Muscle fatigue symptoms and conditions

Glad to find that I'm not the only one!

I was on Yaz for a year and a half, but I just stopped taking it two and half weeks ago. I'm already starting to feel better. I had quite a few symptoms creep up while I was on it and I guess I just attributed them to other things until recently. The first couple months I was on Yaz, it seemed great. I didn't gain any weight, my periods were lighter, my moods seemed relatively stable. But then about nine months ago I started getting frequent heart palpitations and anxiety. My doctor saw me three or four times about it and couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. (It didn't even occur to me to ask if Yaz could possibly do that.) Around the same time, I started to get bad muscle fatigue and muscle cramps. My muscles felt sore and tired during the day for no reason. And sometimes at night I would wake up yelling because of sharp cramps in my calves. And over the last year, my moods became horrible. I lost my patience completely and became really weepy and depressed at other times. And my sex drive was totally gone. Then very recently, I started getting horrible completely debilitating headaches like I'd never had before.

But the thing that finally made me realize that Yaz might be effecting me this way, was that I actually felt BETTER right before my period, during the four days of the inactive pill. During these days - the days when most women feel moody and fatigued - I actually felt like my old self. I did a bit of research and quickly realized that Yaz is likely responsible for quite a few of the negative feelings I've had the last year and half.

I'll report back after I've been off of it for a couple months and I know it is completely out of my system.

I was prescribed this drug for HBP and have been taking it for 6 days. I've been checking my BP daily and it is now on the low side, averaging 100/60, sometimes lower. On day 2 I tried to take my dog for our normal walk and was so fatigued I could barely make it home. My legs were burning like never before! I thought that my body might just need a few days to get used to the medicine. However, I have become increasingly tired and the muscle fatigue is so bad I can't even blow dry my hair, or scramble eggs without my arms burning. I also have developed a slight cough. I took 1/2 pill today but think I will stop after feeling like this and reading all of these posts.

I have been on 10 MG of Lipitor for almost 3 years. Since I began taking it I have had recurring issues with an anxious feelings, my lower GI is constantly churning and I feel like I am stressed out. I have a low stress job, a stable happy family life and yet I feel nervous all the time. I sleep for 3-4 hours and then wake up and am unable to get back to sleep. I have been forced to take a nap ever day after lunch just to get through the day. Additionally, I developed tremors in my hands and was diagnosed with something called Benign Essential Tremor and put on another medication to control the shaking.

Yesterday I decided I had enough of this and went to see my cardiologist to discuss the symptoms. I stopped taking the Lipitor on my own 2 days before. The doctor told me that none of my symptoms were related to Lipitor! I replied that I was convinced that they were all in fact caused by this drug. He suggested I stop taking the statin for 2 weeks and see if the symptoms stop. I am now on day 4 without lipitor and am already feeling less anxious.

I went to the Nuerologist 2 weeks ago and got her to discontinue the anti-tremor medication. I am going to get all this crap out of my system and hopefully get my life back.

