From: star@ut-emx.uucp (Susan Catharine Starrett)
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Subject: Re: B12 strikes again!
Date: 23 Jul 92 16:36:08 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.021304.15414@rtf.bt.co.uk>, traub@rtf.bt.co.uk (Michael Traub) writes:
> In article <76308@ut-emx.uucp> star@ut-emx.uucp (Susan Catharine Starrett) writes:
> >For what it's worth, it took 28 years for my B12 reserves to be used up.
> >Only after that did the symptoms begin to start.
> 
> Tell us more! 28 years seems like a very long time for B12 to remain
> stored in the body. Are you sure you didn't change your diet in some
> subtle way?


I have posted about this every time the subject has come up in the past
three years or so, but I will be glad to talk about it again. Those
of you who have heard it several times already can pass on reading this.

Evidently the body has quite a store of B12 at birth (since such a
small amount is needed daily by the body). In my case, this reserve
was used up after 28 years since the supply was either not replenished
or not replenished enough. 

Luckily, my deficiency was discovered within about six months (give or
take a month or two) and I began treatments which consisted of B12 
injections (into muscles, not veins) three times a week. I started out
with, I believe 5 micrograms per injection and gradually upped
it to about 9 micrograms. That was about four years ago.
My doctors and I feel that I have about one more year of recovery,
although the injections will have to continue indefinitely. At the moment
I am doing 7 micrograms once a week, but sometimes need a small booster
in the middle of the week, depending on how physically demanding I am
on myself. 

It is interesting that sometimes the injections will give me energy
and sometimes they knock me out into a deep sleep. Kind of like
shutting down for repairs, it seems, and building up reserves.

The symptoms I experienced with a B12 deficiency were: 

EXTREME Fatigue: Not only did my limbs feel like liquid mercury in
the mornings (or like they had been superglued to the mattress) but my
entire body would be sore. I remember feeling like I had played
a couple of games of football the night before, or like someone
had beaten me up. In reality, I had had only enough energy to shower
(sometimes!) and crawl into bed after work.

Dizziness: I remember wondering why, at work, walls kept coming at
me and getting in my way.

Continual Depression: B12 helps us handle stress and depression. 

Misc: My tongue was sore, my fingers and toes were numb and would 
tingle, my lips were always dry and chapped (nothing helped).
Clinically, my red blood cell count was quite a bit below normal,
and those that were there were deformed. Serious stuff.

Other Symptoms: I couldn't sweat. This is quite bad in Texas! Only after
about a year of treatments did I feel that summers here aren't so bad...
then I realized my clothes would be damp after being outside and 
any breeze felt cool rather than like someone was aiming a hot hair dryer
at me. I was also highly allergic to chiggers, misquitoes, fleas, etc.
and they don't attack me while leaving others alone anymore, like
they used to. These may not be documented symptoms but I certainly
noticed a difference.

If you have followed me this far, I have to tell you that my 
condition is not caused by veganism. It is hereditary, they think,
and may not even because of a missing intrinsic factor. New discoveries
have shown that our red blood cells must also have a coating that allows 
B12 to penetrate.

So, why does this belong in rec.food.veg, if my problem is hereditary?
The moral of this long tedious post is: B12 deficiency is serious.
If you are vegan, and there is ANY doubt that you may not be getting
enough, please take a supplement. Serious damage can occur, some
damage may be permanent, and quality of life suffers tremendously.
Any recovery is extremely slow and tedious. 

I would love to think that veganism is complete in itself since
it is my preferred way of life, too. But since there is doubt, please
don't take this unnecessary risk.

Regards.
Susan
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg