Fibromyalgia sufferers, listen up: It’s no secret that forgetfulness is one of the many symptoms of chronic pain syndromes.  “Brain fog” makes it hard to remember important schedules, to-do lists, and…what was I going to say?  You have enough on your plate without having to worry about whether or not you took all your fibromyalgia pain medications, what time the pharmacy opens, or what website you used to order your vitamin refills.

If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, then use it to your advantage!  Here are some great tricks that let you get the most chronic pain management out of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod without spending a cent.

Trick #1: Pimp your home screen!

Dilemma: “My favorite website doesn’t have an app!”  Let’s say that you like a website, and you use it often to order vitamins, prescription refills, or other necessities that you can’t live without.  You want to be able to access this site immediately from your iPhone home screen…but there isn’t an app for that. You can make your own custom icon and stick it on your home screen!  Here’s how it’s done:

Go to your favorite page.  For example, the page you use to order your vitamin B12 patch refills.

Click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen.

Now, choose “Add to Home Screen.”

The official title of the home page is Vita Sciences but you can change it to B12 Patch; just remember to keep it short and easy to identify.

That’s it! Now you have a shiny new custom-designed icon on your home page that you can’t get at the iTunes store. This is a great trick that you can use for any and all websites.  Use it for pages that you use often, or just for something that you want quick access to in case of emergency. Pretty nifty, huh?

Trick #2: Set up vitamin and medication alerts!

The iTunes app store offers lots of daily reminders that are inexpensive.  You can track everything from your menstrual period, to your food diet points, to your bill schedule.  Sure, you could buy a pill reminder for 99-cents, but why bother? Your iPhone already came with an excellent calendar, and it’s just humming to remind you to take your pain medications, vitamin supplements, or to open up a fresh weekly vitamin B12 patch. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to program it, either.  Here’s how:

Go to your calendar.  Click the “+” sign at the top right corner to add an event.  (Question: When did remembering to take your pain medicine become an event? Answer: Since brain fog became one of the symptoms.)

Okay.  Type in all the important details, like name of event (It’s B12 Patch day!), location (Behind the ear), repeat sequence (weekly), and most importantly, alert time.  Steve Jobs must have foreseen that fibromyalgia patients would need to use it, because he cleverly programmed two alerts to remind you to take your vitamins; one initial reminder, and then another one, in case you already forgot the first warning. This is an essential tool for people who are forgetful, which is anybody who suffers from:

• Fibromyalgia
• Pernicious anemia
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Motherhood

And here’s your gentle reminder to take your vitamin B12 patch.

Trick #3: Get these great apps!

Here are some free iTunes apps that are worth a second look:

This is the Chronic Pain Tracker Lite: This free app lets you document your pain history in a way that is simple and functional.  You can keep track of pain triggers, pain severity, location of pain, medications, and even add your own personal notes. This free version allows you to list up to 20 entries.  If you really like it, then you can get the paid version for $14.99, which is still cheaper than getting a health coach.

Also free, the Medscape app is a great tool for accessing up-to-the minute information on pain treatments, breakthrough scientific research, and common pain symptoms.  It’s like having a medical encyclopedia in your pocket, only much lighter. ;-)

Trick #4: Use Google Maps to find your nearest pharmacy- quick!

Google Maps is another excellent iPhone tool for people who have trouble remembering where their closest pharmacy is, even if you’ve been using them for prescription refills for the past 15 years.

Bingo!  I knew Walgreens was somewhere around that neighborhood, give or take a few miles.

Trick #5:  Follow the leaders on Twitter!

Finally, you don’t like to be in the dark.  24-7, people are talking about things that importantly impact your life; things like 9 Conditions that Mimic Fibromyalgia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency, or If Vitamin B12 Deficiency Mimics Multiple Sclerosis, How do you tell the Difference? You want to join in on the conversation, and be “in the know,” right?  The best way to do that is to follow them on Twitter.  This way, if the Fibromyalgia Society decides to coordinate an impromptu Occupy Fibromyalgia sit-in, you’ll be one of the first to respond.

The B12 Patch won’t be leading any protests any time soon, but we do keep you informed on the many topics related to vitamin B12 deficiency, like pernicious anemia symptoms, gastrointestinal disorders, gastric bypasses, diabetes, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and of course, fibromyalgia.

Chronic pain symptoms may indicate fibromyalgia, or one of many other illnesses like pernicious anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency.  If you constantly feel tired, bloated, nauseous, itchy, and wracked with crushing pain, you might be suffering from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, B12 deficiency, or all of the above…

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, or fibromyositis, is a condition that causes the sufferer indescribable pain and fatigue for no apparent reason. Doctors are unsure as to the exact cause of fibromyalgia, which is classified as an autoimmune disorder involving the brain’s overreaction to pain stimuli.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Persistent muscular pain in at least 11 of 18 specific “pain points” on the body, including the neck and shoulders
• Pain described as stiffness, burning, throbbing
• Pain spreads from one tender spot to another
• Sleep problems caused by pain and restless legs syndrome
• Depression
• Gastrointestinal woes, like stomach pain, nausea, flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, and constipation
• Bladder incontinence
• Dizziness
• Cognitive difficulties, “brain fog,” trouble concentrating
• Headaches
• Painful tingling sensations (“pins and needles”) and numbness in hands, feet, and ankles

