By Lisa on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:05 pm:

Posted by Lisa on April 01, 2000 at 09:45:33:

I am not sure if this is coincidence or not, but over the past 8 months since I went on birth control pills, my joints have all started cracking and popping. The strongest cracks or pops seem to be in my elbows, but there are mini-cracks taking place in my wrists, knees, neck, back all the time every day. I am 31 and I never noticed this popping at all until lately. That is why I am very suspicious of the pill. I don't have any pain as of yet but my fingers seem a little sore every so often and the whole thing is very scary since it seems to have come on so suddenly. I also wonder if there are any natural ways to help it. Could I insert something into my diet, start swimming etc.. I am afraid to eliminate impact excercise altogether because I thought the impact was what kept your bones strong.

By Gill on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:07 pm:

Hi all,

Sorry for the delayed answering on this, I have only just connected to this site after a month away.

I am a 22 year old who was put on the pill because of very bad time of the month, I threw up and it affected my joints considerably. I was put on the pill when I was 17 and that, now thinking back, actually made my joints slightly worse, but now I am on a different one and it has actually made my joints better! Sorry for the contradiction to everyone else, has anyone thought that it could be certain types of pill, for they all use slightly different drugs to make them up?

Has the pill made anyone else better?

Gill

By Angie on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:09 pm:

Re: impact exercises to keep bones strong: from what I've read, I believe you just need pressure on the bones, not impact. An example I was given was of how people in many parts of the world still have to "squat" over a hole to relieve themselves. This puts a lot of pressure on the bones, which is good for them. In most "developed" countries, we have found ways to cushion ourselves and reduce the physical activity. This is part of our problem. I have heard that weight training will strengthen your bones.

By Eppie on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:11 pm:

Like Gwen, my hypermobility started after pregnancy (very quickly and very scary...all joints loose within 3 months; no problems prior to that). The ovarian hormone related to collagen destruction in the ligaments is called relaxin (search for earlier posts by me, which describe it in more detail). I have done extensive research in this area and I know of at least two literature sources (both Norwegian (sp?)which documented increased relaxin levels with the use of oral contraceptives. I actually tried the pill for a few weeks in an attempt to "regulate" my hormones and I definitely noticed the "looser joint" phenomenon.

Also, do any of you ladies notice that your joints are more painful 3 to 7 days out from the onset of menstruation? I certainly do and it sucks.

By Gwen on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:13 pm:

Eppie, could you send me details of the Norwegian sources you mention, please. Also what may be of interest to you all. It has been discovered that women who have uterine prolapse have different collagen and connective tissue to women who don't prolapse. I am attempting to get further details of the current research in this area. It was mentioned in passing in lecture notes for my post-graduate course so I've requested sources from the lecturer. Will let you know more as and when. Of interest, how many women using this website have or have had a prolapse? I wonder what % of female population experiences prolapse. If this study is conclusive, then maybe it will turn out collagen defect disorders are nowhere near so rare as the medical profession likes to think.

By Bianca on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:14 pm:

I am 28 and had no uterine prolapse. But my mother, she is 57 now, has two children, had a beginning prolapse with around 42. It was reconstructed with about 40.
By the way since I talk to my colleagues about HMS I found a few, who seems to be hypermobile and having problems like often spraining their ankles or instable knees or things like this. They were never officially diagnosed.

By Tracy on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:16 pm:

I have been in pain since I was 12 but I never really experinced "popping"until about 18 months ago, which is when I started taking the Pill, something I hadn't even thought of connecting before!
Tracy.

By Johanna on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:17 pm:

Hi Lisa,

My mom thinks there is a connection between my loose joints and the pill too. Because I had very severe monthly bleedings the docter put me on the pill when I was only 13 years old. My mom thinks that's also when my joint problem started. It didn't. I was already having difficulties before I started using the pill. Yet I am wondering if it might have made things worse... Especially since my docter had me on some menopause drug too, again in connection to the bleedings. A few months ago I stoped using the menopause drug, to try wheter cutting down on all these hormones would make my joints feel any better. So far it's still getting worse so there seems to be no effect, but maybe it's too soon to tell.

I hope you won't get too much pain.
Johanna

By Gwen on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:18 pm:

I don't know whether there is any information re hypermobility and The Pill but there are definite links between pregnancy and hypermobility syndrome. If you look up Medscape and search for "hypermobility+pregnancy" it throws up a lot of papers on the subject. Unfortunately they are only abstracts but there is enough information to give you some idea of the relationship. My HMS problems only started when I became pregnant. I was told it was a natural side effect of pregnancy as the ligaments relax systemically, not just the pelvic ones but regain their elasticity after the birth. Mine didn't and it wasn't until I saw a rheumatologist some eeleven years later that I was told that some women never regain the elasticity and I was one of them, but not to worry as it would improve post menopause once hormone production decreased. Hah! I'm still waiting. So yes, there definitely seems to sometimes be a hormonal involvement. Good luck with your research to find an answer

By Jonathan on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:19 pm:

Hi
as far as I know the hormone involved in pregnancy is called
Elastane the gland which produces it either produces too much or sometimes gets "stuck" and won't stop when you are no longer pregnant.
Perhaps it sometimes comes in to play without pregnancy as a trigger.
Take care Jonathan B

By Ian on Sunday, June 04, 2000 - 09:21 pm:

If you have HMS I think you will find from most who are knowledgeable in the subject that impact exercising is about the worst thing you can do for your joints.

There is not agreement about "popping" as some say it is not a problem while others say it is. Unfortunately, genuine medical opinion for HMS sufferers is not that good.

By Barbara on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 04:14 pm:

Relaxin is released during pregnancy and during the menstrual cycle and can cause increased joint laxity and instability at those times.

By Gumbie on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 06:15 am:

Can anyone suggest a way to manipulate the hormone to decrease relaxin (estrogen...or whatever is the culprit). I am so desperate I would be willing to face side effects of taking testosterone or whatever.... I'm 40, female, post spinal fusion and still clunking everywhere. Major pelvic instability continues.

Thanks for any info on the hormonal piece. Has Dr. Ghrame done any research in this regard??

Be well all, Robyn