I had to stop dieting low carb .
I thought I relapsed with lyme but I think I found another problem trying to fgure out why I ached all the time .
I had whats called Pernicious anemia lack of intrinsic factor due to longterm antibiotic use.
I have B-12 deficiency. Symptoms=
Symptoms
The symptoms of PA vary from patient to patient. Some patients might experience all of the symptoms listed below, whilst others may experience just one or two. Some patients are asymptomatic and experience no symptoms and yet can still PA. Similarly, the degree to which the symptoms are experienced will depend on a number of factors including how soon treatment was started.
Common physical symptoms
Fatigue
None of the above words adequately or accurately explains the feeling that is experienced by the majority of patients with Pernicious Anaemia. The physical tiredness is also often accompanied with mental fatigue and apathy. The most common description recognised by patients is that of “The Strange Tiredness” which is understood by most sufferers as being an adequate description of the experience. Sometimes the Strange Tiredness lasts for hours, sometimes days and often it’s the case that it never really fully goes away. It is also usual for the Strange Tiredness to be worse on some days than on others and it can be debilitating for the long-term sufferer. Patients and their families and friends often have to make lifestyle adjustments to be able to manage this experience. Many patients retire to their beds in an effort to manage their condition and the saying “at least ten, usually twelve and sometimes more” is sometimes used by sufferers to describe how many hours sleep they need. Feeling tired or exhausted can be a very positive experience as anyone who has played sport can tell you. But this Strange Tiredness is not a pleasant experience. It is an insidious, creeping, overpowering feeling that seems to sap any strength that the patient might have. It doesn’t often leave the sufferer being unable to do normal and everyday tasks but rather makes such tasks (however trivial) a real trial. Sufferers often cope with everyday work and domestic tasks, but most struggle to do so. Many patients wake up tired in the morning, despite sleeping heavily for over the usual 8 hours the patient. A great many patients report needing more than 10 hours each night.
Shortness of breath
This is one of the most misunderstood of all the symptoms. There are some sufferers who begin to breathe heavily when performing any physical activity such as walking up stairs, general household cleaning, lifting and brisk walking, but only very rarely is there any gasping for air. However, it is the need to take deep breaths when not performing any activity that causes the most concern. Sufferers often refer to this need to take in ‘lumps’ of air as ‘The Sighs.’ Often it may seem that the patient is struggling to breath, but he or she will simply be trying to satisfy the need to take in a deep breath. This can often be accompanied by the need to yawn, sometimes almost continually. One of the strangest aspects of The Sighs is that they don’t occur every day. Patients often talk of good & bad days. On good days the patient might not feel the need to ‘sigh’. On bad days he or she might need to ‘sigh’ for most of the day or for just a short period.
Swollen tongue (Glossitis)
This is often quoted as being one of the most common symptoms of P.A. However, only a small percentage of sufferers of Pernicious Anaemia experienced a swollen, smooth and ‘beefy’ red tongue. Perhaps the figure is as low as 10%. Those who do have a swollen tongue often complain that their tongue bleeds and becomes tender.
Feeling bloated or full
This is often accompanied by a physical swelling of the stomach. The patient will feel ‘full’.
Brittle, easily damaged nails
The nails on both hands and feet become brittle and split or break very easily. Many patients never have to trim or cut their nails as they break off whenever they become anything other than short.
Pins and needles sensation (Paraesthesia/Parasthesia)
This can be the first sign of damage to the peripheral nerves. The pins & needles can be experienced anywhere on the body but it mainly affects the tips of fingers and feet. Many patients report that these pins & needles disappear completely after they receive their prescribed treatment. Rather strangely in some cases the pins and needles disappear within hours of the first injection of Hydroxocobalamin being administered.
Sock and glove feeling.
This refers to a numb sensation in the patient’s fingers and feet – it feels as if you are wearing socks and gloves. Again this can be seen as damage to the peripheral nerves but patients often report that this sensation disappears once treatment is started.
Unaccountable sudden Diarrhea.
Again this is a often experienced but not often talked about and can be attributed to Irritable Bowel Syndrome—however this is not always the case.
Less common symptoms
Unsteadiness or unusual gait due to central nervous system damage (demyelination).
Vertigo.
Burning feet/legs. This occurs mainly in middle-age and is usually worst at night. It is directly linked to B12 deficiency and usually disappears once treatment is started. It is known to doctors as Brierson-Goplan syndrome.
Common mental symptoms
As well as physical symptoms, sufferers of P.A. also experience changes to their mental ability. These cognitive symptoms are often more difficult to explain and deal with than the physical symptoms. It seems to be the case that these mental challenges are often not recognised or acknowledged by some medical professionals. As with the physical symptoms, the degree and effect of these symptoms will vary between different patients.
Brain fog
This is by far the most common complaint by sufferers of P.A. Patients find it difficult to define exactly what they experience on a ‘foggy’, but there is a general feeling of lack of focus and a lack of clarity in everything they experience. It’s as if the patient is experiencing being in a thick fog, with all of the senses failing to respond as quickly as they usually do.
The degree to which this occurs is directly proportional to whether the patient is experiencing a good or bad day. On a bad day it is possible that the patient will forget the names of even their closest relatives, be unable to recall even the most common proper nouns, repeatedly ask the same question, forget a conversation from even the shortest time before, make mistakes in their work — even the most fundamental mistakes and feel ‘not with it’. The patient will often seek peace and tranquillity in order to give full concentration to the task he or she is dealing with. The most common way in which the patient can explain what it feels like to be in a fog can be summarised by the following statements:
“I just want the world to go away”.
“I just want to be left alone”.
“I don’t want to be forced into conversation”.
Patients also state that leisure activities such as reading, watching television or going to the cinema can be enjoyed during a ’fog’, but the next day the chapter of the book that was read, or the outcome of a t.v. programme and the plot of a film will be forgotten. The chapter of the book would have to be re-read and the television programme or film would have to be seen again. ‘Fogs’ can last a few hours, a day, or a few days. Patients are aware that they are experiencing a ‘fog’ but are unable to do anything about it. It’s simply a case of ‘riding it out’ Most patients wake up either the next day or in a few days time and experience a clarity and focus to their thinking which had been absent during the fog.
Irritability, impatience and mood swings
This is another very common condition amongst sufferers of Pernicious Anaemia and is probably has the greatest impact on personal relationships.
They are quite similar to lyme which is why it took me a year and a half to figure it out duh!!!
Now I get b12 shots Iam down to one a week sometimes less.
Feeling lots better and restarting diet geez I hate lyme disease its just so hard staying on top of it.
I have been back on low carb about a month now ps I also gave up diet sugar replacment kept giving me headaches. Cant wait till stevia comes out on the market. I meen its out but waiting on it to show up in the stores.