B-12 helps make and maintain red blood cells, as well as helping to make DNA and proteins. This vitamin also helps keep the nervous system working properly. Most people get enough vitamin B12 from foods such as beef, eggs, milk and seafood. However, 1.5 to 15 percent of the U.S. population has vitamin B12 deficiency, according to 2005 statistics from the National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. A vitamin B-12 deficiency and fibromyalgia, have some common symptoms, notably pain and fatigue, which may provide clues to the relationship between these two conditions.
Fibromyalgia
People who suffer from fibromyalgia may experience chronic muscle pain and tiredness, and tender points on the neck, shoulder, back, hips and limbs. They may also have trouble sleeping, and suffer from morning stiffness and headaches. The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is common among middle-aged women and people suffering from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
The first sign of B-12 deficiency is often anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue. It can also cause problems related to the nervous system, such as depression, numbness in the arms and legs, memory loss, dementia, and damage to the spine and nerves. When vitamin B-12 is deficient, the level of the amino acid homocysteine rises.
Fibromyalgia and Vitamin B-12
A study published in 1997 in the "Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology" found some correlation between vitamin B-12 and fibromyalgia. The levels of homocysteine in the cerebrospinal fluid were abnormally high in study patients with fibromyalgia. They also had low levels of vitamin B-12 in their spinal fluids. The researchers suggest that an increased homocysteine level, which occurs with B-12 deficiency, characterizes patients with fibromyalgia.
Recent Evidence
Intramuscular injections of vitamin B-12 improve the well being of patients suffering from fatigue and tiredness, notes MayoClinic.com. A 2009 clinical trial published in the "Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine" did not find any evidence that fibromyalgia patients felt better when treated with Myer's micronutrient cocktail, an alternative medicine that includes B vitamins as an ingredient. As of 2011, no published scientific evidence directly links vitamin B-12 and fibromyalgia.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin B12; April 2011.
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Questions and Answers Fibromyalgia
- "Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology"; Increased Concentrations of Homocysteine in the Cerebrospinal Fluid in Patients with Fibromyalgia; 1997. and chronic fatigue syndrome.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplement: Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
- "Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine";Intravenous Micronutrient Therapy (Myers' Cocktail) for Fibromyalgia: A Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study; Ather Ali et al.; March 2009.
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