Treatment FAQ

what are the treatment for pernicious anemia

by Xavier Leffler Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Treatment involves a shot of vitamin B12 once a month. People with severely low levels of B12 may need more shots in the beginning. Some people may be adequately treated by taking large doses of vitamin B12 supplements by mouth. A certain type of vitamin B12 may be given through the nose.Feb 6, 2020

Medication

Here Are Some Natural Remedies for Anemia You Can Try

  • 3. Eat more green vegetables The high amounts of chlorophyll contained in green vegetables like spinach, celery, mustard greens ​and broccoli is a good source of iron. ...
  • 5. Copper water Copper water is considered very healthy in Ayurveda. ...
  • 6. ...
  • 7. ...

Nutrition

Pernicious anemia often presents slowly, and can cause harm insidiously and unnoticeably. Untreated, it can lead to neurological complications, and in serious cases, death. It can take several years for pernicious anemia to appear, and the disease often goes unrecognized, as the body becomes used to feeling unwell.

What are the best remedies for anemia?

Treatment typically focuses on controlling ... DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2117175 Fetal-like Hemoglobin in Sickle Cell Anemia, New England Journal of Medicine (2022).

How serious is pernicious anaemia?

These include:

  • Diet. If your diet is lacking in foods containing iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients, your red blood cell production can falter.
  • Medical conditions. ...
  • Genetic disorders. ...
  • Increased red blood cell destruction. ...

Is there a cure for anemia?

What to do when you are anemic?

See more

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What is the best treatment for pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia usually is easy to treat with vitamin B12 shots or pills. If you have severe pernicious anemia, your doctor may recommend shots first. Shots usually are given in a muscle every day or every week until the level of vitamin B12 in your blood increases.

Which of the following is the most common treatment for pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia and other vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to small intestinal malabsorption can be treated with an intramuscular B12 injection by your physician. High-dose oral vitamin B12 supplementation may be an effective option for some people with pernicious anemia as well.

How is pernicious anemia diagnosed and treated?

To help diagnose vitamin deficiency anemias, you might have blood tests that check for: The number and appearance of red blood cells. The amount of vitamin B-12 and folate in the blood. The presence of antibodies to intrinsic factor, which indicates pernicious anemia.

Can pernicious Anaemia be treated with tablets?

The BNF suggests the use of oral tablets to replace any dietary deficiency in B12 but does not recommend them for treating Pernicious Anaemia – that should be treated with injections.

What is the difference between pernicious anemia and B12 deficiency?

Pernicious anaemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK. Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach. An autoimmune condition means your immune system, the body's natural defence system that protects against illness and infection, attacks your body's healthy cells.

How long do B12 injections last?

If your vitamin B12 deficiency is not caused by a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, you'll usually need to have an injection of hydroxocobalamin every 2 to 3 months for the rest of your life.

How often should you have B12 injections for pernicious anemia?

For Pernicious Anemia B12 may be injected into a muscle or under the skin at 100 mcg daily for a week, every other day for another week, and then every three or four days for a month. Thereafter, 100 mcg should be injected once a month for life.

What triggers pernicious anemia?

Common causes of pernicious anemia include: Weakened stomach lining (atrophic gastritis) An autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system attacks the actual intrinsic factor protein or the cells in the lining of your stomach that make it.

How serious is pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia, one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, is an autoimmune condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12. Left untreated, pernicious anemia can cause serious medical issues, including irreversible damage to your nervous system.

Can B12 tablets replace injections?

Oral vitamin B12 can provide an effective alternative to intramuscular injections, so giving patients a choice and reducing costs in primary care.

Do people with pernicious anemia need blood transfusions?

Your doctor can treat this problem with vitamin B12 shots. You may also take vitamin B12 by pill or nasal spray. With treatment, most anemia gets better in a few days. But if you have severe anemia, you may need a blood transfusion to give you red blood cells as quickly as possible.

Why do I need B12 injections for life?

B12 injections are a quick way to boost immune system functioning and can help ward against diseases and illnesses. They can even help improve bone density, a factor in osteoporosis. Additionally, injections may lead to improved mood, reduced symptoms of depression, and protection against brain atrophy.

