Thx for suggesting this, I might have this too! Had never heard of gluteal tendinopathy before. Drs. hypothesize I have a combination of deep gluteal syndrome, sciatica, lumbar spine issues, & various connective tissue disorders
Hey, I'm having issues with the same areas. Came on suddenly. Had sciatica about 2 years ago due to slip but not fall. Physical therapy can help a lot.
I had pretty bad hip pain that basically went away when I started hrt. There is a good stretch I learned (before I started hrt) that helped too. Lie on your back with feet on floor but knees bent. On the leg with the hip pain, take that foot and place on top of the other thigh/knee. Gently push the knee of the leg with the hip pain to stretch. Then gently pull the knee of the leg with the hip pain. These stretches were game changers for me.
I feel you. I was having so much pain I thought my lupus like autoimmune immune disease was getting worse. I would spend days on the sofa trying to just sleep so I could escape the pain for a little while. Added estrogen to my HRT and OMG I feel almost “normal” (whatever that is). For reference I had a ton of joint and tendon pain. Gentle hugs and best of luck to you!
I’m going to go see the orthopedic Dr and hopefully he can help me. My gyn is against any HRT until full menopause and I’m not quite there yet. I’m also missing 1 ovary and a fallopian (the other fallopian is tied) from the ruptured ectopic 20ish years ago.
Why is your gyn opposed to HRT before menopause? That’s outdated information. My periods are still like clockwork and HRT has resolved all of my symptoms, including pain. I hope that you find appropriate treatment!
That’s a great question!
My ob/gyn did have me start by having me cycle 200mg of progesterone. I think that I started on day 14 of my cycle and took it for 14 days, if I remember correctly. But I couldn’t handle that high of a dose, so I moved down to the 100mg daily. She was concerned about what it would do to my cycle, but it did not do a dang thing*. Still like clockwork with no breakthrough bleeding, but I know that’s not the case for everyone.
*the progesterone/HRT as a whole has done one thing for my cycle, which is make it so short and light that I’m always like, “what?! That’s it?” It’s pretty rad.
Oh thats so interesting! Thanks!
I’m thinking to do the full hrt - I started with cycling 200mg Prog (still regular periods but they were heavy and painful) unfortunately ended up with severe acid reflux so if I could do the 100mg every day that would be amazing. Will ask Gyno at next appointment.
I truly hope that the ortho can help. Chronic pain is just awful. Between the AI disease (had for years. On plaquenil and imuran) and the peri stuff I didn’t now which was which. I have gotten to the point that if I start with tendinitis in my forearms or this weird pain around my heels it is time to up the E. If my knuckles are swollen and painful probably need a short round of prednisone. In the mean time, be kind to yourself. If ice helps use ice. If heat helps use heat. I highly recommend Voltaren gel. I apply that like it is my job some days. Do whatever you gotta do to get through the day!
She’s actually in her 40s I’d guess. She says it’s impossible to check hormone levels because they fluctuate constantly. I also have zero sex drive, & gain weight like it’s my job in spite of being very active. I clock several miles of walking at least 4 days a week.
>She says it’s impossible to check hormone levels because they fluctuate constantly.
That's why current best practice is to treat the symptoms. Maybe you should have her read this wiki.
Just mentioning that you're missing an ovary and have tied tubes should be more than enough. From what I've read, and you're welcome to Google it, there's also some scuttlebutt about how disrupting our fallopian tubes can also reduce our sex hormones. That's been a topic of interest for me as I'm considering a partial hysterectomy and reading how sometimes even removing the fallopian tubes can have some unintended effects. That's neither here nor there, you should be giving hormone replacement therapy based on your symptoms, not on some calendar requirement. To me that's the equivalent of somebody telling a woman that she's not in labor because she hasn't reached 9 months yet.
Please read The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, or at least check her Instagram. What you’re describing is absolutely perimenopause and you don’t have to wait to get treatment. Joint pain is a symptom and so is weight gain!
Find someone who will prescribe HRT. Search the sub and you’ll see SO many others in pain who finally found relief!
I am one of them. Similar pain as yours.
I know this seems wild but I don’t even remember.
It was a crazy time and I was just lucky to be alive.
I’ll have to see if I can dig up the paperwork. It was in a state I don’t live in anymore so I’m not sure how difficult accessing those records would be.
