How normal is it to feel achey in the morning?

[GonnaBeYoniThisChristmas]

Is it normal to have slightly achey shoulders, back and ankles when I wake each morning? It usually loosens up over the day but I notice it increasingly. I dont know if this is just ageing and normal, or if I should be taking cod liver oil or something, or if others bound out of bed feeling 100% every day.

For context, I’m 44, about average weight and height. I do a bit of exercise (gym class or pilates class twice a week) and walk about 25 mins a day for commute. But I do a sedentary desk job so I’m not exactly active.

I'd love to know. I've just noticed this month that my calf muscles ache every morning, and I'm wondering if this is just the start of being older (I'm 42)...

I started with this at your age. Put it down to peri menopause. Some days I felt like I was wading through treacle when I was walking. Oestrogen (HRT) has sorted it out.

Yes! Also have calf muscle ache and it doesn’t seem to be related to exercise.

Thanks @BarbaraWoodlouse1 - that was one of my thoughts but didn’t want to jump there straightaway. I didn’t know achey/treacle-legs was a meno thing.

have you had covid recently? I had this for a few months after covid

I dont think so. It doesn’t feel post viral either - post viral feels so bad…this just feels, sort of, a bit stiff/cranky

Probably lack of physical activity as you describe. Our bodies are designed to move throughout the day.

One of my first peri symptoms was really achey wrists /hands in the morning ( wasn't aware it was a thing till I spoke with the HP) and also very annoying/irritating achey restless legs at night
I'm 47 and this started happening a couple of years ago.
Have started on HRT and these have now stopped. Hasn't cured everything but has helped with generally ache.

Yes I think that’s a possibility too

My joints ache, do fish oils help?

Normal, but if/when you take HRT you may well find it goes away - I did. In my case, it was down to declining oestrogen.

Thanks @ohyesohyesoh … maybe Ill ask GP for a general meno-related check up

I'm not sore or achey at all in the morning-I'm 50. I suppose it might become more common as we age though. I started HRT at 43 so I presume this helped. My friends who don't take HRT do have sore joints.

Thanks @sunshinechaser and. @cheezncrackers glad to hear your HRT has been successful.

I take marine collagen and that has healed a lot with my aches ankles.

Before taking them I could sit at my desk for 30minutes then when I stood up to walk I could hardly move. I felt like an old woman.

Age. It's the same for men. The only cure is an expensive mattress.

*helped not healed.

What about your mattress? I used to wake up with aches but a change of mattress sorted it out.

I wake up with stiff hands like sausage fingers can barely make a fist.
It clears up but it's pretty much every morning.
Along with achy legs.

I don't think so.. about 5 years ago I did though - I thought I was just getting old (early 40s at the time) - but I would groan getting out of bed and hobble to the loo while my hips and legs loosened up. Took a good 5 mins to feel like my legs were moving normally.

Now, I don't have any of that, no aches, just get out of bed. I don't know exactly what it was that fixed it, but I think it was dramatically reducing my dairy intake (I'd also noticed that anything with fresh cream went right through me, and a glass of milk was starting to have the same effect!)

I did also start taking a raft of vitamins though - multi-vit, separate Iron and bits and bobs which I do feel the difference if I don't take (tiredness, anxiety, laziness rise)

And I also split with my ex who was definitely causing me stress, following which I went on daily 5km walks to burn off the anger - although those tailed off long ago and I put on 7kg and I'm still not achy again, so perhaps it wasn't the exercise.

I've had this for years until 9 days ago when my GP put me on a natural oestrogen (said to try it out before going straight to HRT).

I feel like this every day but I have fibromyalgia. I’m 46 and was diagnosed in 2018 when I was 40. I’ve suffered since I was 27 with chronic pain in my legs mainly but other symptoms started as time went on and I was told it was sciatica but it never went away.

my pain has actually got worse since I’ve become menopausal, hasn’t realised the link to be honest.

morning stiffness is a symptom but there are many others so may be worth checking out fibromyalgia uk to rule it out.

Feel the exact same op- 44- yes I feel like it could be anything. We got a new mattress recently (had had it 16 years and apparently you’re supposed to change after 9!!) so I don’t know if it’s that

First thought peri menopause.
I woke up one day in my late thirties with horrendous aching legs, could barely move on a morning, couldn't bend my knees etc. Fast forward to 45 and I'm definitely peri, on HRT and the aching goes. Few weeks later aching comes back, adjust HRT, aching goes. Carry this on for more years than I care to think about.
Finally just menopausal and the aching has gone completely.

I feel a lot better now than I did at 37.

Sounds like perimenopause.
One of my first symptoms was having aching feet on getting out of bed.