March 3, 2009
I returned to the doctor today to get a different antibiotic because Avelox made me worse off than the sinus infection I had. I stopped taking it about two weeks ago and still have side effects from the drug. My doctor had given it to me about two other times. The last time I recall was in November. I didn't finish taking my prescription then either.
I thought maybe I was having flu symptoms also, but it was the drug making me more ill. RASH, HIVES, RED HANDS, SWOLLEN TONGUE THRUSH, BUMPS ON MY TONGUE, TINGLING IN MY BACK, VOMITING,HEADACHES, PAIN IN MY STOMACH NOT LONG AFTER TAKING A DOSAGE. FREEZING HANDS, THROAT FEELS LIKE IT'S CLOSING UP AND DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING, COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED, MUSCLE FATIGUE, ACHES WEAKNESS, JOINTS HURT, TINGLING IN HANDS, ANXIETY,CRYING SPELLS, NIGHTMARES, SKIN SENSITIVITY, INSOMNIA, THEN EXTREME FATIGUE, DIZZINESS AND LIGHT HEADED UPON STANDING AND/OR GETTING UP FROM A SITTING OR SQUATING POSITION. EVERYTHING HURTS ALL THE TIME IN EVERY MUSCLE...... I BASICALLY FEEL LIKE I AM DYING.
My fiance thought I was totally losing my mind. I was moody, aggressive, irritable, depressed etc... I felt like like a different person.. My fiance of course got sick also and his doctor prescribed it to him. His side effects included muscle aches and pains and extreme fatigue and mood swings. I looked up some side effects when I was started taking it a few weeks ago, but didn't pursue the research until the side effects got worse. I took it for 7 days this time. My fiance took it for three days. I called him at work after seeing this website and told him to stop taking the medication immediately. I am still sick with a sinus infection, and a whole slew of other crap going on. I called the doctors office and went in right away to get a different medication. To no avail, when I went to my doctors office there was a rep from Avelox there. I said don't give that Avelox to anyone sarcastically. I then saw his tag on his shirt and his bag full of Avelox samples. He asked what type of symptoms I had and I told him.. He said he would report it to the company.... What do you think they will do about it? MOST LIKELY NOTHING. I am an educated person with the capability and time to research anything I need to and I will do my best to dig up the most dirt I possibly can about this horrible medication. They need to stop pushing these meds on doctors to give us and make us more ill than we were to begin with. I JUST HOPE MY AILMENTS AREN'T PERMANENT. People try to make light of the situation because they don't want to be sued. I think the FDA needs to be revamped and the Government should stop letting these pharmaceutical companies poison us. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING EITHER! DO NOT TAKE IT.
I have been going to my doctor for about fifteen years and she never gave me any medication that had made me this ill. I get samples a lot because I have no insurance. Sometimes she gives me scripts. Today I got Zithromax which always worked well for me in the past. Very little side effects. I realize that everyone reacts differently to certain meds, but come on now! It isn't just a coincidence that all of us commenting and complaining here are imagining these horrible side effects! Today I got Zithromax which always worked well for me in the past. (Very little side effects).Then why did I ever have to take Avelox if there are other antibiotics that will make me better not worse. They push these meds on doctors to give to us that's why! I always trusted and admired my doctor. She always treats me well and does right by me. What is going on with these medical companies?! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS!

I'm a 47 male and took Crestor for a year. I experienced muscle tremors, constant fatigue and muscle soreness. Not just a little sore but as if someone had hit me so hard as to leave a muscle bruise in both arms. One night my left arm and leg began to tremor and it was as if they were too heavy to move.

What I noticed was that all of my little aches and pains became severe aches.

I experienced blistering on my hands, a common side-effect of your liver rejecting the medication but my doctor didn't pickup on the symptom. Instead, he gave me a steroid-based topical cream that actually eliminated the blisters but they would return within weeks.

I experienced lapses in my memory and I started to forget words. I would forget the names of things and I found myself substituting the word 'thingy' when I could remember what something was called (like a phone).

I visited the hospital 4 times and my doctor countless time. Each time my doctor treated the current symptom and not the person as a whole.

It became too much to bare when I started having chest pains that felt like something was crushing my chest. At this point I started to do some research and found forums like this one.

During my time of the worse pain, I felt like I was actually dying. I started to get my effects in order and finalized my estate.

I stopped my Crestor about a year ago, after about 3-6 months my muscles began to feel better. After a year, I am finally starting to feel like my old self again (not that I was all that well before).

Statin affect people differently, but there is NO DOUBT that these drugs can have adverse effects on people. Listen to the commercial for Lipitor, "contact your doctor if you have muscle fatigue or weakness"......

Male 58 years old.

In September 2000 I had a heart attack and consequently underwent an angioplasty/stent procedure. Since then I have been taking 10mg of simvastatin daily.

During the last 12 months I noticed the following symptoms developing...Occasional dizziness... pain in thumb joints to the extent that I had trouble using cutlery...some pain in my right elbow joint...dry skin on my legs...tingling in fingertips and toes...headaches...tiredness...occasional general muscle fatigue for no apparent reason.

I am generally speaking quite active and have kept my weight to a reasonable level. I put some of these symptoms down to my age...... but then read peoples posts on this site.

