Detailed overview of symptoms

A Vitamin B12 deficiency affects far more than just your energy levels. Use this overview to explore the wide range of neurological, physical, and psychological symptoms associated with low B12.

Neurological

• Absences / seizures
• Aphasia (problems with speaking, using the wrong words, not being able to find the right word; “keyboard aphasia”; speaking with a “thick/double tongue,” speech apraxia)
• Abnormal reflexes
• Ataxia, reduced sense of position (unsteady gait, staggering walk, up to being unable to walk at all)
• Concentration and memory problems (no longer able to think clearly, derealization, “cotton wool head,” drowsiness)
• Dementia (memory loss)
• Dizziness
• Fasciculations / myoclonus (like eye muscle twitching, contraction of a small part of a muscle, involuntary movements)
• Hearing problems (tinnitus, distorted sound, etc.)
• Feeling cold (sometimes also a burning sensation on the skin)
• Headache / migraine
• Hypertonic bladder (unable to hold urine)
• Eye problems (optic neuropathy, blurred vision, visual field loss)
• Strange sensation in the feet (feeling like walking on felt, cotton, or cushions; altered surface sensation; burning feeling on the skin)
• Restless legs
• Muscle pain (worse after exertion than at rest; sometimes cramps, weakness, loss of strength)
• Tingling (in the feet and hands, later also in legs, arms, and face; “electric” sensation; “pins and needles”; also numbness in hands and feet, trembling hands, neurological deficits)
• Reduced sense of position (unexplained falls or suddenly dropping things)
• Heavy and stiff feeling in the legs

Behavioral changes

• Psychological problems (ranging from irritability / “short temper,” mood swings, and unreasonable behavior to severe psychiatric issues, panic attacks, and suicidal behavior)
  

Other

• Mouth ulcers / inflammation in the mouth
• Allergies
• Chest tightness / angina-like pain
• Spontaneous / unexplained bruising
• Anemia
• Brittle nails
• Digestive issues, diarrhea/constipation (regularly)
• Dry skin
• Dental problems (inflamed and/or bleeding gums; iron/metallic taste)
• Birth defects, neural tube
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
• Weight loss (loss of appetite, loss of taste/smell)
• Joint pain
• Glossitis (painful tongue, swollen tongue, so-called “beefy tongue,” especially with spicy foods, acidic drinks, and brushing teeth)
• Hair loss
• Palpitations / heart rhythm disturbances / rapid heart rate
• Hyperpigmentation
• Impotence
• Infections (increased risk of vaginal and urinary tract infections)
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of libido
• Menstrual problems (irregular, sometimes absent)
• Miscarriage
• Nausea (loss of appetite, vague stomach discomfort, underweight)
• Inflammation in the digestive tract (intestinal inflammation, even leading to perforation)
• Infertility
• Orthostatic hypotension (sudden drop in blood pressure causing dizziness and/or fainting)
• Pap smear, false-positive result
• Petechiae (red or purple pinpoint skin bleeding)
• Pain (including in the back, hands, wrists, hips, and knees)
• Sleep problems, insomnia
• Drowsiness (also needing a lot of sleep, falling asleep spontaneously)
• Fatigue (sometimes very severe, often already upon waking; no energy)
• Sinus infections