Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Vitamin B12 Deficiency includes the 51 symptoms listed below:

• Anemia - see also symptoms of anemia
• Pernicious anemia
• Certain brain disorders
• Certain nerve disorders
• Neurological symptoms
• Loss of appetite
• Pale lips
• Brittle nails
• Sore mouth
• Pale eyelids
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Asymptomatic in mild cases
• Large red blood cells
• Low red blood cell count
• Low level of hemoglobin
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Paresthesia
• Jaundice
• Swollen red tongue
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Enlarged spleen
• Ataxia
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Weight loss
• Irritability
• Lightheadedness
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Early symptoms are mild
• Shortness of breath after exercise
• Pallor
• Concentration problems
• Sleeping problems
• Difficulty swallowing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Irregular heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Impaired cognitive ability
• Cold skin
• Impaired memory
• Depression
• Disturbed sleep
• Tingling in extremities
• Numbness in extremities
• Mania
• Psychosis
• Itchy tongue
• Tingling tongue
• Sores in corner of mouth
• more information...»

Research symptoms & diagnosis of Vitamin B12 Deficiency:

• Overview -- Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Complications -- Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Doctors & Specialists
• Misdiagnosis and Alternative Diagnoses
• Hidden Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Other Causes -- causes of these or similar symptoms

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Complications

Review medical complications possibly associated with Vitamin B12 Deficiency:

• Permanent neurological damage
• more complications...»

Research More About Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Do I have Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

• Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Introduction
• Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Hidden Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• How serious is it?
• Treatments for Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• More about Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Wrongly Diagnosed with Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Vitamin B12 Deficiency includes:

• Folic acid deficiency
• Myelodysplastic syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Ataxia
• Dementia
• more diagnoses...»

See the full list of 10 alternative diagnoses for Vitamin B12 Deficiency

More about symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency:

More information about symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and related conditions:

• Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Underlying causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Anemia - see all causes of Anemia
• Asymptomatic in mild cases - see all causes of No symptoms
• Ataxia - see all causes of Ataxia
• Brittle nails - see all causes of Brittle nails
• Certain brain disorders - see all causes of Brain symptoms
• Certain nerve disorders - see all causes of Nerve symptoms
• Cold skin - see all causes of Cold skin
• Concentration problems - see all causes of Concentration difficulty
• Depression - see all causes of Depressive symptoms
• Difficulty swallowing - see all causes of Swallowing difficulty
• Disturbed sleep - see all causes of Insomnia
• Dizziness - see all causes of Dizziness
• Enlarged spleen - see all causes of Swollen spleen
• Fatigue - see all causes of Fatigue
• Gastrointestinal symptoms - see all causes of Digestive symptoms
• Headache - see all causes of Headache
• Impaired memory - see all causes of Forgetfulness
• Irregular heartbeat - see all causes of Irregular heartbeat
• Irritability - see all causes of Irritability
• Jaundice - see all causes of Jaundice
• Lightheadedness - see all causes of Dizziness
• Loss of appetite - see all causes of Poor appetite
• Mania - see all causes of Mania
• Nausea - see all causes of Nausea
• Neurological symptoms - see all causes of Neurological symptoms
• Pale lips - see all causes of Lip symptoms
• Pallor - see all causes of Paleness
• Paresthesia - see all causes of Tingling
• Peripheral neuropathy - see all causes of Peripheral neuropathy
• Pernicious anemia - see all causes of Pernicious anemia
• Psychosis - see all causes of Psychotic Behaviour
• Rapid heartbeat - see all causes of Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath after exercise - see all causes of Shortness of breath
• Sleeping problems - see all causes of Sleeping problems
• Sore mouth - see all causes of Sore mouth
• Tingling tongue - see all causes of Tingling tongue
• Tiredness - see all causes of Tiredness
• Weakness - see all causes of Weakness
• Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss

Medical Books Online about Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Vitamin B12 Deficiency are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

Vitamin B deficiencies: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Thiamine deficiency causes polyneuritis and, possibly, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s psychosis. In infants (infantile beriberi), this deficiency produces edema, irritability, abdominal pain, pallor, vomiting, loss of voice and, possibly, seizures. In wet beriberi, severe edema starts in the legs and moves up through the body; dry beriberi causes multiple neurologic symptoms and an emaciated appearance. Thiamine deficiency may also cause cardiomegaly, palpitations, tachycardia, dyspnea, and circulatory collapse. Constipation and indigestion are common; ataxia, nystagmus, and ophthalmoplegia are also possible.

Riboflavin deficiency characteristically causes cheilosis (cracking of the lips and corners of the mouth), sore throat, and glossitis. It may also cause seborrheic dermatitis in the nasolabial folds, scrotum, and vulva and, possibly, generalized dermatitis involving the arms, legs, and trunk. This deficiency can also affect the eyes, producing burning, itching, light sensitivity, tearing, and vascularization of the corneas. Late-stage riboflavin deficiency causes neuropathy, mild anemia and, in children, growth retardation.

