Burning skin sensation /perimenapause

Marilu, those do sound like peri-meno symptoms. Are you able to get good exercise? I love to hike nearly every day. It clears my mind! Did you have further testing done for the symptoms? I haven’t yet talked to my primary care doc about the burning but she’s checked me with lots of diagnostic tests to be sure the migraine part of my issues are indeed migraine. I worry about other illnesses when oddball things happen. This thread has helped ease my mind- how about you? By the way, my daughter in law is from Brasil- and she speaks Portuguese and English. Don’t worry, You were very well spoken and easy to understand.😊

Roseburg, I can only bear brisk walks and playing with my cat (he’s very active for a cat!). Unfortunately all other things I like such as swimming and running are not possible, because I have a ruptured knee ligament  and swimming trigger migraines.

I have been seen by GP and Rheumatologist. Have done CT scan of whole body and blood tests. Results all came up normal except for high eosinophils, IgE (I also have allergic asthma), positive ANA, high Aldolase, slightly high glucose, uric acid and LDL-cholesterol.  I have a follow up next week.

This thread has been a godsend, this burning sensation is so debilitating it makes you think of all the scariest things possible!

Lovely to know you have a fellow Brazilian DIL !

Im so happy to have found this site and your message. These are pretty much most of my symptoms give or take a few.

I know I am a little late in messaging, but its always reassuring to hear when your symptoms are not just special to you. I have had all the tests done and they have been clear but then something else comes up and you start worrying again. I would be off to the doctor every other day every time I woke up with another symptom.

These forums are wonderful and put my mind at ease. Thank you!

Hi Evi,

That’s interesting.  My sugar levels are slightly high but my Naturopath insists that I may have intermittent  hypoglycaemia. The sad thing is that after these burning episodes I have been feeling nausea in the mornings and can’t eat or drink what I used to. Time for a change?

I think I’m experiencing something more than just menopause. Fibromyalgia comes to mind http://healthiculture.com/fibromyalgia/newsletter/8triggers/relatedarticles.php

It can all be triggered by hormonal changes of course.

Hi evi,

For how long have you been perimenapause and is your burning sensation every day, 

Mines is on and off on my shoulders, legs,and right below my butt area.

Since May 2016 I started having many physical symptoms of perimenopause...

​I have these burning sensations on my butt area, low back waistline, shins, calves, rarely my feet, vaginal area.

​I also feel my knees  hot and stiff especially when the weather is humid.

​

 

Hi evi

How long did you have this burning sensation around your body,mines started the week before Easter and it's been on and off since I can't stand this it feels that I have a sunburn, 

How do you cope with this. 

I have them since  Easter 2017 I think..

No one has been able to help me and I have seen many kind of doctors. I have an appointment this week with my gynecologist because I need some kind of treatment. I cannot bear the symptoms anymore

​Randomly, I read on one of your post that you have diagnosed with hypothyroidism, right?...This autoimmune condition lowers estrogen levels according to my internet research.

​I have many hypothyroid symptoms but my thyroid tests  were always normal.

Consequently, estrogen deficiency may be the root cause of all these awful symptoms

Hi evi,

Yes I have hashimoto thyroid but I've had that thyroid problemishes for over 10 year's I don't know if that is related there are other women that are going through perimenapause and have this burning sensation I really think it's a anxiety issue.

Good luck Pam. That was me last year having every test under the sun. It got to be my social life.

Keep us updated.

BTW, my tests were all negative and I have the same symptoms as you plus more. 

Good luck, Pam! Keep us posted.

I was wondering... forgive me for the weird questions... My first ‘episode’ occurred during the Carnival holiday in Brazil. I have noticed that Easter and New Year have been mentioned. Do you think this is just a coincidence?

Having a bad time today with panic attacks (never had them before, just hormonal morning anxiety). Motivation is below zero.

Thank you Suzanne for the good luck wishes.  I must admit I'm a bit skeptical that the tests will show anything, and a bit worried that I may have the start of Atypical Neuralgia in the face, but then again, that wouldn't explain the burning sensation and stabbing pains through the rest of the body you would think, or the fact I'm folic acid deficient?!? 

