Surgical menopause and joint pain?

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B-A-P
B-A-P Member Posts: 525
edited August 2019 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

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!

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited August 2019

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


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  • exercise_guru
    exercise_guru Member Posts: 716
    edited August 2019

    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.

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  • B-A-P
    B-A-P Member Posts: 525
    edited August 2019

    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 :)

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  • Whatjusthappened
    Whatjusthappened Member Posts: 283
    edited August 2019

    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.


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  • B-A-P
    B-A-P Member Posts: 525
    edited August 2019

    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.

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  • Whatjusthappened
    Whatjusthappened Member Posts: 283
    edited August 2019

    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!

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