Nurse practitioner symptoms and conditions

I got my Mirena o June 18th, 2009. It is now November 17th and I have an appointment to have it removed this Friday. It started with unexplained hives and rashes constantly. The bottom of my feet, my palms, my knees, upper arms, throat and stomach. I was on constant high doses of Prednisone and anytime I started lowering my doses, the hives returned. I went to the ER three times for swelling and hives so bad I could barely see and could barely breathe. seemingly caused by NSAIDS, which I had never had a problem with before.Next was severe lower abdominal pain accompanied by groin pain so bad I could barely walk. Friends said it sounded like cysts, but, when I had an internal ultrasound done, nothing was found. After that I had severe breast pain and swelling. The final straw was the constant all over muscle aches and joint pain in my knees. I feel like I am 100 years old! I am tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get. I went to a dermatologist and I mentioned the Mirena, as I had to my OB, his response was "middle age". I thought I at first has Lupus, but, the rash did not fit that description. I changed detergents, blamed it on a foster dog, anything I could think of. Finally after reading so many posts and finally finding a connection with the rashes and hives, it can be nothing other than the Mirena. I even noticed that this device had the second most posts on this site. I can not wait to have the Mirena removed.

Someone help! I've had my Mirena IUD for almost five months now and at first I thought it was wonderful but lately I'm thinking I've changed my mind. Every few days I'll get these lower back aches which feel like pre-contractions, and I get this horrible pain on my right side between the bottom of my ribs and my hip (more towards my hip). This is debilitating pain, where I have to put my son down and either sit or lay down. I have an appointment this week with my doctor but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this. Occasionally I'll bleed during/after sex. Also, I started working out again and after a three mile walk (pushing the stroller) I came home and was bleeding pretty bad, then about ten minutes later the pain on my side started again and my lower back pain started up. I don't know whats going on and my nurse practitioner acted like it was NBD..... its a big deal to me and I'm freaking out about it.... anyone???

My daughter had switched from the birth control pill Low-Ogestrel-28 after about 2 1/2 years (no side effects at all then a little spotting mid cycle) so she saw her primary care and the dr. told her that her body had become used to that paticular pill and switched her to Yasmin. The first month was ok and then in the 2nd month I noticed a big change in her attitude..she became very short tempered during the entire month and then when she was on the placebo pills (the days prior to her period) she really became a crazy angry woman. When on the other bc the week prior found her more sensitive and crying...such a total flip in her nature.
Then on the 3rd month the vomiting began...nothing major at first - random maybe once a week and always in the morning...after juice or soymilk. So you explain it away by saying that it's first thing in the morning and theres more acid on your stomach or she was hungry when she went to bed and it's from that. She began having headaches around this time also..Ok so she stopped having anything but water with her English muffin first thing in the morning and things evened out with the stomach thing - for a little while. She was incredibly tired and had a weird sore throat - killer sore throat - never had strep before (she's 20 years old...) she got an appt. to see a N.P. in the dr. office and she asked me to go...while we were there I asked not only the medical assistant but the N.P. (nurse practitioner) about the law commercials that I had seen regarding Yasmin..they blew it off as just a bunch of ambulance chasers wanting money and that it was safe and effective. They were adamant about it. Ok I dropped it..after examination the NP told my daughter that her lymph nodes were enlarged and she had A. strep B. Mono C.all of the above. Tests ruled out Strep but we had a winner on Mono. While she had the week off from work I noticed depression along with the headaches and also the stomach problems came back. Always in the morning, but it became every morning now..we thought she was hungry and she would eat and feel fine and then about 5 minutes after finishing her breakfast with only a small amt. of water to go along with it she'd have a period where for the next 15 -30 minutes she'd either throw up (and once doing this would feel fine) or it would work itself out and she'd be fine. It had gotton to the point I don't know who dreaded the morning more her or me. We are now in the 4th month of Yasmin and this began to happen every single morning and then toward the end of the month it would start being random at nightime..no vomiting but feeling sick - like it had begun in the beginning with the morning stuff. It came to head the other day- Saturday October 10th 2009. We had gone on a overnight trip to see her grandparents and we had to leave early in the morning (4 am) so she took the pill after having a little something to eat (no liquids) by 2:30 that afternoon she all of a sudden felt like she was going to get sick..and boy did she - violently sick - then again at 6:30 - violently ill- projectile and again at 8:30. I got on the computer and started researching Yasmin....and it all came together. I told her no more pill...she is in a serious relationship and was using Yasmin not only for the terrible painful periods that she was having but for protection so we needed to take that into account...she was safe and she is now off that pill. She did not take one Sunday (11th) or Monday (12th) and I cannot tell you how much better she is. This was someone who had lived with a constant stomach ache for over 4 weeks...we could outfit a pharmacy with all the otc meds I have bought - pepto, rolaids, gaviscon, maalox, YOU Name it we have it in regards to stomach distress..and nothing really helped. A burp and feel better for a little while but it was always there..that low lying ache in the tummy. She spoke with a friend that works for a doctor on Sunday and told her about the Yasmin and the woman couldn't believe that she had been prescribed that..she told her to get off it immediately (she already had) and that the dr. that she works for will not prescribe Yasmin or yaz to any of his patients. My daughter's personality is back. She is laughing and happy and a totally different girl. Headaches are gone and most importantly NO stomach pain at all. Completely gone. She can eat and drink and no problems what-so-ever. She looked at me and said "I can't believe I lived like that for so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to feel good - like me". She is calling a Ob/Gyn practice this morning and hopefully will be seen by someone today. What a nightmare. My heart goes out to those of you that have posted and have had much worse things besides what my daughter has gone thru. The FDA needs to do something about this !! What can we do to get this information to them? DO NOT TAKE OR LET YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS TAKE YASMIN OR YAZ - IT IS HARMFUL.

