Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss
Welcome to Spine-health’s Diet, Nutrition, and Weight Loss patient community. You can also read doctor approved Diet, Nutrition, and Weight Loss Articles.
Mon, 11/02/2009 - 18:39
B12 Deficiency
I am the kind of person who enjoys good home made cooking 
, theres nothing better than fresh vegtables 
, i do eat meat but not alot :& , as i have never been a lover of it 
. I eat eggs in many forms love them! 
milk is ok as long as its not full fat 
. All this fussy eating did not occur (except for the meat) until a few months after the operation . Anyway my family doctor is quite good , because of all the medication i am on now 
, she sees me every month for a medication review 
, and she takes regular blood from me about every 3 months 
, anyway the last test i had came back and said i have B12 deficiency 
. So i said to the doctor ok i will get some from the supermarket, she told me its no so simple as that 
. Cuttng a long story short, i have to , have 6 injections of this B12 over a space of 2 weeks , then a blood test , she said the level is quite low 
, so every 3 months possibly for life i would have to have a B12 injection all the time she was going through this i was thinking 
, why me!! somthing else!! ). I have been told my body is inflamed and not absorbing this vitamin , but its a vitamin we all need .B12 is crucial for creating red blood cells, which carries oxygen to different organs 
we also need b12 to carry oxgen to the nervous system . i was wondering if anyone else has this problem?
THANKYOU IN ADVANCE INCASE OF ANY REPLIES
Angie xx
_____________
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
User login
advertisement
New forum topics
Top Clinical Trials
Quick Find
Who's online
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I used to get these when I was on a doctor supervised weight loss program. They sure helped with my energy levels. If you take the pill form it absorbs better if it is sublingual (dissolve under the tongue) but nothing is as good as the injections.
I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD,Collapsed Disc, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic MicroD and PLDD,
Methadone, Percocet, Baclofen, Welbutrin
Hi Angie,
I don't have this problem, found this link which gives a lot of info on the condition:
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12.asp
Hope it helps.
May '09 - dx'd w/ DDD, stenosis, disc herniations. MRI impression L4-5 broad disc bulge central/right sided disc herniation, facet hypertrophy, marked segmental spinal stenosis, marked right lateral recess stenosis. L3-4 broad bulge, right paramidline herniated disc, facet hypertrophy, moderate right foraminal stenosis. L5-S1 large degenerative bony ridge, facet hypertrophy, moderate right foraminal stenosis. Bony spinal canal slightly narrow L4-L5 on congenital basis. CT scan impression severe central spine stenosis L4-5 due to narrow bony canal, prominent posterior disc protrusion, ligamentous hypertrophy, facet degeneration, bilateral forminal stenosis. L5-Sl posterior disc protrusion, annular calcification particularly heavy on right side, central canal compromise, severe right foraminal stenosis, moderate left foraminal stenosis. L3-4 moderate central canal stenosis, mild bilateral foraminal stenosis.
Minimally invasive TLIF with instrumention 7/6/09 pedicle screws, disc spacer, decompression.
Thakyou
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
J.J.grey told me about these a long time ago. They work good! Gives me much more energy. Order online Wonder Laboratories. Advanced B-12 sublingual including b-6, folic acid & biotin. Take 2 a day & put under tongue. (they'll try to sell you everything under the sun) But that's all I buy!
Good luck, Jim
P.S. no offence but too many smileys, Hard to read.
click my name to see my medical history
Play with the cards you were delt... I said that
Hiya, sorry about the smileys
Any way thankyou for your reply. Did you find out from your doctor that you have the deficeincy 
I do know just like any others tablets, that you can take too much of any vitamin 
Do you have to take them for life? 
This is to anyone, does anyone actually know the causes of this?
Angie
xx
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
You did remember that! I just responded above about the same thing. Are you still using those with good results?
I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD,Collapsed Disc, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic MicroD and PLDD,
Methadone, Percocet, Baclofen, Welbutrin
Hiya
, Thankyou for your replies 
. The B12 that i need, has to be in injection form, and there are 6 1000micrograms injections and they have to be given by the doctor over a space of 2 weeks 
. I said to the doctor that i would buy some from the supermarket, but she , said no, because they are not strong enough 
, and my level is right down, and need this to get into my system quickly 
All this is all new to me 
.
