(30-07-12) Diabetes, Celiac Disease and Tinnitus ? The Vitamin B12 Link

Research has shown that tinnitus can be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency.
B12 deficiency is also a common complication in diabetes and celiac disease as
they both share the inability to absorb B12 properly. People who have celiac
disease and type II diabetes also have higher rates of nerve-damage related
conditions like tinnitus. In addition, the older you get, the more at risk you
may be for developing both a B12 deficiency and tinnitus. Why? As you get
older, you lose a great deal of your ability to absorb B12 from your food
through your intestine.

Recent research has shown that if you are a type II diabetic who takes
metformin you are also at higher risk of B12 deficiency. Metformin, a drug
which normalizes insulin usage, can have a side effect of frequent diarrhea or
loose stools. With those side effects, you can lose a lot of B12 from your
foods. In a 2009 study, 40% of metformin users had B12 deficiencies. Another
77% had peripheral neuropathy, a common type of nerve damage also aggravated by
B12 deficiency.

In celiac disease, a condition of unknown specific causes but associated with
gluten sensitivity, tiny hairs that line the small intestine become decreased
making it difficult to absorb nutrients from food. In addition, the part of
the intestine that produces intrinsic factor also malfunctions and B12 doesn?t
get absorbed properly. Many people with celiac disease, or GERD, frequently
use acid blocker medications like Prilosec, Zantac, et al. These also prevent
your body from absorbing B12 as they block the acid your body needs to release
B12 from food to absorb it.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency:

B12 deficiencies often go overlooked as they can cause symptoms that can be
mistaken for other conditions. Here are some common signs of a B12
deficiency:

Chronic irritability, nervousness, anxiety
Ringing, other noises in the ears (tinnitus)
High homocysteine levels can damage the heart and nerve cells. Tinnitus is
caused by damage to ear nerve cells.
Memory problems ? Alzheimer dementia is also thought linked to B12 deficiency
Decreased reflexes
Impaired touch or pain sensation, numbness in fingertips or lips
Anemia
In both diabetes and celiac disease, it is critical to supplement with optimal
doses of multivitamins and at least 400 mcg of Vitamin B12 a day. B12 can
better be absorbed by your body by using a sublingual (under the tongue), or
subcutaneous injection (under the skin) form of B12. If you take metformin,
ask your doctor if there is a substitute for it that doesn?t have frequent
diarrhea as a side effect. Even if you don?t have these conditions and are
past the age of 50, you too are likely in need of supplemental B12 to prevent
nervous system complications like tinnitus, Alzheimer-type dementia and memory
problems.

Source: healthy answers

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