B12 deficiency..

[anj1976]

Hi all,

I am worried lots, I got my tests done, for a regular checkup, and I have vitamin B12 deficiency, which means I have to take injections for a week followed by a tab everyday, the doc says for not more than a couple of months but from what I have read, I will have to pop a tab everyday for the rest of my life.

Is this a threat for the visa?
And if my doc prescribes the medicine, can I fetch it off the shelf from the chemist or drugstore there? I anyways take vitamins (Centrum or A to Z), but they are available to anyone and everyone off the shelf.

[Tiffani]

what are the potential implications of a B12 deficiency if it's not managed?

And yes, there are plenty of vitamins here so if you need to take a pill every day, that should be easily managed here

[anj1976]

Originally Posted by Tiffani

what are the potential implications of a B12 deficiency if it's not managed?

And yes, there are plenty of vitamins here so if you need to take a pill every day, that should be easily managed here

In extreme case it can lead to nervous breakdown, but again, extreme case. It can be easily controlled by non vegetarian diet. Nothing serious, I checked with two docs yesterday.

Check here
Vitamin B12 deficiency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[adamgard]

Apologies - I mistakenly replied here to Anji thinking that she was querying life in Cyprus. Good luck with Oz. Adam

[anj1976]

Originally Posted by adamgard

Apologies - I mistakenly replied here to Anji thinking that she was querying life in Cyprus. Good luck with Oz. Adam

No issues Adam...

[ipodfansmail]

Cool post,I like your information

[anj1976]

Originally Posted by ipodfansmail

Cool post,I like your information

it isnt cool being deficient in B12

[Tiffani]

well a nervous breakdown is definitely not desirable but I don't think it would be considered a threat to the national health system, unless you broke down to the point where you had to be continually committed to a mental institution. But anyway it sounds like it can be easily dealt with, so I wouldn't think they would really care that much.

[Gail]

Vitamin B12 is not a threat to life or general capactiy if treated. It can have different causes but if it is purely diet then it is easy to control - and as long as you look after it will do you no long term harm - and therefore I doubt will effect your visa.
I would just like to point out that untreated that the worst isn't a nervous breakdown its a rather more serious effect on your nervous system. It can cause peripheral neuropath (numbness in your extremities) and other central nervous system problems like blindness as well as anaemia. Not that I am trying to freak you out - you would have to go for a long time as a really bad case with no treatment ever for that to happen - and this certainly isn't your case.
I guess my point is be careful about what you read on Wikipeadia and listen to your doctor. Which it sounds llike you are doing!
I would double check with your doc that you can just take over the counter vitamins for this as I am not sure that these would be strong enough. Could be wrong though.

[anj1976]

HI Gail,
I am sorry, it was indeed nervous system breakdown, I get so excited when writing things down that I make silly mistakes, and this my friend was a big one. I talked to the doc and he said there is nothing to worry about, the normal value is 200-850 and mine is 146, so that is way too less but I have been taking shots of methycobal, six of them everyday for 6 days, post which a pill each day for 2 months, i need to get tests done again to check how and where the value has landed.
I got a surgery for weight loss, its called bariatric surgery (laproscopic banding), it has helped me lots, i am down 54 kgs, but good things come in a package, you got to loose some to gain some.
I was not careful in what I was eating, but now I am making a conscious effort to eat right and good quantity. There was a time when all I had the entire day was a couple of glasses of milk and maybe yoghurt in the evening, with nothing solid going in, which is what i believe landed me in this state.

But thanks lots for the reply, I will be more carefull with what I type and what I eat

Cheers