Vitamin B12 Deficiency or French Polio?
So, about 3 years ago, my mom began to eat much less than one probably should. I’m talking about less than 1,000 calories on a daily basis. It may have started as depression after the death of her mother in 2002 and then father and brother just months prior to her changing her eating habits, but after losing some weight, she began to eat even less, perhaps in attempt to lose more weight. She was 250 lbs at the time and has since then lost about 75 lbs. She does so by eating as little as she can, no more than approx. 300-400 calories on most days. It’s not as though she counts calories, but comes up with excuses such as why something doesn’t taste any good, having a late lunch being a reason not to have dinner, or eating half of virtually everything she eats, no matter how small.
Anyway, although I have noticed signs of nutritional deficiency for a long time, last month she began to complain about not having the strength to walk and about how her hands and feet were numb. As time progressed, things have only gotten worse. The numbness has spread up her arms and legs, in addition to experiencing tingling and a sharp pain, especially in her feet. She also complained about the loss of feeling in her hands. I have also noticed her muscles almost becoming as jelly. She now cannot so much as lift herself up and it is extremely difficult for her to stand up just for a moment to get in a wheel chair.
She began visiting a chiropractor a few weeks ago. He thought she might have MS, and suggested she visit a neurologist. They did multiple tests, including scans and blood tests. They concluded she was dangerously low in potassium as well as folic acid. She will need to take supplements. However, that doesn’t appear to be causing her problems. I’m almost certain she’s deficient in other nutrients as well. Recently, she was told that she didn’t have MS and suggested that she had French polio. French polio is characterized by the loss of myelin which surrounds nerve cells. This causes the symptoms I covered earlier. However, these symptoms also describe vitamin b12 deficiency. I’m no doctor, but I’m led more to believe she is suffering from protein and b12 deficiency rather than polio or ms, based on how I know she’s already deficient in several if not more essential nutrients.
I am just worried that if they treat her for having polio, that they’ll be ignoring the cause of the problem. What do I do? I may be wrong, but it wouldn’t be the first time a specialist would be wrong either. I had an ENT specialist treat me several years ago. I knew for a fact that I just had temporary damage to my ears after being around loud noise. He tried to convince me I had allergies in my ears. He was so off the mark. My point is, more often than not, they can’t be trusted. Do I trust my instincts? What kind of tests need to be done for b12 deficiency, and wouldn’t they have caught it when they did other blood tests? Do you know anyone who experienced the above symptoms? What was the diagnosis?