I had the Mirena for about 6 months now. I do not really have any of the side effects that people have been complaining about on here and I consider myself lucky! My best friends gma is a nurse practitioner and she said the Mirena can make you have a lot of the same symptoms that pregnancy make you have. My biggest issue during pregnancy and now is I seem to get upset/angry or cry a lot easier than before pregnancy. I have also had SOME head-hair loss, but that was also a huge issue during my pregnancy. One of my friends had the Mirena and it made her really sick like most of the others on here. She also had a HORRIBLE pregnancy, so I dunno, maybe the thing about the same symptoms as pregnancy has some truth.

I was prescribed 750 mg Levaquin for 7 days for a bacterial skin infection that I got under my breasts from inverse psoriasis. I took one pill and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was up all night long with feelings of dread and like I was on a bad acid trip. The next day, I was so exhausted, I could barely even lift my head off the pillow and literally slept all day. The day after that I was going through withdrawal-like symptoms and my husband finally took me to the ER. The nurse practitioner there told me she NEVER prescribes Levaquin because she sees so many patients coming into the ER who are experiencing horrible side effects. I quit taking it obviously but am still feeling shaky and weak. Also, today, both of my feet started feeling like they were asleep with the pins and needles feeling. Also, I have TMJ and my jaw is aching as well. All of this for a little skin infection that the doctor didn't even examine. He just got the results of the cultures back but didn't actually see the infection to determine if it actually needed something so strong. I am taking Keflex now which isn't near as bad and is helping just fine. The difference is the cost. I'm sure the doc got a huge kickback for prescribing the higher-cost Levaquin. I will not be seeing him again. All doctors are interested in is prescribing drugs. They don't ever try a natural means of healing which I do not understand. I am so frustrated...I hope this crap gets out of my system soon!!!

