Is this general achy feeling all over normal during perimenopause?

[gottachangethename1]

I’m 45 and think I’m in the perimenopause. I can cope with the palpitations, changes in temperature, raging moods and itchy skin. However, the muscle aches in my legs, arms and neck are awful. I have lost 1.5 stone in weight recently, keep fairly active , yet I’m throughly fed up with this aching. Anyone else dealt with this?

I never realized that Peru menopause was so hideous with the symptoms, no clue but ffs here I am and its total shite.

Today I feel so rough, aching, exhausted, down in the dumps, can't be bothered to do anything.
No sleep, periods of severe depression making me almost non verbal I am so disengaged with life, becoming more frequent.

Periods still coming but heavier, large clots, painful.

I've not yet been to my gp. I have however began to take supplements with iron and cod liver oil for heart protection.
Not had palpitations for a while, I put these down to the anxiety that I was having....which btw, I have never suffered from in my whole life!!

I want it over with.
Sympathies op, I feel your pain

Could be vit D deficiency. Pop into Holland and Barrat, get some high dose treatment and review in a month. Honestly

Worth getting vitamin d and ferritin levels checked, had awful aches and pains early on which disappeared when I got levels back where they should be. Levels have fallen again and my neck is back to being sore.

For me I was at my worst in early peri as my hormone levels were so erratic. Things have definitely improved the closer to proper menopause I get. Still have awful heavy periods with clots which I feel could get a place in the Guinness World Records

I too want it over

This is me,every month for last few months ,I feel like I have flu just before period,they are so heavy too. Only good thing is physical symptoms gave replaced the awful mood swings I have had since my teens. I just want them to stop now !

Thank you for your replies and to all in a similar position. Holland and Barrett is going to be my first port of call tomorrow. Will see if there is an improvement and then go to gp if there isn’t to ask for bloods. I’m going to get in a warm bath soon, won’t help greatly but better than nothing.

holland and Barrett Vitamin D3 25ug is good for me - my levels went up substantially with them and have just plummeted again after using Boots own Vitamin D so I'm on a double doze for a while.

A wee sports massage might help too?

oddly, I started to suffer from muscle aches like you describe since I started on the hrt, very frustrating! I'm told to keep at it, so will do so, but I was hoping that hrt would take things away, not add to the list!

Crikey Swing! I thought HRT might be the answer to these awful pains

And do these aches go away again eventually I want to know?

I have discovered the term ‘menopausal arthritis’ while investigating my recurring knee stiffness. I think just about everything comes under meno,

OP, is it worth looking into Magnesium too?

I’ll give anything a go Turkey. Am in bed now and still blooming achy.

It certainly is truly awful, I can’t think of any other words to describe it at the moment!

I was absolutely fine until September last year and now feel I am a shadow of my former self ☹️. I have been in and out of gp and casualty with chest pains, palpitations, low mood, aches and pains, as well as being convinced I have several terminal illnesses...

I am awake now as have pain right around my rib cage which is uncomfortable but not too bad. I found a lump on my breast last week and waiting for appt at hospital is playing havoc with my head.

I have aches and pains all over since last September. Doctor said it wouldn't be perimenopause but who knows. Blood tests showed low iron and when I take liquid iron supplement Feroglobin helps a lot with the pain. I would get blood tests done, best to have them pre supplements so you don't skew results.

Do periods always get heavier in peri menopause?
Mine used to be fairly heavy but have really tailed off over the past yr. my last one I bled for one day and then nothing!

I am also having an array of unpleasant symptoms, extreme aching all over my body. I'm really suffering with it this month. Also erratic moods, light headed, can't sleep until the very early hrs etc.

I'm only 37 though - could I be going through it now?

I had a blood test that showed low iron so was on meds for a few months until it corrected itself, perhaps I should ask gp again.

It was only when I saw a female gp that perimenopause was mentioned. Then the female cardiologist said same thing!

Did you gp think it was only related to low iron?

Some of my periods have been heavy, lots of clotting, whilst others have been light. I used to be very regular but not any more...

The GP doesn't know what causes it, unfortunately my hormone blood tests were lost . but I have had a couple of doctors tell me its highly unlikely to be perimenopause. With my bloods they came back normal except iron and kidney function and doctor said to take liquid iron supplements. Once I started that the aches have gone but don't know why, there are other things in it so it could be something else like magnesium.

