The Condition"...Megaloblastic anemias are usually caused by a deficiency or defective absorption of either vitamin B12 (cobalamin) or folic acid..." Recommendation Test for B12 Levels"...When testing facilities are not available or cannot be afforded, intramuscular or sublingual B12, with or without folic acid, can be used to see if symptoms improve..." Recommendation Rest"A person with folic acid deficiency anemia should rest as often as necessary until restored energy levels make it possible to resume regular activities..." Recommendation Test Folic Acid Levels"Prevention of folic acid deficiency anemia involves eating raw or lightly-cooked vegetables every day..."
The Condition"...Tingling of the hands and feet, as well as the onset of spastic movements, may indicate that the nervous system has been affected..." Recommendation Test Folic Acid Levels"...Unless the B12 deficiency is corrected, permanent nervous system damage may result..."
The Condition"...The result is vitamin B12 deficiency, which gradually affects sensory and motor nerves, causing neurological, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems..."
The Condition"...Between 50 and 75% of patients with pernicious anemia have antibodies to IF, and 93% have antibodies to parietal cells which means this is another autoimmune disorder..." Recommendation Test for B12 Levels"...Usually, the presence of the intrinsic factor (IF) is determined by testing for the presence of antibodies to the IF in the blood..."
The Condition"...Eating extra yeast also seemed to relieve the symptoms of pernicious anemia, but the neurological symptoms of this disease either were not resolved or appeared later on, confirming some doctors' feelings that there were two different problems involved..." Our Question about your serum iron level"Elevated serum iron can occur as a result of pernicious anemia..." Relationship to Vitamin B12 Requirement"The main indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency is pernicious anemia, which in turn is due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor..."
The Condition"...Megaloblastic anemias are usually caused by a deficiency or defective absorption of either vitamin B12 (cobalamin) or folic acid..." Relationship to Bacterial Dysbiosis"Abnormal bacterial populations may consume cobalamin, contributing to B12 deficiency states and resulting in megaloblastic anemia..." Relationship to Tapeworm Infection"Signs of infection with large tapeworms (especially with the broad fish tapeworm, Diphyllobothrium latum) include conditions associated with vitamin B12 deficiency such as megaloblastic anemia..." Relationship to Vitamin B12 Requirement"The main indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency is pernicious anemia, which in turn is due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor..." Recommendation Test for B12 Levels vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common cause of megaloblastic anemia..." Recommendation Test Folic Acid Levels"...Higher doses of folic acid (greater than 1mg per day) may improve or mask the anemia caused by a B12 insufficiency..."
The Condition"...Other causes include leukemia, myelofibrosis, multiple myeloma, certain hereditary disorders, drugs that affect nucleic acid metabolism such as chemotherapy agents (methotrexate)..."
The Condition"...Decreased numbers and immaturity of white blood cells ( leukocytes) and blood platelets (thrombocytes) may also occur..."
The Condition"...Lesions in the gastrointestinal tract may cause abnormal activity in the intestines and difficulties with the absorption of food..."
The Condition"...Diagnosis is confirmed through blood tests to measure hemoglobin, an iron-containing compound that carries oxygen to cells throughout the body..."
The Condition"...Intrinsic factor and hydrochloric acid are produced by the parietal cells in the stomach; both are needed in order to release B12 from foods..."
The Condition"Megaloblastic anemias are somewhat rare blood disorders characterized by the presence of large, structurally and visually abnormal, immature red blood cells (megaloblasts)..."