Major surgery symptoms and conditions

I've had my mirena for almost 3 years. I decided to get one when my last child was 6 months old, in Oct. of 2006. My CNM assured me that it was a good choice for me, even though I was breastfeeding. For the past year, I have not been able to find the strings. I read that sometimes they can soften up and curl around the cervix, but they are NOT there. I imagine they must have moved up into my cervix or uterus. This scares me a lot. Along with that, I have had many side effects, and I've noticed they have gotten worse as of late....

-Hair loss, oily hair, dandruff, weight gain, oily skin/break outs (I stopped having breakouts once I hit my early 20's and I am 29 years old with pimples again). Terrible mood swings, nausea (as of late), fluttering/spasms in my uterus (as of late), heavy breasts (as of late). I'm actually thinking about taking a preg. test tomorrow to make sure I'm not preggo, that is how bad my symptoms are right now. I have not had a period in so long, I'm not even sure when the last time was.

I'm going in a few days to see about having the mirena removed. I'm very nervous because I don't even know if it's still where it should be. As far as BC is concerned, it's great, because I can't remember to take a pill, but it isn't worth all the other things that come with this IUD. It's mindless BC but it's also worrisome for my own health BC! At this point, I'm thinking about getting rid of hormonal BC all together and using a diaphragm and practicing Fertility Awareness. I'd rather take my chances with something that is not going to make me crazy, sick, or put me at the possibility of major surgery/loss of my womanly parts.

After major surgery in mid-June I got an infection. I took a week-long dose of Levaquin. Approximately a week later, my shoulders, back, wrists, hips, knees and ankles became extremely sore and stiff all at once. It took two and a half weeks for those symptoms to disappear, however, my right hip is still affected so much that it hurts to walk. I am an otherwise healthy, young person. The pain does not dissipate when I sit, lay down, or stand in any position. It's really awful and completely has put a hold on my life. Just about everything I enjoy doing involves the use of my leg, and the pain stops me from living normally. I hate this! I wonder whether it's related to the antibiotic. My doctor has not been able to figure out what it is. I'm going to ask her to look in to this! Thanks for letting me vent..D.M. Washington

To all the women still taking this drug: I beg you to stop taking this medication and read all of the posts on this site!!!! Here is my story... I was on Yasmin for 6 years. About 4 years into taking the drug, I noticed a mass on my right side. It was a painful mass that I could easily feel, and it eventually because so uncomfortable that I could no longer sleep on my right side, and it affected basic movement. At the same time, I was beginning to show some side effects of Cron's disease (which runs in my family), so my gastro doctor told me to get a CT scan and an MRI. The tests revealed a gigantic mass on my liver and I was told to see a liver specialist right away. I went to KU Med and was told that I had to have emergency surgery right away, and that I was basically a walking time bomb.... If I tripped and fell, it could cause this mass to rupture and I could bleed to death. He also told me that if I had gotten pregnant while I had the mass, it would almost certainly lead to death for me and the baby. Nonetheless, they cut me open from the middle of my chest clear down to my belly button. They did a liver resection and removed my gall bladder and several lymph nodes. The mass on the scan turned out to be 2 grapefruit-sized benign masses, called Focal Nodular Hyperplasia - most commonly caused from the hormones in birth control pills!!!! Ladies, this was major surgery.... I was in the hospital for 9 days and out of work recovering for nearly 2 months.... and this all took place 2 months before my wedding!!!!!! The MASSIVE stress I endured caused me to have panic attacks and I thought I was going to literally die. Keep in mind that my CT and MRI were purely coincidental. If my GI doctor had not ordered the tests, I would have never known about the masses, and God only knows what would have happened to me.... Anyway, this whole ordeal has DRASTICALLY changed my life and affected all of the people I love, my husband included, who has to endure all of my pain and anxiety. BOTTOM LINE - IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT! TELL EVERY WOMAN YOU KNOW!

