Thiamine Deficiency

Question: Thiamine deficiency? I know that alcoholics have thiamine deficiency and when treating them, the first thing to do is to check their thiamine and start replenishing it. But why do alcoholics have thiamine deficiency?

Answer: I got this site that explains everything about thiamine deficiency among alcoholics. i hope this helps^_^ http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/al…

Question: Ways to cause a Thiamine deficiency? Are there ways to cause a thiamine deficiency in a human other than just keeping it away from them? Is there some sort of bacterium that causes this deficiency which can be implanted?

Answer: Alcoholics get thiamine deficiency, but I don't recommend that. I don't recommend thiamine deficiency either.

Question: What is the association between metabolic acidosis caused by high levels of lactate with thiamine deficiency?

Answer: Thiamine is a coenzyme for pyruvate dehydrogenase and if severely deficient pyruvate will not be metabolised to acetyl CoA and instead glucose metabolism will be forced down the nonoxidative pathway to form lactate.

Question: can wernicke's encephalopathy thiamine deficiency lesions look like multiple sclerosis lesions? I was diagnosed with ms 4 years ago after months of not eating and 3 weeks of vomiting I had a bout of double vision. Mri revealed multiple lesions.

Answer: good question, glad you asked. Wernicke's and Ms are completely two different animals. Wernicke is casued by long tern and chronic alocholism. It does not lead to brain lesions per se, but leads to atrophy in the brain and yes you are right, one of the chief reasons is long standing thiamine deficiencey. MS lesions are rare, but can occur. But again, they will appear as atropied areas of the brain as this is an immune disease which casues generalized wasting of the cels. The facto that you are having double vision makes me wonder if you have a carcinoma somethere. Good luck!!

Question: Thiamine deficiency HARD QUESTION? Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an important cofactor in one of the reactions in the Krebs cycle and also the reaction that converts pyruvate to acetyl CoA. It is normally found in the diet in yeast, pork, legumes, cereal grains, rice. It may decome deficient during malnutrition or conditions that cause malnutrition such as alcoholism, HIV, and anorexia nervosa. QUESTION: How will cell respiration be affected? What symptoms will be observed??

Answer: Thiamine stores can be depleted within 1 month, but it's pretty uncommon these days. When it does, it's generally due to insufficient caloric intake (starving.) In North America, many alcoholic beverages are fortified with B1 precisely to prevent this problem. Depending on the severity of the alcoholism, the fortified B1 may or may not be sufficient. Frank B1 deficiency is called BERI-BERI. Classic presentation includes: resting tachycardia (fast heart rate), weakness, and symmetric decreased deep tendon reflexes; some people develop a peripheral neuropathy (usually starts with numbness/tingling in fingers and toes.) Another presentation would be "Wernicke encephalopathy" - this presents with an orderly sequence of symptom onset: vomiting, involuntary eye movements, fever, ataxia (uncontrolled skeletal muscle movement), and progressive mental impairment. While some of the symptoms can be reversed with treatment, many of the neurological sequelae are permanent.

Question: how is Wernicke's encephalopathy precipitated after a carbohydrate load in thiamine deficiency?

Answer: Wernicke's encephalopathy involves damage to multiple nerves in both the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the rest of the body). It may also include symptoms caused by alcohol withdrawal. The cause is generally attributed to malnutrition, especially lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine), which is common in those with alcoholism. Heavy alcohol use interferes with the break down of thiamine in the body, so even if someone with alcoholism follows a well-balanced diet, most of the thiamine is not absorbed. Korsakoff syndrome, or Korsakoff psychosis, tends to develop as Wernicke's symptoms do away. This involves damage to areas of the brain involved with memory. Patients often attempt to hide their poor memory by creating detailed, believable stories about experiences or situations. This is not usually a deliberate attempt to deceive because the patient often believes what he is saying to be true. Please see the web pages for more details on Wernicke's encephalopathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Question: At what rate does thiamine need replacing in the body of a regular drinker? Just thinking about cutting back my drinking permanently. Been drinking fairly heavily for too many years and the doctors are telling me it's causing me significant vitamin B1 deficiencies. I'm really curious about how quickly alcohol diminishes the body's supplies of thiamine?

Answer: I have read over your question. It's funny because it make me want to ask you a question(s) but of course I can't. May I email you a few things and fact based information that at the very least will give you a better understanding or hopefully empower you with some more knowledge. With your permission first! Medical Specialist MRI/HR/DIR 21 years & still learning!

Question: What is the Significance of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase in Beriberi? Beriberi is caused by a thiamine deficiency.

Answer: Loss of energy is in part caused by a lack of thiamine which helps in energy production. Its role is to act on glucose molecules to metabolize them i as an energy substrate. Since Asians had been known as largely vegetarians in the past there diets were low in thiamine and thus the cause of a loss of energy on the onset of Beriberi. Pyruvate Dehydrogenase is an enzyme that helps catalyze the energy pathway and without it the energy chain production mechanism is stopped short of its goal, energy production. Pyruvate Dehydrogenase is an essential co-factor in the energy pathway. With a diet that is deficient in thiamine a correlating reduction in energy is found.

Question: Why is Pyruvate Dehydrogenase a Multienzyme Complex? Why can pyruvate dehygrogenase be said to be a multienzyme complex? What is its significance in Beriberi, which results from a thiamine deficiency?

Answer: It is a multienzyme complex because it consists of multiple distinct active sites catalyzing distinct reactions. As I recall, there are three distinct active sites and the substrate is tethered and shifts from one active site to the next in the course of the reaction. A thiamine deficiency would ultimately prevent one of the reactions from occurring, which would completely block the reactions catalyzed by the enzyme.

Question: Neurologic disease in lambs that are on full feed is most likely associated with? A. thiamine deficiency B. Hemophilus somnus C. hepatic lipidosis

Answer: Of the three choices given, the only one that causes paralysis in lambs is thiamine deficiency as such.