Misdiagnosis
Despite decades of research of vitamin B12 deficiency and its wide-ranging effects, much is still unknown about this life-altering condition amongst health professionals due to a lack of knowledge, and therefore lack of screening in sypmtomatic or at risk groups. This means that B12 deficiency although common, it is commonly misdiagnosed.
Just imagine the cost of this worldwide…
Why is B12 deficiency misdiagnosed?
Many health care professionals do not consider testing males, young women or children for B12 deficiency as they assume elderly females are the only at risk group. However the elderly can be misdiagnosed due to the incidence of pre existing conditions which their B12 deficiency symptoms may be incorrectly attributed to.
There is also a gross misconception that macrocytic anaemia (enlarged red blood cells) must always be present when in fact, psychiatric changes often come first.
Testing for B12 deficiency is often limited to the serum B12 test which has its limitations. This then misses many severely deficient people. In addition the reference ranges for the serum B12 test is often set far too low.
B12 deficiency can be misdiagnosed as…
- Dementia/Alzheimer’s
- Multiple sclerosis
- Depression
- Postnatal depression
- Psychosis
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Neuropathy (diabetic, CIDP)
- Vertigo
- Anaemia
- Congestive heart failure
- Autism
- ADHD
- Radiculopathy, chronic pain disorder
- CFS – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- ME – Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Parkinson’s disease
- FND (Functional neurological disorder)
- Leukodystrophy
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