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Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??

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Lesley998
Lesley998

Hi

I am 50 and have been in perimenopause for some time. I just wanted to post here to see if anyone else has suffered extreme joint pain as a result of fluctuating estrogen.

Quick history: regular as clockwork from the age of 13 - up to and after the two pregnancies in my thirties.Then aged 47 I started to get very heavy and irregular periods. Then I went for six months with no period at all, then two very scant light periods in quick succession. I have had nothing now for two months but I do feel as if it might happen soon as sore boobs etc.

I have never had a hot flush. I do however have lots of other peri symptoms, including insomnia, heart palpitations and skipped beats, and a strange 'rushing' or whooshing feeling which starts in the abdomen which I think is an 'adrenal' surge. I also have other vague and odd symptoms, dry eyes and inside my nose, and a really vile taste in my mouth sometimes - I mean really vile, like a chemical taste, unrelated to anything I have eaten. I also have odd tingling skin sometimes, which I can only describe as feeling like 'cold' sunburn!

However, about the joint pain. Three months ago I literally woke up one morning with a sore left arm/elbow. Over a few days, the pain then moved into my shoulders, and I got really worried as if was incredibly painful, and showed no signs of going away, it just got worse and worse. It is worse in the morning when I wake up, I am as stiff as a board. It is on my mind 24/7. Doing normal things is almost impossible - I have problems carrying shopping, drying my hair,walking the dog, driving...everything seems to hurt . I have never suffered from arthritic pain, and I went to the doctor thinking I had some awful bone disease, or even polymyalgia. I was told I had nerve pain!! The GP was terrible and made me feel like a hypochondriac and it was all in my mind. I was told I had good range of movement, and no inflammation. But I am in agony, and i am not imagining it.I made the mistake of asking Dr.Google too, which is never a good idea as I scared myself half to death. I never even thought it could be related to hormones or menopause, as the pain was just SO bad and I had never heard of joint pain being a symptom.I mean I have read than meno can be bad for some women, and I expected hot flushes etc, but I didnt realise it meant pain like this.

Anyway - for the last few weeks I have been having worsening pain which has spread from left elbow and both shoulders, into left hip, both elbows and now my knees. All my joints are cracking and popping loudly and even my husband can hear the awful grating in my neck and my knees....I sound like a one man band as I go up and down the stairs!

I went In for my three yearly Cervical smear on Monday, and could hardly get up on the examining couch I was so stiff and sore. Womans health is dealt with by the Nurse Practitioners in our large practice (15 GP's) and when the NP saw my discomfort she asked me what was wrong. It turns out she has a real interest in womens health, and has been involved in HRT trials and research for many years. She informed me that my symptoms all point to fluctuating estrogen, and possible thyroid involvement. She told me a load of stuff about estrogen and cartilage, dry mucosa etc, the details of which I can't remember now but which made so much sense when she explained it - even down to the foul taste and tingling skin I have also experienced on and off for months which are both known side effects of estrogen surge as the ovaries go a bit haywire. Asmall percentage of women are very receptive to estrogen fluctuations which involve cartilage, which mainly manifest as abnormally severe joint pain/menopausal arthritis but it is not an 'obvious' symptom of perimenopause.

I asked why the GP was no help, and she just raised her eyebrows when I told her which male GP it was, and told me to make another appointment as soon as possible with a specific GP (who must be more knowledgeable about womens health.) Going in tomorrow to see her.

I can't do HRT as I have a heart condition, but maybe I can do estrogen cream, or phytoestrogen/soy.) It could last for a long time I guess until I come out the other side !

So i have not yet been diagnosed, but it sounds like it could be caused by estrogen. Sorry this has been so long....but anyone else out there feel the same way I do???

Lesley.

