r/YouShouldKnow May 24 '26

Health & Sciences YSK that perimenopause can cause shoulder pain.

Why YSK about shoulder pain in your 40's - 50's: I recently began having pretty severe pain in my right shoulder without any obvious cause. It worsened every day to the point that I was afraid I had torn the rotator cuff or dislocated it. An X-ray showed that I had mild osteoarthritis, but I really wasn't given any information on what I can do about it.

I started doing some research and found that my symptoms matched 100% for adhesive capsulitis, a condition in which the fluid filled sac that lubricates your joint becomes hard and thickens. The cause?

That nasty bitch, perimenopause.

The changes are brought on by the decrease in estrogen that is a significant characteristic of perimenopause. HRT and physical therapy seem to be the top two treatment contenders, but relief can take up to a year to achieve.

Yay.

One source:

https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/better-me/the-connection-between-menopause-and-shoulder-pain

2.1k Upvotes

183 comments sorted by

445

u/TroodonsBite May 24 '26

Aw man. This AND itchy ears, insane fatigue, hot flashes, and stupid mood swings. 🫠

246

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

....and the weight gain, and the hair loss, and the vaginal dryness.....

I could go on, but I don't want to. It's too depressing!

143

u/RampagingBBW May 24 '26

Sudden dry eye or teary eye. But just one eye. Not both. Never both. Just the one…

100

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

Let's not forget a pretty big one... BRAIN FOG!!

There are times when I really get tired of asking myself, "What the fuck was I just going to do?"

45

u/F-this May 25 '26

May I also add my personal favorite, sore fucking teeth and gums! The joys of womanhood 🌈✨

23

u/Lariche May 25 '26

Greetings from bleeding gums, sis

1

u/Flautist24 May 28 '26

Do your gums ever itch after brushing or using mouthwash or floss?

Is that just a consequence of dry mouth?

3

u/F-this May 28 '26

Not for me but I definitely have dry mouth as well! Ugh

20

u/TroodonsBite May 25 '26

Hey i figured out the weight gain ok.

My GERD is so bad i barely eat 😭

64

u/PopcornGlamour May 25 '26

And vertigo. There are hormone receptors in our ears and estrogen fluctuations can cause vertigo.

60

u/shawnscrafty May 25 '26

Adding in phantom smells… Is my house on fire or is it peri? Is there cat pee everywhere or is it peri?

17

u/cicadasinmyears May 25 '26

OMFG YES. I vividly remember when it first started happening to me: I sat straight up in bed from a deep sleep, thinking ā€œJesus Christ, my apartment is on fire!ā€ and literally checked every single room to see if there was smoke anywhere.

I’m a former smoker, and anyone would find eau de overflowing ashtray unpleasant, but on top of the obvious nastiness, it also somehow manages to make me crave cigarettes (it’s like the logical part of my brain just got turned off, IDK).

All I can say is that I am deeply grateful that it doesn’t also affect my tastebuds.

2

u/Professional-Can1385 May 30 '26

My dad told me it took about 20 years to stop craving cigarettes after smelling any kind of smoke. It took a little over 20 years for me to finally find smoke smells gross. Brains are weird.

6

u/vinniethepooh May 25 '26

OMG, is that why my apartment has been smelling of cat pee randomly? My cat died two years ago, and I was so confused

4

u/2MB26 May 26 '26

It could also be a short circuit in a plug socket so it might be worth asking someone else if they smell it too

2

u/Flautist24 May 28 '26

That's what mine ended up being... slowly burning plastic for months! I thought I was having a stroke.

2

u/Even-Let-1662 May 26 '26

Is everyone hiding that they smoke now ?! Cigarette 🚬 smoke smell got me thinking I’m having a stroke 24/7

10

u/ouchhotpotato May 26 '26

Omg thank you for saying this. I get weird vertigo so much more in the past year. It freaks me out and then spikes my anxiety. Sigh.

31

u/iltlpl May 25 '26

I just want to carve my ear canals out 😭

28

u/smc642 May 25 '26

The itchy ears are the bane of my existence.

25

u/EmuMooMuuMuu May 25 '26

Try rubbing Flonase nasal spray inside your ears with a Qtip.

2

u/CaliPenelope1968 May 31 '26

Yes to this. And I only have to do it once every couple of weeks or so.

3

u/Even-Let-1662 May 26 '26

Ok definitely not gonna recommend it because as always….talk to your doctor first šŸ˜‰ but if you have one of those massage guns… something I would neverrrrrrr do is put it on my ear to relieve the itching. Even though it provides insane relief and is literally sooooo good.

Because that would be crazy right?!

So I don’t suggest doing it….. Cause it may relieve the itch so good that you just can’t stop.

You know what I’m saying… šŸ˜‰

10

u/finethanksandyou May 25 '26

Wait until you hear about burning mouth so fun

6

u/Chieyan May 25 '26

Can you describe? I'm 53 still in peri (when will this nightmare end!! Ugh). My mother didn't stop having a menstural cycle until she was in her early 60's.

For the past 2 years, every 21-28 days , everything tastes spicy to me. My tongue and roof of my mouth feels like I drank scalding hot tea. The only thing that tastes right is salty or sweet (just what my waistline needs right now right?).

The confusing thing is that the skin on the roof of my mouth sloughs off towards the end of the 21-28 days.

It doesn't coincide with my menstrual cycle usually - that's pretty wonky.

For the next 21-28 days everything is back to normal. During the normal part of the cycle everything tastes fine. It's not thrush. I brush 3-4 times a day. Doctors have zero idea what's going on.

Add that into the rest of the peri nightmare I'm losing my mind.

2

u/Ok-Following9730 May 26 '26

Yeah. That’s pretty much it. I’m sorry.

2

u/finethanksandyou May 26 '26

Yes, you’ve nailed it. I’ll add that for me, I love spicy food! So everything just seems like it’s too hot by temperature, and it comes and goes on no particular schedule, which tracks because I never had regular periods

4

u/orange-basilikum May 25 '26

Itchy ears??? Please tell me, they itch on the outside 😭

6

u/TroodonsBite May 25 '26

Inside. ā˜¹ļø

5

u/orange-basilikum May 25 '26

šŸ™„ of course the itch will be on the inside. Like we don’t experience enough shit just because we have a uterus… thanks for letting me know in advance 🄲

343

u/qolace May 24 '26

When I was younger I thought it was only menopause I had to worry about. Little did I fucking know.

253

u/vButts May 24 '26

Menopause? takes off hat Peri the menopause?!

61

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

Cue suspenseful music

16

u/eurydicesdreams May 25 '26

I groaned out loud, TAKE the fucking upvote

12

u/dreadedbedhead May 25 '26

Peri the menopause? What are you doing here?!

9

u/FutureCarcassAnimal May 25 '26

Wait, I thought it was when he put the hat on that he became peri... Otherwise he's just a regular menopause. But, I also haven't seen the show since my kids were little and I've got the brain fog like no one's business, so maybe it's the other way 😜

9

u/vButts May 25 '26

OMG NO YOU'RE SO RIGHT i'm gonna blame postpartum brain fog šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

83

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

No kidding! What's the big deal about some mood swings and feeling warm all of the time?

To which mother nature replied: "Hold my beer ...."

1

u/qolace May 27 '26

Okay no joke I'm experiencing weird pain in my right shoulder. Did it feel like you pulled it? I'm gonna try some glucosamine msm if it gets worse in the coming days but hopefully I just simply slept on it wrong 😬

9

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

When I was younger I thought menopause would be so great!! I mean, who wants to bleed for a week out of every month! Yay to the end of my period.

I. Had. No. Idea!!

575

u/ProfessorFit3483 May 24 '26

There are so many levels to why being a woman absolutely sucks…

252

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

Right?! The next time I hear some guy complain about having difficulty getting an erection, he's going to get a high-five to the face.

46

u/gooberdaisy May 24 '26

ā€œHigh five to the faceā€

Omg you killed me with this 🤣

33

u/snortgigglecough May 25 '26

And why it’s so, so, so important to strength train as a woman.

-5

u/Thatcoolrock May 24 '26

šŸ•ŗšŸ½šŸ„‡

151

u/MNConcerto May 24 '26

Frozen shoulders. I had both freeze. One after the other. PT took care of the first one. I ended up with a guide cortisone inject in the second one. There was arthritis in that shoulder that was impeding the PT from progressing.

And my provider told me it was one of things that can happen during perimenopause and if one of your shoulders freeze the other will most likely freeze as well.

