What can cause weakness in postmenopausal period?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been in menopause for 6 years now. Over three months I have been having bouts of weakness in shoulders, arms and sides of stomach. I feel very weak and strange. I do not feel dizzy. Sometimes it starts with a hot flash. Or else I will stay awake with this terrible feeling and will have hot flash at the end of it. I had CBC. As my symptoms become worse I went to an urgent care and the doctor took 6 vials of blood. He checked many things including EKG, which is normal. My fasting finger prick was 74 and HbA1c 5.6. I have attached the rest of the blood reports.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through the details provided by you.

All investigations are normal (attachment removed to protect patient identity) such as hemoglobin levels, non-diabetic, with normal resting EKG. So, these are not issue in your case. However, the following are the possibilities.

Post menopausal hormone imbalances - You might have increased spurts of estrogen production which are causing the hot flashes. This is common in such menopausal age and requires only mild treatment if there is evidence of the increase. For this, get the following tests done - FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), estradiol and progesterone levels in blood.

Hypertension - Get your BP monitored on daily basis at different times of the day and see if there is increase in levels at any point of time. This is again a reason for hot flashes, anger and weakness. It can be cured with mild medicine if found to be present.

Check for your thyroid levels. Since you are overweight, there might be a possibility that you are suffering from hypothyroidism. Vitamin D3 levels - this is another reason for general weakness. Now if we go to further serious reasons, then one probability can be TIA (transient ischemic attack), there can be slight loss of blood supply to the brain which might be causing weakness in limbs. I am not sure if this would fit into you as coming to a conclusion requires medical examination which we cannot do online.

I would suggest that you send us all reports as mentioned above and also go to a doctor to get full examination done. Only then we can comment on what is the right treatment in your case.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Your vitamin D level is critically low. This can surely be a reason for your weakness and fatigue. You will have to take appropriate treatment for the same which would be decided by thorough examination. You might also need to take in two more tests - parathyroid hormone - PTH and calcitonin levels as they are also culprits for low vitamin D levels. I would also suggest you to take more sunlight every day to improve levels.