Mate symptoms and conditions

I am a 52 year old female and my bad cholesterol is fine but my good cholesterol is low. I have been taking Lipitor now for a few years and have numb hands and feet to the elbows and knees. My feet are extremely sensitive, worse at night and now I'm getting sharp pains that feel like a bug just bit me. My tongue is also always numb and I do get migraines.I have insane stomach issues and food intolerance. I also take medication for high blood pressure, acid reflux, & thyroid. I have now been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes but control that with diet so far. Until four years ago I had nothing wrong with me. I am slim and healthy. I had a lump in my thyroid which was removed and there was a trace of cancer. Then like dominos all the other conditions lined up. I have had MRIs and all the tests and doctors insist that I am not a severe enough diabetic to have neuropathy. I can hardly wear shoes now and it hurts when I wear runners while I walk and exercise. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? I hate that my health has become so much a part of my daily life. Does anyone have neuropathy as a result of Lipitor and am I even taking the the right medication since I don't have high cholesterol?

I had Mirena inserted 3 weeks ago. Since then, I have a strange fluttering in the center of my chest and mild pain when I breathe. I also feel nervous at times when I'm resting. I am considering getting Mirena removed.

After many months on Zocor, I began to experience sore knees, stiff legs and sore lower back. All at once, in about a one week period, I could no longer walk. My leg muscles were completely gone. I have been for xrays, MRI and more. I am convinced it is the zocor and have quit taking it, however after almost a month without, I still cannot walk without support. My upper body is fine..Right leg better than left leg, left leg almost useless. No more statins for this 71 year old and used to be VERY active male. I hope I can get it all back.

All these stories touch home. I recently lost my metal strings. My mate said he hasn't felt them for a while now. Men I sware wouldn't it be nice if they told us these things. I have extreme pain in my ovaries for the last two weeks, the pain is so bad it makes me ill. My mood has been fine however I do tend to cry easily. So I guess I am emotional. I like a dumb arz threw away all the papers the doctor gave me after he inserted the iud. I just wanted to forget about it because it hurt so bad. I am tired a lot more, I started taking diet pills to boost my energy and even they don't work. I am breast feeding only at night now because it drains me so much. After reading all of your comments I want this thing out of me. I am totally freaking out about the iud being lost in my uterus. I hope i'm not pregnant and miscarrying. The pain I fel resembles a miscarriage. I was have symptoms of pregnancy early on when I first got it put in. I'm so tired of bleeding and the embarrassing odor. I thought it was an infection but was to embarrassed to see the doctor about it. I guess it's another side effect. So we are the gunie pigs for this New IUD. Great.....

I'm calling kaiser Monday to have it taken out hopefully it doesn't hurt to much. Over the counter meds won't help that area of the body if they do have to dig around to find it. I am positive it is not in my cervix because I checked.

Ugh.....

I am 71 years old, I have been taking 80mg of ZOCOR ( Simvastatin ) for the past 16 years. five months ago I started to hurt in my lower back, hips,Knees,thighs, for two months then it traveled to my shoulders, wrist, hands, fingers. the Dr. gave me a round of prednisone (one shot and 11 pills) the pain stopped and everything was wonderful for two weeks,the Dr. stated that I had avused my body in the years gone by now the pain has started back in my shoulders, wrist, hands the pain is very strong,and my legs are starting to get weak again, I am taking Naproxen 500 mg two times a day and also taking Hydrocodne10mg every four hours also have Oxycodone 10mg to take every four to six hours, I have mentioned the results that I have read about the Statins in this forum but the doctor, does not act like it has any significance. does anyone have any suggestions??? if so please let me know, this pain is killing me, if you have any info. please email me at. ******