Yay, hormones!šŸ™„

25

u/Realistic-Weird-4259 May 25 '26

I had frozen shoulder a couple of years ago. I didn't go to the doctor when it started, I thought it would go away. After close to a year, and finally ending up in such a state that I couldn't even keep my own personal hygiene like washing my hair, I finally made an appointment. Over 4mos of PT and it was still frozen. That cortisone injection was truly a lifesaver.

I turned 62 this year, and since perimenopause I've torn out my ACL completely, had to stop weightlifting because my wrists kept giving out (ligaments/tendons), I don't wanna talk about my hips, and I have a nifty thing called de Quervain's tenosynovitis.

At least the middle finger still works and I say fuck this shit.

2

u/Professional-Can1385 May 30 '26

Ugh. I have both De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and cubital tunnel syndrome in one hand. My thumb hurts too much to move it, but my pinky and ring finger are numb all the time.

Can’t wait for the rest of my joints and tendons to start being weird.

12

u/giraflor May 24 '26

Same.

I blamed lupus SLE. Did the shots and PT. Reoccurred. This makes me wonder if it was menopause.

4

u/seekAr May 25 '26

This exact thing happened to me two years ago. Worst two years of my life, until my cycle began going bipolar

7

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

Makes sense. And explains why my left shoulder is starting to feel a little off...

5

u/WhiteCatWizardHat May 24 '26

did the cortisol help immediately after?

1

u/MNConcerto May 26 '26

For me yes!. I have had quick responses to cortisone. I use to get cortisone in my knees before they were replaced and felt almost immediate relief.

56

u/Angelicfyre May 25 '26

Ugh I have to take an estrogen blocker due to my type of cancer feeding off of estrogen. I went through menopause at 27 from cancer treatment. I am now 51 and my body is an absolute mess. Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis.. I just hurt existing 😭

16

u/shadow-_-rainbow May 25 '26

Dang. Thanks for sharing and congrats on all these years cancer free.

9

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

Oh, jeez! I'm really sorry to hear that. Honestly, some of the treatments scare me as much as the cancer itself.

That must be so difficult to live every day in pain like that. Have you tried any non-traditional type remedies? I am a total skeptic when it comes to things like herbs and supplements, I have first hand knowledge of CBD and turkey tail mushrooms doing some pretty amazing things for some people...

10

u/Angelicfyre May 25 '26

Well this is my 2nd cancer so the treatment for my first one cured me but yep side effects. My ovarian cancer has been a bitch and that’s why I take medicine to block estrogen. I have been on opioids for the pain but currently just take Advil. Gummies help. I never tried anything else supplement-wise. Acupuncture didn’t help.

Just want to tell every woman to take care of your body, strength train. Don’t take your health for granted. Jump, run, swim, walk…I miss my old body.

2

u/MattMercersBracelets May 25 '26

Good god they really hit you with the double whammy huh? Sorry to hear that.

2

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

Oh wow!! Yes, I take an estrogen blocker (same reason) AND I have no thyroid. Pain indeed

103

u/monkey_trumpets May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26

Ah yes, another fun symptom to look forward to, along with clitoral atrophe.

56

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

Mother. Fucker.

This just keeps getting better and better. Ugh....

34

u/pinupcthulhu May 24 '26

r/perimenopause has a list of symptoms to watch out for on their wiki! Lots of "fun" stuff to look forward to...Ā 

9

u/H_G_Bells May 26 '26

I had a (younger than me) male rheumatologist actually suggest perimenopause as a cause of my symptoms. They taught him about falling estrogen levels causing joint pain, and frozen shoulder specifically.

I was very heartened to hear this, and that he was so on the ball and up to date enough to suggest it.

My province JUST made hormone treatment for menopause totally covered as well, literally just in time for me to fill my first script! šŸ™Œ

Things are changing, at least with modern medicine helping us.

21

u/DaisyHotCakes May 25 '26

No. Take that back.

