Ok, this isn't a proper data sheet. I'd like to do one later on, so for now this is just a placeholder, or perhaps a thread for general discussion on the subject should anyone wish to chime in.
First of all, my brain isn't working properly to do a proper data sheet, and secondly, I will have more data to work with in a little while, when we get to see just how much damage is done and how reversible it is. It looks like I may have very well suffered permanent irreversible neurological and brain damage. I may be lucky, and I'm hoping that I will. So for now, this is just a heads up. Please excuse the adhoc nature, but I want to get this information out there, after much research and many years of undiagnosed illness. Both mental and physical.
Things have been complicated by the fact I have been suffering chronic stress and I have some kind of adrenal fatigue and permanently elevated Cortisol levels, which actually does a lot of damage in itself, such as brain atrophy (shrinkage). That alone by itself is very serious, but I have had a perfect storm of ailments that if they had gone on much longer would have killed me in a few years time. I won't touch on those too much, except in passing, as I can always expound on them later, because for now I want to focus on the B-12 deficiency as the main thing.
You have probably noticed that I make a bit of sense some of the time, then I go a bit 'off my rocker'. Now, it's easy to make excuses, but if I have noticed this others must have too. You've all been very generous with me, so I try to give back where I can.
Drinking doesn't help, and in fact it has been a major complicating factor in this 'perfect storm' so I'm not going to sugar coat it: yes, I drink too much. The majority of my life is spent sober, but as the years of chronic stress and illness have got to me, I wouldn't object to being labeled an alcoholic. I'll leave it up to you to decide on that one.
One thing is for sure, the drinking has not helped at all, and is probably the biggest contributing factor to my general malaise. But something else is to blame as much, if not more, and that is vegetarianism. The two great evils. I will give up one but I will not give up the other, respectively, and anyway, the damage is pretty much done and it makes no difference now. Now I know what it is I am dealing with, I should be able to cure myself. I think if I carried on drinking now then I would definitely be a hopeless alcoholic. Alcohol is easy for me to give up, and it's not really an option. The vegetarianism I will carry on as it is too deeply ingrained in me, plus for other personal reasons I won't mention here. And besides, it makes no difference.
I have a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. It's pretty serious. It insidiously caught up with me. The prognosis is good, however, and what permanent damage is done is done. They reckon 6 months left untreated is about as far as you can go without suffering permanent ill effects. Both neurological and brain damage. I'm pretty sure I will suffer the neurological problems as I have had symptoms for years, but the brain stuff has only manifested lately. The needle and the damage done.
Ok, so what are the symptoms of a serious B-12 deficiency?
They are varied and many, and often typical symptoms that you get for many other ailments, which nearly always complicates a diagnosis from your doctor. I'll get to that in a moment. I have found some amazing websites, and I will link after quoting, but for now, this was my Eureka moment, the point where it ALL made sense:
A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed as depression, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, iron-deficiency-anemia, MS or hypochondria. Patients have often been to the doctor many times, visited multiple doctors and have had numerous tests done, before the B12 deficiency was found. This is costing society millions of euro’s every year, and patients years of unnecessary suffering, misdiagnoses with the accompanying stress, and most of all, the risk of permanent neurological damage.
Considering 7 in 10 patients report neurological symptoms, which can become permanent, it is clear the problem is huge.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...eficiency/
I have had chronic depression the last years. I also have had the symptoms of ME and CFS (though not as bad). I have the symptoms of fibromyalgia (which is not a disease but a constellation of symptoms). And lately, why I have got really worried, is that I have a friend with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and more and more my ailments match what he has. I have been preparing myself for the worst. Something life-changing, if not life-threatening. And last but not least, my doctor thinks I'm a neurotic hypochondriac. Which is why this has never been diagnosed. I've also had many tests done, all coming back clear or borderline. Including abnormal thyroid which is also related, but more related to Folate (B9) levels, which complicate diagnosis even further, one covering up for the other. I'll leave that for later.
