Could It Be B12? by Sally Pacholok & Jeffrey Stuart, D.O.

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lyndacarol
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Could It Be B12? by Sally Pacholok & Jeffrey Stuart, D.O.

Post by lyndacarol »

I highly recommend the following 50-minute documentary from the filmmaker Elissa Leonard, featuring Sally Pacholok, RN, BSN & her husband Jeffrey Stuart, D.O. (authors of the book, Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses); Lawrence Solomon, M.D., hematologist with Yale Medical School; Ralph Green, M.D., hematologist at UC Davis; and Donald Jacobsen, PhD, at the Cleveland Clinic (Homocysteine Research Lab). "Everything You Want Your Doctor to Know about Vitamin B12"



The following list from the video contains B12 deficiency symptoms often common to MS as well:
Signs and Symptoms of B12 Deficiency:
Tingling/Numbness
Sore Mouth or Tongue
Fatigue
Anxiety
Irritability
Depression
Weakness
Abnormal Gait
Mental Impairment
Visual Disturbances
Migraine
Orthostatic Intolerance
Chest Pain
Tachycardia
Difficulty Breathing
Edema
Elevated Homocysteine
Elevated MMA
Stomach and G.I. Problems
Blood Abnormalities
Neurological Lesions
Limb Movement Disorders
Psychosis
Thoughts of Suicide
After watching the video, I bought the book, which, in my opinion, needs to be in every personal library! Chapter 3 (pages 53-80), "Deadly Mimic: When B12 Deficiency Masquerades As Multiple Sclerosis or Other Neurological Disorders," is especially relevant to us with MS.

From another source I have learned that 3 specific symptoms (#1 weakness in the extremities, #2 loss of positional and vibratory sensation, #3 gait ataxia) identify the condition called Subacute Combined Degeneration (SCD).

From pages 75-76 of Could It Be B12?:
Note for Physicians: What Is the End Result of Untreated Vitamin B12 Deficiency or Late Diagnosis?

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is the term doctors used to describe the damage to the spinal cord caused by chronic vitamin B12 deficiency. It typically involves the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord (hence the name combined system disease). In medical terminology, this is also abbreviated as SCDSC – subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. The term SCD is customarily reserved specifically for the spinal cord lesion caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.…

Common early symptoms of SCD include numbness and tingling (paresthesias), difficulty walking, and balance problems. Paresthesias typically occur in the limbs but may involve the trunk, causing a wrapping sensation or constriction in the abdomen or chest.

Abnormal reflexes are often found and spasticity of muscles may develop. Patients report a reduced sense of touch, pain, and temperature. Loss of vibration sense, change in tendon reflexes, clonus, and extensor plantar responses may occur. Sensory disturbances precede motor disturbances. Progression of the deficiency leads to limb weakness and ataxia. Prolonged untreated B12 deficiency may progress to paraplegia with variable degrees of spasticity and contracture. The spinothalamic tracts may be involved, which manifests as a loss of superficial sensation below a certain level on the trunk.

… Damage to the optic nerve, decreased visual acuity, peripheral vision loss, and signs of nerve inflammation may be found during eye and retinal exams. Visual impairment due to optic neuropathy may occasionally be the earliest or sole manifestation of B12 deficiency.… Some patients may also experience autonomic dysfunction, including urinary sphincteric symptoms and impotence.

B12 deficiency causes myelin breakdown, axonal degeneration, macrophage infiltration, and astrocytic gliosis. The process of destruction takes the form of a diffuse though uneven degeneration of white matter of the spinal cord as well as the brain.…
Loriyas
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Re: Could It Be B12? by Sally Pacholok & Jeffrey Stuart, D.O

Post by Loriyas »

Great information! Ordering the book now!
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