Pernicious Anemia

The first thing we need is a basic understanding of Pernicious Anemia. I hope to give you an explanation as well as a personal glimpse into what it is like to have it. As I said on the index page I will not be giving credit here as that would be impossible. I have collected this information over time from various sources, source types, and from personal experience as well.

DEFINITION
Pernicious Anemia is an anemia caused by a lack of a substance called intrinsic factor. This substance is necessary to absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract.

ETIOLOGY
Pernicious Anemia is caused by a deficiency of intrinsic factor. Though it may be due to genetic or autoimmune problems, it is also caused by: a strict vegetarian diet which exclude all meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs; chronic alcoholism; abdominal or intestinal surgery that eliminates the site of intrinsic factor production or absorption; Crohn's Disease; intestinal malabsorption disorders; and fish tape worms. It occurs in about 2 out of every 1000 people generally affecting adults between the ages of 50 and 60.

SYMPTOMS
Pernicious Anemia has many physical symptoms as well neurological signs. They include the following.

Diarrhea
Paleness
Weakness
Fatigue
Headache
Confusion
Poor memory
Depression
Sore tongue
Bleeding gums
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Shortness of breath
Numbness in hands and feet
Tingling hands and feet
Balance difficulty
Yellow tinge to eyes and skin
Dementia
Decreased position sense
Depressed tendon reflexes
Positive Babinski reflex
Decreased vibration sense

TREATMENT
Treatment for Pernicious Anemia depends on the cause. As in my case, it may require life long therapy with B12 injections. However, if it is caused by dietary insufficiency it can be corrected by taking vitamin replacement in combination with a more balanced diet. When the cause is malabsorption, the treatment is also with vitamin B12 injections but only until the condition improves. The anemia is generally corrected by one of these treatment plans. However, central nervous system signs and symptoms may be irreversible if treatment is not initiated within six months of the onset of these symptoms.

MY POINT of VIEW
I was diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia in 1996. I was to give myself a B12 shot once a month but this has been increased to every two weeks. Of course, for me, this has created two problems. First, as with my entire medicinal regiment, I had to become accustomed to giving myself the shots. Second, I have had a false positive PAP smear and it was quite troubling when I was going through that.

Now, if you have read my other pages, you have probably noticed that Pernicious Anemia shares many similar symptoms as many of the other autoimmune diseases. So, unfortunately, I can not pinpoint which autoimmune disease may be responsible for any of the symptoms I still have.

2000 UPDATE
I was changed to a monthly injection.

2001 UPDATE
I continue with a monthly injection. And with the Betaseron shots going on, I get to feeling like a pin cushion at times. LOL...

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You are listening to Memories from the musical Cats, written by
Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot. I felt this song was a perfect selection
for this site because of the affiliation I feel with Grizabella. Although for her,
it was age and not health issues that changed her, neither of us are who we
were before, on the outside, and it can affect how we feel on the inside.