Hey all I haven't written much in a while,I have been feeling pretty good thank GOD.Heres my problem;Last week was sugar pill week on my bcp that I take for my peri symptoms and while I was off my pills I noticed I was getting horribly tense in my shoulder(left side)neck(left side)and getting tension headaches.I also woke up with the left side of my jaw hurting and believe I was clenching my teeth.I have had this before while not taking any hormones,and I am wondering---Does anyone else feel like this?And if so is there anything natural I can take to help this?I don't want to get a prescription,but maybe a vitamin that helps muscle tension?I get so tense that my fingers get that numb pinched nerve feeling in them sometimes.I hate this!!I mean I try to relax,stretch,etc. but it doesn't seem to help much.Any help appreciated!!

Oh my god - me too. I'm not anything though. I woke up like this on Friday and it hasn't gone. I haven't had it for about 10 months. The pain in my shoulder is so intense. I don't know how to stop either. I've been taking the muscle relaxants hoping that will help and it is a bit better, but it's still there loud and clear. I've got the jaw too. My muscles at the top of my arm and around my neck and so tight it's unbelievable. I can empathise with you, and will be interested in any words of wisdom you may receive.

Hi Lady E,
I am a *left sider* as well. My Homeopatician says its a Ladies side...that we carry the weight in our heart but it lands in out muscles!!! Have to say, I believe it!
Girlsmom

I am the queen - or better yet - the empress of muscle tension. This has been my absolute worst, most constant symptom, either from meno or just stress and other psychological causes. Have been plagued by it for a good 18 months now. While I am never entirely free of it anywhere, the worst tension moves around my body a lot. For a few weeks, it will be intense in backs of thighs and buttocks, then it will get much worse in the trapezius muscle (covers most of upper back) and the neck muscles. Just went through two weeks of having it in pectoral muscles. Felt like it was in breasts, but I knew it was just the muscles underneath. Sure enough, it is gone from there now.

Recommendations? Eliminate all the stress you can. Mine is ALWAYS worse everywhere, when my stress levels go up. Then try self-massage and stretching. Many times a day, I will stand or sit up straight and then force my shoulders down. That gives a nice stretch with some noticeable reduction in tension. While in the dropped shoulder position, I also stretch each side of my neck by tilting head to the opposite side. Also try rolling shoulders forward, then down, and holding for a bit.

I massage that whole area between the top end of the arm and the neck a lot. I find this all does make a difference. Physical activity involving constantly changing movement (as opposed to repetitive) also helps. We are building a house, right now working on the inside. Using tools, lifting lumber, etc, always makes the tight areas feel better. Just remembered something else too: wearing a book backpack, but not just slung over one shoulder. I often use one to go to work or the library. It is so easy to hunch without realizing it. A backpack with a few heavy books prevents this and forces the shoulders down. My muscles always feel better for a while after using one.

As for supplements, magnesium is supposed to help muscles relax. If you don't already take magnesium citrate, try some. Research is showing that Mg is actually more important than calcium supplementation in preventing ostoporosis. Potassium is also important for muscle function I believe, but best obtained from food, like bananas, tomato juice, avocados and orange juice

tt

oh ladies, I am glad I am not alone here. My left side is always the worst. Saturday, my hubby had to help me up from a reclining position, my back was so bad. The jaw, neck, shoulder, arm, fingers, etc. as well. Major stress this week is making it worse I am sure. I have a prescription for flexeril but havent tried it yet? Is that what you take a a muscle relaxer? Does it help? I considered xanax to relax my whole body and mind as well, but am trying not to.

Good luck to you all.

Yep, get that too. Various places in the body, but the worst is the calf muscles.
Sometimes (makes no difference in level of exercise for that day) they just decide to tense up.
Feel like a board, they get so hard.
I eat a banana a day, drink 4 ounces of juice a day and take vitamin supplements.
I have to do stretches for many minutes when it is really bad.
What next????

janeann

I have it too...... Horribly... everyday. The only thing that changes is the intensity. Sometimes I do it so badly I literally interfere with my breathing cause the area I tense the most is stomach and lower back... It's all on my left side too.. I even do this to the point that I cause my muscles to shake and they become weak. I can never relax no matter what I try. I'm very relieved to hear I'm not the only person who has this.... But what is it with the left side? I never ever do this on the right, only the whole left side.