On actively reading case studies and google the past few weeks, the same advice keeps coming up... aim for a clean diet, cut out sugar, the possibility of a vitamin deficiency, etc.  The interesting thing about B12 for me is I've been on the PPI Pantoprazole solidly for 8 years due to bad acid reflux, I asked the GP years ago if it was bad for me to be on those meds long term and told no, not a problem.  Little did I realize that PPI's used long term depletes B12 from the body, causing all sorts of problems including neurological symptoms.  Had I known that I would have tried to get off them years ago!

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering too, I can't imagine having any more symptoms, I can only just cope with the ones I've got!

Have you found anything that helps with the symptoms?  I'm willing to try anything weird and wonderful if it helps!

Take care, Pam

Hello Marilu, good to hear from you ;o)

Well, I think the timing of my problems is perhaps just a coincidence, I had a lovely break over the Christmas and New Year period and was pretty chilled out going back to work, so the pins and needles in the chin just came out of the blue and at first I didn't give it much thought. 

But having said that, I took pain big time in the back of my head 4 years ago when I was on holiday and from there followed Tinnitus so I think my symptoms first started then although I didn't realize at the time and again it was holiday season, so you never know. 

Sorry to hear you are struggling with panic attacks, they can be awful and as you say debilitating to the energy levels.  Hopefully you can take comfort that you are not alone, there are so many of us having to function daily with horrendous symptoms so we are all there with you... I hope you are feeling better soon.

Thank you Pam, I wish you can find some answers soon!

Regarding B12, I’ve been a vegetarian for the last 20 years and this has been a concern since then. I’ve been monitoring my levels and never have been overly deficient but started to take 1.000 ug sublingual daily to the point that it skyrocketed, so now have decreased to 3X a week.

I also take D3 tablets 3X a week but never had the folic acid levels checked. Might ask GP next time.

Panic attacks might be unrelated. My 90 year old father is irascible and not accepting his old age. I’m unemployed and can’t take care of him (or myself) as I would like to, tough times.

I really hope we can find a clue about this burning sensation. It’s so debilitating!

🤗

PPI's will do more than deplete B12, it also depletes calcium, can cause alzheimers, all sorts of great things. Plus it just makes the acid worse. If you can get off them that would be good. You'll probably get rebound acid. There are diet changes, like cutting out caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, acidic foods. Oddly enough drinking lemon water, even though lemons are acidic, will create alkalinity in your stomach. There's a book called dropping acid that helps with dietary issues, but be careful, you can lose a ton of weight following this diet, that's how I lost 30 pounds. 

My endocrinologist checked my feet for neuralgia, and I felt everywhere he pricked. He just can't explain why I have the burning and tingling in my feet. Although I just saw my GYN the other day and when I told her about the burning feet she said that's definitely perimeno, and she's heard of burning all over different body parts. And she reminded me again that when she was going through meno she thought she was going insane. Literally. Makes me feel better knowing that she doesn't think I'm crazy.

Honestly, the thing that helped me the most was to stop worrying every time the symptoms pop up. I try not to google everything. Once my brain started relaxing from all the anxiety I started getting better. Mind you, I totally believed I wasn't going to make it, that's how sick I was. 

Lately I'm back to watching my diet, no eggs (so bad, they feed viruses) and no dairy except a bit of goat cheese (a girl's got to splurge), and I'm trying to cut out most gluten. My ferritin level is low again, an 11, and my endo said to eat red meat three times a week! No way! So need to figure out how to raise my iron another way. A naturopath had me on a natural iron supplement and my ferritin started improving, and my eyelashes and brows grew back (I've got alopecia), but someone on this forum, a nurse, warned me about iron supplements raising cholesterol. Sure enough my cholesterol jumped from 163 to 248! However not one of my doctors will acknowledge that iron supplements will do that, they've never heard of it. So I stopped the iron anyway. 

Such a crazy time in life, I swear, I hit 50 and everything slammed me. 

XO

Well, my reply is being moderated, I had suggested a read about acid so it probably won't be posted. 

