“In the past ten years I have had quite a few examinations at the GP and in the hospital. I had all kinds of different complaints, which could not be explained. It started with a lot of abdominal pain. Then they thought I might have a spastic bowel, where I also received medication for it. Furthermore, I had nightmares almost daily and there was little I could handle: my muscles and joints hurt very quickly, but the orthopedist’s photos showed nothing. That pain would probably occur more often on my age, so it was blamed on ‘a young girl’s ailment’. Every time I came to the doctor with something different, so that he often thought: what is going on now?
At one point I had built my life around the complaints. I did my own thing, but was always tired, looked pale and had severe nerve pain in my hands and feet. That also did something to me mentally, because I also just wanted to go out with my girlfriends. I knew that I would be less fit or ill, so I didn’t do it. Fortunately, I could do many things, but I think that the friendships in my youth were a bit different than with others.
At the physio one day I asked how I should continue to exercise if everything bothered me. She then suggested to my GP to have my values tested. The GP then accidentally ticked B12 and that’s how they finally found out about three years ago that I have a vitamin B12 deficiency. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I was so happy that there was finally a diagnosis. It was very frustrating and difficult to be insecure all this time, so it was nice to hear that it wasn’t all in my mind.
A B12 deficiency is common in people who are vegan or have anemia. It can also run in your family, but that is not the case with me. That’s why it was so hard to figure out. I’m just unlucky.
I did a lot of research with my parents and I started looking for a specialized doctor. Now I’m at the B12 Institute in Rotterdam, which supports me and where I do a blood test once every three months to check my other values. I also put an injection of B12 every 48 hours. In the beginning it gave me acne and my complaints got worse, but I was prepared for that. The benefit I get from it certainly outweighs that.
I am now much more energetic than before. I can work and exercise again and do fun things. I can really just do whatever I want. Sometimes I do notice that I have to slow down for a while and then I do that by canceling appointments, for example. Listening to my body is getting better and better and I can live with it in this way.
At my Instagram page about vitamin B12 deficiency I get a lot of questions from people who are dealing with the same thing or don’t know yet if they have the condition. I share my own experiences on the account, but I am not a doctor. It’s nice to read that there are several who suffer from it. The list of complaints associated with B12 deficiency is so long and everyone suffers from something else.
I try to put a piece online once in a while to motivate people. To show: it’s not always bad, it can also get better. It has taken me a long time to recover and it is important to listen to your own body and to go to the doctor if you are in doubt about something. It takes patience, so give it time.”