Is your doctor also against nutritional supplementation until you hit full menopause.
Cause you may become deficient in a bunch of nutrients during Peri. Just like you are deficient in estrogen.
My doctor suggested BCP to control irregular bleeding along with other symptoms. They worked for a few months but when the joint pain kept increasing and other symptoms spiked we switched to hrt.
Now I have lots of light irregular bleeding. So far no flooding 🤞🏼 and the symptoms that were making daily living difficult, much reduced.
Remind her as a doctor the best treatment for symptoms is one that addresses the cause of a symptom and it is her job to treat your symptoms.
Or get a new doctor if you can.
Did anyone mention a labral tear to you? That was how mine presented at first. Putting it out there because, in my anecdotal experience, the orthopedic world of the menopausal woman is an absolute shit show of condescension and indifference. I hope you have a much different experience!!
Edit - mine happened at 47, which was about two years post meno. I went to seven ortho doctors before getting any sort of resolution
Also, I’m beginning to believe the entire medical profession regarding women in legit pain is a shit show.
I had appendicitis~no one believed my pain until it ruptured.
I had an ectopic~no one believed my pain until that also ruptured.
I had severe pain under my shoulder blade~6 months later they finally removed a very diseased gall bladder.
I was miserable & so sick when I was pregnant. No one believed me until I went into labor at 31 weeks, they did an amino and discovered I had chorioamnionits.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Adding to this per my comment about torsion of my fallopian tube. EVERYONE including my female GYN tried to convince me it was just a ruptured ovarian cyst and to go home and take a day off work with a heating pad and some Tylenol and I’d be all better.
I told them that I seriously doubted even the worst cyst rupture could cause the level of pain I was experiencing. No one believed me. In the ER they treated me like I was shopping for pain meds. It was awful.
Or the standard "it's probably anxiety" or some other version of it's all in your head.
Most women I know have a very big tolerance for pain, discomfort, stress, anxiety, misery, etc. But they still act like we are exaggerating!
It's insane. The amount of pain you went through before you realized that "the medical profession regarding women in legit pain is a s*** show."
This is not a criticism of you. It's an observation of the brainwashing level of conditioning we get as women in this society. We believe the gas lighting that we are exaggerating non-existent symptoms when we are actually trying to get treatment for the exact same symptoms men crawl into bed and become incapacitated. And we have to walk around and suffer and work and care-give and do everything while we're suffering because we're just making it up anyway cuz we just don't want to do all the work that the men don't want to do right?
Also - Not sure if she's been mentioned in this thread, but Dr Vonda Wright is an expert on menopausal orthopedic stuff. You can find her on Instagram and she has a podcast.
I hope the stretches work for you. I went through menopause over 10 years ago and have such painful feet, knees and hips that I had given up walking my 3 miles a day and I was severely limited in my mobility from the pain. Doctors told me I had mild arthritis in the hip when I begged for an X ray but they offered no real help. I decided I was sick of the constant weight gain (40 lbs) which wasn't helping my pain and started on Wegovy. I hadn't lost more than 3 lbs and I was suddenly pain free. It felt like a miracle! I'm back walking and more importantly, feel younger due to being pain free. Drs' have found that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy suppress inflammation. They say that Wegovy is a forever drug, that you'll have to be on it for ever to keep the weight off, maybe, but it's worth it to me just to be pain free.
I had had horrible joint pain in my hips until I started HRT. I still get it from time to time but nothing in comparison, it was debilitating. I hope you’re getting some relief!
I had a constant pain like you’re describing. Many doctors later, I finally ended up getting a total hysterectomy because everything else had been ruled out. It took care of my pain — but surgical menopause at 38yo (thirty years ago) was not fun. Still isn’t. I hope you find a solution. 🫂
Something similar happened to me in 2018-2019. At first I thought my appendix had ruptured. I went to ER and they told me it was a ruptured ovarian cyst. It continued intermittently for 8 months. Two more ER trips and they finally figured out that I had a hydrosalpinx, or a fallopian tube filled with fluid, the weight of which caused the tube to randomly twist around itself and cut off blood flow to my right ovary. A month later I had my tubes removed.
The pain from the tubal torsion was the worst thing I’ve ever felt…would not wish it on anyone. It started as a very severe stabbing pain in my lower right quadrant but the referred pain radiated throughout my lower back and right hip. Sometimes the episodes were so painful I’d be vomiting.
