Holly – aged 46

Diagnosed at age 27 – B12 serum level: 150  –  Folate: 1

Symptoms experienced over 20+ years:

• Tingling in forearms & hands
• Extreme fatigue
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen tongue
• Slurred speech
• Short term memory loss
• Severe mood swings
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Fainting
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Facial pain and numbness
• Hearing hypersensitivity
• Tinnitus
• Back pain
• Numbness in hands
• Pica
• Translucent skin
• Foot odour

Holly was diagnosed after a five year battle and constant visits to her family doctor. She was found to be B12 and folate deficient. Subsequent Schillings test and intrinsic factor antibodies blood test confirmed pernicious anaemia (PA) due to lacking intrinsic factor in the stomach.

Unfortunately, Holly’s family doctor had no experience in treating PA and didn’t administer loading injections. For two years, Holly received only one monthly intra-muscular injection of vitamin B12 and 5mg of folic acid daily.

Two years later, Holly’s condition worsened. She was bed ridden with constant nausea, severe headaches, loss of appetite, extreme exhaustion. She slept on average 20-22 hours each day. She also had severe mood swings, short term memory issues and slurred speech.

Feeling desperate, Holly sought help from a naturopath. Two weeks after a strictly controlled diet and a daily cocktail of around 60 vitamins a day Holly was able to resume normal life activities. Within six months, she was able to reduce her daily vitamin intake to just 6 vitamins along with her monthly injection of B12.

She was symptom free for almost almost 3 ½ years until undiagnosed pain and inflammation spread throughout her body. Severe daily headaches, facial pain and numbness, loss of balance, tinnitus, and back pain had doctors stumped. Unsuccessful physiotherapy along with a prescribed pain perception medication and five years of costly acupuncture ensued. Finally Holly discovered that the inflammation was due to far too little vitamin B12. She was able to convince her family doctor to let her take control of her own healing and was taught to self-inject, she was finally free of inflammation and pain.

Holly now self-injects B12 subcutaneously 3 times a week and has a daily intake of vitamin B complex, folate, vitamin D and a multi vitamin.

Holly’s improvement has been profound and she now leads a normal life, steadily increasing her exercise regime to almost what she was capable of 20 years ago.