Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: JS79 on November 26, 2024, 07:58:00 AM
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Short story, been having symptoms on/off since 2021 but been constant since Dec 23. Had various tests including for MS then finally agreed it was perimenopause due to my symptoms getting worse just before my period and changes to period although still regular.
I had to beg for vitamin blood tests where I was told vit d was insufficient so to take a daily supplement and my b12 was just in normal range so no need to supplement. I started HRT in July and some of my symptoms have disappeared but some remain. I've being doing some investigating and I found due to my vit d level I should have had loading doses and the amount they told me to take is basically the lowest dose that people without a deficiency should be taking during the winter. Also the level of b12 I have would be considered deficient in other areas in the UK and they would be on injections.
I'm reading so much info(good medical info) as well as joining some fb groups for advice.
Problem is most of the symptoms cross over with each other so unless medicated separately then you won't know what is helping.
I also take lansoprazole which can cause b12 deficiency, I only developed acid reflux when I started perimenopause symptoms .
I think a lot of vitamin deficiencies can be attributed to the hormone changes in perimenopause or is it that perimenopause highlights a vitamin deficiency?
Anyway I'm away to have bloods taken to check my testosterone levels but as going private I'm getting a full set including b12 (hoping levels are the same or reduced so GP can start treatment) and vit d to see how the supplements from Feb/March have altered my levels.
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Who told U about the VitD necessity? When my levels were low a few years ago the GP prescribed a higher dose for 4 weeks than can be bought over the counter.
As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains plus the risk of histus hernia and reflux. My GP prescribes Omeprazolol, without it I have reflux 24/7. I think it's the sister to what you take. How often? I take my capsule at breakfast to layer the digestive tract during the day. Plus Milk of Magnesia liquid when required.
I haven't been made aware that these antacids may cause a VitB12 deficiency, have U spoken to a local pharmacist. No good relying on other sites particularly those that are selling medications ;-)
Let us know how you get on.
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There are several useful Vitamin D calculators online including this one
https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/ (https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/)
GP's tend to be useless when it comes to nutrition and will prescribe until you're only just within the ridiculously wide ranges. I now have a DIY approach and I always take a combined one with K2 as jaypo said.
For low B12, find a decent methylated B Complex. This will keep all your B vitamins in balance.
PPI's will inhibit absorbtion of B12.
Oh, and incase you don't know, reflux, GERD, heartburn, whatever you want to call it, can also be caused by low stomach acid.
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CLKD -it was GP that told me to take 800iu daily for a vit d level of 27. Will see how these levels have improved since supplements started and if no further forward will ask for a loading dose.
Lansoprazole and b12 is on the nice guidelines. We need acid to break down/absorb b12 but if we use a PPI like omeprazole or Lansoprazole then this stops the acid production. I take 1 every morning and if having a big flare then also at night but normally go through day on gaviscon advanced which is prescribed by GP.
Jaypo-ive only just found out that I need to take k2 with vit d. I've now purchased better you spray.
Sundaygirl-im scared to start taking all the vitamins at once incase I don't know what is causing the symptoms but I can't go on like this. Hopefully blood results will help.
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Hello JS79
Thank you for your short story!
Perhaps you can update us when you see your latest test results, I'm sure many ladies will want to know how you get on.
Take care.
K.
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JS79 - getting bloods done first is always a good idea. You then know what you need to concentrate on first.
Don't start taking a whole load of supplements all at once. Introduce them slowly one at a time a week or two apart. That way you'll know if one doesn't agree with you or not.
The better you sprays are good for maintenance doses but it gets a bit expensive if you need more than one spray per day. Sprays also get absorbed through the mouth so no need to worry about stomach acid. :)
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We are a Mine of info aren't we 8)
I was prescribed 3,200 IU Capsules Fultimum-D(3). Can't buy that amount OTCounter.
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Very good advice about not starting on a load of supplements at once, I began to take supplements because of long term use of PPI’S but I gradually introduced them and glad I did.
After taking VitD for a long time I then heard about K2 so I added it to the mix only to find that it caused acid reflux and bloating, the same with calcium, I can’t tolerate both these supplements.
I am doing so well on VitD and the other vitamins I take and for me K2 has not been necessary so don’t worry if you can’t take it, VitD being a vital vitamin to take as we age.