OMG! I had Mirena put in Nov. 2007. Recently I had pain enough and spotting right after my period. I went in and during the exam my new ob said she could not feel or see it! I had a ultrasound which showed a cyst on my ovary that burst causing the pain but NO MIRENA! on May 4th. The OB said that I must have past it and she could not do anything until I started again. I started and contacted my previous OB (who put it in) and the nurse was stunned! She said they just don't fall out. I had an xray today and we found it......in my stomach lining! The OB isn't worried that about it but everyone I talk to wonders how it will keep from moving on around! The nurse said it would take major surgery now to remove the Mirena from my stomach. How does this go through the uterus lining? Are there holes in my uterus and stomach? How could this not be concerning to my previous OB? I have called the 888# on the back of the Mirena brochure and reported adverse side effects that the operator highly suggested to surgically remove the Mirena. I asked if they would pay for the removal but she gave no response. Of course with tough times we don't have the money for such a surgery but my husband and I are worried about further complications this may create. After reading many of these I know now where my mood swings and irritations come from-my poor husband, 8 yr old and 1 1/2 yr old!
DO NOT GET AN IUD IF YOU DO NOT NEED TOO. BEWARE!!!

ALERT!!!

If you have been having any one of these side effects, then AcipHex may be causing nerve damage.

-- tingling or numb hands or feet
-- confusion / "fuzzy head"
-- ringing in the ears
-- vision changes
-- anxiety
-- depression
-- apathy
-- fatigue

It may be serious. In my case it certainly is. I can barely use my hands. Why it happens:

AcipHex cuts down on stomach acid. Sometimes it cuts down too MUCH acid. In that case, you are unable to break down animal products enough to absorb vitamin B12 from it. Without vitamin B12, your nerve sheathing erodes. My advice would be to stop AcipHex and get a good vitamin B12 supplement (sublingual -- the type that dissolves underneath your tongue, and at least 1000 mcg). I would also advise to get the book -- Could It Be B12? By RN Sally Pacholock. Before starting supplements, insist on a urinary MMA test. It is the only B-12 test that does not give false positives or negatives often.

This book has literally saved my life.

I am a 49 year old male. I had my aortic valve and a part of my aorta replaced 5-1/2 weeks ago. The valve had a congenital defect and it was replaced with an artificial valve. I was able to do aerobic exercise and jog right up until my surgery.

The main problem that I have been experiencing has been numbness and pain in my arms and upper back. This has been present for the last 4 weeks. My right arm has been the worst. Most of my right arm is numb. Muscle strength has dropped in my right arm. Also for the last two weeks, part of my tricep muscle in my right arm does not "fire". I cannot move my arm in some directions. I was referred to a neurologist and he indicated that there is nerve damage. I will be having an EMG this coming week.

I am not taking a lot of medications. I take 100 mg/day of Metoprolo which I have been taking for the last two years. I am taking 5 mg of Coumadin, and I take some fish oil. I also took Amiodarone for ten days after surgery and then discontinued it.

Most of my muscle pain symptoms started 1-1/2 to 2 weeks after surgery (after starting Warfarin), and they have progressively gotten worse. Some symptoms can come and go. Symptoms include:
-Sharp pains in my arms, back, and legs
-Left and right arm aches, sharp pains in forearms when reaching
-Numbness in my right upper arm, left and right forearms, inside of my left leg, fingertips of the right hand, left thumb
-Loss of strength in my right arm. Tricep muscle does not fire (3-1/2 weeks after surgery)
-Skin is sensitive and feels uncomfortable on my arms, back, chest, and stomach

I realize that unexplained aches and pains are probably the norm after a major surgery. The numbness and pain in my arms seems to be out of the ordinary and chronic. The surgical doctors have not been able to offer any explanation, they referred me to the neurologist. Since the surgery went well, I feel that they are pretty much done with me. I feel that I am on my own.

I did try switching from Warfarin to Coumadin to see if that would make any difference. That was about 3 weeks ago and it did not seem to make any difference.

The surgical doctors do not think that the Coumadin could be causing my issues. I have read about rare, but serious Coumadin side effects that include muscle and joint pain, numbness. At this point, I am very concerned that I could lose more use of my right arm. I will be contacting my family doctor this week for advice also.

Hello! After a 3 1/2 day stay in the hospital for atrial Fibb. which has since gone away and was likely cuased by extreme low blood potassium and sodium which has since been brought to all but normal levels.. I was taken off of Plavix a blood thinner which I had been taking since a heart attack in 2003, and put on the Warfarin, that was on June 22nd that I began taking Warfarin/Coumadin!. About 2 weeks ago I began having neck and shoulder pain, then slowly side and back pains deep down in the muscles. It is much worse in laying down position, have a hard time to sleep well, and if I trun or move while lying down the pain is very intense. I am going to assk the Dr. to take me off of the Warfarin and put me back on Plavix so I can see it it is the reason for the pains. I am quite sure it is! Please reply if you have the same symptoms as I do! Thanks, B.E.

Last week I had an issue with my INR - it has always been unstable, but this time was weird. My INR had been 6 and so I stopped the warfarin for 4 days, and went back on my regular 2 mg dose. Then we went on holiday to Washington DC for a week. 3 days in, my pee was the colour of cherry kool aid. Went to the local hospital (thank god for travel insurance). My INR was 7.89 - In the US this is considered critical and I was admitted, and treated with Vitamin K and 2 units of plasma. Within 8 hours my INR had dropped to 1.8 - now too low. The next day down to 1.25, and a week later I am still 1. I am taking fragmin now until I can get my INR theraputic again but Fragmin shots are even worse than warfarin.

An ultrasound showed now issues with my bladder or kidneys, but I do not understand why I was bleeding.

Guess that this just shows the importance of regular checking of INR levels while on warfarin.

My husband was having gastrointestinal problems for about a week. The PA at his primary care physician's office prescribed Levaquin for 7 days. Blood taken ½ hr after Levaquin started showed liver levels to be a little high. By the 3rd or 4th day my husband was jaundiced. Blood taken on the 6th day revealed liver levels dramatically higher. He is still jaundiced and liver levels are still at the higher level. Had ERCP procedure, CT scan of abdomen and MRCP, but no conclusions other than stricture of bile duct and possibly pancreatic cancer, although a mass has not been seen on any film. Has this happened to anyone else on Levaquin? Doctors want to try ERCP again and if that does not work then the Whipple Procedure which is major surgery to remove a possible pancreatic cancer that they have not seen.

I thought I had sinuses for years..got test for allergies and was founded to be allergic to nothing! Despite having at least 3 infections a year and on my 3rd nose spray, zyrtec, nyquil at night..ect..because I was contantly congested and had drainage & headaches..3-4 infections a year.. She ordered a cat scan and was told that my sinuses had spurs but was clear; my septum was severely deviated and I needed a ENT to have surgery to correct it...The ENT wanted to do major surgery which included a plastic surgeon... so I went for a second opinion to another ENT that was well known who told me I had rebound headaches..and referred me to a neurologist..my goal was to get off all the meds (nose sprays, nettie pot, antihistamines..nyquil..ect..) ..he was a dinosaur and was convinced that although I had a severe deviated septum~he didnt want to do surgery but wanted me to stop all meds I was on and to go to his neurologist that he liked *(another dinosaur) who put me on Topamax..50mg in the morning and 50 mg at night..I had panic attacks right away so he added 20 mg of klonopin at night to help with that and flexeril to help me relax...he hinted at me going to a pysch doctor which pissed me off right as if I was psychosomatic or something... and stiffled me a few times when I tried to talk to him about my drainage and congestion~he wanted to hear none of that because he already made his mind up what I had and "sinuses" didn't jive with his impression that I had migraines.