I started Lupron in April of 2008. The year before this I worked HARD to lose 80 lbs. I finally got down to my goal weight because I was tld my endometriosis symptoms could be relieved if I wasn't overweight. I had a laparoscopy in March of 2008 confirming my diagnosis- Lupron was a last minute decision because of my age and status the doctor didn't want to do the hysterectomy right away. My endometriosis is spread throughout the body- including the lungs. While Lupron helped with the pain I was experiencing, it caused other pain. Pain that I can no longer even deal with. I became lethargic, depressed, and angry. My hair was falling out in large clumps. I didn't gain weight right away.. except a pound the first shot and three pounds hte second shot but I figured that was alright if it was only like 15 lbs total. I oculd deal with that. Here I am almost a year later. my last injection was in August. I gained a total of 47 pounds. I am a fat slob. I couldn't work out because my bones hurt so bad while taking the medication. No one around me knows what I went through physically. They al think that it was just some excuse to be a lazy fat cow but it truly HURT to move. Just simply walking from my bedroom door to my bed killed me. It hurt my ribs, my knees, my shins, my back. There were times when I couldn't even get out of my bed ebcause I just didn't have the energy. Then the depression started shortly after losing a large amount of hair. By now I am thinking about how ugly i've become on top of how fat I am. Nothing went right but my doctor pushed the shot. I figured hes the one with years of experience he couldn't possibly be this wrong. I trusted him. When I would go to him with complaints of my weight gain he would tell me to stop eating. The problem was... I wasn't eating. I was too sick to my stomach to bother. Then when I would get hungry i'd over eat. I bled a lot through the shots and I still had pain here and there but I was too afraid of what he'd put me on next if I complained. I started to forget simple things. My career was going down hill because they were sick of me not being 100% commited to my job any more. I cried all the time. I finally got sick of the weight gain while I was on my shots and I decided to work out regardless of how I felt and three times I passed out in the gym and was transported to the hospital where I had to listen to their advice on being overweight WHICH WASNT THE REASON I WAS PASSING OUT TO BEGIN WITH but no one wnats to hear what I have to say. Every one just assumed that I was this pig who never worked out in her life and over did it this time. What no one understood was that three months before the incident i was my average weight. I was tachycardic all the time- my normal resting heart rate while i was on my shots was 162. During a work out it would get up to 220!

Ive been off them since August and I haven't lost a single pound. I get up at 4am every day and work out. I park as far away as possible. I use the stairs instead of elevators. I eat healthy. I cut out extra sugars and stopped rewarding myself when I deserve it. I started these shots at 155lbs and today I am 215. Ive been on a strict monitored diet, diet pills and work out regimens and I am still 215. My knees kill me nad sound like velcro when I walk- ive even fallen a couple of times because they hurt that bad. My back still hurts and my neck still wont turn to the right completely because of a nerve that pinches or what have you in there that sends the sharp pain through my face when I move. I still have the depression but i think thats more because of my weight now than it is anything else.. and I finally ended up losing my job.

I recently saw my OB for a follow-up where he stuck me on yet another birth control. This one makes me vomit and gives me stomach cramps so Ive decided im done. I won't take another pill because its making me worse. Id rather have my uterus fall on the floor than pop another drug.

I have been on Simvastatin for several months. I am now experiencing low back pain, stiff neck on the right-hand side, fatigue feelings in back when standing, fatigue, dizziness and generally feeling "awful." My MD cut me back from 40mg daily to 40mg every other day, but I still continue to feel sick.
I read complaints from others on this site and want to share my symptoms. I have a 78% blockage in my right carotid artery and a 58% blockage in my left carotid artery. I am 72 years old but what else can I do to prevent a possible stroke should these blockages increase without the use of a statin drug????

NUMBNESS IN THE TIPS OF YOUR FINGERS AND TOES...thats what my mate gets, her breasts shrunk from a DD to a B, her skin went dry and cracked and she ended up having her blood circulating the wrong way! shes ok now though :) thank god :)