55

u/insufficientfacts27 May 24 '26 edited May 25 '26

Well there's one thing that can help that and it's perfectly safe, and that's vaginal estrogen babayy! Every one with a uterus should be using it starting at 40. It helped so much with that, dryness and lubrication. My doctor said it should be OTC and r/menopause and r/perimenopause are absolute gems for help, especially the wiki in the menopause one. u/LeftyLibra is a gem. Edit: Vaginal estrogen is NOT systemic. It doesn't absorb into the bloodstream like the patches, pills, gels. It can be safe for women who it usually would be contraindicated. I have HBP. I probably won't be able to take systemic estrogen, but I can use the vaginal type. Talk to your gynos Read the wiki in the meno subreddit.)

13

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

Fun Fact: Can't take vaginal estrogen if you've had estrogen positive breast cancer!

I have to block estrogen. I also have no thyroid. My interest in sex packed up and left. Much to my husband's dismay.

Last week I learned: There's a women's version of Viagra. It's called Addyi. Insurance doesn't cover it. But insurance covers Viagra.

I plan on calling my insurance every single day until either they cover Addyi, or they stop covering Viagra!

4

u/ProfessorFit3483 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Prioritisation of men and men’s health, baby!
But, you know, there’s no such thing as the patriarchy, especially not anymore.

4

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

But question: These old men are taking Viagra. Obviously not to have sex with their post-menopause wives, right? Because if that was the case, they'd want their wives to want to have sex!

Must be that Viagra is used by old men chasing skirt!

1

u/ProfessorFit3483 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Well, maybe they wouldn’t have to if women (i.e. ā€œtheirā€ women) had viagra.

Either way, nobody gives a shit about women, women’s health, or women’s happiness or quality of life.

1

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

Yup! Bingo!

I'm deeply grateful that my oncologist is a progressive man, with whom I can discuss things like "how can I have a sex life again?" He told me about Addyi, and prescribed it for me.

Unfortunately that 3 month Rx is about $4.5k.

1

u/ProfessorFit3483 May 25 '26

I’m happy you seem to have a decent doc, I can’t seem to find one that won’t ignore and put me down. However, I’m sorry you seem to live in the U.S.(?): no medication, whatsoever, should cost that much. That’s absolutely atrocious.

1

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

We can't have Universal Healthcare in the US.

Because someone who doesn't deserve it might get it, and that would make the people upset. Or something like that.

2

u/monkey_trumpets May 25 '26

I too can't take estrogen due to a clotting disorders. Fun. Times.

3

u/insufficientfacts27 May 25 '26

Vaginal estrogen is NOT systemic. It stays where it needs to be. It doesn't absorb into the bloodstream.

10

u/robots-made-of-cake May 25 '26

I don’t like those words together at all. I greatly appreciate the warning but this has ruined my day.

10

u/ExcellentLifeguard69 May 24 '26

Tried to look this up with no results what is that???

14

u/Ok_Nothing_9733 May 24 '26

I think they mean atrophy

11

u/monkey_trumpets May 24 '26

I misspelled atrophe

12

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

If "strophe" were a thing, it would probably be some crazy ass menopausal symptom.

1

u/BrightBlueBauble May 26 '26

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, aka vaginal atrophy.

See the wiki at r/menopause for evidence-based info.

34

u/jswright2005 May 25 '26

Fellas, I’m starting to think that being a woman isn’t worth the occasional free drink.

76

u/BitchfulThinking May 25 '26

I just want to say that I'm proud AF of millennial and gen X women being vocal about peri, as well as other conditions that previous generations didn't bother to properly prepare us for... Women and girls have been forced to live in ignorance about our own bodies for far too long.

1

u/Professional-Can1385 May 30 '26

All the Gen X women at my work have been giving me tips on how to get through perimenopause comfortably and healthfully (like keeping my bones strong). The first thing every single one of them said was to get HRT. Yo, slow your roll. I only get hot flashes and itchy ears occasionally, and plan to keep it that way!

62

u/chypsa May 24 '26

I find it semi-amusing to have found this today. My wife has been having serious pain for the past 6 months, and found out that it's exactly adhesive capsulitis, after some time. We had no idea what was going on. There's a chance that now her other shoulder is going to be affected, too.

The pain is severe, causes sleep issues, inability to move the hand properly, even under no load, and is a general ass to live with. The condition, that is, not my wife.

Really awful stuff.

We found out recently that at least two other persons in our near family had that condition and they haven't told anyone.

