Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??

Wow everything that you have discribed is what i am feeling thankyou.. I  thought somthing was wrong with me but after reading your story it all makes sense now.

I will be making appointment with a womens health GP as soon as possible.

Thanks again Lesley!!!!

By the way I am turning 50 in a few months.....

Lesley,

Thank you for posting this. I've recently started experiencing very unusual symptoms similar to yours. I couldn't figure out what was wrong.  I find my joint pain & skin sensativity are much worst during my ovulation week. I would like to have some relief. Unfortunately, since my husband & I are still leaving the possibility of pregrancy on the table hormone therapy is not an option. Have you found any natural means of relief?  ie(diet, exercise, vitamins, herbal, etc).  

-Christine

Omg Leslie!

Your bang on as to what I'm going thru. I'm a dancer with 3 adult groups and my joints are stiff and sore. I feel like an old lady at 48 almost 49!! Started menopause this last year. I'm so glad I found your blog. Have you found a solution yet?

My ankle is mending from just getting out of my damn car ! I'm afraid this will interfere with my dancing and I'm depressed at times (

I have anxiety as well so that doesn't help! Dr. Google says I have all sorts of diseases lol!

Looking forward to some responses. We women need to stick together! Have a Fab day !😊

From Vancouver, Canada

Kathleen 😚

After 3 months of painful, stiff and inflamed joints (shoulders, neck, hips and knees), I eventually saw a rheumatologist on Friday and he has diagnosed me with 'polymyalgia rheumatica'. Apparently a key symptom is the triangle of joint pain across the neck and shoulders, and he has prescribed me 2 weeks of steroids (20mg first week and 17.5mg the second). Normally, if that is what it is, the patient should see a noted improvement quite quickly (I live in hope!)

As a fit & healthy 48 yr old (OK, almost 49), I can't wait to get back into my lycra & to doing exercise again.....I am hoping this will be resolved but after weeks of pain and stiffness I'm not counting any chickens until I feel completely rid of the permanent discomfort....They don't seem to know where this condition comes from - just that it takes you suddenly - and most usually in women over 50 (normally 60-70)... The fact that I'm not even 50 yet makes me feel even older still, but if it's a diagnosis and a remedy, then I can live with it!  Will chart progress.....

Hi Lesley,

Your post was over a year ago, so I'm wondering how you're feeling and dealing with the pain today?  I started having hot flashes multiple times a day about a month or so ago, and have noticed a host of other issues similar to yours.  Last summer, my jaw started cracking on both sides which was the first sign, but also strange because my jaw has never cracked.  I've continued to have the cracking along w/ jaw pain especially in the evening, which I had attributed to TMJ.  I also have the bad taste in my mouth, so that hit home.  My shoulder has hurt a bit for the past year due to typing and laying on that side when sleeping, but since the hot flashes, it has gotten much worse, and has moved down my arm into my thumb.  Now my spine and shoulders are extremely stiff and sore as well, especially when I wake up. It's almost like one morning I woke up w/a stiff neck and spine, and it just didn't go away.  Sleeping is an issue most nights, as the pain in my arm often wakes me up.  Like you, I also can hear my joints and bones creaking and grinding.  Awhile ago, I had my hormones tested, and while I hadn't gone into menopause, my estrogen had dropped some, as well as my vit D level. After reading many of these posts, I have increased my vit D, calcium and Mag, and I swear I'm noticing a difference, although it has only been a few days.  I'm going to keep trying it and hope it continues to help because HRT is not how I want to go.  However, I also don't want to live in pain, as I'm not even 50 yet.  

Has anyone tried bio identical hormones?  I would like to find out more about them as well.  So glad I ran across your post, as I was also thinking I had some form of arthritis or bone disease.  I know they say that lack of estrogen can eventually lead to osteoperosis, but I had no idea that this sort of pain can hit practically over night.  

I have a bone density test coming up and I'm seeing an orthopedic surg about my arm, since I have had that pain the longest.  I'm assuming it is some sort of tendonitis, but the worsening pain as well as the long list of other issues have to be something else, and the estrogen makes sense.  

Hi.

