1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Menopause

Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??

Posted , 512 users are following.

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

1485 Replies

Prev Next
  • monique_93857
    monique_93857 Lesley998

    Posted

    i suffer with daily shoulder aches and pains as well as stomach problems i seem to get heartburn more now since menopause and the things i use to eat did'nt bother me but now do i am baring with all of this without the hrt doc has told me it's better to let it take it's course rather than taking meds the body adjust much better rather than taking hrt your symptoms will still be there he feels the body knows but the hrt prolongs menopause 
  • lindy66
    lindy66 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hiya I'm going through what u going through my left elbow and hip hurt all the time I was thinking the same thing I av something wrong with me I need to take something to help with pain any advice
    • terri16632
      terri16632 lindy66

      Posted

      I was laying in the bed last night thinking of your post because my left elbow was aching really bad.  I've been on this road for well over a year and have done all the testing possible only to find it is muscle related (on my own - not through doctors).  Once I push through the pain and stretch that aching elbow, the pain goes away.  At the advice of another post, I started taking my calcium/magnesium citrate supplement at night right before bed and the pain is lessened and I am getting a better night's sleep.  I am no longer waking up an hour before the alarm.  Look into stretching (I'm doing yoga/strenght training just 20 minutes a day) and magnesium. It makes a huge difference for me.  It's not perfect but I don't want to take medication again and the discomfort of menopause is bearable now. 
  • monique_93857
    monique_93857 Lesley998

    Posted

    I woke this morning with so much anxiety due to my shoulders ache and pain elbows I have been feeling so doomed like I'm falling apart just not feeling normal almost feels like I'm gonna start and I haven't had a cycle in yrs I know I'm all over the place with this but I'm just feeling horrible today any advice today would help or anyone else feeling this way Lord what we go through
    • lori96037
      lori96037 monique_93857

      Posted

      I have noticed so many Comment that their left shoulder was painful. Is that where your pain is too? I feel like my doctors think I am crazy as I ask if joint pain is related to hormones... but I feel like the link is there.
  • shelly86115
    shelly86115 Lesley998

    Posted

    Just saw this when I googled joint pains. Im 48, out of the blue I have foot, ankle and hand wrist pains. Ive had all the tests all come back ok. Ive seen a nutricionist whos 

    put me on an anti imflamatory diet with supplements. This discussion has helped because I realize its hormone related. Ive gone from feeling ok to feeling full of joint pain and tired.

    Bathing in epsom salts helps, also swimming. joint pain is all inflamation so google good and bad foods for this.

    Im sure its the estrogen, Ive missed a few periods this year so im on the way to the menopause 

     

    • monique_93857
      monique_93857 shelly86115

      Posted

      i can relate to your wrist pain omgosh it keeps me awake at night sometimes it's horriable my shoulder aches like the dikens but the wrist seems to be the worst at night 
  • lori96037
    lori96037 Lesley998

    Posted

    Everything you describe fits me as well. Please tell me what has happened over the last year amd if you have found relief.
  • francesca81708
    francesca81708 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley, i have had the exact symptoms as yours it started aout 4 weeks ago, still waiting my appointment for the doctors. The paint started in my legs, knees and hips and hasnow gone also into my shoulders. Today is the first day i started fealing so low aout this, it's affecting my mood i just feel like crying. So happy to have found this thread as i felt so alone. Feeling more optimistic now i can see i'm not the only one going through this and that there might actually be a light at the end of the tunnel.
    • lori96037
      lori96037 francesca81708

      Posted

      I find this so interesting that others have the same exact pain areas. I am convinced it is hormone related but doctors don't. The progression from lower extremity to shoulder is crazy. It is primarily my left shoulder. How about you?

      I have been diagnosed with thyroid nodules and normal thyroid function. I have uterine fibroids as well. All started about the same time approximately 15 months ago

  • denise99538
    denise99538 Lesley998

    Posted

    I also have had severe joint pain. It has been crippling at times. From sitting to standing up it takes a few minutes to be able to walk. Also, Shoulder pain that shoots down my arm. I have found relief with MSM Pure Sulphur Crystals that I got from Amazon. When I stop taking it I notice the pain coming back.  I also use Natural Progesterone cream recommended by Dr John Lee. (He wrote the book, What your Doctor May not Tell You About Premenopause) I highly recommend reading it.  My mother suffered lots of joint pain when she went thru menopause and said that it eventually went away. 
    • terri16632
      terri16632 denise99538

      Posted

      Thanks for this post. My symptoms were identical.  I find relief from magnesium oil spray. It's temporary but it helps alot.  I'm going to try your suggestions as well because I still experience alot of neck pain and I get very stiff while sleeping.
  • rita81582
    rita81582 Lesley998

    Posted

    Dear Lesley,

    I am 52 and I totally get what you are going through. I have been feeling the same symptoms in the past five weeks. I saw the doctor and they prescribed Lyrica and Meloxicam long term. When I read the side effects I chose not to take the drugs and opted for some more natural remedies. Jointace by Vitabiotics and lots of Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and a tea made with Tumeric and Soy milk. After a while my hot flashes became severe so I started using progesterone cream which I had not used for a while. I started feeling better all round (joint pain and hot flashes) and slowed down on the Progesterone cream when the hot flashes diminished. All of a sudden the joint pain came back and I started asking myself what I was doing differently that caused my joint pain to come back. After reflection I discovered that the only thing that changed was that I had stopped using progesterone cream. I applied progesterone cream to my aching joints last night before going to bed and gained relief that lasted overnight. This caused me to come onlne to research any links between joint pain and progesterone. That is how I found your article on this site. From my little experinece estrogen dominance must be the cause of my jont pain. You have found the problem and therefore the solution.

    Warm Regrds and to our collective good health!

    • lindy66
      lindy66 rita81582

      Posted

      Hiya rita I also have joint pain more so in my left elbow and hip mainly left side and sometimes my knee also I have anxiety aswell and that plays havoc on me stomach head does somersaults all the time x
    • rita81582
      rita81582 lindy66

      Posted

      Hi Lindy66, Thansk for your reply. My pain is also worse on my left side. I am starting to think that this must be because the muscles on my left arm, left shoulder and and left leg are less developed since they are less used. If my suspicion is true then some gentle exercise could be a palliative. I am also thinking of actively taking supplements to build muscle mass as my flare-up start after a sudden onset of sore tender muscles that seem more flabby than usual.
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.