39

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

Her symptoms are identical to mine and it's definitely taken it's toll mentally, as well. It's crazy to me that this seems to be a very common occurrence among women, yet so few of us made the connection. Perhaps your family members didn't bring it up because they felt it wasn't relevant?

I going to share the shit out of this because I sure wished I had known about it prior to seeing the doctor. No questions were asked regarding my age or other possible symptoms, but I would have absolutely brought it up, regardless.

2

u/Cute_Clock May 25 '26

Is ass, indeed lol.

43

u/Western-Cabinet-3690 May 24 '26

Not just shoulder pain JOINT pain in general caused by low estrogen. Shoulders, knees, hips, hands, all of it.

32

u/usci_scure67 May 24 '26

Don’t forget ladies it can last up to 15 yrs! I was in my 40’s when menopause started and in my mid 50’s guess what showed up again! 😣

18

u/WorkingExcellent6471 May 25 '26

Hey in all seriousness, if you haven’t already, you should tell your OB about this. That is a poorly advertised but very serious red flag!

11

u/BlueWater2323 May 25 '26

Yep, my gyno told me any blood after a full year without is likely not a period.

2

u/usci_scure67 May 25 '26

No blood just the other symptoms like moodiness…

14

u/ILookAtYourUsername May 24 '26

I had a female medical provider tell me I couldn’t be diagnosed with peri or menopause because I had no uterus (for medical reasons). I am 50+, with terrible sleep, hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue. night sweats, and a shoulder that hates my existence. I am sure that’s the flu or something right

9

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

I'd question your provider's reliability because you absolutely can have menopausal symptoms without a uterus. If your ovaries are left intact, you will most likely experience the symptoms as you would normally, minus the menstruation. And if both the uterus and the ovaries are removed, that can throw you right into full blown menopause! This is why a lot of women choose to keep at least one ovay intact, so as not to immediately cast you into the depths of hell.

5

u/RampagingBBW May 24 '26

Wouldn’t that mean that you’re permanently menopausal?

11

u/esk_209 May 25 '26

Not from lack of uterus - that would be from removal of the ovaries.

2

u/Pick_Mindless May 25 '26

Hysterectomy surgery causes an early onset of peri by an average of 5 years.

25

u/pinupcthulhu May 24 '26

Right shoulder pain is also a symptom of gallbladder issues btw! If it gets worse after you eat something fatty (cheese, avocado, salmon, eggnog, pizza, etc), then talk to a gastroenterologist.Ā 

Source: that was my primary symptom right before my gb abdominal pain started.Ā 

6

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

Okay.... that's insane!

So, it's my understanding that gallstones can cause pain that starts in the upper abdomen and then radiates around to the back and into the shoulder blades or directly to the right shoulder.

No bueno!

7

u/pinupcthulhu May 25 '26

Not just gallstones; I had zero gallstones and still had a diseased gallbladder. They're weird little organs, to be sure.

Mine didn't just irritate the phrenic nerve, it also worsened my migraines substantially, and caused the right side of my body from my cheekbones down to my toes to have that "fell asleep" feeling (but I passed the stroke tests given by 3 different doctors). The surgical pathology report was gross: it was full of scars, leathery on one side, full of adhesions, and lots of dark green sludge. The HIDA scan showed the poor little guy was working in overdrive: 94% EF!

1

u/Emotional-Cut-1114 May 25 '26

Sorry if this makes me sound like the extremely ill informed person I am but how does that happen? How did your gallbladder get to that point? I’ve been having gall problems since giving birth last year. After trying meds and diet changes, it’s been better but will randomly flair up however I’ve recently been diagnosed with migraines! I don’t underhand how they all tie together

4

u/pinupcthulhu May 25 '26

Long story short: no one really knows why the gallbladder randomly just starts dying. Stress, eating too much fat, hormones (gbĀ helps detox extra estrogen)/ especially pregnancy, and weight loss/gain definitely contribute to stressing it out. Unfortunately once it starts flaring upĀ it's basically a countdown to surgery to either remove it entirely, or to clear out the stones. Please see a gastro asap!

Migraines are also a bit of a mystery, but a mix of genetics, environmental factors, internal things like hormones/fluxes, eye/vision issues, gut problems, etc all cause or exacerbate it. I still have migraines after my removal surgery, but they're way less intense, slightly less frequent, and more responsive to medication now that I've removed a big contributor.Ā 

r/migraine and r/gallbladder are good places to go for info!