Also read: How to Tell if Chronic Pain is Fibromyalgia: 18 Pressure Points

Pernicious anemia- Vitamin B12 deficiency

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder that prevents your body from producing intrinsic factor, a protein the body needs for vitamin B12 absorption.  As a result, pernicious anemia patients often have dangerously low levels of vitamin B12- a nutrient involved in producing red blood cells, protecting the nervous system, lowering homocysteine levels, maintaining healthy cognitive skills, and establishing DNA synthesis.  Vitamin B12 deficiency often overlaps with fibromyalgia, as gastrointestinal issues often inhibit vitamin B12 absorption.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• “Brain fog”
• Anxiety
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Sleep problems
• Shortness of breath
• Painful tingling and numbness in hands, feet, and ankles
• Sore tongue that is red and swollen
• Burning sensation in mouth and tongue
• Altered sense of taste
• Blurred vision
• Frequent clumsiness
• Difficulty walking without stumbling
• Difficulty balancing on one leg

Also read: Pernicious Anemia and B12 Deficiency- Historically Fatal, Still Formidable

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome shares comorbidity with fibromyalgia. Like fibromyalgia, the cause for CFS is still unexplained.  Patients complaining of chronic fatigue receive diagnosis based on their symptoms.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome include:

• Persistent tiredness that is not caused by physical exertion, loss of sleep, or mental exhaustion
• Waking up fatigued, despite sleeping the whole night
• Pain in tender spots similar to the pain zones suffered by fibromyalgia patients, only less severe

Also read: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia- Is there a Difference?

Myofascial pain syndrome

Myofascial pain is similar to fibromyalgia.  While fibromyalgia patients experience soreness in “pain points,” sufferers of myofascial pain syndrome experience pain in “trigger points.”  Also unlike fibromyalgia symptoms, myofascial pain does not spread from one point to another.

Symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome include:

• Small pain points that occur in tense muscles
• Trigger points that produce a muscular twitch when stimulated
• Pain points are tiny lumps about the size of your pinky’s fingernail.

Chronic headaches

Fibromyalgia sufferers often experience chronic headaches such as migraines, tension headaches, daily persistent headaches, or hemicrania continua.  Scientists speculate that migraines happen in the same part of the brain as fibromyalgia triggers.

Symptoms of migraine headaches include:

• Throbbing head pain, typically on one side of the head
• Eye pain
• Migraine aura- visual disturbances, vertigo, hallucinations, speech slurring, loss of consciousness, or temporary paralysis
• Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, and scents
• Nausea
• Uncontrolled vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)

Exposure to chemicals may cause symptoms that mimic fibromyalgia, although researchers are uncertain if MCS is a physical response or a psychological reaction.

Symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity include:

• Significantly lower threshold for chemical tolerance than normal
• Pain reaction consistent with various unrelated chemicals
• Sensitivity occurs in more than one organ of the body
• Chronic pain reaction that occurs repeatedly from exposure to certain chemicals
• Removing the chemical trigger ends pain symptoms

Depression

Most fibromyalgia patients have experienced clinical depression in the past, and a substantial (but lower) percentage suffers from chronic depression. Depression is also a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency.  If depression stems from fibromyalgia pain, then it does not classify as major depression, but rather a secondary condition of fibromyalgia chronic pain syndrome.

Symptoms of major depression include:

• Spells of sadness that last for months
• Daily depression
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty making decisions
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Sleep problems like oversleeping or not sleeping enough
• Fatigue
• Feelings of low value or guilt
• Weight problems, either excessive weight gain or weight loss
• Contemplations of suicide

Also read: Vitamin Deficiencies can drive you Crazy- Seriously!  Part 1

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s disease) is sometimes confused with fatigue associated with fibromyalgia or vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.  As opposed to hyperthyroid disorder, where the thyroid gland produces too many hormones, hypothyroid disorder involves underproduction of hormones in the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• Joint or muscle pain that hurts “all over”
• Cold hypersensitivity
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Weight gain
• Altered sense of taste
• Dry thick skin patches

Also read: Low B12 means Low Thyroid- Hypothyroidism and B12 Deficiency

Lupus

Autoimmune disease symptoms like lupus may occur at the same time as fibromyalgia or B12 deficiency, making it harder to diagnose. Conversely, patients with lupus often don’t realize that their vitamin B12 levels have dropped to a dangerous low until they start to suffer severe nerve damage.

Symptoms of lupus include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Skin lesions
• Joint pain
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Memory loss
• “brain fog”
• Confusion
• Dry eyes

Also read: Lupus and Vitamin B12 Deficiency- What’s the Connection?

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks.  Because of delayed symptoms mimicking fibromyalgia, about 15-50% of fibromyalgia patients receives a misdiagnosis of Lyme disease, and is instructed to take strong antibiotics. A blood test sometimes excludes Lyme disease, but not always.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include:

• Itching all over the body
• Chills and fever
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Muscular pain
• Stiff neck
• Numbness and tingling
• Partial paralysis
• Speech problems

Restless Legs Syndrome

A significant amount of fibromyalgia sufferers and pernicious anemia patients also experience restless legs syndrome at night. However, other causes of restless legs syndrome are kidney disorder, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, or drugs.