Hello All,
I am a 40 year old woman and I have had the mirena iud insert for at least 5 years. My doctor asked if I would like to try this iud because of the heavy bleeding. So..of course I told him yes I would like to try it(especially when I knew that I would not have to worry about taking the pill everyday). I asked the doctor right before he inserted this device if it would hurt. He said no, it would take less than 5 minutes to put it in. I heard a snap, and then the pain in my abdomen was so great, I thought I would fall against the wall on my way out. I almost pulled over on the highway on my way back home because the pain was so great. It felt like labor pains. I decided that my body just needed to adjust. I have experienced depression, the worst anxiety, severe cramps, some hair loss right above my forehead, crazy moodiness, weight gain constipation(I sit on the toilet for at least an hour.)headaches, unreasonable crying at least once a month, fogginess, gas, pain traveling from both sides of my uterus and around to both sides of my lower back. Some days I wanted to just die. I was so afraid to go to the doctor to remove it because of the experience getting it put in. Having intercourse was another issue. When I felt myself even getting in the mood, I would start cramping. I would ignore it because I didn't want to disappoint my mate. He would hit the threads of the iuc sometimes and he said it would hurt him. He somehow learned to maneuver some type of way to keep from sticking himself and after intercourse I would get the worst cramps. At times the pain was so severe, I would call off from work and sometimes had to leave work. My skin on my face looks terrible. I have always been complimented for my skin but now it looks a sight to me. I do get acne on my back from time to time and I experience breast soreness. One night this week, my cramps were so severe I didn't know how much more I could take. When I went to the bathroom to check it out, the blood was bright red and not like a period. More like something was torn. For the last couple of days the blood looks like a rusty brown color and it smells like metal. I am so afraid to have sex and I am still getting cramps. All I find myself doing is lying down because I am always tired. I am very afraid of this whole thing. It has been a total nightmare. I am glad I came across this website. I did not realize so many women are having some of the same problems that I am having with this device. I don't even want to be alone when they take it out. My mate says that he would be there with me if I want to get it removed but my anxiety is so great. I am terrified!! I can't believe I let all of this time go by thinking that my body would adjust to it. Thank you all for sharing your information. I am about to embark on the journey to have it removed. Wish me luck and I pray for all of you who have felt my pain. I would not recommend this device to anyone. I am glad that I have 3 daughters already so I don't have the worry about not being able to have children. Thank you all for your responses, it has given me(finally)the motivation(which I have not had)to get rid of this iuc.

Thought I would come online to check up about another possible side effect and caught a posting about male libido. I off Statins on 9th July this year after suffering all the pain related side effects mentioned on the site and in my previous posting in August. Last week my normal monthly cycle started up again after 8 months. I thought that I had gone through the change but with no side effects. Seems to me that Statins might also effect hormones, but as we all seem to be of a similar age groups, we blame the way our lives are effected on our age. I know that I thought that everyone who hit 50 experienced exactly the same fatigue, pain (arthritis - gout), weight gain, loss of drive etc. I have been off them for 13 weeks now and I haven't looked back. I really can't remember now just how bad I was feeling towards the end, but I know that I was very close to giving up I just didn't think that I could live feeling the way I did at the time and knowing that I was getting progressively worse. Now I am just very angry that people are having to go through what we have. I just wondered if any other women had their monthly cycle altered/ stopped whilst on this drug, only for it to return after coming off?

I had Mirena put in about a month ago. I am 44 and I smoke, so the traditional birth control methods are not safe for me. ( I can tell you, the pull out method only works for 13 years.....I now have a 3 year old daughter to go along with my 20 year old son and 16 year old daughter....LOL.) I researched Mirena and decided to give it a try. I have had bleeding since it was inserted but nothing I cannot deal with, I knew this would be a possibility going in. I do get headaches now, but have no idea whether they are caused by allergies or Mirena, since it is allergy season right now. What everyone reading these posts needs to remember is that if you had no side effects, you probably would not have visited this site after the Mirena insertion. So, it really is a one sided site, without the feedback from those who got Mirena, and have gone on carefree with their lives. I only came to this site to see if headaches were a side effect, since I have experienced several this month and that is not common for me. Anyway, I am glad I did not look here before the Mirena because I may have not gotten it .....I plan on being open minded and wait a few months to decide for myself.

