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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

1485 Replies

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  • denise34456
    denise34456 Lesley998

    Posted

    I have been in such pain my knees now my legs I wanna cry I took blood last week waiting G on it I quess they can tell if u in menopause ,I'm praying my blood test come back ok I worry about so much I get cold Stanton pain I don't know what to do.my boo s so sore and lumpy I had them checked he thought cyst I didn't get my period fir months than did now again not since June I hope u found so.e relief

  • tracey10756
    tracey10756 Lesley998

    Posted

    I can't believe what I'm reading! I'm 48 and have been having soaking night sweats for a couple of years now. My period has recently been all over the place. Now for the last 6 months or so I have been suffering from horrible joint pain, stiffness, tingling and weakness. I had a full blood work up and physical all normal. No vitamin or mineral deficiencies. My knees and elbows, neck and wrists hurt! Pain and weakness is worse in the morning. Anxiety is high and muscle tightness is on going. also seems worse a week before my period.

    If I do too much one day the next day I'm in terrible pain.

    This forum has made me feel somewhat better that I'm not going crazy.

    Just looking for any help I can get.

  • cheryl1073
    cheryl1073 Lesley998

    Posted

    It's 06.44 and again I have woke up with pain in my hands, elbows, Knees and both feet, I have been like this for well over a year. Once I get up and move around the pain eases slightly , feet still hurt though out the day and I am starting to struggle with lifting things now. I'm 43 today by the way.

    I've been to my doctors a few times but they don't really seem to know what's wrong, they send me for bloods test which come back ok, tell me to take ibuprofen and paracetamol. But the don't help! So I have given up on the doctors. But honestly I'm so fed up with the conset pain. I'm still working but it's a struggle as my job involves a lot of lifting and standing .

    You said you was waiting to see someone , I just wonder if you see them and what the outcome for you was.

    Cheryl1073

    • 2chr2015
      2chr2015 cheryl1073

      Posted

      Have you tried taking all wheat out of your diet? That got rid of all my joint aches. Hope you find some relief
  • Naturalistagirl
    Naturalistagirl Lesley998

    Posted

    Experience is the same as yours and I hate it just went off HRT -vagifem due to uterine thickness but OMG I am feeling 99 years old not to mention I just recovered from broken ankle this summer 

    I'm sticking to evening primrose oil and trying to find other herbal remedies mainly Chinese medicine 

  • barbara68621
    barbara68621 Lesley998

    Posted

    Wow, so many responses! I have to read through - hope you are doing better by now.

    I wanted to post as well because YES I now have major joint issues. I do have osteoarthritis in my hands, and I notice that the days before my period my finger joints are screaming...for the past couple of weeks it's been hot flash city and yep, joints are screaming. Gotta believe there's a connection. Grr.

  • Geegemiai
    Geegemiai Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Leslie new to this site first of all how are you feeling?

    I am too feeling different pains in different parts of my body all on the same day!

    It's not like this all the time but some days are rough!

  • gayle77471
    gayle77471 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley,

    You are not alone, I just turned 48 in September, and I'm in severe pain, especially in the morning! My joints ache all over, I feel as though I was hit by a bus!

    I too was thinking the worse case scinerio, It must be cancer or there's something so terribly wrong because pain is so excruciating.

    My periods we're regular, never had an issue, until I got pregnant and had my baby.

    After which everything was normal for about 6 months...then period came sooo lightly I wondered if I should even count it as a period! The following month nothing came nor the month after, so it's been like that ever since.

    The body aches gradually set in, started with my lower back, then hind legs, which made it impossible to walk at times or even get out of bed! I was thinking.., Wow! I just had a baby, how in the world will I be able to keep up with him and care for him?

    So...anyhow, the pain radiates to almost every joint in my body, I kept thinking it must be fibromyalgia. I have not seen my doctor for this yet, but I plan on it! Since all this has happened I've been taking Motrin on and off to cope with the pain.

    I'm hoping there's a remedy for this, I want to be normal again! I'm already on a thyroid med, I know that has to do with a hormone imbalance, started on it when I wanted to get pregnant. Doctor had me on all kinds of hormone therapy while trying to get pregnant.

    I believe that after I had my son, things just went downhill gradually, before I had energy like crazy could not get me to sit down, I still have energy don't get me wrong, but the pain slows me down a lot.

    I'll touch base and see what my dr has to say. Take care, and best wishes!

  • judy1964
    judy1964 Lesley998

    Posted

    i am having joint pain too....any luck with yours?  its scary to me...none of my friends have it,
  • tina47117
    tina47117 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley998

    I'm interested in how your last appointment went?

    I am 47 and I had started having pain in my shoulders.

    Eventually my neck and shoulder blades (knots)

    I had a massage which felt good but didn't last.

    Then my ankles and tops of feethe started hurting.

    My ankles stopped hurting but now my knees hurt and all othersorts still hurt. I also had dry mucosa.

    I too went to my GP which did blood test to check for vitamin deficiency and thyroid. I was almost sure I was low in a certain vitamin as I too went Google crazy.

    I am so scarred sad I have never been like this.

  • hoping4relief
    hoping4relief Lesley998

    Posted

    I am just seeing this conversation and I see that your original post was over a year ago. I was wondering if you have found any relief? I too, could have written your post. I think the rheumatoligist I saw thought I was just a hypochondriac or had a very low tolerance for pain which I may have now because it has worn me down finally.
    • Diagramonte
      Diagramonte hoping4relief

      Posted

      Ac tually I am even worse now...tried so many things from diet to rest to nsaids and now i have plantar issues...my doc thinks Im an idiot but i can hardly walk in the AM and i hurt constantly...Im horribly healthy from a bloodwork standpoint...tried no gluten, no sugar, no alcohol(yes the pain is that bad !!)more water less meat...what else??? nsaids like candy is my only option according to docs....and my pain threshhold is very low as I can feel things docs say..You arent supposed to feel that!! Well poop Im going to try working out (ouches aside) as weather cools off...sweating horribly and pain are just tooooo much) Resting is making things stiffer even tho docs say my issues are from overuse..Im thinking its repetitive movements not traditional total body exercise doing this but.....Im in North FL so its 85+ today
    • gayle77471
      gayle77471 Diagramonte

      Posted

      I've been taking ibuprofen 800mg once a day, that seems to help me, plus an occasional laxative.😀

      That's what's helping me!

    • stephanie90783
      stephanie90783 hoping4relief

      Posted

      Hi,

      It looks like many of us are going through this pain. Much as I hate others to be suffering, it's ni e for me to have someone to ask/talk to about the stuff I'm experiencing.

      Have you found ANY relief whatsoever from your pains other than using painkillers?

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