85 likes, 1485 replies

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  • melis50
    melis50 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley and other ladies

    i am so pleased to have found this forum.  I am 50, but have been steadily working my way through perimenopause for what feels like years.  I started with right shoulder pain about 8 years ago, this had gradually increased and now I have pain in my left shoulder, upper back, lower back and a bizarre pain on the right side of my head.  I have had physio, acupuncture , you name it to try to sort this out.  I am a positive and mostly happy person, with what I had thought was a high threshold (I had my daughter at home, with no pain relief).  I swim and do yoga as much as possible.  The pain I feel in my body is now really debilitating...  I have been to the nurse practitioner who has tried to support, but mostly with the suggestion of HRT, blood tests have shown that I only have an iron deficiency, presumably due to the fact that my period arrives every couple of weeks, scant though they may be.  Goodness knows if this is normal, I do know that it is really irritating and never a great surprise.  When I Question my hormone levels, I don't seem to be able to get a conclusive answer, as apparently, they 'ebb and flow' constantly.. I just don't know what the answer is.  I guess, carry on and try to stay as healthy as possible, don't drink too much wine and keep as flexible as possible with exercise (although I often have to bow out of yoga class as am just too achey to go).  I went on a long walk with a friend in the same era of her life yesterday, which inspired me to look at this forum- I'll pass on this information to her too-amazingly, as close as we are, we'd never talked in any detail about how achey and in pain we both feel!  We have another (very lucky) friend, who was able to see a Harley street doctor about bio HRT, so if the results from that are impressive, I'll post again to here.  I think for the majority of us, that would be cost-prohibitive, but it'll be an interesting exercise. Thank you to everyone on here for your honest and informative posts-it has put my mind at rest.  I honestly had begun to suspect some thing really nasty, Myeloma, Lymphoma etc, but am far too cowardly to do anything about it and really know that I am just in the midst of perimenopause.  I just thought the pains I am feeling was unusual and not the norm.  

    Namaste to you all - and stay strong.  We will get through it and out the other side! 

  • coralie74759
    coralie74759 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley,    It seems we are not alone! am so glad I found this site today as I was beginning to think that I must have some sort of terminal illness! Having read everything I can on this site, I think most of my problems are due to menopause and that I may yet live to see it through.

    A short history:  My period began at age 11. It was heavy, clotty and very painful.I was very regular and was incapacitated for the first few days because of the pain and heavy bleeding. I had no trouble conceiving my first child at 19 and my second at 21. I did however have trouble during the first pregnancy--turned out I had a bicornet uterus. My Dr. said I was Lucky I started my family so early as I may not have reached full term at a later age.

    I had so much pain etc that I had a hysterectomy at 27.

    I am now 62 years old and having an awful time with various menopausal symptoms. Have been on HRT for 12 years and use a vaginal cream.

    Things were going along Ok until about 18 months ago. I work full time on our grazing properties doing the same work as the men and all of the women's work. I have always been very active and fit.I have had a lot of back pain for most of my adult life and have put this down to the heavy, often very rough and exhausting work I do. 18 months ago it all became worse and I also developed very painful hip joints. Now I have to really push myself to do my work (even to get out of bed in the first place) I am constantly tired and irritable, my neck, shoulders, all along my back, my hands and worst of all my hips are in constant pain. I had exrays and scans done on my hips and they showed those joints to be in perfect condition. As well as all of this, about 6 months ago I developed a redness and itching of the vulva---the Gyno. has given me cortisone but it hasn't helped much. Lately I have suffered from itching skin. There are no external symptoms and it affects me most at night. My nose and around my mouth are the worst spots with a feeling of insects crawling lightly over the rest of my body on various places at different times. My sleep is very interupted. I have started going to sleep whilst driving.For obvious reasons i must do something about this. I am seeing my gynaecologists on Tuesday and will now persue treatment options for severe menopause.

    I thought I should be past menopause by now. Is there anyone else out there still suffering symptoms after 60 years old?

  • Lesley998
    Lesley998

    Posted

    Hello everyone!  I am the original poster on this topic...sorry I have not been on for ages - but I am just SO happy to see how many contributors are here, and how many people have been able to help each other with similar stories and advice.  I remember how it felt when I first came on line to see if I was alone in this...and could hardly find anything about menopause or joint pan...and being overwhelmed at the response of everyone on this blog.  We are not alone! 

