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Thread: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

  1. #1
    Yoggy's Avatar
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    Default House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Ok, I admit that I'm sort of hooked on the medical drama "House, M.D.". Usually it focusses on one patient with an array of symptoms that can't be placed to a single illness, so lots of tests are done until the brilliant doctor has an epiphany and discovers what's wrong with the patient. The show has been widely acclaimed for its medical accuracy.

    But today I saw an episode about a girl who had all kinds of symptoms that couldn't be explained, but when Dr. House saw the girl having a conversation with her mother and expressing how it was her own fault that she ended up in the hospital, House immediately realised that the girl's guilt must be caused by B12 deficiency (turns out a tapeworm in her abdomen was causing most of her symptoms and also eating up all her B12).

    Is this medically accurate at all? I should mention that I never put faith in medical shows for accuracy LOL, but since this show is usually praised for this, I was wondering if "guilt" is a documented symptom of B12 deficiency.
    "Man can do as he wills, but not will as he wills" - Arthur Schopenhauer

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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    The link between B12 deficiency and depression is known and feelings like worthlessness and guilt are often felt by severely depressed people.

    You're not the only one who watches medical dramas and askes questions about cases in them Yoggy:

    http://minuk.vox.com/library/post/wh...-house-md.html

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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    I'm really surprised this programme has been praised for medical accuracy. the one programme i saw a man had a stroke. quite obviously a stroke. it took House MD the rest of the programme to work out he had a stroke, and like carl kennedy in neighbours he never calls in specialists when it would be much more appropriate to do so.

    Anyway to the point - yes vitamin B12 deficiency causes depression. In severe cases (such as Korsakoff's disease) B12 deficiency will cause long term memory loss. Korsakoff's is normally found in longterm alcoholics as alcohol will deplete supplies of B12 already in the blood. so if you are known to have B12 deficiency e.g. while adapting to a vegan diet, alcohol should be avoided until your levels are optimum again.

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    auntierozzi's Avatar
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Thanks for that info. about alcohol, Agatha.

  5. #5

    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Agatha, that is very interesting about alcohol.
    So as vegans we should really stay away from alcohol, as it can rob us of our precious b12.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    i wouldn't say so. You can have a minor blip in any vitamin intake and it isn't a problem. its more important to stay away from alcohol if you have a long term vitamin B deficiency, or below the recommended intake in your everyday diet. In reality you need very little B12 so as a vegan eating fortfied food like most breakfast cereals, good quality soya milk, margarine, marmite, etc and natural vegan sources like seaweed you're unlikely to be at risk.

    If however you are taking supplements it is worthwhile taking a vitamin B complex rather than B12 on its own as the B vitamins are absorbed best by your body altogether.

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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    I saw a few minutes of this show not long ago and it seemed to be about irresponsible vegan parents. They weren't feeding their baby the correct food or something. I switched it off.

  8. #8
    Good sperm
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Well I don't, on the whole, feel guilt so my B12 levels must be fine

  9. #9

    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Quote insubordination View Post
    I saw a few minutes of this show not long ago and it seemed to be about irresponsible vegan parents. They weren't feeding their baby the correct food or something. I switched it off.
    That was just a short side story, and it was shown later, that the weight loss was caused by some kind of syndrome, not the vegan diet.
    It's actually a very good show.
    Last edited by Luka; Jul 9th, 2007 at 06:01 PM. Reason: Typo

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    perfect RedWellies's Avatar
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Indeed. I love "House".
    "Do what you can with what you have where you are."
    - Theodore Roosevelt

  11. #11
    Mahk
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    I didn't see the "vegan parents" episode so I can't comment on that one but I did see an episode where Dr. House has a date with a vegan woman. He's known for saying nasty comments and acting rude at times however he wasn't at all with her. I had hoped it was to be a on going romance but, alas, it was just that episode I think.

    Also, the actress who plays the hospital director , Dr. Lisa Cuddy, is a vegan in real life! Her name is Lisa Edelstein and they often show sexual tension between her and Dr. House. I like her and I hope they hook up.

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    perfect RedWellies's Avatar
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Quote Mahk View Post
    Also, the actress who plays the hospital director , Dr. Lisa Cuddy, is a vegan in real life!
    I didn't know that. Haha, we're getting everywhere!
    "Do what you can with what you have where you are."
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    frank language's Avatar
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    Quote RedWellies View Post
    I didn't know that. Haha, we're getting everywhere!
    Don't you think there's a higher percentage of actors/actresses and performance artists who are vegan, just because they've found that being vegan makes you look so damn good?

  14. #14
    Mahk
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    Default Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    I'm not sure what you mean. By "look so damn good" do you mean slender? I think they are under more pressure to be thinner than average. Americans in reality are much fatter than how they are portrayed on TV/movies.

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    Talking Re: House, M.D. - B12 deficiency causes guilt???

    haha, i love house - hugh laurie is, in lisa edelstein's words, a sex pot. i also really like cuddy, she is cool (and, speaking as a straight girl, really quite hot too) house and cuddy all the way - cameron and house are seriously not happening!

    btw, the show has always portrayed vegans in quite a positive light, i think. the vegan parents were feeding their kid fine, the baby had a thyroid problem, and there was an episode with a vegan nutritionist, honey (rather ironic, dontcha think) where she and house had some chemistry. her boyf was exposed as a secret cheeseburger fan through his, ahem, poo, which floated- i really doubt that had any medical accuracy whatsoever, but still, it is a great show!

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