Unfortunately a large proportion of people with a vitamin B12 deficiency are often misdiagnosed, sometimes several times, before they receive the correct diagnosis. This can be down to factors, such as the similarities between the symptoms of B12 deficiency and other conditions making it difficult to distinguish, or even just the simple lack of adequate and effective education for doctors and other healthcare professionals on the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency

 

From the anecdotal evidence we gather from our support group Vitamin B12 Wake Up it is clear to see how prevalent misdiagnosis is, and the implications this has on people's short and long term health. It also raises the question of how many others never actually receive the correct diagnosis of B12 deficiency, and go on suffering the consequences of the condition without the correct and much needed treatment.

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The financial and human cost to both to our health services and personal health is huge. Click HERE to read Doctor Joseph Chandy's analysis of this cost.

 

Below we have a list of the most common conditions that vitamin B12 deficiency is known to be misdiagnosed as.