Menopause? Arms, hands, legs and feet numbness

Are these menopause symtoms (symptoms)?

For the past 5-6 weeks, I've been having numbness/tingling in my arms, hands and legs and feet.  I've also had tingling in the face area.........mouth and tongue.  My eyes sometimes feel itchy as sometimes my skin.  I've had headaches and felt light-headed.  Sometimes my face gets flushed and so do my arms, like I'm burning under my skin.  My finger joints feel sore.  I can't hold a book or magazine and turn the pages, my hands and fingers feel sore.  

I've had blood work, a MRI of the brain, and a nerve test done.  All my test results are fine.  My Neurologist suggested it's anxiety or I'm hyperventilating.  Oh, I was also sent to Physical Therapy for tight muscles in my shoulder in neck.  The PT said I was fine.  The Neurologist told me to come back in six weeks.  Okay, but I still don't know what's wrong with me!!!  

Help!  Can this be related to Menopause?   I had a hysterectomy in 2004 and have both of my ovaries.

Thanks!

[br7475]

Your symptoms sound identical to mine. I was told that it could be menopause. I also have hypothryoid so they think that there is a link to that and estrogen Talk to your doctor and have a blood test done for thyroid. Good luck.

[slickaroo]

I have had the same symtoms (symptoms)...needles feeling and burning and tingling in my feet arms hands and now its going up my lets....Im going to have EMG test on 21 of this month...I have been going through my menapause for 7 years I am now 55 the Dr even put me on Paxil for my night sweats...and i also have anxitey to alot...i am worried about this test what they will find...good luck Suzzy my heart goes out to u ..i know what you are feeling

[slickaroo]

How are you feeling today ...better I hope...let me know ..we share the same symtoms (symptoms). Thinking of you ...slickaroo

[Twilight_Princess]

I have the same symptoms of you all.

slickaroo, how did your test go?

[slickaroo]

Hi Princess thank you for asking...My Dr told me on last Wednesday that i have Diabetic Neuropathy
My EMG test came back fine...my blood work for sugar glucose was high 135 normal is i think 90 to 120...so now i know why i had all them symptoms..if you would like to talk just email me thanks Judy

[gurs]

I just went into surgical menopause and have all the same symptoms...I also had every
neuro test available, and they come back normal, From what Ive been researching, sounds like lack of estrogen-def a hormonal thing.

[DeborahE]

I am so glad you posted this.  "Itchy skin, headaches, lightheadedness, sore joints" are all symptoms I can very much appreciate.  I did a little comparison between hypothyroid, low iron and menopause symptoms and was amazed to see the similarities.  Complicated, I know but a good reminder to me to pay attention to the whole me.  My last workup in Dec put my TSH stable @ 1.31 and my Ferritin @ 18 (ack!)

On my low ferritin, I am very happy to say that since I started taking iron supplements my headaches, night time leg cramps, excessive menses, racing heart, sharp chest pain, chronic bladder infections, stomach upsets, swollen calves and sore joints have all but disappeared!

And I'm feeling less tired and more focussed which I contribute to being able to pay more attention to other important things like drinking plenty of water, eating healthier and exercising.

[MaryOliver]

Numb arms, hands, neck tight, eyes spacey, weird vision, mind spacey like migraine but no intense pain. Just had period after 5 months none, then these symptoms appear. Replaced extreme muscle tension. Can walk better now but got this weird eyes, brain foggy feeling. sinusy, migrainey.
Cant concentrate, see well to type, work. Keep taking walks to get thorugh this time.

[kimmy891957]

I am the same, hysterectomy with both overies, I am 53, arm and leg numbness, stiff sore joints, hot flushes.  feel better it might be menopause, was really starting to worry.

[chucksusanb]

It kind of sounds like Fibromyalgia.  Have you seen a "good" Rhuematologist??

