Surgical menopause and joint pain?

B-A-P

So I had my ovaries removed 2 weeks ago at 31, and I am in full menopause, hot flashes and everything. I've noticed my hands, knees, and ankles being really achy and sore. I know that AI's can cause joint pain, but I'm not on them yet, so I was just wondering if there is a link to straight up menopause and joint pain this early on. Looking for anyone that has experienced this

Certainly can be something else, but this is the only recent thing that's happened, and I'm currently on no treatments or meds

Thanks!

Beesie

Yup, sometimes it's called "menopausal arthritis".

exercise_guru

yes it can cause a lot of aches and pains. Will they immediately move you to arimidex? I wish I had stayed on tamoxifen for 6 months I moved to AIs and had some pretty serious pain in the joints that compounded the arthritic pain I was having post surgical menopause . My knees felt like someone took a baseball bat to them

I am not sure this would be of help to you but after I watched the documentary "forks over knives" I changed my diet to whole foods plant based vegan. I eliminated animal products and ate a lot of greens I noticed a big improvement in menopausal symptoms and arthritic pain. It was some time after my surgery so I cant say if it was time or the diet but it was a big improvement. The symptoms continued to improve and I have been on the diet now for a year Now if I eat meat I get horrible hot flashes.

B-A-P

thanks guys ! I figured it was that but wasn’t sure if it could happen so fast

Exercise guru - I will be put on letrozole as far as I know at my next appointment which is at the end of this month. So I have a bit of a break from meds. Suppose I’ll enjoy it while I can because I do hear the joint pain can be worse when on them. Do you take anything for bones yet ?

Thanks for the advice on nutrition. When I was diagnosed I did do a major lifestyle change. I eat about 95% plant based. No red meat , no dairy , no refined sugars , no alcohol, lots of plants ! I do eat free range eggs a couple times a week and some organic chicken at supper. I’m trying to be vegetarian but I’ve been finding it hard to completely cut it out I exercise a lot but have been benched due to surgery. Antsy to get back at it

Whatjusthappened

B-A-P, just to chime in here, I would strongly encourage waiting as long as you are comfortable before starting the letrozole, so you can get a "base line" of how you feel without the meds. That way you know what side effects to attribute to meds and what to attribute to the surgical menopause.

I started arimidex a week after my ovaries were removed, and I wish I had waited. The joint pain was brutal, though it's improved somewhat. The hot flashes are still very bad. My MO offered to try a different AI, but I don't know for sure that the AI is the problem because I didn't have that base line. I suspect it wouldn't be much better on letrozole, and don't want to acclimate to another med yet.

I also just had Prolia added to the mix, which I'm still very uncomfortable with, but finally went with the advice of all my docs. The same day I got the Prolia shot I went on Prednisone for radiation pneumonitis. I feel like I'm on a pharmacutical roller coaster.

B-A-P

whatjusthappened- Great advice! Thanks for that I have a scan in two weeks and don’t see my MO until the 28th. So that’ll give me about 6 weeks med free to get a baseline. I feel like it should be sufficient .

Is prolia for bones ? I haven’t heard of it before !

I hope you’re feeling a little better. I am nervous for the meds. I just don’t want to have a terrible QOL on them.

Whatjusthappened

Yes Prolia is for bones, it's an injection given twice a year. I had osteoporosis before starting the arimidex.

Thanks for your well wishes, and I wish you all the best as well. I'm hoping that in your case, the worst is behind you and that you will have a good QOL going forward!