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Perimenopause and joint pain any suggestions on relieving symptoms?

Posted , 9 users are following.

cheryl25598
cheryl25598

Im 46 and in the last few months have started getting joint pain. Hips and lower back ache which has gradually got worse. Have made an appointment to see my GP as someone told me it could be the start of the menopause. Has anyone else suffered from this and what did you take to relieve it? I have been taking paracetomol when its gets too bad but sometimes it doesnt relieve the pain at all! Not sure if i should be taking a supplement or not or what i should take!

I thought it might have been osteoarthritis so Ive started taking codliver oil tablets and a supplement of glucosamine, MSM + Chondroitin but not noticed any change and dont know if thats what i should be taking or not. Its all very confusing as there is so much information on the web and so many different supplements available. If it is the start of the menopause I would rather go down the natural route than take HRT.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks.

0 likes, 49 replies

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  • michellejessie
    michellejessie cheryl25598

    Posted

    Hi Cheryl I'm 47 and have been suffering with pain in my lower back hips and legs for nearly a year now and this always seems allot worse when I'm going to have a bleed I take zapain painkillers that were prescribed by my GP they are strong but do help. I have allot of issues going on and I'm waiting to go in for a hysterectomy. Your not on your own hun and I hope you feel better soon .

    Michelle x

  • irene20565
    irene20565 cheryl25598

    Posted

    Hi Cheryl

    You may want to get your Dr to check vitamin D levels. Mine turned out to be deficient and I am taking prescription dose now.

    I keep hearing others on these boards having the same problem.

    Hope you get it sorted soon, good luck

  • debbie03785
    debbie03785 cheryl25598

    Posted

    Hi, yep, same here. Im peri meno and early into it I was crying with the pain first thing in the morning. Ended up thinking it was my mattress, so splashed out on a tempur one. It really helped but it does get very hot, which didnt help with the night sweats.  I Take all the meds youre on, as well as menopace, calcium and magnesium. Try to keep your weight in check and aim to do some exercise. I think its to do with the pelvis stiffening up as it no longer needs to expand for childbirth. Im sure by the end of today you will have loads of great advice posted. Be kind to yourself and keep reaching out to this merry band of ladies who understand 100%. X
    • cheryl25598
      cheryl25598 debbie03785

      Posted

      I haven't got the night sweats or hot flushes yet as its very early days for me at the mo. It didn't even occur to me that my aching joints could be early symptoms of menopause until someone mentioned it to me and then I thought 'am I old enough'? Lol I thought it might have been osteoarthritis!. But I've since found out I am old enough! I'm quite slim and do keep quite active but suddenly I feel as if I've aged 10yrs over night!
  • annieschaefer
    annieschaefer cheryl25598

    Posted

    Hello Cheryl,

    I feel for you as for past year I've been dealing with same thing. My lower back is very stiff now (and that's with having done steady practice of yoga-recently took break) and legs and feet make me feel like I'm 100 yrs old first thing in am. Or simply getting up after sitting a bit. I also developed bilateral plantar faciitis which has been treated twice both sides and doc recommended a back specialist as they think this all ties in together. 

    I have also read this can be peri/menopausal issues or even hypothyroidism. I am seeing a naturopath next week to get to the bottom of this and some other issues. I have taken Fish/Krill Oil but not the other tablets you mentioned. When it's bad enough, I do a 15-20 min soak in the tub with epsom salts, it does help, if not for just to relax and get a good nights sleep. I do take magnesiusm daily and haven't found it to be much help for this issue, right now.

    We'll see if this naturopath can be of more help as I really hate feeling like an old lady, even though I'm 10 yrs older than you, I'm not ready to hang it up. This has really impacted and limited a lot of what I used to do. If this truly is related to peri/menopause, it is supposed to subside, but for me the big questions are Really? and When? As it stands, it's not fast enough. wink

    Hope you feel better soon, I know it's frustrating.

    Annie xx

    • cheryl25598
      cheryl25598 annieschaefer

      Posted

      I know, it feels like I've aged suddenly over night! The menopause can last for years so I just hope these aching joints don't last for years, I don't think I could stand it!

      I hope you get the help you need :-)

    • annieschaefer
      annieschaefer cheryl25598

      Posted

      I consider the first sign of peri for me was age 47 with night sweats. Almost ten years later, still having the occasional cycle, I can say that the past year has been the filled with a wide variety of symptoms-the aches and pains rearing up probably around 1st of 4 bouts of plantars faciitis. 

