Help! I need menopause advice....

There is no test for Chronic Fatigue...part of the problem. It is a very neglected area.

Have the doctors considered testing you for ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as it was previously called. My husband has it and sounds very similar to you, it is very debilitating. Also, although you have gone vegetarian, have you considered the Keto diet. My daughter is on it and is fitter, slimmer and has more energy than she had before. So much so that I am now eating this way. It is exactly opposite to your present diet, but it is known to help Fibromyalgia. It might be worth looking into.

It does sound as if you are having a really big struggle. Go back to GP with a detailed list of all your symptoms. Makes out of 10 for pain, energy levels etc. Are useful for GP. E.g. 10/10 pain / energy is unbearable / can’t move and 1/10 is no pain / full of energy. Keep a note if what you were doing and the scores. Also ask GP to get your bowel checked, fatigue can be an indicator of possible problems. Above all be persistent

I also have a lot of those symptoms and rue the day that the GP told me I should probably stop my HRT. I did and my god, what a mistake that was. Not only do I feel like crap most of the time, but I've put on so much belly weight that I look pregnant (male pattern fatness). GN's out there on HRT, refuse to stop taking it unless there is a strong family history of breast cancer on your family.

I have Fibro and ME, there's no blood test for either. I'm afraid they are usually diagnosed on the basis of a lack of diagonsable condition ie they can't find any other explanation for the symptoms.

My symptoms are similar to yours, exhaustion, pain, restless legs etc. There are drugs available to help elevate but not cure I'm afraid.

I was diagnosed with ME in my 20's after a bout of pneumonia and pleurisy. I never recovered. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my early 30's.
It's a life altering life limiting condition that affects different people differently, and is changeable hour to hour. One minute I'm having an OK day the next I'm slurring my words and can't keep my eves open. Don't get me started on the pain! It never goes away.

Feel free to pm me anytime. There are a few support groups and therapies and I've found a few things that help.

Good luck and rest rest rest. Xx

Well, the OP has certainly garnered a range of results after visiting the GN surgery.
Lack of Vits B12, B6, D.
Lupus, Fibro, low testosterone and more. Take your pick.

Your symptoms could signal many things, MS being one. Your fatigue, joint pain and weakness/clumsiness are but 3 of the symptoms which may indicate this. Only your GP can give you the referrals and answers you need.
Best wishes

I had pains in my joints and felt utterly exhausted, lethargic. It was the practice nurse who organised blood test and I was deficient in vit D. I'd to take a high dose capsule daily for a short while then one per month. It has helped greatly. I do hope you get to the bottom of your problem soon. Just a thought, could it be Lupus? my SiL has it and sounds similar.

You have done the right thing. A further GP visit will give you an opportunity to talk about your concerns. Hopefully perhaps further blood test, scan can help rule out your worst fears. Write a list if what is worrying you symptom wise and just go through that with GP. Good Luck.

A friend had similar symptoms. Was deficient in vitamin A.
Cut out dairy and gluten.
Completely fine now.

This sounds so much like Fibro, has your GP done the basic pressure point tests before ruling this out? You don’t need blood tests to determine if this is your problem, but you do need a sympathetic GP who acknowledges that Fibromyalgia is a real problem!
The symptoms you describe sound so much like the ones I experienced prior to diagnosis. Don’t give up, keep pushing until you find someone who understands that condition.
Will keep you in my thoughts. X

I know somebody has already mentioned a B12 deficiency but even a blood test specifically looking at B12 is not necessarily accurate. It may be a B12 absorption problem which will only be solved by regular B12 injections. Also B9 has to be checked as it facilitates B12 absorption, or so I understand.

I’ll throw my tuppence in. My menopause , eight years ago was awful , leaving me overweight, exhausted, and ending up with hysterectomy. After hysterectomy I got waves of depression ( I’m not a depressive type ) and at some points unable to finish sentences ( thoughts flew out my head) , tired, aches and nervy ! I researched and concluded it was the zero testosterone ( produced by ovaries) that was causing me trouble. I talked to menopausal clinic and was prescribed low dose. Since then I have felt 15 years younger , no depression, lots energy ( considering I have 5 stone to lose) libido of a 35 yr old , and no longer nervy or gloomy. Life is worth living again. Side effects ? Drive too fast and not inclined to put up with nonsense and a bit of acne. But I’d put up with more spots thin hair or being impatient any day compared to what I was.

