Last year I started to get horrendous knee pain, the (male) doc, sent me for x-ray, which showed arthritis. (Not too much of a surprise as I did get the odd knee twinge prior.) But a year on, I'm a totally incapacitated now by pain in both knees, which persists regardless of how many tablets I take.
I read somewhere last week that it could be related to the menopause. I'm 51 and have had irregular periods for about 18 months now and it's just dawned on me that it isn't over-enthusiastic central heating, that was making me strip down to t'shirts & vests, but hot flushes - Doh! I never really get it any thought TBH, I've always just got on with things.
I'm uncontrollably weepy and because of my knees totally housebound. I struggle to walk from the kitchen to the sitting room (or loo!!). I have to go up the stairs at night on all fours. My knees are also either stiff or sometimes feel weak and have given way, making me fall. To be frank I'm at the end of my tether.
I'm seeing a lady doc on Monday. I'm praying that she agrees HRT will help and she'll prescribe it. But will I need a blood test or examination? I'm so squeamish about needles and terribly uncomfortable about being examined. But my ife is now so limited and joyless, I need to do something, but I'd like to be prepared and psyched up when I go.
Sorry this is so long.
The menopause could just be a side issue, you need to find out the reasons beyond the arthritis making you so incapacitated. It could be that you need different meds.
ive had osteoarth for more years than i like to remember! In my knees, hips and now shoulders. I dont take any painkillers except ibuprofen on bad days. I have always used evening primrose, omega and cod liver all good for the joints. When i went through meno yes they could be worse some days but not so i was incapacitated like you. I think you would be wise to let your gp investigate.
Hi grtac1eg
Sorry about your knee pain I have been experincing really bad pain in my left foot the ball of the foot there is some inflamation it the ball of my left foot plus that is the bad foot because i broke it and i had to have surgery on it a plate eight screws and a pin. Then in my right foot i have a heal spur the worst time it hurts is if i am on my feet all day and walking a lot then i am in a lot of pain but when i am resting the pain subsides like today i am resting most of the day because was not feeling well last night and did not sleep to well
I hope you feel better
I went to the docs on Monday. I walked in and quite embarrassingly promptly burst into tears. Finally, I managed to ask her that even though I recognise that my weight (I'm quite over weight) has perhaps caused some arthritic damage to my knees, could this severe pain which has come on relatively suddenly be attributable to Menopausal Arthritis on top of the existing knee damage.
At which point I saw the eye roll and knew, I was going to be patronised. One sentence started with "I don't mean to be rude but your weight.......". Another sentence was "You know that HRT isn't the cure-all you think it's going to be".
She concluded by saying that she wanted me to have a blood test (Arrrggghhhh) and "......had I ever had my thyroid levels tested because there may be a problem there?". I was so cross.
Six years ago, I asked to have my thyroid checked in reation to my weight and was told I didn't need it and needed to go to the dietician, who concluded there was nothing wrong with my eating and said "it only takes as much as an apple a day, to push you over your daily calories".
And now suddenly, it seems I may have been on the right track six years ago, but denied help then, so it makes you wonder if the exact same thing is happening again. Being fobbed off, instead of being listened to.
I will be so mad if it turns out there is a problem with my thyroid. I've been struggling with my weight for years and I'm sure any problem with my knees could have been mitigated.
And as for my current knee pain? When I asked what I could do she said "I don't really know", "what are you taking at the moment?".
I walked out with a print out about menopause which I was to "read carefully" (I had already read the exact same information on various websites), a prescription for stronger Co-codamol and a feeling of utter dispair.