I have got lots of symptoms like you and going through lots of testing. I have also felt quite ill since September and have been working from home since then as not well enough to get to work. I am also concerned its undiagnosed cancer but so far tests aren't showing this though more tests to come. Smear clear, bladder cystoscopy clear of anything looking like cancer, awaiting biopsy results on fibroid taken out last week but expected clear, need to get bowel cancer checked. Tests have just found 2 fibroids, anaemia, kidney raised CE, urine issues of unknown cause. I have irregular bleeding x2, constant dizziness, bone ache, muscle ache, leaking urine, tiredness but inability to sleep at night, some pins and needles, some blurred vision but occasional. Mid 40s. Might be worth getting iron tested again or taking the Feroglobin, see if it helps. It could be my doctors are wrong and it is peri menopause though I think its important to get tested rather than assume symptoms are due to age.

My periods are regular, very heavy for 2 days during which I get incredibly dizzy and sleep but no clots then normal and last around 5 days. A few years ago they had 2 inch clots in but my large fibroid shrank.

I seem to have all the same symptoms as you without the kidney raised ce. I am 49.

I even paid for a private health scan with BUPA but nothing found. Like you I am convinced it is a cancer of some kind but reading through menopause threads and info it seems to fit that so hoping it is.

I work from home anyway so have been able to carry on. I have had counselling and cranial therapy both of which have helped and until I found this lump was feeling much better over the last month or so.

It does sound as though yours could be linked to iron as you are worse during periods.

That's interesting you have the same - I would be very happy if it turns out to be a peri menopause thing. If you are 49 its very plausible though good you've got checked. I'm a slightly out of the normal age range and regular periods but its only by 2-3 years. My doctor does have results from 4 years ago with menopause and he said no way but on the other hand my fibroid shrunk from at least 3 inches to 2cm, that is only supposed to happen with low oestrogen. Think work do private tests later in the year.

Other possibility for me is anxiety but never felt like this with anxiety.

penguindsandpanda, sounds like you're having a rough time, would be worth trying a different doctor? All of your symptoms sound like what I have experienced in perimenopause and my because mine started when I was 45, I was just told I was peri without the need for blood tests. They were looking for traditional signals like closer periods, erratic bleeding and sweats though - every doctor I've spoken to has dismissed my other symptoms as being hormonal, even though so many other women suffer from them

Maybe worth getting copies of all of your blood tests and seeing what your iron/ferritin/vitamin d levels are? Someone else mentioned magnesium and I think that is something which helps many people.

I don't think they fully understand what makes fibroids grow and shrink - what I find weird is that one can shrink while another one is still growing.

Yes to all of the above. Aches in leg joints and fingers! I also get the rib cage pain which is like a mild gallbladder pain.

Thanks so much Paris I am registered with a surgery but one doctor who is lovely but laid back intercepts everything, he's not even my doctor but seems to have adopted me. Regular periods, only one or two nights sweats, irregular bleeding improving and believed due to fibroids. One fibroid shrank a lot, new tiny one appeared. Have seen a private OH doctor who agreed not peri and not anxiety but what is it then? They also both say unlikely to be Icancer but tests are very important for smear (clear), bladder (clear so far), uterine (awaiting) and bowel (to organise). Blood tests normal incl vit D though taking supplements at time except folate, iron and kidney. Suspect low magnesium as Feroglobin helps quickly

I do have a private insurance and may get a second opinion though. I hope its peri and its only a couple of years out.

How amazing, piecesofpurplesky I had exactly that last night. It felt as though there was a band around my ribs, as though I was going to have a gall bladder attack, but it didn’t progress beyond mildly uncomfortable.

I really think I am going mad!

I think I may restart iron tablets as only took them for a few months so maybe not enough. I had one blood test, which dx anaemia, then another 3 months later and iron levels good so I stopped them. Doctor hasn’t said one way or another.

Kahlua4me I also wonder if I am just going mad 😂 . The ribs are the only area I don't have pain in. I take liquid iron called Feroglobin which also has magnesium in and that seems to stop the pains. I get woken up in the middle of the night with pains so don't think its all in my head though sure my anxiety isn't helping anything.

I do wonder now if it's peri menopause, what concerns me is my doctors can't come up with a plausible explanation of what it is other than lots of individual things that have hit together and it scares me when they keep saying the importance of cancer tests though they aren't referring me on the 2 week wait so obviously don't think its that. I still feel rubbish even without the aches though just had surgery 1.5 weeks ago so maybe need more patience.

I get chills sometimes thinking about it, never any sweating, sometimes hot, but sometimes an uncontrollable shivering. I often feel like I have flu everyday with dizziness and been like this since September.