56 - is it normal to be SO achy?

[Sprog19]

That's it really. I seem to be growing stiffer and more achy by the day. If I sit for any length of time I hobble for a while when I get up. I can't bend and pick things up from the floor, look over my shoulder easily, climb over stiles without effort. I tire easily ( feel weak at the end of a 45 min walk). Sometimes my aching legs wake me up at night, though this comes and goes. I'm in a fairly active job ( on my feet for much of the day) and try to walk when I can but don't get much more exercise than this. Am I just unfit or do I need to go to the doctor?

I'm not this age yet but I treat a lot of patients in this age group for musculoskeletal complaints. Like anything there is a wide range of normal. From your OP it sounds like this is a general feeling of fatigue and the stiffness affects more than one joint and is fairly new for you despite no real change in activity level? In which case non-urgent GP appointment would be sensible as there's lots of things it could be/not be! I wouldn't just put up with it if there's no real explanation you can think of.

I was achy everywhere esp my knees and tired. I just thought it was growing old but turned out to be my thyroid. Oh is achy, his is vit d deficiency.

I'd go to the doctors just to be safe

actually I don't think so- I'm 57 and I do stiffen up if I sit in the same position for a long time but I feel I have a good range of movement and although I tire more easily than when I was 30 say, I regularly run 5k or spend several hours gardening.

I'd say the stiffness and aching is mainly in lower back and legs but I've definitely lost flexibility all round. I've actually been walking more in the last four months as I'm doing the 1000 miles challenge thing, which is why it's odd. Will make a Drs appt.

This is so interesting. I'm coming up for 56 and exactly the same except my aches are worse in my elbows, neck and shoulders. My knees have now also started to ache and if I'm kneeling on the floor I have to have something to pull myself up on. The pain is so bad that it often wakes me up.

I'm going through the menopause and have been looking at some of the symptoms and came across menopausal arthritis which seems to fit all my symptoms. However, I have never thought it could be linked to thyroid which is daft as my mum suffers with this and my sister was once told she was borderline. I think perhaps I should go and see my doctor to ask for a blood test to rule this out.

I' a bit younger, but that sounds very much like me. Chatting to friends, it doesn't seem unusual.

That sounds like me. I hobble for a good 10 steps after getting up off the settee, out of bed or out of the car. I'm currently wearing a wrist support that I bought because I have a very weak and achy wrist and suspect it could be Carpal tunnel.
I crack, pop and creak when turning over in bed.
I have a supply of indigestion tablets because I know I'll need to take a couple on my way to bed. Or if I ate pastry. 😂

And I'm 35. 35 bloody years old, relatively active, decent weight (size 14), non-drinker and non-smoker. I also almost never see the inside of the doctors surgery as illness isn't a common occurrence for me. But my body has gone to pot.

I feel old as took.

*Fook not took.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've been in bed over an hour so of course, I need to go pee. Likely the first time of a couple tonight

Thoushalt - I'm not too bad with the weeing in the night but I need to go loads more in the day - and quickly!

It's most likely loss of estrogen post menopause. Collagen between the joints deteriorates without estrogen.
Some of my friends feel like that but I'm on HRT .

The weeing a lot is down to loss of estrogen too. You should see your GP- ask about vaginal estrogen which helps bladders, and also maybe medication for overactive bladder.

Not sure if I can take oestrogen as I'm on medication for an irregular heart beat.

With my medical history, GPs won't prescribe anything hormonal though.

I've just hit 56 (yay) and my knees are useless. Just trying to rub my own shoulders.

sprog What you have is not a reason not to use HRT.
Latest evidence shows transdermal HRT may actually prevent heart disease (though what you have is not heart disease anyway.)

GP training on HRT

and from the above link

Absolute contra-indications

There is no absolute contra-indicating to the prescribing of HRT in post-menopausal women. Extra caution may need to be exercised in the following situations:

Active breast cancer / undiagnosed breast lump
Active thrombo-embolic disease (phlebitis does not constitute thrombo-embolic disease)
Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding
Untreated/uncontrolled hypertension
Coronary artery disease
Breast Cancer

This is so helpful - thank you!

My ex-husband worked with "older" people. He had 50 year olds who were worse physically than some of his 80 year old customers. All the healthy ones were very active. I can see you exercise but do you need to do yoga or pilates or just regular stretching?

I suffer like this too I do a daily yoga practice and walk the dog every day Utah I ache so much at night, in the morning if I sit for more than five minutes. I just thought it was age and menopause I'm also starting to struggle with my weight I might ask to have my thyroid checked.

I have been prescribed the patches today!! Finally, bloody finally. Hopefully this will do the trick.