How Vitamin B12 Helps To Reduce Or Prevent Nerve Pain

Today's interesting post from liveitholistic.com (see link below) looks in detail at vitamin B12 and the role it plays in helping with and preventing neuropathy. Many people take vitamin B12 supplements for nerve pain because they've heard or read that it helps but few know why they do. Most neurologists will agree that a vitamin B (and B12 in particular) deficiency can cause nerve damage but it's rare that you see a breakdown of how vitamin B actually works in the body. This is such an article and therefore an important one for neuropathy patients. Well worth a read.

The Importance of B12 and its role in Neuropathy and Anemia. 
Marc Capistrano June 19, 2016
 
The stars have aligned on this post. The topic of B12 keeps coming up lately, and it was a sign that I had to put something up on the blog. The thing about writing is that it’s almost like a personal journal (…here’s what’s on my mind at this point in time and how I feel about it.)

In this case, Vitamin B12 is on my mind!

It’s involved in every metabolic cellular process in our body, DNA production and nerve function to name a few.

A good balance of all b-vitamins is important but B12 tends to get most of the attention because it is not absorbed into the blood stream the same way the other b’s are. B12 is usually more deficient than the other b-vitamins due to a deficiency in Intrinsic Factor. It also binds with “intrinsic factor” (It’s a specialized type of protein produced in the stomach). B12 must be bound to Intrinsic Factor. Then it is absorbed in to the small intestine (There are receptor sites for B12). You need to produce HCL in order to produce intrinsic factor. You also need to produce enough HCL to produce pepsin. Intrinsic (IF) is internally produced. On the other hand, B12 is the extrinsic (outside) factor produced.

Ok Marc. Tell me why B12 vitamins are important.

1. It prevents Peripheral Neuropathy: The myelin sheath acts as an insulating cover over a nerve fiber. It’s through this nerve fiber that conduction impulses are produced and electrical signals are sent and received. Think of it this way, you touch something hot, once the sensation is felt, your nerves send a signal to your brain. This signal works on these conduction impulses. If you don’t know, now you know ***Biggie Voice***.

Well B12 prevents the breakdown of the myelin sheath that covers our nerve fibers (also known as “demyelination”). When we hear myelin sheath, we usually associate this with the brain (MS). But, the myelin is also very important for your spinal cord’s nerve fibers. This damage leads to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy, in which symptoms include loss of coordination, sensory touch and eventual decreased muscle mass.

It’s shown that B12 intake from food and supplementation can improve neuropathy conditions. With issues like tingling, muscular dysfunction and especially neuropathy, it’s best to have a specialist (Chiropractor, Physiotherapist) look at you and make a proper diagnosis. As a nutritional practitioner, my job is to support the physical intervention through nutrition once a person is diagnosed.

2. The effects of B12 deficiency can cause irreversible symptoms: This is seen in Multiple Sclerosis (a degenerative disease of the nervous system). As with any tissue in the body, once it’s damaged, scar tissue forms (also known as Sclerosis).

3. A lack of B12 can lead to Pernicious Anemia: This is a form of anemia caused by a lack of absorption of B12 due to a deficiency in Intrinsic Factor. B12 binds with “intrinsic factor” as I had mentioned earlier. Without B12 and Intrinsic factor, the membranes of immature red blood cells rupture, disintegration of the stomach lining can occur which can lead to autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease.

4. It makes us happy: B12 plays an important role in supporting and assisting with the formation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine production. And this, make us happy…

5. B12 helps us recycle Homocysteine: Anyone out there with a history of cardiovascular disease will have some knowledge of homocysteine levels. If you don’t, then just know that homocysteine is created as a by-product of our body’s metabolism of methionine and cysteine.

Homocysteine isn’t all bad, it still gives us things like Cysteine, which is a precursor to glutathione (an amino acid known for its detoxification capabilities) and is important to the synthesis of Neurotransmitters. The only problem is that high levels of homocysteine are indicative of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. B12 is important in taking homocysteine and converting it back to methionine.