Your post was over a year ago.

Any changes? Are you doing HRT?

My last period was 4months ago And that is when all hell broke lose. Suddenly, like a tidal wave I was hit with so many meno symptoms. The worst one being acute neck pain and stiffness accompanied by pins and needles in my fingers and toes. Really scary. Went to emergency. They checked everything. Found nothing. After running to every specialist I could think of I came to understand and accept that its from menopause. Dr. Google confirmed it. I a veteran Pilate's/yoga instructor, for almost 30 years Teaching many classes, swimming, walking. Very very active. And yet today, once again, I just lie around the house with hot water bottles behind my neck. Enjoying all the other fun menopause symptoms. Palpitations. Crying jags. Heavy chest. Shortness of breath,. Feeling "hollow", empty inside, even after I have just eaten. Brain fog, like Im not here. Dizziness. I try , miserably so, to exercise. But end up with increased neck pain. Doing saliva hormone testing now. Will hopefully begin Bio -Identical Hormones therapy. Would love to hear from others.I just want to be " me" again.

I just saw your post! I know it has been a year but that is exactly how I feel! I was just sitting here crying and frustrated with all the pain I have been feeling! It started last year with my knee! Then a stress fracture in my toe! It's been a year and my knee still hurts! My feet hurt ankles shoulder and neck! Getting up after sitting for awhile makes me feel like I am 90! I haven't started my menopause yet! But I am even starting to feel depressed about all of this! I have put on so much weight! About 80 pounds in the last 6 years! I go regularly to the doctor! Is this normal to feel like this! I was kind of relieved to know I am not alone!

Hi I am going through this now! Thank you for your post. I have questions.HELP!

I could've written this myself. I'm 53 always been active, (former kindergarten teacher),a wife, mom of 20 and18 year olds. Last year and a half ago moved to the north east and started having pains in my arm and then my shoulder shoulder. I went to my new GP, he suggested that I was depressed and wanted to prescribe me medicine to help me with my depression (which I don't have by the way) although there are days I am in pain and it shows on my face and when I walk around. I got a referral for rheumatologist who has run every blood test imaginable, three times and on paper I look fabulous. She prescribed a steroid taper which I have to say worked really well until I get down to the one pills a day and found self in pain again.

Last April I decided I needed to get in really good shape, I dropped 45pounds felt great. I was feeling fabulous with very little pain until late August when I started having more pain again. I actually noticed that my left arm I could no longer straighten it out over head and when I tried, I was in pain. I was losing mobility. I went to a shoulder specialist because I thought i might've torn something and actually got a steroid shot in it which helped. Starting in September I started walking around like an old woman I was having such pain in my legs initially pain was right under my buttocks like the top of my thighs . I would usually really stiff in the morning but would loosen up as the day would go on. Trying to be proactive I found if I exercise I felt better I kind of warmed up and loosened up, what showers and baths were helpful too. Often in the evenings when I would go to get up after sitting, I am so stiff and in such pain. I am still in pain every day mostly in my knees and left arm. I no longer have pain in my right arm where it started.

I never considered that my pain might be related to menopause . Recently I've had severe hot flashes to the point that I am constantly dressing in layers and in the middle of the winter, find myself in a tank top ALOT! I rarely have trouble sleeping but I wake up early to care for pets. Lately I found myself going back to bed and sleep in an extra couple hours. I am still pushing myself to work out every day. Take the dog for a walk around the block.

I think seeing a gynecologist might be a really smart thing for me to do. I had lots of problems growing up with cysts and endometriosis. I believe in my mid-late 40s I went through a "pre-menopausal change". I started having really heavy periods after not having any period for serveral years. I had a Mirena IUD put in around 42 I think I'm on my third one now. Probably time to update that too .

I don't know if you have had any successes with doctors, but I would love any recommendations or you're about any success you've had. Mentioned in the letter post that you don't even have this problem do you mind telling me what you have because it sounds similar to what I have Been dealing with.

I've had lots of blood test run looks great I'm just trying to figure out what I have going on. If there's anything that helped you to diagnose and feel better I would love to hear . Thanks