Vitamin B12 deficiency
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What is vitamin B12 deficiency?
Vitamin B12, a water soluble vitamin, helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system. Deficiency is due to inadequate dietary intake or impaired absorption of Vitamin B12 resulting in megaloblastic anemia due to inhibition in red blood cell production.
Common symptoms reported by people with vitamin B12 deficiency
Common symptoms
How bad it is
What people are taking for it
Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, insomnia, fatigue, and pain) regardless of condition.
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Treatments taken by people with vitamin B12 deficiency
Treatment name(s)
Type
How many have tried
Tried for
Data from patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Compare treatments taken by people with vitamin B12 deficiency
Treatment name(s)
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Perceived effectiveness
for vitamin B12 deficiency (31 evaluations)
Total evaluations
36
Tried for
vitamin B12 deficiency
(87)
Fatigue
(3)
Perceived effectiveness
for vitamin B12 deficiency (35 evaluations)
Side effects
Headaches
Injection site bruising
Total evaluations
37
Tried for
vitamin B12 deficiency
(48)
Fatigue
(7)
Perceived effectiveness
for vitamin B12 deficiency (4 evaluations)
Side effects
Total evaluations
5
Tried for
vitamin B12 deficiency
(29)
Perceived effectiveness
for Pain (13 evaluations)
Total evaluations
18
Tried for
Pain
(17)
Depressed mood
(1)
1 more
Perceived effectiveness
for Pain (6 evaluations)
Side effects
Chronic constipation
Constipation
Total evaluations
6
Tried for
Pain
(17)
Perceived effectiveness
for Insomnia (3 evaluations)
Side effects
Drugged feeling
Total evaluations
3
Tried for
Insomnia
(15)
Depressed mood
(1)
Perceived effectiveness
for Insomnia (6 evaluations)
Side effects
Drowsiness
Tiredness
Total evaluations
6
Tried for
Insomnia
(14)
Perceived effectiveness
for Depressed mood (4 evaluations)
Total evaluations
7
Tried for
Depressed mood
(10)
Pain
(2)
Perceived effectiveness
for Insomnia (5 evaluations)
Total evaluations
10
Tried for
Insomnia
(11)
Depressed mood
(5)
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
- Severe
- Moderate
- Mild
- None
Data from patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Who has vitamin B12 deficiency on PatientsLikeMe?
- 990 patients have this condition
- 5 new patients joined this month
- 109 say vitamin B12 deficiency is their primary condition
| Age | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| <20 | 2 | |
| 20s | 58 | |
| 30s | 147 | |
| 40s | 305 | |
| 50s | 284 | |
| 60s | 124 | |
| 70+ | 34 |
| Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 years | 36 | |
| 20-29 years | 77 | |
| 30-39 years | 117 | |
| 40-49 years | 101 | |
| 50-59 years | 47 | |
| 60-69 years | 6 | |
| 70+ years | 2 |
Sex
Distribution of sex
| 87% | Female |
|---|---|
| 13% | Male |
| Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 549 | |
| Not Diagnosed | 27 |
These charts show data from vitamin B12 deficiency patients who have completed their condition history
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