Ok…What do I do?

Before we get into the details of B12 intake, it’s important to note that all b vitamins including B12 are depleted in the body by things like stress, birth control pills and high intake of sugars.

1. Some people can’t produce Intrinsic Factor. If this is the case, B12 shots are available. You’ll want to buy Methylcobalamin (the active form), not Cyanocobalamin.

2. HCL (stomach acid) is required in order to take B12 from its protein carrier Intrinsic Factor. Refrain from antacids and supplement with Hydrochloric acid with betaine to improve stomach pH.

3. If you’re simply deficient and looking for the next best thing to a shot, then a sublingual (under the tongue) is another alternative option. This skips the digestion process and gets right into the bloodstream. People looking to simply optimize or increase B12 intake can take a Vitamin B complex with a higher B12 content.

4. B12 food sources: Liver, Meat Protein, Dairy, and Seafood (particularly shellfish).

5. The liver has to activate B-vitamins. If you have an under functioning liver, then B-vitamins are not being absorbed. Support the liver, and the b-vitamins will follow!

6. Supplements and B12 aside, it’s important to look at the root cause of demyelination (breakdown of the nerve fiber). In some cases, autoimmune conditions cause the self-destruction of the myelin sheath. Eliminating triggers that cause chronic inflammation (high sugar, poor diet etc.…) can prove to be your best prevention and early treatment. The entry of pathogens through the blood brain barrier affects the CNS, which in turn affects the peripheral system. Boosting your immune system can also be a great way to properly limit the amount of sclerotic tissue that forms.

http://www.liveitholistic.com/blog/2016/6/19/the-importance-of-vitamin-b12-and-its-role-in-neuropathy

Do You Need B12 Shots For Neuropathy

Another post from kevinmd.com (see link below) today and an interesting one for neuropathy patients too. Many people living with neuropathy either take in extra vitamin B12 because they choose to, or take it because it has been proved that their B12 levels are low. A lack of B12 can be responsible for neuropathic symptoms. However, there are pitfalls, especially when it comes to clinics charging high prices for B12 injections, as is highlighted below. It is important to note that this article is opinion-based and although the author is clearly medically qualified, he doesn't have a very positive view of alternative treatments. Not that B12 supplementation is in any way 'alternative' but it is a supplement and thus is mostly not prescribed by a doctor. The article is worth reading if only to start you off on further research of your own and on several issues he may well have a point.

Behind the fetish of vitamin B12 shots

ROY BENAROCH, MD | FEBRUARY 3, 2013

Medicines and other treatments need to be tested. We want reliable proof that something works and is safe before we recommend it. We don’t like the false dichotomyof “alternative medicine”. If there is good evidence that it works, it’s medicine. If it doesn’t work, it’s quackery.

It doesn’t matter who’s doing the quacking. A quack is a quack, even if there’s a medical diploma on the wall.

The story: a woman brings in her teenage daughter, complaining that the girl is tired a lot. It turns out that mom herself has had some blood tests that showed a low vitamin B12 level, so her doctor is giving her regular B12 injections. Can her daughter get some, too?

I realize that B12 injections are common. Many docs administer these, and many adults get these—probably some of you reading this. So what’s the science behind this practice?

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a real thing. It can occur because of a poor diet, or because some medications (like acid blockers) interfere with absorption. Or it can occur because of a specific autoimmune disorder called “Pernicious Anemia.” Whatever the cause, the health consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency can include anemia, neuropathy, irritability, and depression.

There is a simple blood test to measure vitamin B12 levels, though the levels in the blood don’t always correlate with whether there is enough B12 levels in the cells themselves. We can test for this, too, indirectly, through other blood tests including methylmalonic acid and homocysteine levels. So we can, in fact, know if a person is truly deficient. These confirmatory tests are rarely done.

Instead, many adults are told that their vague symptoms of tiredness or fatigue are caused by B12 deficiency, instead of actually trying to address genuine issues like insufficient sleep, sleep apnea, overreliance on caffeine, and depression (to name a few of the many genuine causes of fatigue.)