Symptoms of restless legs syndrome include:

• Uneasy feeling in lower leg
• Creeping, crawling sensations
• Intense need to shake leg in order to ease symptoms
• Achiness that disappears with exercise

Read more about diseases that mimic fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Movement Disorders- How They Relate

If Vitamin B12 Deficiency Mimics Multiple Sclerosis, How do you tell the Difference?

Sore Burning Tongue, Dry Mouth, and Weird Tastes- What’s the Cause?

Type 2 Diabetes and Vitamin B12 Deficiency- Are you at Risk?

Sources:

Fibromyalgia- University of Maryland Medical Center

Mayo Clinic

PubMed Health

Images, from top:

~jjjohn~, aussiegall, henna lion

What does Vitamin B12 deficiency have to do with movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome?  Vitamin B12 protects your nervous system, and many of the symptoms of pernicious anemia from B12 deficiency result in poor muscle control, including muscular spasms, nervous eye twitching, decreased motor skills, and difficulty walking.

Vitamin B12 benefits the nerves

Cyanocobalamin or Vitamin B12 benefits your body in many ways- it lends itself in red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, healthy cognitive functioning, energy production, and homocysteine control.  Also, vitamin B12 helps your body produce myelin, a fatty substance that protects your nervous system’s sensitive nerve fibers in the brain and the spinal cord.

Without sufficient levels of vitamin B12, you may develop severe nerve damage- peripheral neuropathy.

Some symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency- peripheral neuropathy include:

• painful tingling and numbness in the hands, feet, and ankles
• sore tongue
• burning mouth syndrome
• muscular weakness
• muscle spasms
• decreased motor control
• frequent clumsiness and tripping
• difficulty balancing on one foot
• eye twitching

Vitamin B12 deficiency and other movement disorders

It should come as no surprise, then, that other movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease (PD) have close ties with vitamin B12 deficiency.  Involuntary muscular movements may or may not be caused by low B12 levels, but

• In some movement disorder cases, scientists have noted improvement with vitamin B12 supplements.
• Even when pernicious anemia is not a cause of muscle spasms or walking difficulties, researchers sometimes notice a comorbid relationship with vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Another occurrence in diagnosing movement disorders is a tendency for doctors to misdiagnose vitamin B12 deficiency as a more serious illness, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease

In a scientific report on Parkinson’s and neuropathy, researchers confirmed a high rate of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with Parkinson’s disease, and recommended close monitoring of B12 levels and routine administration of vitamin B12 supplements. Results were published in Neurology.

Chorea- focal dystonia

Chorea is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, part of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesia.  Chorea is a symptom of Huntington’s disease, but it can also occur in other illnesses, including focal dystonia.  In one of many studies on vitamin B12 deficiency and focal dystonia, scientists saw a complete reversal in chorea symptoms with cyanocobalamin supplementation, attributing it to decreased homocysteine levels.

Restless leg syndrome

The most common symptom of restless leg syndrome is the urgent need to shake your leg to relieve “creeping, crawling” sensations, usually between the kneecap and ankle.Restless leg syndrome occurs often with peripheral neuropathy, a symptom of pernicious anemia.    Other possible causes are kidney disease, diabetes neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, and drug interactions.

Stiff person syndrome

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder that occurs with autoimmune disease. Symptoms of SPS are muscle spasms in the limbs and trunk, hypersensitivity to touch, noise, and stress, and stiff posture.  People who often suffer stiff person syndrome are patients of pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency), diabetes, thyroiditis, and vitiligo.

Gait ataxia

Ataxia is an inability to control muscular movements used in walking, jumping, balancing, or holding objects. Chronic ataxia is one of the earliest symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, along with muscular weakness, poor reflexes, spasticity, vision impairment, dementia, and psychosis, according to a Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center study of 153 patients suffering from cobalamin deficiency neuropathy.

Eye movement disorders

Nystagmus, uncontrollable movements of the eyeballs, might be caused by low vitamin B12 levels, according to a study focusing on downbeat nystagmus and vitamin B12 deficiency.  Another phenomenon common with B12 deficiency is myokymia- eyelid twitching.

Read more about B12 deficiency and your nervous system:

Balance your B12, Balance your Nerves

Myokymia is not a Hawaiian Island- Eyelid Twitching and Eye Spasms

If Vitamin B12 Deficiency Mimics Multiple Sclerosis, How do you tell the Difference?

Sources:

The Movement Disorder Society- MDS

Eye movement disorders in vitamin B12 deficiency: two new cases and a review of the literature

Neuropathy in Parkinson disease

Reversible Chorea and Focal Dystonia in Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Restless leg syndrome

Neurologic aspects of cobalamin deficiency- PubMed NCBI

Stiff-Person Syndrome

Images, from top:

eye2eye, milos milosevic

Many studies show similarities between the symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency and multiple sclerosis (MS).  There is also a very high rate of B12 deficiency among people diagnosed with MS.  How, then, does one differentiate between pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency) and multiple sclerosis?