What happens if you have pernicious anemia?

In most cases of pernicious anemia, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells, known as parietal cells, that produce IF in the stomach. If these cells are destroyed, the stomach can’t make IF and the small intestine can’t absorb vitamin B-12 from in the diet, including from foods such as those listed above.

What is the best vitamin for anemia?

People with anemia have low levels of normal red blood cells (RBCs). Vitamin B-12 plays a role in creating RBCs, so the body requires an adequate intake of vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 is found in: meat. poultry. shellfish. eggs. dairy products. fortified soy, nut, and rice milks.

What blood test can be used to check for anemia?

Complete blood count. This test can screen for an anemia in general by looking such things as hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. Vitamin B-12 level. If vitamin B-12 deficiency is suspected as the cause of your anemia, your doctor can assess your vitamin B-12 level through this blood test.

What to do if you have pernicious anemia?

If your pernicious anemia is caused by something other than a lack of intrinsic factor, you may get treatment for the cause (if a cause can be found). For example, your doctor may prescribe medicines to treat a condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12.

What are the goals of treating pernicious anemia?

The goals of treating pernicious anemia include: Preventing or treating the anemia and its signs and symptoms. Preventing or managing complications, such as heart and nerve damage. Treating the cause of the pernicious anemia (if a cause can be found)

Can you take B12 for anemia?

For less severe pernicious anemia, your doctor may recommend large doses of vitamin B12 pills. A vitamin B12 nose gel and spray also are available. These products may be useful for people who have trouble swallowing pills, such as older people who have had strokes. Your signs and symptoms may begin to improve within a few days after you start ...

Injections are still the preferred method of treating Pernicious Anaemia

Here’s what the new Guidelines for Cobalamin (B12) and Folate Disorders issued by the British Committee for Standards in Haematology say:

The BNF states

Initially administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly on alternate days until there is no further improvement, then administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly every 2 months.

Overview

Pernicious (per-nish-uhs) anemia, one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, is an autoimmune condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12. Without adequate vitamin B12, you have fewer red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout your body. You can have pernicious anemia for several years before noticing changes in your body.

Symptoms and Causes

Generally speaking, the longer you go without adequate vitamin B12, the more serious your symptoms are. Early on, people may have mild symptoms they may think are caused by other common conditions. Examples include:

Diagnosis and Tests

First, your healthcare provider will complete a thorough physical examination and ask questions about your medical history so they know if you’ve any other conditions that may increase your risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. They may ask you if you’re having trouble concentrating. They may look for signs of nervous system problems.

Management and Treatment

Since vitamin B12 absorption is blocked, your healthcare provider may prescribe intramuscular vitamin B12 injections. Later, after B12 stores are back to normal, they may prescribe high doses of oral B12 replacement. They’ll monitor your treatment.

Prevention

You can’t prevent pernicious anemia from occurring. But you can reduce your risk by being aware of medical conditions, treatments and activities that may affect your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12.

Living With

If you have pernicious anemia, you’ll need to take vitamin B12 supplements regularly for the rest of your life. Other causes of B12 deficiency may be helped by increasing the vitamin B12 in your diet. Some foods to consider adding to your diet include:

How to treat pernicious anemia?

The treatment of pernicious anemia is straightforward. Affected people must take vitamin B12 to remedy their deficiency. This is often done as a series of injections into a muscle, with decreasing frequency over a period of months. Most people notice radical improvements in their symptoms within 24 hours, and the anemia itself starts to improve within the week. 1 

Why is pernicious anemia common?

Causes. The most common cause of pernicious anemia is autoimmune gastritis leading to vitamin B12 deficiency. Rarely, there is a genetic or congenital cause. There are also other conditions resulting in poor absorbtion or low vitamin B12.

What is the term for anemia that is harmful to the body?

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition in which the body can’t absorb vitamin B12 correctly. This leads to symptoms from anemia (a reduced number of functioning red blood cells) and other problems. The word “pernicious” means gradually harmful and damaging.

What does it mean when your hematocrit is low?

Low hematocrit, which shows the amount of space the red blood cells take up in the blood , can also be a sign. In people with pernicious anemia, the red blood cells are also larger than normal, as measured by a test called the mean corpuscular volume (also performed as part of a CBC). 4 .

