Could It Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses

by Sally M Pacholok, Jeffrey J. Stuart

Overview

The book that has literally saved lives.

Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses uncovers a public health crisis that even many doctors don't know exists—the chronic misdiagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Few patients are tested for B12 deficiency, even though it's a common disorder that can be easily diagnosed and inexpensively treated. The manifold symptoms of B12 deficiency can look exactly like a myriad of different diseases, misleading doctors to misdiagnosis. B12 deficiency can cause dementia, multiple sclerosis, early Parkinson's disease, diabetic neuropathy or chronic fatigue syndrome. It can cause depression and mental illness, infertility in men and women, or developmental disabilities in children.

Written in a highly accessible style that makes complex medical information clear and comprehensible to ordinary patients and their families, Could It Be B12? gives readers the knowledge and confidence to fight the ignorance and rigidity of the medical establishment and take control of their own health. Could It Be B12? presents vital information and strategies for readers to learn if they or their loved ones are suffering from B12 deficiency and how to work with their doctors and other health care professionals to get the treatment they need.

Could It Be B12? also presents a stirring message against the medical profession's indifference to the epidemic levels of crippling B12 deficiency and a demand for worldwide social action to raise awareness and win the fight against this easily prevented disorder that so needlessly ruins millions of lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781884995699
Publisher:	Linden Publishing
Publication date:	01/26/2011
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	321
Sales rank:	523,163
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sally M. Pacholok, RN, has worked as an emergency room nurse and paramedic for 25 years. A member of the Emergency Nurses Association, Pacholok diagnosed herself with vitamin B12 deficiency after doctors failed to identify her condition. Jeffrey J. Stuart, DO, is a board-certified physician and a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, the Macomb County Osteopathic Society, and the Michigan Osteopathic Association. They both live in Shelby, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Foreword ix

Preface to the Second Edition xiii

Introduction xix

Chapter 1 An Invisible Epidemic 1

Chapter 2 Is It Aging-or Is It B₁₂ Deficiency? 27

Chapter 3 Deadly Mimic: When B₁₂ Deficiency Masquerades as Multiple Sclerosis or Other Neurological Disorders 53

Chapter 4 Am I Losing My Mind? When B₁₂ Deficiency Causes Mental Illness 81

Chapter 5 Stroke, Heart Disease, and Other Vascular Problems: The B₁₂-Homocysteine Connection 95

Chapter 6 Lost Children: When B₁₂ Deficiency Causes Developmental Disabilities or Learning Problems 119

Chapter 7 Vitamin B₁₂ and Cancer, Impaired Immune Function, and Autoimmune Disease 145

Chapter 8 Under the Knife: Why Low B₁₂ Levels Make Surgery Dangerous 163

Chapter 9 Can't Conceive? How B₁₂ Deficiency Contributes to Male and Female Infertility 177

Chapter 10 Protecting Yourself: Are You at Risk for Vitamin B₁₂ Deficiency? 187

Chapter 11 Information for Physicians 201

Chapter 12 The Autism-B₁₂ Connection: When Low B₁₂ Causes Pediatric Brain Injury 241

Chapter 13 The Cost Effectiveness of Early Screening and Treatment for B₁₂ Deficiency 273

Chapter 14 A Call for a United Effort 293

Appendices 297

Index 314

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

The definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment for the lay reader and for the interested physician. —Jeffrey Dach, M.D.

Editorial Reviews

"As a practicing physician I can only hope that malpractice attorneys don't read this book."

D.O. Richard Nimbach

"Could it be B12? has literally saved lives and is the only complete and authoritative guide to B12 deficiency and shows what you can do to protect yourself and your family from this crippling disorder."

Senior Beacon

"Could It Be B12? is both powerful and revealing. It serves as a reminder that often times a simple precaution and nutrition awareness will save lives and a ton of money."

clinical pharmacist and nutrition and preventive c Charles H. Liu R.Ph.

"I defy you to read this book then not get yourself or a loved one tested for B12 deficiency."

Eric Norman

"The definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment for the lay reader and for the interested physician."

M.D. Jeffrey Dach

"I recommend this book to professionals and patients alike who are interested in finding the underlying cause and cure of many common diseases and conditions related to deficiency of vitamin B12."

author of The Homocysteine Revolution Kilmer McCully M.D.

"If you or your loved ones have health issues you can't get a handle on or you've been diagnosed for something and the standard treatment doesn't seem to work, then I say definitely pick this book up."

Bunny Cates

"The most important book I have read in decades ... clearly, concisely and convincingly calls our attention to a condition that exists in epidemic numbers. This book is a must read for all doctors."

The American Chiropractor Dr. Bill Koch

This is the definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis, and treatment for the lay reader and for the interested physician. As a result of reading this book, I now routinely test serum B12 and Urinary MMA on ALL patients, and have been surprised to find many symptomatic B12-deficient patients completely missed by the medical system.

MD Jeffrey Dach

Sally Pacholok and Jeffrey Stuart are to be congratulated for calling attention to this common disorder that affects a significant proportion of the population, particularly among the elderly . . . I recommend this book to professionals and patients alike.

Kilmer McCully

In this long-needed book, Pacholok and Stuart expose a major health-care scandal . . . [and] provide an invaluable service for medical consumers who want to protect their families and for all medical care providers who truly care about their patients. An important, highly recommended contribution.

Bernard Rimland

The definitive book on B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment for the lay reader and for the interested physician. —Jeffrey Dach, M.D.

"Could it be B12?" has literally saved lives and is the only complete and authoritative guide to B12 deficiency and shows what you can do to protect yourself and your family from this crippling disorder. —Senior Beacon

As a practicing physician I can only hope that malpractice attorneys don't read this book. —Richard Nimbach, D.O.

From the Publisher