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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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  • julie49892
    julie49892 Lesley998

    Posted

    Oh Debbie

    Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a GP like that. I have one that said yes your in perimenopause but that was it no advice nothing. Another one said your hormone level is ok but that’s not always accurate and that was it lol. Hopefully it will get easier. 

  • denise_7777
    denise_7777 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hello everyone - I’ve been reading this thread over the past few weeks and quietly s**tting myself that my joint pain is here to stay.  Super short snap shot - I came off the pill 2 months ago and had some cracking headaches and then felt like I was got hit a bus, same as many of you share - bed one night as a 50 year old and up next day feeling 80.

    I was lucky enough to see a professor today. I made an appointment last week and the first avail was 2 months time but I got a call yesterday that there was a cancellation so I jumped at it.

    Listen up - seems you don’t have to suffer!!!

    There are options - and I’d say read up on all he’s published / written - he travels around the world talking about this stuff.  And save yourself the $330 it cost to seem him today!

    Surprisingly he hates most of the big pharma companies and says they are terrible / unethical and Pfizer give women pregnant horses p**s. 

    Here we go 

    - you probably need a mild estrogen patch - patch yes! Best on as oral pills go to your liver 

    - yes you can look at alternatives, try high does of arthritis fish oil

    - try Accupuncture 

    - in some countries (eu?) there are also creams produced by a privately owned pharma company that do great stuff - not yet avail in Australia 

    If you do nothing it seems the pain will last on average 1.5 to 2 years 

    I’m saying all this as someone in good health / moderate weight / takes no meds / no hysterectomy / no hot flushes 

    His name is Prof John Eden (Australia) 

    Completely relieved 

    I’m seeing a homeopath Thursday and will happily share anything else I find out 

    • Guest
      Guest denise_7777

      Posted

      Denise, Are you taking the patch? I was on it and using the lowest dose available [Estradiol transdermal system (Estraderm)] and an oral progesterone. I was a bit concerned about the cancer risk and stopped after 6 months. Thanks for sharing your experience. 
    • denise_7777
      denise_7777 Guest

      Posted

      Hi tls - did the patches work? 

      Seems a lot has changed over the past 5 years. If it did work I’d say find a really good specialist in menopause and get onto a quality patch -don’t just rely on your doctor, it seems many just go along with the BS the pharma companies tell them which is why Pfizer is still producing crap.  That’s been a lot of spooking info about patches - do your homework and find out what’s true - what I understand is you have more chance of being in a car accident than getting cancer 

    • denise_7777
      denise_7777 Guest

      Posted

      Realised I didn’t answer - I will try natural alternatives for 2 months and if no luck I will for sure 
    • Guest
      Guest denise_7777

      Posted

      I did for six months and frankly I cannot recall how much it helped. It is worth another shot. What brand is better than others? I can ask my doctor about it.
  • Tracey3103
    Tracey3103 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Lesley I have joint pain too I'm 46 and haven't had a period for 6 months and have hot flushes so I'm in menopause for sure but the worse is the joint pain exactly how you explain when I wake up it's so painful and wakes me up in night sometimes too, I also went to see my gp about it I won't go on hrt because cancer in the family and I don't like the sound of hrt to many risks for me, so I will try to cope, I have brought menopause plus tablets from boots and they have helped with pains in joints for me been on them 2 months now and they did take a month to work they are vitamins and iron and you have to drink plenty of water too which helps, they are on 3 for the price of two atm, and cost 13.99 for a months tablets. Worth trying better than hrt no risks. Hope this helps let's me know what your gp says and good luck

    Tracey 😀

  • churchy1
    churchy1 Lesley998

    Posted

    Girls, girls, girls! This is the first time I have ever responded to a forum. My inspiration was to share with you all a) my sympathy an b) my miraculously fast, effective and natural cure; I too have had severe joint pain as described by so many of you on this and other forums  but  I have cured myself with Macafem (maca root). You can only buy Macafem shipped from America but maca root is available in the UK. I was crippled with sore, aching joints (particularly debilitating in the morning) but after a week of taking Macafem, I am completely mobile again with no hot flushes, painful sex etc. I had never realised joint pain was a menopausal symptom until I read an article about Yasmin Le Bon in Red magazine in which she mentioned joint pain being a menopausal symptom...a light bulb moment for me because for a year at least I had thought that I had tennis elbow and aching joints from too much gardening and running. Do please give maca root a go- it has been a life saver for me! Good luck XXXX
  • Carrie_lyn
    Carrie_lyn Lesley998

    Posted

    Oh Leslie I know exactly what you mean. I'm 54 and this is the first month that my periods have gone haywire. The pain in my hips and knees is awful varying between a toothache type pain and electric shocks especially when driving in the car and getting in and out of it, doing my shoes up and lying in bed at night. Constant audiable clickng of hips and knees.I thought I needed a hip replacement when it started on the right side,but then when the left side started I thought that maybe there's another cause. What a bummer though! I feel like a cripple and it's impossible for me to walk without a limp now. Hope this will go away eventually!

