Does being menopausal contribute to pain with fibro? — Scope | Disability forum
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Does being menopausal contribute to pain with fibro?

Broon
Broon Community member Posts: 3 Listener
Hi & Happy New Year

First timer here....I feel so lost...I am in pain most of the time....I have Fibro, arthritis, and a few other concoctions going on.  I am in so much pain, it has never been this bad before,,,Does anyone know if being menapausal contributes to my pain with fibro....??  Thanks for letting me join....Broon x

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,317 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome,

    I'm one of the community champions here on scope and i'm here to advise and support others.

    One of my conditions is Fibro and for me literally anything can make my pain worse, especially if i've done something extra that day and the weather is colder. As with all conditions, fibro affects us all differently.

    Have you spoken to your GP regarding your increased pain?

    I know for me, there's really nothing more that can be done to help me and i just have to manage the best way i know how.. which isn't managing most of the time. Pain through the roof everyday from around mid afternoon. I find hot showers/baths help a lot but what might help one person may not help another. You just have to find what's good for you.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Broon
    Broon Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hi  Poppy,  thank you so much for your quick response .  I used to able to "manage" the pain of sorts up to a point, I used to work part - time,,,now all that is gone...  Im 53 and been told I'm perimenapausal....I still have a cycle every 3 months or so....I am always hot and uncomfortable, I don't sleep well for days then I can sleep 20 hrs straight....Aching from head to toe...Unfortunately for me showers are not good....the hot water hitting my skin is like needles piercing through my skin....bath's are better, but very stiff when I come out of one.

    I also have HBP. and when I attempt to make a cup of tea or myself a sandwich I am out of breath and my body feels to heavy for me to carry!!  I will be going back to my GP when they re-ppen next week...  I am already taking.  co-dydramol. amitryptilyne, iron. vit d tablets. and blood pressure medicine...Was put on Gabapenten a few yrs ago but made me like a zombie so I just try and make do...but its not enough....x 
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Broon - Welcome to this very supportive & friendly community. A Happy New Year to you too. I have a genetic disorder, the hypermobile type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which has led to generalised osteoarthrosis. I also read a medical paper yesterday that was saying that pain in my disorder is poorly understood, but was most comparable to fibromyalgia, so I have perhaps a little understanding about what you're suffering.
    It's good to read you're going to see your GP as my friend Poppy had advised, as they know you best. I do know for me that around the time of my period my pain & joint laxity both increased, so I almost welcomed the menopause. Hormonal changes undoubtedly can have an effect on our bodies, but you can't always put things down to that.
    I also tried Gabapentin several years ago, & it had a similar effect on me. There is another med called Pregabalin, which is in the same family as Gabapentin, so helps in the same way, however the dosage needed is much lower. Some people find either one, or the other, works best for them. Perhaps worth asking your GP about it, but of course they may consider an entirely different option.
    Gentle exercise is always good, & stops you stiffening up too much! Please keep in touch & let us know how you get on with your GP.
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Broon

    Welcome & Happy New Year???

    I am one off the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

    I have had big problems with chronic pain since 2005.

    Currently I am on maximum levels of my meds.

     I have found “Distraction” as one of my most useful tools to assist with my “Pain”

    Please please have a good look ? around & if you need any help please come back to me.

    @steve51
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Hi @Broon and welcome to the community. :)
    Did you manage to get an appointment with your GP?
    Community Manager
    Scope
  • deb74
    deb74 Community member Posts: 814 Pioneering
    Hi @Broon. I have several disabilities including fibromyalgia. My fibro symptoms pretty much disappeared for a couple of years but then I started to go through the menopause and had really heavy periods and the symptoms came back.  I think it is back for good know. I never know from one day to the next how I am going to feel. 
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Broon, how are you today?
    Scope

  • Broon
    Broon Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hi all, and thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question.  I have since been back to my GP and further blood tests have been taken.  My GP has allied with me and concluding that all of my symptoms are worsened due to the changes my body is going through...At the moment, we are just going to try and manage them as best we can...  It is a nightmare though...not one day goes by where I don't have pain.  Thanks again for all your help and info, it is very much appreciated. 
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi again @Broon - Thank you for the update. It's good to read you have a sympathetic & supportive GP; we all need one of those!
    I don't know if you've seen a recent discussion here about pain which is most informative. See this link EmmaB gave about fibromyalgia:
    https://my.livewellwithpain.co.uk/resources/video-and-audio/life-after-opioids/
    & perhaps look at the rest of the discussion in which EmmaB, thespiceman & I contributed, to see if it may help. See: https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/295495#Comment_295495
    Pain is so very difficult to 'manage' but that's often the best you can do; unfortunately for many of us there's no magic pill that makes it all go away.....as Drs are learning also, it's how to cope with it.   :/


  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    No problem at all @Broon! Please do check in and let us know if we can do anything else to help. :)
    Scope

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