What can I do to stop me walking like I'm 100 every morning

[Moveyourbleedingarse]

I'm on HRT 100mcg oestrogen/coil/testosterone. I try to eat protein. I've been lifting moderate weights for 15 yes continually so not new to exercise and not especially prone to DOMs because of this.

But when I get up I can barely walk. The aches and pains in my legs and feet are horrific. It takes 5 minutes to be able to move naturally. I have to hold onto both bannisters to get down the stairs.

I did get tested for arthritis last year and it was negative.

Is there anything anyone can suggest to help? I've looked into collagen and there's zero scientific evidence for it. I take Vitamin D/K2, probiotics and magnesium glycinate at night.

Really want to avoid the GP again after several years of surgery and many medical appts. Can't afford to see a nutritionist/functional medicine specialist.

Thank you!

@InWithPeaceOutWithStress thats a good idea. I'll try it this evening.

@randomnamegenerated maybe I will go back to GP then. I don't want them to assume I'm one of those worried well types!

@Turnerskies I wear trainers for work (very relaxed private school) but I hate wearing anything but slip ons at home and ideally bare feet... But I'll give it a go for a few days. I have raynauds and so prefer to be barefoot, not even socks esp as we have heated floors.

@likelysuspect I didn't know they even made anything but sandals! My dream shoes are converse, or very flat sandals. I know I know I know. No longer for me.

Any achy foot pain is so much better when I get to wear havianas flip flops for 8 weeks in the summer.

@HighStreetOtter nothing has been ruled out. Apart from mentioning my foot pain and aching hands to the GP last summer, I haven't been back. I spent a good two years back and forth to the GP and private consultants and 5 surgeries. I try to avoid GPs like the plague now.

@MyThreeWords I do need to eat a certain amount of (unprocessed) carbs as I need to have a high fibre diet which does necessitate carbs. Lots of oats, dates, fruit, beans etc.

So an update. I went to see the physio, who gave me a quick shockwave therapy session and some manual manipulation, but as I've got such a low pain tolerance I had to ask him to stop halfway through. I thought I was going to be sick with the pain and when I finally got home I had a glass of cremant that was open in the fridge which is really unlike me midweek. Shockwave therapy is horrendous! Of course now I've got a headache from the wine. 🤦🏼‍♀️

He thinks a lot of the acute pain is caused by Baxters nerve and I need an ultrasound/MRI. I didn't get a chance to discuss the more general aches and pains.

If my tea goes down, I'll do some hamstring/calf stretches before I go to bed.

And tomorrow I will try to reduce the amount of dairy I consume, I can't cut it out I don't think, but half it maybe. And no wheat, I'll try for a week and see how it goes. I'm quite happy cooking with rye flour and I made some tasty gram flour wraps at the weekend so more of that. I also made some black bean dip so can have that with veggies for tea tomorrow. I'm very adaptable and love a tiktok healthy plant based recipe 😊

I'm blown away by how helpful all your posts have been and really glad I asked. Suspect DH sick of my moaning and limping!

I'll let you know how I get on and whether I end up going down the MRI/rheumatology route.

@MyThreeWords I honestly don't know. I developed silent reflux last year and GP wondered if it was because of 8 months of laxatives/antibiotics OR if I was allergic to something. I didnt have the energy to go through the allergy testing at the time and I haven't had the energy/inclination to go back.

I suppose that so many of you have mentioned food in relation to inflammation it might well be the source of the issue.

I found a huge improvement in my hips & spine after I had my Vitamin D tested , it was very low and and I had treatment. It took about 8 weeks, I'm back to walking normally now. Don't just take vitamin D, get tested. You might be having trouble absorbing it.

@Thelnebriati I had the Vit D checked in 2023 and 2024 by GP, it went from 52 to 85, and I've supplemented daily since then so assume it's at a healthy level.

It's interesting I never ever thought about vitamins till I was 45 and started falling to pieces. It would be great if there was a public health campaign on staying healthy in mid life! I only found out by reading stuff on mumsnet. Like so much else!

I'm glad your hips and spine feel better though, that's a good news story 😊

Great information here, thankyou. I find turmeric shots and so body collagen really help.