Approx 2 months ago I stopped taking the statin tablets, ZOCOR, and have only been taking .75mg of dispersive aspirin daily along with a 1000mg vitamin C tablet dispersed in water.

Since doing this I have noticed that ALL symptoms have been gradually fading...I still have some slight discomfort in my thumb joints but hasten to add that its nothing compared to what it was only two months ago.

Have read elsewhere that a daily dose of vitamin C can help keep cholesterol levels down so am going to stick to this regime and have a blood test in about six months time to see how things are going.

OH MY GOSH! I thought I was crazy until I found this site. Ok, I had my Mirena inserted January of 2007, and IMMEDIATELY experienced joint pain, pain in my hands and feet, and it's 22 months later.. the pain NEVER went away. I thought because I was a very hardcore athlete when I was younger, that this was par for the course, that I will be getting arthritis. I'm 34 years old. Crazy to say arthritis at 34? I think so. Well, I have been researching my symptoms for months and months online and gone to a few different doctors over this. My symptoms include chronic fatigue, headaches (on a good week 4 days out of the week), joint pain in my hands and feet, sensations in my hands and feet that feel like they are swollen (but they aren't), upper and lower back pain, heart palpitations, leg cramps, hair loss, ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL, muscle fatigue, and I've gained 40 lbs since I had it put in... OUCH. NONE of this (except for headaches and some depression) was experienced before the Mirena. Funny, I never linked it to the Mirena. I've had my thyroid checked, been diagnosed with carpal tunnel (lol what about my feet? Good doc!) had blood sugar checked (nope, not diabetes!), well, now I'm on to getting checked for fibromyalgia. Kinda wondering though, if there is a link to fibromyalgia and Mirena, like it could induce it? Sounds like so many of you have the same symptoms, and many have thought the same things... fibro, diabetes, lupus, ms, hell, I even though lyme disease at one point. This is ridiculous... I'm having it out this week.

I am a 65 year old female taking 20mlg of lipitor for almost 10 years. All of a sudden I started having severe pain, shaking and weakness in the calf muscle. The pain is unbearable. Doctors after doctors including a cardiologist, rhoumatologist and internist don't know the reason. I have stopped lipitor for 3 days. I cry and pray to god to help me everyday. I cannot exercise which is my passion for many years. I am hoping the lipitor is the reason and not something else. I have to wait and see. But I suspect it is.
SR
I do have nausea, depression and low back pain and arthritis and frequent headaches.

I took prednisone for 6 days ( the pack). Six the first day and five the next till day six I had one pill left. I have never experienced hair loss like this. I have a patch of hair that fell out in a circle the size of a 50 cent piece. I didn't notice it really falling out but noticed a bald spot and I freak out. I came on line to get info about this medication. This drug was ordered for me because I have severe pain in my back due to osteoarthritis, sciatica and back surgery. I was told taking this would help with the inflammation and might relieve some of the pain symptoms. Well, I think the pain would be better then the side effects that I suffer. I had loss of appetite and acne on my face. I feel dizzy and bloated. I pee all the time and seems like i visit the bathroom much more often for other reasons too. I have felt like a crazy lady and have less patience than normal. I hope that this does not last for ever. This is a small amount of the medication. I am sorry for those of you that have experienced a long period of time on this medication. I pray for you that they will find another alternative with less effects to your bodys.

Was previously on Micardis HCT; dr. switched to generic Lisinopril HCTZ 12.5 in 11/07 when I went on Medicare & was concerned about cost of Micardis. Since that time I've put on 10 lbs. and had increased pain/muscle fatigue and general lethargy. Unusual, as I've exercised 4-5 days per wk. (incl. aerobics/strength trng/flexibility.) for 20+ yrs. Also, frequently, have problems swallowing pills due to feeling of obstruction in esaphogus tube. In July '08 I awakened to slight numbness/tingling in lips and my lips then proceeded to the swell to the point of pain and my lips (in profile) protruded further than my nose. I received steroid injection and prescription for steroid pack. Diagnosis was possible allergic reaction to new cosmetic product. Today (9/3/08) I woke up with the same symptoms and again had to go to the dr.for a steroid injection & meds. Diagnosis this time (different dr.) was possible side effects of "blood pressure meds." Has anyone else experienced edema of the lips, wt. gain, and problems swallowing?

