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Menopause

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Original poster

Joint Pain - side effect of hrt. Anyone had this experience?

60 replies

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 14:13

Hello. I was on here earlier with a rough ride with bladder/urethra pain & an awful time after a Cystoscopy & face spasms/pain. Seen a gynaecologist who finally examined me who sid I had VA, painful, boggy uterus. The ultrasound showed adenmyosis and a white inflammation area around my urethra. Started on evoral 75, climagist 1mg 1 week ago. Bits feeling ok but my ankles, knees, elbows feeling achey. Don't know if this would happen anyway or if it's a side effect & if this wears off? Thank you. I could just wait another week than contact consultant. Just would like a break! Face is feeling so full of pressure

A week on my joints are aching & some of my muscles could this be a side effect from the hrt? Has anyone experienced this & does the side effect go away

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 15:53

Joint pain is not a side effect and in fact many women take HRT to reduce joint pain.

What's a 'boggy' uterus????

I don't understand why you are using Evorel AND Climagist- 2 tpes of HRT- you only need one.

Have you posted before about your health anxiety?

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 16:04

I have had an awful year with problems with my health. They are only linked with health anxiety in the sense of having to deal with one thing after another. What I have had to deal with this year would have ground many people down. The treatment is 2 sets of oestrogen as prescribed by the gynaecologist. Her description was boggy/heavy with adenmyosis and painful.

I wanted to know if anyone had experienced this as a side effect as it is listed. I did not have the aches in my joints 2 weeks ago. It could be the menopause & would have happened anyway or becuase of the addition of the hrt. I am asking I anyone has had this side effect & if yes do side effects settle.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 16:41

I'm sorry but I think you ought to query the prescribing of Evorel AND Climagest. No one takes two kinds of HRT at the same time. Evorel 75 is a high dose oestrogen and on top of that you are taking 1mg oestrogen in Climagest. if your dr wanted you to have that much oestrogen a day, then they should have supplied that in one patch- Evorel 100mcgs.

Also if you have adenomyosis and are not post meno ( 12 months with no natural periods) then giving you that amount of oestrogen makes no sense at all. Adeno is a type of endo (I have had it and it was shown up on scans). Adeno gives women terrible period pains, like endometriosis can. Some women can't use HRT if they have active endo/ adeno as the oestrogen makes the problem worse.

Why have you been given so much oestrogen that will increase the blood supply and thicken your uterine lining even more, if it's already 'bulky' and 'heavy'.

I've been on HRT for many years and know a reasonable amount of it, and what you are describing seems really odd.

Was this a specialist consultant and why did they say you need two kinds of HRT- and it's not good practice anyway to mix patches and pills.

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 16:58

The consultant is a menopause consultant. The Oestrogen is for the VA and other menopausal symptoms. Joint pain was not one of these as this was not something I had experienced.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 17:03

Peter- I know what you are asking and I am sorry to query this but it really doesn't seem right or credible that you are using that sort of HRT.
The treatment for VA is vaginal oestrogen- cream or pessaries- and not double the amount of HRT as patch and pills.

This is explained very clearly on Menopause Matters website by the consultant who runs the site.

I'd be really interested to know who the consultant is if you fancy Pm-ing me! Just curious.

Cocolepew · 13/09/2015 17:07

I had adenomyosis and had a hysterectomy and now take Evorel 50 patches, as well as 10mg of Vagifem. I had my ovaries , taken away.
It is a lot of hrt to be on.

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 17:08

I am also on vaginal oestrogen - pessaries.

The menopause consultant has written to my GP and none of the prescriptions have been queried and they have written why they prescribed. I suppose each consultant is different and treats according to their expertise/experience.

I am due a review I just wanted to know if anyone had experienced joint pain as a side effect and does the body settle after a period of time.

OP posts:

Cocolepew · 13/09/2015 17:12

I can't say if it does because I have pain due to Lupus.
Were you told it is a side effect?
Are you in the menopause?

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 17:32

Doesn't make sense Peter to be on that amount and with 2 different routes- transdermal and pills.

Unless you had no ovaries and needed a lot of oestrogen at a young age and even then they wouldn't mix patches and pills.

Why have you been given such a high dose- what symptoms did you have?

