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Women experiencing menopause need to watch for vitamin B12 deficiency, as risk factors increase during menopause. Untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency drastically increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, and early-onset dementia- all of which are already risk factors for women experiencing menopause.
Vitamin B12 deficiency and menopause
Women in their 40s and 50s are extremely high risk factors for severe vitamin B12 deficiency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 Americans over the age of 50 develop vitamin B12 deficiency, the same age most women suffer from menopause.
As you continue to age, your risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency gets higher, as it becomes harder to digest nutrients from the foods you eat, particularly vitamin B12, which requires digestive enzymes that many women experiencing menopause lack.
By the time you reach 60, your chances of suffering signs of chronic illness from depleted vitamin B12 levels are 10%-15%.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
Memory problems, brittle bones from osteoporosis (comorbid with low B12 levels), fatigue, heart palpitations, and mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and paranoia are all linked with vitamin B12 deficiency, or pernicious anemia.
All these symptoms are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and all are easily misdiagnosed as common symptoms of menopause.
Prevent vitamin B12 deficiency
To test for vitamin B12 deficiency, your doctor will need to take a small blood sample. If lab results confirm low vitamin B12 serum levels, then you will need to take vitamin B12 supplements immediately, and for an extended period as advised by your doctor.
Eating foods containing vitamin B12 may help, but to prevent symptoms and get your vitamin B12 levels back to normal, doctors recommend supplementation, as vitamin B12 malabsorption often prevents people from digesting enough vitamin B12 from chicken, beef, and seafood.
To maintain healthy B12 levels, doctors recommend starting out with 1,000mcg. doses of vitamin B12.
However, since there is no upper level of tolerance for vitamin B12, it is perfectly safe, and even advisable, to take as many doses of vitamin B12 as you need, not only to alleviate symptoms of fatigue, disorientation, and pain, but also to better manage symptoms of menopause.
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Signs and symptoms of menopause are sometimes associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, or malabsorption of vitamin B12 from the foods you eat. To boost energy, sleep better, and balance your mood, it’s important to take extra doses of vitamin B12 during the menopause years.
Menopause and vitamin B12 deficiency
Menopause is a phase that may stretch for several years; many women experience their first signs of perimenopause (early menopause) in their 40s, while still menstruating. During the early stages, you experience fluctuation hormone levels that cause mood swings, headaches, hot flashes, memory loss, and brain fog.
All of these are symptoms that may also indicate depleted levels of vitamin B12!
Hidden vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency is difficult to catch and treat, as the symptoms are masked by conditions such as menopause, clinical depression, hypothyroidism, or hypoglycemia- all of which cause ailments that are strikingly similar to the ones you experience when your vitamin B12 levels drop to a dangerous low, either from malabsorption issues or change in diet.
Too often, severe vitamin B12 deficiency, a.k.a., pernicious anemia, slips right off your doctor’s radar, especially during the menopause years. And it’s easy to understand why, especially when you consider that the most common symptoms- fatigue, achiness, poor memory, dizziness, and depression- are present in both vitamin B12 deficiency anemia and the many stages of menopause.
For that reason, premenopausal women and females already experiencing menopause are advised to test often for vitamin B12 deficiency, and recognize the symptoms, before their B12 levels drop to a dangerous low.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
Untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency from pernicious anemia can lead to neurological disorders, chronic fatigue, mood problems, and increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
That’s because vitamin B12 is essential for so many biological functions necessary for good health- reproduction, nervous system functioning, cognitive integrity, and metabolic energy.
So, when vitamin B12 levels plummet, you begin to experience a variety of health problems that affect all parts of your body, including those already ailing from symptoms of menopause.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency that mimic menopause include:
Depression
Anxiety
Chronic fatigue
Short-term memory loss
Disorientation
Brain fog
Hot and cold flashes
Headache
Irritability
Heart palpitations
Frequent breathlessness
Diarrhea
Stomach cramps
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle weakness and pain
Treatment
The B12, B6 and folic acid help with mood and to ease you through the transition.
The Linus Pauling Institute recommends 100 to 400 mcg per day of supplemental vitamin B-12 orally if you’re older than 50, an age that includes many menopausal women.
