Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??

Maca is just a natural root vegetable and I'm sure it would not affect medication. I use it in powder form and put two teaspoons in water mixed with apple cider vinegar and some "no added sugar" pineapple juice. You can also get it in tablet form if that's easier. It's cheap too.

Seriously natural is the way to go, all these years we listen to doctors who put us on birth control, which messes with our own natural happy hormones. We add these sinthetic hormones to the mix and no wonder we go through so much crap.

The pill has been proven to cause depression in women, and other forms of contraception like Mirena, Depo and Implanon all cause your body to stop producing progesterone completely as it's supplied fake sinthetic progesterone from the device or injection. When you come off these sorts of contraception it can take months or even years to kick start your production of progesterone again. No wonder we stuff up our hormones with the crap we put it through. And then doctors suggest HRT etc, which just makes it worse in the long run.

I seriously believe natural is the way to go. Vitex has been a saviour for me. Within hours of taking it my sore aching boobs stopped aching and within a few weeks my pms symtpoms, moodiness, anxiety and bloating disappeared. Maca has boosted my energy levels and libido (which really didn't need boosting LOL) and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

The the hills of Peru, the women there do not go through any menopause symptoms apart from their period stopping. This is from years of eating the Maca root vegetable. It has to tell you something, right?

Good luck ladies - I hope at least one person benefits from my words.

Take care and remember - we are all Goddesses for putting up with this crap :-)

I am suffering debilitating joint pains as the perimeonpause moves into the full menopause.

I believe women who suffer worse in this way are more at risk of osteoporosis post menopause - so way to go for me is hrt Evorel Sequi and the Conti.

The pain is very under rated - when physicians do not find evidence of arthritis they think women are just

attention seeking hypochondriacs. So wrong - just want to get on with life.

I want to share an update in hopes it will help.

I posted on this forum recently at a time when I was at the end of my ability to tolerate extreme pain around my joints (ligaments/tendons). It was the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life. It began midway through my final year of perimenopause, with little relief from OTC pain medication.

I am now 90% better and it happened almost overnight when I started following a strict anti-inflammatory diet. It hasn't been easy to make such a drastic change because I want to eat whatever pleases me, whenever I want it. But, after a week or two of dying to my fleshly desires I am able to say it is not as difficult as it was at the start -- and the benefits outweigh the sacrifices, if they indeed are "sacrifices".

Basically, I've GREATLY reduced my intake of sugar, salt, some red meat (bacon), eggs, most dairy (except a bit of cheese and yogurt), caffeine, etc.

I've GREATLY increased my daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, water, decaf tea, fish, chicken, etc.

The pain improved almost immediately, hot flashes have lessened dramatically, and crushing tiredness is gone.

Personally, I prefer a first defense of good food to help my body systems run more efficiently.

Friends and family are amazed at how I've changed in such a short time. I've been eating this way for two weeks now and the improvement is astounding.

It's easy to find info on anti-inflammatory eating plans on the web. I don't want to post a link and appear to be promoting a book or health care provider.

I feel nearly completely normal again: I've resumed playing piano and autoharp because my hands don't hurt anymore. I haven't been able to enjoy walking for recreation for months: today is sunny and warm and I plan to head outside and enjoy the weather.

This forum helped me cope, and was integral in helping me find the solution to my pain. I hope this post helps even one person.

Thanks for sharing this. I do occasionally do a few days of juicing fruit and veg, which also cuts out the things you mention. I always find the pain much better after this so I am sure that what you say is spot on. X

Hi Everyone,

I agree completely with the last two posts, I've posted before on cutting out sugar. The pain is simply intolerable when I eat badly. I also cut out grains (wheat etc) as they are far too acidic. Basically an anti inflammatory diet is an alkaline diet.

Hey thanks for the advice about the anti-inflamatory diet. I'm going give it a go. my joint aches not too bad, but I'm just 50 and prevention better than cure mum always said!

but no bacon..that may be hard!! love a butty on sundays

Hi Ladies

I've finally managed to ditch the aches and pains (only slight pain at the moment which I can easily live with). The GP has prescribed Gabapentin 100mg x3 a day. Well I was very doubtful but after three weeks I have managed to actually sit on the floor and get up!!! Strange comment but prior to that the pain in my knees made me crawl along the floor to find the nearest surface to lift myself up. Walking was a nightmare (like walking on bones). And finally my hands were a mess - pain all the time. The stiffness in my hands and feet in the morning was unbearable. Now I can actually get straight out of bed and walk off the stiffness quickly. My hands are so much better in the morning. I'll update you all in due course in case anything changes.

Take care

Hello

It's been reassuring to read many of these posts. My cycle is beginning to become erratic . I'm 51 and keep as healthy as I can(yoga,dancing, running 2 miles a day) and eat very well with loads of fruit and veg and no red or processed meat. With the most recent late period came the most debilitating joint pain. If it had been a weekday I couldnt have gone to work. Could I have some more information on the anti-inflammatory diet if anyone would be willing to share?

Many thanks..

Anti inflammatory diet involves cutting down or cutting out foods that cause inflammation within the body, sugar is one of the main culprits along with wheat and dairy for some. There are some others too. It's worth googling and having a read. You may be able to make a few changes without too many problems. I will try anything at this stage and it all makes sense. Basically you eat fresh, whole foods and cut out all the rubbish. Hope this helps. Good luck. Xx

Hello Lube62,

Don't forget that fruit can be full of sugar, you'd do better replacing it with more veg. Anti inflammatory diets recommend a 80:20 ratio of alkaline to acid, so your plate should have less meat or fish on it. Salmon is a great source of Omega 3, I also take fish oil supplements.

PS Tinned fish is supposed to be quite acidic so you're better off using fresh or frozen.

Hope this helps!