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 17:46

Yes I am in menopause. Had patches before but just for one cycle as I had to stop due to a scan I was having. This is really the first time. It is listed as a side effect I have been on the regime for 3 weeks and it started a week in. It may be a coincidene but I have not had the joint pain, aches before. Maybe someone has had the same. All I can say is that is what I have been prescribed by the menopause consultant and I have been taking it for 3 weeks.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 17:56

TBH in your shoes I'd be more worried about using a 75mgs patch AND 1mg Climagest because the amount of progestogen in Climagest is to balance the amount of oestrogen in the tablets. It's not meant to be used alongside a high dose of transdermal oestrogen as well- and you could in theory end up with a very thick endometrial lining (and much worse adeno).

Do you mind if I ask who the consultant is- out of interest?

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 18:13

what reason did they give you for doubling up with 2 types of HRT?
Surely they would have explained and told you why they felt you needed this amount? It's normal to be told why something is being prescribed- especially when it might make your existing adenomyosis worse!

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 18:16

The tablet is climaval (sorry not the other one or they may be the same thing!) I'm not questioning my treatment from the consultant just if anyone had the side effect of joint aches.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 18:33

Maybe you ought to think about what you are taking- and question it.
I certainly wouldn't want to double up on HRT and not ask why.

I doubt if anyone can help you because what you have been prescribed is not at all usual.

If the side effects state joint pain then you appear to have that. It may go away and it may not- only time will tell.

Why don't you join Menopause Matters forum and ask there- lots more women there with lots of experience and advice.

Original poster

PeterSpots · 13/09/2015 18:39

hopefully someone may answer who has experienced that side effect from the hrt and whether it settles with time. I have emailed the consultant and hopefully they will reply this week. The consultant is a menopause consultant so maybe naively I didn't ask I just thiught it was the norm & if I didn't have this side effect (or coincidence) I would not have posted and felt much better. This may still be the case.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 13/09/2015 20:16

Now that 2 of us have replied and told you that what you have been given is very unusual to say the least, are you not going to query it? Any side effects you have could be due to the double-dose and high oestrogen levels. I'd not have any faith in a dr who gave me patches and pills and made no effort to tell me why I had to use both!

Taking such a high dose of eostrogen goes against the guidelines of starting HRT. These say start with the lowest dose . Your consultant has started you on a high dose with 2 different delivery routes AND this could make any adeno worse. I'd be asking for a referral to another dr to discuss.

yeOldeTrout · 13/09/2015 21:09

Joint pain is one of the known but less common side effects of Climavel.

I think the short answer is that it either it goes away or it doesn't. You have to wait & see how it goes for you.

X my fingers this passes soon for you.

Original poster

PeterSpots · 14/09/2015 07:14

Thank you. I have emailed consultant so will wait for a response. I may miss the 1mg the next couple of days and just stick with the evorel 75 and see if it makes a difference.

OP posts:

pinkrosa · 15/09/2015 20:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bellaciao · 15/09/2015 21:01

If it is Climaval not Climagest then this is even worse because it is oestrogen only. No gynae would prescribe 1mg oestrogen only tablet and 75 mcg oestrogen patch without a progestogen unless the patient had had a hysterectomy. How long did the consultant say to take this for before review?

Also you said at the top (OP) you've been taking it a week and later you said you've been taking it for 3 weeks - so which is it?

What were your periods doing in the few months leading up to starting this treatment? What are your menopausal symptoms besides VA?

pinkrosa · 15/09/2015 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

PeterSpots · 15/09/2015 23:11

Hello. Thank you for your comments & yes it is what my consultant prescribed & progesterone will be added in November. The consultant left a message to say it can be a side effect & I am speaking to them tomorrow as I was at work. It has been a really rough year and it has been a struggle and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I am hoping that a reduction of change of dose will ease the side effects.

OP posts:

pinkrosa · 16/09/2015 07:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cocolepew · 16/09/2015 12:58

Hope you feel some relief soon

Bellaciao · 16/09/2015 15:58

progesterone will be added in November - ah - that's clarified it! So the consultant has not prescribed that amount of oestrogen without progestogen - or at least without letting you know that you will be taking progestogen at some point. That's why I asked my question about how long before review - because some consultants do prescribe oestrogen only initially - sometimes for as long as three months - before adding in progestogen to ensure the lining remains thin.

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