All of the sudden within days I really did have migraines..they just hit me! HARD...I had to call him and tell him I was in excruciating pain on the right side...he called in Imitrex inj. and they worked within 5 min. and my Topamax went from 100 mg total > 250 mg/day! I had at least 6 shots since and the side effects of the Topamax have profoundly changed my personality...I have no word recall..like being stoned in the 70's but worse because I have a special needs child and I need to engage her and am like a zombie! I have ALL the same sx that are mentioned but notice one that isnt noted which is my tongue is raw as well as my throat...all the way down into my stomach...I am having to take zantac for acid indigestion~it is like my insides are raw!
I am also having extreme constipation...I lost weight in the first 2 mos. where I couldn't eat nothing..but now I am eating cause it's there but it is not leaving me even when I take multiply doses of my old standby... I am drinking tons of water..at least 64 oz a day but it is not helping. My eyes are burning at times...I need my reading glasses all the time now. Some days my heart is beating out of my chest for no reason..at rest..I just feel ill like something is not right at all! I don't go nowhere & have become a hermit. My headaches are gone but I feel I am just a shell of a person and want to get off...I am slowly weaning off by doing it 25mg at a time for one week at a time....then another 25mg another week......I know I will have migraines but I will just bite the bullet and suffer through it till I am off this poison....I have some injections left..MY main goal was to be off meds and these side effects are horrible! Once I am completely off I am going to a good ENT that can do the surgery to fix my sinuses so that I can hopefully be drug free as I intended. I too wasn't told of these side effects at all. So much time & $$$$ wasted! I think if I stay on this too much longer it will truly do long term harm!

