Can Vitamin B12 Cause Diarrhea

Risks Of Folate Deficiency During Pregnancy

Folic acid is very important in the correct development of cells and is crucial for the correct development of fetuses. Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should increase their folic acid intake to 400 micrograms a day.

Women should increase their intake to 5mg a day if they are or wish to become pregnant and are affected by the following factors: If a women is affected by diabetes, celiac disease, a BMI of more than 30 or is treated with drugs that affect folate absorption, additional supplementation must be considered.

Folic acid deficiency in the mother can cause defects in the neural tube, which is the structure that eventually develops into the babyâs spinal cord. Neural tube defects can include spina bifida, caudal regressive , and cleft palate. Extremely rare, but severe, complications of folic acid deficiency can include anencephaly and encephaloceles, which involve the babyâs skull and brain.

Side Effects Of Vitamin B Complex Components

When you experience vitamin b complex side effects, patients may experience side effects from excessive exposure to a specific B vitamin. In most cases, this discomfort can be eased by limiting your intake of the vitamin. If your reaction is particularly severe, contact your doctor immediately.

Vitamin B1 – Thiamine

In rare cases, a thiamine overdose can cause restlessness, fluid retention, nausea, weakness and sweating. In severe cases, a thiamine overdose can cause dizziness, difficulty breathing, and tightness in the chest, swelling of the tongue or face, or discoloration of the skin. Allergic reactions to thiamine can cause itching, hives or rashes on the skin.

Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin

Taking a riboflavin supplement will frequently cause the urine to turn a yellow-orange color. This side effect is harmless. In higher dosages, riboflavin may result in increase in urination or diarrhea. Severe reactions can cause difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, or hives on the skin.

Vitamin B3 – Niacin

Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic Acid

Patients who take pantothenic acid are very prone to overdose, making patient experience vitamin b complex side effects. This can result in severe diarrhea. In rare cases, patients may develop an allergic reaction which may result in tightness of the chest, trouble breathing or swelling of the face, throat, lips or tongue.

Vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine

Vitamin B9 – Folic Acid

Vitamin B12 – Cyanocobalamin

Tingling Sensation Or Numbness

In rare cases, people who take high doses of vitamin B for a long period of time may experience extreme numbness or a tingling sensation. In some patients, tingling sensation is experienced mostly in the right side of the body. This symptom is one of the early warning indicators of Vitamin B12 overdose.

Excess B12 Risk In Pregnancy

Although folate is a necessary nutrient during pregnancy, women should be cautious about taking high doses that can negatively influence a newborn baby’s neurological development. A 2016 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that pregnant women with excessive B12 levels were three times more likely to deliver a baby with autism than women with normal levels.

Vitamin C And Cathartic Stools

Large doses of vitamin C cause cathartic stools. Its good to know this and more about vitamin C because there are problems with antibiotics. For instance, antibiotics become less effective with continued use; they wipe out good gut bacteria with the bad; and, sometimes doctors wont even prescribe them.

Strangely, after the metronidazol my feet intermittently ceased to give the sensation of touching the floor when I walked. My hands would fly out to stop my fall. To solve the problem, the homeless doctor put me on a B12 shot a day for two months to restore feeling to my feet. The B12 helped enormously, way more than I expected, even given my past excellent results with B12.

I wonder if Im not bumping into walls and doorways as much because B12 is restoring my nerves, or, because metronidazol killed h.pylori or whatever was living in my gastro-intestinal system, attached to my stomach lining.

I asked the doctor if he thought I could have had h.pylori. He said, no, that h.pylori tended to be associated with ulcers, which he didnt think Id had. But, he added, there were other things like h.pylori that it could have been. He didnt say what.

Heres my point, I had three small courses of antibiotic that did not affect the h.pylori or whatever in a lasting way. It was only when I had a major course that there was a significant change for the better. The problem is that doctors overall, at least in my experience, are not keen to prescribe antibiotics, much less large doses.