I would like to make a general statement about Paxil. The indications are so broad spectrum that I believe this medication deserves an award for, in many cases, effectively treating a plethora of conditions. It is known and purported to treat anxiety, depression, phobias, panic, and other forms of common psychological maladies. Those interested in Paxil and the benefits that it can bring into one's life should seriously discuss this option with a medical practitioner. Medical doctors aren't the only ones who can prescribe this medication; in several states (or possibly all states), you can get a Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant to prescribe it. Clearly you must always consult a licensed medical practitioner before considering any prescribed drug. I'm not a doctor, but I believe that discussing one's mental health with a medical practitioner is one of the smartest choices one can make in life (if you think you have a mental health condition). Go see a doctor or practitioner to get checked out, if you think it's appropriate.

I got this thing put in just over a week ago (4/16/09). I wasn't thrilled with the idea in the first place, but I can't take the pill and my husband is sick of condoms. I don't want any more kids (I have 3) but I'm not ready for him or me to get "fixed". Anyway. The nurse practitioner was the one putting it in and she told me if there were any problems she wasn't doing it, she'd wait until one of the gyns was in the office. I had a LEAP ten years ago and she thought it would be fine since I'd had two kids after that, but she said sometimes there was scar tissue from the LEAP and it could be difficult to insert the Mirena. The NP was having trouble getting the big q-tip thing through but the nurse assisting her opened the Mirena package so the NP said she'd try one more time and SHOVED the thing through. OUCH!!!!! Then she put the Mirena in which was extremely painful. I was told I might have a "little" cramping. Yeah, right. For the next three days it felt like I was having contractions on my left side. It was awful. Since then I've had headaches every day. I had a migraine a few days ago and I haven't had one of those in ten years. The headaches are horrible tension headaches that won't go away when I take something for them. I'm still bleeding, but just enough to need to wear something. Has anyone with the Mirena had headaches that have gone away or do they continue until this thing comes out?

Hi,
I have posted here before, and now I'm wondering about you who have gone off the ring after using it a few years, how your body has reacted to the stopping of Nuvaring? Has anything changed?
I was using it for about 2 years and now I have been off it for about 3 weeks (first 1 regular week off and then I just didn't start a new ring). I haven't had my period again after going off it (just during that regular 1 week off), so I'm not sure how my body will work now that I have stopped using Nuvaring after about 2 years of using it. For those who have gone off it after a few years, how has your body reacted?
Thank you!

I have had Mirena since 2/05. I have gained 20+ lbs, am moody, exhausted ALL the time, depressed, disliking my husband, and just not myself. I have had excessive lower abdominal cramping, to the point where it feels like contractions. Chest pain is another treat I have been enjoying. I did not want to believe that Mirena is causing all these symptoms, but the coincidences are too many to be coincidental. By the way I am a nurse practitioner. I have been blaming my schedule and endometriosis for my problems, I am having the IUD removed Tuesday.

I had my Mirena put in on 12/23/08. That was just a little over one month ago. Thus far, I have had almost constant bleeding, or spotting, almost every day since I got it put in. That is expected, so I've been told, so I'm not too concerned. However, last week, my first real "period" started. Since then, I've had headaches, have been crabby and completely fatigued. I could sleep forever. I'm not sure if these problems are going to subside. Most of the postings on here have had the Mirena for over a year. Can anyone recommend how long I should give this thing a chance before getting it removed? There is no way I can live life this crabby and tired.

I've recently had a staph infection on my right knee, and my regular dr. was closed so I decided to go to a nurse practitioner. She decided to give me samples of Avelox and actually had me take one of them in the office. Little did I know I was about to experience hell on earth!! After taking the first dose, I began to get extremely dizzy and disoriented but I slept well the first night. I thought I just felt bad from the staph infection and figured I would take another dose of the Avelox. Big mistake!!!! After that second dose I started having uncontrollable anxiety, depression, extreme confusion, and even became paranoid that I had some type of serious illness. I couldn't eat or function well at all and I have 3 small children to care for. When I tried to sleep I felt like I was passing out rather than falling asleep. I saw weird images in front of my eyes and jumped out of bed at 2:30 am panic-stricken. I found this site and saw what so many others have been through and was convinced it was the Avelox. But I've been off of it for 2 days and I still feel out of it, unable to think clearly, and have an odd detached feeling. I'm hoping this is not permanent damage. I just want to feel like my old self again! And I agree with so many others- Avelox should be taken off the market!! It is a horrible drug!!!!!