Yes, try and get off PPI's, they do so much harm. Oddly enough, even though lemons are acidic, they do a good job neutralizing acid in the stomach, squeeze half in warm water and drink before breakfast. 

I think once I started accepting the fact that all these crazy symptoms were def hormones and not going to kill me (even though I thought they would), my brain started relaxing and I started feeling a little better. I try not to google anymore. 

I hope they publish my last post because I had so much in there and I don't have the time to type it all ag again, grrrr.

XOXO

 

Hi pam,

Went to the neorologist yesterday nurve test came back normal all blood work  looks normal but this burning sensation comes and goes, I also have the jaw and teeth pain been to the dentist he did a ct scan I just have to have a root canal done but the ears are bothering me ,I'm know this all have to do with hormones. 

Hi Suzanne, 

Do you still have the burning skin sensation.

It will be posted, it will just take a while 🤗

Yes. It's worse at different times of my cycle. It started last April, so a full year of it. 

Be careful about root canals. I'll never have another one. The immunologist I saw last summer said that so many people develop auto immune crap after having root canals. She said they never get all the bacteria out and you constantly live with low level infection in that dead tissue. Then my dentist told me last month that they are finding lyme disease living in the dead tissue of root canals. The spirochetes seem to love it. 

Hello Marilu

Sorry to hear about your Dad, certainly that stress along with not being able to work just makes any symptoms you have worse.  That’s interesting about the dosage of B12 as I can only take the spray on alternate days, I tried every day and my already burning nerves went crazy so I’ve cut back. Yes, please do ask for your  folic acid to be tested as you need good levels of that for your B12 to work properly. If you get the chance take a look at my posting in the Pernicious Anaemia section, my aunt has PA so I thought I might be similar but again the GP doesn’t think so. There’s good advice in there about B vitamins, especially as you say you are vegetarian. 

Hope things get better for you. Pam x 

Hi Suzanne

Thank you for taking the time to send me info on stomach acid, I’m sure it will come through eventually, I’ll look out for it 😊 I stopped taking the PPI’s when I read how much damage they cause, I’m still struggling a bit with acid but I’m eating pretty healthy so not suffering too badly. 

I know what you mean about googling, I try to restrict myself to reading articles that might have solutions, I learnt the hard way when I read up on Trigeminal Neuralgia earlier in the year and sent myself into a downward spiral so try not to do that anymore. Do you get the sporadic electric shocks everywhere, top to toe? They seem to take turns sparking me!🤨 and do you have the burning chin sensation? That’s the part that concerns me the most. 

Thanks for your insight, have a good evening.

Pam x 

Morning Jacqueline,

That's good your test results came back negative, which I guess rules out anything major, but I would imagine you are like me, hoping they will find something just so they can say, "you have this and we treat it with that" - how good would that be.  However, it seems we are all suffering and the medical field don't have a scooby how to make us better.

I'm relatively new to this type so wondered if anyone has been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy?  My symptoms fit into that category (along with many other categories!) and will be asking the Neurologist about it when I go back to see him.

Meantime, I agree with everyone here, even though our GP's don't think this is menopause related, how come all this started when we are all at an age where we are going through various stages of peri/menopause and we didn't have any of these systems when we were younger??  There has to be a link somewhere.... x

You’re right Pam.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the  general technical name for it or Dysesthesia for burning sensation in particular. The causes may be many different issues though, like diabetes, pinched nerves, connective tissue disorders, some types of vasculitis, anxiety and other mental issues and of course, bloody menopause...

The problem lies in finding the underlying cause because treatments are very specific and no one wants to be put on heavy drugs with scary short and long term side effects and still have to deal with this burning hell.

Maybe there is no such a thing as ‘one cause’. We might have more than one issue going on which have caused our brain to go haywire. Problem is doctors don’t talk to each other!

Pam, I believe that the drop in hormones lowers the immune system and this lets old dormant viruses surface and they are the cause of so many symptoms. 

I do get those zaps, they were worse a year ago. But the other night a woke up with a big zap in my head, it startled me awake.

