open
access
volume 36 , number 1 published 1 february 2021
case report
Reading Difficulties and Vitamin B12: A Qualitative Case Report Rattan Singh; Aradhana Kaul Citation: Singh R & Kaul A (2021) Reading difficulties and vitamin B12: A qualitative case report. J Orthomol Med. 36(1)
Introduction
This case highlights the need for wider uptake and acceptance of the growing knowledge base regarding vitamins and their deficiencies. In this case, a better-informed patient was able contribute to her own recovery. The patient (P), a mother in her early forties, was a practicing physiotherapist and had been a lifelong vegetarian. The following narration explains the case in the patient’s own words. Our comments accompany within parentheses. It was a pleasure meeting you Dr. Singh. I agree with your statement that my life would have been very different if my vitamin B12 deficiency had been detected earlier. For the first time I met a professional who recognized the disasters that these deficiencies wreak on peoples’ lives. I feel more fortunate than others like me – my B12 deficiency was detected and managed quite “early” in life. It was last year in May, when I was visiting Mumbai, that I felt my energy levels had dropped drastically. This had been a gradual decline which had reached its worst point. Even after a good night’s sleep, I felt that I had to drag myself out of bed. At this time, I was already on medication for hypothyroidism and hypertension. (We hypothesized adrenal exhaustion or low thyroid function as more common explanations. Elevated homocysteine levels can be a sign of hypothyroidism, and also correlate with low B12 and folate levels). I also experienced constant leg pains, for which my Orthopedic Surgeon put me on a high dosage of Calcium/ D3. On my own, I got a DXA Scan (for bone density) done which came back normal. My doctor then asked for B12 level to be tested – my B12 level was under 120pg/ml. He put me
on nine Meganeuron (methylcobalamin 750mcg + folic acid 1,500mcg) injections to be taken on alternate days. After the fifth injection, I felt considerable improvement and by the time I completed the course, I felt my life had changed. I am now quite sure that my B12 levels had been low for years. I observed the following changes after the course of nine Meganeuron injections: • Resolution of leg pains and improved energy levels. • Improvements in my short-term memory: I always had problems remembering facts, e.g. names of people or places, dates in history lessons. It even led me to hate history in school. In the months leading up to my injections, I was struggling to recognize familiar people in unfamiliar places. • Improvement in my reading comprehension: Reading was torturous. I felt I had a problem with my reading comprehension and found it hard to remember what I read. Registering read information was arduous, however when someone read out the same content to me, I had no problems comprehending or remembering it. I had always relied on my auditory memory. Even for my academic work, I had to depend on the spoken word with the help of my friends. I remember such problems since I was in middle school. I was fortunate as the small class size meant I was able to receive support and compensation. The change I experienced following the completion of the B12 injections (Meganeuron) has left me feeling there had to be a relationship between my reading problems and my low B12 levels. It left me wondering whether B12 deficiency should not be ruled out as a routine in children with such learning difficulties and attention deficit problems.”
© 2021 International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine ISSN 0317-0209