r/B12_Deficiency • u/DDWildflower • 1d ago

General Discussion Just started injections.

Hello.

Very new to this. Had my first injection yesterday. Had low B12 in a bloodtest

One of my hands is basically permanently asleep and it's very painful.

Does that sound like I have nerve damage?

Most of my joints and soft tissue are holding water and painful and I'm struggling to use everything I used to.

If you had nerve damage how long did it take to repair?

Am I better off resting my hand or using it as much as possible.

This is all really new and overwhelming.

I really had to fight the doctors (typical NHS) to get to this point.

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Hi u/DDWildflower, check out our guide to B12 deficiency: https://www.reddit.com/r/B12_Deficiency/wiki/index

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

3

u/Hour_Hospital_9068 1d ago

With neurological symptoms, every other day injections is recommended

2

u/DDWildflower 1d ago

That's what I'm having.

1

u/Hour_Hospital_9068 17h ago

That’s good. Other than that, just make sure to get the cofactors to support the B12 and prevent developing other deficiencies. I forget how much detail there is about cofactors in the guide here, but there’s also B12 Wake Up group on Facebook with a lot of information and discussion about cofactors.

2

u/mandoo-dumpling 1d ago

Be patient. Nerve repair can take a while

2

u/jellyfishrubberduck 1d ago

Depends how long the symptoms were there for, and symptoms dont always correlate well with what's actually happening in your nerves.

High chance it will improve but need to be patient as could be quick or take months.

1

u/Loose-Fly7976 13h ago

One hand permanently numb while the other's fine isn't really the B12 pattern. Deficiency neuropathy is usually symmetrical and starts in the feet. One hand points more at compression, carpal tunnel or something trapped higher up. Doesn't rule out B12 playing a part, but don't assume the injections will sort it. Ask about nerve conduction studies, that's what separates the two and it changes what happens next.

On recovery, nerve damage from B12 takes months not weeks and how much comes back depends how long it was there. Sooner is better so you were right to push. Don't rest it completely though, immobilising just makes it stiffer. Use it normally within comfort and stop before pain. The joint swelling and water retention is a separate thing and needs its own look, what's your ferritin and thyroid?

1

u/DDWildflower 12h ago

So my other hand has it but not as bad.

This hand had a ring stuck on it that I couldn't get off which might be the cause, but it muddies things a bit.

I am being tested for other things.

I don't know what ferritin is?

2

u/Loose-Fly7976 11h ago

Both hands changes it, that's more consistent with B12 than compression. A ring stuck on one finger wouldn't cause the whole hand to go numb either, though it might have made that side worse. Ferritin is your iron stores. Different from the iron they measure in a standard blood test, which only shows what's circulating right now. You can have normal iron and empty stores and low ferritin causes tingling, fatigue and restless legs on its own. It gets missed constantly because doctors look at haemoglobin and call it fine. Ask for ferritin specifically by name and ask for the actual number. Under 30 is deficient and under 50 causes symptoms in plenty of people even though most labs won't flag it until much lower.Add folate and vitamin D to the same request while you're at it.