Vitamin B12 deficiency may present with a psychosis which is curable if treated promptly. Although this fact is not new and is described in various textbooks,9,10 it seems that it is often forgotten, which results in prolonged suffering from irreversible brain damage.
"Right away, as soon as they are presenting with psychotic symptoms, they have low folate – which is really important for brain health – and low vitamin D, which is also a neuroprotective nutrient; both key factors in people's mood and energy levels," Dr Firth explained.
Observational studies have reported an association between low vitamin D concentrations and poorer subsequent health outcomes in psychosis. A vitamin D deficiency in neonates and children has been linked to a later increased risk of schizophrenia and psychotic-like experiences.
B vitamins.
A large review of over 800 patients found that people who took high-dose B-vitamins like B6, B8, and B12 in addition to their medications significantly reduced symptoms of schizophrenia, compared with those who took medicines alone.
Psychosis has been reported in B12 deficiency, including both hallucinations and delusions. 14,39 Multiple case reports of both acute-onset and chronic psychosis in the setting of vitamin B12 deficiency have been reported.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may present with a psychosis which is curable if treated promptly. Although this fact is not new and is described in various textbooks,9,10 it seems that it is often forgotten, which results in prolonged suffering from irreversible brain damage.
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been highly linked to several psychiatric disorders like impaired memory, irritability, depression, dementia, delirium, schizophrenia and psychosis1.
The positive effect of increased magnesium concentration could be explained by the decreased activity of NMDA receptors, using the same reasoning that the excessive activity of some glutamatergic brain systems are involved in some psychotic symptoms.
People with schizophrenia tend to eat diets higher in fat and lower in fiber. Make sure your diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating a healthy diet can also help you avoid the weight gain that antipsychotic medicines may cause.
It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.
A cross-sectional analysis of mentally ill adolescents (age 12-18 years) requiring inpatient or partial hospitalization found that those with vitamin D deficiency were 3.5 times more likely to have hallucinations, paranoia, or delusions [25].
Hall-Flavin, M.D. 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.
Psychosis can be caused by a mental (psychological) condition, a general medical condition, or alcohol or drug misuse.
Psychosis could be triggered by a number of things, such as: Physical illness or injury. You may see or hear things if you have a high fever, head injury, or lead or mercury poisoning. If you have Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease you may also experience hallucinations or delusions.
What causes psychosis? There is no one specific cause of psychosis. Psychosis may be a symptom of a mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, a person may experience psychosis and never be diagnosed with schizophrenia or any other mental disorder.
Dietary deficiencies of magnesium, coupled with excess calcium and stress may cause many cases of other related symptoms including agitation, anxiety, irritability, confusion, asthenia, sleeplessness, headache, delirium, hallucinations and hyperexcitability, with each of these having been previously documented.
Based on current data, magnesium taurate and glycinate have the most research supporting their effects on anxiety and other mental health disorders. Magnesium malate and threonine have also demonstrated therapeutic effects and may be useful in many psychiatric cases.
Foods high in magnesium
If you take magnesium as a supplement, studies that showed that magnesium can have anti-anxiety effects generally used dosages of between 75 and 360 mg a day, according to the 2017 review.
With effective treatment most people will recover from their first episode of psychosis and may never have another episode. It is important to remember that psychosis is a treatable condition and if help is sought early, an individual may never suffer another episode.
Can Psychosis Go Away on Its Own? If the psychosis is a one-time event, such as with brief psychotic disorder, or substance-induced psychotic break, it may go away on its own. However, if the psychosis is a result of an underlying mental health disorder, it is unlikely the psychosis will go away naturally.
Evidence suggests that early treatment—and a shorter DUP—promotes better symptom improvement and overall functioning in everyday life. There is yet inadequate proof to say conclusively that psychosis causes permanent brain damage.
New research has discovered that early psychosis is associated with nutritional deficiencies, specifically in folate and vitamin D, revealing new avenues for improving the health of millions of people affected worldwide.