Since yesterday I have a new symptom, serious buzzing in my ears, it’s driving me crazy and giving me a migraine.,

Hey Suzanne, your message has finally reached me  thank you for taking the time to give me all that information, it's much appreciated.  I'm so angry at the GP who told me staying on PPI's indefinitely would be OK to do and he actually told me if I kept coming off and on them all the time it would make the acid worse! OMG, I can't believe the crap we get told....

I'm doing the same as you diet wise, I'm waiting for bloods to come back on celiac but in the meantime I'm trying to reduce sugar intake and gluten, but it's difficult!  I find I'm barely eating and that's not good either as I'm probably not getting enough minerals, vitamins, etc that I need to heal... speak about a minefield..

And I was exactly the same as you, hit 50 last year and it's been nothing but misery.  I had dental work done last year and do wonder if that has triggered something.  My face, mouth and tongue are concerning me today, symptoms there are definitely getting worse. 

Your post earlier today mentioned drop in hormones, and I noticed you went to visit GYN earlier in the week, does she have any solutions to this?  Can the hormone levels be restored to a point where the symptoms improve?  I'm guessing you've already tried all that, I'm struggling to get my head round the fact that there doesn't seem to be anything that fixes this misery!

Are your ears any better?  I have Tinnitus too... if I didn't know any better I would think we were separated at birth! lol..

Take care.. xo

Hi Marilu,

Hope you're feeling a bit better today ;o)... I totally agree with you, I want to find out what is causing this, rather than masking the symptoms with mind blowing drugs.  I was on one of those at the start of the year - carbamazepine - nearly drove me insane.  The side effects were horrendous, extreme fatigue and feeling depressed, I could barely function so ditched them and started my journey with blood tests, Neurologist etc.  Nowhere near any answers yet, and might never get them, but I'll keep trying ;o) x

Absolutely Pam! We have no other choice but keep trying. The fact that internet allows us to not feel alone is so helpful! 🙏🏻🤗💕

Be careful not to lose too much weight. I lost 30 pounds going on that acid free diet, got down to 118 pounds and I'm 5'8 and I think it just made me sicker. Looking back I don't think I had acid at all. I had went to an ENT because I was having trouble swallowing and felt like I had a lump in my throat. He couldn't see anything with the scope but said it looked red and suggested I had silent reflux. That's when I thought THAT was causing all my issues. But of course it wasn't. Good that you're off the PPI's. I was taking large amounts of zantac which I still believe today caused my liver enzymes to soar in the 300s.When I stopped taking it everything returned to normal. Of course doctors will NEVER admit that it can cause that.  (forgive me if I already told you all this, meno brain is real!)

The GYN has prescribed birth control pills, progesterone pills, estrogel. Don't do any of that. Now and then when I'm mid cycle spotting I used some natural progesterone cream that I got over the counter at a compounding pharmacy and it seems to help (same when my breasts get super tender from all the cysts in the second half of my cycle). I did try bioidentical creams last year that I got from a hormone specialist, used them for about 3 months, but every time I got a new symptoms I wasn't sure if it was from the hormone creams or not and I just couldn't take the anxiety of thinking I was going to have a leg clot or a stroke. I'm so paranoid about taking anything. I also was never sure if hrt would just mess me up as far as balancing my hormones, so I just decided to let my body do what it needs to do. Maybe I'll revisit once I hit menopause and see how I feel. My sister is post meno and she still gets so many awful symptoms, I don't want to be like that!

I'm still hearing this buzzing in my ears, it's driving me crazy. My sister asked me if I have been eating nuts, what does that have to do with tinnitus? Ugh I don't want to google it!!!

Pam, make sure you are eating enough! It's really important. Sometimes I get imported Italian pasta and make lemon spaghetti with shrimp that I will grill in an iron pan. It's really yummy. I know it's gluten but I've read that gluten in Europe doesn't seem to be a problem for people, think it's all the chemicals we use here in the US. I was tested for celiac when I had the endoscopy for gastritis and I don't have it. Also did food sensitivity tests from a naturopath and found that I only had slight issues with casein in dairy and maybe mushrooms of all things. I love mushrooms! 

