A content creator has shared her experience with B12 deficiency after following a largely dairy-free vegetarian diet, in an effort to raise awareness about unusual symptoms.
The TikTok user, who goes by the @thesensitivebean, detailed her “absolutely random traumatic symptoms” that developed after reducing her dairy intake over several years.
“I’ve always been a vegetarian but over the last few years, I’ve increasingly reduced my dairy intake to the point where I wasn’t really having any, it was really just eggs here and there,” she explained in her post.
The content creator first noticed unusual symptoms after purchasing new glasses, experiencing a peculiar sensation on her face.
The content creator experienced a peculiar sensation in her face
TIKTOK / THESENSITIVEBEAN
“I felt as though the glasses were still on my face on my left cheek when I took them off,” she shared. “It was like a weird pressure as though someone was pushing down.”
The symptoms intensified over time, particularly affecting the left side of her face.
“It got worse, I would have weeks where I felt like someone was pushing down on my face and it was definitely more obvious on the left side,” she explained.
The TikToker also reported feeling pressure “slightly above my lip as well sometimes”.
Alongside the facial pressure, she noticed her vision deteriorate in a short space of time, particularly her long-distance sight.
The symptoms also extended to her extremities, causing discomfort in both her feet and arms.
She began experiencing unusual tremors in her hands on a daily basis.
“At times my feet felt achy and a little bit restless, and this would spread to my arms as well, especially my left arm,” she described.
B12 deficiency symptoms can severely impact day-to-day life
GETTY
In terms of neurological symptoms, the TikToker experienced chest flutters and mild headaches.
“Sometimes I’d have an ache in my lower face, jaw and neck, and generally I’d have bouts of dizziness and feeling spaced out and foggy headed,” she shared.
She concluded her post with a warning about the importance of checking B12 levels, claiming that the complications severely impacted her day-to-day life.
“If you’re having odd sensations and neurological symptoms it’s always good to get your levels checked,” she cautioned. “B12 deficiency really tried to ruin my life.”
