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[Happychick79]

Hi there I'm 46 and a gym instructor. I've always been very fit and healthy. Took a niggling sore back 5 weeks ago followed 2 days later by soft stools and my period which arrived 4 days early (24 days as opposed to 28). GP said back was tense, got stool samples including Fit Test and calpro test run all back normal. Bloid tests also back normal. Soft stools settled but tummy very windy. Anxiety through the roof (health anxiety, mum died of cancer just before Christmas). Back ache still there have had to close my gym for 3 weeks. Period back again last week (22 days this time) loose stools/diarrhea again. Period gone, bowels have settled but still windy. Back pain feels achy amd burning almost like skin feels warm. It's in low and mid back mostly on the right. Pain in ribs. Had pelvic exam done and ovarian bloods run too all ok. I experienced really bad childhood trauma also. Could this all be peri menopause and can it hit you all of a wallop. Anyone else with no history of back pain ever taken this with perimenopause.

[Minusminnie]

Jaypo posted just before me but I will go ahead …. sorry about your mum have you been offered any sort of grief counselling ? Either via the gp or a cancer charity. Ask ?

A grief cafe or counselling may lead on to addressing childhood trauma.

Your gut is like a ‘second brain’ and can react.

[CLKD]

Hi welcome to the 'wonderful' World of sharing ;-)

During my menstruating years I would get a runny gut 10 mins B4 a bleed began, even if a period wasn't due  .  So no travelling arrangements could be made in the 2 weeks B4!  Later I developed slow transit ...........

What scares you the most?  As we go into perimenopause: those years prior to the final bleed = menopause though Nature may throw in a curved ball  - periods wax and wane, oestrogen levels drop which may cause the body to become dry: inside and out as well as muscles may become lax = aches and pains.

MayB keeping a mood/food/symptom diary would help to chart progress.  Ask away!

[Happychick79]

Thank you all so much for the lovely welcome. I've always been ridiculously active running, teaching 8 gym classes a week for 10 years and been so blessed never to have an ache or pain. This pain has stopped my training which was always my go to for my mental health. Just this afternoon I've taken a really sharp pain in my right wrist. I've diagnosed myself with 10 different types of cancer in the last 4 weeks I'd say. I have to admit I'm totally uneducated peri is so much more than hot flushes. I think I will ring my GP and request an MRI @jaypo thanks.i had xrays done Friday past results should be back with my GP in 7 days. Also going through my Health insurance for CBT and counselling for the trauma and grief, should hear back this week 🤞Thanks so much again you lovely ladies. Appreciate all the support so much.

[bombsh3ll]

Please try not to worry, this is statistically very unlikely to be cancer, however you have done the right thing pursuing investigations. Your test results are all reassuring.

New unexplained back pain in someone over 40 should prompt imaging, and an x-ray is a good place to start.

What type of cancer did your mum have? Many cancers have no strong heritability. Grief in itself can do a number on both physical and psychological health.

It is difficult to know if specific symptoms are perimenopause related but you are almost certainly in perimenopause at 46, absolutely it can hit some people suddenly out of nowhere and can include joint issues due to falling estrogen, as well as digestive problems due to changing gut microbiome.

The only way to determine if perimenopause is causing/worsening symptoms is a trial of hormone treatment and see if they improve.

[Happychick79]

Thanks so much bomsh3ll for this ❤️.  My mum was a heavy smoke and died of lung cancer. I've never smoked in my life. The back ache has been there every day for 5 weeks now. Started like a dull ache low right hand side and has progressed to almost a burning sensation that spreads upwards to my mid back it almost feels like my skin is hot to  touch. I went to the physio and he could see nothing wrong. Told me yo try running but that seemed to iritate it and make it burn more. Havent run in a week tried 10 mins of very gentle weights and yoga yesterday. Was sitting for 5 hours at my day job in an office today (up twice to pee but apart from that just sitting)and it's burning this evening. Im beside myself tbh. Wrist pain this evening is shocking too 😪

[Happychick79]

Thanks Jaypo. I've had a thorough pelvic exam week before last and bloods run specifically for ovaries all clear. Also on the booking list for an ultrasound on my ovaries so hoping that is me covered 🤞💕

[CLKD]

How is your diet overall?  I've revised mine over the last 3-4 years with benefit.

