Are constant eyelid twitching and eye spasms driving you batty?  Myokymia might be a sign of pernicious anemia caused by low B12 levels.  Learn how to stop eye twitching by stopping vitamin B12 deficiency in its tracks.

What is myokymia?

Myokymia is a disorder that causes muscles in your body to twitch involuntarily.  Myokymia twitches can affect any groups of nerves or muscles in your body, including your arms, legs, fingers, and back.  It can also occur on your face- hemifacial spasms are muscular twitches that begin on one side of your face, usually the eye.  Over time, hemifacial spasms can expand to include the rest of your face, on one side.

Balance your B12, Balance your Nerves

Why is my eye twitching?

Myokymia is a type of nerve damage called trigeminal neuralgia.  When your eyelid keeps twitching out of control, it is because the nerves that control the opening and closing of your eyes have been damaged. Eye twitches can occur in either the lower eyelid or upper eyelid,

Causes of myokymia

Causes of eye twitching may include stress, excessive alcohol usage, and staring at a computer screen for long periods of time.  Eye spasms can also be a reaction to caffeine, or may signify low levels of cobalamin- vitamin B12.

B12 deficiency symptoms

Vitamin B12 benefits include red blood cell production, protection of the nervous system’s myelin sheathe, cognitive functioning, DNA synthesis, and lowered homocysteine levels. If your body does not store adequate amounts of vitamin B12, you may get B12 deficiency, and ultimately severe pernicious anemia, a type of megaloblastic anemia blood disease.

B12 deficiency causes emotional and cognitive disorders such as:

• Chronic fatigue
• Memory loss
• Decreased mental focus
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations

Top Ten Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Pernicious anemia symptoms include severe nerve damage, including eyelid spasms caused by myokymia.  Lower eyelid twitches are most common with B12 deficiency patients.  Other symptoms of nerve damage caused by pernicious anemia include:

• Numbness and painful tingling in the hands and feet
• Arms or legs constantly “falling asleep”
• Prickly feeling in the tongue
• Altered taste perception
• Sore or swollen tongue

Why do my Arms and Legs often Fall Asleep? B12 and Paresthesia

Stop eye twitching

If you suspect that you have vitamin B12 deficiency, then consult your physician and request a blood test for B12 levels. If diagnosed with low B12, then your doctor will prescribe vitamin B12 supplements.  If you have pernicious anemia, then you might have to get routine B12 shots indefinitely. Once you start taking vitamin B12, you will notice a decrease in pernicious anemia symptoms immediately, and total reversal of symptoms by the time your B12 levels return to normal.

Find out why more people diagnosed with pernicious anemia are supplementing with a vitamin B12 patch…

I was Blinded by B12 Deficiency, says Vitamin B12 Patch Fan

What’s the Difference between B12 Patches and B12 Pills, Anyways?

Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Sources:

Hemifacial Spasm Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Signs of B12 Deficiency

Myokymia – Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Eyelid Myokymia

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cameronparkins, graur codrin, Tambako the Jaguar

If you’re planning a pregnancy, you might want to check your B12 levels- numerous reports link vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy with miscarriage, spontaneous abortion, and other fertility problems.  B12 deficiency anemia- pernicious anemia- makes it harder for women to conceive, as well as for men to produce fertile sperm.

Medical research proves the fertility-B12 deficiency link

One of the most famous studies on fertility and B12 deficiency examined fourteen women of childbearing age who suffered vitamin B12 deficiency:

• All women who participated in the study suffered severe vitamin B12 deficiency anemia in addition to low fertility- Four had been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for two to eight years, and eleven experienced repeated miscarriages and spontaneous abortions.
• Dr. Michael Bennett, hematologist of the Ha’Emek Medical Center in Afula, Israel, implemented vitamin B12 supplementation to see if it would have any effect on their ability to conceive and have healthy pregnancies.
• If fetal loss were to continue despite elevating B12 levels, it would prove that infertility was unrelated to B12 deficiency or pernicious anemia symptoms.
• Instead, result showed that ten out of the fourteen test subjects conceived after starting rounds of vitamin B12 supplements.  Out of the ten women, six became pregnant after only three months of starting vitamin B12.  One, who had seven miscarriages before the B12 study, was finally able to conceive after starting her vitamin B12 regimen, and had three healthy babies.

