Hi,
I'm 45 and have been experiencing burning/creepy/hot/tingling/twitching skin sensations on and off for 3 years. I thought for sure I had MS or something terrible wrong with me until I stumbled across this site. The worst part is that I have been through so many tests, MRIs, neurologists and not one of them ever suggested this could be part of menopause - they have no answers.
I had my uterus out when I was 39 but still have my ovaries. Because I don't have a period, it makes it difficult for me to know whether I would be skipping a period, etc.
Does anyone get the skin that heats up and stays that way kind of like a sunburn and it last for a few weeks, goes away for a month or two and then comes back? My feet and hands feel heated up mostly. Also, my breast get itchy sometimes and then it too goes away. I just recently started feeling depressed and I am not a depressed person, feel doomed, like the best of my life is over, have boughts of sudden sadness that hit me out the blue, I'm tired (and I'm not usually), my muscles hurt sometimes and just plain feel messed up. Is this all normal for someone my age? I took one of those at home urine tests to see if my hormones were messed up and it read normal.
HELP ME PLEASE - I WELCOME ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR RELIEF.

I love your description of feeling "sunburned all the time".
Finally I can put a finger on that symptom!
I have felt hot, but not really, except for sometimes. And then cold, but still my skin is hot. The "sunburn" really pegs it.
I'm 48 and have been dealing with flashes, mood swings, unaccountable aches and pains and TOTALLY erratic periods for about three years now...(I am intact, but tend to go for six to eight months without period)...Hoping it will end soon.

You are NOT suffering alone. Take a read through the boards and you will find others who have the same symptoms. Great support, great advice!

Personally, my favourite source of relief is a stinky bath! 20 minutes in a hot, scented bath ALWAYS puts me to sleep...sometimes I need a quick cold shower to get off the sweat after, but then I sleep for at least two hours! And in my world, two hours sleep is restful! (I try to get at least three "two hour sleeps" into my not working time)

Keep your chin up, honey! You are not alone and you have found a place to talk about it!

I have had these burning sensations on and off for many years without exlplanation from any medical practitioners.I have realized that if I get stressed or anxious it will make this symptom worse. It cant just be anxiety, it is related to hormones. I find that it is worse prior to a period and what makes it worse is not knowing whether a period will actually come thus causing more anxious feelings. Catch 22!!! The only thing that makes the symptoms of burning,tingling and crawling better for me is to actually go and do something physical as long as I am not sitting or lying down it seems to go away. The worst part is that it stops me from sleeping or I will wake up in the morning with these fellings as well. Even after all these years I still cant stand them and they do scare me. I blame it on stess and hormones there is no other cause as I have had these symptoms since I was 28 and I am now 46.

Messedup,

I can totally relate to your symptoms and feelings. Peri hit me full force over a year ago and I have felt the exact same way you do. My skin burns, tingles and twitches. My muscles ache off an on and my joints hurt. I am now on an AD for depression (it got so bad for me I didn't think I could cope on my own for the first time in my life). I too feel as if the best of my life is over and I have lots of depressing thoughts....I always expect the worst to happen. I feel doomed as well....thinking something horrible must be wrong somewhere and I worry with each test and doctors visit, but nothing has come up after many test and many doctors. I am somewhat better after a year but still have moments of anxiety that are horrible. After all I've gone through and felt I've had to turned to God to take the burden. I was going insane with anxiety and depression.

No one ever gave me any idea that perimenopause could be like this. Now I just take it day by day, minute by minute...trusting that God will pull me through.

Hang in there...

TeeJay

wow, i am 45y.o and woke up 2 years ago with ringing in my ears/head which is and has been 24/7 since.
I frequently feel like i have motion sickness, more tired, much worse pms and pain with ovulation and I frequently feel that sunburn sensation on my skin (always upper arms and jaw). Being in air conditioning or cold weather makes it worse. I've had millions of tests which fortunately have been normal.

My gyn doctor just put me on the nuvaring birth control to try help. He didn't do any bloodwork to check my hormones because he said they aren't reliable. I've been on it for one month and it has totally helped my pms symptoms and all the pain I was getting with ovulation. However, the sunburned feeling on my skin seems worse. I'm also a little worried about being at risk of blood clots because of my age.

I'm going to an endocrinologist next month. My gyn said he has never heard of my symptoms of sunburned skin or tinnitus as a sign of perimenopause. My periods before I started the nuvaring were coming about every 21 days. (yuck).

Has anyone else had tinnitus. I am sorry that you are experiencing the same skin pain I am. It makes me realize that maybe I am not crazy.

