Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??
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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
Jenners45 Lesley998
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Hi Lesley998
Hope this thread is still running and being read as your post above sounds like me. Only I'm 46 and still having regular, although a few recently messed up periods over the past few years.
I feel like i constantly have flu which gets a bit better mid cycle then comes back. My doctor said it sounds like a hormone inbalance and progestrone only meds could help and the aching legs etc could be hormone related too. I am wondering if this perimenopause is affecting my varicose vein as it seems to be aching more (again some weeks ok some really painful). I have had blood tests and all come back normal.
I don't know if i can ride this out or to just take the meds. Is it possible to try the meds ad see if they work? Will taking the meds prolong the process or am i better just goingvthroughit without the meds.
I have an 8 year old daughter so i need my energy and healthy mindset back.
sarah12678 Lesley998
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I just want to share that since visiting the rheumatologist and being prescribed steroids for the last 2 weeks (20mg then 17.5mg) I have started feeling SO MUCH BETTER! I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (despite only being 48, and it generally being a condition that 'attacks' older ladies, over 50, 60 & 70!) It is wonderful feeling the perpetual pain in my shoulders, neck hips and knees subsiding, and I have even started back to gentle exercise - hurrah! Walking and gentle jogging, without the jarring of my joints, has been fabulous - a return to the old me. I will now be taking a gentle reduction in steroids over the following weeks (now on 15mg this week, reducing by 1mg each subsequent week) and hope that the symptoms do not return......
Best of luck to all of you. Debilitating joint and muscle pain really knocks you sideways, I know....
laurie1823 sarah12678
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Hi Sarah: Glad to hear that something is helping. I recently found out I have a calcium deposit on my shoulder which was causing pain for the last year 1/2. I'm sure it's not the cause of all the other pain I have, but I'm going in for a steroid shot for my shoulder and hoping it will help. Would love to hear how you feel after you're done w/the course of steroids. Good luck to you!!
lisa45672 sarah12678
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Just interested to know what steriods you are on?
sarah12678 lisa45672
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Hi Lisa,
I'm taking Prednisolone steroids. I took 20mg for the first week, then 17.5mg for the second and I'm now on 15mg, cutting to 14mg next week etc....I understand you need to tail off gently to ensure symptoms don't come back when it's a case of 'Polymyalgia Rheumatica'...I don't know about other conditions. Hope that helps!
All the best,
Sarah
polly111 sarah12678
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How are you doing now? I tiook prednisone as well for multiple joint pain twice for a couple of weeks each time and the pain returned a few days after I finished. Did your blood tests show rheumatoid arhthritis - mine are normal but prednisone still helps.
yvette01233 Lesley998
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Hi Lesley
i am crying as I type this message to you. Just wanted to say a big thank you to you, for putting your symptoms down on this forum a year ago. I have been looking for a solution to the debilitation pain I have had these past 2 weeks. Came from nowhere. Started in my left knee on a Thursday. By the weekend I couldn't walk up and down our stairs, my body was in incredible pain all over. Also just confirmed I am peri menopausal, and it seems I am one of the minority who experience this kind of symptom in its severity. So thank you very much. I don't feel like I'm going crazy, and now I can go seek medical help, and hopefully get some relief for this pain, and start getting out of the house again.
I hope that a year down the line you are doing well. Would love to see an update from you.
Kind regards
Yvette
abby_51177 Lesley998
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I am also in perimenopause.
cynthia24074 Lesley998
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claire17043 Lesley998
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Dear Lesley,
what a joy to read your experiences! Well, not a joy that you have them of course but I too have been experiencing "exactly " the same symptoms as yourself, to a T!
i am 47 and aware for some time that I am perimemopausal as have had the typical hot flushes, nothing too unbearable, so just got on with it, as you do.
I did however mention this to my Doctor and all she did was thrust a pamphlet at me with suggestions of food I should be eating! I was not too impressed with her bedside manner, especially as I told her I mostly eat fish and pretty much everything of the suggested food was my daily diet anyway! After that experience I felt a little humiliated and went away thinking there was not any help on offer?
My symptoms over the past couple of months have progressed somewhat as now experiencing sleep disruptions with night sweats and for the last 2 weeks excruciating joint and muscle pain, same as yourself, starting in my left top arm, moving to my shoulder, then over to the other arm, left hip and my wrists bones can get so sore, I have to rub them to soothe the pain!
I was also starting to get quite frightened thinking maybe I have some awful bone disease etc, etc and my fear brought me to google and thankfully, to your inciteful experience of the same.
I hope you are feeling better but I just wanted to thank you for putting your story out there! As now I feel better armed to go back to my doctors and be more assertive with getting some assistance.
It does trouble me somewhat that more often than not we are fobed off when I do not doubt that our GP's know full well something could be prescribed to help or alleviate said symptoms. All to do with cut backs I'm sure of it!
Anyway, thanks again x
luciekcr Lesley998
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Hi Lesley ......I hope you are still able to receive emails?
I was interested how you have been getting on a year later.
I have been perimenopausal for about 8 years . I am 48 this year. I had an novosure cervical ablation about 3 years ago to stop heavy periods .....which has been brilliant. I've had the most unbearable sweats day and night for years ....but the last year ive much improved and went 6 months without periods .........then on chritsmas day my period started and has been regular ever since .........however , my legs ache so badly and my knee and hip joints are really painful. So i was wondering if youve found any magic formuleas for releif ??? Thanks Lucie x
Kid_bish Lesley998
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Hi ,I'm writing this on behalf of my wife she is going through exactly what you've describe she also suffers from under active thyroid she is in terrible pain in her neck down to her backs of her legs she has tried all pain killers and antinflamitorys they ware off after a while she is worst in bed but gets pain most of the day she has had a blood test and getting her results today we think her thyroid is low as of her eastogein levels could be as well hope this as helped
kathleen_chc Kid_bish
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Hi,
Let me start off by saying, I really do feel her pain, and I'm sorry that she's going through this it's hard on her and you, I see a love one going through this. I really hope she has some definitive results from the blood test as mine have been perfect, which is wonderful and yet at the same time incredibly frustrating. I'm now looking into seeing if that's an auto immune problem. Good luck and let me know how she's doing hopefully the blood work shows something that can be treated .
angela57515 Lesley998
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Guest Lesley998
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