Moderately high cholesterol and BP 150/90. Was put on Lipitor 20mg and after a week felt more fatigued than usual but nothing much more than this. Had stress test and angiogram which showed 60-70% block in one artery as well as arrhythmia. Cardiologist bumped Lipitor up to 80 mg which I took for 2 weeks. But by then I was suffering most of the effects described in these postings: aches and pains, giddiness, nausea, extreme weakness and fatigue. I took myself off Lipitor and even after one day my head started to clear aches started to diminish, though urine still a reddish color suggesting a lot more flushing out required. And, best of all, the arrhythmia reduced from moderate/severe to mild (which it always used to be before taking Lipitor). This drug is not for me. I'd rather take my chances without it and rely on strict diet, weight loss, etc. It is surprising that the possible side effects are so understated in the manufacturer's descriptions.

I have had my Mirena for 14 months. I am looking into having it removed. I have gained about 5-10lbs with it and I have 2 menses per month. I only have about 5-7 non period days each month. My sex drive is at a all time low. I went from a female who wanted to have sex everyday of the week... to 1-2 times per month.
I am always nasty with my mate of 7 years and short tempered with my children. I already had a problem with headaches and I am now having many migraines per week. I just want it out. My new insurance doesn't cover the removal and I may have to pay out of pocket, but I cant get in with my GYN until November. I did read all the side effects and I have them all. Aside from not worrying about getting pregnant... This thing is the worst and I do not recommend it to anyone.

IF YOU CAN TAKE A PILL EVERY DAY, DO IT

question that I have is that has there been any report for side effect sexual for either male or female? If so what was suggested?

Found this on a web site listed at the end.
Very scary!!! COQ10 is a must when taking any statin drugs your body needs it for your
muscles. Other statin drugs may be better.

Numerous adverse side effect reports have implicated Lipitor as a possible cause for severe neuromuscular degeneration. Some people who have been using Lipitor for two years or more report symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis or ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease - in which they are losing neuromuscular control of their bodies.

For instance, in an article entitled "Life After Lipitor" that appeared in the newspaper Tahoe World on January 27, 2004, Tahoe City (California) resident Doug Peterson began having serious neuromuscular problems after taking Lipitor for two years. He began losing muscular coordination and slurring words when he spoke. Then he lost balance, followed by loss of fine motor skills - he had difficulty writing. He went from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what could be happening. Finally one doctor suggested that he stop taking Lipitor, and the downward health spiral stopped and his health is now slowly improving.

These adverse effects have begun appearing in peer-reviewed medical journals, and numerous people have reported similar symptoms at public adverse effect reporting websites such as medications.com. People have reported "trouble swallowing, trouble talking and enunciating words, feeling fatigued all the time, neck aches," "motor neuropathy which mimics ALS," "Blinding headaches, nausea, vertigo, disorientation, memory loss, extremely dry eyes, pain and stiffness in my neck and calf muscles, abominal pain," and "Muscle pain, weakness, spasms, buzzing in right leg. Can't hold arms or head up in vertical position for 2 minutes without extreme pain and weakness."

How could Lipitor potentially cause this kind of harm to so many different parts of the body? Lipitor is a "statin" drug which inhibits the production of cholesterol in order to lower LDL cholesterol counts. By limiting the production of cholesterol, Lipitor may be indirectly causing membrane degeneration in neural and muscle tissue.

The problem is this: cholesterol is essential in your body for many functions. It forms part of what is called the cell membrane - the outer layer of every cell in your body. It helps transport and pack the major components of the cell membrane, called "phospholipids," that are made from essential fatty acids (EFAs). Without sufficient cholesterol we would die, because our tissues are constantly being repaired and replaced with new cells.

Our body produces several thousand milligrams of cholesterol per day to carry out these essential functions, and each day the excess of cholesterol is supposed to be naturally recycled. If your body doesn't have enough new cholesterol each day, you cannot repair and replace your cell membranes and they will eventually degenerate.

The continual recycling of cholesterol happens naturally when you have sufficient ascorbate, another name for vitamin C. Excess cholesterol is naturally converted to bile acid and then excreted. But if you don't consume enough vitamin C (about 2000-3000 milligrams per day for an adult), cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream. It is here that doctors make a critical error: instead of telling you to take more vitamin C, they prescribe Lipitor.
If Lipitor and other similar statin drugs are in fact indirectly causing neural and muscular degeneration, this is a very serious matter indeed.