basically, this was my experience with the paragard:
1. Dec 2004 - Paragard iud was placed post-partum after my 2nd daughter was born. i was breast-feeding, and had no noticeable symptoms until Nov 2005.
2. Nov 2005 - had my first period since my daughter was born. it was heavy and crampy, but i thought "i haven't had a period in 2 years, so this is the price i pay..."
3. Each period hence was heavy, long at 6-7 days, and cramps were intense. again, i just decided that i could manage.
By the end of 2006, my periods were so bad that my husband and i decided i had to see the doctor.
4. Jan 2007 - saw the doctor about removing the copper IUD. she said that the paragard should not be causing such bad symptoms, and since i was did not want to get pregnant, she decided we should try to control the symptoms with birth control pills and Prometrium. I did not want to try Prometrium since I was unsure of how I would react to the hormone. she believed that i might be suffering from severe pms, called PMDD. note that i loved and trusted this doctor - i had some complications during my 2 pregnancy, and some problems post-delivery, and she was attentive, personable, and caring. i was very comfortable and trusting, so i listened to her recommendations. i tried yaz, yasmin, and 2 other pills over the next 3-5 months, but was extremely nauseous and sick with all of them (plus break-thru bleeding).
5. Feb - September 2007: i started having pre-period symptoms of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, abdominal cramps, severe fatigue. the first 2 months that i had these symptoms, they were so bad that i believed that i had an intestinal virus - same cramping, throwing up, and bad diarrhea, plus this was BEFORE my period. I then made the association between my symptoms, and the fact that they occurred 3-5 days before my period, and then they would subside about 3 days after my period started. my periods were still long with heavy bleeding.
6. September 2007 - was having same symptoms, but started 7-10 days before my period, and they were so bad that my husband had to take off from work to take care of our 2 girls each month (i stay home with them). i went back to the doctor during September, and was told to modify my diet (no white flour, sugar, low fat, high protein, lots of water) and to try some vitamin supplements since i didn't want more medications. she again recommended taking 100 mg Prometrium to help ease the symptoms. I asked to remove the IUD, again, and she said that "before she took out something that expensive, she wanted to make sure that something else was not wrong" - I was shocked at her statement, but agian I liked her and trusted her, so i went along for the sonogram.
7. October 2007 - In the meantime, I was desperate, so i took the vitamins and Prometrium, which sent me into what i can describe only as a psychotic episode. i had severe emotional outbursts, i was irrationally angry and irritable, and had absolutely zero patience. i am usually a smart girl, and in my normal "mental state" would have associated that the Prometrium had caused this severe reaction, but I was no where close to my normal state of mind, and i just thought that my physical symptoms were now affecting me mentally.
8. LAte Oct 2007 - BY this time I am so down and really ready to get my life back. I am still sick with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal cramps, severe fatigue, and now my abdomen stays sore and tender through the whole month. FINALLY the doctor calls with the ultrasound results. she said that there were 2 small ovarian cysts - and i was relieved - i thought that FINALLY, we were getting somewhere - but in the next sentence she said that she didn;t think that they were responsible for my symptoms. i was deflated - and at such a loss of words. i listened to her tell me how she thought that i had IBS, and that she was going to refer me to a GI doctor. i know that IBS is a catch-all category of symptoms that some doctors throw on people they can;t diagnose. and remember, i was just a few days out from recovering from 1) having a severe personality reaction to a drug, and didn't know it was because of the Prometrium - i thought i was going mad, and 2) i was just getting over being sick before my period - AGAIN.
I finally called her back a few hours later and left a message with the nurse "since she doesn;t think that the cysts are causing the symptoms, could we please remove the copper IUD?" i never got a reply.
I called my niece who is an RN at a respected women's health center in NC and cried a lot and told her what was going on. she got me an appointment with a doctor there for mid nov 2007.
10. Mid Nov 2007 - tell the NC doctor my medical history, and she says "we need to get that IUD out". in less than 30seconds it is gone with minimal discomfort, 25% of the abdominal soreness and tenderness is gone within 24 hours of removal, and completely gone within a week. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS THAT MY TUMMY WAS NOT TENDER OR SORE!!!
i have a follow-up appointment for mid Jan 2008 with the NC doctor and possible placement of the Mirena
11. Nov 29, 2007 - have my first period in over a year where i am not sick etc - it is heavy and a bit crampy, but is shorter in duration.
12. mid dec 2007 - i start to suspect i may be pregnant, but think that we have been cautious, and my period is probably going to be irregular with all of the crap that has gone on
13. jan 5 2008 - yep - i'm pregnant!! but that was ok - we wanted another anyway.
14. jan 7, 2008 - catch the respiratory flu that has been going around and stay VERY sick for 4 weeks, and i just know that something is unusual - i can't eat i am so sick and am so weak that i shake whe i stand up - call a new local OB doctor and see them.
15. jan 30, 2008 - have miscarried the pregnancy
16. April 2008 - the new ob doctor places a mirena
17. first of may 2008 - my husband is asking if i feel ok, that he has seen similar but much less severe symptoms in my mood as when i was on the Prometrium. i have never had acne this severe on my face, neck and back - it actually hurts and i have some scarring even though i have not picked at it.
By the way, my new local OB told me that HE WILL NOT PLACE PARAGARD COPPER IUDS FOR HIS PATIENTS BECAUSE THEY WORK BY CAUSING INFLAMMATION IN THE UTERUS.
however, he also said that i shouldn't have any issues with the mirena, and now i am starting to wonder if i am going slightly mad...
i want my life back...
i now realize that there is a side effect to EVERYTHING that you put in your body...
i am terrified of getting pregnant right now even though a few months ago i was excited about this wonderful possibility...
i am now talking to a counselor to try to work out the events of this past year+ so i can move on...
i feel like my voice was NOT heard or even acknowledged...
the reality is that WE are ultimately responsible for our own well-being, both physical and mental, and that doctors do treat with preconceived notions about the way health should be and how medications and devices should work...they listen to pharmaceutical reps and not their patients...
i don;t know what to do about birth control now...i suspect the mirena is making me feel this way, but i am terrified of getting pregnant, i can't take birth control pills, and am hesitant to put any thing else in my body that is a chemical...however, i have no libido anymore (my poor wonderful husband) and i use to enjoy the closeness and intimacy of being with my husband...
i don't know how this affects your decision about the copper iud, but i just caution about 1) be careful with sex after the mirena is removed and 2) be mindful of anything that we eat or place in our body.
i do know that i could not find any other information from women who experienced my symptoms, but i find it very difficult to believe that i am the only one who experienced this.
lots of luck, and thank you for sharing your experience with the posting site! it has helped me make an informed decision about removing the mirena, and i hope that the information here will help you make an informed decision about the copper iud.

