When I told my doctor my hip pain started right when my periods got weird, he literally rolled his eyes.
"Perimenopause is trendy right now. Everyone thinks everything is hormones," he said. "You probably just have bursitis. Take some Advil and rest it."
That was it. That was his entire diagnosis.
No imaging. No hormone tests. Just a dismissive wave and a lecture about "WebMD diagnoses."
But I KNEW something hormonal was happening. The timing was too perfect—my cycles were all over the place, I wasn't sleeping, and suddenly my hip was locking up like a rusty hinge.
I got so frustrated I started doing my own research. Everything kept pointing to Gluteal Tendinopathy—Gluteal Tendinopathy.
And here's what made me furious: it's one of the most common menopause symptoms, hitting women in their late 40s and early 50s. Some studies show women are 2-4 times more likely to get it than men, especially during the hormonal chaos of perimenopause.
But my doctor acted like I was making it up.
Here's how I knew it wasn't "just bursitis":
Bursitis hurts when you move. Gluteal Tendinopathy hurts AND you literally can't move. Your gluteal tendons tissue thickens and tightens until your joint is trapped.
I couldn't:
- Bend down to tie my shoes
- Walk up a single flight of stairs
- Get out of bed without rolling sideways
- Sit for more than 20 minutes without stiffening up
- Sleep on my side without waking up in agony
This wasn't inflammation. This was my hip seizing up from the inside out.
I had to play doctor for myself when that's literally what I was paying him to do.