    I am now a couple of years on from my first post...and at 53 am still struggling with a lot of horrible menopausal issues.  The joint pain - thankfully - is a lot better, although I still have problems with my shoulders and elbows and  have also got really bad pain and stiffness in my fingers when I wake.   Ive also Still got the awful insommnia and hot flushes.  It all settled down for a while...and I thought i was out of the other side...then came back after about sx months with a vengeance.  I am not on HRT and and just struggling on through it.  

    Sending you all warmest wishes and hugs! 

     

    • BellaRubia
      BellaRubia Lesley998

      Posted

      Lesley, thank you so much for airing this thing out.  You were the first to open up and many followed.  You did good and made all of us understand what was happening.  

      Big hugs.

    • wendy88421
      wendy88421 Lesley998

      Posted

      Hi lesley do you find you itch alot expecialy my head also tired all the time but i wake up every 2 hours with dry mouth also i have not had a period now for 3 month
    • shaznay96184
      shaznay96184 Lesley998

      Posted

      Hi Lesley

      Think your original post was the first one I read on this Forum when I found it just before Xmas.  And what a find.......better than anything I'd ever asked for at Xmas!!

      So you're going it alone huh?  I'm like a pendulum of 'natural or HRT' - was all for giving it till the end of this Month and going back to the Nurse Pract'r and demanding some HRT. 

      But, and its a bit but, since my horrendous Xmas/NY prolonged bleed (felt very depressed, tearful as I missed parents in-laws) - how much of that was caused by re-introducing Progesterone Cream, I'm not sure??)  Well once I stopped bleeding I came out the other side of this magnificent 'High'.  Lasted for ages, it was great!  In fact still feel like I'm at the tailend of 'Hurricane Shaznay' and don't want it to end!

      I'm putting off going to seek out HRT until I think I'm at at stage whereby I really can't stand it any longer: don't think I'm anywhere near that just yet, contrary to how I felt Xmas. 

      The thing that will get me pushing my way to the front of the line in the GPs surgery is this terrible, terrible ache in my left shoulder and elbow.  Its just concentrated on the left side at the mo, which is a bummer as I'm left-handed! Already changed my manual car for an auto early last year as found gear changing awful. 

      I'm only taking Menopace Original at the mo, mainly for Vit B, Calcium, Magnesium etc.  It could be a placebo for all I know, but I swear my sleeping has improved (not the tiddling 4 times a night tho', alas) and I believe the level of joint pain is so much more bearable since I started them on 1st Jan. 

      Have started up again with some Bioidentical Progesterone Cream to see if by re-introducing it, I do see a benefit from it.  It's be great if this was as bad as it gets - I am such a joker!!

      Well good luck with the natural route.  I think you're very brave and can't say that I'm inclined to struggle on, as you intend. 

      I know lots of ladies have thanked you for your original post but I'll say my Thanks as it really helps knowing that all these crappy symptoms are not specific to just me, and that I'm really, really ill - 'Hypochondria' is my middle namelol!

      Keep well Lesley. Nice to hear from you x

    • coralie74759
      coralie74759 shaznay96184

      Posted

      Hi shaznay,

                       Glad you feel a bit better for the moment. Having read yours and a few of hte others symptoms on this forum has me a bit alarmed re the left neck and shoulder pain. I do hope that you have all had this symptom diagnosed propery. Don't ever self diagnose this as just a menopause pain---you probably are well aware that it could indicate heart problems. Just had to throw in a cautionary reminder there.

    • shaznay96184
      shaznay96184 coralie74759

      Posted

      Ta for that coralie

      Truth is: I hate going to my GP, always have. And yes, I am a terrible one for self-diagnosing.

      I shall be getting myself back to the GP in the near future as I do actually believe my shoulder prob is more likely to be a Rotator Cuff prob, and the elbow might be just good ol' Peri aches and pains.

      I say that with some level of confidence - not because I've self-diagnosed itbiggrin -  but my next sister up (aged 62: been on HRT for 7yrs) had exactly the same symptoms (sounds like 'grinding', catches which is very uncomfortable, and is very weak generally). She had keyhole surgery to repair her RIGHT shoulder (she's right-handed!) 2yrs ago, and with physio is right as nine-pence (as we say in the UK!).

