I have recently been tested for rheumatoid arthritis because my joints have very quickly become sore and very painful - all results were negative. So I started to think of other reasons for this sudden decline in my health. I am 50 years old and use a Mirena coil for contraception - so I never see any period. This obviouly makes it difficult for me to monitor my cycle. I was tested 2 years ago to see where things were in my menopause and I was just told that it had started. Last month, suddenly out of the blue, I bled fresh red blood with a couple of large clots. I have also seen my GP due to my heart fluttering - they dismissed this as I recently had a heart trace done and my blood pressure is normal ( I take regular medication for high bP). I cannot tell you how happy I feel to have found your website and it has helped me self diagnose my menopause - so my question is what shall I do now? Should I have a blood test done to confirm my very strong suspicions? What medications can I take - my GP has prescribed some pain relief gel called Tiloket which hasnt really helped. My elbows, knees, toes, fingers, and even my neck are so sore - I even felt like my jaw was aching. As this is all very recent, I have only just started logging when my pain is worse but 3 weeks ago I could hardly believe the pain. It has so rapidly increased. Now today I am itching like craZy but joint pain has diminished. It gets worse at night and first thing in the morning. Can you recommend anything to help or what I should do next?

I am glad we have been able to shed some light on your symptoms.

Unfortunately, most doctors, especially the male ones, don't associate a whole raft of symptoms as being menopausal which can be really frustrating for the patients as you have found out!

Certainly joint pain and palpitations seem to be very common. As your hormones fluctuate so can your symptoms and this can be why you will get varying degrees of pain/discomfort. Unfortunately, the Mirena Coil will mask your own hormone levels (which will be falling naturally at this time), so it would be very difficult to do an accurate test.

Most women on the coil find at some time that their menopause symptoms 'break through' and sometimes that is all you can go with.

Joint pain is often caused by falling/fluctuating oestrogen and this affects the hydration of the joints, causing inflammation and pain.

You may find Devils Claw and Arnica Gel helpful. Check your diet too, as caffeine, high salt and sugar foods, and processed foods can all irritate the joints further.

I have just done a short video on joint health in the menopause and what you can do to help yourself so do take a look if you can. If you send me your home address I can send you some Arnica gel samples to try for the joint pain.

I would also suggest a magnesium supplement to help support your nervous system just now which is probably being affected by your symptoms and this is also great for mood, sleep and calming the heart!

Eileen Durward

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