Can vitamin B12 cause pernicious anemia?

Although the symptoms of per nicious anemia are caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, it is not the only possible cause of such a deficiency. This can be caused by other situations, including ones that decrease effective absorption of vitamin B12.

Can pernicious anemia cause dementia?

If pernicious anemia isn’t treated for a long period of time, these cognitive problems can get even worse, possibly causing psychosis or dementia. In extreme circumstances, it can cause significant problems with the nervous system and even death. 1 .

Does pernicious anemia come on gradually?

Symptoms often come on gradually and are mild at first but may worsen if untreated. For example, mild fatigue might be an initial sign. Other symptoms of pernicious anemia can include the following: 1 

What is pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition that leads to a lack of red blood cells. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 causes it. This article explains the symptoms of pernicious anemia, and how it differs from other types of anemia. It also discusses available treatments.

What foods are good for pernicious anemia?

Up to 50 percent of adults. Trusted Source. with a vitamin B-12 deficiency may have pernicious anemia. People find vitamin B-12 in the following foods: eggs. dairy products. poultry.

Why do people with pernicious anemia have antibodies?

The stomach makes intrinsic factor. However, people with pernicious anemia release an antibody in error.

What is the body's need for red blood cells?

shellfish. The body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells. Being deficient in vitamin B-12 means the body is unable to make enough red blood cells. Red blood cells help carry oxygen around the body, and the body needs oxygen to function properly.

Can pernicious anemia be treated?

With the right treatment, the symptoms of pernicious anemia can be well-managed. As pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition, people may need life-long treatment to control symptoms. Doctors can treat the vitamin B-12 deficiency . However, there is not yet a cure for the immune system reaction that causes this deficiency to occur.

How is the treatment done?

Anemia is an ailment where the body suffers from an insufficient number of red blood cells or hemoglobin. If hemoglobin count is low in a person’s blood, the passage of oxygen to the tissues of the body is impaired.

Who is eligible for the treatment? (When is the treatment done?)

Lack of vitamin B-12 is the primary cause of pernicious anemia. So to treat this condition, a person needs to intake a lot of vitamin B-12. So a person suffering from pernicious anemia should consume dairy products, shellfish, eggs, meat, poultry, nutritional supplements and fortified soy, rice milks and nuts.

Who is not eligible for the treatment?

Lack of vitamin B-12 is the primary cause of pernicious anemia. So to treat this condition, a person needs to intake a lot of vitamin B-12. So a person suffering from pernicious anemia should consume dairy products, shellfish, eggs, meat, poultry, nutritional supplements and fortified soy, rice milks and nuts.

Are there any side effects?

Lack of vitamin B-12 is the primary cause of pernicious anemia. So to treat this condition, a person needs to intake a lot of vitamin B-12. So a person suffering from pernicious anemia should consume dairy products, shellfish, eggs, meat, poultry, nutritional supplements and fortified soy, rice milks and nuts.

What are the post-treatment guidelines?

The less-serious side-effects of Vitamin B-12 injections include: fever, joint pain, itching or rash, pain, swelling, irritation or redness in the area where the injection was given, nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach and headache, weakness and dizziness.

How long does it take to recover?

Pernicious anemia is an auto-immune disease that cannot be prevented. A person suffering from this disease may require treatment throughout his/her life. However, the person should increase the intake of eggs, poultry, shellfish, dairy products, nutritional supplements and fortified soy, nut and rice milks that are rich in Vitamin B-12.

What is the price of the treatment in India?

Without treatment, pernicious anemia can be a permanent ailment and even cause death. So, life-long treatment is required to deal with this disease. Hence, the recovery time for pernicious is actually quite high.

How to treat pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia can be treated with injections of vitamin B 12. If the symptoms are severe, injections are typically recommended initially. For those who have trouble swallowing pills, a nasal spray is available. Often, treatment is lifelong.

Why is pernicious anemia considered fatal?

The term "pernicious" means "deadly", and this term came into use because before the availability of treatment the disease was often fatal .

