TikToker shares 'terrifying' Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that left her unable to speak or walk

It's not always easy to pinpoint a Vitamin B12 deficiency, as the symptoms are often subtle and non-specific. They can also vary from person to person. Common symptoms may range from numbness or tingling in hands and feet, changes in appetite, to persistent lack of energy for everyday tasks. While mild deficiencies can be managed by adding B12-rich foods to the diet, more severe cases may require intramuscular injections for effective treatment.

Sometimes the symptoms can get so extreme that they can render a person non-functional. Like it happened in Michelle Griff's case who was unable to speak and walk after developing 'terrifying' Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms. According to GB News, Griff detailed her symptoms on TikTok. In a clip, she explained how she spent her first two days in the hospital unable to understand why she couldn't speak or walk. She had rubbished off her symptoms as a viral infection and thought she would be okay in a few days. "I was so naive about what the next two years would look like," she said.

“Thinking I had a virus and that I would be okay in a few days, this was the beginning of the most terrifying thing I’ve ever been through," she said.

Here are some of the symptoms she detailed in her account:

“I couldn’t even talk or hold a conversation. My whole body was in chronic pain. I had heart palpitations, slurred speech, a drooping face, and chronic neurological symptoms,” she said.

How she responded to the treatment

Griff was given B12 injections to ease the symptoms and treat the deficiency, however she was told it could take years for her symptoms to clear.

Her symptoms included stomach issues such as constipation, diarrhoea, excess gas, and chronic pain.

She compared the intensity of the pain to "on the level of labour pains”.

“I also had chronic dizziness, and I still experience this," she said.

Griff also said that she also suffered from jelly legs but is much better than she was before the treatment. Jelly legs refers to the sensation of weak, wobbly, or unstable legs, often described as feeling like they are going to collapse.

Dangers of Vitamin B12 deficiency

In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a "pins and needles" sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and develop progressive shortness of breath. All this happened due to lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.

How much Vitamin B12 is required every day

The average adult should get 2.4 micrograms a day. It is needed to perform important functions like making red blood cells, nerves, DNA, and carry out other functions.

Common Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms

Numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet, difficulty walking, anemia, a swollen, inflamed tongue, difficulty thinking and reasoning, or memory loss, weakness, and fatigue.

How can it be corrected

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be corrected through dietary changes, like eating more meat, fish, eggs, or fortified foods. Doctors may also prescribe oral supplements or B12 injections for faster absorption. Ongoing treatment depends on the cause. Some people may need lifelong supplementation.
Video