What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects your central nervous system- your brain and spinal cord.  It typically strikes young adults between the ages of 20-40, most of them women.  The exact cause of MS is unknown, but most scientists believe it is an autoimmune disorder.  With multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune reaction attacks myelin, a fatty substance that insulates your nerve fibers responsible for transmitting messages to the rest of your body.  Signs of demyelination are random lesions, or plaques (sclerosis) in the brain and spinal cord, in multiple areas, thus the term “multiple sclerosis.”

What is B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs when your body is unable to maintain sufficient stores of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) in the blood.  There are several reasons this may happen, such as not eating food sources of vitamin B12 (meat, fish, and milk), or having a gastrointestinal disorder that interferes with vitamin B12 absorption.  With pernicious anemia (PA), your body cannot make intrinsic factor (IF), a protein necessary for digesting vitamin B12, due to an autoimmune disorder.  Among its many other benefits, vitamin B12 is essential for building up the fatty myelin sheath.  One of the symptoms of PA is demyelination, the same type of brain damage that occurs with MS.

*Multiple sclerosis and vitamin B12 deficiency- pernicious anemia are both autoimmune disorders.

*Multiple sclerosis and vitamin B12 deficiency-pernicious anemia both involve damage to the nervous system’s myelin sheath.

What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

The earliest symptoms of MS may include:

• Muscular weakness in one or more limbs
• Tingling or numbness
• Loss of balance
• Vision problems or eye pain
• Slurred speech

As the disease advances, symptoms worsen, including:

• Chronic fatigue, despite getting plenty of rest and not overexerting yourself
• Hypersensitivity to heat, such as hot showers or baths
• Muscular spasms in the legs and arms
• Bladder or bowel control problems
• Lightheadedness, or vertigo caused by nerve damage
• Cognitive impairment- “brain fog,” slowed thinking, lack of concentration, or memory loss
• Vision problems- blurring or graying of vision, or temporary blindness in one eye
• Painful “pins and needles” sensations, numbness, itching, or burning
• Speech and swallowing problems caused by damaged nerves
• Seizures
• Difficulty walking without stumbling, caused by muscle weakness, spasticity, or loss of balance from vertigo
• Paralysis

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

The most common symptoms of B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Aggressive behavior
• Painful “pins and needles” or numbness in hands and feet
• Sore, swollen red tongue
• Burning mouth sensation
• Difficulty walking without stumbling
• Short-term memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• “Brain fog”
• Shortness of breath

*Multiple sclerosis and vitamin B12 deficiency-pernicious anemia both cause nerve damage, including painful tingling or numbness in the hands and feet and impaired gait.

*Multiple sclerosis and vitamin B12 deficiency-pernicious anemia both cause cognitive impairment, like brain fog, memory loss, and low concentration.

Which tests diagnose multiple sclerosis?

There is more than one test used to confirm MS, and your doctor will need to use the process of elimination to exclude other illnesses.  Some common tests and indicators are:

• MRI scan indicating at least two incidences myelin damage- scar tissue (lesions)
• Neurological exams
• Blood tests
• Spinal tap
• Evoked potentials, an electrical test of your nervous impulses

Which tests diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency?

Only one test is required to diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency- a blood test indicating low blood serum levels of vitamin B12.  Patients of pernicious anemia require routine blood tests in order to monitor their B12 levels.

What’s the best treatment for multiple sclerosis?

There is no cure for MS, but various medications are helpful for dealing with the symptoms.

• Some prescribed medicines work by controlling your body’s autoimmune response, thus reducing the frequency and severity of MS symptoms.
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a controversial surgery used to treat debilitating tremors in people with MS. Complications may include paralysis, loss of vision, or loss of speech.
• Alternative treatments for MS include physical therapy, exercise like yoga or tai chi, acupuncture, aromatherapy, meditation, massage, and vitamin therapy.

What’s the best treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency?

There are many kinds of B12 supplements on the market, but it’s important to be certain if you are able to digest vitamin B12 in the stomach. If you lack intrinsic factor, or if you’ve had gastrointestinal surgery like gastric bypass, then you will not benefit from dietary forms of vitamin B12.

• Physicians normally prescribe a series of B12 shots for patients with pernicious anemia.  These vitamin B12 injections require a prescription, and not all health care providers cover extensive supplementation of vitamin B12 shots.
• Sublingual vitamin B12 pills that dissolve under the tongue are another option, although they are not very effective, and they often require dosages of three times per day.
• A behind-the-ear vitamin B12 patch is an increasingly popular option for patients who wish to supplement B12 without the need for injections,  The B12 patch also allows you the freedom to take non-dietary vitamin B12 without a doctor’s prescription.

Read more about vitamin B12 symptoms:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency- 4 Causes, 1 Solution

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

Sore Burning Tongue, Dry Mouth, and Weird Tastes- What’s the Cause?