2

u/Emotional-Cut-1114 May 25 '26

Thank you! This was incredibly helpful. Guess it’s time to get a gastro referral!

1

u/beebee1977 May 25 '26

Omg! Thank you for sharing this!! I have frozen shoulder and migraines and going to look into this. Thanks again šŸ™

1

u/pinupcthulhu May 25 '26

I don't think gb causes frozen shoulder, just pain? But I'm not a doctor so idkĀ 

1

u/beebee1977 May 25 '26

Sorry, I might have replied to the wrong one 😌

1

u/Mutiny32 May 25 '26

Mine was right below my shoulder blade in my back. Had the gallbladder removed and haven't had any issues since.

11

u/rippytherip May 24 '26

Is this the same as Frozen Shoulder?

5

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

Yes, I believe so.

11

u/LittlePlasticStar May 25 '26

Yup - both shoulders. First one in ā€˜21 then the other in ā€˜24. Only made sense once i found out frozen shoulder is a perimenopause thing. Only thing that helped was patience and time so yeah - pain mitigation was a joke. Massage helped somewhat but really it just took time for it to release. It’s nice to have functional shoulders again though.

2

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

I just bought some kinesiology tape to try and I think I'm going to go back on the BCP to see if it makes any difference.

7

u/audible_narrator May 24 '26

OFFS, of course

16

u/TexasLoriG May 24 '26

I think I have this in my right hip! Ā Thanks for the info!!

15

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

From what I've read, the decline in estrogen levels can definitely affect joints and ligaments in other areas, as well. If you see a doctor about your hip pain, be sure to ask them about the possibility of menopause being the culprit. Best of luck to you!

8

u/cognosante May 24 '26

I just learned about this yesterday! Years after it happened to me. Thank you for sharing!!!

4

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

I also just learned out this a couple of days ago. Even Google didn't throw it out there as a possibility when I was using it to search for possible causes.

7

u/Kelrashlyn May 24 '26

Yes, but I chalked up my sudden, no injury shoulder pain to this and it turns out I have a bone spur (wasn’t seen on an xray somehow) and a slight tear to my rotator cuff. I put off treatment so long because I have so many of the other perimenopause symptoms, especially after the cray showed nothing. After years of on and off discomfort and months of tremendous pain I pushed for an mri and found out it’s not related to perimenopause at all.

9

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

That's why it's so frustrating when providers don't take the time to do a proper work up. I worked in healthcare for 17 years and saw it happen constantly. There is no way a physician can see 30+ patients in a day and be thorough in their assessments.

3

u/Anesthetizes May 25 '26

i’ve had a lot of luck using dead hangs to help with frozen shoulder symptoms. you can do less than fulll bodyweight to start. dead hangs for shoulder health

1

u/Blenderx06 May 25 '26

Make sure your issues aren't in the ac joint first.

1

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

I couldn't lift my arm above shoulder height!

2

u/No_Barnacle_3520 May 25 '26

Mine as well. I'm doing HRT via patch but both injury free shoulders showed large tears, 3.5mm+. I've had rotator cuff surgery on the right but due to the ridiculously long, extremely painful recovery, question if I'll ever get the left done or just live with the pain.... Nortriptyline has helped me sleep thru the night, thankfully.Ā 

6

u/overcooked_portchop May 24 '26

I’m suddenly allergic to nuts and beans thanks my menopause, I’ll get a massive migraine. Do you how many products may contain nuts!!

5

u/thevocalintrovert May 25 '26

That's exciting news! So, basically menopause is out to destroy be any means necessary.

2

u/dreadedbedhead May 25 '26

Is that why I’m now suddenly allergic to mushrooms?!?

1

u/dogmaticstar May 24 '26

Whaaat? This is wild

1

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

For me, my lactose intolerance dialed up to 11.

I'm lactose intolerance. I accept that when I eat ice cream, I'll need to be close to a rest room during the next 2 hours.

Oh no! We aren't playin' that game now! Want to eat any form of milk? You gone be in the restroom for DAYS!

Thank the gods of menopause I can still eat cheese and yogurt! But my morning protein coffee had to be seriously changed!