Can Statins Cause Chronic Low-Grade Myopathy?
Statins (hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase
inhibitors) are highly effective drugs for reducing serum
cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials have shown that they also reduce risk for
coronary heart disease events, coronary procedures, and
stroke by about one third (1). Millions of people in the
United States and worldwide are being treated with statins.
In clinical trials and in clinical practice, statins have proved
to be remarkably safe.
The one notable side effect of statin therapy is myopathy.
A small fraction of patients who are treated with
statins will develop severe myopathy (2). In the worst cases,
severe myoglobinuria, acute renal failure, and even death
can occur. The incidence of severe myopathy is low, perhaps
1 in 1000 patients (2). Predisposing factors for severe
myopathy appear to include advanced age, relatively low
body weight, female sex, certain medications, use of multiple
medications, multisystem disease, and acute illnesses
or major surgery (3). If statins were avoided or used in low
doses in these circumstances, it is likely that the incidence
of severe myopathy could be greatly reduced.
Less severe forms of myopathy undoubtedly occur. In
some patients, fatigue and muscle pain and weakness develop
with moderately high serum creatine kinase levels
but not acute renal failure. In these cases, the myopathy
resolves when statin therapy is discontinued.
Still more patients report various muscle symptoms—
fatigue, pain, and muscle weakness—but have normal creatine
kinase levels. These symptoms probably are unrelated
to statin therapy in many patients. In middle-aged and
older people, muscle, joint, and tendon symptoms are very
common. Naturally, if a patient takes a medication that is
believed to produce muscle problems, symptoms are often
attributed to the medication. On the other hand, the major
controlled clinical trials have not detected a higher prevalence
of muscle symptoms during statin therapy versus placebo
(1). This failure of detection has generally led clinical
trialists to conclude that statin-associated myopathy with
normal creatine kinase levels essentially does not exist or
that, if it does exist, it cannot be detected above the “background
noise” of muscle symptoms in the general clinicaltrial
population.
Many physicians in clinical practice nonetheless believe
that they can identify a subset of statin-treated patients
who have a unique set of statin-related muscle symptoms.
Some patients clearly relate the onset of muscle
symptoms to initiation of statin therapy. These symptoms
may abate after discontinuation of therapy, only to reappear
when statin therapy is restarted. The number of such
patients is not large, and thus it may have been impossible
to identify them in large clinical trials.
In this issue, Phillips and colleagues (4) report on a set
of studies in four patients who had muscle symptoms during
statin therapy that resolved during placebo use. Quantitatively
measured muscle weakness also resolved during
placebo use. Muscle biopsies were performed in three patients
during statin therapy and then during placebo use.
Several pathologic changes were seen on biopsy specimens
obtained during statin therapy: increased lipid content of
mitochondria, fibers that did not stain for cytochrome oxidase
activity, and ragged red fibers. The authors suggest
that these patients had statin-associated myopathy with
normal serum creatine kinase levels.
Despite the study’s small size, we cannot dismiss these
observations as random variation in muscle structure.
However, these highly suggestive results are clearly preliminary.
The number of patients was small, and all appropriate
controls were not used. Nonetheless, this study is novel
because it used quantitative measures of muscle strength
and muscle biopsy to address the question of myopathy
with normal creatine kinase levels during statin therapy.
To be confirmed, the current data would have to be
extended to many more patients in whom muscle symptoms
are closely correlated with statin use. Reproducibility
of symptoms during therapy and symptom resolution after
discontinuation of statin therapy would be necessary. A
definitive study would have to be carefully designed and
executed. It would need to be double-blinded and placebocontrolled
and include sufficient numbers of patients to
provide a valid statistical comparison. In addition, investigators
would have to carefully consider the appropriate
selection of patients. The development of a registry of candidate
patients at multiple sites could facilitate a multicenter
study.
Is a carefully controlled, sizable study of this type
worth the investment of time and effort? To date, no evidence
indicates that prolonged statin therapy leads to permanent
muscle damage or progressive myopathy in patients
with normal creatine kinase levels. Controlled
clinical trials attest to the general safety of statins, and
symptomatic side effects appear to be limited to a relatively
small proportion of treated patients. In addition, no therapy
prevents or treats statin-induced myopathy, short of
withholding the drug. On the other hand, statins are being
prescribed to millions of people, and are usually continued
throughout the patient’s lifetime. It is certain that statins
cause myopathy in some patients. For these reasons, a valid
argument can be made for a more extensive study of lowgrade
myopathy in patients treated with statins.
In the meantime, physicians should recognize the great
benefit of statin therapy in high-risk patients and their
documented safety for most patients. For high-risk persons,
the proven efficacy for preventing cardiovascular disease
outweighs the unlikely possibility of permanent muscle
damage. Phillips and colleagues’ preliminary results
certainly do not provide adequate information on the spec-
Editorial
www.annals.org 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 617
trum, scope, or prognosis of myopathy with normal creatine
kinase levels during statin therapy. For these reasons,
prescription of statins for eligible patients should continue
despite the current results. Moreover, before discontinuing
therapy, physicians should carefully evaluate any patient
receiving statins who reports muscle symptoms. In most
cases, the symptoms will be found not to be consistent
with chronic myopathy, and often they will not be related
temporally to statin treatment. High-risk patients in particular
should not be deprived of major cardiovascular risk
reduction just because they display symptoms not clearly
documented to be closely related to statin therapy.
Despite these comments, the actions of statin on muscle
metabolism and structure deserve further investigation
to clarify the confusing area of low-grade myopathy apparently
associated with statin use in a few patients.
Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, TX 75390-9052
Current Author Address: Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD, Center for
Human Nutrition and the Departments of Clinical Nutrition and Internal
Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Y3.206, Dallas, TX 75390-9052.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Honoraria (from Merck &
Co.; Pfizer, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Bayer); Grants (from Merck
& Co. and Pfizer, Inc.)
Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:617-618.
References
1. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment
of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;
285:2486-97.
2. Staffa JA, Chang J, Green L. Cerivastatin and reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis
. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:539-40.
3. Pasternak RC, Smith SC, Bairey-Merz CN, Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Lenfant
C. ACC/AHA/NHLBI clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins (1)
(2). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;40:567-72.
4. Phillips PS, Haas RH, Bannykh S, Hathaway S, Gray NL, Kimura BJ, et al.
Statin-associated myopathy with normal creatine kinase levels. The Scripps Mercy
Clinical Research Center. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:581-5.
© 2002 American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal
Medicine
Editorial Statins and Low-Grade Myopathy
618 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 www.annals.org

I was given Cipro 500mg twice daily for a UTI. After 4 days on the medication I developed severe joint and tendon pain. Every joint in my body was in pain! I have called the doctor and they had me stop taking the medication. I continue to have pain in my joints. By the end of the day, my knees are killing me! Will this ever go away. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow, I am so upset over this, I am in my mid-30's and am feeling like I am 80! I am a grade 1 teacher and have 3 young kids at home, I hope things will get better!

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

I recently had surgery to remove the endometriosis that was growing around my organs. What was supposed to be a laparascopy turned into major surgery because the endometriosis was larger than my uterus and it was wrapped around my bowel. My doctor has prescribed lupron, but after reading all of the side effects there is no way I will consider it. I am seeking alternatives, one being the use of progesterone to balance the estrogen levels. What I would recommend to anyone considering lupron is to seek another alternative. Check with a nutritionist, read information from other websites....research!!!

Don't give up. For me, it is getting better. I was given Levaquin 5 day dosepack for a recurrent URI and also after extreme fatigue following major surgery that just kicked my butt. In 24 hrs of taking the drug, I went from pure exhaustion to no sleep for 48 hrs straight. The severity of pain in my wrists, calves, feet and various other extra muscle pains (that were not there before taking Levaquin) was unbearable. It was over the weekend and I did continue taking the drug until Monday - finishing the dosepack that day. I was in the doc's office that very day and all they could say was "I've never known this drug to do that...." and of course my reply was to 'read the side effects in the PDR'. That was about 5 months ago and they have noted my file to no longer give me this class of antibiotic - even though this was the first time I was on Levaquin, I'm told there are other meds in it's family that I've taken for years with no problem (Bactrim?). Today, I still suffer from hand weakness & pain and bilateral feet pain. It is nowhere near the severity as the initial onset. Hang in there, take it ODAT & drink plenty of water & juices to flush your system.