Widow, 61, wandered the streets naked due to a B12 deficiency

A widow suffered 'reversible dementia' after becoming deficient in vitamin B12, doctors have revealed. 

The unnamed 61-year-old would wander the streets naked, hallucinate dead relatives and even accuse her family of trying to poison her. 

After five years of this 'altered behaviour', her sister took her to hospital when she started losing consciousness and developed jerky movements.  

A series of blood tests and scans all came back clear, with the patient's only abnormality being a B12 deficiency. 

It is unclear if the woman was a vegan, who are often deficient in the vitamin due to it mainly being found in animal products.

This deficiency is thought to have damaged the protective fatty layer around the woman's spinal cord. 

It is unclear if the woman was a vegan, who are often deficient in the vitamin due to it mainly being found in animal products

It is unclear if the woman was a vegan, who are often deficient in the vitamin due to it mainly being found in animal products

This caused parts of her backbone to degenerate, triggering psychotic and epileptic symptoms.

The patient experienced 'remarkable neuropsychiatric recovery' after taking artificial vitamin B12. 

However, the time taken for her to be diagnosed is thought to have damaged her spinal cord so much she may be on anti-psychotic and anti-seizure drugs for life. 

The incident was written in a BMJ Case Report by Professor J Bernardo Barahona-Corrêa, of the department of psychiatry at the Nova Medical School in Lisbon.

The patient is from Cape Verde, where she has lived alone for 12 years since her husband died.

It is unclear how long she had been in Portugal for when her sister took her to hospital. Due to the widow not speaking Portuguese, her sister had to explain her symptoms for her. 

The family became concerned over the years when she started talking to people who were not there, 'neglected her hygiene', stopped cooking and left her house in a state.  

The woman was conscious and had no obvious cognitive impairment when she arrived at the hospital. However, doctors were unable to officially assess her due to the language barrier.  

Tests revealed she had normal blood cell counts, glucose levels and markers of inflammation. Kidney, liver and thyroid assessments, as well as a CT scan, also came back clear.  

The woman was told to take the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine twice a day. She was also referred to a neurology outpatient clinic where she underwent an electroencephalogram, which records brain activity. 

The results suggested slow thinking but she was sent home regardless. 

She then had another seizure, which did not reoccur after her family insisted she take her medication as prescribed. 

WHAT IS VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY? 

A lack of vitamin B12 can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia.

This occurs when the body produces abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly.

Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body in a substance called haemoglobin.

Anaemia is defined as having either fewer red blood cells than normal or abnormally low haemoglobin in each cell.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in older people, affecting one in 10 over 75. 

Symptoms include:

Extreme fatigue Pins and needles Sore, red tongue Mouth

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