How Long to Recover from Vitamin B12 Deficiency? – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

In the health and wellness realm, understanding the timeline for recovery from various conditions is often paramount. When it comes to vitamin deficiencies, one of the most crucial questions people often ask is, How long to recover from vitamin B12 deficiency?

Here’s the brief: Recovery from vitamin B12 deficiency varies but generally takes several months to a year, depending on factors such as —

• severity,
• treatment method,
• and individual response.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common case that can cause a variety of symptoms. It’s more common in older people, vegetarians, and those with stomach or intestine issues like pernicious anaemia.

Let’s explore this topic further, looking at symptoms, causes, underlying risks, and what time it would be like to recover from this deficiency.

What is Vitamin B12?

So, what exactly is vitamin B12? Well, it’s one of the B vitamins, which are a group of eight essential nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy. These vitamins play a big role in giving us energy and making sure our bodies work properly.

Here’s the full list of B vitamins:

• B1 (also known as Thiamine)
• B2 (Riboflavin)
• B3 (Niacin)
• B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
• B6 (Pyridoxine)
• B7 (Biotin)
• B9 (Folate)
• B12 (Cobalamin)

Our bodies don’t make B vitamins on their own, so we have to get them from the food we eat. Vitamin B12, specifically, is important for many bodily functions. It’s crucial for things like making red blood cells and keeping our nervous system healthy.

 Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

To realise how long it takes to recover from vitamin B12 deficiency, you first need to recognise the signs and symptoms of deficiency to watch for. Let’s check out the following:

Some symptoms of low vitamin B12 levels are similar to those of other illnesses, which makes diagnosing deficiency tricky.

Anaemia

Vitamin B12 helps in making red blood cells (RBCs) that carry oxygen. When there’s not enough B12, it leads to faulty red blood cells, causing anaemia. This can make you feel weak and tired.

Neuropathy

Low B12 affects the nerves in your brain and spinal cord, causing them to deteriorate slowly. This condition, called neuropathy, results in weakness and balance issues, which can worsen if anaemia is also present.

Myelopathy

Myelopathy means the spinal cord doesn’t work right. It happens when cells in the spinal cord break down. These cells, called neurons, help you feel and move.

This can lead to weak muscles and trouble feeling light touch or vibration. People with myelopathy might also struggle to know where their body is, like how high they’re holding their arm. They might have symptoms like neuropathy, which affects nerves.

Dementia

Vitamin B12 deficiency might lead to dementia, with symptoms like memory loss, cognitive decline, behavioural changes, and problems with self-care. Severe deficiency can even cause psychosis, making it hard to tell reality from imagination.

Other Symptoms

More signs of not having enough vitamin B12 may be:

• Less white blood cells, which increases your risk of infection
• Fewer platelets, which increases your risk of bleeding
• Headaches
• Losing weight
• Feeling down, especially depressed
• Acting different
• Having trouble walking
• A swollen tongue

Important: Symptoms develop slowly over weeks or months and usually require treatment for improvement.

What Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Having enough B12 is crucial for your body to work properly. But sometimes, people don’t get enough for various reasons. Let’s look at why:

• Diet: You can get B12 from food like fish, meat, and dairy. But if you don’t eat these often or if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you might not get enough.

Keep in mind that your body stores B12 for 2 to 4 years. So, if you’ve recently switched to a vegan or vegetarian diet, it might take a while for B12 deficiency symptoms to show up.

• Pernicious Anaemia: This is a common reason for B12 deficiency. It’s when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your stomach, affecting how your body absorbs B12 from food.
• Gastric Surgeries: These surgeries can affect how your body absorbs B12 by changing acid levels in your stomach.
• Intestinal Issues: If you have problems like Crohn’s Disease or Celiac Disease, your intestine might not absorb B12 properly.Bacterial Overgrowth: Sometimes, too much bacteria in your gut can take up the B12 your body needs.
• Menopause: Hormonal changes during and after menopause can make it harder for women to absorb B12, so they might need supplements.

Who’s at Risk?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has new guidelines on B12 deficiency, listing groups more prone to it:

• Older adults (aged 60+): Ageing reduces stomach acid, making it harder to absorb nutrients. About 5% of 65-74-year-olds and over 10% of over-75s are affected.
• Vegans: Without animal products, they lack B12 unless they take supplements or find plant-based sources.
• Those with health issues: Conditions like gastritis, coeliac disease, and autoimmune diseases affect B12 absorption.
• Certain medication users: Drugs like phenobarbital, pregabalin, and others can lower B12 levels.
• People with Pernicious Anaemia: This autoimmune condition damages the stomach lining, a key cause of B12 deficiency in the UK.

Diagnosing Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Diagnosing vitamin B12 deficiency can be tricky because its symptoms are similar to those of other health issues.

Medical History and Physical Exam

Your doctor will want to know about your medical history and may conduct a physical exam to look for signs of B12 deficiency. For instance, signs like a weak pulse or pale fingers could indicate anaemia, while numbness in the feet may suggest neuropathy.

Laboratory Tests

So, how to test for B12 deficiency? Lab tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and a vitamin B12 level test, can confirm the diagnosis. Normal B12 levels range from 180 to 914 picograms per millilitre (pg/mL) or 133 to 677 picomoles per litre (pmol/L). Anaemia associated with B12 deficiency, called macrocytic anaemia, can be detected through a blood smear, where red blood cells are large and may vary in shape and size.

Imaging and Specialised Tests

Additional Vitamin B12 deficiency tests like nerve conduction studies may help confirm the diagnosis by measuring the speed of electrical signals in your nerves. However, these tests are usually used alongside other diagnostic methods and cannot solely confirm B12 deficiency.

How Much B12 Do I Need Daily?

To maintain good health, it’s important to know how much vitamin B12 you need daily. This varies based on factors like age, lifestyle, and health conditions. For example, older adults are more likely to lack B12, according to new guidelines from NICE.

The NHS suggests adults aged 19-64 should aim for 1.5 micrograms (µg) of B12 daily.

Here’s a breakdown of normal B12 levels by age on a daily basis:

How Vitamin B12 Deficiency is Treated?

Vitamin B12 deficiency treatment can be done with B12 supplements. This can be in the form of a pill or a shot. If your body has trouble absorbing B12, you might need a shot to help it absorb better.

Some people may need to take B12 supplements for life, depending on the cause of the deficiency. Even if your symptoms get better, your doctor might still recommend you keep taking B12 supplements.

Intramuscular Injections

If the doctor diagnoses you with a B12 deficiency, they might suggest giving you injections instead of oral supplements, especially if you have trouble absorbing B12 from food or tablets. Recovery with injections usually takes around 2 weeks, but it can vary based on the cause.

Non-Diet-Related Causes

For causes not related to diet, you might need an intramuscular injection every 2-3 months for the rest of your life. Using a B12 oral spray for conditions like pernicious anaemia between injections may help prevent symptoms from coming back before your next injection.

Rehabilitation

After treatment, you might still experience symptoms like numbness, tingling, and weakness, which can affect your balance. A physical or occupational therapist will help you learn ways to manage these issues.

While memory problems may get better with proper B12 levels, some thinking skills may still be affected. Therapy can help improve your problem-solving abilities and overall cognitive function.

When to Visit Your GP?

If you’re worried about your B12 levels and want to learn more about recovery, it’s important to see your doctor. Make an appointment if:

• You belong to any at-risk groups.
• You’re experiencing symptoms of deficiency.
• You’ve taken a test but don’t understand the results.
• After taking supplements for a while, your B12 levels haven’t returned to normal for your age.

Besides, do you want to learn about food storage temperature? Take a look at our informative blog based on this topic.

How to Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

To prevent vitamin B12 deficiency, aim for a balanced diet rich in animal products like eggs, poultry, fish, and red meat. Some plant-based foods are also fortified with B12, such as certain types of plant-based milk and breakfast cereals.

However, vegetarians and vegans may struggle to get enough B12 from food alone. In such cases, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional. Remember that as we get older, our bodies sometimes have a harder time absorbing B12 from food.

This means that even if we eat enough, we might not be getting all the B12 our bodies need. That’s why it’s often suggested that people over 50 take B12 supplements to make sure they’re getting enough.

Though the general recommendation regarding Vitamin B12 dosage for seniors is 2.4mcg daily, higher doses may be needed due to lower absorption rates.

In addition, visit our insightful blog if you want to get a thorough understanding of high-risk and low-risk foods.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency FAQs

1. Can Vitamin B12 deficiency be a sign of cancer?

If your body lacks Vitamin B12 due to pernicious anaemia, where your immune system harms healthy stomach cells, you’re more likely to get stomach cancer.

2.Where can I buy Vitamin B12 injections in the UK?

In the UK, purchasing Vitamin B12 injections directly isn’t possible due to safety regulations. However, you have two options to get B12 injections:

• NHS Referral: Consult your GP about a B12 deficiency. If they diagnose it, they might prescribe injections on the NHS or refer you to a specialist clinic that can administer them.
• Private Clinics: Some private pharmacies and clinics offer B12 injection services. These typically involve:
• Consultation: A healthcare professional will assess your situation and potentially recommend a B12-level test.
• Injection: If a deficiency is confirmed and injections are deemed suitable, the clinic will administer them.

What does Vitamin B12 do for the body?
Vitamin B12 fuels your energy by aiding red blood cell formation, keeping your nervous system healthy, and helping make DNA for cell growth and repair.

3. What causes B12 deficiency in older adults?

Older adults are more likely to have reduced stomach acid production, hindering B12 absorption. Pernicious anaemia, an autoimmune issue attacking B12 absorption, also becomes more common with age. Gastric bypass surgery can further limit B12 uptake.

4. What is Boots Vitamin B12?

Boots Vitamin B12 is a dietary supplement sold by Boots Pharmacy to help prevent or treat vitamin B12 deficiency. It comes in various forms, such as tablets for oral consumption.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, understanding how long to recover from vitamin B12 deficiency is crucial for managing this condition effectively. It’s a different journey for each person, involving recognising signs, treating root causes, and keeping track of progress. By getting the right diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care, people can confidently move toward better health and feel more energetic and well.