Sources:

Multiple sclerosis

Vitamin B12, demyelination, remyelination and repair in multiple sclerosis

WebMD Multiple Sclerosis Guide – Better Information for Better Health

Vitamin B12 deficiency, Addison-Biermer’s anemia- Pernicious anemia (PA) has been called many things.  Though we have a cure in vitamin B12 supplements, symptoms of pernicious anemia remain similar to historical descriptions of this once fatal disease.

“Starvation in the midst of plenty”

In 1849, if a doctor diagnosed you with pernicious anemia, he would have told you to say your prayers.  That’s because back then, the survival rate was 1-3 years.  Many scientists tried various experiments to find out what caused this fatal disease, which was as dreaded as leukemia or cancer is today, causing symptoms like tiredness, painful tingling in the arms and legs, muscular weakness, and finally, death.

Pernicious Anemia: Your 13 Most Frequently Asked Questions, Answered!

Anybody care for a shot of liver juice?

Finally, Dr. William B. Castle made an important scientific breakthrough.  He conducted an experiment that involved feeding regurgitated raw hamburger meat to patients of pernicious anemia, and discovered the presence of intrinsic factor, an essential chemical found in gastric juices that is lacking in pernicious anemia patients.  Like many medical discoveries, the next one that occurred somewhat by accident.  In trying to find a cure for anemia resulting from blood loss, Dr. George Whipple produced the first cure for pernicious anemia- raw liver. Later, in 1926, scientists developed a more concentrated antidote based on the same therapy- raw liver juice, to be swallowed or injected.

Juvenile Vitamin B12 Deficiency- the Dinosaur of all Disorders, say Scientists

Vitamin B12 is born

It wasn’t until two decades later that scientists finally discovered the potent ingredient in raw liver juice. In 1948, two chemists from the US and Britain isolated cobalamin as the health-giving nutrient, and named it vitamin B12.  For patients of pernicious anemia, dosages of 1000 to 4000 mcg, prescribed daily, were given orally as vitamin B12 pills or through intramuscular injection, as a vitamin B12 shot. Other methods of supplementing vitamin B12 are sublingual B12 tablets and behind-the-ear vitamin B12 patches.

Painful Tingling in Hands and Feet- What’s Up with That?

Pernicious anemia symptoms

Scientists today understand that pernicious anemia is a form of megaloblastic anemia, resulting from weakened DNA synthesis in red blood cells.  People with pernicious anemia suffer from an autoimmune condition that inhibits your body’s ability to produce intrinsic factor, thus resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency.  Rarely does pernicious anemia ever result in death, since doctors today know how to diagnose the symptoms early on, and confirm diagnosis with a vitamin B12 blood test. Still, many of the symptoms of pernicious anemia are disabling, and often confused with other conditions like clinical depression, thyroid disorder, and diabetes.

Typical symptoms of pernicious anemia are:

• Diarrhea
• Chronic fatigue
• Pale complexion
• Decreased appetite
• Dizziness
• Loss of concentration
• Shortness of breath while exercising
• Painful tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Sore, red swollen tongue
• Bleeding gums
• Altered taste perception
• Depression
• Short-term memory loss
• Frequent stumbling
• Clumsiness

Read more about pernicious anemia and B12:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency- 4 Causes, 1 Solution

Top Ten Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

What is vitamin B12, and why is it so important?

Sources:

William B. Castle

Pernicious anemia

Images, from top:

HikingArtist.com, Frank Muckenheim, Mario Caruso, genericlook

If your body stores vitamin B12 in the liver for years, how does vitamin B12 deficiency happen? Even if you eat plenty of foods that supply vitamin B12 (cobalamin), such as meat and fish, you might still run the risk of developing severe vitamin B12 deficiency that can culminate in pernicious anemia or nerve damage.  What conditions and lifestyle choices affect your B12 levels?

Vitamin B12 deficiency today

Vitamin B12 deficiency is the leading form of vitamin deficiency, affecting nearly 40% of people between the ages of 26 and 83, according to a Tufts University study on B12 deficiency.  For elderly individuals, the risk of low B12 levels is 20%.

Vitamin B12 helps your body protect the nervous system’s myelin sheath; as a result, B12 deficiency symptoms may include painful tingling or numbness in the hands, feet, and tongue, muscular weakness, difficulty walking, frequent clumsiness, altered sense of taste, burning mouth syndrome, and eye twitching.

For a list of more symptoms of B12 deficiency, read B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

Four roads to vitamin B12 deficiency

#1 Not eating meat

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient that occurs exclusively in animal-based food items.  The basic food sources of vitamin B12 are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk.  Contrary to popular opinion, brewer’s yeast does not contain vitamin B12, although it does supply other essential B vitamins.  Purple and green seaweed are the only naturally rich vegan sources of B12.  So, if you follow a vegan diet and do not eat generous portions of nori every day, then you are likely to develop B12 deficiency over the course of several years.

The top food sources of vitamin B12 are:

• lean beef and chicken
• organ meat (liver, heart)
• fish (halibut, herring, salmon)
• shellfish (oysters, clams)
• Eggs
• Cheese (Swiss, Muenster)
• Milk products (yogurt, whole milk)

Natalie Portman Chooses B12 over Veganism

#2 Not making enough stomach acid

If you’re over 50, there’s a 30% chance that you suffer from atrophic gastritis, a general wearing down of your stomach lining.  As a result, your body doesn’t produce enough stomach acids to fully absorb vitamin B12 and deliver it to the small intestines. Insufficient stomach acids may also lead to bacterial overgrowth, which also interferes with vitamin B12 absorption.