Dr. Bennett explains the connection

• Bennett notes that B12 deficiency, combined with folate deficiency, led to thrombophilia (blood clotting) in seven of the women studied, thus increasing their risk for miscarriage.
• He believes that taking large amounts of folic acid, a nutrient prescribed to women of childbearing age, often masks B12 deficiency symptoms, making it harder to diagnose and treat.
• In his conclusion, Dr. Bennett attributes raised homocysteine levels, a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, with repeated fetal loss, and over time, ovulation disorder.

“Correcting this deficiency can rapidly lead to a normal pregnancy,” states Bennett.  “This study illustrates the importance of measuring B12 levels…in every patient investigated for infertility or recurrent (miscarriage).”

Report findings are available by The Journal of Reproductive Medicine.

Why does my body need B12?

Vitamin B12 benefits your body in many ways- it helps to produce red blood cells, promotes DNA synthesis, guards the nervous system’s myelin sheath, maintains cognitive functioning, lowers homocysteine levels, and supports metabolism.  Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause illnesses such as pernicious (megaloblastic) anemia, brain atrophy, osteoporosis, heart attack, and stroke.

B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

What symptoms are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency?

Since vitamin B12 interacts with so many different areas of the body, many seemingly unrelated symptoms indicate vitamin B12 deficiency.  Pernicious anemia masks itself as mental illness, diabetes, celiac disease, fibromyalgia, hypothyroid, and other chronic conditions.

Some common symptoms of B12 deficiency:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• “Brain fog”
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Painful tingling, numbness or “prickly” sensations, mainly in the hands and feet
• Sore, swollen tongue
• Altered sense of taste
• Loss of balance while walking, running, or jumping
• Decreased fine motor skills
• Muscular feebleness
• Heart palpitations

Read more about B12 deficiency and pregnancy:

Pregnant Moms and Low B-12 Levels: Let ‘em Eat Steak!

Avoiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency while Breast Feeding

Are Vegans in France Responsible for Breast-fed Baby’s Death?

Sources:

Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and recurrent fetal loss- PubMed, NCBI

Lack Of Vitamin B12 Linked To Repeat Miscarriage

Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and miscarriage

Pernicious Anemia

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Stuart Miles, Ambro, photostock, winnond

The elderly need to increase their intake of vitamin B12, in order to avoid memory loss from B12 deficiency.  Brain loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is a part of the aging process, but by getting enough vitamin B12 in your blood, you can prevent suffering the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Chicago study links low levels of vitamin B12 with memory loss

A 2011 study that focused on 121 community-dwelling participants of the Chicago Health and Aging Project found a strong correlation between vitamin B12 deficiency and memory loss.  Scientists measured methylmalonate levels to determine vitamin B12 deficiency.

• They found a direct relationship between low levels of vitamin B12, reduced brain volume, and decreased cognitive skills, such as loss of short-term memory.
• Scientists noted poorer memory skills, slower thinking processes, and impaired comprehension skills as attributes associated with elevated methylmalonate levels- an indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Also considered were plasma homocysteine levels, which scientists also connected with loss of brain mass.  High levels of homocysteine are common in vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Scientists concluded that methylmalonate, an indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency, has a direct impact on brain volume, and that vitamin B12 has multiple benefits on brain chemistry beyond just memory skills.
• In 2008, a UK study conducted by the University of Oxford produced similar results; namely, that vitamin B12 deficiency is a likely cause of brain atrophy, dementia, and short-term memory loss among the elderly.

How to keep Vitamin B12 Deficiency from Shrinking your Brain

For the elderly, eating foods with vitamin B12 isn’t enough

Eating plenty of foods rich in vitamin B12 is always a good idea; such foods include protein sources like beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese. But for the elderly, the problem isn’t really eating enough sources of vitamin B12, but rather digesting them.  Part of the aging process involves making less stomach acids that are necessary for absorbing vitamin B12 from foods.  As a result, many elderly individuals who include meat in their diet still run a high risk for getting B12 deficiency.