There are twenty million people in the U.S. on Lipitor alone, and probably millions more on other statin drugs (Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, Altocor, Lescol, Crestor, etc.). Are they all going to become victims of cell membrane degeneration and nervous system problems? There are few long-term studies that bear out the safety of these drugs, and side effects such as "muscle pain or weakness" are just classified as a reason for some to stop the medication rather than an indication of something very wrong with the drug.

What is most horrifying about this problem is that cholesterol balance can be achieved without drugs, simply and safely by taking 2000-3000 milligrams of vitamin C per day for an adult. Unfortunately, vitamin C was misclassified as a micronutrient in the 1930s and 1940s, rather than an essential nutrient involved in dozens of body processes. Our health authorities recommend that we take only 60 milligrams per day, barely enough to prevent scurvy.

It is my hope that people on Lipitor and other statins learn that they do not need to take these potentially harmful drugs.

For more information about the connection between vitamin C and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, see the article Natural Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease, or visit the research website of Dr. M.
******

My doctor increased my Lipitor from 10 mg to 40 mg after my physical in January. My cholesterol was only 182 and my LDL was good. I am now being checked for rhabdomyolysis - a rare but serious complication from the muscle pain and weakness caused by the Lipitor. I never had these problems while taking 10 mg and I have no idea why he increased my dosage so much. I am miserable with neck, shoulder, and back pain and have been for a month. I thought I had hurt myself at the gym and have even been seeing a chiropractor for the pain. My urine is very dark, indicating possible kidney damage and I am so tired I can hardly make it through the day. My depression has worsened despite doubling the dose of my anti-depressant and I have no motivation to do anything. I am looking for an alternative to statin therapy, as I am a 38yo insulin-dependant diabetic and am at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Any suggestions out there on alternatives?

Hey ladies I am so glad I found this site I thought I was losing my mind! I just had a miscarriage and have been emotional anyway but I felt like I did not have a grip on myself. I had never felt this way before and was really starting to scare myself. I just didn't know how to explain what was going on with me. I started the NuvaRing December 12, 2007 and took it out on the 19th when I saw this site the first time and I feel better already. I can only image the things the rest of you have gone through but through your testimonies I saw myself heading down the same road. I am usually a fun loving, energetic, funny person. In the 7 days the ring was in I was becoming a mess.I was very withdrawn to the point that family and friends were starting to worry about me and everyone else noticed the change before I did.I was depressed before I put the ring in and it just intensified as the days went on. My mate and I were constantly getting into it and we usually are able to communicate very well. I have a friend also on NuvaRing and was wondering why she had been doing a lot of crying and seemed to be depressed. She even went to the point of seeking professional help thinking some thing was wrong with her. I immediately told her as well. Unfortunately she has been on it longer than me and wants an alternative before her nightmare of NuvaRing is over. I couldn't help it I had to take it out I don't like feeling like I have no control over myself. Condoms for right now will be my best friend and I have a peace of mind.

Where do I begin??? I have been taking Yaz for six months. Migraines! The worst migraines ever, I cannot function for one full day and sometimes more, the pain was so intolerable.

Hives! For the past two months, I keep thinking that I had a food allergy; even my doctor diagnosed it as that. After going to the allergist, I was told that I have developed an allergy to the Yasmin pill. No part of my body has been discriminated with this medication. Hives from the top of my head, in my eyes, right down to the bottom of my feet! This has been the worst experience of my life with this pill.

Fatigue to the extreme! I fall asleep sitting up and never feel rested. Yaz has caused me to go up two cup sizes so far, I went from being a 38C to a 40DD and I can't fit into anything. My boobs are sore a lot.

Weight gain, at least 20 pounds heavier. Nausea; Indigestion; Diarrhea & Constipation; Decreased Sex Drive; and Mood swings; Uncontrollable Rages; Severe body aches; Hot Flashes/Chills; Crying Spells; Blurred Vision; Lack of Concentration; Trouble sleeping; Dizziness; Shaking; Restlessness mainly after 9pm when I should be winding down to go to bed; Terrible night sweats; Never ending cravings for junk food; Inability to cope with stressful situations; Feeling of being inadequate; Can’t concentrate; Gassy; Hate family & partners; Irrational.