The nurse practitioner i go to see for Worker's Compensation gave me this medicine to see if it will work on my bulging disks, severe compression, arthritis, and degenerative disk disease, to reduce any inflammation I have. I took 3 pills at once at lunch on the day I started and I couldn't get rid of the taste for hours! Then later I noticed a flushed feeling, which is supposed to be normal. I then started to get really annoyed with my 3 year old son. I stopped taking the meds that night and started taking them in the morning. I again felt flushed and easily angered by either my wife or my son. My problem is this: Either take this medication as prescribed, go through the bad side effects or take my chances with the steroid shots and hope I don't develop worse back problems? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My son who is just 17 has been on the drug for just a week and the very first day he was on it he experienced severe back pain. He was not able to stand up. It got worse, he felt as though he had to eat continuously or he would vomit, the more he ate the more nauseous he became. This is not somatic, because he had no idea that I had added a new medication to his regimen. He has ADD and a mild mood disorder. I have stopped the medication and will notify the doctor tomorrow. He was only on the medication for 4 days. I am a nurse practitioner and this medication is not worth the multitude of severe side effects for the diagnosis of mood stabilization.

I am so happy to have found this site, I only wish I would have researched prior to having Mirena inserted. I have had The Mirena IUD for nearly three years. I thoroughly enjoyed having decreased flow and some months not having a period at all. However now I realize its probably one of the worst decisions I ever made. Only recently have I come realize that my fatigue, inability to concentrate, loss of memory, lack of interest in anything including sex, weight gain, constant yeast and bacterial infections were most likely due to the IUD and not due to anything that I was doing wrong. I have had bouts with depression and have been on meds for that, however it seemed like I was a basket case, over anxious and often times a nervous wreck. There were days recently where I was lethargic, lacked motivation to do anything. Then I'd have a good day, a day where I felt energized and thought, well maybe it was just the gloomy weather. Now I have come to realize it had to be the IUD. That is the only thing that makes sense. I made an appointment and got the IUD removed yesterday and already I can tell a difference in the way I feel. I woke up this morning feeling well rested for the first time in three years. I am looking forward to getting back to the "old me" rather than just a shell of of person that lacked motivation to do anything. I wish I would have investigated further and not listened to my Nurse Practitioner all these years that told me over and over that my symptoms were not the cause of the IUD.

As many here many recognize, I had tremendous problems after taking Levaquin. This included: distal bicep tendon rupture, a full range of psychological symptoms, extreme and long lasting fatigue, etc. Even after going through this ordeal and still dealing with the fallout almost 2 yrs. later I am once again in disbelief at the medical community. My 18 yr. old daughter just visited a nurse practitioner and came home with a prescription for Levaquin. This alone was enough to make me angry but the fact that it was prescribed for a cold sore (no, I'm not kidding) is just beyond belief! And we wonder why we have the problems we do. Trust no one!

I just had Mirena inserted on Oct. 21, only three days ago. The pain wasn't to bad, just very crampy. I had to concentrate on making sure I wasn't holding my breath due to the discomfort. It otherwise went well, quick. Mine was inserted by a nurse practitioner. She wanted me to come in and have it inserted during my time of the month. She said it goes in much more smoothing that way for a couple of reasons, moisture acts as a lubricant, and during our cycles, our cervix dilates slightly. I was at the beginning of my period when I went to have it put it. Just spotting waiting for the gates to break loose. I still am just a little heavier than a spot, my period has yet to come full force, cramping like it wants too though. The past two days, I have had the worst mood swings. Feels very similar to the baby blues. I am hoping this is just my body adjusting to the hormones and it will subside as I had postpartum depression after my daughter was born (4yr). After my son (6mos) I was ok, just baby blues for a couple weeks and I was back to my old self. With my history though, it scares me, I don't want to experience that feeling again. I have been getting very angry over little things the past couple days as well. Almost uncontrollable. I came home and found that our cat had got in our blinds and broke a slat (I guess that is what I can call it) I was so mad, I kicked her and she slid across the kitchen floor. I felt so horrible and guilty after. That is so not like me. I would just ordinarily scold her and forget about it. I am worried that it is going to get worse. Ever since I have had Mirena placed, I have noticed these changes and it seems to be increasing each day. Like I said, I have a 6 mos baby and my husband is deployed. The last thing I would want is a Dr to dismiss my side effects. I already have a stressful life situation right now, if this makes it harder for me and my family, it is going to have to go.

