Patient/caregiver was instructed upon therapeutic uses of vitamin B12 as follows:
- Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin needed for the proper development and functioning of the brain and nerve cells. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the synthesis of myelin, which is a fatty substance forming a covering sheath around the nerves and protects the nerves. Also, myelin nourishes the nerves and helps with faster conduction of nerve impulse. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in compromised development and maturity of myelin, nerve and brain cells, leading to conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, slower conduction of nerve impulses, delayed thought processes, cognitive deficits, depression, and dementia.
- New red blood cells are continually produced from the bone marrow, which replace the senile red blood cells in the circulation that are poorly functioning. Vitamin B12 plays a significant role in synthesis of DNA of the new red blood cells. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in impaired DNA synthesis and formation of defective red blood cells. These defective red blood cells cannot survive longer and are subjected to programmed cell death in the body. Formation of defective red blood cells, followed by their destruction can result in anemia.
- Vitamin B12 plays a significant role in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. Deficiency of vitamin B12 thus results in compromised overall body metabolism, poor appetite, reduced energy production, malaise, weakness, and fatigue.