Glad to have found this forum

Hey JoeyBubbles, Welcome to PS. I also have the tinnitus and it is due to peri. I am 52 almost 53 and have had several symptoms due to peri and this is one I have just tried to get use to. Its really more noticiable at night when I lie down to sleep so I just put my hand on my right ear and just eventually fall asleep.

It also acts up after I have walked on the treadmill or if I am climbing the bunkbed to make the bed of course so when I come down its thumping for a while.

I hope you feel better, try not to worry, it does get better. Take care, Tinkybug

I have this symptom. I also thought it was ms . . . my experience started 3 months ago with a bout of labrynthitis . . . horrible balance disorder . . i was left with a muggy feeling in myhead and some tinnitis . . . but about 2-3 weeks ago i began this burning nerves feeling. Eminating across my chest and the tops of my arms and tops of my thighs . . . it was consistent for about a week, and now comes every few days, but i get relief inbetween it. I just long for my body to be normal again. I was passed from doctor to doctor who suggested different things for the tinnitus, the most relieving appears to be blowing into my nose when I pinch the ends (like you do on an aircraft) I have to do this 20 times a day . . . and then the muggy head and tinnitis are very minor.
I am having horrible burning skin today . . . and yesterday . . . and yet I am cold and shivery but patches of my skin are on fire . . . even though to touch them just seems a little above average warmth . . . its very odd . . . and like some of the other ladies on this site . . . the anxiety levels rise dramatically as you worry what on earth this disease is. I still want to feel sure its not ms . . . Also does anyone find their arms "go to sleep" at night? I am waking more often now with dead arms!? Feeling neurotic!!

lizzih,

I have had (still have ocassionally) the symptoms you describe. I have had tinnitus and the burning skin for over a year. My mouth burns as well and I shiver for no reason at times. I have woke up with my arms feeling heavy (like they wouldn't move on their own). It was worse than just feeling like they had gone to sleep.

My muscle ache and feel inflammed in many areas of my body. Hormones...I think so. Neurotic....yep due to hormones

TeeJay

I've been experiencing tinnitus for about a year on and off, but don't know whether to put it down to peri or not. A lot of my symptoms have been helped by bcp but this and burning itching skin on the soles of my feet persists. Who knows?

I just discovered this web site--it's so interesting and describes perimenopausal symptoms that I have not seen elsewhere!

I'm late coming to this discussion about burning skin, but I'm wondering if any of you or anyone else is also on antidepressants?

I'm 43. I've had a history of endometriosis and had an ovary removed, but I'm not on any hormonal therapy. I went on an antidepressant for anxiety after taking Lupron during treatment for infertility.

I'm wondering if the intermittent burning on my feet and arms is due to perimenopause (which I know I'm going through--I have many symptoms) or the antidepressant.

Hi Messedup
Finally I have found someone with the burning twitching feelings.
I have been like this for 3 years although it is not as bad as it was .
I have been sent to phyciatrists put on anti depressants. been to emergency rooms more times than I can remember. I have the burning in my feet and hands sometimes my legs too. I have to stand in cold water and put my hands in to get a little relief. They go very red also I was beginning to think I had some dreadful disease. I have been made out to be a basket case by health care workers. Finally they just did a thermography test which they usually have to warm people up for but didn't need to for me . Then they cool you hands with iced water to see how rapidly they heat up.
I am sure it is peri/ meno. I am waiting fior results in september.
It is a horrible feeling. I will post as soon as I know if they KNOW ANYTHING!!!
Why are Doctors so ignorant of the many symptoms of peri and meno.I just wish it was over. At least if it is Peri/meno they is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have been sent gaga by The medical profession. [font=Franklin Gothic Medium]

Roeben,
I very much understand what you're saying!!! I went to a GP, gynecologist, and neurologist for the burning sensation (and tremors and electric shock sensation) two years ago. They looked at me as if I were a medical mystery. Then the symptoms subsided until reemerging this past week.

Did the burning sensation begin before you began taking the antidepressant?? See my post above yours.

I'm going for a physical this Friday, but I pretty much know what they'll tell me: I'm normal. Which I guess I shouldn't complain about!

I've found the only thing that helps with the burning sensation is Ultraset (a Tylenol-based prescription drug).

