. I have to admit, she does get a hell of a lot done!

[tjdee]

22. The author of Seabiscuit has chronic fatigue syndrome.

I've seen some of your drawings you've posted, I'm so in awe of you and she, to be so creative while having CFS--my motivation is shit and as far as I know I'm fairly "healthy"!

[merwin]

3. Doctors will always jump to conclusions regarding depression/anxiety.

Pills require the least amount of tests, therefore is the most cost effective :)

[Deja Q]

4. Ah, yes. The mantra of our cesspool society: Money before all else.

Oh yes. You can bet I'll be making a HUGE gripe about cost-effectiveness in the "medical" industry, especially when it costs so damn much to begin with.

If these fuckers cared about life, they'd do what's necessary and THEN prescribe pills to pop. Not before. They all claim it's an exact science, yet they don't want to make it any more exact than what's convenient for them.

Fuck 'em.

[RagingInMiami]

7. Omega 3 capsules are suppose to be good for depression as well

[CatBoreal]

8. Yup, big help up here....

I've been using fish oil as opposed to flax and that seems to be doing the trick along with the B12 and the Vit. D.

[tjdee]

9. So is chromium. nt

[tjdee]

11. How long have you been taking the B12? How did you come upon it?

Thank goodness for the internets!

[amazona]

12. you need to get the injections, HypnoToad

Please don't mess around with this. Unless you get B12 injections, you will continue to lose function.

It always takes too long to diagnose pernicious anemia. My friend who had the illness was very well-to-do and he still lost substantial reasoning ability before they realized that he needed B12 injections.

You have lost the ability to absorb the vitamin through food. Maybe you are getting a bit sublingually and that is why your vitamins are helping but sooner or later (and for the sake of your brain it should be sooner) you need to get an Rx for regular injections.

You can learn to give yourself the injections and save boocoo bucks over visiting the nurse.

Please don't let this slide. The angry letter to the HMO can wait. Get your script and protect your brain first. You don't regain what you lose, my friend didn't. All you can do is prevent further decline.

Please take this VERY seriously.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Lorien]

16. Can this happen to younger people

like those in their 30s?

[amazona]

21. yes but it's rare

I just googled a short article which said these doctors had found 7 black women in their 30s who had pernicious anemia. They are guessing that most doctors would not diagnose the disease properly in this age group because they are not looking for it. They are assuming it is a disease of quote "Northern Europeans over age 40."

If you are still in your 30s, I would go a little easy on the doctors for not thinking of it right away, because it would be a lot more unusual.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[LeftCoast]

17. You need to find out WHY you're B12 deficient

Also, it would be a good idea to see if you are anemic. Have you had a standard CBC (Complete Blood Count) done?

[Nikia]

18. I have been less depressed since I started taking a multivitamin

I had been sick for a few months, not eating anything for days, getting about half my previous calories when I did eat. I started crying and feeling hopeless at work and at home. I thought that perhaps it was that I was sad about being sick. Then it occurred to me that I might be malnourished. After a few days on the multivitamin, I improved. Nutrition can play a big role in health, including mental health. So many doctors seem to be ignorant of that.

[brentspeak]

19. Some antidepressants can CAUSE B-12 deficiency

I took Nardil once, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor anti-depressant. Two weeks into the prescription, I started to experience a strange dizziness or vertigo whenever I made as slight a movement as just moving my eyeballs from one side to another. It was positional vertigo, brought about by a B-12 deficiency that was a side-effect of the anti-depressant.