Other people at risk include individuals taking protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and long-term antibiotic use.

The 20 Do’s and Don’ts of the GERD Diet

#3 Not making intrinsic factor

Another chemical the stomach produces for digesting vitamin B12 is intrinsic factor.  Certain autoimmune disorders may inhibit your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 by attacking stomach cells before they have a chance to produce this necessary protein.  Regardless of how many vitamin B12 supplements you swallow, the B12 never reaches the small intestines, so it never enters the bloodstream.  Pernicious anemia, resulting in diminished red blood cell production, is a common occurrence when intrinsic factor is lacking.

“I’ve heard of the X Factor and Fear Factor…But what’s Intrinsic Factor?”

#4 Gastrointestinal conditions and surgeries

The ileum of the small intestine is responsible for digesting vitamin B12.  Located at the very bottom of the intestinal tract, the ileum grabs vitamin B12 and dispenses it to your blood supply.  But if your ileum is not working properly, then you cannot derive the many benefits of vitamin B12.

Gastrointestinal factors that interfere with B12 absorption are:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s and colitis
• Celiac disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Gastrointestinal surgery for Crohn’s
• Gastric bypass surgery

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

What’s the solution?

It’s simple.  If you are unable to get your vitamin B12 from dietary sources, then the only other option is to bypass the digestive system and redirect B12 directly to your bloodstream.  Below are some popular methods of supplementing vitamin B12 without using the stomach.

• Vitamin B12 shots: B12 require a prescription from a doctor.  Because of the size of cobalamin molecules, B12 shots are usually painful, and must be inserted into thick muscular tissue, such as the thigh or buttock.  Even if you have a high threshold to pain, the idea of having to take vitamin B12 injections for the rest of your life can be worrisome.
• Sublingual B12 pills: The jury’s still out on the effectiveness of sublingual vitamin B12 tablets that dissolve under the tongue; whether they actually enter the bloodstream or just travel through the digestive system is under debate.  Your physician might prescribe B12 pills to be taken three times per day.
• Vitamin B12 sprays and creams: There is insufficient data to support the use of nasal sprays or lotions as a means of combatting vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Vitamin B12 patch: The B12 patch is a popular “alternative” form of vitamin B12 supplementation, although it is quickly becoming accepted as mainstream.  One vitamin B12 patch contains the same amount of cobalamin as a weekly B12 injection. For children and adults who must take regular B12 shots, this is good news.  And unlike B12 pills, you need only remember to take a B12 patch once per week.

Read more about vitamin B12 deficiency:

Gastrointestinal Surgery for Crohn’s (IBD) and B12 Warnings

6 Food Cravings that Signal Vitamin Deficiency

Ten Bites to Better Brain Power

Sources:

Are you getting enough of this vitamin?

B12 Deficiency May Be More Widespread Than Thought

Spirulina and Vitamin B12

Vitamin B₁₂ Sources and Bioavailability

Brewer’s yeast

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In Sendai , euthman, pikimota

The latest scientific study pins memory loss from aging to the age of 45.  Here are some ways to prevent early onset dementia like Alzheimer’s disease and reclaim your youth.

45- Is it the new 60?

According a recent study on cognitive decline, the first signs of aging, such as memory loss, begin at the age of 45.  The UK study, which tracked 5,198 men and 2,192 women, suggests that people should become more proactive in preventing Alzheimer’s disease much earlier than earlier expected.

• Participants between the ages of 45-70 submitted to various cognitive testing, including vocabulary, memory, reasoning, and auditory and visual learning abilities.
• Examples of cognitive testing include identifying patterns, recalling short words, naming words from memory beginning with the letter “S,” or animal names.
• Scientists met with study volunteers three times during a 10-year period.
• Results: With the exception of vocabulary, cognitive scores in memory, reasoning, and learning abilities declined in all age groups, beginning at the ages of 45-49, for both men and women.
• For men and women, dementia escalated by the age of 65-70.
• Older males saw a 9.6% decline by age 70, while elderly females of the same age exhibited a 7.4% decline.

Here’s Your Brain on B12 Deficiency- Memory Loss and Aging

Lifestyle changes to prevent memory loss

By making some simple changes in your life, you can avoid the symptoms of premature aging that include short-term memory loss, dementia, fatigue, and hair greying.

Here are some helpful tips:

• Increase intake of vitamins and minerals, including healthy omega-3 oils, vitamin D, vitamin C, and B complex vitamins, particularly vitamin B12, which is proven to aid in cognitive functioning and prevent brain shrinkage associated with dementia.
• Eat low cholesterol, low-fat foods.
• Avoid high fat or processed foods.
• Restrict sodium intake.
• Exercise every day.
• Check your blood pressure.
• Quit smoking.