I've had the Mirena out for over a week now and what an improvement! My body has stopped hurting and I have my energy back! My mind seems to be getting clearer and I do not feel so depressed. My husband has noticed the change as well. My hair has been coming out too, hopefully that will cease in time. Never thought it could be the Mirena, but after several blood tests for everything, I feel the Mirena ruined my life for the last 6 months. I've had it since Feb 08. Ladies, go with your gut on this one!!! I am so thankful to have found this site. Now I know I am definitely NOT crazy! Don't wait if you do not have to. I could not wait for an appointment with my gyno, so I had the nurse practitioner take it out. She got me in quick! So again, go with your gut and get it out if it is not for you! You will feel better!

As of last night, I was so excited about my choice to use Mirena. The informational piece of art they gave me sounded wonderful. No period. No Cramps. No babies for 5 years at MY CHOICE. As a 19 year old woman, having the ability to decide when I'M READY and not become a statistic, I was SOLD.
Well, I had Mirena inserted this morning! It was the worst pain I have ever felt. I have never given birth, so they alerted me that they were going to give me 4 shots to numb my cervix... first the nurse practitioner who promised me she would be doing the procedure.. DIDN'T. She let the " doctor" do it. Who i had assumed would be knowledgable and would have years of experience. Not kidding here ladies, she sat there and said " did I do it right?" " did I give her enough numbing medication?" " should I cut the strings more?" I was ASTONISHED. but when your laying on the table, feet in the air and your cervix dilated, you just want the whole thing to be over.. but I sarcastically said " have you ever done this before" and i got " of course, I'm so sorry it was more painful than we had described." I wanted to burst into tears. I got extremely hot and felt dizzy, I told the nurse, and she started to fan me down. Afterwards I sat up, and saw the surgical tools, I wanted to vomit. Once they left the room, I stood up and blood just gushed. As they told me to come in on my period at my heaviest peak of flow, it was just 3x worse.
Apparently I didn't do enough research, I read all of these ladies opinions and concerns and I'm starting to question if it's the best choice for me. My aunt, and cousin had them NO PROBLEMS. And my soon to be mother- in - had hers surgically removed in the 70's for perforating her uterus. I figured it was new technology and Mirena would be better.
And now I'm just worried sick. 20 lbs in months... I'm 5'4 and weigh 107 pounds, 20 lbs would be OBESITY. Acne? Hair Loss, dry itchy scalp?? A FOREIGN OBJECT GETTING LOST INSIDE MY BODY?
The thing is, my OBGYN cant even take in appointments when I have an emergency UTI, yeast infection or need to make my annual pap.. but they " squeezed me in" for the following day to insert something that is causing so much pain for other women. I asked the valid questions, I did my research by reading allllll of the information. I asked about weight, they said it wouldn't affect me. Acne- they said " if it does cause acne, use this topical" and prescribed me cream. I asked about the expulsion, and they said " it never happens, we do this all day, everyday. We highly recommend it, we use it ourselves and have no problems" I also asked about discomfort that it would cause for my fiance... " he wont feel a thaaang, don't worry about it sweetie, those strings will wear down as your body's natural acids break them down, they'll become soft and he wont notice it unless you tell him." I'm just wondering, If some many women have these problems over the last several years, why isn't anything being done, and why is it so silent. Problems with Mirena seemed impossible to the doctors, in fact when I asked the doctor about acne, she seemed shocked and said " well, I have had some acne on my back, but I dont believe it's cause by Mirena" almost as if she hadn't done any research herself.
Well, this site has officially freaked me out. I don't need any more acne than I already have. Nor do i need to have any problems in my relationship.
The only thing I have noticed so far, besides the MAJOR pain during placement, is mild to heavy cramps throughout the day, which I have used 2 Vicodins to ease. I felt tingliness in my feet and ankles, but wasn't sure if it could have been caused by other random things. I've always had SOME joint pain, and I believe it's too early to see any new changes. I will keep posting.
*Also, have any of you women that have had problems been smokers" I occasionally smoke and wonder if this could cause any EXTRA problems?

