Sweden symptoms and conditions

Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do you have to stop it slowly? I have been taking Lipitor for 5 years now and I have been trying to find out what is causing my leg weakness. I mentioned it to my doctor who said it si just a fact of getting older. The problem is getting worse and I noticed it started about 3 months after taking the Lipitor and has steadily gotten worse. I am 49 years old a little over weight {which I am working on}. I also noticed my asthma which I haven't delt with since a small child has come back. This may or may not have to do with the Lipitor but the pain in my knees and legs I believe do. It really hurts in the joints of my legs and sometimes in my shoulder area.

I started taking simvastin (the lowest dose) about 6 months ago with amazing results when it came to my cholesterol. After about 2 months I started getting headaches. I went off the drug for about a week and the headaches went away. I went back on the drug and 3 weeks later the headaches came back. This went on for a few cycles. This last time I went off the drug was February 7. I have not taken it since and I have had a headache since then. This time it has not gone away. I HAVE NEVER had headaches before taking this drug. And all I know now is that for the last month my life as I knew it completely changed. Of course the Dr. put me on some pain meds for the headaches that made me sick, sick, sick after 3 days. I just can't take the pain meds as they are worse than the headaches themselves. HAS ANYONE HAD THIS and if so how long did these headaches take to go away.

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

Today is Christmas day 2008. And a Merry Christmas to me ha!!!!!!!! I was given a prescription for the drug Levaquin on the 19th of December for a suspicion of pneumonia. The x rays done at the hospital found no evidence of pneumonia but my doctor wanted me to take it anyway because since I have asthma and my lungs sounded so bad I was told that I was at risk for developing any secondary infection that was out there. My husband filled the prescription on the 20th which was Saturday, took the first one of a seven day supply 500 mg tablets. About 4 hours after taking just one pill was awakened by severe and agonizing pain in both of my feet and my knees that I was writhing in pain. Since I have nerve damage in my feet anyhow I know what the pain that I normally experience feels like and instantly knew that this was not normal for me. When I thought that I finally might be able to walk I hobbled into the kitchen and dug the list of side affects out of the garbage (stupid me had not read them first.) I discovered that it was one of the side affects. Called the on call doctor in the morning since it was on the weekend and he stopped it immediately and put me on something else. I only took that one pill and since Saturday night every night I wake up in agonizing knee pain and I have never had pains in my knees before. The pain is so bad that I feel like I am ready to go on a morphine drip, or cut my legs off above the knees. Six days now from one pill, how much longer can this go on? I really feel bad for the people that contined to trust their doctors and continued with the full course of the medication and I realize that what I am experiencing is minor compared to what others are going through. This drug should come with a handout that says: Take this drug at a risk to your health!!!!!! Last night the pain lasted all night and I cried all night. Have to get through this day am entertaining for the holiday and have had no sleep. Actually getting afraid to go to sleep at this point.............D.

I never have the side effects that other people have. I am allergic to a lot of antibiotics but can take this one. It always clears up my infections with no problems. I always drink the extra fluid they recommend while taking it. I am not sure if this is what helps. Also, there is a warning that people over 60 are more likely to have side effects. So if you are over 60 maybe this is not the med for you. I am grateful that this medication exists.

My mother is 74 and has been on Lipitor 5 mg for about 6 weeks now and has experienced her 1st TGA. She called me today to tell me that someone had come into her house and cooked a platter of bacon and moved a basket around. She couldn't find her purse and went outside and sure enough it was in her car, but the door was standing wide open and the purse was sitting on the seat. She remembers nothing! This evening she swore that our second child was born in a different house. This from a woman who can remember the tiniest minutia. This Lipitor is terrible stuff! She is now officially off of it. R.