I was just like you and had been on Hrt for a decade after an early surgical menopause.
I came off Hrt cold turkey in August for a different reason (medical advice)and completely unexpectedly all the aches ,pains and hobbling has gone .
my knees,back and hips were so incredibly painful every morning but now I'm absolutely fine.
Im assuming it was inflammation or something from the hrt .

This sounds like osteoarthritis to me. When you say the test was negative, what test did you have?

@Flukingflukes it was Rheumatoid factor. It said it was less than 10 and 'normal'.

There was nothing amiss in U&E, Liver FBC etc either.

I always have alkaline phosphatase that's on the low side, at the bottom of the range. But no GP has ever said it's a cause for concern.

@blizymitzy now that IS interesting. Is HRT pro inflammatory? I would have said the opposite. But I suppose we all react differently to it. I think if I were to be given the choice to stop the HRT though, I'd prefer foot pain and aching to night sweats and endless sobbing for two weeks every month 😬

@ChaliceinWonderland i hadn't thought it turmeric. I could get some tablets, you have to take it with black pepper iirc?

Am watching this thread with interest as I’m in the same boat. All blood tests came back negative, but the joint ache and hobbling is terrible.
I started doing weights last month and thought that had cured it! Until this week and it’s back. DH said maybe it’s the gardening I’ve been doing, but it’s not a stiff muscle ache, it’s a deep stiff/painful joint ache. Like you OP I’m a teacher so on my feet all day, and have just had PF diagnosed (it started in Dec). My first pair of anti PF shoes has just arrived, maybe that’ll make a difference.
Also on HRT.
No ideas to add, sorry to read it’s such a widespread experience.

A diagnosis for osteoarthritis is made from examining the patient, asking about pain and x rays, not a blood test.

As we age, many of us will get osteoarthritis which simply put, is wear and tear on your joints.

I take two ibuprofen before bed and that helps in the mornings a bit. I can certainly tell the difference if I forget to take them, that's for sure.

It’s absolutely worth showing your GP this: https://nass.co.uk/about-as/what-is-axialspa/
I’ve just spent the last 5 years with my GP, physio etc throwing all we had at my “menopausal legs”.
Like you, I could only get down the stairs in the morning one at a time and holding both bannisters (but I loosened up as the day went on). My joints were fine, but every muscle and ligament below my waist would hurt like hell.

We were all on the same page, assuming it was peri/meno. You name it, we tried it both woo woo and pharmaceutical treatments including multiple HRT products, magnesium glycinate and all sorts.

This condition is pretty much totally masked by meno in women of our age. (Check out the list of symptoms, aches, pains and sweats). Some research suggests it’s oestrogen sensitive and gets kicked off/flares with hormone changes.
I’m now on lifelong meds and it will probs get worse as I age but at least I know and currently, with meds and exercise, feel better than I have in years.

It was diagnosed by a rheumatologist via 5 MRIs and bloods 😮; it’s not the most well known condition.

Good luck and hope this info helps.

Just to add, have reread your OP; tennis elbow is also a side effect of this condition

What is your bmi? When I was overweight I felt like this. I’ve lost a stone and things have improved dramatically.

saw anther reply about Hyperparathyroidism , sorry can’t find that ‘poster’s name.
High fluid intake is not ‘good’, (it’s possible to drink more than you normally would require).

“Hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which 1 or more of the 4 parathyroid glands located in the neck start producing too much parathyroid hormone. This raises the level of calcium in the body and can cause a range of symptoms like feeling unusually thirsty, needing to urinate a lot or becoming …hyperparathyroidism often goes unrecognised – usually because it’s mistaken for other problems or for age-related changes (it is more common in people over 50). Without treatment, hyperparathyroidism can cause long-term complications like kidney stones, bone‑related problems and heart disease.
^https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng132/informationforpublic^
Hyperparathyroidism is (of course) more common in women!
also look here: https://parathyroiduk.org/hyperparathyroidism/

I got tremendous reassurance from the facebook ukparathyroid group. My own GP even actually said to me ‘but you get all these symptoms with age’… i managed to say “yes i’m getting old but all these symptoms don’t come on as rapidly or altogether just from ageing.

Importantly when bloods are taken to test for high parathyroid hormone the lab has to test within 2hrs of blood being taken.