Angie
xx
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I have B12 deficiency, and you definitely need to listen to your doctor. I took 1000mcg every day for a week, then every other day for a week, and now once a week for life. It is not something that you can take for a short period of time, and then suddenly not need it anymore. B12 is constantly being depleted. Another important point to know; once you take these injections, the normal B12 lab value will be skewed and always appear very high.
The appropriate lab to test is a methymalonic acid test. It is the ONLY test that is accurate when supplementing with B12 injections. Check out this imformation on the American Association for Family Physicians. They have spot-on guidelines for treating B12.
Good luck,
Lisa
Awaiting PLIF L4-L5 on 11/23/09
Slight Spondylolisthesis
Prominent degenerative facet changes L5
Hiya Lisa
, thankyou for your reply 
I have to have 3 more injections this week, then on friday im to have ablood test 
she said then im to have the injections every 3 months for life 
. I have read some information about the B12 deficeincy, and i did not realise how important it is to have this vitamin 
. I am from england , im not sure if they do things differently here 
. Its so nice to know there are others out there who have this problem 
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I'm sorry you need to get the injection from now on every 3 months. My cousin had vitamin B12 deficiency and had to get the same treatment. So I get mine checked every year with my physical. Off hand I don't have the medical reasons as there's so much available info online and can't remember too much of the causes right now not being active in Nursing due to my back injury and meds
Something to do with intrinsic factor or something and not being able to absorb it naturally by food in your gut so you need the injections. I'm sure you're going to feel a whole lot better once you're levels are back to normal with the injections. Keep us posted and take care. 
Charry
PS My Great GrandMother passed away in England of pernicious anemia before my GrandMother came over to Canada with her siblings and her Father to settle here. She was only 44 yrs old. Thanks God they have a treatment available now.
My 2nd MRI showed no herniated disc and no stenosis. Mild loss of signal intensity in intervertebral discs L1-S1 and mild loss of height from L1-L4. Mild DDD throughout the lumber spine. Still have back pain and some leg tingling, numbness though. 3rd opinion Neurosurgeon Oct. 6, 2009.
1st report last year Feb. 2008.
L5-S1 herniated disc with annular tear with disc material in contact with L5 exiting nerve, arthropy facet joints L4-L5. 5 Epidurals. Facet joint injections and 64 trigger point injections. Off work 21 months due to back and leg pain. Not a surgical candidate x 2 Ortho opinions. (history C5-7 osteoarthritis and DDD)
Infrared Platinum heating pad 4x/day and while sitting.
MS Contin 120mg, Cymbalta 60mg, lasix 20mg, Diovan for B/P . oxazepam 30mg for sleep. Excercise ball, recumbent stationary bicycle 30 mins. day, posture-pump for lower back. Tried PT, accupuncture, traction. Pool therapy Oct. 27/2009
http://www.livestrong.com/article/14700-self-affirmations/
Charry
I am so sorry that there was not treatment for your grandmother
, is this a kind of new thing then? 
I had never heard about this before and what it can do without treatment 
, its scary, i also have to have an ultrasound scan on my stomach 
(my aunt has crohans and my daughter has IBS) 
. Just hard to deal with all this as well as all the back and neck and joint pain 
. Thankyou for replying 
.
Angie
Sorry if there are too many smileys, its like a signature mark for me, ive always done them .
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
My Grandma had the B12 injections for several yrs before she passed.
She always looked forward to her injections. Said she could get a lot more done around the house the first few days after wards lol
Hope these help you as they did her
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall and all the Drs and surgeons could not put her back together again.
After my fall I started to fall apart. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 gone. ( full herniation )Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis.
The spacers in your back are gone/going, spinal nerve damage.
Spinal spurs. Both knee caps & both hips have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs.
No surgeries as Drs. don't think it will help and may make things worse.
Age 47 - Here to find & offer support.
I'm glad I read your reference pfd. I hadn't realised long term use of omeprazole could affect my ability to absorb B12. I'm on it to keep my gall bladder under control - I don't need that surgery while I'm stuck with my back problems. Definitely something to chat to my GP about.
Angie sorry to hear you need injections on top of your back. Hopefully your scan doesn't find anything as well. Good luck
2006 - Herniation of L4/L5, MRI showed degeneration of disc, Treated with Physiotheraphy
2007 - BAck pain similar to 2006, herniation not confirmed by scans, treatment physiotherapy and traction
Jan 2009 Herniation of L4/L5 following fall on some ice, MRI shows degeneration of L4/L5 and L5/S1 plus some damage to the vertebrae
April 2009 Lumbar epidural injection
May 2009 Microdiscectomy
August 2009 Sacral epidural injection
4 Nov 2009 Felt something go in my back. Now have bad sciatica, leg weakness and patchy numbness
Waiting for follow up appointment with surgeon 18 Nov
Thankyou for your reply
Thats interesting what you have just said because i have been on omprezole about 2 yrs or more now 
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I know you'll feel better with the injections afterwards. You'll have more energy afterwards just like Beth's Grandma did and also my cousin who got them too. Take care friend.
Charry
My 2nd MRI showed no herniated disc and no stenosis. Mild loss of signal intensity in intervertebral discs L1-S1 and mild loss of height from L1-L4. Mild DDD throughout the lumber spine. Still have back pain and some leg tingling, numbness though. 3rd opinion Neurosurgeon Oct. 6, 2009.
1st report last year Feb. 2008.
L5-S1 herniated disc with annular tear with disc material in contact with L5 exiting nerve, arthropy facet joints L4-L5. 5 Epidurals. Facet joint injections and 64 trigger point injections. Off work 21 months due to back and leg pain. Not a surgical candidate x 2 Ortho opinions. (history C5-7 osteoarthritis and DDD)
Infrared Platinum heating pad 4x/day and while sitting.
MS Contin 120mg, Cymbalta 60mg, lasix 20mg, Diovan for B/P . oxazepam 30mg for sleep. Excercise ball, recumbent stationary bicycle 30 mins. day, posture-pump for lower back. Tried PT, accupuncture, traction. Pool therapy Oct. 27/2009
http://www.livestrong.com/article/14700-self-affirmations/
Charry
Glad it helped!
P.
May '09 - dx'd w/ DDD, stenosis, disc herniations. MRI impression L4-5 broad disc bulge central/right sided disc herniation, facet hypertrophy, marked segmental spinal stenosis, marked right lateral recess stenosis. L3-4 broad bulge, right paramidline herniated disc, facet hypertrophy, moderate right foraminal stenosis. L5-S1 large degenerative bony ridge, facet hypertrophy, moderate right foraminal stenosis. Bony spinal canal slightly narrow L4-L5 on congenital basis. CT scan impression severe central spine stenosis L4-5 due to narrow bony canal, prominent posterior disc protrusion, ligamentous hypertrophy, facet degeneration, bilateral forminal stenosis. L5-Sl posterior disc protrusion, annular calcification particularly heavy on right side, central canal compromise, severe right foraminal stenosis, moderate left foraminal stenosis. L3-4 moderate central canal stenosis, mild bilateral foraminal stenosis.
Minimally invasive TLIF with instrumention 7/6/09 pedicle screws, disc spacer, decompression.
I have been on B12 injections for over a year now. I have an open prescription which costs me about $7 a bottle. A bottle contains about 7 injections. My husband gives me a weekly shot. It is important to give it in the muscle of the arm for good absorption. Whenever I am cranky the first thing he says is "did we give you your shot this week?"
There are many reasons for low levels. Age and alcohol consumption can inhibit your ability to absorb it properly.
I have seen reduced levels of my chronic pain for the past year. Not sure if it is the B12 or D3 though. I was also very low in vitamin D. I take it 3 times a day and try to expose my arms to the sun for 20 minutes a day when I walk.
Hubby just went to the Dr. yesterday and he has very low levels of D3 also.
Do a Google search on vitamin D3 deficiency. It's amazing how many problems are caused by this. My Dr. includes testing all vitamin levels with routine blood work because he sees so many with low levels.
My daughter who is 5 months pregnant , has had the blood test, and she has it
, they have done the second test, too find out where its coming from 
. Anyone know anything about B12 deficiency in pregnancy????
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I hope that you see my reply above. I did not realise that this post had so many replies or I would have put it down here.
