Long-term vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nerve damage. This may be permanent if you do not start treatment within 6 months of when your symptoms begin.
If left untreated, you may start to notice brain and nervous system symptoms. This is because vitamin B12 is also needed for your brain and your nerves to work properly. Your symptoms may include: Tingling feelings or pain.
Values of less than 160 pg/mL (118 pmol/L) are a possible sign of a vitamin B12 deficiency. People with this deficiency are likely to have or develop symptoms. Older adults with a vitamin B12 level less than 100 pg/mL (74 pmol/L) may also have symptoms.
Unlike most other vitamins, B12 is stored in substantial amounts, mainly in the liver, until it is needed by the body. If a person stops consuming the vitamin, the body's stores of this vitamin usually take about 3 to 5 years to exhaust.
strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet. difficulty walking (staggering, balance problems) anemia. a swollen, inflamed tongue.
extreme tiredness (fatigue) lack of energy (lethargy) breathlessness. feeling faint.
In healthy people, the body tends to have a store of vitamin B12 that can last two to five years without being replenished. As a result, a deficiency may take several years to develop.
If your anemia goes untreated for a long time, it can lead to heart failure. That's because your heart has to work harder. B12-related anemia may also raise the chances you'll have a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problem.
Serum B12 is a conclusive test
However, a normal blood value cannot rule out a B12 deficiency, as has often been shown in scientific medical literature. Serum B12 can be false normal or even false high, while a deficiency is present.
A. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause neurological and psychiatric problems that “can progress if left untreated, and can lead to irreversible damage,” said Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Program. Fortunately, it can be reversed fairly easily with vitamin pills or injections.
Untreated, vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to neurological problems, such as persistent tingling in the hands and feet or problems with balance. It can lead to mental confusion and forgetfulness because vitamin B-12 is necessary for healthy brain function.
Some studies have found people experiencing anxiety have lower levels of vitamin B12, and that people with anxiety and depression at more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Stress is known to deplete our levels of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Vegetarians, vegans and those on restricted diets can struggle to get enough vitamin B12 to meet their body's needs.
Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may be linked to depression.
That said, the current evidence is too weak to suggest that a vitamin B12 deficiency has any strong or specific impact on weight — be it weight gain or loss. There's little evidence to support the notion that vitamin B12 deficiency causes weight gain.
Pernicious anemia, one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, is an autoimmune condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12. Left untreated, pernicious anemia can cause serious medical issues, including irreversible damage to your nervous system.
In clinical practice, many cases of vitamin B12 deficiency are overlooked or sometimes even misdiagnosed.
If vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated, it can cause lasting serious side effects that affect the nervous system and brain. More severe side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency include: Peripheral neuropathy. Degeneration of the spinal cord.
[1] People who regularly take medications that suppress stomach acid for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease—such as proton-pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, or other antacids—may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.
Regular moderate exercise training decreased plasma folate and increased plasma vitamin B12 levels. However, no significant changes in plasma folate and vitamin B12 concentrations were observed by increasing duration of acute aerobic exercise.
A Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to long-term weight control problems. When the body's natural balance is disrupted, it typically responds by slowing down your metabolism, conserving fat stores, and burning fewer calories throughout the day.
SIBO, a condition in which too many of the normal bacteria from your colon take up residence further upstream in your gut, causes all manner of digestive havoc – think gas, bloating and diarrhea, constipation, reflux, weight loss and nausea. A lesser-known side effect of SIBO, though, is vitamin B12 deficiency.
Patients with neurological symptoms, serum B12 level lower than 200 pg/mL, and with normal folic acid levels were included in the study.