Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??

 I hope you are still reading these posts! I would like to know if you have received any treatment that has helped with your symptoms. I can totally relate to the majority of your symptoms in addition I have severe headaches that are totally debilitating and the intensity of the pain has really scared me on occasions.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis 2 years ago which is condition whereby you produce too much estrogen. I was given a course of injections to push me into the menopause and this is when all the problems started. Joint pain and cracking joints particularly my jaw and knees, neck and shoulder pain, tingling and numbness in my face, kidney pain, dry sore eyes, sores in my nose, foul taste in my mouth and a coating on my tongue and to top it all trouble sleeping.

I also have an under active thyroid and this seems to be a common theme emerging in the follow up posts.

I have not been in touch for a while, I was waiting for my consultant appointment which was yesterday. It was nice to talk to a sensible doctor, seriously. I was officially diagnosed PERIMENOPAUSE! It's on paper!

The lady doctor explained that since they could not find ANYTHING physically wrong with me, and they did do a good check, because of the clinical picture and low estrogen, they have decided that it is perimenopause. She did say in my case it is very early - I am 43, but everyone is different. You would all be pleased to hear that the lady doctor told me that there are other women that get the sympthoms I got with perimenopause. Don't we know that!!!!!

Anyway, I was very pleased with the outcome as you can imagine.

I have been on HRT since July, and it did help with very bad pains. I am coming off it end of this month, and the doctor said it is up to me whether to continue, or leave it. I do still have a low level pain all the time, cracking of joints, bad pain here and there, from time to time. No-acid diet does help, but my saviour is MAGNESIUM. I use magnesium spray, magnesium supplement pills, magnesium bath, and I am getting better and better with every day. I suggest you could try it - it does not do any harm apparrently. I decided to be brave and come off HRT for now, and see what happens. As many of you said, we are going through a natural process, albeit a bit painful,  so putting any chemicals into our confused bodies is probably not a good idea. I will keep you posted how it goes.

I too found this discussion with a google search and it has opened up a whole new possibility for me.  Like Lesley, I have had good regular periods since age 13 and after my two children were born.  Then the very heavy periods started about 18 months ago at age 52.  My female GP said it was normal and probably the last hurrah before my periods petered out.  Not so - still heavy, irregular and hanging in there 18 months later. Its such a pain when so many of my friends of the same age are over it all.  At the same time as this I started to experience severe knee joint pain so was referred to a physio.  He said I had the early symptoms of artritis and told me to strengthen my lateral knee muscles. I could not squat at all - getting up from a squatting position was agony.  I went home and started taking glucosamine 1000mg daily which seems to have helped a lot - now I can squat with some pain, but not agony. At the same time I've had regular low grade headaches which go away with an Ibuprofen.  Every now and again I get the heart pounding and sometimes a mild hot flush.  No night sweats.  But yesterday I started with painful finger joints, the end ones, and mostly in my right hand.  The joints are clicking and it is now becoming painful to type.  It had't occurred to me that this was associated with my menopause, but maybe so, as the symptoms don't seem to equate with normal arthritic symptoms - there is no redness or swelling.  The sudden onset is also strange.  I have been doing some sewing(machine) the last couple of days, but can't imagine that this would bring on the pain as it hasn't been for that long and isn't intense enough.  I'm on holiday in Spain at the moment so its nice and warm - it can't be a cold problem.  When I get back to the UK in a few weeks I will talk to my GP about these new symptoms.  She says I'm not a candidate for HRT at the moment, so wonder if there is some alternative to help with symptoms.  Although my problems are not nearly as serious as some posters on this discussion, it does all seem to point in the same direction.  Thanks to all for your contributions.  Its nice to know I'm not alone.

I take Glucosamine, Osteocare(zinz, D3 & magnesium) B6 & mung bean menopause tablets (helped hot flush/) I have been taking this for the past month but still feel pain in muscles & joints.

I have had blood test & all is OK!

I might have a look to see if there are any trials!

If you do find anything that helps please let me know!

2 years later the symptoms were getting rather bad, so went to see a Gynecologist and re-confirmed everything I already knew, I said I didn't want to go on HRT but had researched that a contraceptive pill will sort it all out, so he agreed and everything was great until....  my periods were obviously very regular being on the pill but each month my bleeding was getting worse and wores, so much so that I couldn't then leave the house, so I had no option to stop the pill and see what would happen.

After the first month, my periods were already much lighter, but the symptoms were returning I am now 44 and the last 3 months (3 months of taking nothing but a herbal remedy called Maca) I am really suffering starting with tigtening of my muscles and then my bones were hurting, I thought I had bone cancer it was so severe, staring in my calfs and then my thighs, now every single joint and bone in my body is agony.  This weekend I had to take my wedding rings off as my fingers were so painful I couldn't move my hands and the fingers joints were swelling.

It makes you depressed, I don't want to do anything, I am putting on weight round my middle and I eat really healthily, I have today booked myself in to see an Endocrinologist, so hopefully he will be able to sort out my hormones and advise how to go forward, I am living on Nurofen every 4 hours.

Thank you all for making me feel that I am not alone and obviously (we hope) that I am not really dying xx

As with everyone here am so glad I found this blog. I had my final period 18 months ago, and in that time ive been experiencing pains in my thumbs and wrists and ankles and hips. Ive been putting it down to maybe arthritis in my hands until my ankles and hips started to hurt, and then thought maybe its my job as i'm on my feet all day. But over time my imagination was getting the better of me, and in so doing putting me off going to the doctors. Reading all these letters has given me peace of mind (thank you). Im actually a healthcare advisor (at a rudimentary level) in a well known chemist, and some of the things mentioned here ie, the ladycare magnet, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc, ive recommended to others but never thought of taking myself. I do take some supplements for menopause to help with night sweats but none of the above :-).

I shall be going into work and asking my pharmacist what they know about the connection with low estrogen and magnesium regarding joint pains and menopause. Then maybe an appointment with the doctors, armed with all this information.

In my job i've learnt that you are continually learning, and that by talking to others going through the same thing you dont feel so alone and you realise you are not going mad. Also i maybe able to help someone else with what ive learnt today. Thanks again for sharing.

I'm 42 and have been suffering with the same symptons as you all have. I've had a 3rd blood test and like the other 2 it shows I'm well into my menopause and now I've also been diagnosed with LUPUS which can be triggered by hormonal changes and symptoms are hand and feet are agony in the joints but also other parts of the body, hair lose, headaches, very sensitive to sunlight and very red in the face. I'm trying to clear it all using alternative medicine such at acupuncture and naturopath as well as taking advise from the lupus consultant...