If you have been reading the blog regularly you’ll know I have been having a bit of a rough time with anxiety and depression. I got a phonecall yesterday that might make things better.
Back when I first saw Siobhan O’Farrell Nutriation at the beginning of the year she was concerned about how low in certain vitamins my diet was. I am the fussiest eater in the world, I don’t eat eggs and I rarely eat meat. I have a diet of mainly fruit, veg, porridge and cheese – although since Lucy’s home I’m now eating better.
To cut a long story short Siobhan has studied about the link between depression and lacking in B12. She advised me to go and have a blood test which I did back in March, but even though I asked them to test my B vitamin level it wasn’t done.
So for all this time I’ve been a pain in the backside to live with. Everything has been such an effort, it’s like being stuck in some kind of brain fog or walking through treacle. Even getting out of bed was difficult. I’m not just tired all the time I’m exhausted. I’m anxious, paranoid, forgetful, I have no attention span at all. To be honest I thought I was going mad.
I’ve been forward and back to the GP. I’ve had my antidepressants changed and increased on several occasions, I’m on sleeping tablets and I still feel bloody miserable. Siobhan told me to go back and get that blood test done again which I did on Tuesday – and yes I know I should have gone back before but I didn’t have the energy.
Well yesterday I got a phone call from the doctor. The low-level for B12 in the normal range is 190 – mine is 153 – and guess what? Lacking in B12 has a strong link to depression! So for the first time in a long time I’m actually excited to think I might actually start to feel a bit better, I almost cried when I got that phonecall, to know that I’m not actually going mad after all. I will be starting B12 injections next week. The mad thing is Lucy is deficient in B12 so I’d kind of thought that might be a clue for the health service as these things can be hereditary.
I’m hoping I might start to feel at least a bit better and hopefully calmer. Hopefully sooner rather than later which will be just as well because I got a letter from the HSE yesterday stating that the waiting time to see a psychologist in Sligo is between 9 – 12 months!! I do wonder about this country, especially as there is such a high rate of suicide here. There really doesn’t seem to be much help at all for Mental Health in a country that’s crying out for it. That’s probably a rant for another day and who knows maybe when I get strength it might be something I can try to tackle.
So my dear blog friends, thank you for sticking with me during all my dark posts. Thank you for all the support and advice and sorry for those posts which you found hard to read. I will keep you updated as to what happens from here.
Magnumlady Blog 
Interesting reading and I can identify in part with your situation. Vit d is a vital hormone which doctors tend to ignore). When we get to a certain age thyroid function should also be considered.
Best of luck.
Thank you. I had my thyroid function checked, it’s fine though.
I am a big believer of the importance of Vitamin B too. I enjoyed reading this, it reminded me that I should do a bit more and more often in that level. Nice one!
Thanks Franck, I hope the post is of help to others. Take care
Thanks for sharing this very useful info, I’ll be passing it on! It is crazy how little support there is available, all the ‘awareness raising’ isn’t worth much if there’s no support available without paying privately. I hope you feel better soon.
Thanks Riona and yes I totally agree, that’s something I would like to try to change when I’m feeling better.
Sounds like the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for, Val. My turnaround came with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Good luck and keep us posted.
It’s so good to think that sometimes there is a simple, chemical reason for depression — one that can easily be “fixed.” Be sure to let us know how it goes. -Kate
I’ve heard about Vitamin B12 before, I really hope it’s the big breakthrough for you xx
Thanks Candi xx
Hi magnumlady,
I read this post and it sounds EXACTLY like me! The anxiety, brain fog, attention deficit, depression, constant fatigue and insomnia. I left work last June because I wasn’t able anymore. Had blood tests done just before that in May and found out last week that at that time my B12 had come back at 195 only my GP didn’t tell me it was low or anything. Now having had it tested again a week ago it’s at 100.
Do you think this could be the answer to my problems? How are you feeling now after the injections ?
All the best,
Ian.
Hi Ian,
I’m so sorry to hear you are suffering. I’m almost certain that the low B12 had a lot to do with the depression and the other symptoms I was experiencing. It’s taken a long time to feel ‘normalish’ again though. I had my five B12 injections over a week in July and still didn’t feel right until around October. I had another B12 injection in December and have to have them everything three months. I wish GPs would realise the connection between low B12 and mental health issues.
Best wishes and good luck,
Val
That’s good I’ve heard it can take varying amounts of time for people to feel right again after getting the shots. I knew I wasn’t going mad I’ve just been made to feel like a hypochondriac by everybody for the last few months!
I will hopefully be getting my first injection this week. My doctor now has told me I don’t have pernicious anemia according to my bloods but she is testing me for coeliac disease as this could also cause the deficiency. I have chronic Gastritis so that’s possibly another cause of the problem I don’t know.
They only get half a days training in medical school on vitamin deficiencies and I think that most GP’s sadly know very little about the problems it can cause.
Anyway, at least I know now I can do something about it. Glad you’re feeling better!
Ian.
Good luck with the injection, they should give you five in a row to get your levels up. I was surprised how long it took me to feel slightly normal again. I still have occasional bad days but nothing like before.
Best of luck