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Overview Overview

Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia is where your body makes abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly.

Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia can cause a wide range of symptoms, including extreme tiredness, a sore red tongue and muscle weakness.

The main treatments for vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anaemia are vitamin injections or tablets.

Causes of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia include a problem with your immune system and a lack of vitamins in your diet.

Symptoms Symptoms

Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia can cause a wide range of symptoms, including extreme tiredness, a sore red tongue and muscle weakness.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency

Vitamin B12 and folate perform several important functions in the body, including keeping the nervous system healthy.

A deficiency in either of these vitamins can cause a wide range of problems, including:

Some of these problems can also happen if you have a deficiency in vitamin B12 or folate but do not have anaemia.

Treatments Treatments

The main treatments for vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anaemia are vitamin injections or tablets.

Medical treatments

Most cases of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can be easily treated with injections or tablets to replace the missing vitamins.

Vitamin B12 supplements are usually given by injection at first.

Then, depending on whether your B12 deficiency is related to your diet, you'll either require B12 tablets between meals or regular injections.

These treatments may be needed for the rest of your life.

Folic acid tablets are used to restore folate levels. These usually need to be taken for 4 months.

In some cases, improving your diet can help treat the condition and prevent it coming back.

Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, yeast extract (such as Marmite) and specially fortified foods.

The best sources of folate include green vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and peas.

Causes Causes

Causes of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia include a problem with your immune system and a lack of vitamins in your diet.