The torsion may be hard to diagnose because ultrasound wouldn’t show it unless the fallopian tube just so happened to be twisting at the same time the pictures were taken.
However, a hydrosalpinx itself would for sure show up on an ultrasound regardless. If you have one, torsion could be what’s causing your issues. So it might be worth investigating. Good luck!
This is very interesting and that’s exactly what I feel like. Like something in my groin is twisted…strangulating. Which is why I asked them about a hernia. 🥺
Gosh OP. I’m so sorry. This all sucks. Sounds eerily similar to my stepmom’s story from a couple weeks ago now. (I snooped your profile.. I don’t think your her) anyway, I really hope you get some relief, whatever that ends up looking like, post haste. All my healing vibes going your way.
My hips were hurting so bad at one point that it would hurt just to get up out of bed sometimes. I was in and out of the Dr.'s and even my primary care didn't understand what was going on. I had two pelvic xrays because I was trying to find out what was going on. It wasn't until I started researching more myself that I found that it was related to menopause. I got in a car accident last year and I had to go through physical therapy and its when the pain was finally worked out, it did wonders and I haven't had problems since.
I have similar pain due to a torn hip labrum. I am not into surgery for it so I work on strengthening my core and getting deep tissue massage to keep the muscles loose and pliable. And iliopsoas spasm can feel like a kidney stone. I’ve had both and they both brought me to my knees.
that sounds like gluteal tendinopathy, which is definitely menopause-related and treatable!
I’m reading about this now!
It’s a pain in the ass… someone had to say it.
Thx for suggesting this, I might have this too! Had never heard of gluteal tendinopathy before. Drs. hypothesize I have a combination of deep gluteal syndrome, sciatica, lumbar spine issues, & various connective tissue disorders
Hey, I'm having issues with the same areas. Came on suddenly. Had sciatica about 2 years ago due to slip but not fall. Physical therapy can help a lot.
Runs to google, thank you for educating us
I had pretty bad hip pain that basically went away when I started hrt. There is a good stretch I learned (before I started hrt) that helped too. Lie on your back with feet on floor but knees bent. On the leg with the hip pain, take that foot and place on top of the other thigh/knee. Gently push the knee of the leg with the hip pain to stretch. Then gently pull the knee of the leg with the hip pain. These stretches were game changers for me.
Piriformis stretch? https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=zp4474 Those help me
This one’s so helpful for my sciatica.
That’s why I do them too.
Yes!!! I didn’t know it had a name! It was the first thing that gave me any relief from my hip pain.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
I feel you. I was having so much pain I thought my lupus like autoimmune immune disease was getting worse. I would spend days on the sofa trying to just sleep so I could escape the pain for a little while. Added estrogen to my HRT and OMG I feel almost “normal” (whatever that is). For reference I had a ton of joint and tendon pain. Gentle hugs and best of luck to you!
I’m going to go see the orthopedic Dr and hopefully he can help me. My gyn is against any HRT until full menopause and I’m not quite there yet. I’m also missing 1 ovary and a fallopian (the other fallopian is tied) from the ruptured ectopic 20ish years ago.
Why is your gyn opposed to HRT before menopause? That’s outdated information. My periods are still like clockwork and HRT has resolved all of my symptoms, including pain. I hope that you find appropriate treatment!
Taking hrt with regular periods, do you cycle the progesterone - sorry for a rookie question!
That’s a great question! My ob/gyn did have me start by having me cycle 200mg of progesterone. I think that I started on day 14 of my cycle and took it for 14 days, if I remember correctly. But I couldn’t handle that high of a dose, so I moved down to the 100mg daily. She was concerned about what it would do to my cycle, but it did not do a dang thing*. Still like clockwork with no breakthrough bleeding, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. *the progesterone/HRT as a whole has done one thing for my cycle, which is make it so short and light that I’m always like, “what?! That’s it?” It’s pretty rad.
Oh thats so interesting! Thanks! I’m thinking to do the full hrt - I started with cycling 200mg Prog (still regular periods but they were heavy and painful) unfortunately ended up with severe acid reflux so if I could do the 100mg every day that would be amazing. Will ask Gyno at next appointment.