I commenced Lipitor 14 years ago at age 47. At that time I was a regular tennis player, walker and generally fit for my age. No problem with Lipitor for the first couple of years until I began to experience hip and low back pain. My GP diagnosed arthritis. Gradually became worse and I started to gather injuries (over stretched ligament in right knee which refused to heal, plantar fasciitis twice) My back pain became far worse, I persevered with tennis believing that exercise would help. I began to "trip" on the carpet and going up stairs (foot drop). I was sent for a CT scan in 2002 which showed spondylolisthesis and root canal stenosisss. On advice from doctor I stopped tennis. Referred to a neurosurgeon who after several months carried out a laminectomy in July 03. Cleared to recommence exercise in December 03 which is when my nightmare commenced. I developed bursitis in one hip, stopped walking until it settled, then excruciating pain in feet, and then bursitis in the other hip and continuing foot pain. I developed rib/back pain, again diagnosed as arthritis even though I felt the pain was muscular. I had one session of aqua aerobics and woke the next morning with plantar fasciitis which continued for 3 months even with doctor, physio and acupuncture treatment. I was then referred to a Spots Medicine Dr who ordered bone scans/x-rays which revealed a stress fracture in my foot. In 2006 I began to notice that my right arm had a tense feeling all the time, I had a loss of dexterity in my right hand which assumed a claw like appearance and my normally neat handwriting became practically illegible. My physio recommended I see a Rheumatologist who said I had "no more arthritis than I would see in any 62 yo", he sent me to a Neurologist who after 5 mins diagnosed Parkinson's Disease. Within 7 weeks of commencing the PD medication I was experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome every night. The neurologist said that my condition had "progressed" and increased the medication - twice. I was then getting RLS DAY AND NIGHT and getting no relief OR SLEEP!!! Finally after 12 months misery my GP suggested that I try coming off Lipitor to see if that was causing my body pain. Within 6 days I felt better, my muscles became less stiff and relax. I went back to my Neurologist who refused to accept my claims, he insists I still have atypical PD (because I do not have tremors). I told him the cure is worse than the complaint and against his advice I weaned myself off PD medication and Lipitor. It was hard going but I NO LONGER SUFFER FROM RLS AND MY DEXTERITY IS SLOWLY IMPROVING. I still have dexterity problems with my right fingers but the tense feeling in my right arm has gone and my "claw" hand is starting to relax My muscles feel bruised all the time. I am still taking my blood pressure tablets and 150mg of Co-Q10 a day. I have been off Lipitor 9 months. It has been a painful journed for the last 8 years and a nightmare for 12 months. My GP has marked my records as "allergy to statins" but says she just doesn't know if I have Parkinson's. I know that I will never take this awful drug again. My cholesterol has skyrocketed but I will have to try and lower it naturally and take the risk. I constantly feel like I have worked too long and hard in the garden, all my muscles are so sore. I really need to know if this damage is permanent and if this drug has caused Parkinson's Disease itself or just PD like symptoms. I guess I will just have to wait and see. I don't think doctor's believe us when we say Lipitor is doing damage to thousands of people. They love it!! When we are aging we are not surprised to get diagnosed with arthritis and this is why we take this medication unwittingly for so long.

If you take lipitor, you will be interested in this.

I have taken it upon myself to do my own studies into cholesterol and heart disease. I painstakingly studied various countries comparing rates of heart disease to cholesterol levels in each country.

From the Data, I can honestly say that I find no relationship between total serum cholesterol and heart disease. More surprising is the data showing higher cholesterol levels associated with less disease and longevity.

I am a male 55. Started taking Altace 15 years ago. BP kept creeping up. I work outside for a living. Sometimes work is very hard, climbing mountains, carrying land surveying equipment ect. Dr started me on lisinopril 40 mg, dropped altace which I had been taking with HCT 25mg. Started getting numbness in left hand and charley horse in elbow after playing mandolin for 10 minutes. I thought this strange. Now I have muscle cramps in legs and I am wiped out when I get home. (thought must be getting old) Then other joints, shoulders, and knees stared hurting and lower back. Started thinking what has happen to me?! I am completely falling apart! That's how I found this web site. Now I wonder, snake venom sounds about right. I had started thinking I had been poisoned. Guess I'll make a DR appointment or move to an "old folks home". At least I won't have a stroke.......right?

