Muscle atrophy symptoms and conditions

I had a Kenalog injection in May. I was on vacation in Vegas and had bad allergies and ear pain due to my allergies. I went to an urgent care center and they injected the shot in my right butt cheek. I noticed an indention in that spot today and never would have linked it to the injection. I did online searches and put it together. I called the urgent care center and spoke with a nurse who told me that muscle atrophy at the injection site is a side affect and yes it can take several months to show up. In my case exactly 5 months to the day. The doctor called me back. I asked why he did not tell me about the side effects. His response was that only 1% of people get this kind of side effect. I highly doubt that this is accurate considering I can google it and find many people with the same reaction. I asked if it will go away and he said it may never go away. I am 27 and in shape. I am interested in pursuing this legally if it does not go away. It is pretty upsetting.

I am so glad that I am not the only one who has experienced this - not that I want others to experience it, but you know what I mean, it is nice to have some answers!!! I went in to get an allergy shot for my horrible allergies about eight months ago - I have had one done previously a couple years ago, with no problems, and this second one seemed fine too. My allergies are so much better, i can breathe and am not sneezing constantly, etc. However, about a month ago, I noticed this small indentation in my left buttock cheek - I wondered what on earth it could be (cellulite, weight gain/loss from going to the gym I started going to, who knew?) It got bigger and hasn't gone away over these past few weeks, instead getting larger and my skin becoming ever whiter than I already am and the area is sensitive. I had no idea what it was until I stumbled onto this site - I now realize that indentation is the same spot where I received my allergy shot eight months ago!!! I checked my online medical record and sure enough, Tricyclamide Kenalog injection! NOBODY told me that this indentation/muscle atrophy at the injection site was a possible side effect! They warned me about allergic reactions, drug interactions, buildup of steroids in the system, etc, but absolutely nothing about this awful indentation - it is sensitive and unattractive and I really, really hope it goes away or at least shrinks. Not that I am super vain, but it's not all that cute to have a big "hole" in your cheek, especially when that was one of my body areas I actually felt okay about. Just be forewarned allergy sufferers - just because you haven't had a reaction the first time you get the shot, it could happen the second or third or fortieth time. I wish someone had said something about this, so at least I would have been able to make a more educated decision and choose whether to suffer through a few months of allergies or a lifetime butt indentation!

I have to comment..... look at how many entries there are showing side effects.. so many people have the same symptoms. does this not open the eyes of others to accept that it can be a real problem to some people, admittedly not all, but it obviously doesn't agree with all of us. I could not believe my ears the other week when the local GP said that it's rare there are side effects, then 4 hours later a DR. in a hospital emergency department stated that statin drugs are very common for muscle problems, in particular one named brand (need I say more??) Couldn't wipe the smile off my face after hearing someone finally admitting it..
Come on professional people, start listening and accepting that people do know their own bodies and can see and feel so many vast changes in their day to day activities. Maybe guide people to a better understanding of diet and lifestyle before dishing out meds. so quickly. Give us some credit......some of us exercise regularly, we want to live healthy too and all this has done is put a stop to that luxury.
I have to add, I posted earlier this month, I AM getting much better each day, clearer thinking, vast improvement in mobility, so please stay positive and take care of yourselves, obviously we all need a little patience, hard to do after some long term suffering i know, we want overnight fixes just to feel normal again.. :-)

I am 46 years old. I first started taking Levothyrox 11 years ago during a pregnancy. Now I currently take 200 a day. I have been suffering chest pains. I also suffer bone pain. My hair has not grown in nearly 3 years. I am borderline diabetic and each day when I take the drug, I immediately sleep due to the immediate sugar elevation I feel.

Six months ago my femur broke. It seems due to a Vitamin D deficiency. Now I discover that a few of the nasty side effects that no one ever told me about is Vitamin D Deficiency and also Osteoporosis. Due to the strict bed rest that I have been on from my fractured femur, located near my pelvic, I have suffered muscle atrophy. I am too weak to even stand. So for 6 months now I have not even been able to leave my bed.

Now the only solution I feel in order to possibly save my life is to immediately discontinue the use of Levothyrox. My boyfriend is a little concerned for me doing this but I see no other way. Any feedback appreciated. Thank you.