Hi, ladies. I have been on and off birth control for nearly 8 yrs now. I am 26. I started when i was 17 d/t very heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps. I've been on several different kinds. I just started Yasmin (actually the generic) 3 days ago and have decided to come off of it already. After reading some of your comments I have def decided I'm going to take a break from the pills. I have experienced severe depression and anxiety within the past two days and my heart racing really rapidly. I have mitral valve prolapse and was surprised my nurse practitioner prescribed this for me. I have also been very sleepy. Not sure if this is one of the side effects or not. But please be careful to all of you out there when choosing birth controls. I've decided to take my chances w/ the cramps and just suck it up. No medicine is worth causing your body harm. I don't recommend Yaz or Yasmin to anyone!

I have only been taking Yasmin for a week. I am a healthy 35 year old woman and had not taken the pill in over 7 years. It is so OBVIOUS and striking that only after a week I feel terribly depressed and anxious. During the weekend, my heart was racing, I was crying and depressed for no reason. My "status" on facebook said "I feel lonely" until my friend asked me if I was taking any meds and all of a sudden everything was clear. It is so clear that the cause of this severe malaise is Yasmin. Yasmin caused me to be severely depressed and anxious in only a week of taking it. I will stop it immediately. I am also very upset at the nurse practitioner because I specifically requested she choose a pill that wouldn't cause depression! urg!!!

I had mirena inserted today and I feel awful. The pain was worse then labor, and I had drug free labor and births. My husband literally had to carry from the car to the house. I wish I would have found this site before today. Do any of you know if I can have it removed as soon as tomorrow? After reading all the horrible experiences, I am to paranoid to keep it in. Thanks for any input.

I took biaxin for 10 days in early June for a sinus infection. The side effects I noticed at the time were the yucky taste in my mouth and extreme fatigue. However, I also lost my sense of smell. It's been almost two months, and now I can smell some things, like ground coffee or ammonia, but not the more subtle scents, like flowers, light cologne, etc. At the time I was taking the drug, I discovered I couldn't smell vinegar; now I can smell it faintly. I visited my nurse practitioner yesterday, and she thought it might be a residual effect of the biaxin, but didn't find anything about loss of smell as a side effect. She advised me to wait one more month, and if the sense of smell hasn't returned by then she'll refer me to an ENT specialist. I'm just wondering if anybody else has noticed a loss or change in their sense of smell. (Smell and taste are closely related, so it's logical that it could be a result of the biaxin, since I experienced the yucky taste that so many people complain about.)

I've been using NuvaRing for over a year. It's very convenient, but I have continued to experience extreme breast tenderness (this is much reduced during the week of my period after I remove the ring). When I get up to go to the bathroom at night (when I'm not wearing a bra), I actually hold my breasts up with my hands because they hurt from the movement of walking around. The nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood told me she'd never heard anyone mention this symptom and it was probably not related to the ring, so I ignored it for a long time. However, after finally doing some online research, I'm switching back to the pill.