Unless blood tests indicate healthy levels of vitamin B12, senior citizens must supplement with vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) with a routine prescribed B12 shot in order to avoid the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.  Another popular option is adding a vitamin B12 patch.

Memory loss in B12 deficiency for the young and old

It isn’t just the elderly who should be concerned with memory loss- short-term memory loss is one of many symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, regardless of age.

Vitamin B12- How much do you need?

Other symptoms of dangerously low B12 levels are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Aggressive behavior
• Hallucinations
• Balance problems
• Poor muscular control
• Numbness or tingling in hands, arms, feet, and legs
• Sore, red swollen tongue
• Altered taste perception

Long-term exposure to vitamin B12 deficiency could result in severe neurological damage, pernicious anemia, increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and cancer, and osteoporosis.

Read more about vitamin B12 deficiency and memory loss:

12 Ways to Avoid Alzheimer’s Disease

FDA Approves Brain Scan to Detect Alzheimer’s Disease

Adult ADHD Could Lead to Dementia

Sources:

Low Vitamin B12 Linked to Smaller Brains and Cognitive Decline

Vitamin B12 Levels Linked to Memory Skills and Brain Size

Low Vitamin B12 May Speed Brain Shrinkage

Low Vitamin B12 Linked to Smaller Brain Size

Elevated Plasma Homocysteine Is Associated with Increased Brain Atrophy Rates in Older Subjects with Mild Hypertension

Vitamin B12, cognition, and brain MRI measures- A cross-sectional examination

Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly

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Was a bee, Sean.lewis29, Ambro, photostock

Is there any connection between lupus and vitamin B12 deficiency? That’s a question asked often both by people with low B12 and diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both autoimmune diseases share similar symptoms, and it’s important to know how to tell the difference.

Cruising for a Bruising? Choose Vitamin B12 Shots or Anemia

What is lupus?

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease that can cause damage to your muscles, bones, organs, and skin tissue.  Like other autoimmune disorders, lupus causes your body’s immune system to attack healthy cells tissue, causing swelling, inflammation, and pain.  Damage to your system may include kidney damage, heart attack, lung damage, joint pain, and blood diseases such as anemia (more on this later).

100 Best Sites for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Information

Symptoms of B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the US. Even if you eat plenty of sources rich in vitamin B12 (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk), your B12 levels may be at risk if you have had bariatric surgery, take antacid medicine for acid reflux, are among the elderly, have a gastrointestinal autoimmune disease like Crohn’s or celiac disease, or if you are a diabetic taking metformin.

6 Degrees of Vitamin B12- B12 Deficiency and Autoimmune Disease

How does lupus mimic vitamin B12 deficiency?

Many symptoms of lupus mimic those of vitamin B12 deficiency, making it difficult to determine low B12 levels without taking a vitamin B12 blood test.

• Cognitive functioning and mood disorders. Anxiety, depression, headaches, and short-term memory loss are symptoms common to both lupus patients and vitamin B12 deficiency sufferers.
• Chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue shares a comorbid relationship with lupus and B12 deficiency.
• Nerve damage. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes neurological damage such as aching joints and arthritis-like muscular pain.  Lupus causes swollen joints, arthritis, and inflamed joints.
• Shortness of breath is a symptom of low B12 and lupus.
• Hair loss. B12 deficiency may cause premature hair loss and greying.  Hair loss is also a symptom common to lupus patients.
• Mouth ulcers are typical for vitamin B12 patients and lupus sufferers.
• Skin rashes are a side effect of chronic B12 deficiency.  Likewise, lupus patients suffer skin rashes across the cheeks and nose (malar rash).
• Anemia. One of the most highly correlated symptoms shared by vitamin B12 deficiency patients and lupus patients alike is the susceptibility to anemia.  Left untreated, B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia (megaloblastic anemia).  More than half of all lupus patients suffer from blood disorders, particularly anemia.
• Heart disease and cancer. Lupus and pernicious anemia patients alike are at high risk for contracting heart disease and cancer.
• Bone loss (osteoporosis) is a risk factor for lupus patients and individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Read more about B12 deficiency and autoimmune diseases:

Vitamin B12 and your Bones- Osteoporosis from B12 Deficiency

Female Rapper Missy Elliot, 15 Celebs with Thyroid Disorders

Best 15 Twitter Feeds to follow for Autoimmune Disease Info

7 Celebs with Lupus

Sources:

Lupus Hope- Get Your B12 Levels Checked!

Lupus Foundation of America- Blood Disorders

Vitamin B12 For Lupus & Crohn’s Disease- LIVESTRONG.COM

What is Lupus?

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Ton Haex, taysm, grietgriet

Being tired all the time is a symptom of B12 deficiency, but it can also signal hypothyroidism (low thyroid), a thyroid disease that occurs with low B12 levels.  Because hypothyroid symptoms are similar, vitamin B12 deficiency often goes undetected.

B12 deficiency causes fatigue, depression, and other mood disorders often associated with an underactive thyroid. If you’ve been diagnosed with thyroiditis, then it’s also important also to recognize the symptoms of B12 deficiency, and know whether you might require more vitamin B12 (cobalamin).

What is hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is an autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) that occurs in the thyroid gland, causing inflammation, and reducing its ability to produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones.  Hashimoto’s disease is one example of thyroiditis that causes low thyroid levels.  Sometimes, thyroid treatment for hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), such as radioactive iodine or surgery, can backfire, causing underactive thyroid symptoms.

Why am I always tired?  Symptoms of hypothyroidism

Symptoms of low thyroid include:

• Empty facial expressions
• Husky, gravelly voice
• Chronic fatigue, tiredness
• Sluggish, droning speech patterns
• “Brain fog,” or confusion
• Depression
• Uncontrolled weight gain
• Droopy eyelids
• Puffy, bloated face
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Dry skin and hair
• Sparse hair, including eyebrows
• Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
• Muscular pain
• Feebleness
• Slow resting heart rate
• Orange-colored skin on the hands and feet
• Heavy menstrual periods in women

Vitamin B12 for Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient that is responsible for making red blood cells, controlling DNA synthesis, regulating the nervous system, and improving cognitive functioning.  Without proper levels of B12, you may suffer pernicious anemia, neurological damage, dementia, or heart attack resulting from elevated homocysteine levels.

Low B12 symptoms include:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue, tiredness
• Anxiety
• Short-term memory loss
• “Brain fog,” or confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Neurosis
• Altered taste perception
• Swollen, red tongue
• Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
• Awkward hand movements
• Loss of balance
• Clumsiness and stumbling
• Sleep problems

Balance your B12, Balance your Nerves

Thyroid disease and low B12 levels

In a study conducted in Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel, patients with autoimmune thyroid disease received blood screening for vitamin B12 deficiency.  Researchers noted a significantly high percentage of people with AITD who also had B12 deficiency, in addition to pernicious anemia symptoms, a blood disease associated with low B12 levels.

Another study conducted in Pakistan by Aga Khan University produced similar results; namely, a 40% prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency among patients with hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism treatment

If you are a patient of hypothyroidism, then physicians strongly recommend routine blood testing for vitamin B12 deficiency, regardless of thyroid hormone levels.

Read more about B12 deficiency:

6 Degrees of Vitamin B12- B12 Deficiency and Autoimmune Disease

Worried about Low B12 Lab Results?