Sorry to hear about this Hellsbells. I very much agree with Hetty58 regarding your mental state and anxiety issues. I've been in widespread pain for the last 3 years which started in a tiny place in the middle of my chest & now encompasses my entire ribcage, my legs & very often my arms & feet as well. I've had a huge range of tests & scans at the hands of a rheumatologist & everything has been ruled out which left him with a costochondritis/fibromyalgia diagnosis. I've been back & forth to the GP who just shrugs & gives me more pain killers to take. In desperation this week I've seen a leading pain management consultant privately. He helped me with back pain about 15 years ago & I imagined he'd give me some injections & I'd be ok, albeit a little poorer! But no - he has explained that a lot of pain with no obvious cause can be put down to traumas in our earlier lives which have lain dormant & are aggravated by stress & anxiety. I have a lot of stress currently & I'm a very anxious person anyway. He has recommended a course of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) which I admit I'm sceptical about but I'm certainly going to try it as I'm in constant pain and have nothing to lose. I'd also thought about hypnotherapy - sometimes one needs to think outside the box!

Your existing autoimmune disorders go hand in hand with a whole range of other autoimmune disorders. Unfortunately, blood tests tend to rely on a snapshot of time instead of detailed blood work so although your tests come back clear, that may not necessarily be the correct result. A very hard to spot autoimmune disorder is APS (antiphospholipid syndrome/ sticky blood/ Hughes syndrome), please ask your doctor for the specific blood tests - over a 6 week period - as your symptoms sound a textbook match.
Good luck

I sympathise with you Jillybird, you have to try HRT to know how wonderful it makes you feel, it gives you back your life doesn't it? I don't know why the medical profession is so against it when the research showed only 3% in 100 were adversely affected. I'd go back on it tomorrow if I could.

Menopause, tell me about it! I've tried to keep off HRT, but I'm feeling so sh***y with it I may just give in.

Hellsbells your symptoms could be down to Polymyalgia Rheumatica, PMR for short.
Stiff aching joints across arms, necks, shoulders, wrists, back, hips, legs. Utter exhaustion, loss of appetite. Difficulty standing, getting out of bed etc.
It's an autoimmune disease, can be confirmed by blood test but markers don't always show up. Only real confirmation of PMR is if you get very fast relief from steroids.
Research it online and if it seems to fit talk to your doctor again.
I was diagnosed three months ago and the relief when my GP recognised the symptoms was fantastic, even more so once the physical pain and exhaustion was under control too.
Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sadly it sounds like the menopause. I have felt exhausted much of the time since I went through it. Sometimes I even fall asleep for an hour in the afternoon. I don't sleep too well in night, I feel too hot, even with summer duvet on. and it seems to catch up with me the following day. I also have thyroid disorder so know how low that can make you feel. I was tested for various vitamins as well as iron and magnesium. I am low in some B vitamins, Vit D and magnesium. Now on supplements I do feel a bit more energy. Go to GP and ask for those blood tests.

Ask your GP to test you for Hashimoto's disease, also known as Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Autoimmune conditions are the gift that keeps on giving unfortunately. After you have been tested and if it comes back positive for this condition. Try going gluten-free. There is an excellent website Thyroid UK which gives alot of information.

Ask your doctor to see a neurologist . My husband was having had pain in his joints and was sent to see a neurologist . Fibromyalgia can't be diagnose with a blood test . He was put on a six weeks course steroids and was told if they didn't ease the pain , it was definitely fibromyalgia . Then he was put on a course of treatment . He isn't pain free but better at times , he still suffers from restless legs syndrome . We have been told by putting a white bar of soap under the bottom sheet , by your feet works . Good luck don't suffer in silence thou .

There is no blood test for Fibro or ME,so just go with the flow.Rest whenever you can and realise that every time you exert yourself it will take days to recover. I have had this dreadful decease for 10 years, (I am 74), and also have PsA and allergies. I feel for you, join some Facebook sites, which will help.

Please try HRT before anything else. I developed severe rheumatoid arthritis at 50. At the age of 60 I was put on HRT. The difference was enormous and I stayed on it for 17 years. I was like a new woman, but unfortunately, after all the adverse publicity I was taken off HRT. within three months I reverted to being very ill. Though I have begged to go back on HRT but doctors will not consider it. I had no menopausal symptoms at all and am a normal weight for my age and nothing else wrong with me. The pain and exhaustion is very wearing.
Please try HRT and I wish you all the very best.

Hellsbells, I note you have autoimmune problems, like me. I had similar tests done for RA etc but they came back negative. I later had a blood test for my liver function and it was discovered I had PBC, (google it) which is an autoimmune disease caused by the Bile Duct. Its worth a read an a visit to your Dr. My Dr had never met anyone with it so it was the last thing on his mind. The national support group for PBC is a great help if this is what it is. If it is, message me I can give you more support.