Can B12 deficiency be mistaken for MS?

A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause MS-like symptoms, says Conway. These symptoms can include fatigue, mental confusion, and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. That's because vitamin B12 plays a role in the metabolism of fatty acids needed to maintain the myelin sheath.

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Can a B12 deficiency mimic MS?

If you are deficient in vitamin B12 you can get symptoms that are similar to some of the symptoms of MS, such as fatigue, weakness, numbness or tingling and problems with memory.

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How can you tell the difference between MS and B12 deficiency?

Cobalamin deficiency often manifests with neurologic symptoms and may rarely mimic multiple sclerosis (MS) among other neurological disorders. However, MRI changes associated with cobalamin deficiency are typically spinal predominant and distinct from MS-related changes.

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What is MS usually misdiagnosed as?

A wide range of conditions can be mistaken for MS, including: migraine, cerebral small vessel disease, fibromyalgia, functional neurological disorders, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, along with uncommon inflammatory, infectious and metabolic conditions (1, 3).

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What can mimic signs of MS?

Conditions That Can Seem Like MS
  • Epstein-Barr Virus.
  • Vitamin B12 Deficiency.
  • Diabetes.
  • Nerve Damage.
  • Eye Problems.
  • Stroke.
  • Lupus and Other Autoimmune Diseases.
  • Parkinson's Disease.

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Daniel Ontaneda, MD, PhD: How Multiple Sclerosis Can Be Misdiagnosed

44 related questions found

When should you suspect multiple sclerosis?

People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.

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How do you rule out MS?

There are no specific tests for MS . Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis. Your doctor is likely to start with a thorough medical history and examination.

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What can mimic MS on an MRI?

Hypoxic-ischemic vasculopathy, specially small-vessel disease, inflammatory disorders, vasculitis, and non-MS idiopathic inflammatory disorders, as well as some toxic, metabolic, and infectious disorders, may present mimicking MS on MR examinations and should be included in the differential diagnosis of MS-like lesions ...

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What is the gold standard for diagnosing MS?

In order to make a diagnosis of MS, the physician must: Find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves AND. Find evidence that the damage occurred at different points in time AND. Rule out all other possible diagnoses.

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Could I have had MS for years and not know it?

MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but it can go undetected for years. In fact, a 2021 study suggested that many people with MS experience disease symptoms several years before being officially diagnosed with the disease.

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Can you see B12 deficiency on MRI?

MR imaging of the brain in B12 deficiency shows confluent areas of abnormal signal in- tensity on T2-weighted images in the cerebral white matter, with resolution of these changes often in months after initiation of B12 therapy [8].

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What are the neurological symptoms of B12 deficiency?

Neurological changes
  • vision problems.
  • memory loss.
  • pins and needles (paraesthesia)
  • loss of physical co-ordination (ataxia), which can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking.
  • damage to parts of the nervous system (peripheral neuropathy), particularly in the legs.

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Can low B12 cause brain lesions?

Lower vitamin B12 level was (statistically significant) associated with more severe periventricular white matter lesions (odds ratio/100 pmol/L decrease, 1.773; 95% CI, 1.001–3.003), but not with deep white matter lesions (odds ratio/100 pmol/L decrease, 1.441; 95% CI, 0.881–2.358; ordered multivariate regression ...

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Is it easy to be misdiagnosed with MS?

There are nearly 1 million people in the United States living with the disease. And researchers now say nearly 20 percent of them are misdiagnosed. Most of them had another condition but had been treated for MS for years. “The diagnosis of MS is tricky.

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Why do I suddenly have a B12 deficiency?

Lack of vitamin B12 in your diet: People who don't eat enough foods that naturally have vitamin B12 or don't eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 can develop vitamin B12 deficiency. Gastritis: Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, and it's a common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.

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What confirms a MS diagnosis?

To make a proper MS diagnosis, physicians must: Find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (CNS) – including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Find evidence of damage occurring at least one month apart. Rule out all other possible diagnoses.

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How do you confirm you have MS?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

It's very accurate and can pinpoint the exact location and size of any inflammation, damage or scarring (lesions). MRI scans confirm a diagnosis in over 90 per cent of people with MS.

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What shows up in bloodwork for MS?

They'll also look for signs of MS, such as: elevated levels of antibodies called IgG antibodies. proteins called oligoclonal bands. an unusually high number of white blood cells.

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Will MRI definitely show MS?

MRI plays a vital role in how we diagnose and monitor MS. In fact, over 90% of people have their MS diagnosis confirmed by MRI.

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Can you still have MS if your MRI is normal?

Although MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool, a normal MRI of the brain does not rule out the possibility of MS. About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI.

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Can early MS be seen on MRI?

MRI scans can be used to help detect MS and assess disease activity in all disease types. It also may help to identify early stages of MS-like disease. MS lesions are generally visible on MRI scans from the earliest stages of the disease, and they may even be apparent before a person experiences any MS symptoms.

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How does a neurologist rule out MS?

There are three main investigations that, because of their high specificity and sensitivity, are valuable in the diagnosis of MS: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), evoked potentials; and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination for the presence of oligoclonal bands (OCBs).

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Where does MS usually start?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss.

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What are the signs of early onset MS?

Some of the most common symptoms include:
  • fatigue.
  • vision problems.
  • numbness and tingling.
  • muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness.
  • mobility problems.
  • pain.
  • problems with thinking, learning and planning.
  • depression and anxiety.

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What are four common diagnostic tests for MS?

The 4 common diagnostic tools used to prove or disprove MS – multiple sclerosis by clinical neurologists are:
  • A comprehensive patient medical history and neurological exam.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging of the neuroaxis.
  • Evoked Potentials testing.
  • Analysis of the spinal fluid.

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