B12 Whistleblowers – The Epidemic Rages

“If the health care community fails to be responsible and protect the public, the public must be proactive and protect itself.”

Masked behind misdiagnoses, vitamin B₁₂ deficiency has slowly grown to become the most untreated nutritional disorder causing injury in the U.S., striking 16% or approximately 48 million Americans. 

Included in that number are an estimated 15% to 25% of older adults, but many are never tested or diagnosed. B₁₂ deficiency causes poor health, serious injury—even death.  Many health care professionals mistakenly attribute signs and symptoms of B₁₂ deficiency to aging.  B₁₂ deficiency causes symptoms such as:

·         Dizziness

·         Numbness/tingling

·         Dementia

·         Mental illness

·         Tremor

·         Difficulty walking

·         Balance problems

·         Frequent falls

It is commonly misdiagnosed as:

·         Alzheimer’s disease

·         Depression

·         Diabetic neuropathy

·         Parkinson’s

·         Vertigo

·         Mini-strokes

As a practicing emergency nurse for 26 years and personally having undiagnosed B₁₂ deficiency, seeing the consequences first hand in myself as well as my patients, I felt compelled to share my concerns with the public.   Working with Jeffrey Stuart, D.O. board certified in emergency medicine, we wrote Could it B₁₂: An Epidemic of Misdiagnosis,a book that has been called “the definitive book on B₁₂ deficiency, diagnosis and treatment for the lay reader and interested physician.”

Passionate about educating the public about this unrecognized disorder, we cannot tolerate one more B₁₂-related injury.  We believe that until the health care industry is reeducated and improved pathways are implemented, the public is at great risk for misdiagnosis.  We need to hold health care professionals and institutions accountable to the patients they serve.

 We are fortunate enough to have Emmy-winning film director Elissa Leonard produce a documentary based on our book.  She is passionate about educating the U.S. about this unrecognized disorder. Her goal is to uncover whatever truths she can find: “Is there an epidemic of misdiagnosis? Do doctors know what to look for and are they looking for it? What is the state of our scientific knowledge? Has the federal fortification of foods with folic acid caused harm and to whom?” she says, “This would be the definitive B₁₂ movie.”  You can watch this 51minute documentary on your own, for free or via our website www.B12Awareness.org

B₁₂ deficiency not only strikes the elderly, but it can also mimic multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and post-partum depression/psychosis. It can make men or women infertile and cause developmental disabilities or autistic-like symptoms in children.  It lurks silently, increasing its victim’s risk of deadly disease ranging from stroke and heart attacks to cancer.  Risk factors for B₁₂ deficiency include:

·         Vegan/vegetarianism

·         Alcoholism

·         Celiac disease (gluten enteropathy)

·         Crohn’s disease

·         Gastric bypass

·         Autoimmune diseases

·         Diabetes

·         Cancer

·         AIDS

·         Hepatitis C

The B₁₂ deficiency epidemic continues to rage, invisible to the public until recently and virtually undetected by most medical and health care professionals.  A safe, simple and inexpensive cure exists but only a minority of sufferers received proper treatment or even an accurate diagnosis.  As a result, millions of people suffer from this crippling disorder and many lose their lives.  Untreated B₁₂ deficiency wastes millions of health care dollars adding to the budget deficit as well as hurting our own pocket books. 

Dr. Stuart and I have declared September to be B12 Awareness Month and are trying to get legislation passed to officially recognize B12 Awareness Month annually.  I will be at Expo West so please feel free to visit me at booth 1860 on the 8th from 12-2 and 9th 1-3.