Naturopath doctor symptoms and conditions

I was on Lipitor for less than a week 2 years ago and the muscle pains were so bad that moving my head was painful. I called the doctor's office and was instructed to stop taking the medication; which I did and felt 'back to normal' within a few days. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since that time, or if I did before surgery, no one mentioned anything negative about it. However 6 weeks ago I had a heart attack. Apparently my cholesterol was twice what it should it have been, and my potassium was incredibly low. So I'm now on Lipitor (standard procedure after having a heart attack and high cholesterol seen as the cause of it) to ensure that another blockage does not occur.

The only problem is I'm now bloated even though I've changed my diet drastically (no more junk food or soft drinks, no 'white' flour products, no dairy products with more than 5% M.F and lots of veggies and fruits). I've lost 3 or 4 pounds but my pants are too tight around my waist, and now I have a my upper abdomen bulges over the waistline. Besides that, I get muscle 'kinks' in very places and after sitting for more than 10 minutes I limp when I take the first few steps.

People have told me to 'keep taking Lipitor and Plavix' but exercise more. The only problem with that is that I have a brain aneurysm and the neurosurgeons don't think it can be operated on 'without it being a very high risk procedure'. The first one ruptured 10 years ago and since then I've managed to control my blood pressure. However the meds I took for that was what lead to my potassium being so low that my electrolytes were imbalanced. That combination of low potassium and high cholesterol is what lead to the heart attack.

I'm 54 and feel as though I'm losing control of 'how' I feel. Between Lipitor, Plavix and diuretics and medication for hypertension I'm not sure if it's one drug in particular that's making me 'ache, limp and look like a blimp' or if it's because of the interaction of all of them. How do I decide 'what' to stop? What's more important to look after first - my heart or my brain?

Hi, I am still taking Prednisone. I have been trying to get off of it since September and am now down to 2.5 mg. a day. Yes, I agree with you it does NOT take massive quantities of Prednisone to do internal organ damage. I can no longer eat normally anymore since September 14th, 2007. (I can drink all the water I want, however) I am slowly starving to death, I think. IF I don't completely lose my brain functioning first?! If I eat anything like dairy or any carbs like pastas or breads of any kind or simple sugars, juices of any kind, or candies or cookies, crisps or the like, I go into massive withdrawals and brain fog!! Any holiday foods I must stay away from. I can no longer eat tomatoes or Mexican, Chinese, Italian, pies, ice cream, coffee, tea with sugar or milk, etc etc....The list of 'no no's are endless!! And this thing won't let me cheat! It knows if I eat the so-called 'wrong foods'. My Neuropathology doctor says I now have "Leaky Gut Syndrome"!! What the he** is THAT?!
I feel like my brain power is melting away to nothing and I am going through daily life in a haze. This is a very real and frightening feeling for me to experience!! I tried "jumping off" the 2.5 mg Prednisone on Tuesday the 11th and was in full horrible withdrawals by Thursday afternoon! I cannot even begin to tell you what horrible symptoms I experienced!! I had to reinstate the 2.5 and my Doctor said I just could. NOT 'COLD TURKEY what I had left, but must taper the final 2.5 over a period of the next several weeks!! I don't know whether I'll have a brain LEFT by that point or I may be a dithering, slobbering idiot by that time?! When I go to sleep and then wake up, I notice that I have MORE brain-fog than ever!!! Not to mention I have constant diarrhoea all day from drinking magnesium (Natural Calm) in the mornings to keep from pacing and being a nervous wreck?!
HELP ANYONE?! Am I ever going to get my brain back to normal?! And be able to eat normally again?!
Shaun

I also would like to encourage everyone with Prednisone issues. I met the creator of this site from postings and replies on medications.com. At the time I was researching Prednisone concerning dosage levels and how this drug effects all major organs. She done a fantastic job with assisting in this matter. This all came about after my father passed away after being prescribed a MASSIVE dose of this horrible drug.. It is my belief that it does not take massive dosages of Prednisone to cause organ damage. So please if you are suffering from any of the mile long list of side effects, check out 'Sirvovors of Prednisone' before it is too late.