Female Rapper Missy Elliot, 15 Celebs with Thyroid Disorders

Sources:

Prevalence and evaluation of B12 deficiency in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease- PubMed NCBI

Hypothyroidism- PubMed Health

Vitamin B12 deficiency common in primary hypothyroidism- PubMed NCBI

Hypothyroidism & Vitamin B12 Deficiency- LIVESTRONG.COM

Vitamin B12 deficiency common in primary hypothyroidism

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vitasamb2001, jscreationzs, Ambro

What is Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient which your body needs to maintain a healthy nervous system, produce ample amounts of red blood cells, protect brain functioning and assist your metabolism.  Vitamin B12 also monitors homocysteine, an amino acid which is associated with increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

How can I include vitamin B12 in my diet?

Animal proteins are especially high in vitamin B12. For that reason, vegans are warned to get B12 supplementation regularly in order to avoid B12 deficiency. Food sources which are rich in vitamin B12 include:

• Lean meats, particularly beef chuck and organ meats, such as liver, kidneys and heart
• Fish, including salmon and halibut, and shellfish, such as clam, crab, mussels and oysters
• Dairy products, including Swiss cheese, yogurt and milk
• Eggs
• Fortified cereals

On Becoming Vegan: Avoiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Others

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can only be diagnosed through a blood screening. It’s important to recognize the B12 deficiency symptoms in the early stages, in order to prevent serious neurological damage, pernicious anemia, heart attack or stroke and dementia.

Some of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Sleep difficulties
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Weakness
• Short-term memory loss
• Heart palpitations
• Numb feeling in hands and feet
• Altered taste perception
• Decreased motor control

B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

Are nursing mothers at risk for getting vitamin B12 deficiency?

Breast feeding mothers are more likely to suffer vitamin deficiencies than mothers who bottle-feed; this is because a significant amount of nutrients they consume are shared with the baby. In order to maintain healthy levels of vitamin B12, nursing moms must make up the difference by either taking vitamin B12 supplements or increasing their consumption of B12 in their diet.

Pregnant Moms and Low B-12 Levels: Let ‘em Eat Steak!

If I nurse often, is my baby still at risk for becoming deficient in vitamin B12?

Milk is high in vitamin B12. However, the milk of a nursing mother who has vitamin B12 deficiency will likewise have low levels of vitamin B12. And while an adult could harbor low B12 levels for a long time before showing any signs of B12 deficiency, a malnourished infant can develop symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency very quickly. If left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency in infants could lead to:

• Severe vomiting
• Lethargy
• Anemia
• Stinted brain development
• Death

Are Vegans in France Responsible for Breast-fed Baby’s Death?

What vitamin B12 supplements are available for me and my baby?

Nursing vegan moms and pregnant women are strongly advised to supplement with vitamin B12. If vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed, your physician might prescribe vitamin B12 injections. B12 shots can be painful, so a popular option for many who are concerned about vitamin B12 levels is a vitamin B12 patch which may be applied once per week. And while few individuals would buy B12 injections with the intention of self-administering vitamin B12 shots, an increasing number of chronic B12 deficiency patients are opting for the B12 patch for convenience, effectiveness and comfort.

Natalie Portman Chooses B12 over Veganism

Vitamin-Enriched Chocolate Milk Facing School Ban

Sources:

Livestrong

Causes Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The daily requirement of vitamin B12 is 1-2 micrograms. About 5-7 micrograms of vitamin B12 is present in most types of western diet; however, many people do not eat enough of the right foods. The absorption of vitamin B12 is a complex process and the production of intrinsic acids within the stomach play a very significant role. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause malfunction in some organs of the body.A deficiency of this vitamin can also cause some diseases, such as Megaloblastic anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also known to be the cause of anemia macrocytosis. This type of anemia will result in a low white blood cell and platelet count. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause the irreversible death of nerve cells.

Visible Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The visible symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency are mainly the same as the symptoms of anemia. They commonly include weakness, fatigue, tiredness, feeling exhausted every now and then, shortness of breath even after a little exercise, brittleness of the nails, husky voice, inflammation of the tongue and difficulty in swallowing food and even saliva. It has been found that the deficiency will lead to sudden or acute anemia that shows symptoms of weakness, dizziness, difficulty in standing, sudden unconsciousness, extremely low blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, rapid pulse, and yellowing of the skin, nails and eyes.