Metformin and Vitamin B Deficiency
Metformin and Vitamin B Deficiency – things you need to know; this way you’ll have a clear understanding of what to ask your doctor.
Reduced Vitamin B12 levels are associated with taking Metformin. Unlike some of the other side effects that seem to crop up early if they are going to happen, Vitamin B12 deficiencies may also develop over the long-term. Metformin is the primary drug prescribed for people recently diagnosed with Diabetes and it is widely used. As a result, the challenge to have adequate levels of B12 could be very widespread.
One study in particular examined over 900 individuals using Metformin. The participants were followed for over four years. The results demonstrated a significant impact to individuals’ ability to absorb the vitamin. In fact, the average lack of this important vitamin was almost 20% below normal. If left untreated, a Vitamin B deficiency can result in nerve damage and anemia. Nerve damage is a concern for any diabetic; don’t let a low Vitamin B level make it worse.
How can you tell if you aren’t absorbing enough Vitamin B?
Here are some things to be on lookout for:
• Balance problems: dizziness, fainting, difficulty balancing
• Heart and breathing issues: chest pain, shortness of breath, racing heart beat
• Digestion issues: lack of appetite, constipation, weight loss
• Mental or mind issues: confusion, memory loss, depression
• Sore mouth and tongue
You can see how mild symptoms can easily be attributed to something else. And if one or more of these symptoms was severe, the tendency would be to look into testing for diseases of great concern. Most important is noticing if you tend to have any of these symptoms at kind of a vague or nagging level over a period of time. Rather than a sudden onset of a severe response, the type of thing that drags on is more likely to be related to a Vitamin B12 deficiency.
If you’re not using a journal to track your progress, consider doing so. It can be very helpful to recording this kind of symptom. As a result you and your doctor can better track down the appropriate testing. Reduced Vitamin B12 is a lock-step problem leading to other issues—don’t just ignore these symptoms at a low level over time. Although as a diabetic you have an increased risk for heart disease, a Vitamin B12 deficiency increases your risk. Just the reduced level of B12 is a risk factor on its own terms.
Inadequate Vitamin B12 leads to an increase in the chemical homeocysteine. An elevation of homeocysteine is associated with greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Most medical professionals consider the Vitamin B12 deficiency easy to treat while taking Metformin. Still, researchers recommend regular testing to check your levels and avoid the problems associated with this specific side effect. Monitoring your health and getting help at the right time is the most important thing you can do for yourself.