Hi all ....

oh yeah, I had that "sunburned" feeling last month, for about 2 weeks straight, it was awful!
It was the weirdest thing, i had never had that before either. I am 48, and last month, all I know
is that about a million symptoms of peri hit me at once! HOLY COW! I had really not had to many
other symptoms until then, but last month, POW! One of the strangest symptoms was that
sunburned feelng, I kept thinking I had a fever, and I didn't. All I did all day, was run around and
take my temp. and ask my husband to "feel my head" to see if it felt hot....I explained to him my sin
was '"on fire" and yet, he said my skin felt normal....geez! It hasn't come back yet, I certainly hope it doesn't! NO, THIS MONTH, it's yellow nails! yes, you read it right,,,,YELLOW NAILS....this is so much fun!
We should have a "symptom of the month" forum! Yes, I do use a lot of nail polish, and this last time,
I didn't really remove and chance the polish for about a month(bad, I know)....so, when I took off my polish
yesterday, my nails had this yellowish tint (one of them even has a sort of yellowish/brownish "stripe" running across it horizontally) well I panicked, adn called a friend of mine who is a nurse....she said it's due
to peri ! I was shocked,....I had thought it was kidney disease! so, obviously, these hormones can do all
this! This is nuts! (actually, since I'm here......HAS ANYONE ELSE EVER GOTTEN THE YELLOW NAIL THING....with the stripe?...I can't get an appt.with my GYN for a week anyway, but my friend had said to me
that if this were kidney failure, I'd KNOW it, so, hormones I suppose!!!!!)

Hi Hap
Yes this burning is unbearable. I asked my partner if he could feel it and he says no it was normal temperature. So frustrating cause you know it is burning sometimes it feels like I am walking on hot coals then my feet hurt like they have been in a vice. Mine started 3 years ago it comes and goes but I have noticed it is worse if I drink any alcohol even one glasss of wine can start it off. I had it before I went on antidepressants. I also thought people in the med world thought I was imagining it but I know I am not .
Finally was sent for thermography test hoping for results in september. My gynae said it could be hormonal. I hope so I have been looking on the net and thought I had some horrible illness. It is intermitant my neuro was going to do a nerve ending test but because it comes and goes he doesn't think it is serious. (that is okay for him to say but when you have it it is serious enough for you).
I will post a notice as soon and if I find out. The last 9 months have been the worst for me hoping I am coming to the end of it lol. But I sympathise will anyone having this symptom it is disturbing to say the least.
Hang on in there hopefully it is peri/meno and will go away.
Roeben

Roeben,
Thank you for your reply!!! I wondered if the burning sensation was a side effect of the celexa I'm taking, though I've taken it for awhile and haven't changed the dosage. But perhaps it is perimenopause, especially because I have other symptoms described on this web site--hot flashes, tremors, foggy headedness, nausea, electric shocks, variations in cycle length. I'm only 43, but my mom went through menopause at 43. She, however, didn't have any problems.

I also notice that the burning sensation worsens with alcohol--also I get hot flashes. Sometimes the burning becomes more noticeable at night; it's wakened me up. I have taken Ultracet for the burning, but I recently looked online and saw that although it's not addictive, people do become dependent on it and have trouble withdrawing from it. So I'm trying not to take it.

I picked up a book by Elizabeth Vliet called "It's my Ovaries Stupid," hoping to find some help. I will post anything that is useful. I've been treated for infertility, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. I didn't have a problem with anxiety until I was put on Lupron for a month during infertitlity treatment (Lupron puts you in a menopausal state), so I can't help but think my current conditions are related to my ovaries. Oh the joys of womanhood.

I've never heard of thermography--what will the results tell you?

Roeben or anyone else reading this: have you taken an over the counter medication that helps with the burning sensation? Thanks!!

Hi Hap
Thanks so much for your reply. The thermography tests for unexplained heat in the body and after cooling you off how long it takes to warm up.I will post when I get if any results.
The only thing I find helps is cold water.
I was beginning to think I had some horrific disease but as far as I know I am just meno/peri. I would be interested to hear if you find anything in the book.
I am having a couple of days off from the burning thank God. It is so hard to explain it to Doctors, they think you are nuts.
All I can say is that last time I went to gynae they said it is possible that it could be hormone related! That tells you a lot but they didn't seem to know what to do about it. I guess it is just one of the many horrid things that make up being a woman lol
Why do they not know enough about meno/peri. It could save a lot of worry,expense and trips to the doctors and emergency rooms. Ho Hum I am coming back as a man. I would sooner go bald and have to shave every day. (hang on think that is happening to me anyway. lol
It is good to know other women are going through it ONLY because it kinda eases the worrying a little.
So I hope it leaves you soon and me.
I know it is very uncomfortable and I am thinking of you soooo and empathising. Take care, be happy
Roeben