I am in no way associated with the medical field. Anything that I post comes from personal experience only.
DDD, Facet Arthropathy, DJD,Collapsed Disc, Sleep Apnea
PT, Epidurals, Facet Blocks,Medial Branch Block, Rhizotomy,Discogram,Annular Tare L3/L4 Endoscopic MicroD and PLDD,
Methadone, Percocet, Baclofen, Welbutrin
Hiya
, when i first put this post out i didnt really know that much about it, and what this can do. Its amazing how many people have this deficiency 
.
THANKYOU TOO ALL WHO HAVE REPLYED SO FAR !
Angie
"ALL ADVICE GIVEN IS BASED ON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES"
"WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED IN THIS FIELD"
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL AND GOOD HEALTH FOR 2009 XXXX
My name is angie, i live in birmingham england.my back problems started in 1998.2001 had cartlidge removed in my right knee. when i was recovering from that i had a car accident, this caused my discs to prolapse.x-rays , MRI scan. 2002 epidural. 2003 had discs removed and 1 shaved.This has left me in pain and i have a protruding buldge to the right of my scar. 2004 PT. 2005 facet joint injections. 2006 more PT, MRI scan. 2007 referred to Pain Management.Now i have to take lots of medication. 2008 im waiting To have epidural and facet joint injections. I also suffer fibromyalgia this diagnosis was confirmed in october 2008.November 28th facet Joint Injections. After being examined by the GP he has concerns, so waiting for referral to orthopedic surgeon and for MRI scan, should recieve these in 2009 as he wants me seen ASAP. Appointment for orthopedic surgeon is dated the 27th january 2009. Not very well with my back at the moment, and been ill all over christmas, its so painful to walk now . Well i went to see the spinal surgeon, he said my spine is crumbling and he also said i have arthritus in my spine but the middle of my back, he said theres nothing he can do, until it gets worse. I have to continue with pain management, and the tablets, and he said i need to strenghten my muscles around the spine,and then he discharged me. But i am scared of doing more damage, i have lost faith in doctors, i feel so poorly at the moment, i havnt got any more energy. I cant stop crying, since i got back. The doctor knew about my spine crumbling in 2006, and still sent me to physio areobics.
I had gastric bypass surgery two and a half years ago and it is very common for weight loss surgery patients to have a B12 deficiency (we have malabsorption problems with all sorts of vitamins). At any rate, I give myself a B12 injection once a month. No big deal, really. The needles are like the ones used for insulin and I generally just inject it into my little (?) fat pad above my waist band or reach around and stick it into the top of my tush. B12 deficiency can lead to all sort of neurological problems, so do keep on it.
Linda
Ruptured discs L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 May 2007
One ESI in 2007 with lots of PT
Microdiscectomy and foraminotomy L5/S1 December 2007
Worsening of symptoms (back pain, sciatica, right leg weakness) June 2008
New MRI and Discogram show all three discs torn through the annulus, left to right, all three levels
2 ESIs unsuccessful in managing pain
PT, Duragesic pain patch and percocet for break-through
Was told nothing could be done for me because I had three levels and DDD
Given option of three-level fusion after being told nothing could be done
Surgery was November 19, 2008 fusing L3/4 to S1
Attempted PLIF (from both sides) on November 19th.
Rods and pins were placed, but scar tissues prohibited removal of the old discs.
On November 24th, I had ALIF (opened from top of pubic bone to the bottom of my left ribcage) and removed the torn discs, placed dowels with cadaver bone, and some of my own bone marrow mixed with BMP. I left the hospital on the 26th of November.
Currently suffering temporary (hopefully) nerve damage of both legs and total numbness of right foot. Strange tingling in both feet at 4.5 months out of surgery. Numbness still exists in right foot at almost 9 months out.
Weaned off Fentanyl patches and only take occasional percocet for pain.
Look into gluten intolerance and B12 deficiency. There is a significant link between the two. Treating B12 def. with injections is imperative for you health, but it is still just a bandaid for the potential underlying problem; which always, always needs to be diagnosed and treated.
Lisa
Awaiting PLIF L4-L5 on 11/23/09
Slight Spondylolisthesis
Prominent degenerative facet changes L5