  • sue93674
    sue93674 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi again everyone,

    I too have pain in both hips that wakes me up at night, flipping from side to side.  One diagnosis is greater truncantor (spell?) bursitis.  Not one care provider is interested in talking about menopause as a cause for this in a previously healthy person.  My pther complaint is shortness of breath and fast heartbeat when I exert...no other time.  Workups say I have great healthy heart and lungs and I can barely walk up a flight of stairs. Thyroid is also fine.  Ugh.

    • michelle92591
      michelle92591 sue93674

      Posted

      Hi Sue, I have this hip pain too. Only bothers me when I sleep. It feels like an ache or bruise. It feels like a muscle,not a bone issue. Sometimes for a short while it will ache in the morning. I walk everyday and it doesn't bother me. So sick of doctors giving me no answers,so I just deal with it. Have you found any relief?

  • rachel83125
    rachel83125 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    Ive been in severe pain now with my hips, legs, feet and elbow now for 18 months.

    I went to see a physiotherapist here uk who refered me straight away to see a physio consultant as he said he couldn’t explain why I was experiencing pain. 

    I saw the consultant who went through the usual mobility tests and we talked for about an hour about what had happened to me right from the start. Like a lot on here, I went to bed one nigh as a 50 year old whilst on holiday and woke up the next day like an 90 year old. The consultant told me that it was quite a common occurrence for him to see physically fit women coming in saying that they can’t walk properly due to the pain. He said it was due to the menopause! I was shocked, why did my GP not know this? Why has every other woman / therapist / chiropractor never mentioned this me! I could not believe I was the only one experiencing this pain which changes on a daily basis.

    I have now had my bloods tested and yes, my oestrogen levels are on the floor they’re so low. I have now been given HRT by my GP (I have no real risk factors) and have started to take it this week. I will try it for 3 months to see if it helps with my pains. Oh, I forgot to say, I also had 2 sessions of acupuncture which did help with my left hip and even my acupuncturist said it was more than likely hormonal. 

    Sorry this has gone on a bit, but so much has happened. I hope I’m out of the woods with this awful symptom of menopause that no one sees to know about!

    im so glad I found this forum as this has made me realise I’m not the only one to experience this.

  • sue93674
    sue93674 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi Michelle and Rachel,

    I wish you were not suffering but it sure is a comfort to not be alone in this.  Literally no one in my world has heard of hip pain as menopause related.  Physical therapy and Naproxen was recommended.  But I find I’m reluctant because is that going to address the underlying problem?  I am on HRT and frankly do not find relief despite changing doses up and down.  Sorry to be a downer; I just haven’t found answers  yet.

  • glenys01549
    glenys01549 Lesley998

    Posted

    Hi. 

    I am having the same problems you all seem to be having with joint pain. It wakes me up at night and can last over an hour. I have taken to rubbing in voltarol but try to avoid it if I can possibly bare the aches as it’s iboprofen based and it’s not good for asthma, which I have.

    A friend suggested magnesium gel which also appears to work but feels more oily.

    I did read somewhere that perimenapausal women lack magnesium and potassium so maybe that’s why.

    I suddenly feel like an old arthritic lady with my clicking unsupple joints and find I need to ‘warm up’ in the mornings for a while before the stiffness disappears. Gone are the days of energeticly leaping around at the moment!

    It seems to happen whether I have had an active day or not and can start when I’m watching tv on the sofa too. It seems to start after a period of inactivity of a couple of hours for me.

    I have also been taking flax seed oil, vitamin D, evening primrose oil, cod liver oil, glucosamine & calcium and turmeric capsules in the morning. Can’t say I’m feeling the benefit but I’m afraid that if I stop it could be worse.

    I’m just about to try Black Maca root capsules and maybe potassium and magnesium ones too.

    I’ll give anything a try before resorting to hrt.

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