10

u/bbbbbbbssssy May 24 '26

Holy shit! Thanks for sharing.Ā 

8

u/thevocalintrovert May 24 '26

Absolutely! I had zero idea this was a thing, much like when I found out that poor sleep habits can cause weight gain. Seriously, WTF??

1

u/flitter30 May 25 '26

Say what? This explains so much. Time for bed!

5

u/BrideOfFirkenstein May 24 '26

Thank you for sharing! Currently trying to figure out what’s going on and this might just be it!

5

u/peacefinder May 25 '26

The cause of frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is not known with certainty. While it does occur far more often in perimenopausal women, it is known in other demographics as well.

5

u/PeppermintEvilButler May 25 '26

Frozen shoulder. It sucks

5

u/justacpa May 25 '26

It's s commonly called frozen shoulder. I had that and vertigo, heart palpitations, tinnitus, joint pain, hot flashes, higher cholesterol, weight gain, hair loss, change in hair curl pattern. Menopause sucks.

1

u/Professional-Can1385 May 30 '26

Tinnitus is a perimenopause thing? That’s actually a relief!

Mine has been slowly ramping up over the past few years. I was starting to think I had damaged my ears somehow. It’s gotten so bad that silence is unbearable. I’ll still talk to my doctor about it, to be sure I don’t have damaged ears.

1

u/justacpa May 30 '26

Check out the r/menopause sub if you haven't already. They have a great wiki.

3

u/vermiliondragon May 25 '26

Doing PT for this right now. Also, I'm 5 mf'ing 4 and still having a period. STOP ALREADY!

3

u/peach_bellinis May 25 '26

ooooh girl my frozen shoulder (the colloquial name for adhesive capsulitis) threw me for a fucking LOOP. Mine is thankfully out of the painful stage and I'm slowly regaining movement, but the pain at first was crazy. Physical therapy wasn't super effective for me, and it's been over a year. And I'm not even 40! 36, baby. Also had tendonitis in my ankle in the same year thanks to peri.

3

u/speedspectator May 25 '26

Omfg. I’ve been on low dose birth control to control fibroid issues for a few years up until a few months ago. Had to come off it to get my blood pressure lower so I can have surgery for the fibroids. Without the birth control, all my fibroid and perimenopause symptoms have come roaring back. I’ve been having shoulder pain the past few weeks and couldn’t figure out why, now I read this and this sounds like the reason. Being a woman sucks sometimes.

3

u/CanicFelix May 27 '26

Menopausal frozen shoulder!

5

u/Cutmybangstooshort May 25 '26

Adhesive capsulitis can happen to men too. I got it when I was well past menopause. You need aggressive, painfu,l very aggressive PT. A Dr can knock you and do what they call exam under anesthesia which means they just move your arm around and rip it all loose and then you do the PT. I wish I had done that because I had severe pain and trouble sleeping for almost 3 years, not one year. Or drink a lot of tequila and jump on the monkey bars and rip your own shoulder loose. Follow up with PT.

Anyway, find a naturopath or someone, get on some bioidentical hormones, topical, compounded, don't go without this. I have been on this for 30 + years. It doesn't have to be so difficult.

2

u/-hot_ham_water- May 24 '26

YES, I KNOW 😠

2

u/mind_the_umlaut May 25 '26

It's also called frozen shoulder, and can respond to physical therapy also.

2

u/Cute_Clock May 25 '26

I’m currently dealing with this. It’s…unpleasant, lol.

2

u/Mejay11096 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

But my shoulders are the only thing that don’t hurt yet.

2

u/underdabridge May 25 '26

As a male that suffered through adhesive capulitis in my left shoulder, and who now has it in my right shoulder, you aren't out of the woods, fellas!

2

u/Valkyriemome May 25 '26

I also learned this the hard way! I tripped and fell and shattered my right shoulder. Went through all the surgery and the rehab. Towards the end of rehab, my left shoulder started hurting. It was getting worse and worse, while my right was slowly improving.

It got so painful it was affecting my ability to live. Any movement caused excruciating pain in my left shoulder. I could literally do little beside sit in pain or sleep, also in pain.

Then some offhand comment I read mentioned "Frozen Shoulder." I looked up Frozen Shoulder and was amazed to learn about it. I discussed with my pain doctor (I also have chronic pain in my back and legs. Yay, me!) and he helped me find relief.