What is the name of the disease in which not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, of which pernicious anemia ( PA) is a type, is a disease in which not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency of vitamin B 12. The most common initial symptom is feeling tired.

What percentage of people with PA have antibodies?

About 90% of individuals with PA have antibodies for parietal cells; however, only 50% of all individuals in the general population with these antibodies have pernicious anemia. Forms of vitamin B 12 deficiency other than PA must be considered in the differential diagnosis of megaloblastic anemia.

What is PA in blood work?

PA may be suspected when a patient's blood smear shows large, fragile, immature erythrocytes, known as megaloblasts. A diagnosis of PA first requires demonstration of megaloblastic anemia by conducting a full blood count and blood smear, which evaluates the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), as well the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). PA is identified with a high MCV ( macrocytic anemia) and a normal MCHC ( normochromic anemia). Ovalocytes are also typically seen on the blood smear, and a pathognomonic feature of megaloblastic anemias (which include PA and others) is hypersegmented neutrophils.

What is the pathognomonic feature of megaloblastic anemia?

Ovalocytes are also typically seen on the blood smear, and a pathognomonic feature of megaloblastic anemias (which include PA and others) is hypersegmented neutrophils. Serum vitamin B 12 levels are used to detect its deficiency, but they do not distinguish its causes.

Can a person with PA live a healthy life?

A person with well-treated PA can live a healthy life. Failure to diagnose and treat in time, however, may result in permanent neurological damage, excessive fatigue, depression, memory loss, and other complications. In severe cases, the neurological complications of pernicious anemia can lead to death - hence the name, " pernicious ", meaning deadly.

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Treatment

Risks

Benefits

International

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Rakshith Bharadwaj
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Pernicious anemia can be treated by restoring the vitamin B 12 supply.
Medication

Supplements: - Vitamin B12 intramuscular injections (shots) are given. - Vitamin B12 supplements and diet

Vitamin B12

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Breakfast cereals with added vitamin B12
  • Meats such as beef, liver, poultry, and shellfish
  • Eggs and dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, and cheese)
  • Soy-based food and beverages

Foods to avoid:

  • NA

Specialist to consult

Primary care physician
Specializes in the acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health.
Hematologist
Specializes in the study of the blood and blood disorders.

Purpose

  • What is the most effective Pernicious Anemia treatment? In two words: B12 injections. It is the only effective way for PA patients to absorb B12, since it bypasses the gastric system and goes straight to your bloodstream. More than a century ago, people with Pernicious Anemia would ev…
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Criticism

  • Millions of people around the world are B12 deficient. In the UK alone, hundreds of thousands of citizens are routinely misdiagnosed and continue to deteriorate without proper treatment. Its all very tragic, and we think B12 injections should be administered almost by default. It is a water soluble vitamin any excess is flushed out in the urine so theres no possibility of toxicity, and you …
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Prognosis

  • Having injectable B12 ready over the counter will make Pernicious Anemia treatment a thousand fold easier, and will have a profound effect on the lives of patients, their families, and our society. Many doctors are treating B12-induced depression with antidepressants, while it can disappear entirely by regular administration of something as simple as B12. Its not toxic, it repairs nerves, …
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Symptoms

  • In Germany, France, and Spain you can buy B12 injections over the counter in any pharmacy. In Japan and Malaysia, you can even buy them in supermarkets!
See more on perniciousanemia.org

Toxicity

  • We created this site to educate people about the lethal, subtle nature of Pernicious Anemia, and to give patients a chance for optimal treatment by giving them access to as many B12 shots as they need. Your plea for help will no longer fall on deaf ears. Each person has a different level of damage, and some symptoms are reversible when caught and treated early. Dont wait a second …
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Side effects

  • As current things are, Pernicious Anemia patients are at the mercy of an outdated, restrictive and uneducated system, providing ridiculous treatment and leaving behind a trail of severe suffering.
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Society and culture

  • This under treatment renders those of us with this condition amongst other things seriously mentally impaired, experiencing debilitating pain, bed ridden, chronically fatigued, at high risk of stroke or heart attack, and unable to walk or to stay awake. (Its your time to live, not merely exist.) Some patients have successfully fought for the right to receive more frequent injections howeve…
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