Supplementation With Folate/folic Acid

In some countries, such as the United States, South Africa, Chile, Canada and Costa Rica, grain cereal products are fortified with folic acid. This is a major factor in reducing the number of neural tube defects that occur, but it is still recommended that anyone who is at risk of a deficiency, such as pregnant women, should make sure to get 400 micrograms of folate a day. This is especially the case if the following risk factors are present:

• Celiac disease or other intestinal absorption disorders
• Thalassemia or sickle cell anemia; hereditary red blood cell disorders
• Clinical obesity, a BMI of 30 or more.
• Family history of, or partner with a family history of, neural tube defects. In this case, folic acid acts as âinsurance.â
• Rapid cell turnover occuring as a result of chronic hematological disorders

Anemia And Folate Deficiency

Megaloblasts are large, poorly-formed red blood cells that form in cases of anemia caused by, among others, folate or B12 deficiencies. Megaloblastic anemia is a result of folate deficiency as well as one of the most easily-identified symptoms: sometimes, a deficiency is only identified when anemia presents. If it results from folate deficiency, this anemia, is treated by taking oral or intravenous folate supplements. For more information on folate-related anemia and B12-related anemia, see FAQs below.

Are You At Risk Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

There are many causes for vitamin B12 deficiency. Surprisingly, two of them are practices often undertaken to improve health: a vegetarian diet and weight-loss surgery.

Plants dont make vitamin B12. The only foods that deliver it are meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and other foods from animals. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk for developing a B12 deficiency if they dont eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin or take a vitamin supplement. People who have weight-loss surgery are also more likely to be low in vitamin B12 because the operation interferes with the bodys ability to extract vitamin B12 from food.

Conditions that interfere with nutrient absorption, such celiac or Crohns disease, can cause B12trouble. So can the use of commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, which reduce acid production in the stomach . The condition is more likely to occur in older people due to the cutback in stomach acid production that often occurs with aging.

Prolonged Diarrhoea And Dietary Advice

Some of the common causes of infectious diarrhoea including Salmonella and Campylobacter may take two weeks to resolve.  Those with Prolonged diarrhoea from any cause will be at risk of nutritional deficiencies developing if little or no food is consumed.

Once the person is regularly tolerating fluids by mouth and is no longer dehydrated they should be ready to eat some food.   After three or four days without food the supply of nutrients to the cells lining the gut, the mucosa, will have fallen substantially.  These cells have a short, busy lifespan and a very high demand for nutrients and cautious early feeding may aid their recovery and help to curtail more Prolonged diarrhoea.

The World Health Organisation and other expert bodies recommend the BRAT regime which includes: 

• Bananas
• Apple
• Tea . 

Bananas and apples are rich in potassium and contain easy to digest carbohydrate.  Additionally banana is rich in amylase-resistant starch, which may be of benefit to the gastrointestinal mucosa, cells that line the internal gut wall. 

Rice is a very easy to digest form of carbohydrate and rehydration regimes based upon rice have been shown to help diarrhoea due to cholera but not necessarily other types of infective diarrhoea.

Tea helps to slow down the gut and avoiding milk will help to reduce the risk of the diarrhoea persisting due to lactose intolerance. 

Diet Lacking Vitamin B12

Some people get pernicious anemia because they don’t have enough vitamin B12 in their diets. This cause of pernicious anemia is less common than other causes.

Good food sources of vitamin B12 include:

• Breakfast cereals with added vitamin B12
• Meats such as beef, liver, poultry, and fish
• Eggs and dairy products
• Foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as soy-based beverages and vegetarian burgers

Strict vegetarians who don’t eat any animal or dairy products and don’t take a vitamin B12 supplement are at risk for pernicious anemia.

Breastfed infants of strict vegetarian mothers also are at risk for pernicious anemia. These infants can develop anemia within months of being born. This is because they haven’t had enough time to store vitamin B12 in their bodies. Doctors treat these infants with vitamin B12 supplements.

Other groups, such as the elderly and people who suffer from alcoholism, also may be at risk for pernicious anemia. These people may not get the proper nutrients in their diets.