I've been on simvastatins for about 2 years after TIAs. I'm 56. I had two small Strokes about year ago despite being on simvastatins. Had brain scan which showed two small areas of scarring and carotid artery scan- arteries fine. Started experiencing dizziness last year and GP diagnosed vertigo and gave me seasickness pills which didn't do much good. Since then I've experienced headaches which last for weeks, increasing fatigue (now struggle to get out of bed in morning) muscle pain which is getting really bad and sore feet (?). Increasing memory loss, confusion, lack of concentration, eye problems (when I first wake in morning my vision is blurred for ab out 30 minutes or so. I've been worried i mmay be developing Alzheimers. I've also piled on weight and the texture of my hair has changed - it has become very soft and silky and become thinner - normally my hair is very thick. Also I've had two perms in last 6 months which won't hold curl - been having perms for years and never had this problem. I've had several blood tests including for under-active thyroid and they have all been clear. I've been really worried about all these problems and did some research and came up with this site. I am beginning to think my problems stemm from taking 40mg Simvastatins so am going to stop them and book appointment with GP. Any comments/advice would be appreciated.

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?

EVERYONE PLEASE READ!!!! GARDASIL HAS DESTROYED MY LIFE! I am 24 years old and a year and a half ago I was graduating college and planning to be a professional dancer and go to law school...I was perfectly healthy and energetic! In February of 2007 I received my first Gardasil shot. After a few days I started to feel as though I had a Urinary Tract Infection and was also feeling more tired than usual. The doctor gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way.

In May of 2007 I received my second Gardasil shot and yet again, a few days later I started to feel like I was getting another Urinary Tract Infection. I went to the doctor numerous times between the second and third shot...all for bladder and urinary tract pain. For months I was on different antibiotics and they were not making the pain go away. After visiting a number of urologists, I found out that the urine cultures had all been coming back negative - showing no sign of an infection, so the antibiotics were pointless. All tests that I had run, both blood and urine came back normal. It is not standard procedure for a doctor to call you if your test results come back normal, but there was clearly something wrong, so I searched for a urologist who would believe me that I wasn't making up the pain I was in.

In August 2007, I had a cystoscopy done (they took a scope and went into the bladder to look in the bladder wall) and they concluded that I have an incurable bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis. This is a condition where there becomes a defect in the bladder wall causing it not to have the protective mucus layer inside of it. The pictures of inside my bladder show red, raw skin, obviously showing the severity of my case of it.

There is no evidence as to what causes Interstitial Cystitis, and there is no proven successful way of treating it. The initial signs are exactly the same as a Urinary Tract Infection (painful bladder spasms, painful urination, body aches and back pain). The main difference is the fact that it is not an infection. There are thousands of people with Interstitial Cystitis who are misdiagnosed as having chronic Urinary Tract Infections.

I received my third Gardasil shot in October of 2007 and that is when EVERYTHING fell apart. The bladder pain became constant and there has not been one minute in a day since that shot I have not been in unbearable pain. This is when everything else in my body began to crash down as well. The other health problems and side effects from the Gardasil that I am having are constant sore throat, vicious migraines, vision changes, back pain, body aches, joint pain, sinus problems, vomiting, constipation, dizziness...I could keep going on forever!

I have tried all of the conventional treatment for Interstitial Cystitis and have gotten NO relief from the pain and other side effects. The doctors didn't know what to do, so they put me on OxyContin and a diet consisting of no acidic foods. That has now posed its own set of problems seeing as now my body is addicted to the narcotic, and I have gone from 5'6'' 125lbs to 100lbs over the course of a year due to the diet. I am extremely malnourished and have to take B12 vitamin shots once a week due to the severe anemia. I am 24 years old, and feel like I am 100. I can not live a normal life, I am going to lose my job from numerous absences, I lost my fiancé and am not able to have an intimate relationship anymore, I am extremely depressed, I have to have my family clean my apartment because I am too sick to do it, I can not do social activities because I am too tired and in pain. This vaccine has DESTROYED my life! I am desperately seeking out someone else who is having bladder problems due to the Gardasil so that I can contact an attorney. This needs to be OFF the market a soon as possible so that it does not run any other lives! Gardasil has caused some deaths, but in my mind, I'd rather die than live with the pain I am having. I did notice there are some posts regarding girls getting urinary tract infections... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have your urine cultured because there is a good chance it may be Interstitial Cystitis!