[crabby823]

Oh thank goodness, I had no idea numbness/tingling in the hands and feet can be peri/menopausal . It's been coming and going for the past few months for me. Most recently, it's come on with a vengeance, I was thinking I was having some horrible neurodegenerative thing. But combined with confusion, weird vision, heart palpitations (because it is scary to feel that way I thought), memory loss, sounding like an idiot when I talk because I'm mixing all my words up, all these symptoms together are leading me to think it must be menopause. Had a vag. hysterectomy (I have ovaries) so I had no hint of menses stopping, but now this all makes sense. Phew. I hope to sleep better tonight-thanks for the blog. I do have a Dr appointment in a couple of days to be sure, but I do feel better having read this. Thanks all!!

[rosewood551]

I keep finding out more and more about menopausal symptoms here. We expect hot flashes and weight gain and loss of sleep etc. but what about all these other issues. I have been having this weird itching sensation on my face, head and neck at night. I take 1/2 a sleeping pill out of desperation because obviously I need to sleep. I have constant pain in my neck and shoulder and am told this is because of "mild arthritis". No medication will remedy this. I have been to the doc. a dozen times. I also have pain and numbness in my hands, my elbows and ankles hurt and I am experiencing cramping in my legs at night as well. During the day I am experiencing nausea, especially first thing in the morning. My anxiety and fear is terrible.I used to be so confident and now I am a mess. My memory is terrible especially with word recall. Please help, I am in tears.

[JemmAus]

This is enough to start one on a crazy feminist rant!

Why does being female s*ck so much??

[fish6701]

Yes I believe there are a lot of symptoms of menopause that the world does not yet atribute to menopause.
I go for months without my period and thats when my hands are numb at nite.
But as soon as I have the occasional period, nite sweats stop and numbness subsides. Gee menopause symtoms (symptoms), I think soo.
Problems with joints I believe are also caused by menopause and I had a very popular orthopedic surgeon actually agree!
It ***** getting old!

[fish6701]

Yes I believe there are a lot of symptoms of menopause that the world does not yet atribute to menopause.
I go for months without my period and thats when my hands are numb at nite.
But as soon as I have the occasional period, nite sweats stop and numbness subsides. Gee menopause symtoms (symptoms), I think soo.
Problems with joints I believe are also caused by menopause and I had a very popular orthopedic surgeon actually agree!
It ***** getting old!

[rosie993]

So glad everyone is attributing this to menopause. I wake each morning with one of my hands numb and I have to stretch it and rub it to get it to come back to life. Getting out of bed I feel like I have been driven over by a truck! After a while I begin to thaw out.
Next time round I am coming back as a man!

[Dee1956]

I am in the same boat, thought menopause was hot flashes, night sweats, maybe some head aches, not all these symptoms that I am getting just like all mentioned above
I don't know why we have not heard of these symptoms earlier.  

[carle40]

wow...I'm 40 almost 41 in October....I started with soreness in my hands coming & going a few months ago, then this past week tingling/numbness moved up both arms, into my neck, tongue & lips. It felt like my body was falling asleep from my finger tips up! My knuckles were so sore w/ pain, felt like golf balls. I started to freak & made a Dr. appt next week. I'm not a Dr. FAN since everything seems like a guess. After 2 days my symptoms have subsided & I'm feeling about normal except a little soreness in my fingers around the joints. Reading everyone's symptoms, this is the closest thing I've found to my symptoms.....thanks for sharing....I'm going to start w/ Iron....I will keep my Dr appt for a physical next week to make sure my vitamins or any other levels are where they should be....Good luck to everyone w/ these CRAZY undiagnosis symptoms it seems....Just when people thought women couldn't get more complicated!...wrong! :)

[Stefanie424]

I really am desperate.... I am 41 and have what seems like a UTI for 6 weeks now. After about a week I started to have a numb/tingling sensation in my left leg and foot, foot is also very warm.  Then my right hand felt like it had electricity.  Then the sensation has moved into the right arm and elbow.  A little in the left arm and right leg.  This combined with pelvic pain in varoius areas, ovaries, bladder, even way over at the appendix it seems at one point.  I have noticed I have been overall a little warmer sometimes, until about two weeks ago and now I'm hot and cold at the same time.  It's like I'm cooking...

Have had four urine tests, two ultrasounds, a cysto (look at bladder), MRI (no MS), autoimmunie tests (I do have a positive ANA and Raynaud's, but nothing else shows up).  I do have anxiety from working FT when I really want to work part time and take care of my three teen daughters and anxious about them being home alone this summer, uggg...but life is too expensive and hubbys salary has dropped.  My doc is now checking my hormones which I am anxiously awaiting for the results.  He does not anticipate this is hormonal since I'm on the young side.  

I feel like a freak.  I look fine and I'm sure my family and friends are tired of hearing about my issues.  I'm tired of telling them.  I think I'm going to cave and very reluctantly take Effexor for the anixiety and I pray I will get back to normal if I remember what that is...  Also, anyone have a fabulous part-time job in the St. Louis area :)

[HotFemale]

Anyone who have a treatment for menopause proposed that works ???

[ivymurr]

I'm 52, still having regular periods but have been waking up at night with numb arms and tingling on the left side of my mouth and cheek.  Been happening a few months.  Never considered menopause could be the cause. I really don't want to go through a bunch of testing if this is a common side affect.

[Grandmajoani]

I found out about i-cool.  I can only find it at my local Walgreens.  It has helped my symptoms so much.  I had horrible anxiety and hot flashes.  I don't have hot flashes at all now.  I have been also sleeping much better again. I found out about the i-cool at http://redhotmamas.org/.  Hope this helps.

[goingcrazy111]

Thank you and everyone else here so much for posting these symptoms. I have had exactly the same symptoms and have been going out of my mind with worry. I am 49 years old and have been in menopause for about 3 years but these symtoms (symptoms) have only just started.
How are you all going now? Any suggestions ?

[tmzgrl]

Iam 47 and was thinking I ALL of sudden woke up, and was a shell of my former self. I use to run 5 miles a day. Now i cant get motivated enough to hardly clean the house. The crying, headaches, numbness in hand, shaky feeling, kinda dizzy at times, and anxiety attacks. All are very new to me. This all feels like it happened over nite. However reading all these comments, I am feeling better about things. Thanks ladies!

[nettiepooh54]

I am totally with you!! Hearing that other women have these disturbing symptoms helps me a lot.  I am 57, have been menopausal for five years.  My most obvious physical symptom is the numbness/burning of my entire face, inside of my mouth, tongue and throat, neck, across my shoulders and down my back - feels like anesthesia that is wearing off.  At times I have a hard time focusing, my eyeballs feel numb too!!  Yes, and the foggy mental state along with anxiety really make life a challenge at times. How do I explain this to my husband without sounding like I am constantly whining or ready for the funny farm? I have had these symptoms for five years but recently they got a lot worse, so just last week I went back to my doctor for blood tests.  I  take meds for hypothyroidism and hope that my blood tests will explain what is going on.  

[nettiepooh54]

I am totally with you!! Hearing that other women have these disturbing symptoms helps me a lot.  I am 57, have been menopausal for five years.  My most obvious physical symptom is the numbness/burning of my entire face, inside of my mouth, tongue and throat, neck, across my shoulders and down my back - feels like anesthesia that is wearing off.  At times I have a hard time focusing, my eyeballs feel numb too!!  Yes, and the foggy mental state along with anxiety really make life a challenge at times. How do I explain this to my husband without sounding like I am constantly whining or ready for the funny farm? I have had these symptoms for five years but recently they got a lot worse, so just last week I went back to my doctor for blood tests.  I  take meds for hypothyroidism and hope that my blood tests will explain what is going on.  

[DC51]

I have had a strange cold tingling feeling in my head for about 6 weeks now - on and off. I lso get this in my left arm and left knee - weird.  My GP has been  NO HELP!  She seems obsessed with the menopause.  I'm 51 and having erratic periods which are someties very heavy.  I'm vegetarian and anaemic - although this is improving as I'm trying to eat lots of spinach and dark green veg.  I've just strted taking iron tablets.  Today has been a bad day as I've had the tingling in my head and have been very emotional.  Think I'm just fed up with feeling "not right"!  I've just started on a course of acupuncture combined with acupressure and taking chinese herbs.  I just hope this works.  I feel like I'm going crazy and can't imaginIe just putting up with feeling like this u ntil the menopause has finished.  It helps to talk and to know I'm not the only one feeling like this.  Hope this helps others  who might be feeling the same.  This is a symptom of menopause I've never come across before and it's all a bit frightening.  With no real faith in my GP, who is not very reassuring, I'm not sure who to turn to if the acupuncture doesn't work.  I just have to keep thinking positively about it and hope it will work.  They certainly seem to think they can help me and acupuncture has help others in my family.

[sunlover162011]

Hi ladies, I hear you all, I am 49 and have all of these symptoms i wake up at night and I cannot open my hands without pain. My hot flashs start at my feet and come up to my neck, it occurs every 10 mins sometimes, my doctor told me it is menapause. I am having a procedure done called Nova Sure apparantly this will stop my pereiods as I get them 2-4 monthly and so heavy they have to give me tablets to stop the bleeding. Recently they have clinicaly proven that HRT is safe, so I am going on that as I have spoken to several woman on it and their life is normal,thats what i want back as sometimes I cannot even put a sentence together. My husband thinks Im nuts and a mean person. That is just not who i am, I cannot control it, its very disturbing and if you can take a pill to stop it DO IT ...... Good luck to everyone. :-) I will let you know how I go with this non invasive procedure.

[SeaOtter]

Hi! I had several of the frightening symptoms described here. As I think it is safer to stay away from doctors, I've done some experimentation with natural products found in health food stores and found a way to keep this under control. This is just menopause! All this weird symptoms are caused by hormone imbalance. I keep them under control with natural progesterone cream and unsulphered black strap molasses (this provides iron, which was depleted). Now and then I have to tweak the amount of progesterone when I feel numbness or low body temperature coming back, but so far so good and I've been doing this for almost 2 years. I hope this helps.

[MinniePause]

I have been reading all the comments and find it comforting to know that so many other ladies are experiencing the same things I have been experiencing. I'm 51 yrs. old and started pre-menopause symptoms 5 months ago. I too thought that menopause was weight gain, hot flashes, etc. but I also have numbness in my hands, tinnitus, anxiety, insomnia, dizziness/feelings of being out of balance. The weirdest symptom of all has been erratic blood pressure readings. Out of the blue my BP will sky rocket or get really low. Doesn't matter if it's morning or night. When it first started happening, I was scared because I thought I was having a stroke. I ended up in the ER and went thru a battery of test - all of which came back normal. After seeing my doctor, he thought it might be an anxiety attack but put me on low dose Prempro and gave me Clonidine (to lower BP immediately). The blood pressure spikes stopped for a week or so then the symptoms came back. I am now on a slightly higher dose of Prempro and although my BP might spike up, my body now self-regulates it down to normal levels. I went thru many doctor visits and much anxiety trying to figure out what was going on with my body. Has any one else experienced BP spikes?

[Maddy4444]

So glad to have found this forum.  I too have been having numbness in both hands and both feet - more prominent in hands - for about 4 months. It's constant.  Last year started feeling tingly sensations in my head.  ENT gave me sinus meds and lots of pricey tests--no conclusion. Neurologist gave me the nerve test in arms and legs - nothing unusual, thank God, but no diagnosis either.  I'm in pre- very close to menopause.  I don't have hot flashes- some night sweats but I've had that for 15 yrs.  I did have a lot of the fuzzy brain memory moody stuff, but that's subsided a bit recently--perhaps due to change in nutritional plan. I have slightly low iron, but all the other bloodwork is fine. low heart rate, cholesterol, etc. Vegan diet-no sugar or processed food...   Frustrating that docs can't advise that maybe it's hormonal...

[Killashandra]

Oh my god! I have had the same thing - I never heard of numbness from menopause, so I'm so thankful for this forum! It doesn't seem to get worse, it comes and goes, and it travels around. It feels like tingling, or itching in my skin, and numbness, but only on the surface.  I can feel everything, and all digits and such work just fine. As a matter of fact, I've had more energy than ever lately, because my husband finally got himself a CPAP. (Little did I realize that I hadn't gotten any sleep either for the last 20 years.) I move around a lot, power walks on the beach, ride bikes, play taiko, so I couldn't imagine what was causing this. Thank you guys!

[Menoblues]

I can relate to all these symptoms: erratic periods which have now stopped and all the numbness, head heaviness/pressure, tingling, itchy skin, blurred vision which comes and goes and certain foods bring them on. MRI's, cat scans, blood work have all come back fine and I am healthy except for all these symptoms that make me miserable and I am thinking when I get the symptoms that this is it and I am going to just collapse!! Im relieved to learn that these could be menopause symptoms and I just have to grit and bear it but boy oh boy they are horrible. does anyone have any remedies that help, like the iron pills that someone mentioned. I might try those. Hang on there everyone, lets keep these posts going and encourage one another. we can get through this, I am sure!! Blessings to everyone!!

[MC68]

Hello. I have been reading everyone's posts.They have been so helpful I am 44 and have been having light periods. I am having a blood test done to check my hormone levels. But just before this period I have had tingly hands and feet with a burning pain in the hands. And also weird vision. I wake up at night really hot. I feel nauseous at times. Just out of sorts. I am freaked out. Any advice would be helpful. My Doctor thinks it probably perimenopause.

[menze]

Thanks all. I was beginning to think I was suffering from some sort of nerve,  or brain, damage via disease or cancer!!  Now after reading your comments I realize it's just another symptom of menopause which is rarely mentioned!!  I'm 53 had my last period 5 months ago and, in the last few weeks, have started experiencing numbness and tingling in my hands, face and feet accompanied, occasionally, by a tightness (mild headache) round the top of my head.  I have also been experiencing (the expected) hot flashes and night sweats for some months.  I am a slim, sporty person whose never had any real health issues in the past so this was starting to freak me out!!.  I am much happier now after reading this thread, and feel I can live with this.    Cheers and thanks.  

[JodyDFB]

Thanks for your post, as well as everyone else!

I'm not experiencing the tingling/numbness in limbs, but have had it in my scalp. I am desperately trying to figure out what is wrong with me.  It would be awesome if all my strange symptoms were perimenopause, and not cancer/blockage/seizure disorder.

Like you, menze, I was always very healthy, so this is all new to me.  It's very disconcerting!  But it is somewhat reassuring to read so many other women's stories, incl. lack of doctor insight.  This is really happening to me, but doctors typically either suggest I'm imagining it, or they just throw up their hands.

[savvy50]

OMG!
Hi JodyDFB I am so thankful for forums like this!
My name is Christine and I too am sufffering from numbness.....but just in the back of my calves!! First it was just in my left, but now it's in both legs.
It is freaky and i was self diagnosing myself with all sorts of diseases!!

I am 50 years old and decided to go off the pill 8 months ago.... I was on it for 33 years!!! I can see where woman want to go on the HRT but i am trying to stay away from that for now. I am taking wild yam once a day and i'm really not doing too bad with the other more popular symptoms.

Let's all keep sharing .....it sure helps me sleep better at night!! :)

Savvy50 :)