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Dizziness and lightheadedness can make you feel faint, like you need to pass out. Causes of dizziness, including vertigo- that whirling sensation you may experience while sitting still- may include anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency or low iron, heart disease, or one of several other conditions that share symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and loss of balance.
Is it dizziness or vertigo
Many people confuse vertigo with standard dizziness. This is an important distinction, because actual symptoms of vertigo may indicate a serious underlying health risk, such as tumor or stroke.
With dizziness, you may feel faint, unsteady, and slightly nauseas while walking around. Usually, lying down will relieve dizziness and lightheadedness, but not always.
Conversely, vertigo makes you feel dizzy while standing still. If you’ve ever spun around in a circle and stopped abruptly, you’ll recognize the feeling of vertigo that occurs, that sensation of your surroundings tilting and whirling around you, making it hard to stand still, or walk without falling down.
If you experience constant wooziness, fatigue, nausea, or vertigo, then it’s important to see your doctor immediately, so that he can rule out rare life-threatening causes of dizziness and lightheadedness.
Below are 25 causes of dizziness, including chronic conditions and rare illnesses.
1- Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Dizziness and fatigue are some of the earliest symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, or pernicious anemia. Lightheadedness due to low vitamin B12 levels may result from peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), low red blood cell count, hypoxia (decreased oxygen), and cognitive mood disorders.
Symptoms include loss of balance (ataxia), brain fog, dizziness, disorientation, memory loss, fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty holding an upright position, and numbness or tingling sensations in the arms and legs.
In addition to vitamin B12 deficiency, other forms of anemia, including low iron may be causing frequent dizziness and lightheadedness.
3- Chronic subjective dizziness
Chronic dizziness is a term that doctors use when they are unable to find the exact cause for faintness, fatigue, nausea, and vertigo. People with chronic subjective dizziness may be hypersensitive to bright lights, movies, and dizzying images.
4- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Low blood sugar may cause a shock to the system that results in fatigue, dizziness, and weakness.
5- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
A demyelinating illness, multiple sclerosis damages the nervous system, causing impaired muscle control, instability, and many other severe handicaps.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include muscle stiffness, tremors, dementia, anxiety, depression, and loss of balance.
7- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Shock from sudden low blood pressure, particularly when you get up too quickly from a seated or lying position, may cause dizziness.
8- Internal bleeding
Rarely, dizziness and lightheadedness that doesn’t go away may indicate hemorrhage or internal bleeding.
9- Heavy menstruation
Heavy blood flow during menstrual periods may also cause extreme dizziness, nausea, and weakness.
10- Allergies
Sometimes, dizziness may result from a seasonal or food allergy.
11- Flu
Colds and flu are common causes of sudden dizziness, wooziness, and fatigue.
12- Dehydration
If you feel dizzy during hot, dry weather seasons, or after exercising, then you may be experiencing severe hyperthermia, or dehydration.
13- Anxiety
Dizziness, heart palpitations, fatigue, and nausea are common symptoms panic attacks, anxiety, or depression.
14- Hyperventilation
You may be breathing too fast, or too deeply, without even realizing it. Some people experience frequent dizziness and lightheadedness caused by hyperventilation from stress or sitting hunched over.
15- Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
Dizziness or faintness may result from decreased blood flow to the heart caused by arrhythmia.
16- Drugs and alcohol
Illegal drug use and excess alcohol are common causes of vertigo, dizziness, and fatigue.
17- Medications
Certain medications may cause side effects of dizziness; these include medications for heart disease, hypertension, anxiety, and seizures.
18- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
One of the most common causes of severe vertigo, BPPV causes dizziness and head-spinning sensations when you sit up suddenly or turn over on your side while lying down.
19- Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s disease occurs with excessive buildup of fluid in your inner ear, and causes tinnitus (ear ringing) and dizziness.
20- Ear infections
Inflammations of the inner ear, including labyrinthitis and other ear infections often cause constant dizziness and loss of balance.
21- Migraines
Excruciating headaches aren’t the only symptoms of migraines- other signs include neck stiffness, eye pain, brain fog, dizziness, nausea, and severe fatigue.
