Celeste C.
Thiamin deficiency important info. Tell your surgeon everyth
Mar 04, 2008
It's a long blog, so if you don't read it all, at least read the symptoms (bottom) and make sure your surgeon is aware if ANYTHING seems wrong. Especially when you are 9 hours away!!
So, I'm not much of a blogger, however, I do feel the need to share my experience and hope that I can help someone else. I had my DS Nov 15th. All went perfectly well exept that my heart rate was thru the roof. I was sent home on metropolol (heart meds) I was home for about a week and then I started dry heaves. No food would come up just foamy very thick saliva. Shortly after that I started to have no energy and wanted to sleep for 18 hours a day and did when I could.
I started going to see my PCP. He upped my anti-depressant and sent me home. After that, I started to really feel depressed, but I was really weak. Also had 0 appetite. I could absolutely get no food in. I also started to have dizzy spells, or so I thought. The dizziness was actually double vision, I realized this one night when I couldn't focus on my husbands face. I went back to my PCP and he upped my antidepression meds again and gave me something for anxiety. He did some bloodwork this time as well. Nothing was abnormal according to him. In the meantime I was starting to get numbness in my legs, then my abdomen. My heart rate was always thru the roof so they upped my heart meds. I went to emergency where I had an MRI done to see if I had MS. MRI was clean . Bloodwork came back normal.
They sent me home. I really didn't think that my eyes had anything to do with my surgery, but I called Julie down at Dr L's after 2 symptoms, double vision and numbness she started telling me my other symptoms. She spoke with Dr L. They sent me packing to emergency once again but this time I was armed with Dr L's pager # and his instructions for 100 ml Thiamin intraveinously for several days and then orally after that. I had never heard of a B1 deficiency, only B12.
On arrival at the hospital I was told they don't test for Thiamin here that it had to be sent to another city 4.5 hours away and then it would take 20 days to process. I would not be sharing this info now had I not called Julie. The ER doctor was awesome and after I explained my situation and had her page Dr L. she started treatment. She admitted that she never would have guessed Thiamin deficiency.
So, 6 days later I was released from hospital. I was surprised that I was kept there. I thought I would be put on a saline lock and would have to go in daily for treatment. That was not an option, I didn't know how very sick I was until I got home and did a little research of my own.
Two weeks later, here I am. I still have complete numbness in my breasts, abdomen and inner thighs. My vision is much better, but I still don't trust myself to drive. I'm still pretty weak, but I can go up and down my stairs several times per day now as upposed to coming down and staying down for the day. My appetite is greatly impoved, and so has my mood. I've taken myself back down to my regular dose of antidepressants. My blood pressure at this point is high but I have a feeling that once everything is back to normal it should no longer be an issue as I never had high blood pressure before. Only time will tell. In the meanwhile, I am happy for what I have, and will continue to count my blessings each and everyday.
Early signs include fatigue, irritability, sensitivity to noise, memory loss, inability to concentrate, fatigue, sleep disturbances, precordial pain (area above the heart), appetite loss, abdominal discomfort, and constipation. Symptoms of moderate deficiency include fatigue, apathy, nausea, irritability, depression, slow wound healing, loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation. Other symptoms attributed to a thiamin deficiency include: irregular heart beat, SOB (shortness of breath), low blood pressure, chest and abdominal pain, kidney failure, heart failure, and death. Thiamin has proven to correct all these symptoms -- with the exception of the last one.
So, I'm not much of a blogger, however, I do feel the need to share my experience and hope that I can help someone else. I had my DS Nov 15th. All went perfectly well exept that my heart rate was thru the roof. I was sent home on metropolol (heart meds) I was home for about a week and then I started dry heaves. No food would come up just foamy very thick saliva. Shortly after that I started to have no energy and wanted to sleep for 18 hours a day and did when I could.
I started going to see my PCP. He upped my anti-depressant and sent me home. After that, I started to really feel depressed, but I was really weak. Also had 0 appetite. I could absolutely get no food in. I also started to have dizzy spells, or so I thought. The dizziness was actually double vision, I realized this one night when I couldn't focus on my husbands face. I went back to my PCP and he upped my antidepression meds again and gave me something for anxiety. He did some bloodwork this time as well. Nothing was abnormal according to him. In the meantime I was starting to get numbness in my legs, then my abdomen. My heart rate was always thru the roof so they upped my heart meds. I went to emergency where I had an MRI done to see if I had MS. MRI was clean . Bloodwork came back normal.
They sent me home. I really didn't think that my eyes had anything to do with my surgery, but I called Julie down at Dr L's after 2 symptoms, double vision and numbness she started telling me my other symptoms. She spoke with Dr L. They sent me packing to emergency once again but this time I was armed with Dr L's pager # and his instructions for 100 ml Thiamin intraveinously for several days and then orally after that. I had never heard of a B1 deficiency, only B12.
On arrival at the hospital I was told they don't test for Thiamin here that it had to be sent to another city 4.5 hours away and then it would take 20 days to process. I would not be sharing this info now had I not called Julie. The ER doctor was awesome and after I explained my situation and had her page Dr L. she started treatment. She admitted that she never would have guessed Thiamin deficiency.
So, 6 days later I was released from hospital. I was surprised that I was kept there. I thought I would be put on a saline lock and would have to go in daily for treatment. That was not an option, I didn't know how very sick I was until I got home and did a little research of my own.
Two weeks later, here I am. I still have complete numbness in my breasts, abdomen and inner thighs. My vision is much better, but I still don't trust myself to drive. I'm still pretty weak, but I can go up and down my stairs several times per day now as upposed to coming down and staying down for the day. My appetite is greatly impoved, and so has my mood. I've taken myself back down to my regular dose of antidepressants. My blood pressure at this point is high but I have a feeling that once everything is back to normal it should no longer be an issue as I never had high blood pressure before. Only time will tell. In the meanwhile, I am happy for what I have, and will continue to count my blessings each and everyday.
Early signs include fatigue, irritability, sensitivity to noise, memory loss, inability to concentrate, fatigue, sleep disturbances, precordial pain (area above the heart), appetite loss, abdominal discomfort, and constipation. Symptoms of moderate deficiency include fatigue, apathy, nausea, irritability, depression, slow wound healing, loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation. Other symptoms attributed to a thiamin deficiency include: irregular heart beat, SOB (shortness of breath), low blood pressure, chest and abdominal pain, kidney failure, heart failure, and death. Thiamin has proven to correct all these symptoms -- with the exception of the last one.
