Low Vitamin B1 Levels (Berberi) - Medtick
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Low Vitamin B1 Levels (Berberi)

What is it?

Deficiency

  • Beriberi

Deficiency causing conditions:

  • Alcoholism
  • Heart damage
  • People with diets on white rice and highly refine carbohydrates (polish rice, white flour and white sugar)
  • People with other vitamin B deficiency diseases
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Pregnancy
  • Breastfeeding
  • Fever
  • Strenuous exercise
  • Long term diarrhoea
  • Wernicke encephalopathy

Syndromes

Signs and Symptoms of deficiency

  • Dry beriberi (nerve disorders)
  • Pins and/or needles and /or numbness in toes and arms
  • Sensitive skin and /or burning in feet (particularly at night) and/or hand sensation
  • Muscle cramps in calves
  • Pain in leg which comes and goes
  • Decreased vibration sensitivity
  • Swollen ankles and/or wrists (watches or wearing bangles feel tight)
  • Short of breath and/or breathing difficulties
  • Tiredness
  • Long term persistent indigestion and/or frequent heartburn and/or constant abdominal pain and swelling
  • Irritable and/or anxiety and depression

Infantile Beriberi

(Occurs in infants 3-4 weeks, caused by lack of thiamine breast feeding)

  • Difficulty to speak
  • Voice changes particularly loss of voice
  • Heart failure
  • Lack of tendon reflexes
  • Breathing difficulties and/or short of breath

Wet Berberi

(Heart/blood disorders where fluid builds up around the heart and/or blood vessels)

  • Red and hot flushing and/or sweating and/or warm skin
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Shallow breathing
  • Swelling in ankles and legs
  • Breathing difficulties and/or short of breath
  • Confusion
  • Lack of consciousness

Wernicke encephalopathy

Wernicke encephalopathy causes brain damage due to lack of Vitamin B1 in lower parts of the brain called the thalamus and hypothalamus.

Symptoms:

  • Confusion
  • Impaired consciousness
  • Imbalance and uncontrolled movement
  • Loss of muscle coordination (ataxia)
  • Leg tremor
  • Walking difficulties
  • Fast pulse (heart rate)
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low body temperature
  • Muscle weakness
  • Vision changes
  • Nystagmus
  • Double vision
  • Eyelid drooping
  • Symptoms similar to drunkenness

Korsakoff Syndrome

Korsakoff  Syndrome is a chronic memory disorder caused by thiamine (vitamin B-1) deficiency.

  • Korsakoff syndrome, or Korsakoff psychosis, tends to develop as Wernicke symptoms go away.
  • Korsakoff psychosis results from permanent damage to areas of the brain involved with memory.

Symptoms:

  • Difficulty in remembering recent events (short term memory loss)
  • Long-term memory gaps
  • Problem in learning new information
  • Confabulation – make up their memory gaps with some information and believe that they are true

MedIndia

  • Uncontrolled eye movement?
  • Lack of coordination and speech?
  • Slow movement?
  • Lack of consciousness?
  • Mental confusion?
  • Loss of voice?
  • Stating events that never occurred and memory loss?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

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