South Med J. 2010 Mar;103(3):265-7.

Metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as a peripheral neuropathy.

Source

Southside Endocrinology and Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Alabama Medical School, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA. dshbell@yahoo.com

Abstract

Chronic metformin use results in vitamin B12 deficiency in 30% of patients. Exhaustion of vitamin B12 stores usually occurs after twelve to fifteen years of absolute vitamin B12 deficiency. Metformin has been available in the United States for approximately fifteen years. Vitamin B12 deficiency, which may present without anemia and as a peripheral neuropathy, is often misdiagnosed as diabetic neuropathy, although the clinical findings are usually different. Failure to diagnose the cause of the neuropathy will result in progression of central and/or peripheral neuronal damage which can be arrested but not reversed with vitamin B12 replacement. To my knowledge, this is the first report of metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency causing neuropathy.

Comment in

South Med J. 2011 Jul;104(7):541-2; author reply 542.

PMID:: 20134380; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

Publication Types

Case Reports

MeSH Terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Labome Researcher Resource - ExactAntigen/Labome

Medical

Molecular Biology Databases

METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE - HSDB

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

More adverse neurological consequences of metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency. [South Med J. 2011]
More adverse neurological consequences of metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency.
Moore E, Mander A, Watters D. South Med J. 2011 Jul; 104(7):541-2; author reply 542.
Metformin-related vitamin B12 deficiency. [Age Ageing. 2006]
Metformin-related vitamin B12 deficiency.
Liu KW, Dai LK, Jean W. Age Ageing. 2006 Mar; 35(2):200-1.
Hyperhomocysteinemia, deep vein thrombosis and vitamin B12 deficiency in a metformin-treated diabetic patient. [J Formos Med Assoc. 2007]
Hyperhomocysteinemia, deep vein thrombosis and vitamin B12 deficiency in a metformin-treated diabetic patient.
Lin HY, Chung CY, Chang CS, Wang ML, Lin JS, Shen MC. J Formos Med Assoc. 2007 Sep; 106(9):774-8.
Review Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency: an unusual cause of vocal fold palsy. [J Laryngol Otol. 2011]
Review Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency: an unusual cause of vocal fold palsy.
Green R, Kara N, Cocks H. J Laryngol Otol. 2011 Dec; 125(12):1309-11. Epub 2011 Jul 27.
Review Mecobalamin. [Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2008]
Review Mecobalamin.
Zhang YF, Ning G. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2008 Jun; 17(6):953-64.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 2 PubMed Central articles

Dyslipidemia as a contributory factor in etiopathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. [Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2011]
Dyslipidemia as a contributory factor in etiopathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.
Al-Ani FS, Al-Nimer MS, Ali FS. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Apr; 15(2):110-4.
Revisiting Metformin: Annual Vitamin B12 Supplementation may become Mandatory with Long-Term Metformin Use. [J Young Pharm. 2010]
Revisiting Metformin: Annual Vitamin B12 Supplementation may become Mandatory with Long-Term Metformin Use.
Mahajan R, Gupta K. J Young Pharm. 2010 Oct; 2(4):428-9.

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
Compound
PubChem chemical compound records that cite the current articles. These references are taken from those provided on submitted PubChem chemical substance records. Multiple substance records may contribute to the PubChem compound record.
Compound (MeSH Keyword)
PubChem chemical compound records that are classified under the same Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) controlled vocabulary as the current articles.
Substance
PubChem chemical substance records that cite the current articles. These references are taken from those provided on submitted PubChem chemical substance records.
Substance (MeSH Keyword)
PubChem chemical substance (submitted) records that are classified under the same Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) controlled vocabulary as the current articles.
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as a peripheral neuropathy.
Metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as a peripheral neuropathy.
South Med J. 2010 Mar ;103(3):265-7.

PubMed
Reproductive outcomes among male and female workers at an aluminum smelter.
Reproductive outcomes among male and female workers at an aluminum smelter.
J Occup Environ Med. 2010 Feb ;52(2):137-43.

PubMed
Nipple areola skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate transverse rectus abdominis...
Nipple areola skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap reconstruction is an oncologically safe procedure: a single center study.
Ann Surg. 2010 Mar ;251(3):493-8.

PubMed
Comparison between botulinum toxin and corticosteroid injection in the treatment...
Comparison between botulinum toxin and corticosteroid injection in the treatment of acute and subacute tennis elbow: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, active drug-controlled pilot study.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Aug ;89(8):653-9.

PubMed
The forefront for novel therapeutic agents based on the pathophysiology of lower...
The forefront for novel therapeutic agents based on the pathophysiology of lower urinary tract dysfunction: bladder selectivity based on in vivo drug-receptor binding characteristics of antimuscarinic agents for treatment of overactive bladder.
J Pharmacol Sci. 2010 ;112(2):142-50. Epub 2010 Feb 4 .

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to: