pain stiffness sensitive joints

I am 49 and have menopause symtoms (symptoms) such as hot flashes and fatigue. I also have severe pain & acheness all over like you feel when you are coming down with an illness. My hands, knees, neck, feet joints all feel weak and loose like. It is hard to function at all. This comes and goes throughout the day. Advil helps for a while.
When I wake up I am so stiff I can hardly move but this does get better during the day.
I have seen 3 doctors who all say this is not normal for menopause. I have been tested for Reumatoid Arthritis, thyroid problems, and other things which are all negative. Tests do indicate menopause. I have tried Fmhrt which helps a little.
Is this menopause and what can I do to get my life back or at least feel good enough to get off the couch?

[Twilight_Princess]

Hi Nicole - I see no one has answered you. I am 46, but not going through menopause yet. I think I am at the end of the peri stage though because for the past 2 years my periods have been irregular and just plain weird acting.

The reason why I answered you is because I too have been suffering from the painful joints. I also feel very stiff when I first wake up in the morning. It gets better as the day goes on. One of my friends is in her 50's and she has gone through menopause. She tells me that she also feels the same way, stiffness, achy joints. I think sometimes I bother her with the same questions - Is this normal? and she always tells me yes and says welcome to old age!! Can you believe this? Anyway, I too am in the same boat as you are. I would really like to get my life back too.

Also, it seems my tendonititus (sp?) has been the worse lately :-(

[Paula835]

I am 69 years old and had my menopause at 55. I didn't have any joint pains at the time.  However, I started taking HRT at 57 (they were saying that it was the best thing to do - better memory, better for the heart, prevented colon cancer etc etc). I stopped the HRT last March and guess what?  In no time I had the same symptons than you.  I was simply devastated.  I have started to take fish oil and and a supplement from Life Extension (herbs and glucosamine).  Also Tumeric in a capsule form.  And I must say that I feel better.  Did your knucckles also got bigger?  I can't wear any of my rings anymore.  It must have something to do with the sudden lack of Estrogen....

[HallieR]

I read your comments today with a little relief and feel that I was ignoring the reasons why I was having joint pains, swollen knuckles etc, and so was my young male Doctor who didn't, in the 3 consultations I had recently, mention menopause (I am 53).

My joints do feel stiff in the morning and at night if I have been sitting for some time,  I thought it was because I am employed to support at young lady who has failing mobility and I would assist her with her transfers (she is 53 kilos) but regularly support her physically 4 or 5 times over a 4 hr period - by that I mean I am bearing most of her weight.   My Doctor sent me for x-rays and was recently talking about having an MRI done to exclude any other condition. He presecribes 6 tabs of panadol-osteo daily, however this irritated my stomach after 4 days, and only slightly reduced the pains and or swelling.  I was also prescribed anti-inflammatories.  The cure felt worse than the condition.  I continue to take Glucosomine 1500mg daily and have heard great things about this.  

I have just now made appointment with a female GP at a womens health linic that specialise in just such matters.  

Additionally, I did occasionally feel uwell first thing in the morning (flu like symptons) but after several years this is very infrequent..  

Thank you again for your posting

[dar456]

Hi All!  I am 42 and have all of the symptoms above and then some! I  found that the only thing that relieves the pain and crushing fatigue for me is sunlight. I read somewhere that sunlight is a natural pain reliever. I realize that there are some risks to sunbathing but there are benefits to smart "sun block free" sunbathing: It fights cancer, it revs up your body's cellular processes including metabolism, it relieves pain, tones muscles, relieves depression, improves libido, increases energy level, helps your body make melatonin to help you sleep etc. etc. etc. Now if I could just get my sore, achy, depressed @$$ off of the couch I know for a fact that I will feel much better. My husband is very supportive and sometimes he drags me out because he also knows from experience that I will feel sooooo much better, sleep better, and have more energy for him!  I also swear by 1300 mgs of primrose a day for my weight of 130 lbs and it stops my hot flashes and night sweats completely!  I know because I ran out for about 2 months and will never ever do that again!!!!  I also really like the American Ginseng a lot!!!! it really made me feel stronger and more energetic and it helps the libido a lot too!  But I ran out about 2 months ago, that might explain a lot!  I think walking and a few stretches really helps too and is enough for me right now. Don't beat yourselves up because you can't do as much as you used to just take it easy on yourselves.  I realize that everyone is different; we are all our own guinea pigs! I have tried soooooooo many different things and this is the brew I'm sticking with for now which also includes a multi vitamin and fish oil. I did notice that I felt better too when my multi-vitamin contained the CQ-10 I'm not sure why, guess I'm back to the books again. My next experiment will be with magnesium from ocean swimming which always makes me feel good too. I hope I can find the strength to stick with all of this though.  One day "We Women"  "NOT" the medical communities are going to figure out this puzzle of "Life with the Many-pauses” and just maybe our daughters won't have to suffer like we all do!  Obviously this is our duty and contribution to this generation and I know that we can do it if we all pull together and share our wisdom!  Let's all go down in history together as "The Women of 2000 who Fought for our Rights As Women Again" to live sane healthy stigma free lives!  Just admit it yall we are the best!  And pretty damn smart too!  Imagine knowing what we know without all of the bull $#!% symptoms we have to deal with everyday! When all of this is over we all may as well have PHD's!  Love you all and best wishes!  Darlene.

[dar456]

Also forgot to mention that you need vitamin D  preferably from natural sunlight and magnesium chloride to metabolise calcium properly. Another benefit of sunlight and ocean. Gotta love the beach!!!  They also help the thyroid too! I know I'm obsessed with cures these days!

p.s. I do not belive in frying at the beach, but 10 - 20 minutes a day can't be any worse than the drugs they're dishing out these days. good luck!

