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[BrightLight]

Hi - I started taking B6 and B12 vitamins a few months ago, because I was feeling so lacking in energy, appetite event and I am a vegetarian.  Now I know I am in perimenopause which explains a few things.

I am having blood tests to recheck FSH level and also routine FBC and asked what this was for and was advised it is to check for anemia.  Being a bit 'ignorant' I thought anemia in relation to menstrual cycles was only relevant for heavy bleeding, which although a bit heavier for me on and off in the last six months I didn't think of it as heavy. 

I wondered if this is the same as potential B12 deficiency I keep reading about at menopause or does menopause do something to the body to tip over into anemia?

Any biologists out there?

[Millykin]

Oh gosh that's a tricky one ! I've no expert on it but I recently found out that it is complicated. My daughter was anemic for couple of years we found out it was coeliac causing it, I thought they just had to get her iron levels up  but then you have back up stores can't remember names.  If they are low as well it gets more technical!

I think you may be tired if you weren't eating right which can't be helped at times, but I do know lots of women it's to do with vitamin B6 and B12. Hopefully someone will be clued up on this. X

[honorsmum]

Pernicious anaemia is quite different from anaemia, from a seriousness point of view, I believe.
I have spotted pernicious anaemia and B12 support groups on FB - I think it's more chronic than standard anaemia and treated differently.
Worth a quick Google.

[BrightLight]

Thank you - it's not a menopause thing then?  I just wondered why the doctor mentioned checking for it. 

[Millykin]

No not a menopause thing, happens for all reasons, GPs will usually check if someone says they are often tired. X

[honorsmum]

B12 deficiency can cause all sorts of unpleasant symptoms - fatigue, low mood, anxiety, tingling in limbs, weakness etc. It is called folate deficiency anaemia.
You also need your ferritin levels checked - iron.

Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune disease that stops B12 being absorbed, I think. I believe it's diagnosed according to the size of red blood cells.

[BrightLight]

Thank you both - I think the FBC is a general screening and maybe he mentioned anemia due to my tiredness.  I really don't know.

Honorsmum - well I certainly have those symptoms.  I tried eating meat again last autumn, I was feeling I needed protein and also aware of the B vitamin and stress connection.  I didn't really get on with eating it again, hence my purchase of supplements that I think were making a difference.

[honorsmum]

Before I connected my symptoms with hormones, I wondered whether B12 deficiency was the cause - it is very common in Crohn's patients because of malabsoption issues.
I started taking supplements before having my blood checked, which of course skewed the result - I actually came back as having too much B12, which is misleading because in my case, it doesn't show what B12 is being absorbed, only what's available in the blood stream. In actual fact, B12 is water soluble so your body excreted what it doesn't need.
I take Solgar sublingual B12, as well as a B complex and extra B5 for adrenal support. (You should  take all the B's together, not just one sort). I also take high dose vitamin C and gentle iron tablets.

Advise your GP that you are taking supplements before they test, and ask for a full print out of your results with reference ranges - I have learnt from research that "normal" is not necessarily optimum, and you may still need to supplement to feel better.

[BrightLight]

Thank you for the explanation  - am taking sublingual biocare B's along with D & E, plus 1000mg of Vitamin C plus magnesium but not iron.  My sister is a nutritionalist and did mention the malabsorption issue, that if my gut health and liver isn't optimal then it's best to take sublingual as better metabolised.  I struggle to retain all the info on nutrition but have a basic understanding and I do think it makes a difference if you take the correct things. Both my sister and I have long standing issues with low energy - we both had glandular fever as teenagers........but that's a whole other theory

[honorsmum]

If you think your adrenals could do with some help, you could gradually increase your Vitamin C, using split doses at intervals in the day. I have read that 2000mg is a minimum, but you should aim for 4000mg, stopping when you reach tolerance level (which is the point at which you get diarrhoea). Also, for adrenal issues, aim to be asleep before 11pm (it's made a difference to me, I think). 

What sort of magnesium do you take? I was taking oxide, but not feeling the benefits, so I've changed to citrate but am going to change to taurate,which is meant to be better still.

[BrightLight]

Thank you, I'll try increasing the Vitamin C and see if I can't get my system supported better.  I take Magnesium citrate with added probiotics from a company called Cytoplan.  I did notice I had to take it slowly, it wiped me out at first - some of my menopause symtoms are definately related to adrenals etc but overall I have been functioning on adrenalin for a little bit too long and need to switch this off soon...........although menopause has other ideas to impede me it seems

[Briony]

Have you actually had your levels properly tested? As a life long vege, I assumed my fatigue , tingling etc was down to pernicious anaemia (I even had the tingling tongue!). I therefore had a shock when I was told my B12 was exceptionally high and advised to cut down the supplement. I also had my cortisol tested (to check adrenal function) and could not believe it was at the high end of the scale at a time when I felt so ghastly. Whilst some British doctors won't acknowledge 'adrenal insufficiency' and see matters in more black and white terms, the endocrinologist I saw did admit that adrenal fluctuations, with extreme surges, can cause symptoms but fail to show up in most blood tests. No surprise to add that this is connected with menopause.

[CLKD]

VitB12 can interact badly with some old anti-depression medications.  My Dad wasn't allowed to take Bovril or Marmite for example.  Some cheeses, bananas, broad beans were banned too.

Adrenal problems are very rare  .  A GP will send bloods off for various investigations, some which return within 24 hours, some take a few weeks.  You are allowed to ask you know what the tests are for  but in my experience, few people do wonder out loud. 

[BrightLight]

Briony - no I haven't had them tested.  I am stabbing in the dark with supplements to some extent but I am fairly confident the supplements are ok - I take it as a liquid which avoids the liver processing or not processing it and excess should leave the body.

I'm not thinking my adrenals are 'broken' as such - just working overtime and wanting to support them.  I have never had my levels of cortisol checked but I am fairly certain that they are not 'even' and peaking at the wrong times etc - I appreciate that in the UK the notion of fatigued adrenals is not recognised - it's just my way of saying over tired, stressed out and the body responding with more chemicals than it needs    yes, definately connected to hormonal imbalance.

CLKD - having to cut out marmite sounds terrible, I love it.  Last blood test I was told to wait a week before calling for the result, the doctor called in less than 24hrs - that sent my adrenalin pumping - they hadn't been so efficient in a while

[Hurdity]

Hi BrightLight

It's normal to do complete blood tests when patients complain about fairly non specific symptoms such as tiredness - it's good practice. I had the same thing when I went to doc a while back - they checked all the oestrogen stuff, then also renal and liver function, as well as full blood count.  I think they took 3 different tubes from me! The iron levels and/or full blood count - from one of the tests would show whether you were anaemic.

Yes as you've found, it is important not to take high doses of supplements and to get most nutrients from your diet. I take a few but only now and again eg less than suggested and perhaps every few days - mostly the doses given are 100 % of RDA - which clearly you don't need unless you ate nothing!

Hurdity x