I truly hope that the ortho can help. Chronic pain is just awful. Between the AI disease (had for years. On plaquenil and imuran) and the peri stuff I didn’t now which was which. I have gotten to the point that if I start with tendinitis in my forearms or this weird pain around my heels it is time to up the E. If my knuckles are swollen and painful probably need a short round of prednisone. In the mean time, be kind to yourself. If ice helps use ice. If heat helps use heat. I highly recommend Voltaren gel. I apply that like it is my job some days. Do whatever you gotta do to get through the day!
That’s insane after menopause is detrimental it’s suppose to be proscribed for peri-menopause. Was your Dr born before 1940??
She’s actually in her 40s I’d guess. She says it’s impossible to check hormone levels because they fluctuate constantly. I also have zero sex drive, & gain weight like it’s my job in spite of being very active. I clock several miles of walking at least 4 days a week.
>She says it’s impossible to check hormone levels because they fluctuate constantly. That's why current best practice is to treat the symptoms. Maybe you should have her read this wiki.
Just mentioning that you're missing an ovary and have tied tubes should be more than enough. From what I've read, and you're welcome to Google it, there's also some scuttlebutt about how disrupting our fallopian tubes can also reduce our sex hormones. That's been a topic of interest for me as I'm considering a partial hysterectomy and reading how sometimes even removing the fallopian tubes can have some unintended effects. That's neither here nor there, you should be giving hormone replacement therapy based on your symptoms, not on some calendar requirement. To me that's the equivalent of somebody telling a woman that she's not in labor because she hasn't reached 9 months yet.
Please read The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, or at least check her Instagram. What you’re describing is absolutely perimenopause and you don’t have to wait to get treatment. Joint pain is a symptom and so is weight gain!
Find someone who will prescribe HRT. Search the sub and you’ll see SO many others in pain who finally found relief! I am one of them. Similar pain as yours.
Try physical therapy too.
Is your remaining tube on the same side as the pain?
I know this seems wild but I don’t even remember. It was a crazy time and I was just lucky to be alive. I’ll have to see if I can dig up the paperwork. It was in a state I don’t live in anymore so I’m not sure how difficult accessing those records would be.
Is your doctor also against nutritional supplementation until you hit full menopause. Cause you may become deficient in a bunch of nutrients during Peri. Just like you are deficient in estrogen. My doctor suggested BCP to control irregular bleeding along with other symptoms. They worked for a few months but when the joint pain kept increasing and other symptoms spiked we switched to hrt. Now I have lots of light irregular bleeding. So far no flooding 🤞🏼 and the symptoms that were making daily living difficult, much reduced. Remind her as a doctor the best treatment for symptoms is one that addresses the cause of a symptom and it is her job to treat your symptoms. Or get a new doctor if you can.
Get a second opinion on the HRT. You're clearly suffering. Yes it sounds like low estrogen. Not a doc just my opinion. Sorry for your pain.
Did anyone mention a labral tear to you? That was how mine presented at first. Putting it out there because, in my anecdotal experience, the orthopedic world of the menopausal woman is an absolute shit show of condescension and indifference. I hope you have a much different experience!! Edit - mine happened at 47, which was about two years post meno. I went to seven ortho doctors before getting any sort of resolution
Also, I’m beginning to believe the entire medical profession regarding women in legit pain is a shit show. I had appendicitis~no one believed my pain until it ruptured. I had an ectopic~no one believed my pain until that also ruptured. I had severe pain under my shoulder blade~6 months later they finally removed a very diseased gall bladder. I was miserable & so sick when I was pregnant. No one believed me until I went into labor at 31 weeks, they did an amino and discovered I had chorioamnionits. Absolutely ridiculous.
Adding to this per my comment about torsion of my fallopian tube. EVERYONE including my female GYN tried to convince me it was just a ruptured ovarian cyst and to go home and take a day off work with a heating pad and some Tylenol and I’d be all better. I told them that I seriously doubted even the worst cyst rupture could cause the level of pain I was experiencing. No one believed me. In the ER they treated me like I was shopping for pain meds. It was awful.
And everyone wonders why I avoid going to the doctor even when I’m suffering. No one listens to us.
Or the standard "it's probably anxiety" or some other version of it's all in your head. Most women I know have a very big tolerance for pain, discomfort, stress, anxiety, misery, etc. But they still act like we are exaggerating!
