Vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia Q&As
Published by Bupa's health information team, March 2009.
Answers to questions about vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia
This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email. This section will expand over time.
- Can vitamin B12-deficiency affect my pregnancy?
- I'm being treated for diet-related vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia. How do I know if my treatment is working?
- Will I have a reaction to the vitamin B12 injection?
Can vitamin B12-deficiency affect my pregnancy?
Although some evidence suggests that vitamin B12-deficiency can increase the risk of your baby developing a neural tube defect, it hasn't yet been proven. It's still important that you have a good intake of vitamin B12 during your pregnancy.
Explanation
If you eat a well-balanced diet you should get enough vitamin B12 to prevent deficiency during pregnancy. You need approximately 1.5 micrograms per day, the same amount as someone who is not pregnant. Good sources of vitamin B12 include meat, fish and eggs.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, it's particularly important you get enough vitamin B12 from your diet. This can be difficult because vitamin B12 isn't found in vegetables. Look out for foods fortified with vitamin B12. Your GP may also suggest you take a vitamin B12 supplement.
Further information
- Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
Sources
- Pre-conception advice and management. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. http://cks.library.nhs.uk, accessed 2 July 2008
- Vitamin B12. Food Standards Agency. www.food.gov.uk, accessed 20 June 2008
- Vegetarian diets. Food Standards Agency. www.food.gov.uk, accessed 20 June 2008
- Safe upper levels for vitamins and minerals. Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, 2003. www.food.gov.uk
- Fenwick E, Understanding Pregnancy. 2nd ed. Poole: Family Doctor Publications, 2003
I'm being treated for diet-related vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia. How do I know if my treatment is working?
You will have a series of blood tests to see if your treatment for vitamin B12- deficiency anaemia is working. If you start to feel better, this is a good sign that your treatment is going well.
Explanation
If you have vitamin B12-deficiency, you will usually be treated with a course of injections, although this depends on the type and cause of your deficiency. The treatment aims to increase the amount of vitamin B12 in your body. This means your body will be able to produce more red blood cells.
You will need a series of blood tests to make sure the treatment is effective. The first blood test is usually carried out about 10 days after treatment is started. It checks for a rise in haemoglobin - the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells. You will have a second blood test about eight weeks later to check that your red blood cell levels have returned to normal.
If your symptoms persist, you will be monitored and further blood tests will be done. If you can't get enough vitamin B12 from your diet, for example if you're vegan, you may need to have life-long treatment. Your GP may want to test your red blood cell levels every year to check you aren't deficient in vitamin B12.
Further information
- Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
Sources
- Anaemia B12 and folate deficiency. Management. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. http://cks.library.nhs.uk, accessed 3 July 2008
- Treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency. GP Notebook. www.gpnotebook.co.uk, accessed 7 July 2008
Will I have a reaction to the vitamin B12 injection?
Some people have a reaction to the vitamin B12 injection.
Explanation
Some people develop a rash, itching or pain at the site of the vitamin B12 injection. Other possible side-effects include nausea, headache, dizziness or fever after the vitamin B12 injection. If you experience any of these reactions, you should contact your GP.
Rarely, people develop a severe reaction called anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock. This is a potentially fatal allergic reaction affecting your whole body, causing swelling, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and breathing problems. Your nurse will stay with you for a few minutes after giving you the injection to check that you don't have an anaphylactic reaction.
Further information
- Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
Sources
- Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary. 55 ed. London: British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 2008: 493-494
- Pre-conception advice and management. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. http://cks.library.nhs.uk, accessed 2 July 2008
- Kumar P and Clark M, Clinical Medicine. 6th ed. London: Elsevier Saunders, 2005:967
Related topics
This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Dr John Houghton, FRCP FRCPath, Consultant Haematologist, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, and by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.
Publication date: March 2009
Vitamin B12-deficiency factsheet
Visit the Vitamin B12-deficiency health factsheet for more information.
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