I have been on lipitor about 4 yrs. I am a runner and keep tract of my times. I have been losing about 4% of my speed each year and have recently had a large amount of muscle fatigue. Today a ran a 940 pace and thought I was not going to make it home. Three years ago my average pace was 805. Could the 20mg dosage be causing this problem?

Hi all,

I had originally posted on 6/29/08, 6 days after having my Mirena removed. I had it for 15 months.

It is now two weeks later. I want to re-iterate that my fatigue is totally gone. My acne has totally gone away. I've not had one bout of dizziness and my appetite has subsided tremendously. The bloating has significantly decreased. The numbness I had in one of my feet has not returned at all. My insomnia has decreased. Eight hours of sleep feels refreshing and enough! I am not exhausted, nor do I have unexplained muscle fatigue just doing simple tasks like folding laundry! I have not had any PMS'y mood swings as I had noted before, which were totally unpredictable on Mirena. (BTW, I was not a moody PMS'r prior!!) I also had a slight case of sinusitis during the last month I had Mirena and never attributed it to it, but perhaps it was now that I've read more of the posts!

I have as yet to go to the lab and get the "thyroid test" the doctor ordered due to the symptoms I reported the day I had it removed, because I am absolutely convinced that Mirena was the cause. I will have it done regardless just to be on the safe side.... but I waited on purpose so my body could get somewhat back to normal.....

I could always "feel" MIrena inside of me when I would lean over to tie my shoes, sometimes during exercise... etc.... and it is so nice to know that thing isn't in me anymore, and I can lean over without fear of poking a hole in my own uterus inadvertently!

So.... I'm still VERY glad I had it removed. I'm feeling more my normal "self" every day. I know it will take my body a while to get back on it's routine but if it took a while for my body to feel that crappy I assume it will take a while to get back on track!!

PS - to those women who said it hurt having the Mirena placed.... I had a hard time with it as well. The removal did hurt, but not as bad as having it placed. The removal is a faster process than placement. I would suggest asking your doctor for a little pain medicine or to take something prior to your appointment to have it removed if you have a low tolerance for pain.

Last year i changed from working retail to an outside field tech job, it involves no or little physical labor, recently i had to do one day on a dirt site outside and the next day in the desert at 113 degrees. i drank 11 bottles of 16oz h2o but still ended up in the er. so far it seems after reading the other comments, that though the lisinopril does lower my bp, it also causes depletion of electrolytes in high heat areas if you are not acclimated to it. I also now know why i have constant throat problems, coughing and clearing of my throat after meals, and my muscle fatigue...

My doctor took me off metopolol (genericToprol), and my last dosage was a week ago. I suffered weight gain, tiredness, and muscle fatigue during my 18 months on the drug.

I have 2 questions - how long will the drug remain in my system, and has anyone who experienced weight gain while on Toprol or the generic, lost any weight after stopping it?

Thanks, Tony

Wow! So glad and sad to find other sufferers. I wish our doctors would listen to us and take us seriously! Why are they stuck on forcing Synthroid on us? At this point, I think I'd rather not take any Synthroid. I stumbled upon this site while looking for something I might take to counteract the effects of Synthroid. I had to halve my 112 mg pills because of the side effects: frequents headaches, bloating, weight gain, irritability and anxiety, dry mucus membranes (eyes, nose, throat, etc.), allergies, muscle fatigue, achy joints. Of course, my doctor is slowly upping the dosage again, because my TSH is chronically high, but I feel like sh*t, physically and mentally. I used to feel so much more normal and like myself before I was diagnosed and "forced" to take Synthroid.

I was on Prednisone for 8 days because of a sinus headache that wouldn't go away. I was also put on amoxicillin for a possible sinus headache. I started on 60 mg for 2 days and than 40mg for 2 days , 20 mg for days and last 10mg for 2 days. The first day I took my headache became 10 times worse and I considered going to the ER. The second day I was suffering from muscle fatigue in my legs and my thighs burned. It also triggered my sciatica pain and pelvic pain caused by ovarian cysts and ovarian tumor. I believe it was the bloating that put more pressure on the sciatica and the cysts that caused the pain. It took a couple of weeks for the sciatica pain to subside, never really got rid of the pelvic pain. I am never ever taking Prednisone again, it has way too many side effects. Also, I think it caused a yeast infection.