Brainy People are high on B12, according to Brain Health Study

Prevent vitamin B12 deficiency

Numerous studies prove that vitamin B12 is more than just the energy vitamin- it also is essential for brain health and anti-aging.  Vitamin B12 protects your nervous system, aids in producing red blood cells, builds DNA, and boosts cognitive skills.

• By controlling homocysteine levels, vitamin B12 helps prevent heart attack and stroke.  Scientists have noticed a high correlation between elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood and increased risk for dying of heart failure or stroke.
• Scientific research also indicates a direct relationship between low levels of vitamin B12, reduced brain volume, and decreased cognitive skills, such as loss of short-term memory
• Besides memory loss, other age-related symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include premature hair loss, hair greying, fatigue, difficulty walking, difficulty concentrating, and emotional problems like depression, anxiety, and paranoia.

Read more about B12 deficiency and aging:

How to keep Vitamin B12 Deficiency from Shrinking your Brain

Vitamin B12- How much do you need?

Sources:

Memory Loss May Occur as Early as 40s

Memory loss from aging can start as early as 45: Study

Timing of onset of cognitive decline: results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study- BMJ

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jessica.diamond, woodleywonderworks, Patrick Q

It’s a lonely life for sufferers of chronic pain.  Fibromyalgia symptoms (sore muscles, painful joints, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea) make it difficult to keep lunch dates, finish work projects on time, or guarantee that you won’t be lying in bed recuperating from back pain when you’re supposed to be at your daughter’s dance rehearsal.  Friends, family members…even doctors try to be sympathetic, but they often fall short when it comes to providing support and understanding.

Painting about pain

How to Tell if Chronic Pain is Fibromyalgia: 18 Pressure Points

Chronic back pain sufferer Mark Collen of San Francisco, California faced a challenge while trying to explain his pain symptoms to a new doctor, after his long-time pain specialist retired from practice.  After trying unsuccessfully to communicate his pain with words, he hit upon the idea of using artwork, instead. It worked- by sharing his “chronic pain art” with his physicians, he was more effective at getting doctors to understand his symptoms.

“People don’t believe what they can’t see,” Mr. Collen said.  “But they see a piece of art an individual created about their pain and everything changes.”

The Pain Exhibit is born

Fibromyalgia FAQs- 6 Need-to-Know Fibro Facts

Today, Mark hosts the Pain Exhibit, a website dedicated to the artwork of chronic pain sufferers.  People contribute paintings, drawings, and sculptures representing their battles with severe migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, and debilitating back pain.  Many of the exhibits are disturbing to view, but then again, there’s nothing pretty about pain, whether it be physical suffering or emotional turmoil.

“A person suffering with (fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome) seems so healthy on the outside that others have a hard time perceiving what’s going on inside.”  -Dana Harrell-Sanders

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia- Is there a Difference?

Natural pain management is needed

Mark urges pain patients and clinics to incorporate natural pain remedies as part of a more integrated, holistic attitude to health care.  Tired of being prescribed antidepressants and other “quick fixes,” he believes that a call for action is needed, one that would result in patients being seen at face value, and not just as another face in a never-ending parade of pain sufferers.

“Healthcare providers should take a more holistic approach to pain management considering the connection between mind, body, and spirit.  I believe doctors can improve the quality of life for patients and decrease both the economic and human costs of chronic pain by using a holistic treatment model.”

Read more about natural pain remedies for fibromyalgia:

Staying Fit with Fibromyalgia: 13 Pain-Free Workouts

Suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue? B12 to the Rescue!

15 Handy Household Tools for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Sources:

Pain as an Art Form- NY Times

Pain Exhibit

According to a recent study, listening to music can ease pain- great news for fibromyalgia (chronic pain) patients. Many pain clinics already utilize the analgesic effects of music, finding that soothing melodies reduce anxiety and enhance pain relief treatments.

Music therapy for chronic pain?

It’s not the first time researchers have investigated the painkilling powers of music, but this recent study on music engagement confirms what many practitioners of chronic pain management already know- that listening to music puts you in a state of relaxation that enables you to cope with…and minimize pain symptoms.  For sufferers of fibromyalgia, this could be a useful strategy for incorporating natural pain treatments with prescribed analgesic medications.

Boost Energy and Beat Fatigue All Day Long- 8 Sure-Fire Tips

What pain specialists found:

• In this University of Utah study on pain management, 153 volunteers elected to receive painful electric shocks in varying levels of intensity while listening to background music.
• In addition to listening to music, participants performed cognitive tasks that actively engaged them, such as following musical notes and focusing on the melody.
• Scientists noted that volunteers who became engrossed with the music-listening tasks exhibited the fewest pain responses.
• Researchers noted a correlation between personality and pain relief through music engagement.  The most significant results occurred with people who experience anxiety. People who suffer panic, nervousness, or stress often find relief in occupying themselves with some sort of activity; in this case, music provided certain anxiety-prone individuals an opportunity to escape from pain symptoms.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia- Is there a Difference?

How can music help fibromyalgia patients?

On a much grander scale, fibromyalgia patients may implement these findings in their own lives; if listening to music helps relieve small shocks of pain, what strategies may be employed to relieve more severe pain symptoms, like aching joints, sore muscles, or gastrointestinal ailments?