I am desperately looking for someone who is having some of these symptoms so that I can go to a lawyer and get something going before things like this happen: Numerous states are pushing to make it mandatory that girls receive the vaccine before they enter the 6th grade. We can not let this happen! We all need to stick together and somehow fight this and get out lives back!

Let me know if you are IN - and also what you thought about my post!

You can email me at ******

Bless All of You!

*~Amber~*

In my previous message I was wondering why the same medication has to have so many different names.

I haven´t had a reply to that, but I found some information on Wikipedia that migth be helpful when looking for more information.

Zocor (=Simvastatin) can have many different names as you can see below.

"Brand names: Zocor, Zocor Heart Pro, marketed by the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. and Denan (Germany), Liponorm, Sinvacor, Sivastin (Italy), Lipovas (Japan), Lodales (France), Zocord (Austria and Sweden), Zimstat, Simvahexal (Australia), Lipex (Australia and New Zealand), Simvastatin-Teva, Simvacor, Simvaxon, Simovil (Israel), Simvotin (India) and other."

To Kevin II and others

It doesn`t matter if you are on Zocor or Lipitor or any of the ot her statins.

They all have similar side effects. They can all can cause permanent damage to your body.

The side effects can come right away (lucky you) or after years.

Therefore, when you are reading messages, please also read those for other statins - including for Lipitor.

But the most important of all is to educate yourself when it comes to the cholesterol issue.

Are you sure that it`s the high cholesterol that will cause heart problems?

Please visit ****** and read some of the books that I have suggested in an earlier message.

Now I ask for some help.

Drugs can have many different names in different countries.

Please tell me (us) if Zocor (substance Simvastatin) also has other names.

It will make it easier to find more information.

In Sweden it`s called Zocord and Simvastatin.

How is it in the US and other countries?

Today is one week since removal. I am feeling much better mentally-calmer-no more interterminal. I am gaining energy little by little and the joint pains are slowly going away. I have been spotting off and on for the last week and a couple days after removal i had put on 2lbs (most likely because i was having a "period"). The spotting seems to have stopped and the 2 lbs are gone today. Hopefully, more weight to come off in the future. At least now I feel like i have the energy to work at getting the weight off. It is funny how people react to you when you tell them that an IUD cause all these issues. Most people just nod and smile and think you are crazy. It's ok. I know that we can't all be crazy-we tell the same story and now documentation is coming out from other countries that perhaps there might be a problem with this product.
Something to note- the test studies on this product were done in Finland and Sweden on a group of women ages 18-35. I had this inserted in my early 40's. Am I the test study for my age group????
Have faith ladies-we will all get better soon.

I have just read what abrey wrote

"The Cardiologist and I have sacked each other. He would do well to read some of these letters."

I suggest that we try to spread the word. Is it allowed to copy these stories and give them to the doctors as information?

If so - that is what we should do - spread the "news".

I´ll do my part here in Sweden because the siltation is very much the same and it`s getting worse for every day.

I have no experience of statins - or hardly of any other medication either, but I have seen the consequenses in some relatives/friends. That´s what made me do some "research".

This is what I think everyone should do before they embark on taking medications.

There are so many interesting - and eye opening books and information on the Internet.

Don´t think that Zocor is the only statin with these kind of side effects.

Most of the statins have similar side effects so therefore please also go to the pages that deals with Lipitor etc.

I have made some suggestions there in November 2007 (swedish) and also "Pasted in" a very interesting text with many links.

Good Luck to all of you.

Your stories are heartbreaking.

Most people, where I live (Sweden) has no idea, but I try my best to spread the "news".

My mother who is 84 has been on Zocor for quite a few years after a small heart failure. Recently I started to do some "research" on her medication as she had some unexplainable weakness in her legs this past summer.

I found this address www.thincs.org - a group of cholesterol sceptic researchers/doctors. I recommend reading of the book the Cholesterol Myths which I believe were published in the US around year 2000.

Thank you for this sight. It will make it easier to convince my mother´s doctor that she should stop this medication. So far, I have not convinced my mother although I have read some of these stories to her.

Greets from a thankful daughter in Sweden