Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Menopause Matters magazine ISSUE 75 out now. (Spring issue, March 2024)

media

Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12  (Read 5861 times)

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« on: December 23, 2017, 12:47:18 PM »


Hi Ladies,

As you may recall I started Angeliq over nine months ago. I thought I was doing ok but about 5 weeks ago I was really ill Urine infection Dizziness, Nausea weakness with jelly legs. I put it down to a virus or could have been from urine infection.

I visited my GP last Friday who gave me a blood test ticking all boxes. Anyway and this is where I am sooo annoyed. The GP reception rang on Tue to say the Dr will ring me Friday as my B12 came back low (didn't say how under) anyway I said Friday was a long time to wait if I needed treatment. Plus every day I feel so ill and getting worse. my symptoms have increased too:

Severe fatigue
Dizziness/lightheaded
Jelly legs that almost give way
Nausea
breathlessness
sweating
Crawling tingling sensation coming up my legs

So she finally rang at 4.00pm yesterday (Friday) been waiting in all day. First thing she said was your blood tests are fine, I quickly said the reception told me my B12 was low??? she apologised... yes its 150??? so you will need 2 weeks of injections!!

My issue is for several years I have suffered off balance/dizziness I have see ENT specialists, Neuro as I thought I had MS. No one until last week has ever checked my B12 and this could be the cause of my long lasting symptoms that doctors said MUST be stress.

Anyone have low B12 and these symptoms sound familiar?? or I wondered are my symptoms due to side effects just appearing with the Angeliq (on them 9.5 months)

Many thanks & sorry about my rant but feel we have to diagnose ourselves these days.

Wxx
Logged

Dotty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3830
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2017, 01:26:13 PM »

I have all those symptoms and my B12 is very high.....had recent blood test.  So, for me, the symptoms are due to menopause I think .
Logged

Annie0710

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3862
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2017, 02:03:44 PM »

Warwick this is where it gets confusing, they ARE symptoms of low b12 (and yours IS low) but menopause also

Having 2 weeks of injections is diddly squat if you don't take all the cofactors (mag, folic acid, potassium rich foods etc)

There is a Facebook group B12 and pernicious anaemia, choose the one with the most members, the Admins are excellent and lots of files on the group that will direct you in getting the best from the injections

Having a high b12 level after tablets or injections means nothing if it's just sitting there in your blood level and not reaching the cellular level.  It's like filling a car up with petrol but not keeping in top of oil and water etc xx
Logged

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2017, 02:31:06 PM »

Dotty/Annie

Thank you :D its such a mind field looking for answers.

Wxx
Logged

Dotty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3830
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2017, 02:45:15 PM »

Unfortunately, the symptoms of lots of problems are the same......menopause, thyroid, B12, depression.....I have had every blood test under the sun and the blood tests say that i am remarkably healthy.  I feel very ill with what must be menopausal symptoms.  I keep asking myself if menopause can actually make you feel so ill?
Logged

Mary G

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2428
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2017, 07:42:57 PM »

warwick01, have you ever suffered from migraines?  Some of the symptoms you mention are also migraine symptoms and Elizabethrose (who you may remember) was very knowledgeable and talked a lot about unusual migraine symptoms in her posts. 

I had all those symptoms when I was using Angeliq but I put it down to my progesterone intolerance which caused silent migraines in my case.  I also used to itch all over my body at night but the sweating (daytime only) was horrendous and really got me down. 

I also had borderline B12 readings several years ago but I've managed to increase them significantly to 544 pg/mL by taking vitamin B complex.

Logged

Kathleen

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4562
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2017, 09:29:55 PM »

Hello warwick01.

I'm sorry to read that you are having these problems.

Does your doctor suspect you have pernicious anemia? My friend was diagnosed with this a long time ago but only after insising that she was properly tested, initially her doctors thought she may have MS. As MaryG says it's  possible to raise your B12  levels with otc supplements under normal circumstances and vegans are advised to do this as a matter of routine.

I completely understand your frustration with it all, as Dotty says it's hard to believe that the menopause can make us feel so ill, no wonder we worry about other ailments so much of the time.