This is a total nightmare and i need advice! I was on Lamictal for a year and about six months into my health began to slowly deteriorate. It started with shortness of breath and heart palpitations and eventually attacked every system of my body. My symptoms are muscle pain, spasms and knots to the point that i can't turn my neck sometimes, joint pain (mostly knees), stabbing floating pain everywhere, headaches, frightening tingling in my extremities and a few times my entire body, sore throat, flu-like feelings, stomach cramps, bloating and heartburn. The list goes on. I have been off of it now for two weeks. My psychiatrist has never seen this type of reaction before and is not convinced it is the Lamictal. I have been to every single type of doctor and the ER twice, had extensive lab work, CT scan and two MRIs. I have been off Lamictal now for two weeks and am not feeling much relief. I am so scared and frustrated and please need advice. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it ever go away? I feel like I am literally living a nightmare with no-one to turn to for advice because no-one seems to know ANYTHING!!!!

I just started 80 mg of Prednisone for Vasculitis in my kidney’s. I also have RA. This treatment is being augmented with low dose chemotherapy. The Chemo is nothing compared with the side effects of the Prednisone. It is Horrible. It has so messed with my brain I never knew what an awful existence obsessive compulsives live. I can’t sit still and stop doing things if there is anything left undone! I have trouble with controlling my emotions, responses etc. Thinking isn’t easy either. And I’m awake most of the night. (Not a bad thing since we just were blessed with twins however). But it is really straining my relationship with my 6 year old son who can’t understand why his Dad goes from nice dad to mad dad in a second. I’ve also have horrid muscle fatigue in my legs. For me this is the worst because getting up and moving and walking up stairs is almost impossible. And I was hiking up to 5 miles in rough terrain just a few weeks ago. I’ve actually LOST 10 lbs.

So I am wondering if anyone has any tips, tricks or ideas they have found to combat the muscle fatigue? It would be greatly appreciated if you could share any ideas you have. I’ve been drinking water and electrolyte replacements, (G-2, the new Gatorade) but that has not solved the problem.

Thanks.

Thank you Ladies! I was up in the middle of the night last night researching YAZ because I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I woke up shaky, heart racing, sweating. It just wouldn't go away. Almost got my daughter and husband up to take me to ER. Then I read all the entries in this blog and was convinced it was the BCP. I got into see a doc in the am. She wasn't my normal doctor, so all I wanted was an overall check. She did EKG, blood and just an overall check -Normal. However, I did have a high pulse. That fluctuates throughout the day anyway, but again it was fast even at rest into the next day. I asked her if YAZ was the cause for this and she said probably not because I was only on it for 1 week. I had switched from being on OrthoTriCyclen. I switched because of depression, long periods, bloating, cramping... I might as well had been on no BCP than OTC. The strange thing was I had been on OTC for 5 years prior to having my first child (3 years ago) and loved it! Which makes me think your body chemistry is always changing. Anyway, my first week on Yaz was MISERABLE! I had constipation, dry mouth, exessive urnation, deydrated eventhough drinking 8 glasses of H2O a day, shaky muscles, muscle fatigue, muscle cramping, low libido, sweating, hot at night, loss of appetite, feeling cloudy in the head- like I hadn't slept for a couple of days, but not tired and then finally the heart issue. I went off of it and I slept like a champ last night. I think I still must have some residual hormones in my body but am convinced it will go away in the next week or so. I wanted to mention at the doc's office when I asked her about the potassium increase that could happen with YAZ, she had no idea that was a side effect. So, she wanted to find out more and had a little book, like a mini phone book, full of all the drugs and their side effects. She got to the page and was astounded by the number of side effects for a BCP. It took up a whole page of the book. She told me she had not seen so many side effects for a BCP ever! I got my potassium checked and it turned out fine. But, if you do have muscle issues go get that checked, b/c potassium is a big component to muscle health. What is odd is sister is on YASMIN and loves it! as well as many of her friends. She told me I would have really sore breasts the first couple of months, but that was about it.