What Is Folate Deficiency

Folate is also known as Vitamin B9. It is one of a group of important vitamins involved in cell metabolism. Folate plays a critical role in the synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins. Deficiency can therefore cause impairment of cell division and an accumulation of possibly toxic metabolites, e.g. homocysteine. Along with Vitamin B12, folate is important for regulating the manufacture of red blood cells.

The synthetic form of folate is folic acid, which converts to folate in the body. Because folic acid is more easily absorbed by the body, it is the form most commonly used in supplements and fortified foods.

Many plants, particularly green leafy vegetables, and animal products contain folate. Thus, most healthy people absorb sufficient folate from their diets to avoid deficiency, but in some cases the body may increase demand. If supplementation doesnât occur, this may lead to deficiency.

Folate deficiency is most commonly found in pregnant and lactating women, people with chronic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, people following restricted diets due to weight-loss regimes or medical conditions, people with alcohol dependence and people more than 65 years of age.

Folate deficiency will not go away on its own. Treatment is required and may involve dietary changes and/or oral supplements and treatment of underlying causes, if any are present. If left untreated, folate deficiency may result in folate deficiency anemia, which can cause severe complications.

Can Vitamin B12 Give You Diarrhea

diarrheaVitamin B-12cancause diarrhea

It’s hard to overdo vitamin B12But keep in mind that large amounts of B12 at one time may cause diarrhea and all-over itchiness, she adds.

Furthermore, does vitamin b12 make you poop? Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause constipation. If your constipation is caused by low levels of B-12, increasing your daily intake of this nutrient may help ease your symptoms.

Herein, what are the side effects of taking vitamin b12?

Common side effects of vitamin B12:

• Headache.
• Involuntary or uncontrollable movements.

Can b12 affect your bowels?

Vitamin B12 is absorbed in the small intestine. Conditions that affect the small intestine could result in lower amounts of vitamin B12 being absorbed. This includes Crohn’s disease and celiac disease.

When To Call A Professional

Contact your doctor for a physical examination if you experience unexplained fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, sore tongue or any other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is especially true if you are a vegan, are older than age 50 and of African-American or Northern-European descent, have diabetes, have an autoimmune disorder or have had your stomach removed.

What Are The Side Effects Of Vitamin B

Oral vitamin B-12 is safe to take at recommended doses for healthy people.

Injectable vitamin B-12, which is used to treat substantial shortages, can cause the list below adverse effects:

• mild diarrhea
• pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure early in treatment
• vein thrombosis
• sensation of swelling
• polycythemia vera .

Vitamin B-12 can trigger very uncommon however severe allergic reactions . This includes swelling of the face, tongue, and throat, and trouble swallowing and breathing. If this happens after you take vitamin B-12, call 911 or your regional emergency services immediately.

Some representatives are linked to minimized absorption or serum levels of vitamin B-12. You may require vitamin B-12 supplements if you take any of the following:

• colchicine.
• H2 blockers.
• aminosalicylic acid.

Folic acid supplements may interfere with vitamin B-12. Be sure to inform your doctor if you take folic acid.

You may require to take vitamin B-12 individually from the above drugs and supplements state, one in the morning and one in the evening so you can get the full dose of vitamin B-12.

Dont take vitamin B-12 supplements if you have sensitivities or allergies to vitamin B-12, cobalt, and any other ingredients. Vitamin B-12 is safe to take in suggested dosages if youre pregnant or breastfeeding.

Age And Folate Deficiency

It is well-established that folic acid levels can have an affect on a personâs mood, social function and cognitive function, especially among older people. Depression is also common in people with folic acid deficiency. Many elderly people have folic acid deficiencies, because of ageing, poor diets linked to reduced income or absorption problems caused by medication. Some older people also develop an increased demand for folate, for unknown reasons.

Supplementation with B9 for older people may be helpful, and some studies have found that increasing folic acid supplementation in people with low folate levels leads to notable improvements in mood, cognitive function and social functioning.

