2 replies to this topic

[Rockafella]

A few weeks ago I was having palpitations every day, and my stomach was doing backflips.
After having a blood-test and ECG last Monday, my ECG came back okay but the blood test indicates macrocytosis (enlarged red blood cells).
My doc has put me forward for another blood test - this time for folic/B12.

Is it possible the Lymecycline antibiotics I have been taking (but since stopped two weeks ago) could be the cause of this?

I'm kinda freakin' out at the moment, because my father has MDS, so I hope I haven't inherited that.

Edited by Rockafella, 14 November 2011 - 11:50 AM.

[Theac]

I don't think there is a link between macrocytosis and MDS. Also, if you had a full blood count then it would have shown signs of MDS - whereas it just showed macrocytosis.

Wait to see what your B12 and folate results are. If it's folic acid that you are low on, it could just be a dietary thing. If it's B12, and you're not a vegan (or alcoholic) then it could have several causes.... You'll usually be tested for parietal cells antibodies. Basically if you are positive for those, then you don't absorb B12 very well and need B12 injections. Other causes can be crohns and colitis, as well as celiac disease and fast transit time (which can be due to IBS or medication - does the Lymecycline give you a bad stomach a lot?) - again B12 injections overcome the malabsorption problem.

I don't think the antibiotics would have caused it. I am on Trimethoprim which can affect folic acid levels - but only rarely and it usually exacerbates an underlying condition. That's how I found out I had B12 and folate malabsorption - it wasn't the cause of it but it made the underlying condition worse and brought it to my attention, if that makes sense.

I 'think' my palpitations were due to the folic acid deficiency rather than the B12 deficiency - as they got better once I started the folic acid (a month after the B12 loading injections).

[Rockafella]

Update (for anyone who cares):

I got the results of my second blood-test yesterday. Turns out that B12, folate, calcium, liver etc all came back normal.

I did express my concern about MDS, but the doctor assured me that if it was the case, there would signs, and that I'm too young for that anyway. As we've covered all the possibilities, she more or less put it down to a harmless anomaly and recommended that I have another test in 3-6 months to see if there's any change.