I'm in Florida, where are you?

Hi suzanne,

Went to the neorologist did the nurve test he said everything came back normal, and still having this burning sensation around my body, I really think it's all related to perimenopause m

I do too. I think it's like what causes hot flashes. Right now I feel burning in my neck and upper back and my cheeks feel hot too. And my feet are burning, left foot is always worse. I've had all kinds of tests, MRI of the brain, neck, spine. CT scans of everything. You name the test and I've had it. So it's either hormones or EBV for me. The immunologist I saw in NYC said the burning feet were from the EBV. But my GYN here says it's perimeno. So who knows? 

So glad to hear that your tests are normal too! I always want to tell everyone that the tests will be normal, but you still never know, what if someone really does have something? I think it's always good to just get it tested to know for sure. 

I remember at my lowest, the concierge doc I hired to help find out what was wrong with me, after all the testing, and more testing, he came in to the room with a big smile on his face and declared "you are perfectly healthy". I just wanted to slug that guy.

Thanks Pam, much appreciated 🙏🏻💕

Hi suzanne, 

I don't have ebv so definitely perimenapause my burning sensation started a week before Easter, I also heard and read that anxiety can cause burning sensation. 

Hi suzanne, 

Are you taking any hormone replacement, 

Also did you at one point get fatigue nasious. 

Morning Suzanne,

Oh wow, you have been through so much!  The mind games must have been awful for you, wondering what the heck is going on and why your body is feeling the way it is. When you sign up for all the tests and visit various specialists, you do think to yourself that this person is going to have all the answers but at the end of the day, it sounds like we have a long way to go before anyone has a true understanding of what effects the menopause can have.  God knows, us women have all been going through it for centuries, you would think someone would have the answer by now!

I feel I'm just starting my journey so it's comforting to know that there are people like your good self, and many others on here, willing to share their experiences and help to calm down us newbies  

Aaww, thank you for your concern, I am trying to eat healthily and have been most of the time.  I do lose my appetite when I'm stressed but I keep reminding myself I need to eat to keep the body as healthy as I can.

I did have a giggle at your sister's comments about the nuts and tinnitus, sounds like something my sister would say.  She's being very supportive but as usual, she's pretty much sailing through menopause (she's 2 1/2 years older than me) as she has done with most stuff her whole life.  Me, I was always the sickly kid (her words lol) and have had various illnesses over time.  I was just saying to my hubby as we were driving to work this morning, it's probably the best I've looked on the outside for a while, due to losing weight, but the worst I've ever felt on the inside... oh the irony

I'm across the pond from you, I'm Scottish.  Probably why the Neurologist is testing me for Vitamin D, don't see much sun over here lol.. that, and stuck at a desk 5 days a week, I rock the pale and interesting look.

Oh well, let's see what today brings, I start off feeling half OK in the mornings, afternoon starting to feel quite ropey and evenings I start to toil.  Are you the same?

Have a good day and enjoy your weekend  Pam xx

PS what is EBV?    

 

 

I only do small amounts of natural otc progesterone cream if I start mid cycle spotting and I used it to stop my three week period. 

I did try bios but only gave it three months due to anxiety over side effects. Might revisit it a later time.

I do get crashing fatigue sometimes. And sometimes with the burning feet I will feel nauseous. 

EBV is Epstein Barre Virus. The virus that causes mono. About 95% of the population has the virus so odds are we all have it. It will lay dormant in your cells being controlled by the immune system but when hormones start getting out of whack your immune system will lower leaving the virus to take hold and make you really sick. It’s called reactivated EBV. Some think it’s also the cause for thyroid problems. Not autoimmune. And also why some of us have a harder time in peri and post meno. 

I’ll have to say, for living in Florida and having a deep tan, my vitamin D is too low, as is everyone I know living here. Isn’t that weird? 

Have a great Friday! 

XO

Hi suzanne, 

Have you had ear pain,this is driving me crazy it will stay for a while then go away then comes back. 