      I hope this signals that it's coming to a close or else some of us having peri lasting longer than 10 years seeing I'll be 57 this year-lol! Lord, I hope not....enough is enough! 

      Will probably post an update once I speak with new naturopath.

      So, if anything, I hope that you know these past 10 years have not been all horrible.......it comes in waves and at least in my case, while there are days that seem more brutal then others, most are not so hateful. Wishing the same for you.smile

      Annie xx

       

  • kim94523
    kim94523 cheryl25598

    Posted

    Hi Cheryl and all, me too... have a look at this discussion... been going on for years and has over 700 replies... you're sure to get some good info by checking it out!

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/perimenopause-and-severe-joint-pain-any-one-else--36790

    In case the moderator deletes the link it is on the first page of the menopause forum and called "Perimenopause and severe joing pain anyone else"

     

  • cheryl25598
    cheryl25598

    Posted

    Thanks ladies any advice is much appreciated.

    I do keep quite active, I take the dog for a walk every morning and last October I started a part-time job as a midday asst at a secondary, I only work 2 hours a day but I'm on the go for the whole 2 hours! I've got a pedometer and since I've had the job I do an average of just over 12,000 steps a day! I'm wondering if the job I'm doing has aggravated my symptoms or if its just coincidence?

    The disturbed night sleep is getting me down a bit, you'd think that laying down would relieve the aching joints wouldn't you? But it doesn't and sometimes it wakes me up and I can't get back to sleep unless I take painkillers!

    Will have a look at the forums to see what advice people give. :-)

    • debbie03785
      debbie03785 cheryl25598

      Posted

      Have you tried a two day course of ibruprofen? They really helped me. They have an accumulative anti inflammatory effect, so maybe worth a try just to give yourself a reprieve?
    • kim94523
      kim94523 debbie03785

      Posted

      Hi Debbie, how much is a low dose?  I didn't know it was cumulative?!  That would be great!  It does help me when I take it but I only take when pain is bad -- thinking I should avoid taxing my liver.  
    • debbie03785
      debbie03785 kim94523

      Posted

      Take 400 mg, usually 2 tablets, three times a day with food. If it helps significantly and the pain returns after you stop taking them, its good information for you gp when looking at ways of helping you. Hope you het a few pain free days. Take care x
    • cheryl25598
      cheryl25598 debbie03785

      Posted

      I've take the odd ibuprofen when the paracetamol hasn't worked but not at regular intervals, maybe I should take it three times a day with food and see if it makes a difference and as you say it will probably help the Doctor diagnose better. If it helps me get a couple of good nights sleep then its worth it! Thanks for the info :-)
    • kim94523
      kim94523 cheryl25598

      Posted

      Well, something helped me today!  I had my first nearly pain-free day in months.  I took advil with food breakfast and lunch.  Starting to stiffen up now but I had a real spring in my step today!  I had acupuncture Wed night too... maybe that helped?  Some people swear by it.  Even my boss who was a staunch skeptic went to one for chronic back pain that was not responding to cortisone and physical therapy... whatever it is, I am going to keep doing both!  Thanks Cheryl!
    • Carolmayhew6
      Carolmayhew6 cheryl25598

      Posted

      Hi

      I'm new to the site but I'm encountering everything your saying my gp stipulates that's it's down to degenerative arthritis n MRI scans show this, but after my sister reading some points on here she herself found she had joint pain and aches but they subsided after taking GRT but she was taken off it a few mnths ago & they all returned so she believes the HRT did help her joint pain she has since seen her consultant who advised her to restart her hrt to keep joint pain in knees n hips at bay, like you I'm worse when I lye in bed the aching in my knees are terrible and my hips burn, I have appoint with my gp AGAIN on Monday after reading different peoples messages n info I have the same symptoms n think I must be menopausal I had hysterectomy in 1991 aged 33 but I had 1 ovary left in place n was told it was to help with menopause but I've gone from working a full happy healthy life style working full time looking after a home family n grandchildren n being active to within a few months inactive I mobile and in agony with my knees sad just glad I'm not on my own n I'm hoping I'll get some help from my gp x good look with your symptoms nni hope they improve for you as the pain is excruciating n intolerable at times sad

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