22- Vertebrobasilar insufficiency
Rarely, dizziness may be the result of insufficient blood flow to the brain.
23- Acoustic neuroma
Another rare cause of dizziness and lightheadedness, vestibular schwannoma is a noncancerous (benign) growth on the vestibular nerve.
24- Stroke
Dizziness, paralysis, disorientation, fatigue, and loss of speech are some symptoms of stroke.
25- Brain tumor
If dizziness, tiredness, memory loss, and other qualifying conditions persist, your doctor may order an MRI exam in order to rule out rare brain tumor.
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Back pain, sore legs, and headaches may result from an injury, or from chronic illness like migraines, but they can also be symptoms of chronic nerve pain resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency, a form of anemia that impairs red blood cell production and leads to severe nerve cell damage. Listed are some typical causes of neuropathic pain associated with low vitamin B12 levels.
There are many types of chronic nerve pain, and most of them are strongly linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Nerve damage from vitamin B12 deficiency
Like multiple sclerosis (MS), vitamin B12 deficiency can also impair your nervous system and cause severe handicaps.
Your body relies on vitamin B12 to protect your nervous system from harm. Vitamin B12 builds myelin, a fatty substance that insulates your nerve fibers, enhancing intercellular communication, so that sensory messages travel along the spinal cord to the brain smoothly and efficiently.
When vitamin B12 levels are low, you experience side effects resulting from demyelination, destruction of the nerve cell’s outer coating. Nervous impulses become slower and chronic nerve pain symptoms of painful tingling, burning, and numbness become more frequent as the protective layer of your delicate nerve fibers slowly corrodes.
Over time, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause severe, debilitating chronic nerve pain and handicaps, such as difficulty walking, controlling arm movements, or maintaining balance.
Unless treated, severely depleted vitamin B12 levels can cause increased risk for heart attacks, stroke, and ultimately, death.
Diabetes
Vitamin B12 deficiency is often comorbid with diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common causes of chronic nerve pain, causing symptoms similar to vitamin B12 deficiency. Diabetics taking metformin are at a high risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency, as metformin is one of several drugs that prevent absorption of vitamin B12 from foods.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is harder to detect in people with diabetes, as the symptoms are masked by diabetic neuropathy. For that reason, diabetics are encouraged to take blood tests for vitamin B12 deficiency frequently, and take extra doses of vitamin B12 when chronic nerve pain persists.
Autoimmune disorders
Sometimes, vitamin B12 deficiency is an autoimmune disorder.
People with autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia, lupus, or Crohn’s disease are more susceptible to the autoimmune form of pernicious anemia, one of the major causes of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Also, pernicious anemia may result from symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, migraines, or celiac disease, as frequent vomiting, diarrhea, ulcers, and acid reflux make it more difficult to digest food sources of vitamin B12.
Treating nerve pain
If vitamin B12 deficiency is behind neuropathic pain, then only immediate and consistent supplementation of vitamin B12- usually in high doses- can bring ultimate relief.
The best, most digestible sources of vitamin B12 are non-dietary supplements that are absorbed into your bloodstream.
For best results, start out with 1,000mcg of vitamin B12 weekly, or more often, as needed.
NSAIDs are usually not helpful for treating neuropathic pain. While opioids may relieve chronic nerve pain symptoms, they are also addictive, have dangerous side effects, and sometimes lead to fatal overdose.
Your doctor may prescribe tricyclic antidepressants or SSNRIs for neuropathic pain, or he may advise anti-epileptic drugs. All of these, over extended periods of time, may result in uncomfortable side effects, so use with caution.
Topical ointments for arthritis may help to relieve nerve pain, without any harmful side effects.
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If you suffer nerve pain in the hands, feet, or back, have you been tested for vitamin B12 deficiency?
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
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Sometimes called Lhermitte’s sign, electric shock sensations that travel down your back and behind your legs may signal vitamin B12 deficiency, or several other debilitating conditions. Here are the facts on that spine-tingling phenomenon, and other signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Lhermitte’s Syndrome
Lhermitte’s syndrome is also referred to as Barber Chair Phenomenon. Patients describe painful numbness and an electric shock feeling that shoots down the spine and the backs of the legs, particularly while bending the neck forward and looking down.