No. Just buzzing in my ears the last couple days. Have you had your ear looked at by an ENT? Maybe wax build up? Or sinuses? Does it get better if you take a decongestant?

I think it's my tooth but my other ear also bothers me to it comes and goes ,I'm in this other forum that women in perimenapause have jaw,teeth and eat pain. 

Hi Jacqueline,

​I have occasionally the teeth and ear pain..horrible and scary as all peri symptoms

I get teeth and jaw pain. Doesn’t affect my ear, but I’m sure it will. I’m doing my best to have ALL the symptoms I can get! Lol 

Hi evi, 

I get this ear jaw and teeth pain on and of every day, I'm not taking any hormone replacement yet but I think it's time can't function like this. 

Hi Pamela, how are you doing?

Best regards.

Wow Suzanne, u could have hit on something HUGE !!

I believe that the drop in hormones lowers the immune system

How to boost the immune system?

Hello Ling,

I'm doing OK I guess, like everyone else on here, dealing with weird and not so wonderful symptoms every day ;o)

I'm currently dealing with facial pain (had this for 14 months), burning mouth syndrome (12 months and counting) and now problems "down under" from front to back if you get my meaning (burning, aching, general soreness and pain from my left buttock down the back of my leg) this has been ongoing for a month now. GP useless, as per usual, so just waiting to see Gynie.

I'm on nerve blockers for the face pain (initial diagnosis was Trigeminal Neuralgia) they are helping a bit but not completely as I refuse to go on a dosage that turns me into a zombie. I have to function everyday and hold down a full time job. I've started getting massage on my face and head as unlike other TN sufferers I can actually touch my face, brush my teeth, etc. So, in an effort to get off the meds I've had 2 sessions so far and it seems to be making a difference.

The BMS has been a nightmare, very depressing, but I'm now getting some days better than others so I'm hoping it's beginning to wear off.

I also had very intense heat/burning through my whole body last year, it started in my arms and legs and then increased to whole body, the burning in the soles of my feet was probably the worst. I also experienced extreme numbness at times down my left hand side (everything I get is on my left hand side, very few symptoms on my right hand side). After several disappointing GP visits, they had no idea what was wrong with me, I went to a Private GP specialising in womens health and she agreed for me to try HRT. Since going on HRT (mirena coil was already in place so I just needed Estrogen patches) the burning is now under control.

Other symptoms, well my skin is a mess (I always had clear skin but now I'm covered in spots and my face always looks flushed), dry skin, especially my hands no matter how much moisturising cream I put on them, weight gain (ggrrr ;o( and never sure what I'm going to wake up to! lol.

So that's my story really, I try to stay positive, I'm getting no exercise so I definitely need to introduce that into my life again however I also had extreme fatigue last year (just remembered! lol) mostly due to vitamin deficiency which I think is now fixed, so clean diet and exercise is what I'm aiming for again. I was pretty much sugar free for around six months last year and it definitely made a difference. For me, sugar is the devil's food and causes all sorts of health issues, when I manage to stay off it (I have a really sweet tooth unfortunately) I feel the benefits.

So much for being 50 and fabulous, all this weirdness started just after I turned 50. I think I'm more 50 and flabbyness! ;o)

X

Dear Pam, thank you so much for taking the time to write!

Its good to hear the burning is under control, and the fatigue is resolved.

Really sorry to hear about all the other symptoms. I can't imagine how u still work full time despite it all.

i just want to reply to keep this going for us ladies thats dealing with this as well thats posting lately, i have this burning all over my body and my face and ears is the worst last hours and hours its horrible.

Hi Pamela,

Sorry to hear that, hope it gets better soon. Mine is much better but still lurking around.

Thank you for bumping the thread.

Hi Pam

I was wondering how you are doing? I know this post is from a long time ago but was wondering about the outcome of your tests. are you doing any better? I to suffer from burning.. sometimes very light and sometimes with a vengeance.. all over body... arms, legs, feet, hands... with a bunch of other symptoms.. I am seeing a meno specialist this.month in the hope he has answers. I find stress and anxiety makes mine worse... I sometimes battle to cope... but hanging in there..

sending hugs..

Tams