SELF-DIAGNOSIS: Vitamin B-12 deficiency + caffeine withdrawal = vegan fun

So I was gonna go out tonight to see a free concert. In fact there were two free shows going on. One was classical music, and the other was world music. Both seemed like decent, free, outdoor events to venture out to during a time when my finances are very tight and my mind is in need of a diversion from reality.

Problem is, that to get to both of these events, requires a great deal of biking… several miles. I normally don’t mind biking, but if you had read my previous post you would know that one of the bikes I am using, broke yesterday after an extremely long and exhausting bike ride that was somewhat rewarding, yet quite disappointing overall. I enjoy biking, but I have been doing so much of it lately, that to do it tonight for recreation, and to take a chance that my other bike would fall out of wack as well, just doesn’t seem to be the proper choice, especially since I am going to need a bike once I locate work. .

so instead of going out, I am gonna stay in and write what is on my mind.

Vitamin b12… that’s right. I have been a vegetarian for over ten years now, but over the last couple of years, I have made several attempts at this vegan thing, and it has failed ALL times. Being a lover of cheese, and being a lover of knowledge, I have found out that many if not most cheese contains some sort of non-vegetarian animal product and the labeling can often be so vague as to cause a confused mind like myself to really question the very essence of something so simple like cheese.

So when I moved to this area for the summer, the first thing I had was a cheese pizza… the next day I decided to try the vegan thing out, and I have had really poor results. Since I bike so much, I burn off more calories, and therefore I assume that I burn off more nutrients as well, especially those stored away from when I ate cheese as much as a squirrel eats nuts. So over the past week, I have become less energetic, my mind has become distraught with anxiety (which is odd because I am a very easy going, everything is gonna be alright kind of guy,) and I have had tingling and numbness in my body.

I began to research this whole thing and all roads lead to a Vitamin b12 deficiency. I have never been a fan of supplements and as a part-time skeptic about reports, I have never really taken the word of these ‘experts’ very seriously. However, all of the symptoms I have resemble those described in the reports; the dizziness, the numbness and tingles, the loss of weight, the feeling tired, and anxiety. All of those symptoms exist, and all of those match what the ‘experts’ call a vitamin b-12 deficiency. All of the symptoms match except the swollen tounge thing and the appetite thing. All of those reports claim that your appetite decrease as a result of a b12 deficiency, but in my case, I am simply hungry ALL OF THE TIME. Now when I say all of the time, I mean nearly ALL OF THE TIME. So then I started to think that maybe perhaps its not the b12 that’s causing these symptoms. MAYBE THESE SO-CALLED ‘EXPERTS’ HAVE IT WRONG?

Today, I bought a carton of organic milk and some fortified cereals to test out their theory. I ate the shit out of them and combined it with ample amounts of fruit and nuts. I felt pretty fulfilled and mentally, I felt better about things (even if it was just a result of being proud of myself for taking the step.) I matched what was recommended for an intake of b12, and several other vitamins. Unfortunately for me, however, the symptoms didn’t just disappear. I was extremely tired afterwards and fought the urge to sleep. Eventually the nap took over my world, and when I awoke 20 minutes later, I felt anxious and nervous again as if nothing had changed.

Yes I know its not just gonna disappear, and yes I am aware that I didn’t really get enough of this b12 to make such a quick change, but it was a discouraging moment. Normally I would just brush it off and say, “well it just takes time, ” but because of these symptoms, it seems more difficult to do this. On top of my vegan participation, I have given up on many other things going into my internals. Namely coffee and caffeinated tea along with any intoxicants that might have occasionally altered my senses. Now this could also be affecting my world and may be causing my virtually non-stop craving for food. That is why I have a new theory about my conditions…

It seems that all signs lead to a b12 deficiency, as much of a skeptic as I am, this many web reports that I have researched can’t be so far off-base, can they? In addition to my b12 symptoms, there seems to be a withdrawal from the lack of caffeine from coffee and tea, and perhaps a withdrawal from the nicotene that resided in my occasional bundle of cigars. On top of that, there may be a small withdrawal from the other sources of things that have stopped going in my world(from when I partied a bit.) It seems to me that my body is trying to compromise for the lack of stimulants by having me eat as much as possible… a scenario I have also read about on the interweb.

So you have the b12 causing tingling and numbness, fatigue, and anxiety. Then you have the combined withdrawals from the lack of stimulants causing me to crave food as a substitute for caffeine and sugar and ‘other’ things. A deficiency and a withdrawal simultaneously is not a comfortable feeling. Add on top of that a desire to work with no results, and a craving to constantly eat with no money, AND YOU HAVE ONE STRANGE SITUATION. This is my self-diagnosis. Its no wonder, that I am here, tonight, writing on this computer instead of biking miles to enjoy a free concert.

SELF DIAGNOSIS: B12 DEFICIENCY, CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL, AND WITHDRAWALS FROM THOSE GOOD TIMES.

PERSONAL SOLUTION: EAT PROPERLY, ADD MORE FRUIT TO MEALS, DON’T SLEEP RIGHT AFTER EATING.

ALTERNATE/TEMP SOLUTION: TRY TO LAUGH AND WRITE IN A BLOG!!!

HERE IS A list of some websites that have provided me with some of the info that allowed me to self-diagnose what I have. Whereas I am not suggesting that anyone follow the solutions suggested at these sites, I am passing along information that I found interesting. Do with it what you like, I am not a doctor, I am merely a bored blogger who is sharing info that helped me to possibly understand what is going on with my system.

vitamin b12 link 1

vitamin b12 link 2

vitamin b12/vegan link 3

If you read this and have other suggested websites or articles, please let me know. If there are additional comments you’d like to make about my own personal diagnosis or if you want to share a similar situation, please post a comment or email me.

** <side> note– I believe that it is not the vegan diet that has caused my symptoms, but my lack of following the guidelines for becoming vegan. Besides my poor attempts at eating vegan properly, I have not eaten well over the last few months, I was doing outdoor labor in the hot sun for a couple of years, and I bike as transportation. I HAD NO REAL ISSUES WITH BEING A VEGETARIAN UNTIL I GAVE UP CHEESE, STARTED DRINKING COFFEE AND TEA AND SOY MILK more frequently, AND BEGAN TO BIKE MORE THAN EVER. THIS I BLAME FOR MY health PROBLEMS, NOT THE VEGAN EATING.