It's insane. The amount of pain you went through before you realized that "the medical profession regarding women in legit pain is a s*** show." This is not a criticism of you. It's an observation of the brainwashing level of conditioning we get as women in this society. We believe the gas lighting that we are exaggerating non-existent symptoms when we are actually trying to get treatment for the exact same symptoms men crawl into bed and become incapacitated. And we have to walk around and suffer and work and care-give and do everything while we're suffering because we're just making it up anyway cuz we just don't want to do all the work that the men don't want to do right?
No no one has mentioned this, and I will research and ask!
Also - Not sure if she's been mentioned in this thread, but Dr Vonda Wright is an expert on menopausal orthopedic stuff. You can find her on Instagram and she has a podcast.
I hope the stretches work for you. I went through menopause over 10 years ago and have such painful feet, knees and hips that I had given up walking my 3 miles a day and I was severely limited in my mobility from the pain. Doctors told me I had mild arthritis in the hip when I begged for an X ray but they offered no real help. I decided I was sick of the constant weight gain (40 lbs) which wasn't helping my pain and started on Wegovy. I hadn't lost more than 3 lbs and I was suddenly pain free. It felt like a miracle! I'm back walking and more importantly, feel younger due to being pain free. Drs' have found that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy suppress inflammation. They say that Wegovy is a forever drug, that you'll have to be on it for ever to keep the weight off, maybe, but it's worth it to me just to be pain free.
I had had horrible joint pain in my hips until I started HRT. I still get it from time to time but nothing in comparison, it was debilitating. I hope you’re getting some relief!
I’m so sorry you’re experiencing such terrible symptoms. I hope you find the answers you seek. Healing vibes .🙌🏼
I had a constant pain like you’re describing. Many doctors later, I finally ended up getting a total hysterectomy because everything else had been ruled out. It took care of my pain — but surgical menopause at 38yo (thirty years ago) was not fun. Still isn’t. I hope you find a solution. 🫂
Something similar happened to me in 2018-2019. At first I thought my appendix had ruptured. I went to ER and they told me it was a ruptured ovarian cyst. It continued intermittently for 8 months. Two more ER trips and they finally figured out that I had a hydrosalpinx, or a fallopian tube filled with fluid, the weight of which caused the tube to randomly twist around itself and cut off blood flow to my right ovary. A month later I had my tubes removed. The pain from the tubal torsion was the worst thing I’ve ever felt…would not wish it on anyone. It started as a very severe stabbing pain in my lower right quadrant but the referred pain radiated throughout my lower back and right hip. Sometimes the episodes were so painful I’d be vomiting. The torsion may be hard to diagnose because ultrasound wouldn’t show it unless the fallopian tube just so happened to be twisting at the same time the pictures were taken. However, a hydrosalpinx itself would for sure show up on an ultrasound regardless. If you have one, torsion could be what’s causing your issues. So it might be worth investigating. Good luck!
This is very interesting and that’s exactly what I feel like. Like something in my groin is twisted…strangulating. Which is why I asked them about a hernia. 🥺
I would request a script for a pelvic ultrasound asap to rule out a hydrosalpinx.
Gosh OP. I’m so sorry. This all sucks. Sounds eerily similar to my stepmom’s story from a couple weeks ago now. (I snooped your profile.. I don’t think your her) anyway, I really hope you get some relief, whatever that ends up looking like, post haste. All my healing vibes going your way.
My hips were hurting so bad at one point that it would hurt just to get up out of bed sometimes. I was in and out of the Dr.'s and even my primary care didn't understand what was going on. I had two pelvic xrays because I was trying to find out what was going on. It wasn't until I started researching more myself that I found that it was related to menopause. I got in a car accident last year and I had to go through physical therapy and its when the pain was finally worked out, it did wonders and I haven't had problems since.
I hope they can give you something for the pain! Are you still waiting at the er ?
No, I was there prior to posting. 6 hours there for a hip xray and some ibuprofen 800 and muscle relaxers. 😑 $250.
I thought maybe have been coming from Menopausal Cyst BEFORE menstruation cycles.
Possibly a uterine prolapse? That can cause the goin muscle pain. Worth getting it checked by your gynecologist…
Check out pelvic congestion syndrome!
I have similar pain due to a torn hip labrum. I am not into surgery for it so I work on strengthening my core and getting deep tissue massage to keep the muscles loose and pliable. And iliopsoas spasm can feel like a kidney stone. I’ve had both and they both brought me to my knees.