live blood analysis …migraines

[Countrylou]

Around 7 years ago following blood tests for TATT and various other ailments, it was found that I had a low B12 (156) and GP agreed to prescribe the usual injections… loading dose and then 3 monthly.

After lots of research on this site and through trial and error I finally settled on SE every 2 weeks, this resolved my intense migraines and peripheral neuropathy ( I have had migraines since being a teenager, I’m 64 now)

Anyway, wind on a few years and the migraines are back along with the neuropathy and I am permanently fatigued, also heart beat issues (tachycardia) since my B12 levels are insanely high GP doesn’t correlate to my problems instead focusing on my thyroxine dose and wanting to reduce it, but that’s another story.

Then it came to mind that last August I had live blood analysis and the first thing he said was “you’ve got a B12 deficiency, a large percentage of your red blood cells are abnormal”

I’ve had tests for PA and they come back normal and I’ve always blamed my atopic gastritis on the B12 deficiency

I’m currently in bed after another migraine attack, this one lasting 20+ hours and I remembered the live blood session!

All my current problems could relate to a low B12. My blood tests are normal but I don’t think a routine FBC differentiates abnormal red blood cells from normal?

So tonight in a eureka moment I have decided to increase the injections to see if I get an improvement because at the moment my life is on a steady decline and I am getting depressed with my health and the future

Any comments would be appreciated, anyone who has any similar story perhaps?

I am arranging to have the live blood analysis repeated but will wait a decent amount of time beforehand

[MrsTuft]

more frequent injections and check folate and ferritin.x

[Narwhal10]

Hi Countrylou,

Sorry to read about your migraine. You have hypothyroidism and previously had other specialist input. I am sorry, I do not quite understand this,

also heart beat issues (tachycardia) since my B12 levels are insanely high GP doesn’t correlate to my problems instead focusing on my thyroxine dose.

Do you mean that you have the symptom of tachycardia ? Your GP re-checked your B12 levels ? This should not be undertaken when B12 treatment has commenced. It is as useful as a chocolate teapot.

With regards to treatment regimes, all of us are different in age, weight, height, metabolic rate, activity, length of deficiency, severity of deficiency, other illnesses. You decided to treat self every 2 weeks. However, our bodies are not robots and they are not like cars where it is 50 miles to the gallon. Our bodies tell us what it wants with symptoms. We are often too busy in our heads so ignore it. Our bodies will whisper again with symptoms and we continue ignoring it. We are too busy with washing, dressing, phone calls, emails, cooking, cleaning . Then our bodies scream at us - Look After Me. It is the wake-up call, when people realise there is something wrong and we really do need to nurture our bodies.

The body requires different amounts of B12 at different periods. In winter, the body is working harder to keep warm. If we have a deadline for work, we are using more brain power, so may require more B12. If we move house, we need more. The person who knows your body best is you. The only way you will know if you need more hydroxycobalamin/cyanocobalamin is to try it and see how your body responds.

Like MrsTuft says more frequent injections and check folate and ferritin. Plus, vitamin D.

The rationale for treatment is to keep symptoms at bay. Please know that my knowledge of thyroid disease is limited.

Best wishes and hope you feel better soon.

😘

[Sea-blue]

yes sensible to increase your B12 alongside folate. Are you currently taking folate ? Folate helps B12 metabolise . I need every 4 days otherwise my symptoms return. Like you suffered migraines since age 14 now 61. Hardly get them now

[Countrylou in reply to Sea-blue]

I was taking a B complex tablet until around 3 months ago but stopped because I read that too much B 6 can cause peripheral neuropathy which had got worse, it has eased a bit since I stopped. My folate is 19 (without supplements) which is higher than it was when I was first diagnosed with B12 deficiency so to me it confirms that my body is deficient despite the injections every 2 weeks because as I understand , folate can not be utilised by the body without adequate B12.

I’m very concerned about the migraines, sumatriptan is the only thing that relieves them and once I hit 65 in May I won’t be able to get them anymore from my GP 😳🤕

[FlipperTD]

Dear Countrylou

I'm a [retired] scientist [Haematology Specialist] not a medic. The examination of 'live blood' was used in my laboratory in very rare circumstances, specifically when looking for particular parasites, in what is known as a 'wet preparation'. I have only seen two positives in over 40 years. In the UK, in a large teaching hospital, we were unlikely to see lots of these although in other parts of the World there's a far higher incidence. We would never, ever comment on the red cells in such a preparation.

It is possible to generate sickled red cells in a wet preparation but it's only for amusement purposes, and to show trainees that it's possible; we have far more appropriate methods nowadays, and have had for many years. It would never be used diagostically,

The use of so-called 'Live Blood Analysis' isn't a popular or recognised method. Identifying 'abnormal red cells' is best done on a dried, fixed and Romanowsky-stained blood film, and is a job for an experienced specialist.

[Countrylou in reply to FlipperTD]

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate what you are saying but I was impressed when I was told immediately that I have a B12 deficiency as I hadn’t told him anything about my health and current issues. He seemed very knowledgeable about blood and has dedicated a long time to his research and many years looking at thousands of slides. There was other information he was able to tell me and my partner about our samples which were spot on and no way could he have known other than looking at the blood.

I am not a medic or blood specialist I can only relate my experience and I have to say I was impressed