Most foods are vitamin enriched and a normal diet contains adequate amounts of thiamine . Beriberi can appear, however, in breast-fed infants when the mother has an inadequate intake of thiamine or among people whose diet includes certain types of fish that produce an enzyme which inactivates thiamine. Early symptoms of beriberi are nonspecific and include fatigue , irritability, restlessness , loss of appetite , and vague abdominal discomfort . As the disease progresses, patients develop burning sensations, tingling in the extremities, and changes in sensation such as numbness . Patients may develop psychosis .
Death is generally a result of heart failure.
Dry beriberi is associated with energy deprivation and inactivity characterized by mental confusion, peripheral neuropathy, muscular wasting with loss of function or paralysis of the lower extremities. Wet beriberi is resultant of high carbohydrate intake along with strenuous exercise characterized by edema, tachycardia, pulmonary congestion, and enlarged heart. The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.