Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => New Members => Topic started by: Joben on February 11, 2019, 04:32:17 PM
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Hello
I am new to this site. I'm 51 and am still having periods intermittently and they are very light. I have suffered night sweats for about a year now.
In August of last year I started with a painful shoulder which has since been diagnosed as Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa sac in the shoulder) I also get very painful hands sometimes. I've been reading up about the connection between decreasing oestrogen levels and increased inflammation in the joints.
Has anyone else suffered with this ?
I am taking numerous medications to try and make my shoulder better but nothing seems to be working. I didn't injure it, it was just a slow degeneration really......... I'm now pretty convinced that this painful shoulder & hands may be down to my decreasing oestrogen.
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Hi Joben
You're right - Joint pains can be linked to low Oestrogen levels caused by the menopause.
If you haven't already, then it might be worth getting your Vitamin D level looked at, as that too can be linked.
I found HRT did ease my joint pains initially.
Gentle exercise might help too :)
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Did your GP suggest physiotherapy at all? Over the counter pain relief should help. Maybe take a couple B4 exercise or gardening? ;)
Keeping hands warm may well help too.
Browse round!
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My hand are horrible now,both my fore fingers look like they have two little balls at either side of them,they're going to go all gnarley as I age,beautiful 🤨
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Hello
I am new to this site. I'm 51 and am still having periods intermittently and they are very light. I have suffered night sweats for about a year now.
In August of last year I started with a painful shoulder which has since been diagnosed as Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa sac in the shoulder) I also get very painful hands sometimes. I've been reading up about the connection between decreasing oestrogen levels and increased inflammation in the joints.
Has anyone else suffered with this ?
I am taking numerous medications to try and make my shoulder better but nothing seems to be working. I didn't injure it, it was just a slow degeneration really......... I'm now pretty convinced that this painful shoulder & hands may be down to my decreasing oestrogen.
Hi Joben. I have some similarities to you. Only have phone with me now but wil write you a longer reply tomorrow. Have a meno appt soon and this is one of my reasons for wanting to try systemic hrt.
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I get painful joints.
Ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows.
Jaw, but that's too much talking my OH says.......😡
When I upped my hrt, it almost went, much, much better, still can't get my toes up to my face though, like I used to.....😩😄
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Toes up to your face ............. uuuummmm - would need 'photos to believe that one :lol:
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Why do you want your toes in your face?or should I not ask 😂🤣
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:great:
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When I was younger, I could get my toes up to my face......
Thought everyone could..?.
Not anymore now.....can't seem to get my leg to bend enough, maybe too tight hamstrings... lol
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One of the stretches I do is sit on the floor,put the soles of your feet together and touch your nose to your feet,also try not to fart whilst doing so 😆
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Well why wouldn't you 😆😄
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Welcome Joben. I too have painful joints. My hands are really sore at the moment. My GP gave me an injection for bursitis in my hip area. It does take a really long time to clear up. I hope you get some relief soon
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U can C how we meanders we does ...........
I have never been able to touch my toes with hands keeping knees locked :-\
Anyone watch Ellie on 'the greatest dancer' - she can put her leg up along the side of her face :o several times :o :o
I find that muscles ache when I begin gardening each Spring. Pushing a hoe or welding a weeder-thingy causes my arms in particular to ache and often the small of my back .......... I can't pace myself ::)
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Thank you Countrygirl...
Thought for a minute I was a freak of some sort.....😂🤣😂
Now I know why I'm so crocked up now I'm older...😢
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Hello Joben, my joints are suffering - hips, feet, shoulder, neck, back and now my hands. It tends to be one in particular and then that one gets better and another one gets worse! My hands are bad at the moment and my feet. I posted a couple of weeks ago that I was struggling to peel potatoes ::). Worst in the mornings. I'm taking Vitamin D and I think there is a slight improvement. And of course I may have to switch to OVEN CHIPS ;D
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I've had 4/5 physio sessions. Hasn't made any difference. I've also had a cortisone injection in my shoulder which has helped slightly but it's still painful on certain movements.
The more I look into it the more I'm convinced about lowering oestrogen levels
Other symptoms include, night sweats, thinning hair, moods,dry skin, complete lack of sex drive the list goes on.
Also I haven't got a thyroid (taken out 10 years ago) which I think might also contribute to a lot of my symptoms. Although I always get told my thyroxine is at the ‘right level ‘
I've lost a lot of faith in NHS doctors as they always seem to want to treat the symptoms rather than finding the cause. However I really want to give the HRT a shot.
Would it be better to ask for a referral to a specialist menopause clinic or do I put my trust in my own doctor initially.
Starting to feel really fed up with it all
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Sometimes menopause clinics don't know much either ::)
Do read our threads on vaginal atrophy ;). Forewarned is forearmed.
You could get a referral to someone who knows more about thyroid function than GPs often do, they tend to go on the within normal limits blood results where some sufferers require a hike in medication.
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My joints are still sore sometimes but are now much better than they were. They got so bad at one point - especially my knees ankles and elbows that the pain kept me awake at night just the weight of them leaning on the mattress. I think my oestrogen levels are back up enough to have stopped all the "wobbly" muscles as CLKD says.
