I am hoping someone can relate to what I'm experiencing and tell me it's not bad news. For the last 6 weeks or so I have had a real problem with my feet...very painful to walk on , always worse in the morning, and some days much better. I thought I must have sprained my feet somehow but after a visit to the podiatrist he doesn't think so...says they would not get a little better if they were sprained and then worse again...he is treating me for possible tendonitus (which cannot be confirmed by the xrays). But now in the last couple of weeks add to it my hands! When I wake up there are days when i can barely move my fingers (mostly my middle finger down through the center of my palm) because it is so painful and also same with left hand although to a much lessor degree. What is this about? I am so scared this may be RA but I was tested for it a year and a half ago and it was negative. Does this mean I should be tested again? Help...all thoughts or similar experiences would be helpful.

I have no advice but wanted to send you good thoughts.

I get the same thing. It comes and goes but when it happens I can hardly walk either. I am more than sure it's hormones so I dont worry too much about it. Imalso have tendonitis which flares up when my hormones are messing up. I think Vliet has talked about this on her blog talk radio- I'll see if I can find it for you.

Here is the link --


http://www.herplace.com/archives.htm --


Scroll down the archives and click on ---- Oh My Aching Body! - Hormones, Headaches and Body Pains

My hands and feet were really giving a big problem in March and I had loads of bloodwork done. The result? All clear. That is the good news. My gyn told me he was not surprised the results were clear and that hormones at this time wreak havoc on our bodies causing lots of joint pain. I don't know if this helps you at all, but I am believing this info. I am worse in really rainy weather, and the only thing that helped at all was ibuprofen ( and wine at night LOL) I tried all sorts of supplements and nothing helped me, just the ibuprofen. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi angelinafina

Exact same thing here. (See my "false pretences" thread.) Tested twice for RA, both times negative, anti-inflammatories help.

I get a lot of it in the hands because I play bass and use computers a lot. I thought I was going to have to stop playing, then my doctor called it an "occupational hazard" of playing bass so I saw it in a different light then.

Keep moving is the thing, especially for hands and fingers. When I feel them stiffening up, I do a bit of air piano or air guitar, and also do the exercise where you press each finger in turn against the thumb, as fast as you can for as long as you can. My daughter who is a trainee physio advised exactly the same thing so I was quite pleased I'd thought that up all by myself. Bend and stretch everything, don't let it seize up.

Dunno about the feet. Mine are weird. Some days they feel ok (except for a slight crampy feeling to the two smallest toes on my right foot, and I am pretty sure that's gotta be arthritis of some sort) and some days they really hurt. It feels like I am walking on hot pebbles.

I find it gets worse if I cross my legs so I try not to do that. My hubs is under instructions that if he sees me cross my legs or rest my elbows on the table he is to tell me to stop doing it.

Also, like enough, rainy weather aggravates it, and it is also worse at certain points in the hormonal cycle.

Anti-inflammatories, ibuprofen gel, those are the things that help the best.

And I also use a wrist strap when playing guitar and sometimes when driving.

I sleep flat on my back with my hands at my sides, that way I don't crook them over or lie on them when I'm asleep. That helps too.

Oh, and get your workstation checked over ergonomically, at home or at work if you use computers a lot. Chairs, table height, all kinds of things can make a huge difference.

Finally - don't freak out! There are loads of us going through the exact same things! I can't begin to tell you how much the members of this site have helped reassure me.
You're one of them - just by being another person with the exact same symptoms as me.

I have been dealing with problem feet for 1.5 years. After seeing other doctors and having tests, I finally went to a chiropractor. I have been working with him for about 6 months and it is so much better. His dx is very tight muscles, so I'm getting a little physical therapy as well as spine/neck adjustments and it has made a world of difference. I also am quite active and have come to do a lot of stretching which is helping immensely. I finally feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I will get through this back to my normal self. (Docs agree that hormonal changes can cause muscles to tighten)

Make sure you keep moving, do some really good stretching (the best for my calves is the yoga "downward dog" move, such a good stretch). Best to you!

I cannot tell you how much it means to have you all respond to my post. I do feel better just hearing that others have experienced the same and it doesn't have to mean something horrible. I am seeing my ob/gyn's NP this next wednesday and will tell all my symptoms and see if they can check a few things via bloodwork and maybe adjust my Bio-identical hormones a bit. Anyway, here's to all of us having happy healthy hands and feet!!! XO

Evening Primrose, Your recommendation to listen to Dr. Vliet on the subject was very interesting and certainly makes alot of sense. It was reassuring as well. Thank you so much.

Whoa...freaky. I've had some terrible problems with my feet, over the past 5 years or so. I tried every orthotic and sneaker out there. Like BestLife, I'm sure the cause was tight muscles. I finally traced the beginning of my pain back to when I added a very athletic daily yoga practice to my daily walks...stopped the athletic yoga right away and have been doing a daily "Yin" practice instead now for about 3 months....such a difference!!!!! I'm not perfect but at least I can walk! Hope you find the relief you're looking for....Hope we all find some relief and blessed peace.

I just came on this board because of the same complaint. I had a hysterectomy (ovaries, tubes, uterus) in May of 2008. My hands started aching about 4 months ago, then my feet, then just this week my knees. My other peri sympyoms have returned also (twitching, hot flashes, anxiety) along with a brand new one, insomnia!

So glad to hear other people are in my boat and it's not some dread disease!

I take curcumin everyday for inflammation-it helps a bit.

Take care all,
Tracy

When I stopped HRT cold turkey and my estrogen levels were plummeting, I started waking in the morning with very painful hands. When the hormone levels eventually balanced out this stopped, and has never returned.

And to add that around the same time, I developed tingling and numbness in one foot. This was eventually diagnosed as a Morton's neuroma (a benign condition of the foot). I asked my Podiatrist if this too might have been triggered by rapid fluctuations in hormones (particularly estrogen), considering the time it appeared, and she didn't discount the idea.

Ladies! It's an ACTUAL SYNDROME! It's called menopausal arthritis - Google it.

Reduction in oestrogen causes arthritis-like symptoms, particularly in the

hands (check!)
fingers (check!)
wrists (check!)
sometimes elbows (check!)
knees (check!)
feet (check!)

It can cause little lumps to grow near the joints (check!)

BUT THE BEST NEWS IS...

It is not permanent
And it is not damaging!

and treatable with anti-inflammatories (same as what I'm taking)
and supplements help some people.. e.g. glucosamine, chondroitin, flaxseed & fish oils, Boswellia..


As soon as I found that out... I breathed a hearty sigh of relief and surprise surprise I have hardly had any pain at all today! (Which doesn't mean it won't be back of course.)