Hello-

I took Yasmin for a 1.5 years. I am now 2 years post Yasmin. In hind-sight, had I known what I would live through both while taking Yasmin as well as the 2 years following, I would never have taken it in the first place.

I am going to summarize some of those side effects below:

For the first 1.25 years, it seemed like I was living in an dream. I was that spaced out all the time. No affect, if you will. I felt like a zombie.

Exhaustion/Fatigue:
I became lethargic all the time. Previously, being very athletic, I had no energy at all. A walk made me yearn for a nap. 2 years post Yasmin, I am still trying to recover and bring back all the muscle tone I lost. Reading through alot of possible side effects, ataxia (muscle atrophy/loss) was one of them I suspect could be linked to becoming dehydrated.

Painful plugged eardrums:
Every morning after i would take Yasmin, my ears would have this "popping sensation" much like what it feels like when you are on an airplane and the pressure changes. Over time, my ears became quite painful like I had alot of pressure built up in them. I later learned from a Hearing Doctor that it could well have been the potassium sparing diuretic as the inner ears are composed of potassium/sodium and the diuretic could offset its balance. This doctor also told me that in their field they have known forever that artificial/synthetic hormones are toxic to the inner ears. No other doctor I saw coming off of Yasmin knew this...

Melasma:
I developed brown spots on my forehead, beneath my eyebrows and on both cheeks within starting Yasmin in the first month.

Constant Urination:
I urinated every 15 minutes for 1.5 years straight that I was on Yasmin. Learned later about the potassium sparing diuretic in it a little too late. My blood tests showed I was dehydrated and was deficient in Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. Both 2 common deficiencies seen with artificial/synthetic hormone use.

Chest Pain:
1.25 years into taking Yasmin, at the onset of menses, I developed this pressure in my chest and sharp stabbing pains. The next month, again at the onset of menses, the pressure occurred again, this time spreading across my chest. I went to see a Doctor at that point who discounted that Yasmin could be involved at all. (Not sure why a member of the medical community would say that given I have since read a number of articles that suggest that Yasmin and Yaz both run a higher risk for clots/pulmonary embolisms then other birth control pills). Regardless, I had a chest x-ray to ensure my heart was not enlarged and had an EKG which just showed an abnormally slow heartbeat-Sinus Bradycardia. It was recommended at that time that I have a ECG (echo-cardiogram). Tests start at $5000 each and I did not have coverage for this kind of test.

I went off of Yasmin now, almost 2 years ago. Going off I spent the last 2 years getting sick every month at the onset of menses with severe bronchitis, chest pain that still occurs at menses (I have since learned can also be brought on by low levels of oestrogen and progersterone at menses) and gained 30 lbs.

Blood tests showed I was depleted of Vitamin D, B and Folic Acid, dehydrated and also had elevated potassium (a possible risk with Yasmin's potassium sparing diuretic.

I would encourage everyone to google anti-mineralocortoid (diasperonone) and anti-androgenic effects (Spironolactone)

These are both acting ingredients in Yasmin.

This has been the toughest couple of years in my lifetime. Initially it seemed like a great pill. My skin cleared up, I lost weight and my periods were only 3 days long. On that note, it took a whole year and half for my periods to go back to 5 days from 3 days long so again, doctors telling me that Yasmin would not and could not be affecting my body after stopping, just went to show it took that long for my own body to start re-producing its own natural hormones.

Through all of this, I have met amazing women and other survivors who have offered enormous support. I would suggest to any of you that find your way here to trust yourself and your body first and foremost to what anyone else may discount or try and remedy with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. There are a host of amazing authors out there as well who enlightened me enormously on the role of hormones in our bodies, and ultimately, their balance to our overall health and immune function:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hotze. They both have websites and books which are wonderful. I would also suggest googling Yasmin Survivors online, which will take you to another resource/forum of women who are sharing side effects and healing and survival techniques coming off of Yasmin. The site is: ******

I had surgery in August, 2006 for Endometriosis, and a Lupron injection 2 wks later. That one injection changed my life. Even though it was a year and a half ago, I'm still feeling the effects. Which is what brought me to this site -- I'm searching for an answer.