[Oneazgurl]

wow. Im so glad to have found this sight.  I am getting warming sensations in my lower legs, feet and now in my left hand only.  Have had major panick attacks for the last two months..been horrible.  I have no thyroid. but have had my levels checked I was on 100mcg for the past four years since removal and now the doctor in the hospital lowered it to 88mcg.  I went to the hospital for gerd chest pressure and reflux.  after being in for two days with all my test echo, endoscopy, Im in a viscious circle.  You get to the point of whats going on with our body and its scary.   Now my GP has put me on lexapro, so I took my first one last night.  Call me crazy, but I woke up because of a thunderstorm and all of a sudden I got the worst heat feeling over my body from the chest up to my head. broke out in a little sweat heart racing, then shortly it all went away.  Thought I was having a panick attack...Im a mess...Could that be from the first pill of lexapro? I highly doubt it, but I believe Im menopausing.  Im 43.  now always worried every minute about what im going to feel next, cant live like this.  I was checked out at the hospital and cardiology did test signed off on me.  The internist also told me that thyroid and digestive symptoms run hand in hand. as well as many other things...The warming sensations I get in my legs feet and hands does not hurt just a annoying feeling.  Thanks for listening....

[Sullybird]

Hey girl, try to give the lexapro a chance, it's been a life-saver for me. I have been on it for 10 years and think that is one reason I think I will do better through menopause, which I believe is just starting for me. I am 55 and lately have had the mild headaches, body temp fluctuations, and numbness and tingling in my arms. Now that I have read all the other posts here, I am relieved to discover there are so many others out there experiencing the same things! Keeping a positive attitude and concentrating on other things beside my body is how I plan to breeze through it. Good luck to all.

[Javagrl67]

Hi ...

Well I decided to do some research because I believe I am becoming pre-menopausal at 45. I just quit the pill Savvy and keep wondering if this is a good or bad thing? I thought it might regulate my cycle, but now the night sweats and the hand cramps seem worse? I only stopped because I started worrying about clots since the circulation in my legs does not seem good either. I do work out three times a week, but not much seems to be helping. Oh and like one of the posters above, I have that memory problem where you are putting words in that are not right! Oh happy joy joy. At least IM in good company.

[Flamingobell]

Hello All,  I am 50 and have the same symptoms.  Most bothers me most is the wierd eye thing--feels like my glasses are too strong.  Also, flourescent lights drive me crazy.  Never had that one before either.  I also have a warm, burning feeling in various parts of my body, tight neck and left shoulder.  Sometimes I am so tired and weak I can barely raise my arms.  Other days are good.  I have just started a natural progesterone cream.  Hope it helps.  Doctors really need to do some studies about menopause.  There is just so much confusion out there.  

[cshrub]

It is so good to read these posts and know I'm not alone. I'm having the burning numb feeling in the back and inside of both thighs. I also have vulvodynia, so I'm working with trigger points, but nothing really helps. I'm 52, in peri, and have given up on doctors, probably completely. The health food store is my friend. I feel like I'm falling apart and spend as much time trying not to panic as doing research online.

[smith62]

Thank you to all of you who have brought this up here. I am a breast cancer survivor of 17 years and I was becoming  convinced that the tingling and numbness were a dreaded metastasis. Or worse, some disabling neuro disease that would take me out in short order. I have had bloodwork done, waiting on results. I was getting really depressed, but this is so reassuring. I'm also vegetarian and eat no sugar. My disabling migraines are mostly gone and I will gladly take some tingly hands and feet as a substitute!  THANKS!

[Cinderella64]

I feel exactly like you described! Within few days I became another person, with all these weird symptoms and anxiety without and end! I never thought that these could be the symptoms of the perimenopause! I'm 47 too and I have started bioidentical HRT. It helps a lot, but I still have anxiety, thouughts of doom and gloom, depression, low libido and other stuff. I hope that with the time my hormone levels will be more balanced, so my life would be more normal again..

[geigley]

I just wanted to say I have been having all these symptoms too and I feel sooooo relieved knowing it could just be that darn menopause. I can't believe I didn't think of it before now, every weird thing I've been experiencing (burning tongue, numbness hands and feet, numb ear, numb eye lid, on and on, my husband thinks I'm crazy). I went and had an MRI, ekg, ultrasound on my arteries, and saw a neurologist. I was convinced a dreaded degenerative disease that I don't want to mention here. So I wonder is anyone taking estrogen replacement for this??  

