Hi Carla,
Because vitamin B12 is needed by nerve cells and blood cells for them to function properly, a deficiency of B12 can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, tingling sensations, difficulty walking, and yes, diarrhea.
If I remember correctly, you were actually diagnosed to have pernicious anemia, (inadequate or non-existant intrinsic factor production). Right? Or were you diagnosed to have a deficiency of vitamin B12, and your doctor just assumed that it was due to pernicious anemia?
If your treatments to supplement B12 levels have been successful in resolving the other symptoms, and assuming that red blood cell production has been restored to normal levels, I would think that diarrhea due to B12 deficiency would no longer be a factor. You might ask your doctor--he/she might have some insight on this.
A strict GF diet should eliminate celiac sprue as a cause of diarrhea. I'm assumng that you are excluding all dairy products from your diet. If not, that is a high priority suspect.
Are you excluding anything else from your diet? As has been suggested by others, you might have one or two other food intolerances.
Love,
Wayne
Carla--About Pernicious Anemia and Diarrhea
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Carla--About Pernicious Anemia and Diarrhea
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Wayne
Well, I am just a big old goober head, I just posted another thread regarding other intolerances, and then scrolled down and saw your post !
Anyway, as far as the pernicious anemia, yes, it was dx'd by lack of intrinsic factor. The other symptoms I had, like the numbness and tingling, etc., I still have due to the fact that I waited so long before going to the doctor - but that is another story. Anyway, I never had diarrhea as a symptom of pernicious anemia, I mainly just had the numbness and tingling, jaundiced skin, etc., I also had iron def. anemia as well. My diarrhea didn't start til probably 3 months after I initially "got sick".
I have my b-12 level checked every three months, it is usually around 350, (Iget a b-12 shot monthly), and I also have my hemoglobin & hematocrit (last was 10 & 32), and serum iron (last was 11) checked every three months. In October I go back for my next check.
I have avoided dairy (I think anyway) for probably 2 or 3 months now.
No change as of yet.
I know you have multiple intolerances, can you steer me in the right direction ?
Thanks Wayne !
Love,
Carla
Anyway, as far as the pernicious anemia, yes, it was dx'd by lack of intrinsic factor. The other symptoms I had, like the numbness and tingling, etc., I still have due to the fact that I waited so long before going to the doctor - but that is another story. Anyway, I never had diarrhea as a symptom of pernicious anemia, I mainly just had the numbness and tingling, jaundiced skin, etc., I also had iron def. anemia as well. My diarrhea didn't start til probably 3 months after I initially "got sick".
I have my b-12 level checked every three months, it is usually around 350, (Iget a b-12 shot monthly), and I also have my hemoglobin & hematocrit (last was 10 & 32), and serum iron (last was 11) checked every three months. In October I go back for my next check.
I have avoided dairy (I think anyway) for probably 2 or 3 months now.
No change as of yet.
I know you have multiple intolerances, can you steer me in the right direction ?
Thanks Wayne !
Love,
Carla
LC - dx'd 2004 - Celiac -biopsy dx'd 2004 - pernicious anemia... ;)
Hi Carla,
As you know, your blood test results are mostly just a little below the normal range, so the B-12 injections must be working pretty well. I'm surprised that you still have the numbness and tingling--I assume that you must have some nerve damage, from long-term B-12 deficiency. Hopefully, that will diminish as time goes by.
As far as other food intolerances are concerned, corn is my biggest problem. It's tough to avoid, since traces of it show up in so many things. I have to avoid all dairy products, also, of course, and sugar of all types, (even fruit sugar, and honey), cause problems for me. Maple sugar is the only type of sugar that I seem to be able to tolerate. I thought that I was having problems with eggs and soy, also, but according to the test results from Enterolab, I'm not egg, nor soy intolerant.
I still avoid them, though, since the lab can only test for one primary protein in most food samples. One of these days, I'll do some more trials with eggs, since I'm not very sensitive to them, if at all. I don't eat soy products anyway, since it's not generally good for us.
Jean's testing program is probably the most organized, straight-forward way to track down food intolerances. The most common offenders are dairy, corn, soy, yeast, and eggs, (after gluten, of course).
Good luck with your program, and I hope you can find the problem food item, (or items), with a minimum of trouble. Yes, it's great to be able to go somewhere, and never even think about how far it is to the nearest restroom.
Love,
Wayne
As you know, your blood test results are mostly just a little below the normal range, so the B-12 injections must be working pretty well. I'm surprised that you still have the numbness and tingling--I assume that you must have some nerve damage, from long-term B-12 deficiency. Hopefully, that will diminish as time goes by.
As far as other food intolerances are concerned, corn is my biggest problem. It's tough to avoid, since traces of it show up in so many things. I have to avoid all dairy products, also, of course, and sugar of all types, (even fruit sugar, and honey), cause problems for me. Maple sugar is the only type of sugar that I seem to be able to tolerate. I thought that I was having problems with eggs and soy, also, but according to the test results from Enterolab, I'm not egg, nor soy intolerant.
I still avoid them, though, since the lab can only test for one primary protein in most food samples. One of these days, I'll do some more trials with eggs, since I'm not very sensitive to them, if at all. I don't eat soy products anyway, since it's not generally good for us.
Jean's testing program is probably the most organized, straight-forward way to track down food intolerances. The most common offenders are dairy, corn, soy, yeast, and eggs, (after gluten, of course).
Good luck with your program, and I hope you can find the problem food item, (or items), with a minimum of trouble. Yes, it's great to be able to go somewhere, and never even think about how far it is to the nearest restroom.
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.