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What Are The Symptoms Of Beriberi?

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Posted on Mon, 16 Nov 2015
Question: hello. I'm concerned about symptoms and treatment of beriberi. I am bedridden with cancer in the spine and suffer from regular bouts of constipation vs diarhiea . Also, i'm sort of stuck in a hospice agency. my wife noticed that when I push down on my swollen legs, I leave an indentation. My wife whose mother was a nurse in Japan says that she called that beriberi and is a symptom of not eating enough wheat.I suppose she is referring a shortage of VIT B1. What say you and how can j treat it from home? YYYY@YYYY
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Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (38 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
I am not so sure this is beriberi...but we can get vitamin supplements!

Detailed Answer:
HI and thank you so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about your health status. I know you must be dealing with so much at this time. However, I encourage you to stay positive and optimistic.

The indentation is strictly not beri beri but points to the fact that you could be having a poor nutrition, poor renal, liver or heart function. Given your over all health status, it is more likely to be related to one of these disease conditions than beri beri. The reason why beri beri also presents with indentation is because beri beri causes heart failure which results in fluid accumulation and not that fluid accumulation is a typical sign for beri beri.

However, we can measure the blood levels to see if you are having enough. If this is not enough, then you can get thiamine vitamin supplements and take regularly. I am not really convince you have beri beri from that lone symptom of swollen legs an indentation when pressed.

I hope this helps and guides you enough in addressing this worry. Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be. Above all, thanks for using our services and I wish you well.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ivo Ditah

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 3984 Questions

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What Are The Symptoms Of Beriberi?

Brief Answer: I am not so sure this is beriberi...but we can get vitamin supplements! Detailed Answer: HI and thank you so much for this query. I am so sorry to hear about your health status. I know you must be dealing with so much at this time. However, I encourage you to stay positive and optimistic. The indentation is strictly not beri beri but points to the fact that you could be having a poor nutrition, poor renal, liver or heart function. Given your over all health status, it is more likely to be related to one of these disease conditions than beri beri. The reason why beri beri also presents with indentation is because beri beri causes heart failure which results in fluid accumulation and not that fluid accumulation is a typical sign for beri beri. However, we can measure the blood levels to see if you are having enough. If this is not enough, then you can get thiamine vitamin supplements and take regularly. I am not really convince you have beri beri from that lone symptom of swollen legs an indentation when pressed. I hope this helps and guides you enough in addressing this worry. Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be. Above all, thanks for using our services and I wish you well.