B2 deficiency

Hey guys,

Has anyone had a vitamin b2 (riboflavin) deficiency following the DS and if so what dose was required to bring it back to normal? 

I don't kKnow that I have a deficiency but I have some of the symptoms associated with this and thought it might be something to look into.

Thanks
Challie

A simple blood test would answer this question for you. 

Guessing and wondering is silly and, frankly, not-smart in this situation.  As a DSer you are soley responsible for your health and the only way you can know if you are taking good care of yourself is with blood tests.

Taking a super B complex vitamin should easily  correct the problem since DSers don't typically have problems absorbing the water soluable B vitamins.  The only B vitamin I've been low on is B5 - pantothentic acid - and I supplement for that extra on top of the super B complex (which I only take 3 times a week because my B levels are always too high.)

Get tested.

That would be a pretty uncommon deficiency, and if you do have riboflavin deficiency, I'd bet you have other B-vitamin deficiencies as well.  Do you take a B complex of any sort?

I must ask--what are the symptoms you are experiencing?

I didn't even know the symptoms of riboflavin deficiency--had to look them up.  Many are general and could be caused by other things.  If you suspect a deficiency, it would likely be a good time to get a nice panel of labs done.

Hi Kayla,

Thanks for the feedback. I am taking a b complex - 100 mg.  I have the sore throat and swollen red tongue, watery  itchy eyes that are very sensitive to light, loss of visual perception, dizziness, slow mental response, and hairloss.  I have had these symptom for a good while, but I never thought they were related to each other.

I know that they are somewhat vague, but if I had this it would explain a lot. 

On my last labs, of the b vitamins, only b12 and folic acid were tested and they were both well above normal.  I was supplementing them separately at the time, while also taking a b complex.  I have since dropped the separate b12.  I just supplement the b6 and take the b complex. 

I haven't heard of anyone with this deficiency and vitalady does not offer a separate supplement for B2 which would suggest that it isn't something she has come across.

Well b-vites play as a team...so usually if you are low in one, you're low in others.

Any chance you have seasonal allergies?  Thyroid disease? 

Uh, when did you have bloodwork done? Were you this symptomatic at the time? If you were and your CBC showed no sign of infection/inflammation, my next stop would be an ENT doc or an allergist. Allergies can both make you sick as a dog and turn you into a blithering idiot with mental impairment.

Don't use Google to play doctor so much. There are a whole bunch of super common reasons you could have these symptoms and B2 deficiency isn't a real common one. But hey, get it tested too.

Ditto whoever said get your thyroid worked up. That means ALL the thyroid bloodwork, not just TSH.

How is your protein? As Kirmy says proteins are the little vespars that distribute all our goodies through our systems. YOu can take all the vitamins in the world but if they are NOT getting grabbed up and used, it is all for not.