And it should have been diagnosed if she was any good, because she knew I was a strict vegetarian, and she also knew that I was almost anemic due to very low B-12 levels. She should have put 2 and 2 together, but it is very commonly missed. And that is why I am making this thread. There can be many causes for B-12 deficiency, but what we are interested in here is the recognition of the deficiency itself, and how to treat it. It matters little how you got it. I am just explaining my trajectory.
How often does B12 deficiency occur?
B12 deficiency occurs much more frequently than generally assumed. People often mistakenly think that a deficiency only occurs in sufferers of pernicious anemia or strict vegetarians. There are, however, many more factors that can cause a deficiency. Then there is also the widely held misconception that a B12 deficiency is always associated with anemia, which often causes doctors to miss the right diagnosis.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...ncy-occur/
B12 deficiency and anaemia
One of the major misconceptions about a B12 deficiency is that it is always accompanied by anaemia, or that without anaemia a deficiency is nothing serious. Many patients are being missed because physicians only test B12 when anaemia is present, and, even when a deficiency is obvious by a low blood value, patients are not being treated, because the deficiency is not being taken seriously without the presence of anaemia.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...nd-anemia/
Next post I will outline exactly what the symptoms and warning sings of B-12 deficiency are. It's easier and quicker for me to split it up like this for the moment. I just want to add though, as this is in the lifting (as well as fitness) forum, that I have a bench, a belt, some barbells, some dumbbells and a big pack of protein powder waiting for me in the garage. I'm actually hopeful I might be able to start using them soon.
Suffice it to say, that alcohol is bad for you, and meat is good for you, mmmkay? This will be a text you can refer to when arguing with vegetarians and especially vegans. In fact, it will explain much of their behaviour at both a neurological and brain level. And you can always tell them it was a vegetarian of a quarter of a century's standing that came to these conclusions. This text will also provide information for those wishing to go the vegetarian route, but to do it safely.
Let's see exactly what we are dealing with here, with this Vitamin B-12 deficiency thing...
First of all, my brain isn't working properly to do a proper data sheet, and secondly, I will have more data to work with in a little while, when we get to see just how much damage is done and how reversible it is. It looks like I may have very well suffered permanent irreversible neurological and brain damage. I may be lucky, and I'm hoping that I will. So for now, this is just a heads up. Please excuse the adhoc nature, but I want to get this information out there, after much research and many years of undiagnosed illness. Both mental and physical.
Things have been complicated by the fact I have been suffering chronic stress and I have some kind of adrenal fatigue and permanently elevated Cortisol levels, which actually does a lot of damage in itself, such as brain atrophy (shrinkage). That alone by itself is very serious, but I have had a perfect storm of ailments that if they had gone on much longer would have killed me in a few years time. I won't touch on those too much, except in passing, as I can always expound on them later, because for now I want to focus on the B-12 deficiency as the main thing.
You have probably noticed that I make a bit of sense some of the time, then I go a bit 'off my rocker'. Now, it's easy to make excuses, but if I have noticed this others must have too. You've all been very generous with me, so I try to give back where I can.
Drinking doesn't help, and in fact it has been a major complicating factor in this 'perfect storm' so I'm not going to sugar coat it: yes, I drink too much. The majority of my life is spent sober, but as the years of chronic stress and illness have got to me, I wouldn't object to being labeled an alcoholic. I'll leave it up to you to decide on that one.
One thing is for sure, the drinking has not helped at all, and is probably the biggest contributing factor to my general malaise. But something else is to blame as much, if not more, and that is vegetarianism. The two great evils. I will give up one but I will not give up the other, respectively, and anyway, the damage is pretty much done and it makes no difference now. Now I know what it is I am dealing with, I should be able to cure myself. I think if I carried on drinking now then I would definitely be a hopeless alcoholic. Alcohol is easy for me to give up, and it's not really an option. The vegetarianism I will carry on as it is too deeply ingrained in me, plus for other personal reasons I won't mention here. And besides, it makes no difference.
