Pain and stiffness - menopause or something else?

[U06334]

Hi. I was put on pred, mycophenolate and alendronic acid for 2 years in 2008 after several strokes and many tests which concluded in a diagnosis of primary (cerebral) vasculitis. I recovered exceptionally well and still take blood thinners now.

In 2020 I developed numerous menopause symptoms including aching and stiffness in neck, shoulders, hip girdle and hands, all of which responded well to HRT. Xrays showed it was not arthritis. Long story short, I ended up with heavy periods every other week, my hrt consultant went AWOL during the pandemic and patches were unobtainable, so I had to stop taking hrt.

Last year I had a TIA after my AZ covid vaccine and since have had Pfizer only. After initial scan and blood tests, Elderly Medicine put me on cholesterol statins as a matter of course and have been bumbling around with lousy admin and failed communications - they seem at a loss and want to discharge me.

I am a fit 55 year old, but over the last 18 months, the stiffness and pain have returned, and is now limiting my mobility, neuropathy in my arms and hands keep me awake for hours most nights. Rheumy and blood tests indicate there is nothing wrong (CRP + ESR). Nerve conduction tests are negative and I have an ECG scheduled which I think is a waste of time. GP has put me on citalopram for depression. I don’t know who to turn to now and what to look for. Please help.

[Treetop33]

I sympathise (sorry as well, as I am new to this forum). I have a similar problem. I have lupus, APS plus the menopause, plus something else undiagnosed (it is why I am here). I cannot get HRT either, but was only able to take small doses anyway because of blood clotting issues and it gave me breast pain & bloating. I noticed a difference when I stopped taking it. My lupus is quite quiescent, but I'm have pain, stiffness and fatigue every day. I don't know what is causing it, and specialists wash their hands when it comes to comorbities.

Is it that you think you might have PMR? Hopefully someone here can speak to that.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The "normal range" blood markers don't mean it isn't PMR (for example). My diagnosis was delayed by 5 years because my blood showed nothing. In fact - they were raised for me, but still within normal range - but that is the range of levels found in 95% of a large population (usually 10,000+) of nominally healthy subjects, not the range that is OK in a single person.

How does the development of the problem relate to the statin? Could y our hands be carpal tunnel syndrome?

[U06334 in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRPro. GP just wants to rule out the statins causing the aches. This GP has not mentioned carpal tunnel - thank you, I will suggest it next visit. The pins and needles are sometimes all fingers and thumbs and other times my little finger is unaffected, so I guess there may be more than one cause.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to U06334]

I rarely have carpal tunnel effects (thumb to middle finger) but if I sit not quite right the ulnar nerve gets squashed somewhere and the ring and little finger go to sleep.

I have taken stains twice, The first time after about 10 days I was almost in a wheelchair. I stopped and it took a few months to get back to where I'd been before. This last time the first 2 weeks were fine and then by the end of the third week the aches had started. I stopped again but still haven't really got back to where I was but there are other reasons for a flare so difficult to sort one thing from another.