Body muscle symptoms and conditions

I am 39 years old and work for an interventional cardiology medical device company in Tokyo, and so know the importance of controling one's cholesterol, keeping the LDL's low and the HDL's high. About two years ago, my doctor put me on 10 mg of Lipitor. Several months later I herniated a disc in my neck between C6&C7. From that point onward, I attributed all of my neck and back pain, and newly acquired total body muscle and joint pain, to the herniated disc, it made the most sense. Over the last seven months, I have really worked on my diet and began to exercise more (even though quite painful) and was able to lower my cholesterol. This resulted in my doctor lowering my Lipitor prescription from 10 mg to 5 mg. I noticed a slight alleviation of the pain I felt in my hip joints and calves. About two weeks ago I took myself off Lipitor completely and found further improvements in my total body muscle and joint pain. It's still there but greatly improved. In retrospect, I now believe the Lipitor may have been the culprit (or at least a contributing factor) to my herniated disc due to muscle degeneration in the neck, and all of the subsequent muscle pain, especially in my hips and calves. I fully understand I am not going to die from calf-pain, but may from heart disease. However, I have found my quality of life has improved tremendously over the last few weeks. Less irritability, better sleep, less pain, clearer head. I feel like I have lost two years of my life on Lipitor via personal suffering and lack of ability to do much of anything with my wife and two young daughters. We all need to take charge of our own health and therefore I encourage anyone who feels completely different after taking Lipitor to engage your physician, and make sure its the right option for you. If damage has been done to my musculature I hope I can reverse it. It is evident to me that some serious clinical studies should be done to investigate Lipitor's effect on muscle degradation and hope others will consider carefully whether or not do go on this drug. If you do, monitor yourself closely.

I had my demon mirena inserted in July 2004 after the birth of my son. Since then my life has been one nightmare after another. I have had body/muscle aches, swelling in ankles and hands. Slight fever all the time, skin rashes, dizziness, depression, my hair texture changed, insomnia, and night sweats. I was so tired I couldn't even do normal daily activities. My mood swings were so severe I began to think I was bipolar. I have been to about 15 different doctors over the past 4 years and I have been diagnosed with everything from Rheumatoid Arthritis to Lupus to Graves Disease and after finding this blog and others I know realize it's my Mirena! I called my doctor and am having it removed ASAP! She agreed that is was more than likely the mirena that has been ruining my life for the past 4 years. I didn't equate my symptoms with the mirena because they didn't start until about 7 months after I had it inserted. It was SO not worth it. I would have MUCH rather had another child than to go through all this misery for four years. I can not wait to get this thing out of my body.

I've been on 200 mg Lamictal for 2 months now, after 4 month titration up from 25mg; Going off Lithium 900mg titration to 450mg this week. Since 1st day of lower Lithium, all the common Lamictal symptoms went from mild to extreme. Whole body muscle aches (like 24 hours after a heavy weightlifting workout) worse in neck & back/shoulders/calves, bad headaches, swelling in hands & feet, extreme blurred vision, loss of memory, halted speech while trying to figure out what to say, fuzzy. I called the Clinic to simply ask which NSAID (aspirin? ibuprofen? Excedrin? naproxin?) to use to manage the pain. They all freaked and made me come in for a blood test to check Lithium levels. I explained I wasn't "overly" concerned about it at this point, but just looking for a recommendation, and that they may be over-reacting (even though I did appreciate their concern). I also reminded them that I had just **decreased** Lithium when it happened, so I wasn't having a Lithium Toxic attack (I'm well-versed in that, having been on Lithium for 7 years). It didn't do much good to tell them I thought their diagnosis was a little off. I'll find out the blood test results today, but I'm pretty sure I know what they'll be. They also wanted me to see my PCP since it could be something else. Again, the problem was a ramp-up of existing symptoms the next morning after I lowered Lithium (the only change), so I'm conviced everything centers around that. I think they're a little inexperienced with this med. (Lamictal/Lamotrigine) and if they'd just read this blog they'd probably learn a lot. They had never heard of the muscle ache side effect. Pretty hard to believe after reading all of your comments! My theory is that Lithium was somehow holding back the side-effects of Lamictal and now they're expressing themselves more fully. I haven't read anything like this on any internet discussion, so maybe my body is very different. But maybe my experience will give someone else some insight in a similar situation.
I might also mention something that happened to me I have only seen (kinda) in one other "blog" about follicle (sweat gland) cysts. Yeah, I definitely got the jawline acne starting at the Lamictal 50mg level & increasing at 100mg. But I also got my first ever "cyst" that concerned me and sent me to my dermatologist for the first time in 30 years (I'm 47 and saw the old guy when I had acne at 17!). It started as a blind pimple on my chest the week I increased Lamictal to 200mg (final dose), but didn't go away. It continued to grow (not diminish) over 4 weeks to 3/8 inch round/pink/solid/itchy/burn-when-rubbed. So off to the "Doctor" like my father used to do on a regular basis (I know I'm getting old now) and scalpel/pop/stitch it was out. But it was real, not my imagination or hypocondria, and the timing of its appearance was right when Lamictal changed to full steam. Since acne appears to be a common effect with so many, it seems it's not unreasonable that this occurs occasionally as well to others. Let me be the 2nd to mention it. No "official" verification, but....
I'm not bagging on Lamictal, and have been very hopeful that this would be better than Lithium. It has eliminated the GastroIntestinal problems I had on Lithium, but I am getting discouraged that it has all the brand new symptoms that are discussed in this blog. Your "stuff" is real. I wish the Docs/Nurses/Case Workers would spend 5 minutes checking your comments out. It might bring about a better informed conversation than the shiny Glaxo flyers provide. That is all.

Hello All, First let me say that I am sooo sorry for everyone's symptoms and that they are likely a side-effect of the Miracle Drug Januvia! I am on Glipizide which I fought my 'ex-physician' about continuing to take for several years, since I am a nurse and through research had found that this drug is really only an initial medication used for the new Type II (2) Diabetic. You don't want to know that I've been on it (in one form or another - Glucotrol & Glyburide also versions of same drug) for nearly 15 years! I had retired from nursing and wasn't exposed to meds-dispensing and was just trying to live and deal with DM with the dubious 'care' by physicians who just didn't give a hoot about me or my status. I'd tried Metformin when it first came on the market again, over a decade ago, it made me so violently ill that I would have to stop and vomit out the passenger side of my vehicle, on the shoulder of very busy California freeways. My doctor had told me that it must've been IBS - noooooo, it was the Metformin because within 24 hours I wasn't vomiting, in 48 I no longer had severe abdominal pain/bloating/diarrhea and within another couple of days I was no longer severely nauseated. The nausea reminded me of 'pregnancy-related' nausea which for you ladies out there, remember that it is worse than average nausea that is relieved by vomiting. So when my new physician who is a Kidney Specialist, Endocrinologist and Specializing also in Diabetes wanted me to go onto Januvia ~ well, I was skeptical to say the least. Having said that I found myself blythely going ahead without checking the known side-effects and taking first half a tab twice a day and then one tab twice a day. I was delighted that my blood sugars begin to drop immediately; however, also immediately, were the following symptoms on JANUVIA: severe all-over-body muscle cramps/spasms which include my trunk (body), limbs including hands, numbness in my hands (I type a lot in my work but have NEVER experienced anything like this in my hands) - of course the doctor said that I must be getting carpal-tunnel syndrome! In within two (2) days? No, that is impossible. I have spinal injury from a horrible surgery gone very bad 10 years ago and with it I experience very intense muscle cramps/spasming which generate from my spinal level of injury, encompass my hips, entire pelvic girdle, buttocks and into my legs - culminating in my feet. They are so severe as to cause me complete incontinence from the intensity of the abdominal pressure on my bladder and sometimes feces incontinence as well. While these are horrible and irreversible outcomes from this surgery-induced injury - I have learned the factors that cause them to happen more frequently i.e. sitting on unfamiliar surfaces and especially without my pressure-relieving seating cushion, flying - from the unfamiliar/cramped seating, difficulty standing immediately when I feel one coming on (when they do I know to come to a standing position immediately and pressing my weight against my feet at a 90 degree angle from my legs and NOT moving an inch from there for up to one hour and until they subside) well, yes, as you can imagine, these horrible cramps/spasms are no longer an intermittent event but occur Daily now and sometimes up to four (4) times a day along with the cramping in my trunk (in various locations around my back that aren't related to my surgical injury, upper extremities and hands - oh wait! I've had them in my jaw and front of my neck as well! What I haven't mentioned is the following: initial weight loss then recent weight GAIN, after about two weeks. Many are unaware that 'controlled' Diabetes Mellitus Type II (2) results in weight-gain due to the circulating blood sugars being metabolized by entrance via the receptor sites on our bodies cells and the storage of excess glucose into stored fat. I attribute this to the fact that I became less active with the depression coming on and the extreme tiredness from interrupted/lost sleep making me much too exhausted to exercise as per my normal activities. Additionally I've had Severe Nightmares, Sudden Shock-like awakening from deep sleep stages, Night Terrors as reported by boyfriend and family, Headaches that are so intense that I can barely stand them and usually upon awakening during my very Interrupted Sleep and at the end of my sleep, when I just give up and can't stand them or the intense cramps/spasms any longer. The depression has been truly disturbing as I have taken meds for it for about three (3) years. I was on SINGULAIR, another horrible med which I discontinued after only a week and a half from beginning it because I developed significant anxiety (I'd never had anxiety before), a period of five (5) days of No Sleep at all despite OTC sleep meds and a pronounced increase in feelings of depression, irritation (I'm usually very easy to get along with and patient), agitation, mental confusion, and very fast talking and racing thoughts/ideas. I'd never experienced these symptoms either than the depressive lows and insomnia being the reason I was initially started on Wellbutrin. I knew that I was otherwise feeling very well, prior to starting the Singulair to better control Asthma, and certainly quite as 'normal and content' as one can be, so it was evident that it was the Singulair. Against my doctor's initial directions I stopped taking Singulair (he'd not been completely apprised of my symptoms by his nurse and had admittedly not studied any of the increasing reports of adverse effects and side-effects of Singulair since a few years back when it hit the news, apparently - he thought that those were the only problems) after reading the many, many, many posts, HERE, from all the poor folks who were suffering as I was and worse! Within one day the symptoms began to disappear and within four days they were gone and I was back to my 'normal'! This without any change, addition or increase in anti-depressives or anti-anxiety meds (which I don't take). I began JANUVIA about a week before the Singulair and was accepting the symptoms and confusing them with those from the Singulair. If you go back and re-read this you will see that the symptoms, side-effects I've had from taking JANUVIA are not at all like the ones from SINGULAIR except for the increase in depression. The depression did resolve quickly when off of SINGULAIR but when a few weeks ago I began on JANUVIA the depression and related neuropsychological symptoms/side-effects returned and increased. I stopped taking the JANUVIA four (4) days ago and am already feeling much better. Additionally, I was at my hairdresser's 10 days ago and after only a month of being on JANUVIA I was thinning and losing hair enough for she and I to comment on it! I do not want to lose my already fine hair! I am going to wait out an entire week then begin on the JANUVIA again for a few days to see what occurs so that when I return to my Endocrinologist/Diabetic Specialist physician I will be armed with a pattern.

In closing, I would like to say that Pharmaceutical REPS make high six-figure incomes by pushing these drugs! Don't do as I did and not 'read and research the side-effects/adverse effects and opinions of existing 'guinea pigs' (all of us) on any meds! Please, review the SINGULAIR section of this board and pass the information on to others and especially to the parents/guardians and physicians/health-care workers enlisted with providing care to children! SINGULAIR is a dangerous, dangerous drug - having read hundreds and hundreds of posts and hearing the heart-wrenching stories of many children taking this drug from the tender-age of two (2) years on up, and their being starting on anti-psychotropics and other meds for all types of 'early-onset' depressions, anxiety, oppositional and impulse control disorders and ADDHD, I am convinced that it is a poison we can live without. Many children have been long-term affected by it with all the concommitent psychological effects of being 'branded' as psychotic, hard-to-handle, out-of-control, ADDHD and more ~~ they've suffered needlessly at the hands of Pharmaceutical companies and the physician's who are so easily 'swayed' into trying a need 'quick fix' drug by some very unscrupulous Reps in the industry. Merck Pharmauceticals is again under forced investigation by the FDA for SINGULAIR - but, please, go read the reports for yourself and see that they've been ordered a nine-month (9) period of time to SELF-investigate! The FDA doesn't have the money to investigate any longer - they spent countless millions on VIOXX and CELEBREX and they can no longer afford to do the costly investigations they used to do. They, instead, rely on 'clinical trials' by whom? The Pharmaceutical companies themselves! Hey sign us all of for that lack of responsibility! Please, spread the word: in the grocery store, doctor's office, gas station, hairdressers, to family, neighbors, friends and strangers and do them all a huge favor, please? Give them the LINK to this wonderful site and it's message boards!

Thank you for reading and may you have much improved and a wonderful health-conscious life!

I have been experiencing a flu like symptom for over a year now. They started about 2 months after I began taking 350mg of lamictal a day. Symptoms include exhaustion, headache, soar/achy throat, post-nasal drip, TONS of nausea, lack of digestion & regurgitation of food. I am tired and feel warn out all the time... I have had everything checked by doctors and they've found no health reasons to explain these symptom's.

HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS????

I'm in a living hell because of prednisone withdrawral. Was on the other coast of USA and my knee gave out (have severe OA with no cartilage left). Had cortisone injection but didn't work after one week. Went back to dr. and got prednisone injection and prescribed 60mg / day. I had a schedule for tapering off, but as soon as I went from 60 to 30, pain came back with a vengence. I was in So. California and had to drive back to upstate, NY, so i had to go back to 60mg. I returned to NY with only 4 pills left. Went down to 30mg/day in Georgia, then 20 in N. carolina. I feel like death warmed over.

I am now taking 10mg / day and i'm having full body muscle spasms daily which are excrutiating. I gained weight and diabetes is difficult to control to under 250. My dr. said he will not give me refill, but I see him tomorrow and will tell him what it's been like. I can't sleep unless taking 20mg vicodin and 1050mg. carisoprodol and 5 benedryls. then only sleep 3-4 hours and wake up to cramps unbelievable.

When on the 60 per day and the IM injection, the pain in knee almost disappeared. Now, it is back plus every side effect from the prednisone. If this is hell, I feel as if I'm in it. Can't be cool, can't be warm. Either sweating bullets or chills. Definitely not the "miracle drug" it's touted to be. Good luck to my fellow sufferers. Keep the faith, believe this too shall pass. -Jay

Hello,

I am writing for my mother who has been taking prednisone for the last 2-3 months. She was prescribed prednisone for kidney failure. Well I don't think I can possibly name all the side effects she has had but I will try. She has experienced the moon face, contracted diabetes, loss of muscle coordination, vision imparment, insomnia, loss of appetite, purple rashes throughout her body, muscle pain, fainting, and the latest which was the worst of all, she is in the hospital because the doctors are saying she had a mild infarct(heart attack) my mom is no longer the person I knew, I also have a feeling that the doctor who prescribed it to her, overdosed her with 6 pills a day, I feel he should have started her with a much lower dose. My mom never had any of the above problems before. If you are going through something similar you will be in my prayers.

I'm a 46 year old male. I started 10 years ago with Lipitor 5mg, after one year increased to 10mg, insurance company made me switch to Zocor 10mg. After switching with another ins company had to go back to Lipitor 10mg, had to switch again to Zocor 20mg, then my doctor took it to 40mg along with 1,000mg of niacin. Switch again to Lipitor and back to Zocor, all this transpired within a 10 year period. I have always been extremely active and very muscular. One day I noticed twitching in the upper part of both arms. When I visited my doctor, his first words where stop the Lipitor now. Within the next three months I had extreme body tremors, full body muscle cramping, extreme night sweating (would soak the sheets) and had a vibrating (it was like a humming sensation) sensation in my whole body 24/7. It's been two years now since I stopped taking this poison and I now suffer with a great deal of muscle loss in my hands, forearm, upper shoulders, butt area and feet. I have difficulties with balance, holding my bladder when I feel the urge to urinate, severe pain, difficulty lifting my arms to my head and difficulty with my speech. The sweating and vibrating feeling has gone now however my quality of life is not anything to talk about. If I new then what I know now about this statin drug I would have never takin it. If any one knows of any ways too reverse these side effects, please e-mail me at ******

After 3 months taking lipitor, woke up during the night with full body muscle spasms. Emergency crew took me to emergency wherby morphine was injected over a three hour period to loosen the tightened muscles. Use of lipitor ended that evening.

For the next 26months, 8-12 major spasms occurred within a 24 hour period. Methocarbanol was and still is being used as a combative tool against spasms.

Currently determining what should be taken to provided nutrients to the muscles to help them to repair the damage done by the spasms that occurred.

Presently, major spasms have diminished to 4-6 per month, tight muscles persist, and its very easy to have muscle cramps when doing miscellaneouls medium to heavy duty chores. Medium would be reaching out to help pull yourself up and heavy would be snow shoveling with medium size shovel.

In my case, Zetia (non-statin) has brought my chloresterol levels down to an acceptable level & no side effects have occurred.

Side effects are basically the same as everyone else. The worst one and the most embarrasing one is excessive sweating especially on minimal exertion. Other side effects are prednisone induced diabetes requiring insulin 4x a day, weight gain on abdomen and upper body, muscle, joint pain especially hip pain, muscle cramping, irritability, nervousness, teeth pain and facial hair growth.