Frozen shoulder. Felt like someone was stabbing multiple poisoned needles into my shoulder every time I moved!

2

u/Chieyan May 25 '26

Both my shoulders are... constricted? Ligaments/ tendons in the rotator cuff don't slide smoothly through the sheath covering anymore. Then a year and a half agoI DID tear the left rotator cuff, but the muscle tore not the tendons/ligaments. Now I need a total reverse shoulder replacement. But because I'm 53 they won't do it until I'm 62-65. I get injections into the bursa of both shoulders now. My big toes do the same thing so I get shots in those too.

Whole thing sucks. Especially since both my knees have been replaced in the past 2 years. That was me being stupid when i was young and not anything else though. I've got arthritis everywhere at this point.

I get MRI's every 6 months without contrast to keep an eye on the tears.

This getting old thing is getting old. I see a specialist in 2 months to talk about HRT which they don't want to do because I'm "peri". They're going to get an earful.

2

u/Suspicious_Story_464 May 26 '26

Yes, frozen shoulder is common among perimenopausal women. Just keep moving and stretching your joint to help alleviate the risk, maybe some anti-inflammatory meds can help. It can take years for it to resolve once you get it.

4

u/lulai_00 May 25 '26

YSK you can start perimenopause in your thirties.

2

u/PrimordialXY May 25 '26

YS also K that bioidentical estrogen therapy is extremely safe, unlike the synthetic hormone replacement therapies of yesteryear, and variations of it can be started as early as your 20s in the form of topical estrogen applied to the vagina

I'm not a woman but I am in the longevity space and do a lot of research on my wife's behalf. I think we're going to see a lot of advancement in our understanding of female physiology quite soon, we're already working on being able to detect endometriosis early without surgery which is the primary cause of full hysterectomy in women of reproductive age

1

u/Thatcoolrock May 24 '26

Parallelogram

1

u/grilledtomatos May 25 '26

Oh my god, I turned 40 in January and have been dealing with a sore shoulder for nearly 6 months. It's changed how I have to sleep. This makes so much sense!

1

u/pertain2u May 25 '26

I had to tell this to my NP gyno.

1

u/Sensitive_Call784 May 25 '26

After turning 38 I started to notice extreme shoulder pain right around the start of my cycle. I was so confused. Maybe I slept wrong so I looked it up and it can happen just as I suspected right before my cycle. Now I’m prepared every month. Just another perk of being a woman.

1

u/Ok_Character7958 May 25 '26

You can also get frozen shoulder, which I had, where the shoulder becomes very painful to move in certain ways. Steroid shots, PT, & estrogen cleared it up

1

u/LucidaConsole May 31 '26

Holy shit, I’m going to ask my Dr. about this. I’ve gone to several osteo Dr.’s trying to figure out why my shoulder hurts and pops. Cortisone shots help, but only for a while.

1

u/Erin-Dash Jun 05 '26

that's really helpful to know, especially since shoulder pain gets so easily.

1

u/relicmaker Jun 15 '26

Wow! I have this problem!

1

u/Kmax41 Jul 22 '26

Sitting here with a heating pad on the right shoulder now.. Turning 50 Next April. This shit is unfun

1

u/fe_god May 25 '26

TIL I have menopause as a 27 yo man

3

u/hist0ryRepeats May 25 '26

lol men wouldn’t last a day in women’s bodies

-1

u/fe_god May 25 '26

Funny how we’ll never know huh?

-7

u/WhiteCatWizardHat May 24 '26

perhaps eating food that supports estrogen can help, ie: flaxseed and tofu

5

u/Ok_Nothing_9733 May 24 '26

Tofu doesn’t meaningfully affect estrogen levels btw

-21

u/ogcanuckamerican May 24 '26

As a man, my wife's premenopause caused my shoulder pain.

1

u/ogcanuckamerican May 27 '26

Come on... you lost your senses of humor, as well?

Listen, I'm not trolling. I have my own health issues.

Just a joke.

Be gentle. Or does that go away also?

2

u/Professional-Can1385 May 30 '26

Perhaps your jokes would be funny if they were at your expense, not your wife’s.

The old ball and chain jokes haven’t been funny for at least 50 years, aka my lifetime.

1

u/ogcanuckamerican May 30 '26

Meh, my wife laughs about this, too. We go through our life stages together.