The characteristic electric shock symptoms are common with multiple sclerosis (MS), but also occur with long-term vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, as both are demyelinating illnesses that cause damage to the nervous system.
Still, many health problems can cause electric shocks along the spinal cord. In addition to MS and vitamin B12 deficiency, others include:
Transverse myelitis
Radiation myelopathy
Behçet’s disease
Spine and neck injuries
Hernias
Tumors
Withdrawal symptoms of antidepressants and narcotics
In the early 80’s, scientists noted Lhermitte’s sign in people who habitually abused nitrous oxide, which caused electric shocks from vitamin B12 deficiency.
Electric shock treatment?
To find out if Lhermitte’s sign is from vitamin B12 deficiency, take a blood test, and also familiarize yourself with the common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. If your vitamin B12 levels are very low, then you will need to supplement with extra vitamin B12 for several months until symptoms disappear.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 depletion are:
Electric shock sensations
Headache
Muscle spasms
Muscle weakness
Painful numbing and tingling in the arms and legs
Difficulty controlling muscle movements
Digestive problems
Fatigue
Depression
Anxiety
Memory loss
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Many patients of vitamin B12 deficiency suffering from fatigue, memory loss, and brain fog want to know how long it will take for vitamin B12 to take effect, and for how long they will have to continue taking vitamin B12 supplements.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 is important for sustaining healthy red blood cells and nerve cells, and also for converting food into energy. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may include extreme tiredness, poor concentration, memory loss, dizziness, and disorientation.
And those are just the initial symptoms; after several years, severe vitamin B12 depletion can cause significant damage to the nervous system, and also increase your risk for stroke, heart attack, and osteoporosis. Often, untreated vitamin B12 deficiency results in pernicious anemia, a once fatal disease.
There are many unusual symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and most will disappear once you have been taking vitamin B12 long enough to get your stores up to a normal amount, and have maintained stable levels of vitamin B12.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may include:
Extreme fatigue
Dizziness
Depression
Anxiety
Short-term memory problems
Confusion
Headaches
Tinnitus (ear ringing)
Sore red tongue
Painful numbness and tingling in the arms and legs
If you begin early on, then you should start seeing results from vitamin B12 before long, depending on how much vitamin B12 you need in order to achieve a normal level.
Normal vitamin B12 levels are about 200 – 900 pg. /mL, but it’s not unusual to experience symptoms even if you are within the normal range.
Some people start to feel better, more energetic, immediately; others don’t notice improvements in memory or mood problems for a few weeks. Still others may not experience any relief for several months.
There is really no accurate way of measuring exactly how long it will take for vitamin B12 to help your body build new red blood cells, begin healing damaged nerve cells, or boost energy levels.
Most vitamin B12 is stored in the liver, and it took years for B12 levels to drop to the point that you started noticing the symptoms of B12 deficiency, so it’s important to be patient, and give your body enough time to slowly accumulate vitamin B12 in the bloodstream.
How much vitamin B12 do I need?
A standard dose of vitamin B12 contains 1,000mcg. Some vitamin B12 deficiency patients require 1,000mcg doses daily, weekly, or monthly. You need to continue taking vitamin B12 for life, especially if you are unable to absorb it naturally from the foods you eat.
Fortunately, there’s no way of taking “too much vitamin B12” because all amounts are completely safe, and many people even benefit by taking extra doses of non-dietary vitamin B12 between doctor visits.
There have been many studies associating mega-vitamin B12 doses with increased energy, healthy mental focus, and improved allover feeling of wellness.
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An alarming number of patients suffering low thyroid- hypothyroidism- may actually have underlying anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency, according to studies. How can you tell the difference between low vitamin B12 and low thyroid?
In a study focusing on vitamin B12 deficiency and hypothyroidism, scientists noted that nearly 40% of patients receiving treatment for low thyroid functioning also had significantly low levels of vitamin B12.
Thyroid and vitamin B12- what’s the link?
Researchers from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan observed 116 patients of hypothyroid and tested them for signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. They found that 46 patients with low thyroid disorder also had significantly low levels of vitamin B12.
