PSA get your vitamin D and B12 checked.

Editing to update: after testing I found out I am compound heterozygous MTHFR. My psychiatrist added Deplin to my medications and it’s helped massively. I’m still getting B12 shots around once a month, and prescription vitamin D. I can’t believe how much adding Deplin helped.

Original post:

I have been suffering SO much, slowly deteriorating for years beyond my CPTSD. Rotting in bed, unable to work, sobbing for hours every day, massive massive fatigue, and many many physical problems. And for the past…. 8 months or so, close to housebound. I told my therapist that I feel like I have an adult version of failure to thrive, like I’m just going to die from not being able to take care of myself and nobody will help.

Well I’m waiting to get in to a primary care because the physical stuff has just been too much and I developed glossitis and some weird fingernail abnormalities that got me really worried. I begged one of my other doctors to just order some labs because my vitamin D has been low in the past. Turns out I have vitamin D and B12 deficiency. In Europe and some other countries like Japan, for B12 a value under 500 is considered deficiency, but in the US it’s under 200 and Canada 160. Mine tested at ~350 and the doctor wouldn’t treat it because she’s not my primary. The vitamin D was within the deficiency range but she still said I need to see my primary for that.

There’s no amount of over the counter supplements that will reverse deficiencies safely, but I went to a med spa type place (they do IV’s for hangovers and stuff like that) and started getting B12 and vitamin D injections, which are relatively cheap. It’s been 2 weeks and my energy is already SO much better. My nails are starting to grow more normally. And the biggest thing - my depression is slightly better too. Already. It can take months to a year to sufficiently get out of the deficiency range. It’s been 2 weeks.

Anyway I just wanted to share because so many physical issues like GI problems and autoimmune stuff are common in people with CPTSD, and if I hadn’t gotten it checked I don’t know what would have happened. Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common, and if it goes on for long enough or is bad enough can cause B12 deficiency. It’s not part of the standard bloodwork, you have to ask your doctor specifically to test for these deficiencies, so will not show up on routine bloodwork. When people say extreme fatigue, doctors commonly check thyroid, but will not check for deficiencies unless you just about beg them.