• Boost pain medicine! During fibromyalgia flare-ups, listening to music on your iPod may improve your mood and ease anxiety, increasing the effectiveness of your pain medicine.
• Meditate! If you’re stuck in bed rest, or at the hospital, try turning off the television and turning on a radio.  Close your eyes and picture the music in your mind (Think Fantasia).  By actively engaging your brain with the music, you are also incrementally distracting yourself from the pain.
• Sleep better! If pain symptoms keep you awake at night, listen to the sounds of relaxing mood music on your MP3 device. Many iTunes and Android apps provide the Relaxing Sounds of Nature, to help you go to Sleep!

B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

Alternative treatments for chronic pain

Here are some more helpful tips to help you manage pain symptoms without the need for painkillers:

• Take your B12! Vitamin B12 deficiency is linked with a host of severe pain symptoms, including painful tingling in your hands and feet, painful numbness, burning mouth or tongue, stomach pains, joint achiness, and sore muscles.  Also, B12 deficiency increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and severe nerve damage.
• Incorporate exercise! Here’s a great tip- listen to music while doing some gentle exercise routines, like light yoga, Tai Chi, or low-impact aerobics.
• Go under the needle! No, not B12 shots- acupuncture is proven effective at relieving numerous ailments, including fibromyalgia, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, and chronic fatigue.

Learn more about fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency:

Fibromyalgia FAQs- 6 Need-to-Know Fibro Facts

Suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue? B12 to the Rescue!

Back Pain Exercises and Fibromyalgia- the Do’s and Don’ts

Sources:

Individual differences in the effects of music engagement on responses to painful stimulation- PubMed, NCBI

Really? The Claim: Listening to Music Can Relieve Pain- NY Times

Study: Music Can Ease Pain

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Mari Z., just.Luc, canonsnapper, pinkiwinkitinki

Constant dry mouth and sore tongue from burning mouth syndrome could be vitamin B12 deficiency. Symptoms of glossodynia are painful burning tongue and dry mouth, in addition to swollen tongue with tongue sores and metallic taste in mouth.

Glossodynia- Burning mouth syndrome (BMS)

Glossodynia, or burning mouth syndrome, is a chronic pain syndrome that causes mouth pain, dry mouth, and taste disorders.  Areas affected include the whole mouth or single areas like the tongue, lips, gums, inside cheeks, or throat.  Sometimes, glossodynia is also referred to as burning tongue syndrome, as the burning tongue sensation is the most noticeable symptom.

• Women over the age of 30 are 3-7 times more likely to suffer burning mouth syndrome than are men of the same age.
• Tongue pain symptoms may come and go throughout the day, or they may intensify as the day progresses.
• Burning tongue symptoms may linger for years, unless treated.
• A high correlation exists between vitamin B12 deficiency and burning mouth syndrome comorbidities like heartburn, acid reflux, stress, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and hypothyroidism.

What your Gums have to Say about your B12 Level

Symptoms of burning mouth syndrome

The most common description of BMS includes these symptoms:

• Burning, scalding sensation in your tongue, lips, gums, roof of mouth, throat, or in your entire mouth
• Tingling sensations in your mouth or on the tip of your tongue
• Mouth numbness
• Mouth pain that increases throughout the day
• Dryness in the mouth
• Intense thirst
• Altered sense of taste, or loss of taste
• Bitter or metallic taste in mouth
• Beefy, red swollen and sore tongue
• Tongue sores or lesions

Cantankerous Canker Sores: How to Get Rid of Them

What causes burning mouth syndrome?

• Vitamin deficiency:  Vitamin B12 deficiency, in addition to other B vitamin deficiencies may cause burning mouth syndrome.  Also, iron and zinc deficiencies may be a cause.
• Dry mouth (xerostomia)
• Thrush (oral yeast infection)
• Stress, anxiety, and depression
• Nerve damage- Pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency anemia) may cause neurological damage resulting in sore, burning tongue symptoms.
• Wearing dentures
• Food allergies
• Gluten intolerance
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Drug interactions, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for high blood pressure
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Tongue thrusting
• Drinking acidic beverages
• Overbrushing your tongue
• Endocrine disorders- diabetes or hypothyroidism
• Hormonal imbalances- menopause or perimenopause

Leaky Gut Syndrome Symptoms and Causes

What’s the treatment for burning tongue and dry mouth?

If vitamin B12 deficiency is causing burning mouth syndrome, then the only course of action is to supplement with vitamin B12, either with vitamin B12 sublingual pills, B12 shots, or weekly vitamin B12 Patches.

If the cause of burning tongue symptoms is unknown (primary burning mouth syndrome), then your doctor may prescribe one of the following treatments:

• Clonazepam
• Alpha lipoic acid
• Capsaicin
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Antidepressants
• Lidocaine
• Laser therapy
• Topiramate
• Olanzapine
• Acupuncture

Read more about vitamin B12 deficiency:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency. Are you at Risk?

Painful Tingling in Hands and Feet- What’s Up with That?

Sources:

Atrophic glossitis from vitamin B12 deficiency: a case misdiagnosed as burning mouth disorder- PubMed, NCBI

Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome- Mayo Clinic.com