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just got results of ct scan


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I just started having to get B12 shots because my B12 is so low. Which is very weird because B12 deficiency in this country are rare except in strict vegans, people with pernicious anemia, and people who have had gastric bypass surgery. My doc said it may be due to my diet, but I eat a lot of meat and most foods are fortified with B12. Did your doc have any suggestions as to why your B12 is low?? It would be interesting to know if others with POTS have vitamin deficiencies.

Jaime

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Sally~

My family doc says it is diet, but I found that hard to believe because most foods are fortified with B12. I am a big meat eater so that right there should provide adequate B12. My cardio doc hasn't said anything about it. I had POTS for quite a while so I don't think that the deficiency is causing the dysautonomia, but I wondered if the POTS could cause the deficiency??? My doc is running tests to see if I have pernicious anemia, but like most of my other tests I am sure it will come back normal. Definetely keep in touch to let me know what your doc says so maybe we can give each other hints as to what might be causing this.

Jaime

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Hi All,

Haven't been here for a while and I haven't checked out that NIH link yet but I can tell you that one condition which contributes to B12 deficiency is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

I learned this from perusing the SIBO chapter in a gastroenterology textbook which I found on a shelf of my GI motility specialist's office. At the time I was a research participant during his study of SIBO in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome patients. (Over 90% of about 50 FM patients were positive for SIBO by the way.)

SIBO occurs as the result of infrequent/absent Phase III motility which is commonly called the housekeeper function. Basically, the small intestine is not kept clean so bacteria which reside in the large intestine migrate into the small intestine where they do NOT belong and they interfere with B12 absorption, among other things. SIBO is diagnosed via a hydrogen breath test and is BOTH treatable and preventable.

The motility function is assessed via an antroduodenal motility study.

While SIBO is a condition which has medical science has known about for decades, I was told that it was not easily or inexpensively diagnosed until the last few years. A culture of the small intestine is impractical because it is about 21 feet long. In addition, some of these bacteria (there are 300 to 400 species) are anaerobic and die upon exposure to oxygen.

You might want to consult with a GI motility specialist. Treatment and prevention of SIBO has brought about major improvement in patients' lives. I had had an elevated sedimentation rate for at least seven years which my primary care doctor unable to lower with medication; once the SIBO was addressed, it returned to normal. In addition, I had been made extremely ill by both Mestinon and Ambien; after treatment for SIBO I was able to tolerate both of these medications.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions as I have had quite a bit of experience with the treatment and prevention aspect.

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