ok, I feel like I'm posting here everday or so now...this is nuts! Listen, does anyone here have aching legs? I mean, they take turns, some days it's my left some days it's my right. It's usually the thigh muscle, sometimes the calf. All I did this morning, was before actually getting up and out of bed, I rolled over and laid on my stomach for about an hour, I have always loved sleeping on my stomach, well, TODAY I am paying a price for this apparently. All I know is that, after an hour or so, I started to feel such an ache in my right thigh. so, I rolled back onto my back, and it just ACHED! it began to ache down the whole leg eventually! geez!
So, I laid there, somewhat afraid to actually get up and deal with this, and somewhat trying to just get a little more sleep, I feel back to sleep, in and out, but the leg, KEPT ON ACHING! It wasn't bad pain, but it was aching.

I noticed some days are worse than others too. It makes me feel like not wanting to do a darn thing, because you feel like your legs REALLY ACHE or are HEAVY. Oh, i really do hope this is only hormonal, anyone else?

Well girl, you're posting here everyday right along with the rest of us meno babes! And yes, it does seem like it's nuts, but in reality, it is SUPPORT! (At least that's the way I seeez it!) I used to get your leg cramps something awful until I started taking magnesium on a regular basis, along with eating a banana every day (WHEN I remember to buy them!) Even now, I still get the leg pain occasionally. I do believe it has something to do with our hormones. My Mom is the one that suggested I start taking the mag supplements ~ she said it helped her with her leg pains. When my legs do bother me now at night, I take a tylenol PM or two and it helps me sleep pain free. Sorry you're suffering so bad! I feel for ya!
Hugs!~

Thank you! Somtimes I feel like such a pain in the butt, always posting about the next symptom, but I don't know what i'd do without this place and you guys! I feel such relief just hearing that other women have the same things going on. Ya know, I saw
my dr. today, ok, HOPING for some "understanding", POOP! Yeah, right. He basically wanted togive me antidepressants, and send me on my way! NO NO NO! TAKE ME SERIOUSLY! MY LEGS ACHE! (is whatI said), he smiled, as though I was being a little overdone, and said he'd renew my pres. for xanax, which I definatley took! (I'm not fool..lol:), but as far as any REAL info. or help on the subject, NOPE, only that I need to calm down! GREAT! So, ok, if any of you remember back, I was the "VARICOSE VEIN" lady about a week or so ago, always posting about those veins that SUDDENLY popped up, and ACHE! Well, that same lovley dr. (I'm thinking about changing, it's just that I've had him as my dr. for 15 yrs. now), told me then too, THIS IS HORMONAL, well that's nice, but I need more info. here! So what I end up doing, is reserching for MYSLEF, thank you! You know, these dr.'s are not well educated in perimenopause, or menopause!

I'm going to try the magnesium thing, but I ALREADY take a multi vit. and mineral supplement, shouldn't that be doing it, or what?
What's the doseage you take? I know mag. is a muscle relaxant, but it doesn't ALWAYS feel like a CRAMP, it feels more like a DEEP ACHE! Shoot, all I did this morning, was lay on my bed, on my stomach, FOR ONE HOUR, and my right thigh had a fit! It's still there too, not half as bad, but it's there. I see him on Friday again, for bloodwork, because I HAD TO INSIST he do that.
He told me though, that it's not always to accurate testing for hormonal imbalance with the blood, so then what???????????????


ok, well, I'm glad we have this place, I don't know whwere I'd be without it! Thank you ladies!

I've had Restless Leg Syndrome for so long that I just called it "Happy Legs" cause they didn't have a name for it yet. I am a chef and stand on my feet daily for (far too many)hours. I have almost always had achy legs. I have added Magnesium to my suppliments (check your multi-vitamin and see if it is there) Usually 150 to 200 mg/day is recommended dose.
I still have restless legs, I still have aches, but they do not seem to be as severe.
I also am a HUGE fan of hot bubble baths (candles, wine, and a good book).
And, although still exploring, I have found help from magnets. I had heard about their properties, Googled to see what I could find out, decided it couldn't hiurt. Sooo, on a trip to a bead store (to augment for one of my favourite passtimes) I picked up some magnetised Hematites and made myself two anklets. I wear them to bed and have noticed a whole lot of nights where I am not awakened by my legs acting up. I did wake up with twitches one night and discovered that I had managed to kick off one of my anklets.
There will always be controversy about the effacy of "gems, chrystals and magnets", but I like to leave myself open to just about anything that could help (especially if in the process it will NOT hurt) and it cost me $10 to make my anklets!
And I still am wearing them. (I broke my ankle in early Dec. and have had very little trouble since I was able to get the anklet back on!