Many, but not all, hypothyroid patients with vitamin B12 deficiency reported symptoms that were consistent with low vitamin B12 levels- extreme fatigue, memory loss, painful numbness and tingling in the extremities, weak muscles, and slow reflexes.
Other hypothyroid patients also reported similar symptoms, but had normal levels of serum vitamin B12.
Still, telltale symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency were not always prevalent, despite blood test results indicating severe depletion of vitamin B12 in the blood supply.
After receiving vitamin B12 supplementation for six months, both groups of hypothyroid patients, those with vitamin B12 deficiency and those with normal vitamin B12 levels, noticed a decline in symptoms related to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.
It’s uncertain exactly why hypothyroid patients are prone to vitamin B12 deficiency, but it may result from two risk factors:
Anti-thyroid antibodies: Sometimes, pernicious anemia, a common form of vitamin B12 deficiency, occurs because of an autoimmune dysfunction. History of autoimmune disorders therefore increases your risk of developing intrinsic factor antibodies that lead to pernicious anemia.
Gastrointestinal disorders: Digestive problems, comorbid with thyroid disorders, often interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, resulting in depletion of vitamin B12 levels in the blood.
Why do we need vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is crucial for many important biochemical functions, including maintaining nervous system integrity, producing red blood cells needed to deliver oxygen, converting carbohydrates into energy, and metabolizing DNA.
Initially, when vitamin B12 levels drop, you may notice symptoms such as tiredness, depression, anxiety, and “pins and needles,” including painful numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.
Over time, your stores of vitamin B12 can slowly deplete to a dangerous low, increasing your risk for progressively debilitating ailments, such as dizziness, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, and difficulty controlling arm and leg movements.
Some of these symptoms may mimic signs of low thyroid, so it’s crucial to get tested for vitamin B12 deficiency often, especially if you already battle with hypothyroidism.
To treat vitamin B12, you may require a regimen of non-dietary supplements consisting of at least 1,000mcg of vitamin B12.
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To keep providing energy, strength, and mental focus when fibromyalgia relapses occur, you need to nourish your body with many essential nutrients, including vitamin B12. Taking vitamin B12 supplements is a crucial part of any fibromyalgia management regimen, but it’s important to also get plenty of vitamins from the foods you eat.
To manage fibromyalgia symptoms such as brain fog, vitamin B12 deficiency, muscle aches, and chronic fatigue, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin B12, and sustaining normal levels of vitamin B12 in your blood supply.
Vitamin B12 malabsorption is common in people with fibromyalgia, because of gastrointestinal disorders that prevent you from digesting proper amounts vitamin B12 from the foods you eat.
To maintain healthy vitamin B12 levels, you would need to take about 1,000mcg of vitamin B12 weekly, the amount of vitamin B12 included in a typical vitamin B12 shot or other non-dietary B12 supplement.
Comparatively speaking, that’s about 11 servings of cooked clams each week, just to prevent developing severe pernicious anemia.
To avoid symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia that mimic fibromyalgia- fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, depression, and muscle pain- you would have to consume many times more than the suggested dosage of vitamin B12 from foods such as clams, crabs, oysters, and other types of seafood.
How much B12 do you need?
There’s no upper limit set for vitamin B12 supplementation- any amount you decide to take is completely safe and cannot cause any side effects, according to FDA guidelines.
Generally, in the case of vitamin B12 malabsorption with fibromyalgia, the more vitamin B12 you take, the better off you are. There doesn’t seem to be any amount of vitamin B12 that is “too much.”
More often, the amount of vitamin B12 you get from prescription supplements such as vitamin B12 shots are often not enough to relieve symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as constant tiredness, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, or painful tingling and numbness in the hands and feet.
To get the most vitamin B12, it’s important to eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin B12, in addition to also maintaining a routine of vitamin B12 supplementation, adjusting the regimen until you find the right amount of vitamin B12 to prevent symptoms.
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To keep providing energy, strength, and mental focus when fibromyalgia relapses occur, you need to nourish your body with many essential nutrients, including vitamin B12. Taking vitamin B12 supplements is a crucial part of any fibromyalgia management regimen, but it’s important to also get plenty of vitamins from the foods you eat.