Niacin deficiency in its early stages produces fatigue, anorexia, muscle weakness, headache, indigestion, mild skin eruptions, weight loss, and backache. In advanced stages (pellagra), it produces dark, scaly dermatitis, especially on exposed body parts, that makes the patient appear to be severely sunburned. The mouth, tongue, and lips become red and sore, which may interfere with eating. Common GI symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Associated CNS aberrations — confusion, disorientation, and neuritis — may become severe enough to induce hallucinations and paranoia. Because of this triad of symptoms, pellagra is sometimes called a “3-D” syndrome — dementia, dermatitis, and diarrhea. If not reversed by therapeutic doses of niacin, pellagra can be fatal.

Pyridoxine deficiency in infants causes a wide range of symptoms: dermatitis, occasional cheilosis or glossitis unresponsive to riboflavin therapy, abdominal pain, vomiting, ataxia, and seizures. This deficiency can also lead to CNS disturbances.

Cobalamin deficiency causes pernicious anemia, which produces anorexia, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, and glossitis; peripheral neuropathy; and, possibly, ataxia, spasticity, and hyperreflexia.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin C deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Clinical features of vitamin C deficiency appear as capillaries become increasingly fragile. In an adult, it produces petechiae, ecchymoses, follicular hyperkeratosis (especially on the buttocks and legs),anemia, anorexia, limb and joint pain (especially in the knees), pallor, weakness, swollen or bleeding gums, loose teeth, lethargy, insomnia, poor wound healing, and ocular hemorrhages in the bulbar conjunctivae. (See Scurvy’s effect on gums and legs.) Vitamin C deficiency can also cause beading,fractures of the costochondral junctions of the ribs or epiphysis, and such psychological disturbances as irritability, depression, hysteria, and hypochondriasis.

In a child, vitamin C deficiency produces tender, painful swelling in the legs, causing the child to lie with his legs partially flexed. Other symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin D deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Early indications of vitamin D deficiency are profuse sweating, restlessness, and irritability. Chronic deficiency induces numerous bone malformations due to softening of the bones: bowlegs, knock-knees, rachitic rosary (beading of ends of ribs), enlargement of wrists and ankles, pigeon breast, delayed closing of the fontanels, softening of the skull, and bulging of the forehead. (See Recognizing bowlegs.)

Other rachitic features are poorly developed muscles (potbelly) and infantile tetany. Bone deformities may cause difficulty in walking and in climbing stairs, spontaneous multiple fractures, and lower back and leg pain.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin E deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Vitamin E deficiency is difficult to recognize, but its early symptoms include edema and skin lesions in infants and muscle weakness or intermittent claudication in adults. In premature neonates, vitamin E deficiency produces hemolytic anemia, thrombocythemia, and erythematous papular skin eruption, followed by desquamation.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin K deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The cardinal sign of vitamin K deficiency is an abnormal bleeding tendency, accompanied by prolonged prothrombin time (PT); these signs disappear with vitamin K administration. Without treatment, bleeding may be severe and, possibly, fatal.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin A deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Typically, the first symptom of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness (nyctalopia), which usually becomes apparent when the patient enters a dark place or is caught in the glare of oncoming headlights while driving at night. This condition can progress to xerophthalmia, or drying of the conjunctivas, with development of gray plaques (Bitot’s spots); if unchecked, perforation, scarring, and blindness may result. Keratinization of epithelial tissue causes dry, scaly skin; follicular hyperkeratosis; and shrinking and hardening of the mucous membranes, possibly leading to infections of the eyes and the respiratory or genitourinary tract. An infant with severe vitamin A deficiency shows signs of failure to thrive and apathy, along with dry skin and corneal changes, which can lead to ulceration and rapid destruction of the cornea.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Vitamin B12 Deficiency as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency, it is also important to consider Vitamin B12 Deficiency as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Vitamin B12 Deficiency may cause:

• Anisocytosis
• Brain failure
• Chronic brain failure
• Diarrhoea
• Homocysteine levels raised (plasma or serum)
• Leucoerythroblastic anaemia
• Macrocytosis (erythrocyte)
• Megaloblastic anaemia
• Ophthalmoplegia
• Optic atrophy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Pyrexia of unknown origin
• Red cell production reduced
• Splenomegaly
• Subacute combined degeneration of the cord
• Tongue abnormality
• Upper motor neurone lesion

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Research Alternative Diagnoses for Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• How serious is Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
• More about Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency. This signs and symptoms information for Vitamin B12 Deficiency has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Vitamin B12 Deficiency signs or Vitamin B12 Deficiency symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Vitamin B12 Deficiency symptoms.