Yes, low Vitamin B12 is common in people with fibromyalgia (FM) and its deficiency can worsen symptoms like fatigue, memory loss, pain, numbness, and cognitive issues, making it crucial to test for, especially since B12 levels in spinal fluid can be low even when blood levels seem normal. Research shows a significant percentage of FM patients have B12 deficiency, and supplementing may improve symptoms, suggesting B12 plays a role, though it's not considered the cause of FM itself.
They also found that low ferritin levels were an independent risk factor for fibromyalgia and that iron and B12 may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia. Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with body aches, which may decrease with replacement.
An open-label, pre-post study with 28 female fibromyalgia patients showed improved symptom severity and reduced anxiety after a daily dose of 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 for 50 days.
Pernicious anemia is a relatively rare autoimmune disorder that causes diminishment in dietary vitamin B12 absorption, resulting in B12 deficiency and subsequent megaloblastic anemia. It affects people of all ages worldwide, particularly those over 60.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient with the power to reduce inflammation. Many people with fibromyalgia have low vitamin D1, and this might make their sleep problems worse. Taking vitamin D supplements might help ease pain, improve sleep, and make you feel better overall.
As well as the vitamin deficiencies associated with FM, such as folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency, it seems that decreased ferritin levels are associated with FM and its related muscle pain [64,65]. Possibly, iron (Fe) as a cofactor in serotonin and dopamine production may have a role in the etiology of FM.
Gentle movement exercises, such as tai chi or yoga, can help with fibromyalgia-related pain. If you're living with fibromyalgia, it's important to make time for self-care. It's a chronic (long-lasting) condition that causes muscle pain and tenderness all over the body.
Autoimmune: Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition in which antibodies to intrinsic factors are produced. Anti-intrinsic factor antibodies bind to and inhibit the effects of intrinsic factors, resulting in an inability of B12 to be absorbed by the terminal ileum.
The "worst" autoimmune diseases are subjective but often ranked by severity, impact on life expectancy, and organ damage, with top contenders including Giant Cell Myocarditis (deadly heart inflammation), Vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation like GPA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (multi-organ attacks), Multiple Sclerosis (nervous system damage), and Type 1 Diabetes (pancreas destruction). These conditions can severely affect quality of life, cause permanent disability, and reduce lifespan if not managed effectively, though rare ones like Giant Cell Myocarditis are acutely fatal.
Both vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) deficiency and MS produce similar neurological symptoms, including numbness or tingling in hands and feet, vision loss, difficulty walking or speaking normally and cognitive dysfunction, such as problems with memory.
If you have vitamin B12–deficiency anemia, you may have the typical symptoms of anemia at first, such as fatigue, paleness, shortness of breath, headaches, or dizziness. If left untreated, you may start to notice brain and nervous system symptoms.
With fibromyalgia, avoid things that worsen pain, fatigue, and sleep, like inflammatory foods (sugar, refined carbs, processed foods, unhealthy fats, some dairy/gluten), caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, especially before bed, plus overexertion, irregular sleep, and stress, while focusing on gentle movement, rest, and a balanced diet to manage symptoms.
The foods highest in Vitamin B12 are animal products, with clams and liver (beef, lamb) being exceptionally rich sources, often providing several hundred percent of the daily value in a single serving, alongside seafood like mussels, sardines, and salmon, dairy, eggs, and fortified cereals and nutritional yeast for vegans.
Treatment options have historically been limited, and many patients report inadequate relief. On August 15, 2025, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new treatment: Tonmya (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets), marking the first new FDA-approved drug for fibromyalgia in more than 15 years.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms that affect your brain and nervous system (neurological symptoms), including: numbness. muscle weakness. psychological problems, which can range from mild depression or anxiety, to confusion and dementia.
Triggers can include injuries, surgery, infections or emotional stress. Or the symptoms can build up over time, with no single event to trigger them. Women are more likely to get fibromyalgia than are men.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
What Is the Hardest Autoimmune Disease to Diagnose?
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes patchy hair loss anywhere on your body, but it most commonly affects the hair on the skin that covers your head (scalp). “Alopecia” is a medical term for hair loss or baldness, and “areata” means that it occurs in small, random areas.
Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
Being older than 75 years: People over 75 are more at risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency because their bodies are often unable to fully absorb vitamin B12. Having a digestive system disorder: Digestive disorders can make it more difficult for your body to absorb vitamin B12.
Gastric acid inhibitors
These drugs are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcer disease. They can interfere with vitamin B12 absorption from food by slowing the release of gastric acid into the stomach and thereby lead to vitamin B12 deficiency [101-103].
TNX-102 SL (Tonmya; Tonix Pharmaceuticals), cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets, has been approved by the FDA to treat fibromyalgia in adult patients, making it the first new treatment approved for the musculoskeletal and chronic pain disorder in over 15 years and the fourth treatment approved overall.
Fibromyalgia flare-ups can be caused by various factors such as stress, injury, illness, hormonal changes, changes in treatment or routine, diet, lack of sleep, overdoing it, and even changes in the weather! All these factors disrupt the body's pain system, which involves the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.
Comfort-oriented gifts like weighted blankets, ergonomic pillows, and heated slippers are popular choices that provide immediate relief and relaxation. Therapeutic tools such as TENS units, handheld massagers, and heat/cold therapy devices offer effective at-home pain management solutions.