Peri-menopause & B12

[spacey1]

I think I am peri-menopausal. Still having regular periods, but my moods are all over the place and I'm getting huge waves of anxiety which isn't like me at all. I'm also feeling like my B12 is 'used up' faster than usual, and I've been injecting every couple of days when I feel muscle twitches and running water sensations. I think the B12 is helpful for the anxiety too, but I may be imagining that. In this warm weather, my family have made comments that I am abnormally cold - my fingers are freezing and I almost always wear a jumper! I've made an appointment to talk to the practice nurse about possible HRT next week.

Do hormones / B12 interact? And do you have any advice about what I should be asking at my appointment? Thanks

[Yolix]

Hi, you could take the FSH test to see if you are peri-menopausal, it is useful to see where you are at though you need to speak to the doctor to find out the best day to take it.

I thought I was being 47 and having hot flushes but the test doesn't indicate it!

As for b12 and hormone iteraction I am not sure but I believe b12 can cause hormone imbalance, but this is just what I read over the internet so best ask at your appointment!

[spacey1 in reply to Yolix]

Thanks. Doesn't FSH fluctuate a lot? I had thought it wasn't worth testing as it can show really different results on consecutive cycles? I thought that my GP will just assume menopause because I'm 49, and right in the middle of the typical age range for it.

[Yolix in reply to spacey1]

Hi I think FSH does fluctuare alot and needs to be taken on day 3 of a cyle I believe but might be worth having. Gp may assume it's perimenopause, mine wanted the test done then dismissed it

[Marz]

Have you considered being tested for Hypothyroidism ? - thyroid issues do run hand in hand with Low B12. Often the NHS only tests the TSH - which is quite useless - it is a Pituitary hormone and tells you so little about the Thyroid. You also need the FT4 and the most important test is the FT3 - and rarely done in the NHS. Auto-immune thyroid is the most common issue - so anti-bodies need testing too Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg.

Also important to have folate - Ferritin and VitD tested.

[spacey1 in reply to Marz]

My TSH and FT4 were fine - middle of the range - about a year ago, but I guess they might be worth repeating. My folate was fine, but my ferritin and vit D were both low. I take a multivitamin and an extra vitamin D and have done for a good six months. I think I might ask for repeats.

[Marz in reply to spacey1]

A TSH over 2.5 can point to being Hypo. FT4 needs to be nearer the top of the range. No important results for the FT3 & Antibodies so Hashimitos cannot be ruled out.

How are you treating the LOW Ferritin ? Multi-vits often contain things you don't need and not enough of what you do 😊 Does it contain iodine ? Fillers ? VitD should be dosed according to your result and taken with co-factors Magnesium and VitK2-MK7. How much D are you taking ?

thyroiduk.org

Private testing available in the above link - the tests not done in the NHS.

[spacey1 in reply to Marz]

Last tsh was 1.1 (range 0.55-4.80) and tf4 14 (9-23).

Ferritin is an issue - I have tried every known iron tablet / formulation / etc and stopped them all because my gut can't cope with them. Can't remember vit D dose offhand, but it is higher than daily RDA - a gastro consultant noticed an old result was low (below 30, should be 51+) and told me to take an over the counter supplement.

If I have the private thyroid test done, will my NHS doctor take notice of the results?

[Marz in reply to spacey1]

Yes GP's should acknowledge your Private tests as they all use the same labs. Some are tricky !

If you are in the UK your VitD is good at around 100 + Taking an OTC VitD is fine - they are fat soluble so take one containing olive oil or take with your fattiest meal. I take 5000 iu's D3 in summer and 10.000 in winter and alsi get plenty of sun as I live in Crete.

There's quite a lot of good Iron info on the Thyroid UK forum where so many suffer. I will tag humanbean who has good knowledge and also posts here.

Have you considered being gluten free to help with your IBS. High levels of D3 should also help as it is anti-inflammatory - steroidal - pro-hormone - so more than a vitamin. I have Crohns without any treatment.

vitamindcouncil.org

[spacey1 in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz x

I've tried a gluten free diet; didn't make a difference! Maybe I do need to increase the strength of my vit D supplements though.

[Marz in reply to spacey1]

... and take the co-factors magnesium and VitK2-MK7 if poss. There some oral sprays containing D3 & K2-MK7 - on Amazon I believe

thyroiduk.org

[NovicePA in reply to spacey1]

If you are having Iva digestive issues you may want to ask about going on a low FODMAP diet. Doesn’t get to the root cause but has helped me get my life back and improved energy levels. Also been seeing a gynaecologist about perimenapausal symptoms and she acknowledged that the symptoms I was suffering with were difficult to unpick from my b12 issues.

[spacey1 in reply to NovicePA]

I ate a low FODMAP diet for about two years; not convinced it did much, but I liked it. That was pre-low b12 diagnosis, when I was desperately trying to work out why I felt so odd.

[KimberinUS]

magnesium plays a role in body temperature regulation, anxiety and twitching. since you are showing these signs of deficiency you might suppliment with at least the rda if not somewhat more to correct the deficiency. Rda for women is 320 mg. most multivitamins i have looked at do not have more than 50%.

you might start with 225 mg and increase to 450 mg after a few days to a week as magnesium can cause diarreah. an additional way to get magnesium is by taking Epsome salt bath or even better, dead sea salt baths(much higher magnesium content). use alot! min of 2 cups for min of 40 mins. baths will not induce any diarreah as it isnt going thru digestive tract.

this is the suppliment i currently use.

Zhou brand. mag glycinate 450

found on amazon and after taking 2 a day for appox a month my brain fog, cold feet, and anxiety disappeared, even though i had been taking 220 mg of a different magnesium suppliment (maybe less absorbtion and definitely lower dose) for over 4 months.

FYI. taking high dose vitamin D can induce a magnesium deficiency.

[spacey1]

That's interesting! My multivit does contain 100% of the RDA, and I do have diarrhoea (but I do have IBS). I have some dead sea salt - how often do you need to have a salt bath to get it into your system, KimberinUS?

[KimberinUS in reply to spacey1]

i would do it daily if it reduces/relieves your symptoms.

[sweetsusie]

As Izzy said in Fried Green Tomatoes: "You need to get you some hormones, Honey." Yup..go on HRT. I am 70 years old and had to beg my doctor for it, because of the "scare" from the big study they did a few years ago regarding HRT. Totally skewed study... I feel better than I've felt in years!

[spacey1 in reply to sweetsusie]

One of my favourite films

Hormones might be a Very Good Plan

[sweetsusie in reply to spacey1]

Yes...I at your age, you shouldn't have any problem having to beg for them.