[dar456]

OMG!!!! I started taking magnesium with my calcium and I haven't felt this good in a very loooong time! my leg cramps and trembling quit the next day. This is my third day and still no cramps. I can't remember the last time my whole body didn't ache and spasm. It is supposed to help with backaches, and constant urinating which I seem to do alot these days. good luck!

[yodajojo]

A wise friend told me not to take the hormones. Any person that had she knew who taken hormones either got cancer or when the time came to come off of them, went through all of the problems of menopause anyway. And that also goes with the rush of many doctors to remove our female parts vis a vis a hysterectomy. I hate to be a cynic.
The transition through menopause is natures way of giving us and our bodies time to adjust to new levels of hormones. HRT interferes with that gradual transition. What about those plant estrogen creams? Heaven knows there must be natural ways that existed before Big Pharma became part of our lives. I do take fish oil daily. Stay away from processed foods. I went to Italy and when I came back I couldnt stand the taste of what we consider food. Have you ever looked at what is in just a slice of bread? I started to buy Ciabatta bread, fresh baked with no preservatives. The mediterrain diet is not just healthful because of the foods, but how those foods are handled before they get to us. Look at the label of fresh mozzerella. Nothing bad in it.  Also, there are two things Cancer loves, an acidic environment and sugar. Chlorine is put into our water to kill bacteria. In doing so it makes it acidic.Although I dont recommend diet stuff with aspartame. Google it for side effects and check it out. I knew there was a reason I I felt a little stupid after drinking a diet soda. Unfortunately, I found out this includes my most recent favorite replacement Crystal ****. Check the ingredients. I am just sharing what I know. I hope you can find help for your symptoms. I know it feels like it will never end. And my doctors refused to even consider that I was going through it because I was only 40. But there used to be a PMS diet when my children were young. It was supposed to reduce your symptoms. And it was helpful to me although a change from what I normally ate. Maybe by adhereing to a diet of unprocessed foods, and to watch out for any chemicals, it can minimize your symptoms. See if there is a menopausal diet?! I dont know. God Bless

[faiha]

Thanks for your post about magnesium.  I am 52 and starting on my perimenopause symptoms.  Extreme stiff and painful joints and achy body along with many other symptoms, fatigue, headache, etc.  I am just starting to have these symptoms a month or two ago.  Been to all sorts of doctors (general practioner, Gyn, sport medicine Dr.) and all sorts of tests (utra sound, MRI, X-ray) without any help.  Glad to have found this forum to learn how to cope with these.

My cousin is a pharmacist and got me a therapy of flaxseed oil, strong strength multi-vatimin, magnesium and probiotics.  I am relunctant to try any of these because afraid of putting too much chemical in my body.  After reading the many posts, I have a more open mind about the therapy because it seems that there would be more symptoms creep up and/or they would get worse.  Thank you all.

Feelingyucky  

[goatmamma]

Hi, I am new here. I am 52 and i began having "The Symptoms" at 40. Even my excellent gyn couldn't connect them to menopause. Being somewhat criticle of conventional medical thinking and getting no answers anywhere, I began logging daily for 3 months the various ailments into my calendar. I wasn't trying to be engrossed with my aches and pains-just needed answers so I could figure out good, healthy common sense ways to manage these ailments through diet, exercise, rest, etc., as opposed to popping pills that only mask the symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem. After 3 months I was able to see a very clear pattern. For example, several days before my period I began having migrain-like headaches, swollen joints that were very painful, slight dizziness, and depression. At 40, these remained intense for around 7 days, and then tapered off. I am a big milk drinker, and found that a glass of milk 1st thing in the morning, again around noon, and then in the mid-afternoon really helped take the edge off the headaches. I raise my own dairy goats, so I have a very healthy milk source. My day starts very early because I run our organic farm. I found that upon rising each day, I needed some dairy-like a slice of cheese-along with a healthy multigrain cracker or slice of bread. This combo of dairy protein and carb eased the headache and body ache. I would usually have a well balanced breakfast 1-2 hours later after some of the farm chores were done. Many of my friends who have followed this counsel have also been consistantly relieved of these symptoms. This ruitine doesn't completely take the symptoms away, but it makes them managable so I can live a normal life.
    This last year, though I am pretty much done with the hot flashes, mood swings, and other mentioned ailments, I have found that my ligaments are looser than normal, making for joints that become loose in their connections. My left ankle has actually gone out of joint caused by a torn ligament that is now in the healing process. Being a farmer, I need my feet for daily work-especially since this is planting season! Many of my friends, also in their 50's, are also having this same problem with connective tissue. We find we must be constantly aware of how we place and move our ankles, wrists, fingers, and necks. A healthy, balanced diet and regular walking regime seem to help. I have been told to try glucosemine {sp.?}. Apparently healthfood stores sell a product called "Joint Juice" that has several minerals and vitamins known to aid joint health, including glucosemine. I will be trying that next.
    One more tip-mood swings are tough, and sometimes I would be tempted to give into the depression, pity party, and rage. We don't want to stuff the hard emotions, but giving into them turns us into little hitlers! I found a couple of faithful friends that I could call for a good calm mentoring session helped. Walks, bicycling, etc., fresh air, no coffee, and a strong determination to not take the mood out on others helped me get through. It was VERY hard. Reminding myself that it was temporary and would pass after 7 days gave me the hope I desperately needed. These methods did not take the depression away, but they did help to carry me through so I functioned through daily life better.
goatlady