Vitamin B-12 for HIV Neuropathy

Vitamine B12 in it's various forms, has long been seen as a necessary tool in fighting the worst of neuropathy; or put another way... a deficiency of B12 can cause neuropathic problems. The latter is probably more important an interpretation than the former because if your B12 levels are normal to better than normal, it's questionable if you need to supplement them even more with extra pills. Adjusting your diet to include some of the foods mentioned below, may be enough. This article from livestrong.com (see link below) addresses the issue as it applies to HIV patients.

Vitamin B-12 for HIV Neuropathy
Jul 21, 2011 | By Emma Roberts

Overview

Neuropathy occurs regularly in HIV infection. According to University of Chicago Center for Peripheral Neuropathy, nerve damage affects nearly a third of patients diagnosed with HIV, and peripheral neuropathy can manifest at early stages of the disease as well as advanced stages. Neurological problems represent one of the most common symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency, and in HIV patients, vitamin B-12 deficiency occurs frequently, often as a result of malabsorption from food. If you have HIV neuropathy, speak to your doctor about vitamin B-12 supplementation as a potential complementary treatment.

Deficiency

Vitamin B-12 deficiency occurs often in HIV patients. Researchers have not yet discovered a definitive reason why this deficiency occurs, according to Dawn McGuire, M.D., of University of California San Francisco. Possible hypotheses include malabsorption of nutrients. According to a March 2002 study conducted by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Beth Israel Medical Center, HIV and AIDS patients display abnormalities in the metabolic pathways responsible for absorption of vitamin B-12. The results of this study were published in the journal "Neurology."

Symptoms

Symptoms of HIV neuropathy and vitamin B-12 deficiency share many similarities, including weakness, numbness and tingling. HIV patients with neuropathy typically experience pain, numbness, prickling, stiffness, tingling and burning in the soles of the feet as well as the toes. HIV neuropathy also affects the hands in some cases, and causes loss of feeling, numbness and tingling. In more rare cases, HIV neuropathy causes loss of bladder and bowel control and dizziness.

Sources

Liver remains one of the best sources of vitamin B-12, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. One slice of liver contains 48 mcg of vitamin B-12, which is 800 per cent of the recommended daily intake. Other good sources of vitamin B-12 include clams, trout, salmon, beef, poultry, haddock, yogurt, tuna, milk, cheese and eggs. For vegetarians with HIV, good sources of vitamin B-12 include fortified breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast.

Treatment

Antiretroviral medications demonstrate some positive impact in the alleviation of HIV neuropathy, according to recent research. A February 2004 study conducted by Brooke Army Medical Center researchers and published in the "International Journal of STD and AIDS" found that antiretroviral medication boosted vitamin B-12 levels in HIV patients. Doctors also often recommend Vitamin B-12 injections, particularly in cases where malabsorption of vitamin B-12 is suspected.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/498131-vitamin-b-12-for-hiv-neuropathy/