What causes numbness in my hands and feet?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have numbness in my hands and feet for the past two years. It is worsening gradually. The last month, it has got significantly aggravated. The numbness starts with tingling. When I am trying to grab something, I am unable to grab it. I also suffer from worsening cognitive function as I have difficulty in thinking and forming thoughts. I have trouble in organizing my thoughts, and I have difficulty in retrieving my memory. I am confused most of the time. I also have this problem for about two years. But last month, I started to have difficulty to do my job, and I was unable to function normally. I also stagger sometimes, and I have trouble in balancing my feet. So I looked at my symptoms, and I thought that I have vitamin b12 deficiency. So I started taking supplements 1000 mcg a day. But even now also, I have a feeling that my condition is getting worse day by day.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. You have vitamin B12 deficiency. Your symptoms are related to peripheral neuropathy. It is caused due to vitamin B12 deficiency. It is necessary to perform some tests to know the possible cause. You have to investigate vitamin D levels and vitamin B12 plasma levels for identifying the possible deficiency, thyroid hormone levels for recognizing thyroid dysfunction, complete blood count and iron levels, and nerve conduction studies to investigate possible neuropathy. If vitamin B12 deficiency is confirmed, start to have a high dose of intramuscular injections. In such case, I would also recommend performing a fibrogastroscopy and biopsy to determine the cause for the malabsorption of this vitamin. You should discuss with your doctor for doing these tests.