I too used to be really bendy as I was a dancer nearly full time till I was 26 and always kept it up as a hobby but since I got really bad with meno at 46 I've lost a lot of it and now I am a bit afraid if I do something I might do myself a mischief!!
Joben - there is a bit of discrepancy and discussion about "symptoms" and "cause". Ref meno some consultants will do bloods but only a few, to see what the hormone levels are like. The majority I would say and GP's too go off of symptoms and controlling them. Sometimes when we are given hrt our symptoms get better but it is not always reflected in what happens with the bloods.
I would start with your GP first and find out what they know and what they suggest. You may be lucky and find a knowledgeable one. If not and they are not helpful then ask for a referral to a specialist meno clinic as your second line of attack. Your lack of thyroid will have quite an impact on your meno journey. There are a few ladies here who have trouble balancing their thyroid meds against their hrt.
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I've had 4/5 physio sessions. Hasn't made any difference. I've also had a cortisone injection in my shoulder which has helped slightly but it's still painful on certain movements.
The more I look into it the more I'm convinced about lowering oestrogen levels
Other symptoms include, night sweats, thinning hair, moods,dry skin, complete lack of sex drive the list goes on.
Also I haven't got a thyroid (taken out 10 years ago) which I think might also contribute to a lot of my symptoms. Although I always get told my thyroxine is at the ‘right level ‘
I've lost a lot of faith in NHS doctors as they always seem to want to treat the symptoms rather than finding the cause. However I really want to give the HRT a shot.
Would it be better to ask for a referral to a specialist menopause clinic or do I put my trust in my own doctor initially.
Starting to feel really fed up with it all
I have eventually got round to replying to you. Since my my first comment, I see that you have had your thyroid removed so we have that in common too. Mine was removed due to an enlarged goitre but i had already been on Thyroxine since I was a baby.
I am a bit older than you (approaching 56 and no periods for 5 years). Aching calves and feet were one of the first symptoms but i was never sure whether they were more meno linked or thyroid. However my thyroid has been checked many times and I suspect that the aching is more to do with low oestrogen. I haven't had any HRT up to now (except the local Vagifem to try and prevent recurrent UTI's). However I did recently have a referral to a urogynaecologist and she asked my GP to give me a referral to a meno clinic. My first appt. is in April and i am particularly going to ask about aching calves/feet/joints. I will report back on that.
I haven't had much trouble with night sweats/mood changes and thinning hair.
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Hi Joben & welcome👍
I am fairy new to this forum, but have found it to be a great help in keeping me from losing it completely.
I too have aching joints, regularly in the small of my back, especially if I don't move enough at work(my own fault).
My neck can also be very stiff, my left elbow, strangely not the right.
Just now it's both my knees. These aches seem to try out a new position every week or so. Should be glad they don't happen all at once.
Something I noticed last year was when flying and not particularly long haul, my feet and ankles were swollen, never had this problem before even on long haul, flight socks from now on, managed to find nice pink ones instead of black. Roll on summer☀️✈️😎
Oh I find Epsom salts baths quite helpful.
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Oops sorry I also get aching hands especially my thumbs, forgot about them as it's the pesky knees just now👍👎🦵
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Thankyou all for your replies.
It's helpful to know about this forum and read about others experiences
My appointment is not until the 28th (nightmare getting into our local doctors) but I'm just collecting as much info in the meantime to hopefully go in fully prepared.
Wish me luck :)
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Thankyou all for your replies.
It's helpful to know about this forum and read about others experiences
My appointment is not until the 28th (nightmare getting into our local doctors) but I'm just collecting as much info in the meantime to hopefully go in fully prepared.
Wish me luck :)
good luck! Also hard to get appointments at my GP but in a different way because they will not schedule any appointments beyond the coming week. Sometimes i'd be willing to book one 2 weeks ahead. Once the coming week's slots are full, we are told to try again next week. There are a few same day slots but you have to ring between 8 and 9 am. no good because I am on the tube to work then. I once woke up around 2am and checked the booking app then and managed to get one....
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Hello ladies.
I'm not particularly troubled by aching joints ( irritability and tearfulness are taking up all my time at the moment lol ) but I wanted to say that a friend of mine manages to get next day doctors appointments and I wondered why. It turns out that she always books online at just past midnight so she is first in the queue for same day appointments. So all we have to do is be wide awake during the early hours which, thanks to the menopause, shouldn't be a problem!
Take care everyone.
K.
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Hello ladies.
I'm not particularly troubled by aching joints ( irritability and tearfulness are taking up all my time at the moment lol ) but I wanted to say that a friend of mine manages to get next day doctors appointments and I wondered why. It turns out that she always books online at just past midnight so she is first in the queue for same day appointments. So all we have to do is be wide awake during the early hours which, thanks to the menopause, shouldn't be a problem!
Take care everyone.
K.
That one occasion when i booked early in the morning only gave me an appt. several days later.
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When I was younger, I could get my toes up to my face......
Thought everyone could..?.
Not anymore now.....can't seem to get my leg to bend enough, maybe too tight hamstrings... lol
This made me laugh so much. ;D ;D. .. I also was able to do 'the telephone'.. a yoga move my mum told me.. one foot to the ear and the other to the mouth.. not these days sadly... maybe paying for it now as also suffer with painful knees and hands particularly thumbs.. HRT helps but doesn't eliminate it totally.