Question:
Im 9 yrs post-op, has anyone heard of beriberi??

Has anyone heard about beriberi and how long does it take to get back on your feet?? please email me at [email protected] Thanks so much    — morgansgranny (posted on March 18, 2010)

March 18, 2010
Here's what I researched for you. Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons. Symptoms of beriberi include severe lethargy and fatigue, together with complications affecting the cardiovascular, nervous, muscular, and gastrointestinal systems. The goal of treatment is to replace the thiamine your body is lacking. This is done with thiamine supplements. Thiamine supplements are given through a shot or taken by mouth. Other types of vitamins may also be recommended. Blood tests may be done after you are given thiamine supplements to see how well you are responding to the medicine. Untreated, beriberi is often deadly. With treatment, symptoms usually improve quickly. Heart damage is usually reversible, and a full recovery is expected. However, if acute heart failure has already occurred, the outlook is poor. Nervous system damage is also reversible, if caught early. If it is not caught early, some symptoms (such as memory loss) may remain even with treatment.
   — looking4ward

March 19, 2010
We had some one who was in a wheel chair because of Vit b1 deficiency now they check for it routinely.
   — trible

March 31, 2010
I'm going through the same thing right now. It was a big surprise. I am also wondering how long this takes to recover from. I'm 4 years post op. Lab results showed my level at 74, and the range should be 89-200. Last year, my lab work showed a 90, but I didn't know how to read the results. I spent a whole year getting worse without knowing what was happening.
   — jbears