Big picture symptoms and conditions

I am a 70 year old woman, I have been on 20mg Lipitor for high cholesterol, 200 total and 25mg of Spironolactone for a not so high blood pressure, for 3 1/2 yrs. Oh, my God, the Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic that is very dangerous and has many uses I didn't know about or the terrible side effects, it causes breast cancer. It's also used to treat women who have an over growth of hairiness, or on a higher dose to treat hair loss and I've gone bald on the top of my head! Plus all of the good foods we're supposed to eat for high cholesterol, fruit & veggies one isn't to eat on this drug, because of lot's of potassium, what a huge contradiction. And muscle pains, and rashes, (eczema, atopic dermatitis) that I've suffered from both.
Anyway, Lipitor, had know idea about the side effects until I looked it up on the internet and read these posts on here.
I stopped taking Lipitor last week and Spironolactone 2 days ago.
I had cholesterol test last week too and saw my dr. Wednesday. He said it was okay that I stopped the Lipitor, but not the other one, why not the other one worse then Lipitor and why am I on this strong drug, geez.
The pain and burning started in my hip for no reason, then my ankles with eczema which started soon after Lipitor, then my fingers, numbness, can't pick things up, tingling, burning. Then my feet, yes, just like all of you I have these same problems. This is not just coincidental, this is from the drug Lipitor. I get severe joint cramps in my legs, feet and fingers.
For now on before I take any drug I've prescribed I will thoroughly check for side effects and not take it if they're seriously impairing like Lipitor. I feel like a cripple and older then I should feel, I almost just felt like why live anymore if this is how it's going to be.
Since I've stopped Lipitor I feel a little better, I read that it causes permanent muscle and nerve damage though, oh I hope not, I can barely walk anymore or get up out of my chair. This is all drug induced toxicity of my system. Thanks so much everyone who posted for sharing and enlightening all of us who are suffering from this drug and others.
It should be banned along with Baycol, (a statin) which was banned a few months ago because of these same side effects. With the studies that it only helps maybe to prevent heart attack, well I'd rather be able to walk again and hopefully all this will go away, the rash, etc.

I had Mirena inserted July 2009 and I have been spotting off and on ever since, which my doctor told me would happen for about 6 months or so. The insertion itself was painless, I barely noticed that my doctor did it. I don't know if I just have a high tolerance for pain or if I just have a great doctor, because my experience sounds nothing like some of the other women.

As far as other symptoms, I think so far everything is going good and I am very pleased with it. My periods are lighter, but the spotting off and on is getting a little annoying. I think so many people are quick to blame something on their health problems,and not look at the big picture.

Mirena== good choice for me!

My experience with hair lose while on wellbutrin was the opposite, as soon as i started Wellbutrin (Zyban here in UK) my hair stopped falling off!!! I took it only for 3 weeks though so i don't know what would happened if i continued. There was something else that made me quit it- insomnia, i slept 3 hours a day and my face looked like dead mans walking. But i could function normally and had a lot of energy in the gym could do twice as much as i normally do and also heavier weights.Unfortunately had to quit it, i did it could turkey. But what's interesting were the withdrawal symptoms, i felt great! My mind was still and focused,i could see the big picture of things,little things didn't bother me at all, i felt whole. But it lasted only for a day or two and then started to weaken. Anybody with similar experiences?

I read the article by the AP,what i find interesting is Mercks acknowledgment of some minimal brain crossing in rats of the drug....no studies were done in humans to see if it crossed the brain barrier....there is a way to find out if this happens designed by Columbia uni..fairly easy and inexpensive...and the FDA dosnt require the drug companies to do it What part of the big picture did they miss is this not a no brainer

I tried to be positive... My doctor put me on Femcon because I was spotting thru my 3rd month on a 3 month cycle. Needless to say, I'd rather spot. I have had amazingly horrible headaches. On top of that, I'm exhausted all the time. And I can't sleep. I spotted thru the first month- severely but didn't have a period. I'd rather have my period. Now I've noticed that in addition to those things, I am constipated (tmi, I know). I've taken 6 fiber pills and 4 softeners over 2 days before I had a response. I've gained 4 lbs. I know that's not a lot in the big picture, but I weigh 110 lbs and have for the last 3 years. I split a pair of pants up the rear last week at work!!!! I was on seasonable and Yasmin before this and will gladly go back to something that makes things more stable.

