I've been getting cold sores on the tip of my tongue for years right before my period. No doctor couldn't tell me why this was happening, but I knew, it was hormonal All they could do was give me medicine to help stop the sores from spreading and becoming too painful.

When I was pregnant the sores stopped completly.

Then I gave birth and they came back with a vengence. I had them for weeks and when the medicine would clear one up a new one would start. It was horrible.

Just a few months ago I noticed that I was getting these sores around the time of ovulation now. And with that came eyelid sores (redness around top of lid), inner nose sores AND muscle pain all over (sometimes shooting headaches)- all at the same time! Was convined it was either Fibromylanoma (???) or Lupus.

Was tested for Lupus and everything was fine. Then the symptoms completely stopped - that was four months ago. Now it's back. Can't stand the muscle pain. It's in my arms and legs and it hurts like hell. I want to scratch my eye lid off my face and putting tongue medicine on my tongue stinks....I can't eat, talk, drink....sleep. And my armpit also aches....help I feel like I am going insane and hurt so badly. Could this be all hormonal. Is there anything I can do?

Anyone out there like me?

LivetoLove: I have the mouth sores thing too; for years and years I would get this onslaught of them right before my period. Now I'm skipping periods, but I still get the episodes of mouth sores. They come on with a vengeance; I'll have 7 or 8, or even more, at a time; they hurt like hell...can't eat, have trouble talking, etc. It takes weeks for them to go away.

I wish I could give you an answer, but all I can do is empathize. It seems to me that I get them when my immune system is low; particularly during prolonged periods of stress. If I up my vitamin C intake, this sometimes helps. More rest, eating the right foods, etc. I don't get muscle soreness...are you sure the two are related?

Sounds like your symptoms might warrant a call to the doctor...let me know how you're doing...

Robin

Thanks for your reply. Today I'm actually going to my doctor, he's my primary AND a Rheumatologist. Six months ago is was really bad and he took some blood work and everything was normal when I was feeling this way. It's good that my eyelid and my tongue have sores so he can see me and see that I am not loosing it. I have so many medical issues now that I am in peri that he thinks I am nuts because all tests come back normal and I keep complaining about something new every month it seems. He pushed Xanax on me because he doesn't know what to do anymore.

Today, along with the sores I have muscle cramps that will come on throughout the day but that will be with me with a vengence in the evening. I ache so badly that I cry.

I used to get just mouth sores for years but the eyelid thing came a few months ago with the muscle aches and it would usually start around ovulation. Sometimes I get the muscle aches and no sores but this time it all came at once that is why I know there is a connection.

Just yesterday (after 4 months of being fine) it started up and all at the same time. I'm scared and hurting and wish I could find an answer. Maybe I will pop an extra Vitamin C today. See if that helps. I just have such health anxiety now that I'm scared to death. This just can't be normal!

Hi there, sorry to hear you're feeling so low. It's obviously best to get checked out by the doctor but from my own experience and what I've read here it seems that the hormonal changes which take place during peri and meno can cause an incredibly wide range of symptoms which differ from person to person. If you have a weakness in some area, that is probably likely to flare up more during peri. I get muscle aches mainly in my upper body, mainly on the right side - in my neck, shoulder and ribcage. This was so severe for a while that I couldn't even wear a bra. A combination of acupuncture and anti depressants have made it a lot better but it's still there along with a long list of other symptoms. I haven't had mouth or nose sores but I get a chronic sore throat (also on the right side!!), soreness in my mouth and on my tongue which seems to come and go depending on the time of month so I've come to the conclusion that it must be hormonal. All I would say is, just because your symptoms aren't all typical of symptoms that other women here experience, it doesn't mean to say that it's not caused by the same thing - ie hormone imbalance. That's how I console myself when I start going into the downward spiral of panic and anxiety - it works some of the time!! Hope you're feeling better soon, Jess xx

PS I've heard that muscle cramps, as opposed to aches, can be caused by sodium deficiency - do you get enough salt in your diet? just a thought, Jessxx

LivetoLove~

My daughter gets those sores, but in her nose and I have noticed she usually gets them when under some sort of stress. I don't know if she gets them elsewhere. And, it being spring, she gets a cough that will hang on for a couple of months. Another worry for me. Pile 'em on, I say. I have broad shoulders. Rats! Another worry. I should lose weight.

I have been plagued by sore muscles for over a year now. They seem to move from one part of the body to the next. So far, I have not been able to find anything to explain them other than hormonal imbalance....all other testing comes out normal. Mine can be soarness, cramping, and pain. I have heard that this is one of the most common complaints that doctors hear from women in perimenopause, so at this point, I sure hope that is what it is. I went from never having a health issue in my life to feeling like an old lady almost overnight!

Not only have I turned from a strong, responsible woman to a insecure, beset with numerous physical and mental issues, but also am beginning to look like an ole' woman, with old lady skin.

Okay I went to my doctor today and he was clueless. Since all my blood work came back okay 4 months ago, he didn't know what to say about my aches and sores. It could be Epson (??) Barr and if it is it won't kill me. He said take 2 advil 2 times a day for a week and you should see improvement in the "inflamation" throughout your body.

When I was talking to him about the possible hormonal connection to my issues he looked right through me, like he didn't care or didn't know what I was talking about.

So, I'm going to try the advil. I will then start to record on a calendar when and what I am feeling. Maybe I can see a pattern with these sores and aches and see where they fall within my cycle.

Thanks ladies for all your insight. This place is priceless.

LivetoLove: At least the bloodwork came back normal...I can sooooo sympathize with the 'deer in the headlights' look that doctor's can give you. It's like they've never heard of menopause, or if they have, they have no idea what it does to us.

Last night, the sores on my tongue were so bad they woke me up from a sound sleep! Plus I was having all sorts of other weird stuff happening to me...my upper arms were really sore, and I was twitching in spasms, and I kept doing this cold-then-sweating-then-cold thing (covers off, then back on...drove husband crazy.) It's just crazy! I've always been a tad neurotic, but never, never, never in my life have I had such health issues---and every week it's something new and horrible.

I'm actually looking forward to getting older and on the "other side" of this...(post-menopausal)...

You know, jessie mentioned acupuncture, and I may go back and try it. I went through a year of treatments a while back for general low energy and back pain, and I must say, it really did work (takes a couple of months). Have you ever tried anything like this? The Chinese have such a different philosophy and way of thinking when it came to medicine. The doctor I saw took all my symptoms very seriously...it at least gave me some validation. (I sometimes think that Western doctors think all women are nuts).

Another suggestion: do you have a really good health food store near you? Maybe they could suggest something for the muscle aches and cold sores.

Let me know how you are doing...please know you that at the very least, you are not alone in this!!!

Hugs,
Robin