Rox

Hi Ladies

I have been working on a theory as have had the same problem of severe muscle tension and pain, mainly on my left shoulder and neck for months now, sometimes the pain is chronic even when I am relaxing everything.

I was thinking about one of my everyday symptoms which is the hot flushes and although I try to drink enough during the day to make up for the fluid loss, I looked into what other trace elements that you lose through sweating as maybe just water isn't enough.
Sure enough, you lose sodium, (which you probably make up with food anyway) but the other main one was potassium.
So I looked up which food contains a lot of potassium and it is as simple as bananas.
So I have been eating one banana everyday for a week and sure enough my poor shoulder is pain free again, even after a long time on the computer.
The other times I was left in agony was when I am walking my dogs as it strains my shoulder muscle at times and the last couple of days........................nothing!

I am thinking that the muscle pains are not a direct consequense of peri but a consequence of another symptom because of peri as in the hot flushes. ( my theory)

So far it seems quite remarkable.
I don't take any extra vitamins as unsure which I actually need but in this case it seems to be having the desired effect.
No I haven't gone bananas
It would be too much to hope for that my migraine auras are another consequence of this but one week on and haven't had one yet.......fingers crossed.
Anyway if you are also suffering hot flushes try a banana and see if it helps.

Caroline

Wow there are a lot of us in the left sided tension club!GODbless all the ladies who replied and I hope we all find relief from this.Mine seems to be improving today,I have started really paying attention to my muscles and try to relax them when I notice them tensing up,but sometimes it doesn't help.I take vitamins,but still get the tension.Lets all look for relief!!

Count me in too on the muscle tension issue.....It seems to be one of my most stubborn symptoms to get used to. At the moment it is presenting in massive tension in my solar plexus area which is causing me no end of grief. I thought I had this anxiety thing beat then BAM out of the blue it hits me somewhere else in a slightly different way to what I'm used to just to send me into panic mode yet again......It's like the air has been s*cked right out of me....very hard to explain the feeling but I'm sure it's similar to how some people feel they are being suffocated or something similar.......It's not painful just uncomfortable and scary and makes me feel like I want to cry out of frustration at all this......

The previous muscle tension was mainly in my leg area and as I stand for long periods of time on a concrete floor in bad postural positions with my job it hit me in my weak spot. Now it has hit me in my other weak spot, the solar plexus area, and right between my shoulder blades in my mid back which doesn't surprise me as I have my arms up and body twisted most of the time when I work too.

I'm on day 9 of my cycle and symptoms are worse now but will hopefully ease by day 15, fingers crossed.......I find myself holding my breath and doing lots of upper chest shallow breathing too so I'm back to using my 'Breathing Works' relaxation cd to try and reprogramme my breathing to the correct ratio of carbon dioxide/oxygen intake.

When will all this end...........

Rox

Well rox I know it's no help but I'm in the same boat..... All the breath holding, feeling like the air has been s*cked out of me.... The muscle tension stopping me from breathing right... And, I certainly know what you mean about the cycle.. I definitely notice a difference in the intensity at certain times and like you said it slowly ramps up to its worst till about day 15... Then I usually, not always, get a reprieve till a few days before my period where it ramps up again.. Usually, the first couple days of my period I feel my best and then we just repeat the whole process the next month.... I've tried to ignore it but in all honesty I think it's time for a couple gallons of estrogen, lol, as this is more than just annoying.....

yes, i've had muscle tension too. Mostly on my left side - but mine shifts around too. I've also had pain in pectoral muscles for a couple of weeks at a time on and off for about a year - and just about the time i really start to get concerned - it seems to move somewhere else. Right now the pain is mostly in my neck, left arm and lower back.

I also feel better when i move around and stay active. However, i notice there's a fine line between enough movement and too much. I get over-use pain very easily, especially in my arms and back. It seems to be a balancing act for me.

I've sometimes wondered if its a build up of lactic acid or toxins or similar to fibromyalgia type pain or perhaps a mineral imbalance... I sure wish i could figure it out, but my guess is it will disappear just as it appeared - with no rhyme or reason.

I do not get hot flashes with sweats so i don't think i'm losing minerals from hot flashes.

also, I should add that I don't feel really stressed out. I sleep good and my stress level is relatively low right now so I'm thinking that this is is most likely caused by some kind of mineral imbalance...... I wonder if any of the experts on the site have any articles or info about this.