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[MrsMitch]

I know that a symptom of menopause can be painful joints and now I'm not certain if the new shape bottle of oestrogel is giving me the dose I need or quality of product, it occurred to me last night a long standing problem I gave may actually be down the the menopause. 
At the same time my hot flushes and poor sleep arrived on the scene I began finding it painful to sleep on my left side - the outside of my hip hurt. This gradually got worse until the pain radiated round the front of my thigh and down my shin. Cutting a long story short I saw a physio consultant who said I needed a hip replacement, then had an xray followed by an MRI only to be offered a steroid injection, as my hips were fine, which didn't work. The surgeon said he had no idea what was causing my pain so I went to 3 different osteopaths who each diagnosed something different and couldn't put it right either!
The pain eventually went of its own accord after 3 years but looking back, that coincided with me pretty much getting my sleep and hot flushes sorted after starting HRT. Now my symptoms are creeping back, so is my hip pain.
Any of you had a similar experience?

[StrictlyFan]

 Hi MrsMitch
I'm so glad I came across your post. I could have basically written it word for word in terms of hip pain. I was put on HRT 18 months ago Oestrogel (2 pumps initially, now raised to 3) and 1 Utrogestran at night.
My symptoms were mainly very poor sleep and fatigue and now this really painful hip pain that has got progressively worse. Just like you it's on my left hand side at the back but now radiates to my front and down my leg.
I have to say the HRT has not really got to the bottom of my symptoms. The sleep has got better with the help of Melatonin. Thankfully, the fatigue only comes on if I have a very stressful of busy  I recently went to see a Chiropractor who has tried Dry Needling on my left buttock. I have only had one session and apparently it needs various sessions help ease the pain.
I have a private blood test booked for next week to see  what my estrogen levels are doing. I have had to self fund this blood test as according to my GP, this is not available on the NHS.
My thinking is that this method of HRT is not being fully absorbed -hence why my symptoms persist and I'm now getting this weird hip pain out of the blue.

I'm hoping you have now got to the bottom of your hip pain and maybe be able to offer some advice.

[sheila99]

I had hip pain before I started hrt and assumed it was worn out joints. It went with hrt. Now the first indication I forgot to change my patch is hip pain. It's the outside but it's both hips. Might be worth trying an increase but as it's only one hip it may indicate a different cause. It might be worth examining anything you do asymmetrically - how you sit, if you sleep on the same etc mattress need replacing?

[Hollyboll]

I know this sounds mad but there’s a school of thought that relates left hip pain to a) female hormones b) deficiency in something- I think either b6 or b12 but can’t quite remember. Might be worth a Google
Xx

[MrsMitch]

Ooh thanks ladies, interesting to hear I'm not alone and yes I'll Google to see if it could be a deficiency.  I will report my findings and also I will mention it to my specialist on Tuesday as it sounds as if it may be of significance. Mine is better but not gone at the moment but I do need my HRT reviewed as it's not as effective as it was.

[CLKD]

Hip pain is in the groin.

Back pain is across the 'hips'.

I have bursitis in both sides which wakes me in the early hours.  Thought it was sciatica, but different nerve route.   Anything with 'itis' = inflammation.  Low osetrogen can cause similar.

[MrsMitch]

Yes CLKD, I learnt that hip pain is in the groin too. I was diagnosed with: trapped femoral nerve then sciatica then prolapsed disc then in need of hip replacement then in need of hip resurfacing then trocanteric (sp) syndrome then I gave up because after seeing all those different people, no one knew what it was. Even the hip replacement specialist who gave me a steroid injection (in the groin, agony) could not explain why my pain eased the more exercise I did.

[merrygoround]

I gave up because after seeing all those different people, no one knew what it was. Even the hip replacement specialist who gave me a steroid injection (in the groin, agony) could not explain why my pain eased the more exercise I did.

If you have very loose joints then exercise will stabilise them by bulking up the surrounding muscle, then holding it firm even when you are relaxed.
Menopause can make muscles weaker, but progesterone makes muscles more lax, so less of that is good and testosterone or tibolone will give you the testosterone to keep your muscles toned.
Did you ever find your joints were worse before your period, when progesterone was loosening everything?

[Gnatty]

Similar to what happened to me, when the gel sneakily changed to oestrodose. I have switched to Sandrena.

[MrsMitch]

That's interesting Merry. But my symptoms only started around the same time as my hot flushes so I didn't have many periods to notice and now I'm post m. The scan and xrays apparently showed all my joints, including spine, are excellent,  so the consultant said. It is very very odd. Its only because after a few years on HRT I noticed it was practically gone and now starting to come back as well as other meno symptoms, I wondered if there was a connection.

[sheila99]

There could well be. Both my hips were sore on the outside before hrt. I'd assumed it was decaying joints but I started hrt for other symptoms and it went. Now if I forget to change my patch the first thing I notice is sore hips. As your pain is only in one hip it would be worth looking at anything asymmetrical and particularly if your mattress needs to be replaced. As other symptoms are creeping back you may benefit from a higher dose.

[Tulip256]

Have people tried omega 3 supplements or via diet?  I found all my aches and pains went away when I started eating sardines every day.

[MrsMitch]

particularly if your mattress needs to be replaced.

Well that's another saga! DH went and bought a new Tempur adjustable bed (twins fixed together) because I couldn't sleep without the head and feet raised. I started with blocks of wood under the mattress both ends which was awful for him! But the pain without was awful.
But it's only a few years old now so plenty of life. And at least I can lie flat at last. That's how much HRT has improved the pain

[joziel]

Joint pain was one of my pre-HRT symptoms too. It was in my knees, hips and back. When I woke up in the morning I felt very stiff and elderly (at age 42!).... and I got 'trigger finger' in both my little fingers. (When I woke up, and first tried to move my fingers, my little fingers would jerk up and down - snapping from the down to the up position without moving smoothly in between.)

I went to my male GP who told me I was 'too young' to be peri-menopausal but he would do some bloods anyway. Hormones came back fine so he told me it couldn't be low estrogen and the rheumatoid arthritis bloods he ran were negative. He said I was hyper-mobile and must have sprained something. I said that I'd been this flexible all my life with no side effects resulting from it... Anyway, he referred me to Rheumatology.

I dutifully went to a rheumatology appointment where they ran a more specialised blood test for rheumatoid arthritis which was also negative...  I told them I was about to start HRT anyway for other symptoms and if the joint pain continued I'd let them know at my next appointment. Started HRT and it all went away....

That was just ONE of my many symptoms which included vaginal dryness and soreness, constipation and gas, dry eyes, migraines, brain fog (the worst) and hot flashes. I didn't want to do anything either, I just wanted to sit by a metaphorical fire and wait to die.... at only halfway through my life??

[suzysunday]

Did you experience any swelling round the joints that were painful, joziel?