These were/are my symptoms:

-- I experienced immediate and increasing hot flashes that lasted for nearly 6 mos.

-- Extreme fatigue and the "activativation" of Epstein Barr Virus. I started sleeping 18-20 hrs/day and lost my career job because of it.

-- Cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, loss of concentration, etc.

-- Blurred vision (and I have otherwise perfect vision!)

-- To date, I have gained 40 lbs that will not budge no matter what my diet!

-- I have severe muscle weakness and burning (such as if I go up a
flight of stairs). Muscle atrophy and stiffness.

-- My joints (hips, knees, feet) hurt and I have a lot of back pain.

-- I have TMJ quite badly and it causes my arms to go numb.

Last year my doctor ordered a hair analysis for heavy metal poisoning -- and my levels were off the charts. I've read that Lupron is suspended in thimerosol, or mercury, and that raises a host of issues that I'd like to research, if anyone has info on that.

Today, I am doing much better in terms of being out of bed and active, but I am unable to lose the weight, despite an organic, all natural, gluten/dairy/sugar/corn/soy/caffeine/etc. free diet! My belly is always bloated and big.

I am really active, but I tire easily and still haven't been able to get over that "hump", as it were, and really exert myself. Before my surgery and the Lupron and the EBV, I was an avid dancer. It is my passion and I can hardly do it at all now. I cannot swim a full lap in a pool without my leg muscles burning.

I have read of some people having good experiences with Lupron, but I have read far more horrifying ones. Part of me doesn't want to accept that Lupron is the cause of what I'm experiencing...could it really be that simple? And part of me is happy to shed the burden of guilt that "I must just not be trying hard enough" in exchange for an outside cause. I guess research and knowledge is the best medicine in this case. =}

I can't really say I have anything new to report. I had been taking Lovastatin for maybe a couple of years, first 20 mgs, then 40. I don't remember having any problem with that. Then about 4 months ago my Dr. switched me to Zocor, 80 mgs because my cholesterol was 240. First I started having numbness in my feet and legs, cramps in my feet and Charlie horses at night in my legs. I mentioned it to my Dr. but he just seemed to feel it's part of the aging process and not to worry. Then my knee started hurting so bad I couldn't bend it and could hardly get up and down the stairs. I went in and they said I had arthritis and gave me Nabumetone and Vicodin which I didn't want to take because of the side effects. I finally gave in because the pain was getting worse. I was supposed to take two pills bit I only took one and I only took the Vicodin if I just couldn't stand it any longer. I took the drug for about 3 weeks and I wasn't getting any better. In fact my other leg started hurting, and my elbow and two or three times my lower jaw felt numb and I thought, Oh my God, I'm having a stroke. Anyway by some miracle I found this web site and see that many others are suffering the same symptoms that I'm having. What is wrong with the doctors? I am trusting my Dr. with my life. I'm sure he's heard similar complaints before about these drugs, but he acts like it's no big deal. I told him I don't want to take this anymore and he said well sometimes people do get some muscle pain but you can take a over the counter medication, not sure of the name, CO-2, something like that.
I'm wondering what's happened to the Dr's integrity? Why do they keep pushing these drugs when they know they are harmful? I guess I have to look for another Dr. My Dr. is with Kaiser. I guess they all pedal the same poison. So sad that we are controlled by the drug companies for profit. They are killing us. Look what happened with the HRT drugs. Meanwhile I'm afraid to quit this drug cold turkey since I was on such a high dose so I'm cutting the pills in half, 40 mgs, and then in about 2 weeks I will go to 20 and hopefully by then I will have selected something natural and safe. I am 67 years old. Before this I was active and I used to walk my dog a mile everyday. I can no longer do that. Right now my leg hurts so bad I don't want to take another pill but I'm scared if I quit cold turkey something terrible will happen. It's a holiday...

I have read and heard, first hand, dozens of stories about Lipitor. It is clear why, too. When you cut off lipoproteins (commonly called "cholesterol"), you cut off the supply of essential fatty acids (EFAs) to the cell membranes of nerve cells, which use these EFAs for neurotransmission. Eventually the nerve cells degenerate and die, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of muscle control.

Typical: muscle pain, muscle weakness, swallowing problems, muscle cramps, numbness, spasms, muscle atrophy.

