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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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  • jeannecatlover
    jeannecatlover Lesley998

    Posted

    Lesley,

    Hi.  I would love to know what happened and how you feel now.

    I went into menopause in August, and about a month later started feeling new types of pain--pain in my hands when I tried to open bottles, pain in my biceps when I tried to pull a banana off a bunch, pain in my hips when I stood after sitting for an extended period.  I read the book FLYING UP THE STAIRS:  WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MENOPAUSAL ARTHRITIS TO BREAK FREE, and it seemed to describe many of my symptoms.  The timing of the pain seemed to clearly indicate to me that it was caused by menopause.  My rheumatologist, though, said they don't acknowledge "menopausal arthritis" as a condition, and she diagnosed me with Polymyalgia Rheumatica, saying it just happened to arise in my case shortly after menopause.  She put me on prednisone. 

    I'm not confident that PMR is the proper diagnosis, and I'm thinking that HRT would be a better treatment, but I can't find much information on this.  Have you found any effective treatment for menopausal arthritis?  

    Thanks.

    Jeanne

    • debbie36807
      debbie36807 jeannecatlover

      Posted

      HI Jeanne.  I’m 50 and have been peri for about 2 years. I have the same pain in joints in hips, thumbs and generally hurting when moving. I have tried all sorts of vitamins but have found no relief. I cannot take hrt. I’m hoping that eventually the pain stops ? 
    • jeannecatlover
      jeannecatlover debbie36807

      Posted

      Debbie,

      I hope so.  Have you tried prednisone, like so many on this group?  It has definitely reduced some of my pains.  I hate being on it, because of the side effects (cataracts, blurry vision, bone loss) and would like to switch to hrt, but it has definitely helped.

  • claire08230
    claire08230 Lesley998

    Posted

    Good Morning 

    I have posted twice on this merry hell of Peri and wanted to update on my experience on Progesterone Cream its Biodentical and not the yam stuff that cant survive digestion so it has been suggested. I did a lot of research to come to the conclusion I was estrogen dominant even though estrogen was low, my joints ached I was hot flushing constantly and a walking fountain. I have been on the cream for months now and within two weeks my world was transformed, it did exactly what the ads said. Last week I forgot to take it as normal and I paid the price my hands still ache a lot and I find holding the vaccume difficult my neck clicks like mad and the sweats came back all be it a lesser intensity so I will never make the mistake of missing the cream ever again, We all go through different levels of pain

    and symptoms so I can only talk from my experience but it bothers me that other hormone treatments are being suggested over progesterone given the negative influence they can have on the body.

    I suffered dramatically from the physical hurt and stiffness in all my joints and stopping the cream even for a bit meant the problems flooded back,  I urge everyone to research like crazy its alarming the lack of knowledge on this matter but the info is out there with a bit of digging and my life is so much the better now.

    Good luck to all of you its a mare when just getting up in the morning is a painful challenge. Just dont be fobbed off that you are just getting old  and have to put up with it. You dont.

    • jeannecatlover
      jeannecatlover claire08230

      Posted

      Claire,

      Hi. I'm very interested in investigating progesterone cream.  Can you share a link to this medication or to articles about it?  That would be very helpful.

      Jeanne

    • claire08230
      claire08230 jeannecatlover

      Posted

      Hi Jeanne

      I dont have details of the sites I visited as it was months ago now I just typed various progesterone v estrogen searches and scrolled and many other serches as well look up Dr Lee a hormone Dr  now deceased but a total pioneer on the subject. After all my reading up I decided i needed progesterone and the one of 4 best ones I chose was Serenity  go to www.welsprings-health.com they have a web site full of useful info on peri and full menopause. I will tell you now that like the comments on their own web site i too was sceptical and nearly didnt buy the cream as i thought may be its just a con and its expensive but I was desperate and OMG I reccomended it to my sister after trying it and she is also in awe. There are other versions out there and one maker names all of the top creams according to them this one is in there but I cant remember the other makes. This is made in America and sold in the UK from wellsprings a co registered in the Channel Islands another reason i nearly didnt buy it. 

      I found out that progesterone is called the oldest hormone as it can be used by the body to be turned into estrogen and even testosterone in menit. 

      The website has very interesting articles so even if you dont buy the cream sign up to the updates and I really wish you luck in finding some help. 

      I love your jeannecatlover name  it made me smile so much.

       

    • jeannecatlover
      jeannecatlover claire08230

      Posted

      Thanks very much for this information!  I will go check it out.

      My cat is one of my great comforts in life.  smile

  • dianaprincess
    dianaprincess Lesley998

    Posted

    Hello, I can't believe there is more women like me, I am 52y/o I used to be very active, dancing, bicyle, runing walking, travel, I used to love life, now I am complete depressed, besides my sciattica that is killing me and the wait for Dr;s its so ridiculous, I all over the sudden developed elbow, shoulders, neck, and finger pains, I can't even carry my purse in my shoulder or take out a T-shirt !!! what is going on, ?? I turned menopausic about 2 years ago, my hot flashes only lasted 6 months I quit my hormonal replacement because my dr recomended but I am ok with out them, I also have severe dry and I don't have any desire of a sexual life. My eyes are extreme dry, I went 3 times for a test of Srojen syndrome and 3 times come negative. My thyroide is normal, I am not over weight, I didn't gain pounds at all but I feel that all over the sudden I aged 40 years. My mother that is 74 y/o, runs, walk, dance, has small arthritis but nothing serious. I also went to see a Rheumatologist that told me I am developing arthritis but nothing serious.