Take care and I hope you find some resolution soon.

K.
Logged

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2017, 12:06:39 PM »

Mary G - Thank you. When I started in peri age 49 8 years ago and prior to HRt I would get headaches/vertigo 2 weeks every month around period time. Off balance has been a problem ever since. Mary how long did you use Angeliq?? what are you using now??

Kathleen - I worked with MS patients 15 years ago and with my symptoms esp the neuro symptoms ie walking it feels the same. No one could ever imagine the meno could make us feel so ill, if that is what it is.

I intend to give it a nother month on Angeliq and have B12 injections, if No improvement may go back on transdermal with 7 day progesterone.

Feeling very lightheaded today!

Wxx
Logged

Kathleen

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4562
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2017, 12:39:09 PM »

Hello again  warwick01.

Your plan sounds eminently sensible to me and I wish you luck with it.

 Like you I have been on this journey for seven years which is way too long in my opinion! My longest standing symptom has been the jittery, internal shaking sensation which also began  at the very beginning of all this hormonal upheaval and has continued despite the passage of time and various forms of HRT. All very frustrating I think you'll agree!

Take care.

K.

Logged

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2017, 02:13:15 PM »

Kathleen

I agree.... my life has changed and NOT for the better.

The only good thing about Angeliqu is my mood has been more stable and internal jitters have improved. Every HRT has some benefit but also some negatives.

Was you the lady on Tibolone?? found that better for anxiety but dizziness/vertigo was worse.

Take Care Wx
Logged

Mary G

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2428
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2017, 03:45:37 PM »

warwick 01, I went from Angeliq to Oestrogel which I find works better for symptom relief and overall mood. 

One thought... Angeliq didn't hit the spot for me and I still had dreadful sweating so I decided to top it up with a 50cmg patch and it worked better although still nothing like as well as Oestrogel.  You could equally top the Angeliq up with 1 pump of gel if you like.  I had a scan while I was doing this and it didn't make my womb lining build up at all and I didn't have any breakthrough bleeding while using the extra oestrogen either.  My oestrogen blood readings were very low though, about 95 pg/mL which explains why I was sweating so much.

From what you have said, I wonder if the headaches and feeling off balance before a period are a form of silent (vestibular?) migraine?  My silent migraines started pre-menopause before a period - I had a Mirena coil at the time which I was unable to tolerate once my oestrogen levels dropped too low. 

Logged

Kathleen

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4562
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2017, 04:19:32 PM »

Hello warwick01.

Yes I'm taking Tibolone, I've been on it nearly a year. I am still having the same range of symptoms that I started with ie jitters, sweats, flushes, irritability and the occasional low mood but all are milder than they were pre HRT. I changed from Evorel conti 50mg patches because like Mary G my oestrogen was also about 90 pg/ml so it was thought that I wasn't absorbing properly from the patches. I'm seeing my GP in the new year for a review so I need to think where I could go from here.

Wishing you well.

K.
Logged

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2018, 11:13:36 AM »

Morning Ladies,

Just wanted to update you.

10 months on Angeliqu. First few months were ok and thought I'd turned a corner. However the last 2 months have not been so good. I take my tablet at 5:00pm every day, ok in the evening but around 10:00am every morning I get clammy, sweat, nausea,jelly legs missed heart beats and the dreaded spacey/ dizziness. The last week have started with migraine headache with off balance feeling It improves mid afternoon. I have tried to eat more as thought it could be low blood sugar.

I have been working for 3 months and I'm off sick today because I feel so bad, tress of a new job doesn't help I wonder if I should try Everil conti?? as it may be kinder than higher tablet form.

Any advice ladies???

Wxx

Logged

Dotty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3830
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2018, 11:19:20 AM »

Have you tried taking the tablet in the morning?
Logged

warwick01

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1047
Re: Advice re Angeliq HRT & Low B12
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2018, 12:37:43 PM »

Hi Dotty

As I take Thyroxine at 5:00/6:00 every morning iwas advised to take it eve, but to be honest I need to feel well during the day to cope. So may be I will try taking it at 9:00.... can only try??

Wx
Logged
Pages: [1] 2