I totally understand how you feel when your doctor looks at you like you're just a baby whining. My doc, even though I ADORE him, sometimes makes me feel like I'm just there to beg for pills to pop. NOT TRUE! I can't STAND it when he offers this pill or that pill. As a matter of fact, I'm one of those people that is PETRIFIED of taking a new prescription of any kind! My xanax is a different story. That's my crutch and although I rarely use it, I carry it IN MY PURSE AT ALL TIMES! lol! I'm sure I'd have a panic attack if I knew it wasn't there. Mind over matter? DEFINITELY! But it works when I need it, so I'm gonna keep it FOREVER!

Reference the amount of magnesium to take per day, I take 500 mg per day. This is what it says on the Power Surge website:
Magnesium (500 mg - 1,000 mg. per day): You can take one or two 500 mg. tablets of magnesium daily as needed for palpitations or migraines (500 mg. at a pop), even for anxiety and depression. Magnesium, a much under-rated mineral, has finally come into its own as one of the most beneficial minerals you can add to your diet. I once heard a nutritionist say, "If it spasms, give it magnesium," which is why magesium is excellent for palpitations and migraines and could be helpful to those who experience internal shaking. Magnesium is also known as the "anti-stress mineral" and has been known to help improve depression, promote cardiovascular health and keep teeth whiter. Magnesium may be helpful with menopause, mood swings and PMS symptoms. A study performed involving 32 women found that magnesium taken from day 15 of the menstrual cycle to the onset of menstrual flow could significantly improve premenstrual changes in mood. Studies of large populations have shown that the more magnesium people take in, the lower their blood pressures. This is partially due to magnesium. I recommend magnesium on Power Surge for things like migraines and palpitations. It's a very underrated mineral. Magnesium is extremely effective in lowering the blood pressure. It may reduce palpitations, strokes and heart attacks. It can decrease migraine headaches and increase the effects of a low sodium diet. The amount would be about 800 mg a day and you can obtain it in fresh fruits and vegetables. Included in Power Surge's Active Women's Multi

Hope you're feeling better today!
Hugs!

Could it be your back? The nerves from the lower vertebra run down your legs. Maybe you should see a chiropractor?

Ok ladies, since no one has come up with the answer, here it is. Like everything else in our bodies, our muscles also have hormone receptors - (just like our inner ears). In this case, I believe they said it's estrogen receptors -

Needless to say, as the hormones decrease, it brings about aches and pains primarily in the hips, legs, lower back, shoulders, neck and arms...

So does that mean that our muscles are going to get flabbier ?!

Unfortunately Third, that's exactly what it means. The loss of hormones results in less elasticity in our skin, as well as loss of "mass' in our bones, teeth and muscles.

Girls,

For me it just seems like one symptom or concern after another. I now have an ache in my right calf that I've had for about two days now. It's not swollen or red but aches and is sore when I walk like I've pulled it. Do you all think this is just another hormonal symptom? I have gone to so many doctors and had so many tests over the past two years (have one scheduled Tues due to breast pain) that I hate to add one more to the list. Should I wait it out for awhile and see if it eases up? Along with this new ache I've had a bizillion other symptoms (some still ongoing) over the last two years. By the time this is all over I'm going to be insane and broke. I'd appreciate any input that anyone can provide. Does anyone else get this severe calf pain?

TeeJay

Well that explains my shaky leg feeling when I get tired ... Which is a completely new thing that has just begun since my surgery. Doesn't HRT help with that ? Sheesh, I better hit the ab loung and treadmill hard today.

"Many women experience an increase in muscle aches and pains during menopause. This is because many of the muscles in the body contain estrogen receptors. This is also responsible for weakening and loss of muscle tone, leg and foot cramps, an increase in tendonitis and also back, neck and shoulder pain as a result of the weakening of the back muscles."

The above was taken from a website - it wasn't the one I'd read before, but it was close enough. TeeJay, I'd say in all likelihood, yes, your calf pain is hormonal related. If I were you, I'd treat it as a pulled muscle...apply 'muscle rub', heat, ice...take a pain reliever like aspirin - and it will probably disappear when it gets darned good and ready to.

I actually found that 1st paragraph because, like you, I woke up yesterday morning and could barely move. My lower back on the left side felt like it was about to go into muscle spasms. I knew I hadn't done anything to make it so sore, so I started searching the net to come up with answers as to why "muscle aches and muscle tension" is commonly listed under menopause signs. I guess it shouldn't surprise any of us, since it looks like we have hormone receptors in every part of our bodies. But ya know...wouldn't it be nice, just once, were we to say to our doctors...why does this hurt? And he or she would explain why it's hormonal related??

Look how much it would decrease our stress levels, if they just said...your muscles ache because you have hormone receptors through out your bodies and when you go through menopause, this is the result. Knowing us, we'd probably say..."oh, ok"... and not focus on it... know what I mean?