If you suffer from Crohns disease, then check your vitamin B12 levels often. One side effect of Crohns is pernicious anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency, in addition to Crohns symptoms like stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Not surprisingly, there are several reasons why vitamin B12 deficiency occurs with Crohns disease. Here are the four top reasons to check your vitamin B12 levels if you suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
1- Symptoms of Crohns disease
Crohns disease, sometimes called ileitis, is an illness of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that damages the bottommost part of the small intestinal, the terminal ileum. Symptoms of Crohns disease include chronic diarrhea caused by swelling of the small intestine, excruciating stomach cramps caused by intestinal strictures, fever, weight loss, and rectal bleeding.
The ileum is an important part of your digestive system for vitamin B12 absorption- without it, your body would be unable to extract vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and dispense it into your blood supply. If Crohns disease has caused irreparable inflammation of your terminal ileum, you will likely suffer symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCHChronic fatigue
Depression
Anxiety
Short-term memory loss
Difficulty concentrating
Unclear thinking, or brain fog
Muscular twitching
Painful tingling and numbness in hands and feet
Sore, red tongue
Burning mouth sensations
Frequent clumsiness and stumbling
Once vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed, you may be required to take vitamin B12 shots for life, which are only available upon prescription.
2- Crohns disease medications
Whenever digestive disorders are present, vitamin B12 levels are low. Certain medicines used to treat Crohns disease may cause symptoms that typically interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and acid reflux. These medications often include anti-inflammatory drugs such as mesalamine medicines and immune system suppressors that are also used to treat cancer, such as Methotrexate (Rheumatrex).
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCH
Only vitamin B12 supplements that bypass the digestive system can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.
Left untreated, pernicious anemia from B12 deficiency can cause neurological damage, increased risk for heart attack and stroke, osteoporosis, and in extreme cases, death.
3- Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCHAny GI surgery that involves removal or reduction of the ileum results in vitamin B12 deficiency. In Crohns disease, resection surgeries such as ileostomy necessitate lifelong supplementation of prescribed vitamin B12 shots.
Similarly, gastric bypass patients can no longer digest vitamin B12 in the stomach, and must get vitamin B12 injections indefinitely.
Sometimes, even routine vitamin B12 shots dont provide full relief from B12 deficiency symptoms like fatigue, depression, nerve pain, and brain fog. In such cases, many opt for nonprescription vitamin B12 patches for extra energy and mental stamina between vitamin B12 jabs.
4- Crohns and diet
People suffering from IBD (Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis) are required to follow restrictive diets excluding many foods that may irritate the digestive system. Fruits and vegetables that are uncooked may be red flag items, in addition to food sources of vitamin B12, such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, and eggs.
Not surprisingly, there are several reasons why vitamin B12 deficiency occurs with Crohns disease. Here are the four top reasons to check your vitamin B12 levels if you suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
1- Symptoms of Crohns disease
Crohns disease, sometimes called ileitis, is an illness of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that damages the bottommost part of the small intestinal, the terminal ileum. Symptoms of Crohns disease include chronic diarrhea caused by swelling of the small intestine, excruciating stomach cramps caused by intestinal strictures, fever, weight loss, and rectal bleeding.
The ileum is an important part of your digestive system for vitamin B12 absorption- without it, your body would be unable to extract vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and dispense it into your blood supply. If Crohns disease has caused irreparable inflammation of your terminal ileum, you will likely suffer symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCHChronic fatigue
Depression
Anxiety
Short-term memory loss
Difficulty concentrating
Unclear thinking, or brain fog
Muscular twitching
Painful tingling and numbness in hands and feet
Sore, red tongue
Burning mouth sensations
Frequent clumsiness and stumbling
Once vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed, you may be required to take vitamin B12 shots for life, which are only available upon prescription.
2- Crohns disease medications
Whenever digestive disorders are present, vitamin B12 levels are low. Certain medicines used to treat Crohns disease may cause symptoms that typically interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and acid reflux. These medications often include anti-inflammatory drugs such as mesalamine medicines and immune system suppressors that are also used to treat cancer, such as Methotrexate (Rheumatrex).
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCH
Only vitamin B12 supplements that bypass the digestive system can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.
Left untreated, pernicious anemia from B12 deficiency can cause neurological damage, increased risk for heart attack and stroke, osteoporosis, and in extreme cases, death.
3- Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery
FOUR REASONS TO CHECK YOUR VITAMIN B12 LEVELS WITH CROHNS DISEASE, B12 PATCHAny GI surgery that involves removal or reduction of the ileum results in vitamin B12 deficiency. In Crohns disease, resection surgeries such as ileostomy necessitate lifelong supplementation of prescribed vitamin B12 shots.
Similarly, gastric bypass patients can no longer digest vitamin B12 in the stomach, and must get vitamin B12 injections indefinitely.
Sometimes, even routine vitamin B12 shots dont provide full relief from B12 deficiency symptoms like fatigue, depression, nerve pain, and brain fog. In such cases, many opt for nonprescription vitamin B12 patches for extra energy and mental stamina between vitamin B12 jabs.
4- Crohns and diet
People suffering from IBD (Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis) are required to follow restrictive diets excluding many foods that may irritate the digestive system. Fruits and vegetables that are uncooked may be red flag items, in addition to food sources of vitamin B12, such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, and eggs.
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