Cure for side effects? CoQ 10 helped me it could help you to. I don't think the private mail on this site works. You can contact me: seekers999@hotmaildotcom if you're a real person you know what to do with the"dot"... "." But nobody needs me, do the research yourself! checkout coq-10 and how lipitor and other statin drugs deplete your body of it causing muscle atrophy. (see my previous post for link)
I don't recommend websites or charge (even though I'm on social security disability w/kids and financially challanged ;-) I;m just trying to help people get better by pointing them in the right direction.

I was crippled up on crutches! Worst pain in my life! Couldn't even get to the bathroom 15' away WITH THE CRUTCHES!! If felt like muscle was tearing with each step, within a week the pain was gone!! The mental fog was gone also and I quit taking the Prozac, but this might have been also due to the Acetyl-L Carnititne.(500mg 3X a day)

I just know that stopping the lipitor didn't stop the pain and confusion!

God Bless all as they try and work their way through these terrible side effects! Remember I had to increase the coq 10 to 900mg a day before I saw benefits on the 3rd day.... There is hope! I hope it works for you!

Hi there... I have just found this site and I'm very grateful to everyone who has taken the time to sit down and tell us their story mine is very similar. BELIEAVE me I feel like I am pushing my family away and I'm losing my relationship with the one person who used to make me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
I'm a 40 yr female have or maybe had a great job that I loved... On April 12 I noticed a small red rash on my lower right leg no big deal went to the Dr. gave me some cream and sent me home well I went to work and by the afternoon things just seem to get bad my legs began to swell and little blisters started to pop up so I went to the E.R. they had no Idea what was wrong with me got me an appointment to see a skin DR. so I went home but the pain from the swelling was so bad I could not walk any longer went back to the E.R. they gave me some pain meds and called in some other DR. things had gone from bad to worse my feet had gotten to big I could not put on shoes and I had bruised completely across the bottoms of my feet they put me on 30mg of PRED. and it seem to be under control sent me home after 3 day in the hospital things were good for about a day or so I thought I would go back to work well that was not a very good idea.... My sister had to come and take me back to the ER where they did 2 biopsies and still have no idea what is wrong with me. so now they put me on 60mg of PRED the rash has gone, lots of scaring on my feet because of the blisters once they broke and dried out but I can live with that....
It's the side effects that they don’t tell you about,
MOON FACE I can't look at myself cause really that’s not me anymore,
WEIGHT GAIN I have always been thick but I can't handle the extra 30lbs I've gained,
MOOD SWINGS are unbearable,
PAINFUL JOINTS, CAMEL HUMP, BLOODY NOSE, BRUSING, SORE TEETH/GUMS, DRY EYES, FAITIGE, and worsted of all
I don’t have a support systems in my life so I'm fighting this by myself everyday, I have 3 kids that I have tried to explain all this to but they don't get it and well my boyfriend he tells me he understands that its the meds pushing him away but if I can't figure away to control this I will lose every thing including my job. I cant even get the energy together half the time to make it up and down the stairs which also comes with the pain of just trying to lift each leg up to climb the stairs, I also have the camel hump which I find very painful, The acne and the hair growth that I have to get wax off once a month cause I feel like a man I feel like a loser and as of the last couple of days I just want to give up I am now down to 20mg per day but I find that I am feeling so sick I cant think straight I hope and pray for each and every person out there that has to take this MED that you get better and I do hope that my symptoms wont come back. Thanks for being here and I’m glad I found this site. I know now that I’m not losing my mind completely. Elizabeth.

muscle atrophy, discoloration, erhythema

I have experienced 13 years of hell with Levothyroxine, which is pure sodium. Everything in the body from skin to internal organs are affected by shrinkage and shortening of muscle. My horror complaint - leg cramps, massive thoracic jerking and therefore no sleep. think of salt cod or an Egyptian mummy.

First, do not deal with a GP. Thyroid is very tricky and only an endocrinologist should be consulted.

Second, get tested at a Nuclear Medicine Department in your hospital. You may be making enough thyroxin. Partial organs DO compensate.

Third, sodium binds with blood serum. Blood enters muscles. Muscles CAN store sodium. My case.