However, it is not advisable to begin taking folate supplements without consulting a physician. This is important because in elderly people with anemia, supplementing with B9 may cover the effects of B12 deficiencies. For more information on B12 deficiencies, see the FAQs below. If you are concerned that you or a loved one may have a folate deficiency, you can do a free symptom assessment with .

Supplements: Check The Dose

Chances are, the unfortified foods you eat aren’t a problem. “It’s pretty hard to overdo it from food alone,” says Johanna Dwyer, RD, a senior research scientist with the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements.

So you’ll want to think about the supplements you take and fortified foods or drinks.

“Most people don’t realize there’s no real advantage to taking more than the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals, and they don’t recognize there may be disadvantages,” Dwyer says.

“If you’re taking a supplement, stick to one that’s no more than the daily value,” Dwyer says.

Talk with your doctor about any supplements you’re taking, including vitamins and minerals, and the dose you’re taking, too. That way, your doctor can help you keep doses in a safe range.

“If you’re taking a basic multivitamin, there’s no need to fear taking too much,” says Andrew Shao, PhD, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for the supplements industry.

“Most multivitamins have such a wide margin of safety that even when you’re combining them with fortified foods, it’s still not going to cause you to keel over,” Shao says.

Continued

Kaplan Medical Explains Why

Macrocytosis , diarrhea and neurologic symptoms strongly suggest vitamin B12 deficiency. Diarrhea from celiac sprue, bacterial overgrowth or pancreatic insufficiency can be seen with vitamin B12 deficiency because these are malabsorptive syndromes. The vitamin is absorbed in the terminal ileum; it is facilitated by intrinsic factor. When B12 deficiency develops in the presence of chronic atrophic gastritis, it is known as pernicious anemia.

Neurologic symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are due to the effect on the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord . Physical findings include symmetrical paresthesia with loss of vibratory and position sense. Neurologic findings may precede anemia and usually take longer to resolve with treatment. Obtaining a serum B12 level is the standard diagnostic test. In patients with borderline levels, serum methylmalonic acid levels may be checked. The Schilling test historically was used to help determine the cause of the B12 deficiency; however, it has now been largely replaced by measuring for antiparietal cell antibodies. The presence of antiparietal cell antibodies is indicative of pernicious anemia.

Vitamins That Cause Diarrhea

Fact Checked

Vitamins are a daily requirement essential for proper function. There are 13 essential vitamins for proper function; four of them are fat-soluble, and nine are water-soluble. While a balanced diet would provide the necessary amounts of these vitamins, many people make up for deficiencies by taking a multivitamin. Before you take a supplement, however, be cautious; too much of certain vitamins and too little of others can create stomach problems like diarrhea.

Signs And Symptoms Of Folate Deficiency

Common symptoms of folate deficiency can include:

• Tiredness, fatigue and lethargy
• Muscle weakness
• Neurological signs, such as a feeling of pins and needles, tingling, or burning, or peripheral neuropathy, i.e. a numbness in the extremities
• Psychological problems, such as depression, confusion, memory problems, problems of judgement and understanding
• Gastrointestinal signs, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss and diarrhea
• Headache and dizziness
• Pallor
• Shortness of breath

Headache, dizziness, pallor and shortness of breath are also symptoms of anemia. Anemia, particularly megaloblastic anemia, is often the first sign that there is an underlying folate deficiency, and doctors will usually test for folate and Vitamin B12 deficiencies when they encounter anemia.

Less common symptoms of folate deficiency are:

• Fast heartbeat
• Angular stomatitis

In children with congenital malabsorption disorders, which are rare, neurological problems might also be present.