I have a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. It's pretty serious. It insidiously caught up with me. The prognosis is good, however, and what permanent damage is done is done. They reckon 6 months left untreated is about as far as you can go without suffering permanent ill effects. Both neurological and brain damage. I'm pretty sure I will suffer the neurological problems as I have had symptoms for years, but the brain stuff has only manifested lately. The needle and the damage done.
Ok, so what are the symptoms of a serious B-12 deficiency?
They are varied and many, and often typical symptoms that you get for many other ailments, which nearly always complicates a diagnosis from your doctor. I'll get to that in a moment. I have found some amazing websites, and I will link after quoting, but for now, this was my Eureka moment, the point where it ALL made sense:
A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed as depression, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, iron-deficiency-anemia, MS or hypochondria. Patients have often been to the doctor many times, visited multiple doctors and have had numerous tests done, before the B12 deficiency was found. This is costing society millions of euro’s every year, and patients years of unnecessary suffering, misdiagnoses with the accompanying stress, and most of all, the risk of permanent neurological damage.
Considering 7 in 10 patients report neurological symptoms, which can become permanent, it is clear the problem is huge.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...eficiency/
I have had chronic depression the last years. I also have had the symptoms of ME and CFS (though not as bad). I have the symptoms of fibromyalgia (which is not a disease but a constellation of symptoms). And lately, why I have got really worried, is that I have a friend with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and more and more my ailments match what he has. I have been preparing myself for the worst. Something life-changing, if not life-threatening. And last but not least, my doctor thinks I'm a neurotic hypochondriac. Which is why this has never been diagnosed. I've also had many tests done, all coming back clear or borderline. Including abnormal thyroid which is also related, but more related to Folate (B9) levels, which complicate diagnosis even further, one covering up for the other. I'll leave that for later.
And it should have been diagnosed if she was any good, because she knew I was a strict vegetarian, and she also knew that I was almost anemic due to very low B-12 levels. She should have put 2 and 2 together, but it is very commonly missed. And that is why I am making this thread. There can be many causes for B-12 deficiency, but what we are interested in here is the recognition of the deficiency itself, and how to treat it. It matters little how you got it. I am just explaining my trajectory.
How often does B12 deficiency occur?
B12 deficiency occurs much more frequently than generally assumed. People often mistakenly think that a deficiency only occurs in sufferers of pernicious anemia or strict vegetarians. There are, however, many more factors that can cause a deficiency. Then there is also the widely held misconception that a B12 deficiency is always associated with anemia, which often causes doctors to miss the right diagnosis.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...ncy-occur/
B12 deficiency and anaemia
One of the major misconceptions about a B12 deficiency is that it is always accompanied by anaemia, or that without anaemia a deficiency is nothing serious. Many patients are being missed because physicians only test B12 when anaemia is present, and, even when a deficiency is obvious by a low blood value, patients are not being treated, because the deficiency is not being taken seriously without the presence of anaemia.
https://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap...nd-anemia/
Next post I will outline exactly what the symptoms and warning sings of B-12 deficiency are. It's easier and quicker for me to split it up like this for the moment. I just want to add though, as this is in the lifting (as well as fitness) forum, that I have a bench, a belt, some barbells, some dumbbells and a big pack of protein powder waiting for me in the garage. I'm actually hopeful I might be able to start using them soon.
Suffice it to say, that alcohol is bad for you, and meat is good for you, mmmkay? This will be a text you can refer to when arguing with vegetarians and especially vegans. In fact, it will explain much of their behaviour at both a neurological and brain level. And you can always tell them it was a vegetarian of a quarter of a century's standing that came to these conclusions. This text will also provide information for those wishing to go the vegetarian route, but to do it safely.
Let's see exactly what we are dealing with here, with this Vitamin B-12 deficiency thing...