How common is b12 deficiency?

How effective is the treatment of Vitamin B12 deficiency even when it has affected the nerves.?

• Are there natural remedies? How soon can one see noticeable improvements in the patients. What are the early signs that the patient is responding to the B12 injections

• Answer:

  I was going to answer with this: "generally, once nerve damage has occurred as a result of B12 deficiency, treatment with B12 provides little benefit in relieving the damage." However, I just found a scientific paper from 2011 in "Nutrition Journal" that cites references to studies that found: in cases of pernicious anemia, intramuscular injections of B12 can reduce neurological symptoms. Whether or not neurological symptoms that exist independently of pernicious anemia can be successfully treated is not clear. In this same paper, the researchers found neurological improvements from high-dose oral supplements of B12 in elderly patients with low B12 status but with no overt neurological symptoms. Best wishes and good luck.