If you can get away without taking thyroid meds you may find withdrawal unbelievably difficult. In a withdrawal situation, a larger amount is released into the blood stream. You will find your muscles steely rigid and unbendable. You may be pulled over.

You will need huge willpower and support. My withdrawal is now in its 8th month.

I use acupuncture by Chinese medicine methodology, resistance exercise several times a day. Get yourself rubber resistance bands and put hooks in your basement walls and ceiling. Pilates is excellent. Magnesium tablets high strength. 1000 mg is allowable but I've done twice that. Some diarrhea but basically one is too dried out for there to be a problem. From a good herbal store, get probiotics 30 million a day, Udo's Oil (Canadian), eat almonds - several hanmdfuls a day - I hate it but Lorazepam had to be used as a muscle relaxant for 6 weeks at the worst stage. Never discontinue these abruptly. Detox drops after a visit to a QUALIFIED Naturopath. First, Unda Numbers to detox liver and kidneys, then thyroid and lungs. Very effective but you may only tolerate shortish stints- 10 days. me anyway.

Eventually, the muscles feel caged but bulging. Then they start undulating dramatically and free up. But so far I've had to endure 6 of these session at about once a week. After which even more toxic stuff pours out. But it WILL end.

I am 63. I resent losing wellness for so long and it took a friend to tell me about a relative with leg cramps to get the connection. By the way, it was the naturopath that identified the cause NOT a doctor. Allopathy (Western medicine) believes all drugs leave you with tissue renewal every 4 months. But Chinese medicine, massage therapists, naturopaths, injury rehab (they use theraball) and reputable spas don't.

All of you are young. I hope I have helped in some way. All of you who ache, I think it is the tightening of the muscles. it is like enforced arthritis. Number 2911, I hope you read this. Your little son sounds just like my beginnings of my dreadful journey.

A good friend of mine (82) was recently rushed to the hospital because he woke up and could not get out of bed. After a week,he is now in rehab using a walker and going through leg exercises to build back his leg strength. The doctors are suspecting the Lipitor he has been taking (10 mg 2 times a week for about 3 years.) to be the cause of the muscle "atrophy". After reading these stories on this web site I am shocked to hear about all the problems Lipitor has seemingly caused people. I tried Lipitor for about 6 months, and had leg cramps in the tops of my legs (where they meet the body) and the Dr. promptly took me off of it and now I'm on Zocor, with no apparent side effects-but I'm reading up more on that.

Now in reading about Rhabdomyolysis (a severe side effect with muscle breakdown and kidney failure), I'm asking the doctors to check for that as my friend has had some symptoms-weight gain, weakness and now not being able to walk. You know, these men don't complain about aches and pains and many may be walking around with a time bomb going off inside them with these symptoms.

If anyone has experienced something similar, I'd love to hear from you, especially how long the recovery of muscle use can be.
Thank you.

I had horrible allergies and was taking five different strong medicines when I went to my GP miserable. She gave me a shot of Kenalog and I felt better in the next week... the pollen from Pecan trees also was passing... Now three months after I have a three inch ?scar and muscle atrophy that lets me push my finger into my buttocks several inches. I have lost weight and feel tired. I wish I would have known what I was being given and the possible side effects. I am now taking allergy shots and will never take Kenalog again.

the more i read.. the more depressed i get over the use of kenalog. Although it does help take out some of the mystery. I had a kenalog shot just a few weeks ago-- my second one this year. I have developed a big dent in my upper right hip... it's discolored and it hurts extremely bad. My vision has been blurry all year long... i even went back to my eye doctor -- and had another lasik eye treatment. yet i'm still seeing blurry. i've had fever -- chills... insomnia... irritability.. neck pain-- and severe pain in my right leg. i have cut back my workouts and thought my mystery illness and lack of workouts just meant.. a fat pocket. my doctor told me otherwise.. he is sending me to an orthopedic.. and said it's muscle atrophy but made no mention of the kenalog drug.. which the nurse told me on my way out. someone else wrote "moon face"-- not sure what thats but i feel everything has changed. And-- oh.. i have had many bouts of nausea and dizziness. Is there any recourse? does insurance cover any of that. ? someone please write me back.. how long will this last in my body and will this dent go away?