January 28th
2009
2:54 PM
My dr. put me on Lipitor. I took it for 4 months. At the 4 month mark, I was SO depressed, I couldn't function. Crying constantly, no concentration..almost like I was in a trance most of the time. I had problems finding the correct words to use, was paranoid about everything and everyone. I actually thought I must be in the early stages of Alzheimer. Honestly..I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had an actual "pain" in my heart and pins and needles feelings in my fingers and hand on the right side. My forearm became terribly "achy". I went back to the dr. and she said.."oh, I think you're depressed!" Gave me a prescription for celexa (anti-depressant, and sent me on my way. I went home..decided that I WAS NOT going to take an anti-depressant and began to do a little research on the lipitor. Amazingly..I couldn't believe the info that I found with people who had the same symptoms as me! I stopped taking it immediately and within 2 days..my depression and paranoia went away. However I am left with such weakness and pain in my rt. forearm and bicep as well as both shoulders. I went back to the dr. and explained what I had done (guess I shouldn't have mentioned about what i had read on the internet) Because she wouldn't believe that the lipitor would cause that and also said that I had been off of it long enough now(4 months at that point), that any pain that i was experiencing would be all gone! She wouldn't believe me and made me feel like I was crazy!! So..now not sure what to do. Will the pain go away, I wonder? Is there a way to "detoxify" one's self to rid us of all the bad stuff or is the muscle damage permanent and does it keep on going and just keep destroying the muscles, even though we've stopped taking the stupid stuff?? I wish someone could come up with an answer, because I don't know who to go to ask. I can't believe how weak my arms have become since taking it. Will it ever improve I wonder?
-- By colleen_58 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
March 18th
2009
1:00 PM
I have type 2 diabetes for a few years and am 59 yrs old-and do not have fibromyalgia or kidney,liver problems or depression or a history of any painful muscles ever. I work up to 90 hrs a week as a doctor for the past 12 years and am a DIY renovator of my home in mt free time. I exercise regularly and am fairly fit, I do have a congenital mitochondrial myopathy characterized by non painful arm and leg muscle weakness- but have not been symptomatic significantly for 20 years. I take vitamins and one aspirin a day and have no medication allergies. weeks ago I started Januvia- my only diabetes medication. I worked well to normalize my mild to moserate elevation of BS.Over the past 2 weeks or so, I have had an increased somnolence without feeling rested upon awakening. I felt like I had been beaten with telephone poles and hammers, More distressing is the insidious onset of neuromuscular pains episodic sharp ones, more persistent aching and burning and tingling tingling, with a dense heaviness in legs more than arms worse with exertion and relieved by rest. 3 days ago it was to the point where I had to stop walking after 8 steps and could not climb a ladder beyond one step . I should not curl 2 lb weights even twice, Typing on a keyboard fatigued my arms after 5 minutes. I stopped Januvia three days ago, slept 30 hours,, felt better yesterday,restarted januvia last pm, Today, after 12 hours of sleep I feel exhausted like I did hard manual labor for a few days without ant sleep. The telephone pole beaten feeling returned, My weakness and pain are back with a vengeance and I cannot walk very well and have to stop typing this every 2 or 3 minutes to rest my arms, and have weakness also in my back muscles with curious sparing of abdominal muscles. Heat and massage do not help and are uncomfortable. I feel tired like I do when my myopathy acts up and my Krebs cycle is disrupted and thus my mitochondria do not make ATP to power my muscles- with the additional new symptom of significant pain. Aside from a mild tachycardia of about 100 at rest, my vital signs are normal, my cpk, Mg, thyroid function tests, comprehensive metabolic panel and sed rate are all normal . Heavy metal screen is negative. I will stop Januvia and probably never take it again, If my glucose goes back up I will go back to metformin which I took a few months about a year ago,
-- By drdoree | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message meI suspect in my case that Januvia disrupted my mitochondrial function as well as being additionally toxic to my muscles and nerves by some additional pathogenesis, I question whether those individuals who have weakness, somnolence and neuromuscular symptoms might have some underlying mitochondrial dysfunction - a very under diagnosed condition - patients being told that their symptoms are of psychiatric origin.