      I don't have neck pain - which would fire up the heart prob issues being its my left arm - but might just add that to my list of things I hate about Perimenopause!

      Thanks every so much for your post.  And you are right: left side neck/arm pains are a real worry: heart-wise.  (I don't know what I've had done without NetDocs/PatientsUK/Google etc:  they really feed my 'habit' as I'm a classic case of 'A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing'-type of person!

      But I might come in useful on medical questions in the Pub Quiz, you never knowcheesygrin!! x

    • Sandy07
      Sandy07 shaznay96184

      Posted

      Hi, interested to read about your experiences with the progesterone cream. I had a pot that I hadn't used for a while. A few weeks ago I started giving it ago again and had a much better couple of weeks, I stopped using it after a couple of weeks and have just started bleeding again( after about 8 months of no periods) I feel absolutely awful. Headaches, dizzy, jaw and neck pain, nauseous. I hadn't really thought about it but I wonderd if the progesterone cream had affected things. Now I don't know whetehr to try it again or leave it or go to Dr and try HRT. I too am at the stage where I don't know what to do. My quality of life has suffered so much the past 3 1/2 yrs and I'm at at a point where I'll try anything to get a little bit of my life back again. Xx
    • shaznay96184
      shaznay96184 Sandy07

      Posted

      Hiya Mooma

      OMG - my Twin!!lol

      Do you think the cream bought on your period?  The little that 'veI read about the role of progesterone is that it 'protects' the lining of the uterus.  To be honest, I'm sort of gagging to see the start of some sort of irregular or absent periods, because I feel a bit short-changed at 54 to still be as regular as a bloody teenager! My mum & sisters were well on the way to full menopause at my age. 

      You know I was in two minds as to whether to re-start the progesterone cream because I'm absolutely sick of bleeding.  But I don't know if I'm better off having a bleed or not - mood-wise??  One thing's for sure: I don't want two Ps a month, as I did over a 3 weeks of Xmas/NY!!

      How much its use influenced that, I don't know, but I've sort of convinced myself that my reintroducing the cream did cause that additional bleed.

      Before I considered using this cream I read Wellbeing's site info and believed that my symptoms were that I was, as they say,  suffering from oestrogen dominance. 

      I just hope by using this stuff I'm not 'feeding' the lining to encourage bleeding (sorry, I even amaze myself with some of the cr*p that roles around my cotton wool brain sometimes!!). 

      I'll carry on as I am at the mo, apply the cream until Day 28 and see what ol' Mother Nature has in store for me in 10 days time. 

      Truth is, I'm hoping to stay off HRT for as long as I can as I'm 54 now, and don't want to be told by my GP in a few years time that they want to wean me off it.  If it works well for me, I'll do my utmost to stay on it for as long as I can! 

      (Got a vision of me having to resort to 'scoring' some from an ol' gal who's selling off her supply to supplement her State Pensioncheesygrin!).

      Please ladies, please put me straight, or otherwise, about my understanding of the role of progesterone and is it likely that my using this Prog Cream causing me to bleed.

      Not sure if I should just kick back and stop taking it to see if there is any 'natural' change to my Ps???  I did try that from Sept-Dec last year, and had the mother of all Ps over Xmas!!

      (I think you can tell I'm preparing myself for a night on the net. Man U v Preston on TV tonight. Say no more!)

      Now where's that chocolate cake........!)

    • Sandy07
      Sandy07 shaznay96184

      Posted

      Haha. Yes football again!! I couldn't work out why things were so different for me and then changed back to the opposite extreme and the only difference is the natural progesterone cream! I also can't decide whether to try it again and see what happens and if it does I'll know for sure or to stay away from it if it's going the start up the bleeding again. Aargh what a dilemma. I'm getting a bit desperate now, so awful feeling like this and it had been much better for a couple of weeks. The headaches the last two days have been horrendous. I once mentioned the progesterone cream to the Dr and he said' there's no evidence that it works, but if it makes you feel better go for it, I'd be more concerned if you were using oestrogen'. So I don't know. Perhaps I'll go on the wellsprings site and ask the question. Xxxx
    • buddah_girl
      buddah_girl wendy88421