How is your footwear?  I could solve half the UKs back problems ...... 

How is your stance: sitting, sleeping, walking?  As we age muscles may become lax = aches and pains so adjustments might help.  I get low back pain when I bend rather than kneel to fill the dishwasher  and many years ago I would wake in the early hours with intense burning pains deep in both thighs.  Took months to realise that it was due to bending over small cabinets at antique fairs!  It was so painful that I couldn't even shout!

Do U take any pain relief B4 exercise? 

[Happychick79]

Hi CLKD
My diet has went a bit off since this started 5 weeks ago...ive lost my appetite (not sure if thats anxiety) but overall it's normally quite good.
Tmi but I've almost given myself fear of pooing (terrified that I'm going to have diarrhea and think the worst) so I'm almost holding poo in. Trainers are good and supportive and I don't wear heels. I didn't take anything pain med wise before I ran the couple of times I have in the last 5 weeks and I've done no other training except a few light weights on Sunday past. Have you ladies heard of anyone with no prior back issues ever taking a chronic bad back in peri menopause? Back to the Dr tomorrow morning she is going to do the peri menopause check list etc with me xx

[Minusminnie]

Was sitting for 5 hours at my day job in an office today (up twice to pee but apart from that just sitting)and it's burning this evening. Im beside myself tbh. Wrist pain this evening is shocking too 😪

Just wonder what your office chair is like for prolonged sitting.

A book by Tim Parks called Teach Us To Sit Still may be of interest to you.

Is there any part of your exercise that you could stop for a while to see if dropping one element of it makes any difference eg weight lifting can influence pelvic pain.

Good that you have some future grief /trauma counselling as I feel it may be a factor in your pooing habit that has gone a bit awry.

[CLKD]

Oh the poo issue  .  for years if my bowel became irritated in the early hours I would hold on in case I had picked up a bug and it was the runs  so U are not alone in this.  I must have spent 1,000s of hours over the years awake in the night, when I did 'go' it was within normal limits. But I never learnt!

Try eating little and often B4 the body gets hungry.  Snacks: bananas, dried fruits/nuts, keep hydrated; ignore the sugar issues at this point in time as the body requires natural sugars. Pancakes are a good standby, mixed in the morning and cooked B4 feeling hungry, the batter keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge.  It's what my DH cooks if I have a dip.  Banana on toast ........... Marmite on toast or Bovril in hot water to drink. 

Any rice/chicken mix is protein and filling. 

What's the peri check list I wonder  .  As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax ........ gentle walking in early morning/late evening sunshine won't do any harm.  Let us know how you get on.

[Happychick79]

Hello lovelies. Well I went to the Dr this morning she went back through all my bloods etc and says that they are beyond pefect. The checklist is the NHS NICE checklist...I think Davina McCall refers to this in her book. Basically ticking off symptoms that you have. However I didn't get to that stage because my Dr went to our physio and asked if my back xrays were back..they are and it turns put I have a bloody stress fracture on my spine L4 L5. I'm so glad I pushed for the xrays and appointments. If I hadn't been in today the physio prob wouldn't have bought up my xrays. So next stop for me is an MRI to check for disc or nerve damage and then Orthapedics for hopefully a non surgical recovery plan. Bowel wise Dr is saying that because the soft stool/diarrhea is coinciding with my period that it's most likely peri menopause symptoms or like you said Minusminnie it could be stress. I've lost 4lbs weight but I am so stressed and was kind of scared to each much in case I pooed so will def be using your meal advice CLKD. Thanks so much you are so helpful and friendly ladies xxx

[CLKD]

OUCH! 

Let us know how you get on.  Were U given advice about movement?

[CLKD]

U can if worried in the day about having an accident, buy some proper pants from the supermarket ....... to give U piece of mind ;-)

[Happychick79]

Thanks girls. Yes no hoovering (yay), no impact sport (boo) no running (boo) no weights (boo) basically rest, gentle walking, then once pain subsides a bit and ive seen orthopedics cycling and physio working to get strength back. Not sure how this will leave my gym business but the members have all been so brilliant and understanding and are telling me to take all the time I need. Xx