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We are a Mine of info aren't we 8)
I was prescribed 3,200 IU Capsules Fultimum-D(3). Can't buy that amount OTCounter.
My mother always used to say I was a mine of useless information ;D
I don't know when you were prescribed that but you can actually buy 4000iu vitamin d OTC now- loads of different ones available as I think people are much more health conscious than we used to be. That's the highest dose recommended to take daily though.
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R U able to let us know where 'cos Boots won't sell anything higher than 200 ......... once a day.
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There's more places than Boots you know ;D
Amazon sell a whole host of various dosages.
Boots own brand are 10mcg which is 400 or 25mcg which is 1000 plus another brand which is 50mcg or 2000 so not sure where you've got 200 from :-\
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R there more chemists ;D not in some parts of the Back of Beyond there aren't ::)
I would never think to buy from Amazon :D
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I originally went to Boots, they had a 3 for 2 on vits so I got omega 3,6,9 oil capsules and vit d and my other half got some vit d also as we don't live together full time.
Didn't manage to grt bloods done at the clinic. Mu veins kept hiding and they tried a few spots but I wasn't giving anything away. They have given me the stuff to take away and when I'm working on Friday or Sunday I'm going to get the phlebotomist to have a go at me.
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Make sure you're well hydrated beforehand. Don't normally have trouble getting blood taken from me but struggled in a recent test. The phlebotomist thought it was because I was dehydrated.
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Update- managed to get blood taken yesterday but noticed when putting them in envelope to send away to lab that my yellow top may be congealed 😢 fingers crossed.
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I meant the blood in the blood top tube was congealed so it may not be accepted by the lab and I will have to get more blood taken.
Appt with GP is 13th Dec and hoped all results would be through for then.
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Blood tests back. My testosterone levels are normal so don't need any added into my hrt.
My vit d has come up into the normal range since supplementing so just keep going with that.
My b12, ferritin and folate all just in the normal range so will look at supplements after my GP appt next Friday.
Biggest issue is my cholesterol so that needs to be addressed.
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Your GP will probably suggest statins ::) which can raise blood sugar levels. This freaked out my Nurse 18 months ago ;D with lots of blood tests .........
Let us know how you get you. How do U feel overall?
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I feel rubbish, having lots of numbness and tingling, really expected my b12 to be low.
Hoping diet changes csn be offered first. Been really u0set about it as one of my health anxiety is dropping dead of cardiac issue, having high cholesterol isn't going to help this.
I'm nightshift next week so hopefully speak to a doctor on my ward before I speak to GP.
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How high is high though? The levels went up a few years ago so what was high when we were tested, mayB different now. Is there a history of sudden cardiac or stroke death in your family? We take statins with no problems other than previously mentioned.
Good idea to speak to a Staff Member. Take a list of your concerns to the GP Surgery?
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You have to be below 5.0 nmol/l. In Jan I was 5.07, I'm now 5 9.
My biggest issue this year has been the fatigue which doesn't let me spend time cooking etc so I'm relying a lot more on convenience food and takeaways. It's a vicious circle, if I get rid of fatigue I could cook and healthily but if I eat healthily then I would maybe be less fatigued.
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Lots of ultra processed, so yummy but oh so bad for us ::) and I think that we have been drawn into fast convenience foods. Could u be bothered to batch cook small meals for the freezer to take out to defrost? Cornish pasties; mince/veg mix; Yorkshire puds are OK cooked through then eaten cold especially with HP sauce on ;-).
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JS79 not that it will make you feel any better, but maybe it will. When I first got my result of high cholesterol it was 8.4. I got statins but they caused me side effects so I put these away and started using cholesterol lowering herbal tea. After recheck my cholesterol was 6.8. Then got a call from pharmacist a few weeks back who told me off like a schoolgirl (I swear never in my adult life I was told off this way) so I went back to statins and booked gp appt to change the meds for better ones. In the meantime I got private bloods done with result of 6.3 and when GP reviewed them she said that they are actually not bad at all and gave me a very low dose of new meds. I was original put on Atrovastatin 20mg, then down to 10mg after 6.8 result and now on 5mg.