      Posted

      Hi wendy, i have  a dry nose, eyes and mouth and my skin also gets itchy at times. It has helped me by using organic vitamin e shampoo and conditioner and i just use organic virgin coconut oil on my skin which seems to have stopped it for now. Hope you are ok, do you have these awful pains too? hope not, big hugs.
    • wendy88421
      wendy88421 buddah_girl

      Posted

      Yes i get all of them my joints ache all the time i feel tired all time although i cant get slleep at night i expecially get pain in my groin a lot you wonder when is it goning to end
    • BellaRubia
      BellaRubia shaznay96184

      Posted

      Hi Shaznay.  Do not want to be a "wet blanket",  but since you are using a progesterone crean you are in a kind of HRT, :S. If  you feel you can not live without that, it is fine, but there is no "natural" for our bodies, unless what we produce sad. Nobody knows for sure what HRT can cause, reason some do not want to take them, I am very unhappy to say - would love they had invented something safe and efficient!  About progesterone, as I learned researching, it is responsible for women bleeding.  Low level of progesterone causes estrogen dominance - and lack o bleeding. Estrogen dominance then, causes a lot of bothering symptoms - from hair thining  and dry "everything" to muscle and joint pain.  If you stop your cream, most likely you will feel them sad sad sad
    • buddah_girl
      buddah_girl wendy88421

      Posted

      Hi wendy, sorry you have the pains too sad the ones in the groin are awful arn't they, can hardly straighten up some days (non of them are good are they!! ) i don't know if i have had a bit of a breakthrough, some one suggested turmeric capsules, they are supposed to help with inflamation and pain in the joints, i have been taking them for a week and this morning all of a sudden the pain was not quite as bad as it has been, i don't know if its just a better day or if they are starting to work, we will see!! if you want to give it a go, it is natural so no chemicals, i get the organic capsules from fushi wellbeing, will keep you informed as to how i get on. Take care and be kind to yourself, thats what we need to do right now, love and light to you x
    • shaznay96184
      shaznay96184 BellaRubia

      Posted

      Yep BellaRubia, I think you're completely right! I think I'm putting off getting 'prescribed' HRT as I figure the later I start it, the longer I can stay on it. My reason for taking it is my mum had TB in the bones twice over a 48yr period. She also had 3 hip replacement ops post-meno, and lost 1.5" in height - ended up at 4'10".

      Because I'm aching like mad I read up on the P. Cream and figured I'd be better off with some of that to give my bones some support while I wait and see how other symptoms develop.

      To be honest if I could just get away with taking vit/min supplements I wold: I hate the thought o having to take meds.

      My views and opinions about going it alone/P. Cream/HRT etc change on a daily basis - just like, and because of my hormones! All I know is that I hate bleeding and all that goes with it. But, like a lot of ladies who post on here, I believe that bleeding isn't necessarily the demon I believe it to be. Have noticed that I don't get very much cramping at all now and have felt really good emotionally once I've stopped.

      I suppose I would have to really go proper cold turkey and wait and see what happens, bleed-wise. But of all my peri symptoms I have, its the aches and pains I can't tolerate. I feel I'm being scuppered at every turn.

      Maybe I should just bite the bullet, stop everything, go back to my GP and start prescribed HRT?? Maybe I have to get over my hatred of taking meds regularly first! (I'm not that great with applying the P. Cream every day as it is!)

      Thanks for replying x

    • Sandy07
      Sandy07 shaznay96184

      Posted

      Shannan, you sound like you have the same dilemmas as me. I swing from wanting to let nature take its course to maybe  a bit of progesterone cream to HRT from the doc. Trying to lose some weight at the moment so I'm hoping that will help my oestrogen levels reduce a bit. Don't know really, I feel like I'm blindly ambling along from day to day. But, can't get on with life because of the headaches, pains and dizziness. I really don't know what to do for the best😞
    • BellaRubia
      BellaRubia shaznay96184

      Posted

      I get it, it is really difficult to get away from hormones when we feel terrible everyday.  And I know the HRT is well recommended for people that has any bone or heart issue.

      Whish you the best, whatever is your option.

      Big hugs

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