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Well after all this site has taught me in regards to b12, I wanted to ask your opinions about my grandma. She is in her 70's, and has had a mild nodding shake in her head that has been going on for a year. She has been taking metformin for years and I know she uses tums.

B12 deficiency causing tremors or mimicking Parkinson's?

I am currently encouraging her, and the rest of my family to get b12 testing done.

hi again lots of levels are low in the elderly even more so than the general population. b12 is one of many.

for tremor, i'd look hard at electrolytes - maybe even going as basic as sodium and potassium, as well as calcium and of course magnesium.

recall, we know that b12 can be expected to be low in vegetarians - but that does not mean that it is the only nutrient of concern, or that it is single-handedly responsible for all your and the rest of your family's every symptom.

Considering it's hereditary and previous generations in the family had cardiovascular issues cause death, I am advocating they get their levels checked as it seems their doctors ignore b12.

Almost every member in my family exhibits symptoms outlined in 'could it be b12' as well as the video on yt. From the nephews with adhd, to the infertility of my uncles, to grandma's head shaking, to my neurological issues, I figured b12 would be a good place to start. Especially considering grandma's metformin and antacid intake, and she doesn't eat a lot of meat.

I have also been discussing general dietary health and other vitamins & minerals with them. I show them your posts in the other thread along with the yt video.

docs aren't trained in nutrition generally. it's not just b12 they're ignoring, unfortunately.

also, 'could be' doesn't mean 'is'.. that's the thing about nutrient deficits. mag deficiency doesn't result in every possible symptom on the list, repeat for pretty much every essential nutrient on the list.

Low serum magnesium concentrations predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21703623

i'd look at omega 3s and magnesium status for the nephews with adhd

Cognitive and psychosocial development in children with familial hypomagnesaemia
http://www.jle.com/e-docs/00/04/65/40/article.phtml
"Psychiatric symptoms were hyperactivity, irritability, sleep and speech problems and finger sucking. Common psychiatric diagnoses were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder..."

zinc and selenium might be good for the uncles

The effect of micronutrient supplements on male fertility
http://journals.lww.com/co-obgyn/Abstra ... le.13.aspx

Male infertility: Decreased levels of selenium, zinc and antioxidants
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 2X1300206X

my boss was having trouble conceiving for a year and a half and after zinc treatment, she conceived in 6 weeks.

re the metformin you could certainly expect that to deplete b12. re antacid, recall effects on calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. none of these are things to ignore. glad to hear you've been discussing the rest of it as well.

re the other thread, you mean this one? here is some of the most general nutrition info i have compiled at tims:
www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html

Hi Chad
In my experience with the elderly(especially ladies), they are tea and toast for meals. And also wondering if grandma is eating sugaring things(treats) when no one is around. If grandma is not a meat eater....just wondering where does she get protein from for her dietary intake? Cells need protein to heal ourselves. A lot of the time if grandma is not a good eater..... prepare something that is fragrant to activate the saliva glands and then sit and eat with her. You would be surprised how well this works for the elderly. A decorative setup table and conversation will increase their appetite. The elderly will do much better through nutrition. I wish you the very best.
Ann

chad wrote:Well after all this site has taught me in regards to b12, I wanted to ask your opinions about my grandma. She is in her 70's, and has had a mild nodding shake in her head that has been going on for a year. She has been taking metformin for years and I know she uses tums.

B12 deficiency causing tremors or mimicking Parkinson's?

I am currently encouraging her, and the rest of my family to get b12 testing done.

As people get older, it is not unusual for them to produce less Hydrochloric Acid, Intrinsic Factor, and other proteins necessary to metabolize B12.

I think encouraging her and the rest of your family to have B12 testing done is a very good idea.

it's great that you're not hammering on B12 to the exclusion of everything else chad