Osteopenia, Osteoporosis B12 Deficiency

News about Osteopenia, Osteoporosis B12 Vitamin deficiency. Many people talk about Vitamin D and Vitamin K for strong bones. Few mention any of the B vitamins when they discuss building  strong bones. But Vitamin B12 is important.  And for some people their  low levels of Vitamin B12 are the cause of their thinning or porous bones. Of course low levels of this vitamin can be the cause of a number of other symptoms too.

Some symptoms of deficiency in tis vitamin..

• Mental confusion, memory loss, irritability, apathy, sleepiness, personality changes, depression, hallucinations,violent behavior. Not all of these are seen in each case but any of them could be symptoms. (Some older persons are viewed as 'going senile' when really all they have is a vitamin deficiency.  When their B12 levels are brought back into normal range, the mental and behavioral issues are relieved.
  

• Abnormal sensations eg, pain, tingling, numbness, diminished sense of touch or temperature, clumsiness, tremor, weakness,incontinence, vision changes, damage to the optic nerve
• TIAs (transient ischemic attacks), stroke, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, palpitations, blood clots, low blood pressure when standing up - sometimes causes falls or fainting.
• Chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal problems, osteoporosis, tinnitus, prematurely grey hair

As you can see B12 is a very important vitamin and anyone with ANY of the symptoms above should have their levels checked.

Who is at risk?

Although anyone can develop such a deficiency  there are certain groups who are at greater risk: Vegetarians, those over age 60, alcoholics, anyone with Chron's disease, Celiac disease, Graves disease, Lupus, bacterial growth, parasites, Atrophic gastirits, as well as those with a malabsorbtion problems,, those with pernicious anemia, persons who have had certain abominable surgeries and persons taking certain drugs.

If you have bone loss and you have experienced any of the conditions or symptoms listed above, do talk with your physician about getting screened. You do not want your treatment to NOT work because  a B12 vitamin deficiency is getting in the way.

The remedy for B12 deficiency is simple.

You can get a B12 shot on a regular basis - either given by your health care provider or you can administer it yourself.  There are also sub-lingual loungers that you can take.

Special Note: If you take the B12 shots, do ask your health care provider for the form that is aluminum free.

To read more you can go  to Osteoporosis B12 Vitamin Deficiency

Click here for the List of Causes of  Osteopenia page.