    I can't sleep because the pain on my hips awake me up and also my arms and fingers get numb.

    My depression is killing me. I don't know what to do. 

    ex- princess. :-(

    • Eralc1968
      Eralc1968 dianaprincess

      Posted

      Hi Diana,

      I’m sorry you are feeling so terrible too. I don’t have any answers for you but what I would suggest is that you (a) don’t give up exercise - try something more gentle such yoga or Pilates. It will help hugely with stretching out and keeping your joints mobile, it will also make you feel good mentally. The more tense/agitate you are, the worse you’re pain will be. And (b), apart from the hot flashes did any of the other symptoms you describe occur before you took HRT? How soon after coming off it did they start? Is it not possible to go back to HRT? Vaginal estrogen provides a very low dose of estrogen which is concentrated in the vagina and bladder with minimal absorption around the body. Therefore vaginal estrogen can be used by women who either do not want to take HRT, or have been advised not to take HRT. I believe it’s a gel? It may help you. Good luck x

    • dianaprincess
      dianaprincess Eralc1968

      Posted

      Dear Eralc1968,

      Thank you for your reply, it gave an smile someone read my comment. I had try Yoga and Pilates and it makes me worse. Can't do any exercise. :-(

      I started Estrogel on the weekend. I'll see what's the result.

      Thank you again. 

    • Eralc1968
      Eralc1968 dianaprincess

      Posted

      Hi again,

      Such a a shame that it makes matters worse. How about swimming as it’s non weight bearing? I do think exercise is a great tonic and moving the joints (although painful) is the way forward I think to keep up mobility otherwise one can seize up completely.

      Let us know how you get on with Estrogel as many of us seem to be suffering similar issues and it would give hope to know that some things give relief.

      Take care of yourself.

    • jeannecatlover
      jeannecatlover dianaprincess

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing.  It's nice to know I'm not alone.  I also awaken during the night due to hip pain, and I also have very dry eyes and have been tested for Sjogren's Syndrome (with negative result).  For dry eye, I take Restasis drops twice daily, 5 Theratears Omega 3 pills daily, hot compresses on eyes twice daily, Lipiflow treatment annually, and Refresh Plus tears every hour or 2.  I also find it far too painful to do Yoga or Pilates, but I do about 90 minutes stretches and stomach crunches in the morning and 30 minutes at night (I've very carefully selected these as the ones that don't cause me pain and where I can control exactly what is being stretched), and I do 13 minutes stationary bike daily.  That again allows me to control what I'm moving so I can minimize any pain.

      I would love to know how the Estrogel works for you.  Neither my general practitioner nor my rheumatologist will prescribe any sort of HRT.  They just keep saying PMR and Prednisone. 

      Hope you are feeling better soon.

    • monique_93857
      monique_93857 jeannecatlover

      Posted

      Oh my goodness i thought i was all alone the other night my eyes were so dry i was so miserable it had my nose dry i started using my drops i bought from drug store it has started helping i felt horrible didnt want to. Be bothered it also h my vision a little blurry but that cleared up after the drops im happy to know its not just me im not alone ive been through so much in menopause most have passed but these dry eyes and allergies stick around hope everything gets better with you as well good day
    • Parsley1003
      Parsley1003 dianaprincess

      Posted

      Hi

      Being depressed and in pain have a completed negative effect. Depression worsens pain=fact.

      Menopause is a completely normal part of ageing. I went thro it at 42!i didn't realise what was happen g but started with painful joints and GP picked it up immediately. I had hormone replacement but pit on weight and vhsnged the dose three times but then had to come off it as I git Breast Cancer aged 49.im fine and Cancer free.

      Joint pain is a known connection to menopause. Gentle exercise such as swimming and walking good, keep joints moving.

      As regards dry eyes and vaginas etc. Also normal but a nuisance. There are oestrogen vaginal pessaries you can get from your Dr but as effective is vagifem vaginal moisturiser as an insertion tube type thin two times a week.

      Sjorgen syndrome doesn't just effect eyes it's mainly salivary glands so very unlikely to be honest.

      Over the counter eye drops a couple of times a day or massage top lid outside to in as you have natural ducts that sometimes get a bit blocked too.

      Basically girls we have to accept we are ageing, but keep moving, treat depression if necessary but accept this is life. Our mothers didn't talk about it but suspect they went thro it. We wonder why some men trek off with younger women... They aren't so marvellous in older age either.

      My joints hurt a lot, arthritic changes and ageing. I've now been I the menopause 12yrs and try and adjust accordingly, I'm not 21 anymore but it doesn't mean life is over. Mindset is the key, accept, change a few things and live xxxx

    • dianaprincess
      dianaprincess Parsley1003

      Posted

      Dear Parsley1003

      Thank you for your answer, I am sorry you have so many pains too.... it's hard to accepted after been so active.

      I'll keep trying.

      Cheers ?

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