Perimenopause and SEVERE joint pain - any one else??
Posted , 512 users are following.
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
Eliaimee1970 Lesley998
Posted
OMG !!! im not the only one right now my both shoulders and neck is killing me . it gets worse in the morning ! 2 months and going crazy
Reenee35 Eliaimee1970
Posted
I am the same and sometimes my hands and collarbones hurt too. It is an awful thing! I am 53 and I feel like I am 90 seriously. I cannot take HRT I have a history of post menopausal breast cancer in my family so I am just at a loss.
grace50455 Lesley998
Edited
hi Lesley, I was just wondering how you are doing ?
Msajdak Lesley998
Posted
I have joint pain in my fingers and hips mostly still sometimes my hamstring bothers me but the most annoying thing is i cant sleep I have trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep I dont know how i function I am never tired It is so strange I tried everything CBD oil over the counter sleeo aids prescription sleeping pills and they dont really work Wine seems to help me fall asleep but nit stay asleep So frustrating Any other suggestions?
Eralc1968 Msajdak
Posted
Are you able to exercise during the day at all? Go for a good long brisk walk maybe? I always sleep better after a physical day.
jgo Eralc1968
Posted
Join the Facebook group totes Meri perri
I had incredibly awful joint pain took HRT felt better but in the last six months to year it’s come back. Today is so bad I really do feel as though I’ve got chronic fatigue syndrome or return of me. I have foraminal stenosis in my cervical spine and I’m waiting for spinal fusion next year I’m not sure whether this causes extreme fatigue and muscle pain. I’m so fed up of going backwards and forwards to the doctors I just give up
Shinygal jgo
Posted
Thank you. That's terrible for you though. Can you go back to your own GP meantime and try to get some help?
Shinygal Lesley998
Edited
Ladies, I have posted before in a reply to others, but every so often I have to come back and read more stories just so I don't feel so alone in this horrible journey. Your thoughts, suggestions and well wishes to others are so heartening.
I had a hysterectomy when I was 37, I'm now 57. They didn't take out my ovaries though so I have gone through a natural peri/menopause a bit blind because I had no menstrual clues to guide me. I reckon though based on symptoms like the start of occasional flushes, that I entered peri about age 48. Over the last few years I've had loads of symptoms than can and went, severe itching, dry mouth, palpitations, etc. These were all troublesome but bearable and they all settled eventually. Sometimes they return a little but never for long and never severe.
The things that have come and stayed though, are the hot and sweaty flushes, several a day, and the joint pains. My fingers and hands are in constant pain, my hips, low back and knees joining in too.Last year my neck was bad but thankfully that subsided. My GP took each pain seriously so I was duly x-rayed and also tested for various autoimmune diseases like RA, lupus etc quite extensively. Everything came back negative. My late mum had post menopausal breast cancer in her late 50s and also an autoimmune disease in her 70s so I am mindful of both and have discounted HRT on those grounds. I have tried just about everything else Holland and Barrett can sell me, maca, soy, Menopace, sage, etc etc. I've also even succumbed to homeopathic treatments which did nothing (probably because I don't really believe in it lol). I tried acupuncture as well, nada. Nothing has truly given relief and some have just caused digestive upsets after a while. I currently take magnesium with zinc, vit D and turmeric. The one thing I haven't tried yet is the glucosamine so I might stop the soy and do a 3 month trial of that as some of you seem to have found it helps.
I walk a lot in summer, golfing, but winter is hard because of the weather so I'm going to get back to swimming and yoga, although the latter is a struggle when you are so stiff. Discounting the early peri when things were intermittent and bearable, I feel like I've been in this proper purgatory for about 4-5 years now. Does it ever go away? I would love to hear from any women who got out through the other side. I already feel like a 70 year old most days. I try to remain positive knowing so many people are suffering disease and illness far more than me, but this week I have felt particularly low.
Solidarity and love to all of you. It's a huge help just to share this and know you're not alone. Lx
wendy89004 Shinygal
Edited
oh you sound just like me. i honestly am losing the will! lost count of how much I've spent...most recently a private rheumatologist who has said hEDS, fibromyalgia, sacroiliac joint dysfunction (do have bulging discs, arthritis, degenerative disc disease) but everything has increased over the last 5 years, but the last 2 being every day constant joint pain (mainly sacroiliac area, lower back, hips locking etc)
really don't know what to think or do anymore. I'm 52, practically housebound due to pain and lack of mobility 😦 x
jgo Lesley998
Posted
Sorry that message from me was for shiny girl
karen10682 Lesley998
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I am so thankful I found this post. Finally other women with the same symptoms as myself. I am 51 and feel like I am dying. I have been to all different specialist fir each symptom I have and everything comes back fine. Doctors say only a small amount of women struggle with menopause but I see alot of women struggling with their life and we are discarded and told you just have to get through it. Many women have this for years. I cant cope with this for years !!!
I have always been fit and healthy until menopause and I can hardly get out of bed. going to work pain is unreal.
jgo karen10682
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hi karen , im 51 too and despite oestrigel hrt am back to feeling like im breaking down and dying too
jola24118 karen10682
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Karen, I was like you never sick and very fit but know I have some very strange issues. Most recently muscles, join pain (when I am not moving) so I have to move 24/7 to keep my blood moving. Went to many doctors and all results look fantastic expect for my hormones which are very difficult to balance. But this latest pains had to do with too much estrogen as my blood test showed high estrogen and very negligible progesterone.. (even though I am on HRT) so I am to reduce estrogen increase progesterone and take extra magnesium for muscle /joint paint. Cheers!
Msajdak Lesley998
Posted
Does anyone have insomnia? I have tried sleeping pills, melatonin, CBD oil, you name it I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep Any suggestions?
jgo Msajdak
Posted
zopiclone to get you bsck in sleep routine short term
jola24118 Msajdak
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I tried this too(except for the oil) but the best so far is the increased dose of progesterone plus it calm me down.