My experience with this subject began when I suddenly developed some odd neurological symptoms... numbness in my fingers and toes, then in my mouth (felt like Novocaine), and eventually numbness in areas of my torso and legs. At first I thought it was due to a chiropractic adjustment, as the symptoms worsened a few days after seeing a chiropractor.
I had a bunch of blood work done with nothing abnormal showing up. My B12 levels actually tested higher than normal. A chiropractor/acupuncturist I went to see thought that I had a viral infection in the brain, and also commented on the fact that I had mercury fillings in my mouth.
As I researched this, I discovered a few interesting things. My symptoms exactly matched a list of symptoms on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) site for mercury poisoning. There is a wealth of information on the Internet on mercury toxicity from amalgam fillings. As I looked further, I realized that the symptoms of B12 deficiency also matched many of my symptoms - including extreme muscle weakness, exhaustion and weight loss. A full list of symptoms can be found here: http://www.mercurypoisoned.com/symptoms.html
The M.D. I had seen suggested that I might have Multiple Sclerosis, and was suggesting I get additional tests - like a Cat Scan or MRI.
The more I read about B12 deficiency, the more I discovered that it might well be implicated in conditions like MS and Alzheimer's. I discovered a book on Amazon, Could It Be B12: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses. And then I ran into some information on the internet that correlated the symptoms of B12 deficiency with those of mercury toxicity.
The correlation was this: When mercury is present in the body (which it shouldn't be, at all, as it is toxic at any dose) - it can interfere with the uptake of vitamin B12 by the central nervous system... it's role there is to help maintain the myelin sheath which forms the insulation on the nerves and allows transmission of nerve signals to be uninterrupted. See these links for research articles on the mercury/B12 connection: http://www.ever.ch/medizinwissen/b12hg.php
http://www.goodshape.net/MoreB-12.html
Suddenly, it made sense. I also recalled that I had made some immediate progress when first seeing my alternative medical practitioner. In addition to giving me some herbs and homeopathic remedies - he had given me a B12 shot! I decided to find out if my symptoms improved with another B12 shot. It was a weekend, so I found a local emergency care center and told them I felt I needed a B12 shot. They didn't have a problem with giving me one - B12 is very benign and adverse reactions to it are extremely rare. They gave me a shot, and within hours my vision - which had been doubled for weeks - began to clear up! I knew I was onto something.
I took all of my internet information to another M.D. I'd seen in the past, whose specialty was anti-aging medicine. The recommended form of B12 for the nervous system is methylcobalamin and it is widely used in some European countries and Japan. (I also learned that the blood level of B12 which is considered low is 2.5 times the level that we consider low here in the U.S., and consequently they have much lower incidences of diseases such as Alzheimer's in that country). Fortunately, my doctor knew of methylcobalamin, and prescribed daily injections for me.
When I first saw that M.D., half of my face was paralyzed. I could barely lift my legs. I was wearing special glasses to correct my otherwise double vision. I had lost about 20 lbs. over the previous 4-6 weeks and I was very weak. All of these symptoms had developed in a matter of a month or so.
Within a week on daily B12 shots, my symptoms were enormously improved, much of the paralysis already gone and the other symptoms soon followed within weeks.
Neurological symptoms are not the only ones that are seen in B12 deficiency, in fact, by the time these appear the deficiency is probably long progressed. The tests for serum B12 levels can be misleading, as they were in my case. Apparently the serum can be high but the body tissues are not absorbing B12 or converting it into the form that the body can use. And, although B12 can be supplemented in tablet form, the body doesn't easily absorb it through the gut and various gastrointestinal infections and lack of digestive fluids can impede its use.
More sensitive tests for deficiency include the MMA test, which must be done before B12 is supplemented to give an accurate picture. See more information about the test at http://www.b12.com.
Since B12 is so benign, a trial of B12 injections is one way to determine if symptoms respond.
B12 deficiency is certainly worth looking into for anyone with neurological symptoms, including suspected MS or Alzheimer's.