i have endometriosis, as well. i tried doing the vitamin thing for a couple of months but my peroids didn't get any easier, so i gave-in and went on BCPills. i was on loestrin which worked great for the 1st 3 months but then stopped working and i gained 8-10 pounds of water weight. i took a month off and went on yasmin and LOVED it! for the 1st 4 months, it was a dream come true - i lost the water weight, had TONS of energy. well, when i started working out again, around month 4 - i was fine doing cardio but as soon as i'd add weights to the routine, i would be hit with TOTAL exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc.. i thought i was coming down w/ the flu or a cold and would take some time off...only to try again and have the same effect. this went on ALL summer - then i found out it might be YASMIN!!! apparently the increased levels of potassium in the blood can mess w/ the acidity in the blood and make the muscles hurt. my OBGYN refuses to accept it could be the pill (suggested i get tested for fibromyalgia, depression, etc.). i'm off of the pill now for a week and am still REALLY muscle-achey (sorta feels like the flu). does anyone else have this? does anyone have experience w/ how long it takes this crap to get out of the body? i just started at the gym this morning, only adding cardio for awhile... i am so frustrated!! i'm getting married in 8 months and want to be buff for the wedding but keep getting sidetracked w/ exhaustion. *UGH* can't wait to get yasmin behind me.

I am a 41 year old woman. I was prescribed Omnicef 3 days ago. I have had severe gas and acid reflux type pain, muscle fatigue, fear, anxiety and lack of concentration. I have not experienced diarrhea or constipation. Nothing over the counter works to minimize the pain caused by this med.

My son, now 10, was on this med quite freqently when he was a little one. After reading the postings about other children, it explains a lot to me about why I was up all night, his attitude changes, etc..

I am sure that there are plenty of people who are not afftected by this med and would laugh at us, for me, I am going to have it put in my charts not to prescribe it ever again.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in April of this year (2007) kind of by accident through a routine checkup. I had gained a bit of weight over the past two years, but that was really my only symptom. I was begun on 75 mcg of a generic brand of Synthroid, levothyroxine. Since I began this medication, I have rapidly gained another 15 pounds despite a 1,000 calorie per day diet. I retain fluid horribly. My ankles, wrists, hands and face swell daily. My muscles ache, especially my legs, upon walking across a room. I'm fatigued, short of breath. My LDL cholesterol level has skyrocketed in only three months and now I'm being told I need to be on a statin drug. I cry frequently and feel uncharacteristically anxious and irritable, but this could be due to the frustration I am experiencing with the loss of my sense of well-being. In essence, I felt much better before being placed on the medication. I may, in fact, discontinue the medication totally and see if over time I begin to feel better. Like so many other stories I'm hearing, my doctor seems totally unconcerned.

I am a 46 yo woman. I have been on Lipitor 10mg for 2 years. I have a 3 yr old & 15 yr old daughters, & work full time. I have always been very active. I have been fatigued for the last year. Find it hard to function, muscle fatigue,memory loss, no energy. I've started wondering if it due to the Lipitor. I thought it was just age.

I'm so glad I found this site! I took ZOCOR for 2 weeks. In that time I experienced severe muscle fatigue in my arms, back, and neck. My jaws even hurt while chewing food. I also experienced blurred vision, tingling feet & hands. I have been off the ZOCOR for 1 week, but honestly the symptoms have not really gotten better. In fact, I would almost say they have gotten worse. I was put on a ZOCOR due to a slightly elevated cholesterol level, & family history of cholesterol/heart problems. However, I would much rather have the elevated level than these unbearable symptoms. I am 37 years old and felt fine before the medication, but now feel like a 60 year old. I am exhausted ALL the time, and simple tasks tire me out.

My husband and I were prescribed this med for sinus infections. He still has his infection. Extreme muscle fatigue that comes and goes along with a burning sensation in the neck has been a common side effect for us. It almost feels like you cannot hold your head up. This same sensation was felt in our legs as well. We were not informed by our doctor that you should not take antacids while using this product!