falling to bits?!

[custardbear]

I have tested recently as been feeling sone menopausal symptoms more than usual, really been feeling like I'm menopausal for a few years but been ignoring them.
Anyway, have started gel oestrogen a month ago so early days.
I've sone hypermobile joints and my bad hypermobile joints like pelvis, knees, arms, thumbs have been really playing up and I am
Starting to feel like I'm a Rag doll and falling apart - aching bones and muscles - I feel like a sack of potatoes.
Is this normal and will the oestrogen help as I go on? I need a Mirena coil change as progesterone will be struggling as it's been in 5 years now., so perhaps progesterone will help .. ug ... aging is shit

Much sympathy, op. I think the gel is generally though to sort joint pain out a bit. My combi hrt pill has really improved my painful joints (feet were agony and are now better by about 80%). Maybe ask the gp to tweak meds?

I take cod liver oil for aching joints.

Thank you! Just started cod liver oil again actually - I get psoriasis too so possibly psoriatic arthritis ... but actually sounds like just menopause!
Am speaking to GP on Wednesday as they can't fit me in for a coil for a few weeks so will ask about tweaking meds
Thanks 😊

Im hyper mobile and found oestrogen really helped, but I need higher doses now. Mid 40s.

I've considered mirena but keep wimping out.

Once I know I'm optimised I may try testosterone as I feel it's keeping on top of the muscle strength. Though I'm also aware progesterone can help with pain. It's getting the balance!

I'd recommend starting Pilates.

Thanks bonninon - I do an over 40's PT class and it has Pilates in that too which is really helpful for strengthening my core and helping with my back. My pelvis is hypermobile and it's really hurting how so really trying to sort the core out with Pilates and other core strengthening things

It sounds like you need more oestrogen but you generally have to give this dose a good 3 months then go back for a review.

It should be on symptoms but you could ask for a test to see where you are; my Gp said around 400-600 is ideal.

It's a long slog; I've had to slowly go up over nearly a year. I'm not sure I'm there yet even. Covid x 2 put me back as well (it can lessen the effects of hrt sometimes for a couple of months.)

When my pelvis is v bad I use an SI joint. But don't rely on it, more for long distance journeys and lots of sitting.

I am a health professional. It could be psoariatic arthritis. It can affect the pelvis and joints. Ask for a referral to a rheumatologist

Thank you - I'm seeing my dr shortly so I'll ask about a referral

I started HRT (patches and and utrogestan) last year and main reason for asking was painful joints. Fingers crossed they are better now (I'm worried they will get bad again and don't want to jinx it), but for the first month of oestrogen they got worse, before getting much, much better. I hope HRT helps you too.

I didn't get on with Mirena but utrogestan has been fine, none of the side effects I'd heard about.

Oestrogen helped my joints amazingly over night initially op. But it's stopped working now. So have changed product to see if that helps.

Also getting checked for other underlying causes - arthritis etc.

There are many conditions that present in the same way as peri menopause

Indeed, I'm far more clicky in my joints and my upper spine no longer moves very well and I'm just stiff with wobbly ligaments ... I feel a bit like those old dolls that were held together with elastic but had plastic body parts that didn't move.
I did wonder about arthritis and as PP said been researching psoriatic and osteoarthritis today so suspect it's something to highlight properly when I see my GP soon

Soz to jump on. Is this condition equally prevalent in men too and not linked to the menopause? I’ve just googled symptoms and seems to be very similar to things my husband is experiencing currently but obvs is less likely to be this condition if it’s more common in menopausal females. 🙈

Hey no worries about the question. Psoariatic arthritis is equally common in men and women so not linked to the menopause. Around 20% of people with psoriasis develop psoariatic arthritis. Symptoms include swelling, pain and stiffness in some joints, often in the sacroiliac joints in the pelvis. People can also have tendon pain such as in their heels. People with nail changes due to the psoriasis are more likely to develop it. Other signs are morning stiffness for longer than 30 minutes and pain that is better with movement and worse with rest.
Hope that helps