It gets worse. The treatment of B12 deficiency, as has been established from studies done in the 1960s, is ORAL B12. That’s right. Pills. Injections of B12 are not necessary—oral supplements work well, even in pernicious anemia. They’re cheap and they work. I suppose a very rare patient, say one who has surgically lost most of their gut, could require injections. But the vast majority of people with genuine B12 deficiency can get all of the B12 they need through eating foods or swallowing supplements. No needles needed.

So why this fetish with injections? From the patient’s point of view, shots feel more like something important is going on. Placebos need rituals—with acupuncture, for instance, the elaborate ritual creates an illusion of effectiveness. And from the doctor’s point of view, injections reinforce dependence on the physician, creating visits and cash flow.

So: people seem to think they feel better with injections, and the doctor makes a little cash, and everyone’s happy. So what’s the harm in that?

I think it’s wrong to knowingly dispense placebos, even harmless ones. We doctors like to criticize the chiropractors and homeopaths. We point fingers. They’re the quacks. We’d better take a close look at what we’re doing, first. Our placebos are sometimes far more dangerous than theirs.

More importantly, people should be able to expect more from physicians. Patients come to us for genuine answers—if they wanted a witch doctor, they would have found one. I think we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than a huckster at the carnival. We’re not here to promise that we’ve got all the answers. We are here to be honest, and to use the best knowledge that science has to offer, using genuine compassion and thought. Let’s leave the quacking to the quacks. We’ll stick with real medicine.

Roy Benaroch is a pediatrician who blogs at The Pediatric Insider. He is also the author of Solving Health and Behavioral Problems from Birth through Preschool: A Parent’s Guide and A Guide to Getting the Best Health Care for Your Child.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2013/02/fetish-vitamin-b12-shots.html

B12 Deficiency And Neuropathy

Today's post from b12anemia.org (see link below) is another personal account of someone dealing with their neuropathy symptoms. Many people may recognise the problems with the bladder and urinary tract and have also put them down to something else - maybe a B12 deficiency is the problem behind it. The author has no apparent link to HIV but people with HIV may well have experienced the same problems.

Peripheral Neuropathy – more information
October 10th, 2012 by B12anemia

As I said in my last post, the peripheral nervous system includes sensory nerves that receive feeling. Keep in mind that not everyone experiences the same symptoms with any condition. When dealing with the nervous system even more so. Your nerves may react very differently then someone else, so you might have symptoms and not even realize what they really mean.

I want to take a minute to discuss something that happened to me. When my B12 deficiency was the most severe, my main symptoms had to do with my bladder and sensitive areas. To be more specific (hey, if it can help any of you I’m happy to embarrass myself) I thought I had urinary tract infections, bladder infections or some type of yeast infection.

I peed (is that a word?) in many a cup and wasted months going to my gynecologist, who kept telling me I was fine. And in those areas I was, it was actually a result of the nerve damage the B12 deficiency was causing. I’ve since been told that the nerves in that area (whether you are a man or woman) are very sensitive, and it’s not uncommon to feel the way I did. Had I gone right to my primary care physician, I may have gotten my blood work done and the B12 deficiency detected much sooner. Alright, I’m done with my little rant so lets move on to more facts.

Peripheral neuropathy usually starts in the longest nerves, the nerves that reach to your toes. This is why most people (myself included) who experience peripheral neuropathy start with tingling in their feet and it works it’s way up into your legs. Or it may begin in your hands and spread up into your arms. Peripheral neuropathy may also cause sharp and/or jabbing pain, a prickly sensation, extreme sensitivity to touch or light, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, bowel or bladder problems.

B vitamins, especially B12, are very important to the health of your nervous system. You should always seek medical advice if you are experiencing any unusual sensations in your hands or feet. The earlier a problem is diagnosed the better. Especially when it comes to dealing with your nervous system and nerve damage. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to preventing any further damage and possibly healing damage that has already taken place.

http://www.b12anemia.org/peripheral-neuropathy-more-information.html