I am not medically trained at all but I do think that "lower" levels of cholesterol can be controlled with herbs. I was mostly off my statins then "on" them during all this time (10months since first high result)
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Not a lot can be eased with herbal remedies or they would be available on the NHS. I think we swallow 40mg .......... in the morning. Atrovastatin. Reluctantly.
VitD is the essential 'extra' apparently. Although I haven't swallowed any from July and haven't noticed any difference ::)
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JS79 - have you had thyroid bloods checked? I only ask as what you say about your vitamin levels and cholesterol could have been written by me many years ago. (My cholesterol was 8 point something :o)
Low vitamin levels and high cholesterol go hand in hand with hypothyroidism.
Also. Did you know that high cholesterol was used as a marker in diagnosing hypothyroidism before TSH tests were introduced? Back in the good old days when your GP would ask how you were feeling and actually look at you while listening. Not like now when it's all computer says you're fine!!
Not trying to worry you, just that lots of women are diagnosed with thyroid disease at this time of life.
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Just looked back at results.
The range for TSH in the lab is 0.55-4.78.
My level this week was 0.793, when tested in Feb it was 1.31.
It's in the normal range so I doubt they will do anything but something to mention.
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I feel rubbish, having lots of numbness and tingling, really expected my b12 to be low.
Hoping diet changes csn be offered first. Been really u0set about it as one of my health anxiety is dropping dead of cardiac issue, having high cholesterol isn't going to help this.
I'm nightshift next week so hopefully speak to a doctor on my ward before I speak to GP.
Try not to let this high cholesterol issue rule your life, years and years ago mine was constantly high, it still is. I tried all the different statins available but they made me very ill with terrible muscle pain. I have always had a good diet and exercise so it has to be genetic, therefore nothing can be done about it. They have given me an alternative which brought it down a little bit, but they still want me to have statins alongside this other medication which of course I refused.
Another bugbear that I had to contend with and always being told off about, was the fact for years I had been pre-diabetic, couldn't understand that one but two years on after taking a zinc supplement I am well clear of developing diabetes.
I do read a lot on here if you have a good diet you shouldn't need vitamins and supplements but with the ageing process, I have proved we definitely do.
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I agree with Ayesha, don't get sidetracked with cholesterol. It won't be having any effect on the symptoms you describe.
If your GP suggests statins, do your own research before taking them. There are various schools of thought as to whether they should be taken or not.
I do read a lot on here if you have a good diet you shouldn't need vitamins and supplements but with the ageing process, I have proved we definitely do.
I agree.
As we age we are more likely to develop intolerances to various foods. This can lead to inflammation in the digestive tract which can then cause issues with absorbing nutrients from our food.
Having a varied diet is all well and good but if you're intolerant to what you're eating, ie if you suffer from indigestion, bloating, stomach cramps etc, which are all signs that your body is rebelling, then you're not going to be able to process food correctly and you need to supplement to get the vitamins and minerals you need.
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CLKD If you don't want to take statins, why do you?
Not a lot can be eased with herbal remedies or they would be available on the NHS.
A lot of modern medicine is based on herbal medicine and a lot of modern drugs are plant derived. Doctors are the current 'healers' who in days gone by were burnt at the stake as witches. :o
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As we age we are more likely to develop intolerances to various foods. This can lead to inflammation in the digestive tract which can then cause issues with absorbing nutrients from our food.
Having a varied diet is all well and good but if you're intolerant to what you're eating, ie if you suffer from indigestion, bloating, stomach cramps etc, which are all signs that your body is rebelling, then you're not going to be able to process food correctly and you need to supplement to get the vitamins and minerals you need.
This is exactly my story and then subsequently having to take drugs to calm things down which are for life.
Feeling unwell with fatigue, aches and pains, being prediabetic causing anxiety I did a lot of research into vitamins and supplements and I finally found which were successful and I would never be without them now.
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It seems a lot of us experience the same symptoms. Getting older sucks
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There are a lot of herbal remedies that may lower cholesterol. I have taken it down from 6.8 to 6.3 with only occasional sachet of blended herbs while I was off statins for about 5 months, so there must be something to it. I am back on statins only because of my HA, but will make further decisions after re-check in January. If it goes lower than 6 I will move onto herbal only :)