I am writing for my 14 year old daughter who was put on YAZ, not for birth control as she is not sexually active but for her mood disorder, which I believe is just being a teenager in general...but her therapist told her that it would help her moods, acne and that it even would help her loose weight! cant stand doctors at this point, have no faith in the system at all. I should have had her read this site because..... since day 2, severe stomach pains, throws up every day. shortness for breath ~ pains in her back and shoulder and down her arm like a heart attack. nose bleeds, headaches and OMG moods ~ cant even express the mood that she has been in for 3 weeks. so last week I take her to the doctor ~ of course a nurse practitioner sees her instead of the doctor that is not in. and asks my 14 year old if she would like prilosec or pepsid or zantac? asks a 14 year old and then offers her naperson and tells her that she should try these along with the YAZ. when I questioned the rational of keeping her on this drug she became defensive and said we should try it out for a couple of months. I allowed her to try this way for 2 days and then said nope no more pills. Just came home from the doctors office where they immediately took blood and is sending her for a sonogram to see if she has any cysts in her ovaries. I am just disgusted with the medical doctors who push pills and pharmaceuticals who don't give a damn but to make money. Will keep my eyes out for the lawsuits now. For camp refund for all the days she has missed for taking this horrible drug. hopefully she will not have any long term problems. will always think of this pill if she does.

My doctor started me on Lipitor over a year ago. I started having muscle pain in my shoulders but didn't equate it to the meds until I was watching television one day and a Lipitor commercial came on. It said that some people experience muscle pain.....I thought HALLELUEH THAT'S WHAT IT IS.....I stopped talking the meds and went to see my doctor who immediately changed my meds to Zocor.....guess what? The same thing happened. Went to see her again and she switched to Crestor.....same thing happened....so I started doing my own research and was amazed at what I learned and bewildered as to why my doctor was acting like I was some whining baby.

No problem, I say to myself and stopped the meds. That was last November, in January I had my yearly physical and blood tests were ordered for me in December......guess what.....my triglycerides were still high so my doctor orders Antara. It didn't say "cor" anything so I'm thinking it's not the same stuff. No, it wasn't the same stuff it was WORSE!! Within three weeks I was crying I was in so much pain. I called her and got her nurse practitioner who says that my doctor said to stop taking the pills and the pain will go away. I call back and say, "you don't understand, I can't sleep, I can't move, I can't function the pain is so bad." After several calls back and forth, and let me tell you I NEVER call my doctor unless something is incredibly wrong and that is less than rarely. Well, my doctors partner tells the nurse practioner that they will not prescribe narcotics for me. WHAT? Who asked for narcotics? I needed relief from this pain.....I would have gone for amputation!!!

So I change docs...more blood work.....high triglycerides, I refuse to take any statins. She says she has something for me that will not cause muscle pain and hands me samples of Welchol.....this one took less than a week for increased muscle pain...again I wanted to trust, but guess what i learned when I went to the Welchol site? The first side effect listed? Muscle pain.

Called the new doctors office to let them know that I was experiencing pain again and was told to stop the Welchol (which I had already done) and take Red Yeast Rice and have bloodwork done in 3 to 6 months and come back to see her. Oh no! Not without research and guess what? A side effect of Red Yeast Rice? Muscle pain.

It has been 4 months since I stopped taking the Antara and took Welchol for a week in that 4 months. Sometimes my shoulders/neck and arms don't hurt too much. Unfortunately most times they do. Both doctors insist that the pain cannot be from the drugs because the drugs have left my body. The new doctor said I probably have myolgia just because I'm 52 and that it's just a coincidence that it happened while taken the drugs but then goes on to agree that I must be "sensitive" to statins. Both doctors treat me like I'm stupid and nuts all balled up in one. I am frustrated and in pain most of the time. I have been trying to find out how long to expect this pain and am dismayed to learn that it can be years or never go away.

Yes I have high triglycerides (so does my mother and she experiences the same kind of pain so refused to take statins) and I've been warned that not taking statins could cause pancreatitis and/or heart problems. My question to that is - "then my choice is chance the heart stuff or live an incredibly painful life?"

I'll take my chances and pray for the best because right now my quality of life stinks!!