Listed below are food sources of vitamin B12 that are helpful for people who suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, such as brain fog, vitamin B12 deficiency, muscle aches, and chronic fatigue.
What is vitamin B12 good for?
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for a healthy nervous system, in addition to normal red blood cell production and DNA synthesis.
Vitamin B12 protects your nerve cells from damage, ensures that your brain gets enough oxygen, and helps to convert carbohydrates from the foods you eat into much-needed energy.
Most importantly, maintaining healthy stores of vitamin B12 protects you from developing pernicious anemia, a once-fatal form of vitamin B12 deficiency that is often comorbid with fibromyalgia.
The richest sources of vitamin B12 occur naturally in animal-based foods such as beef, poultry, and fish. Among these, cooked clams provide the most vitamin B12, approximately 84mcg in one 3-ounce serving.
Other excellent food sources of vitamin B12 include beef or chicken organ meats such as liver, heart, and kidneys.
Crabmeat, halibut, and lean cuts of beef and chicken are also rich in this important nutrient for your brain, muscles, and circulatory system.
How much B12 do you need?
Most people get enough vitamin B12 from a steady diet of beef, fish, poultry, and dairy products, but a significant number of people, including fibromyalgia patients, do not end up digesting the vitamin B12 from foods.
Many risk factors such as digestive problems, autoimmune disorders, and history for pernicious anemia may cause your vitamin B12 levels to drop dramatically, despite your diet.
In the next installment, we will discuss how much vitamin B12 is needed in order to prevent symptoms of deficiency that exacerbate fibromyalgia.
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Gastric bypass surgery can be a lifesaver for the obese who have difficulty losing weight, but it can also pose serious health risks, causing debilitating side effects that can eventually lead to death.
Please note: None of this information constitutes medical advice, but rather a guide to help you discuss bariatric surgery options and side effects with your doctor.
Side effects of gastric bypass
Nearly one million people have opted for bariatric surgeries as a last-resort means of losing weight to prevent heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, and most are successful.
But about 30% of patients find that they have traded one set of ailments for another, often battling several forms of anemia, such as vitamin B12deficiency anemia, iron deficiency, and folate deficiency, in addition to illnesses such as osteoporosis and hypoglycemia.
Additionally, about 20% of gastric bypass surgery patients require addition operations in order to treat complications that may arise, such as ulcers or fecal incontinence.
Furthermore, a large number continue to suffer from depression and anxiety related to their food addictions and mentality regarding weight. According to some studies, weight loss surgery patients are five times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
Finally, about 20% of patients who elect for bariatric surgery ultimately gain all their weight back, and continue to suffer side effects caused by the invasive procedure.
Side effects and complications that may occur following gastric bypass may include:
Pernicious anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency: Removal of the ileum interferes with your ability to digest vitamin B12 naturally from foods, so unless you continue to supplement with non-dietary vitamin B12, then you are at high risk for developing symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, depression, confusion, anxiety, mental sluggishness, poor concentration, painful numbness in the hands and feet, muscle spasms, and many other symptoms of severe vitamin B12 depletion.
Other types of malnutrition may also develop as a result of failure to provide daily B vitamins and other supplements. Folic acid anemia, iron deficiency anemia, low calcium, and vitamin C deficiency can cause pain, fatigue, bruising, swelling, poor healing, and frequent illnesses.
Osteoporosis caused by low stomach acid production and calcium depletion is a common side effect that is treated by taking calcium supplements with citric acid.
Ulcers may develop in the small intestine, requiring surgery.
Many patients experience frequent dehydration resulting from smaller stomach size.
Rapid weight loss may cause constant fatigue, mood swings, chronic pain, hair loss, and sensitivity to changes in temperature.
Noninsulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS) can sometimes result following gastric bypass surgery, causing neurological symptoms such as seizures, and will require pancreatic surgery.
Gastric dumping syndrome often occurs while eating, as food moves too quickly through your body and causes stomach pain, bloating, and dizziness.
Many bariatric surgery patients suffer from extreme constipation, causing side effects of stomach pain, fecal incontinence, diarrhea, and intense bloating.
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