[dph0606]

And I thought I was losing my mind. I had a bout of colitis which landed me in the hospital last September.  It took about six weeks to recover from that.  Then, after Thanksgiving, I started having numbness and tingling, mostly in my scalp, forehead, face, and ears.  Then one night I woke up with a severe panic attack, feeling like my tongue was swelling and I was choking.  To make a long story short, I have been to a number of doctors and had all the blood tests and EKGs.  Nothing.  My family doctor diagnosed Globus Pharyngeus, which is ordinarily stress related.  My symptoms have lessened to some degree since last November, but here is what I've dealt with: numbness and tingling all of my body, to include my whole head; severe choking sensation which eases at night but gets progressively worse throughout the day; migraines; severe tinnitus, which I had before but now is beyond tolerating; burning mouth and tongue, still with a feeling that my tongue is swelling; pressure in my forehead and nose, along with dizziness; mild visual disturbance.  I am 53 years old in active menopause, but I have NO hot flashes or night sweats.  Is this the trade-off for that?  I have no other health problems besides GERD.  I am 5'2", 125 pounds, athletic, take vitamins, make all our food from scratch.  I have tried: cervical epidurals and trigger point injections; physical therapy to include cervical traction; I have a TENS unit which does give some relief of the neck spasms.  Today I am going for a massage.  I also have an appointment with an acupuncturist on May 3.  I try to stay busy during the day, but I have no energy or stamina, and I found that taking a nap during the day relieves the symptoms for a while.  Trying to hang in there with all this, it is very difficult.  If I had only one or two symptoms, OK.  But not all of this at once.  I also meditate and use the self-hypnosis I learned while I was in the Air Force dealing with PTSD.  Thank God I am not alone.  No one seems to understand.  My husband didn't at first, but he has now realized how much I am suffering with this.

[Colleen92862]

I have been reading all these comments with interest.  I actually was posting on a different forum a few times because I thought I may be pregnant.  I turned 50 seven months ago and it seemed like the moment I turned 50 my periods started becoming irregular when they were regular my entire life.  I am in a monogamous relationship and have unprotected sex, have had for the last three years with no pregnancy, although have only tested once when I was having symptoms and missed my period.  It was negative.  Now for the last several weeks I've had extremely sore breasts along with occasional nausea, usually in the morning and at night, or after eating, although not every day.  I too have sore joints, but I do have arthritis which has been gradually worsening rather than improving.  I also take a medication for hypothryoidism (very mild) and blood pressure.  I have also had many of the symptoms you all are describing, pain in joints, numbness in head, anxiety, etc., etc., I just recently ordered a book that was recommended to me on menopause so I'm hoping that will help me also define some of these symptoms before I go to the doctor sounding like a lunatic.  I have questioned my doctor on menopause previously and she usually says she doesn't really believe in the hormonal testing for menopause as it isn't too accurate.

Anyway, if I don't get a period here pretty soon I'm going to check a pregnancy test again seeing as my breasts are still extremely sore.  I was reading about that being a menopause symptom though too.  Do any of you have extremely sore breasts?

[suzeeq62]

I had sore breasts for 3 months straight. I had to cancel my mammogram!! finally the soreness went away and went for my mammo.

[suzeeq62]

I too am experiencing horrible symptoms. I have hot flashes during the day, night sweats at night and sleep is very little. I get the numbness and tingling in my hands, face and tongue also. I am 50 and this all started about 4 years ago, but has recently come on with a vengence!! I feel like crap all the time, bloated, hot/cold, heartburn, achy joints and now a new thing. My hands and feel are swollen for about 3 weeks now. Not major, but just enough to make my rings snug...Miserable. I had 2 periods last year and 2 the year before..None since November 2012. Ugh, I just want to scream. I am exhausted all the time and I have always been a go getter and on the go all the time...Now.... not so much. Work is a chore and I force myself most of the time to do the things I love. I have some good days zooming with energybut the bad outweigh the good. If anyone has any ideas on how to get through this please share!!! I also get palpitations and some anxiety but not too bad. My Dr did give me some Xanax for that, but I rarely take it. Thanks for listening