Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin present in certain foods. The human body needs vitamin B-12 to make healthy red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B-12, also known as cobalamin, is usually prescribed to patients with vitamin B-12 deficiencies. IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the colon and involves abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movements.
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Deficiency in vitamin B-12 leads to a type of anemia called pernicious anemia, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B-12 is necessary for the proper development of healthy red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is caused by the lack of intrinsic factor, a protein found in the stomach that helps the body absorb vitamin B-12 from food. Signs of pernicious anemia include fatigue, diarrhea, shortness of breath, pallor, fast heart rate, tongue problems, problems concentrating and bleeding gums.
Symptoms of IBS
Inflammatory bowel syndrome causes abdominal pain and constipation that alternates with periods of diarrhea, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Other symptoms include cramping, bloating, abdominal distension, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, loss of appetite, whitish mucus in stool and constant urge to defecate. IBS symptoms may be worse in patients who have stress and mood disorders.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency and IBS
Doctors suspect that patients with IBS have colons with extra sensitive nerves, according to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Untreated vitamin B-12 deficiency leads to permanent nerve damage, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. The nerves in the colon of patients with vitamin B-12 deficiency may be affected leading to inflammatory bowel syndrome.
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