@Bluebootsgreenboots lets hope we recover together! Fingers crossed for your PF shoes. What did you go for?

@Flukingflukes the GP did look at my hands at the time as they were hurting the most. Even when I was doing daft small things like squeezing a stapler. She said they were warm and mobile. So 🤷🏼‍♀️

@justtheotheronemrswembley i could do this thanks.

@rainandshine38 its about 24. I prefer to be around 22.5/23. But youre right, weight doesn't help. I saw something that said for every pound your body weighs, knees have 4lbs weight exerted on them.

@Falifornia I have heard of this but I wouldn't have thought of it! . I follow Tom Morrisons exercises and I think he has been diagnosed with this. I don't think I am that bad, my tendon issues could be put down to hypermobile movement or excessive dumbell rows. But, maybe the aggregate of all of the issues means a more rigorous check is necessary.

@Catwalking do you know what test it is?

I did also have a blood panel for connective tissue diseases 18 months ago, after my consultant told me I had a connective tissue disorder. As I developed Raynauds in my 30s he said I was at risk, but it all came back normal.

So my calf felt a bit better this morning after the deep tissue massage last night but there's still some sharp pain in my foot so I'll call BUPA this morning.

I also don't know how I stretch enough to match the impact of a deep tissue massage - I can't have one of those every night!

I also and totally bizarrely woke up with sciatica in the other leg. Haven't had it for ages. Think I braced myself for the shockwave therapy and tensed up through my whole body. I have a very low pain threshold!!

If you have Raynaud's you really do need a more thorough workup, and they should check for Sjögren's syndrome.

The problem is that if doctors are looking at individual symptoms, they can miss the bigger picture. The severe aches and pains, sciatica, pf, tendinitis, low blood pressure and reflux taken altogether paint a picture that really should be investigated as a whole - particularly if you already have one vascular disorder like Raynaud's.

Do you have a massage gun op? I would highly recommend one. Use it regularly on all your stuff bits. Do it before bed and before You get up fully. It’s been a game changer for me and my Creaky knees (along with strength training which I see you are doing).

@randomnamegenerated I haven't ever mentioned most of the things to the GP.

I dealt with the achilles tendinitis via self referral to private consultant/mri/physio, all knee and hip pain via private osteopath, the GP doesn't know about any of the tendon pain really. I also had a mortons neuroma dealt with via a private cortisone injection. I just assumed it was caused from over exertion and later I assumed caused by declining oestrogen/hypermobility. It didn't occur to me to see a GP about any of it.

They did do a connective tissue blood panel once I mentioned the Raynauds. I developed it in my early 30s and then the chilblains got too much 18 months ago when I was 46 so I mentioned it to GP and asked to try Nifedepine (awful drug, I itched and scratched myself so hard I got bruises all down my thighs). I didn't think they would be interested! My dad has Raynauds too, I didn't think it was a big deal 🤷🏼‍♀️

All of these things seem so small and can be dealt with without doctors so I didn't bother seeing anyone about it.

@BitOutOfPractice I wonder if aldi or lidl have one in the middle aisle sometime soon 😊

i just got as far as the part about hypermobility as I was about to suggest this.

In my experience has a lot to answer for!!

You may need some fascia release and ongoing targeted physio to engage deep stabilisation muscles of problem areas. I understand: Our bodies brace to hold joints together using muscles that shouldn’t be ‘on’ all the time the tension this causes can cause imbalances and fatigue.

@Lelivre thanks, that's partly what I suspected, though why all of a sudden would this get so much worse over a 12 month period?

I've always been to a bit achy (I do have a few issues that lead to this) and I used to take Glycosamine. I used to say that I noticed when I DIDN'T take it.

Menopause has made it feel worse. Recently I've started taking a vitamin in water originally to help with making water more palatable.

It's got 3x RDA of vit-d and I've noticed a huge improvement in my syiffness

@Oldraver do you mean the glucosamine?

I take 5000iu Vitamin D and 200 K2.

But a previous PP suggested I should get this checked. It's possible I'm taking too much or alternatively not absorbing it.

Mine didn’t cost the earth but it’s just as good as the one they have at the gym. Honestly, I use it after every workout now and my Knees are the best they’ve been in years.

I was just going to post the same. My feet were hell in the morning when I had this.