Side Effects Requiring Immediate Medical Attention

Along with its needed effects, cyanocobalamin may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking cyanocobalamin:

Incidence not known

• bleeding from the gums or nose
• blue lips and fingernails
• coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
• decreased urine output
• difficult, fast, noisy breathing, sometimes with wheezing
• difficulty with swallowing
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• ringing in the ears
• swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
• tightness in the chest
• weight gain

Foods With Plenty Of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that many vegans lack. People who are deficient in this element can experience health problems. For example, they may develop chronic and complex pathologies like anemia. In todays article, well share 4 foods with plenty of vitamin B12 so you can ensure youre getting enough in your diet.

You should note that its rare for people with a balanced and varied diet to have a vitamin B12 deficiency. But, if youre experiencing this issue, you should try to include the foods that were going to show you in your diet.

Risks And Side Effects

• Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. When consumed in excess amounts, its flushed out of the body through urine. For this reason, a vitamin B12 overdose is unlikely. In fact, studies show that for those who are deficient in the nutrient, taking up to 2,000 micrograms per day is safe.
• However, people with certain medical conditions or those receiving B12 injections may experience negative side effects or overdose symptoms.
• If you take large doses of vitamin B12 and notice adverse side effects, talk to your health care professional about the issue and ask about evaluating your ability to properly absorb the nutrient.

Read Next: Vitamin B12 Side Effects & What They Mean

Side Effects Not Requiring Immediate Medical Attention

Some side effects of cyanocobalamin may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

Will My Dose Go Up Or Down

When you first start having your treatment, you’ll usually have an injection a few times a week.

Your dose may go up or down, depending on your response to the treatment and the vitamin B12 levels in your blood.

To see how well it’s working, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms such as tiredness and lack of energy. They will also give you regular blood tests to monitor the vitamin B12 levels in your blood.

As your symptoms and vitamin B12 levels improve, you may be able to have the injections less often, such as every few months.

What Else Can Cause Diarrhea

There are other supplements that can can cause diarrhea in large doses, such as magnesium and fish oil. These are both excellent supplements for your health, but your body cannot digest large doses of either substance. Another likely culprit of diarrhea is if you are not careful about your diet and take vitamins to “make up” for it. The poor diet could lead to stomach problems, but a poor diet combined with vitamins could certainly provoke diarrhea because the body may not have the ability to digest the vitamins properly.

Finally, if you have had stomach surgery, or have a history of irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or other conditions that affect the digestive system, you may be more sensitive to vitamin supplements than most people.

• There are other supplements that can can cause diarrhea in large doses, such as magnesium and fish oil.
• The poor diet could lead to stomach problems, but a poor diet combined with vitamins could certainly provoke diarrhea because the body may not have the ability to digest the vitamins properly.

Nausea Vomiting And Diarrhea

Vitamin B-12 deficiency can affect the digestive tract.

A lack of red blood cells means that not enough oxygen reaches the gut. Insufficient oxygen here may lead to a person both feeling and being sick. It may also cause diarrhea.

The following factors make a person more likely to have a vitamin B-12 deficiency:

• being older, because a person becomes less able to absorb B-12 as they age
• eating a vegetarian or vegan diet
• taking anti-acid medication for an extended period
• weight loss surgery or other stomach surgery, which can affect how the digestive system absorbs vitamin B-12

What Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia

Most people get more than enough B12 from eating meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. Normally, the vitamin is absorbed by your digestive systemyour stomach and intestines. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia usually happens when the digestive system is not able to absorb the vitamin. This can happen if:

• You have pernicious anemia. In this anemia, your body destroys the cells in your stomach that help you absorb vitamin B12.
• You have had surgery to remove part of the stomach or the last part of your small intestine, called the ileum. This includes some types of surgery used to help very overweight people lose weight.
• You have problems with the way your body digests food, such as sprue , Crohn’s disease, bacteria growth in the small intestine, or a parasite.

This anemia can also happen if you don’t eat enough foods with B12, but this is rare. People who eat a vegan diet and older adults who don’t eat a variety of foods may need to take a daily vitamin pill to get enough B12. Other causes include drinking alcohol and taking some prescription and nonprescription medicines.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Can Be Sneaky Harmful

What harm can having too little of vitamin B12 do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worsea severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.