I have read some of the board and would like to know if anyone else has had prolonged side effects after being off Prednisone for almost a year. I think Prednisone caused all my current health problems. Was on the higher dose 5 day plan for a severe inner ear infection. I stopped taking it after the third day cold turkey, which I know was wrong because of blurred vision and stomach distention so bad I thought I was going to burst (almost the same as when I was pregnant). The first 4-6 weeks of stopping it were pure _ ell. So many withdrawal symptoms. I went to my doctor and he said I couldn't possibly be having all those symptoms from the Prednisone since I was only on it three days (but it is the regimen where you take the higher doses/multiple pills in the beginning and then it lowers the dose each day). Every few days it seemed I was having something new happen - heartburn, sweating, headaches. Then my thyroid function began acting up (hypothyroidism) and glands seem to swell with my monthly cycle. I started having a daily dry throat. All my symptoms seem to be on my right side: blurred vision, dry throat, swollen lymph glands, ear pain, groin swelling. It is one month shy of a year when I originally took the Prednisone and nothing has decreased, only new symptoms appear. My doctor keeps treating each symptom individually and won't look at the whole picture. I tried acupuncture and it didn't help. Any suggestions/comments?

36 year old male. Only been taking Lipitor for one month. Stopped taking it one week ago after feeling strange side effects. Shoulder pain, tingling fingers, heart racing at night, left arm pain. Feel clumsy when I normally have excellent hand eye coordination. Tendons feel funny in arm when clenching stuff.

Still feeling some side effects but not as bad now. Before kept waking up from sleep with pain in left shoulder and tingling in left hand, but now not so bad.

Any alternatives?

Would appreciate it. Dr's do not seem to know what they are talking about. Said that the lipitor would not be causing my problems. I just got told to stretch and it would go away as I do not exercise enough. What a load of crap, can't they stop going by their scientific approach to everything and look at the big picture?

I NO LONGER FEEL INSANE! Reading what a lot of you wrote made me feel so much better. I want to start by thanking you for taking the time out to post your comments because it's important to know that you aren't alone in feeling this way due to a medication.
I started on Yasmin when I was 21 and for about two years I never even realized what this pill was doing to my body and my life. Initially, it worked out well. After the first six months I was on it, all I wanted to do was sleep. I would avoid my friends and family almost all the time because I was so irritable and would cry often for no reason. I got yeast infections every few months and horrendous stomach pains which led me to believe I had a serious health problem. I was at the doctor every week for almost two months not knowing what was wrong with me. This was not me at all. I had always been an energetic, out-going person that rarely got sick. The week before my period, I would become extremely emotional. Once even to the point where I felt suicidal. I was freaking out, seeing different therapists and taking various anti-depressants. It was quite frightening, and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. My relationship with my boyfriend of six years was constantly on edge during this time. I would get angry or depressed for no apparent reason and he would never know what was causing it. I would constantly doubt him and the relationship. I was paranoid about situations in my life to the point where I could no longer focus on the important things or the big picture. The dramatic mood swings eventually took a serious toll on the relationship as well as some of my friendships. I finally switched gynecologists because I was beginning to question the one I was going to at the time. I am so glad I did! My new GYN immediately took me off of Yasmin. I have been off of Yasmin for three months and I feel so much more stable and energetic. I absolutely DO NOT recommend this pill unless you enjoy feeling like a lunatic.

I have been on Yasmin now for almost a year and my experience has really been nothing like the others on this page. IN the firt month of taking it I did have an extended period that was quite heavy, but that was expected, and my breast were more tender than usual, but after the third month I was back to normal.
I strongly suggest that if you are truly are having serious side effects from this pill you get off, but don't go into it believing you're going to have problems, because it becomes mental. The mind is more powerful than anything and it can make you believe anything. If you're gaining weight, ask yourself what's really going on in your life...is it really the pill or an outside factor?
I have not experienced any weight gain and have been able to keep up with my active lifestyle with no problem.
Sometimes I feel down and not as happy as other days, but when I really look at the big picture, that's life..not every day is perfect. That happened even before the pill.
I just felt it necessary to post something that is not so negative so that if someone else, like myself, chances upon this website who is not having negative side effects happening to them, can know that it doesn't happen to everyone.
You know yourself, and you know if you're placing blame on the incorrect things.
Monitor yourself and do what you need to do.
For me, so far so good :)
Good luck ladies

*Lily