Feb 06, 2012 - 7:21 pm (MST)
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Asked by trishpat (Female; 64; 78746; I am in excellent health, I have had one child at the age of 35. I weigh 135 lbs, 5'4" tall. I am retired
and enjoy daily rigorous exercise as well as yoga and meditation. I am married and live in New York City. I
am a cyst removed from my right ovary when I was 22 yrs old and had my appendix out when I was eight and had
some irregular breast cells removed in the last two years with day surgery but I do not have cancer or breast
cancer, I only need to be monitored frequently. No history of cancer or heart disease in my family. Since the
irregular cells were found, I went off Hormone Replacement Therapy which I had been on for ten years. I also
went off my anti depressant because it found to be bad for the liver (I went off these two meds two years ago
and the pain level did not increase as a result). I did try Cymbalta (30 mg. a day) but it interfered with my
sleep and I experienced extreme vaginal dryness and therefore it impeded my usually satisfying sex life with
my husband. ; Relevant drugs:Tramadol 37.5 mg. Aleve )
on Sun 20, Jun 2010 07:46am for $49.00:

I am in excellent health generally--I always pass my annual physical with flying colors and I don't smoke and drink very moderately. However, since menopause (age 45) I have experienced various levels of all over body pain (pain from the neck down but not in the muscles or joints as I exercise vigorously every day and am extremely flexible (I have no trouble bending over and touching my palms flat to the ground). Sometimes the pain will settle in a particular area for a while such as my upper arm or my knee or my foot and then disapear. I do meditation, yoga, and stretching and eat a healthy diet. I have done research on the Web and know that my symptoms match Fibromyalgia but when I did ask my rhumatologist she said I didn't have it and I know there is no test for it. Lately the pain has gotten much worse. I can barely get out of bed in the morning without taking 2 or 3 ALeve. I have been using two Tramadol or 75 mg. a day some days in addition to the Aleve. This does keep the pain under control and allows me to live the very active life I want to live. Can I keep up this level of medication without harm to myself? I never take more than I need and I am not worried about addiction. I only take what I need to be able to live my life.
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Answer by Dr. A. Srivastava (doctor) on Sun 20, Jun 2010 11:45am:

Hi, Thank you for your question. Although Aleve (contains naproxen) is an over the counter medicine that suggests its low toxicity, but any long-term usage requires consultation of a doctor. However, pain-killers like Aleve provide good symptomatic relief and one can feel energetic, but taking such medicines for longer run is neither beneficial nor a permanent cure. In addition, I want to let you know that these kinds of symptoms are not unusual during post-menopausal age. Multiple joints pain is a typical symptom of post-menopausal osteoporosis and requires complete evaluation. Other common symptoms are- decreased fertility, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings etc. Plus, body’s strength decreases with age progression and if you are overdoing any exercises this may also lead to muscle loss with subsequent body pains. This needs a consultation of a doctor who would like to investigate CPK (creatinine phosphokinase) enzyme level that increases with muscle injury/loss. Hence it is recommended that you slow down your exercise level and consult a doctor for further approach. Hope this helps. Please do keep us posted in case of additional health doubts. Take Care !!!
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Comments:

Comment by Dr JS Anand on Sun 20, Jun 2010 11:03pm:
Hello, Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting on it. I can understand your concern for the body aches that you are having. Definitely apart from the symptoms that you have been explained by Dr Anurag, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome need to be ruled out. Fibromyalgia is a common chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized primarily by diffuse musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. There is no specific test for fibromyalgia and to diagnose fibromyalgia, imaging tests and electrophysiological studies of the nerves and muscles may be performed to rule out illnesses with similar symptoms. Some of the other conditions with widespread body aches are chronic fatigue syndrome(often manifests with widespread myalgia and arthralgia, cognitive difficulties, chronic mental and physical exhaustion) ,polymyositis (means 'many muscle inflammation') and polymyalgia rheumatica(an inflammatory disorder that causes widespread muscle aching and stiffness, primarily in your neck, shoulders, upper arms, thighs and hips. It literally appears overnight, but the cause may be a problem with the immune system, perhaps involving both genetic and environmental factors). Apart from that in women hypothyroidism can also cause such symptoms and hence thyroid function tests need to be done. Complete physical examination along with investigations like ESR blood, platelet count Rheumatoid factor, creatine kinase, electromyography and muscle biopsy may be needed to make a diagnosis. Please consult a physician for that. I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep us posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts. Kind regards. You can find additional information on the following site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia#Diagnosis

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