B12 lifting fatigue and disphoria

[Gwyon]

Want to share this discovery with you all...

I started taking B12 supplements a week ago and they are having a profound positive effect: less mental fatigue, and having moments of (dare I say it) contentment for the first time in many, many months.

What lead me to B12 was an increasing, debilitating mental fatigue and discovering that a B12 deficiency can be one of the causes. Futher reading pointed to the importance of B12 in neurotransmitter production and neuron functioning.  Got my B12 measured and it was low normal -- so my Dr was not concerned.  But there is lots of debate out there about what's normal (Japan and Europe have a much higher normal threshold ) and lots of evidence that older folks can show symptoms even in the low normal range.

So, I started taking 2000mcg per day (sublingual tablets) last Saturday -- am now switching to 1000mcg per day going forwar. By Monday my mental fatigue was lifting. And during the week i've had multiple moments of feeling just warm and good -- which is a blessed relief after months and months of dysphoria or just plain nothing. Only a week in now and i'm fully cognizant -- as are we all -- of how short lived these types of "medicine-based" improvements can be. So we'll see,  and I will keep you posted.

My theory: my dopamine and seratonin production was way low, and supplementing with B12 has brought them back up again. I suspect I had a mild B12 deficiency. But also, I think those of us with c-ptsd are particularly sensitive to such deficiencies due to our compromised brain chemistry, and the terrific cognitive demands of down-regulating our limbic systems.

I post this with mild trepidation,  knowing that what is helpful for one person does not necessarily help someone else. So look into B12 deficiencies and if it seems you fit the pattern I highly recommend giving supplements a try.

One more thing: one of the causes of B12 deficiency can be taking meds to control GERD, which lowers stomach acid and lowers release and absorption  of B12. And of course I bet this community has a high frequency of GERD sufferers.

Again, I'll keep you posted as to whether the positive effects persist over the coming weeks.

[Elphanigh]

I am really glad you have found something that is working for you. Finding moments of contentment is so important 

[Libby183]

Hi Gwyon.

This was a really interesting post,  and very timely for me.  I have just decided that I should start taking B12 (and vitamin D) supplements again.  I had both prescribed a while back after a blood test showed that both,  but B12 in particular were low.

I have suffered from fybromyalga symptoms for years,  but have only just realised that peripheral neuropathy and fybromyalga are thought to be closely linked.  The doctor portrayed them as separate conditions but that doesn't seem to fit in with current research. From everything I've read recently,  fybromyalga and it's pain is a nervous system disorder,  so with B12 so vital to the CNS,  it makes sense to maintain good B12 levels.

I feel even more sure that my pain is caused by nervous system 'damage' because moving to a lower dose of duloxetine has led to more foot and hand pain and tingling, and even teeth and ear pain.  It's quite weird what these nerves can get up to!!

So, I hope this makes sense to you and I will be very interested to hear more about your experiences.   I always feel that everything else would be a bit easier to deal with if only we didn't feel so exhausted,  mentally and physically, so anything that helps has got to be good.

Keep us posted.

Libby.

[sanmagic7]

i know b12, b complex, etc., help a lot of people feel less fatigued.  i've had it prescribed for me more than once.

problem is that it works the opposite for me.  the first time i ever tried it, i nearly fell asleep in a waiting room.  i do take a super b complex tablet for the calming effect it has on me, to help with my brain and cns, cuz i've also read that it's good for the brain.  d1 has the same effects with b vitamins.

once again, we're all different.  i'm just glad something as simple as taking a vit. supplement helps you.  hugs.

[Gwyon]

Well, I wouldn't say "simple". More like a last, desperate Hail Mary pass that seems to have connected. ... so far. I'm on anti-depressants for many years. Regular exercise is not optional for me. I've done decades of hard personal work, always finding another layer.  I really sense that i've re-parented my internal dialogue, and become mindful of my EF'S so the don't completely high jack me. But in spite of all that I 've just gone through over a year of consistently feeling either disphoric, or just plain nothing. And was starting to think that I might have to resign my job as the mental and emotional fatigue was becoming debilitating. Nothing useful from my Dr on this, either. So I feel fortunate that I stumbled on the B12 possibility. And I'm acutely aware that it may well not last. I desperately hope it does. But it's not simple.

[Gwyon]

Libby: Interestingly, the peripheral pain and tingling is also one of the symptoms of B12 deficiency. Sorry you are struggling with fibromyalgia, too.

Sanmagic: Please forgive my somewhat defensive response. We're all sensitive, I think, to perceived minimizing of our struggles. But you did say "hugs". Hugs back.

[sanmagic7]

i'm sorry, gwyon, i didn't at all mean to minimize anything about you or what you've gone thru.  no, not at all, and i'm sorry i even came across that way.

i meant simple as in taking a vit. tablet is simple, not the process of finding out that that's one thing that may help you.  i've also gone thru so many meds, so much research, in nearly 20 years and i rely now on vitamins and supplements for the most part to help my system stay as healthy as possible.  taking such supplements is simple to me compared to all the hoops and experimentation i've gone thru in the past with anti-depressants, anti-convulsives, anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, etc. 

absolutely hugs to you.  thanks for catching that and letting me know.  sometimes i'm thinking one thing and writing another that i think is connected, but doesn't look that way on the page.  this helps me learn to be more careful with that.

[Kat]

I seem to always get headaches when I take vitamin supplements.  Does anyone else experience this? 

[Libby183]

Hi Kat.

Now you mention it,  I do seem to remember having some side-effects, including headaches,  when I started taking supplements last time.  From a purely unscientific view point,  I do wonder if our brains and nervous systems are especially sensitive to any changes.  It does feel like this is the case for me.

Generally,  I am not a huge believer in supplements - I wonder if it's all just a way to make money,  but with my low blood levels of these vitamins and my symptoms,  I think they may be worth a try.

Take care,

Libby

[Gwyon]

Sanmagic: You are fine. The minimizing was only "perceived", not real. Damn that outer critic ;-)

Libby183: I have the same reservations. This is the first time I'm trying a supplement.

So now the real test begins. I was thrown off my temporary equilibrium this weekend. So we'll see whether  it was just situational (or placebo effect) or if I recover more easily. Resiliency is key.

Part of the throwing off was reconnecting here. Such a desire to connect, and yet so fraught with fear of mistakes and need for validation. Not consciously, rather the EF kind that blindsides you.

[songbirdrosa]

Gwyon, I'm being tested for pernicious anaemia tomorrow, which causes a deficiency in B12. Hopefully I get the same great results as you if I can get my levels back up!

[Gwyon]

songbirdrosa,

Yes, that's another cause. From my reading it's possible to have symptoms even when B12 is in low normal range, so keep that in mind too.

But let me clear that i'm just sharing what i've read and experienced. Hoping to inform, but I don’t claim any absolute knowledge -- and everybody is different.  Here are links to a few of my readings:
* https://www.mthfrsupport.com.au/vitamin-b12-reference-range-level-set-low/
* https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/
* http://kellybroganmd.com/b12-deficiency-brain-health/
* https://dominatedepression.com/best-b12-supplement/

I hope this turns out to make a difference for you, too!

Kindly,
Gwyon

[Three Roses]

 I've also been taking B vitamins. Seems to be making a difference. 

[Gwyon]

Update...

A couple weeks in and the benefits of B12 are consistent and persisting. The floor is a bit higher and i'm a bit more resilient to upsets and EF's.

[Blueberry]