Workouts symptoms and conditions

I'm 48 and got a Mirena put in last January at the suggestion of my doctor. I'd been having menstrual migraines and we thought that a steady dose of hormones might help with the dips and prevent my headaches. Well, it has helped some, as the headaches don't come every month anymore, however, I do still get them, so it hasn't really done what we hoped. Add to that my (growing!) list of symptoms and something has to be done. I am very active. I do Taekwondo 4x a week and was working out 5x a week this summer in preparation for my black belt test. You would think that I'd lose weight with the workouts I've done for the past 10 months, but no, my weight has increased over 10lbs! And it's not muscle, either: My breasts, waist, hips and thighs have all increased. I feel bloated, tired to the point of exhaustion even after 8 hours of sleep, and all of my joints are achy. The brain-fog has gotten so bad that I've had to go back on ADD meds to try to maintain my focus at work. I'd been doing my workouts for 3 years prior to getting the Mirena, and I never felt tired the way I feel it now! I'm seeing my doctor next month and this thing is out of here!

I am 42 years old and have the Mirena IUD for almost 4 years, that is until Tuesday, October 6th....yee haw! I finally had it removed. After 14 lbs of gradual weight gain, despite not changing my diet AND increasing my workouts, heart palpitation (sp) and higher blood pressure than normal and a bout of bleeding that I have never experienced in my life, I went to the gyno. In the changing room the nurse asked me if I had a Mirena IUD, I responded yes, in her broken English, she said, lots of weight gain, huh? Side effects, huh? I was mortified. I began doing research and made the decision to have it removed. Let me say, in a week I have lost 5 lbs, my stomach is not bloated, my breasts do not hurt, I have had my regular period, I am back to myself again. It served its purpose for me, but I wish I would have been told the side effects so that I could have made an educated decision.

I just want to reply to you and everyone else who is having difficulty with doctors acknowledging mirena side effects. I work in pharmaceutical research and what people need to understand is that clinical trials only test on samples of about 5,000 patients and the side effects observed in those people are the ones acknowledged in the literature your doctors are referring to. The problem with that is for a drug sample population to statistically represent the actual US population it would have to be at least 30,000 people. This is not feasible even for the most profitable big pharma companies. So once these drugs get to market, there are inevitably going to be people experiencing side effects not reflected in clinical trials.

That said, I had Mirena put in 6 weeks after giving birth to my son in August 2008. Pre-preg I weighed 132, at 9 months I was 173. I left the hospital weighing 152. When i got mirena inserted i had been loosing slowly due to breastfeeding, but I was loosing and weighed 145. By Christmas 2008 I weighed 155. So I started working out, circuit training 45 minutes, 5 days a week, and eating much healthier for 6 weeks. Like others assuming it was a change in lifestyle, stress whatever. I didn't loose a pound. After no success I cut down to less intense workouts but kept eating well. By June 2009 I was 163. At 132 lbs pre-preg at 5'4" I never worked out, I'm not kidding, ever and I was not a healthy eater, I just wasn't a big eater.

So August 10th 2009 at 168 lbs and fed up, I went to the doctor to have it removed. They insisted it was not the mirena, but if for no other reason I had to find out for myself why I could not loose weight, if i was still overweight afterwards then so be it, but I had to know.

I'm glad to announce that today September 21st, I have "inexplicably" lost 21 pounds in counting. I have not worked out like I did in those six weeks, brisk walks at the most,and I have continued eating healthy. I'm not advising anyone on what to do, I just know when I was contemplating getting this thing removed, I wanted to hear from someone who had actually gotten it removed. Also, I did not the emotional or dermatological side effects others described.

I have posted a couple of times previously about negative side effects, i.e. migraines, weight gain, acne, chin hair, eczema, lower back pain, no sex drive...and the list could go on. As a mature 36 year old woman I have educated myself over the past couple of years and can really only attribute all these issues to having the Mirena inserted 4 months after the birth of my daughter 3 years ago. Although at this time my doctors will not openly acknowledge these side effects, I am confident that one day they will. I encourage women to report adverse side effects to the FDA. It onlt takes a minute or two. Who knows, it may be the hormones or it may be the silicone plastic? It has to be something. It should also be acknowledged that some women, my very best friend for one, have had wonderful experiences with the Mirena. I really think it may just depend on the woman and her own body. I am having mine removed tomorrow after researching all of this for about 8 months. All I can say is, thank goodness. I am also scheduled for the Essure(permanent birth control). Food for thought for the older women in the group. Whatever each of you decide, realize you are not alone and you do not have to continue to feel the way you do if you believe that the Mirena could be making you feel so bad. Take care.

I am taking 100mg 2x a day of Minocycline to treat my acne. About 2 weeks after the start of this medication, I gained 10 pounds virtually overnight. I know it was that fast because I see a weight loss doctor weekly and I'm on a very precise diet and exercise plan and it I was fine until about day 14. I went to bed the night before and woke up the next morning with an additional 10 lbs. Right now, I've been taking it for about 6 weeks and have managed to keep the weight gain to a minimum average a week by adding additional workouts to my regimen for a total gain of 14 lbs. Although it's treating the acne very well, the money I've spent to lose 53 lbs over the course of a year just to turn around and gain 14 in a matter of weeks is extremely frustrating. I did not have this side effect with Doxcy, but sun exposure was causing severe burns so we switched meds.
When I return to the doctor in a couple of weeks, I will see if there is an alternative solution.

I am a 46 y.o male who started taking Simvastatin almost 8 months. At first I had no problems. I am an avid swimmer who swims laps at least 3x a week and had a weight lifting program (light wghts./ numerous repetitions. About 2 months ago I got severe pains in my neck and shoulder. I thought maybe I was overdoing it so I ceased workouts and went to the chiropractor. After two months of misery and missing swimming I decided to look into the statins. I am going off it tomorrow and will see if that does the trick. If I cannot exercise and be fit the Statin is not going to be useful anyway. I have a feeling stopping will help because rest and treatment sure didn't. I will try and report back

I had Mirena inserted about 3 months ago and have been consistently gaining weight since then. I initially wrote it off as anything else besides this drug because the pamphlet is very clear that weight gain is not a side effect and I talked to 2 gyns and they insisted the same thing. So I had my thyroid checked and started eating better and increased my exercising, I am a personal trainer so I already do these things pretty intensely, but I have stepped it up to slow the weight gain. I am up 8 pounds in three months which makes me crazy. Yet I am hesitant to get it out since it was so insanely expensive and not knowing for sure that it is the mirena. So any of you who have had it removed could you comment on if your excess weight that you did put on has come off or not. Besides this frustration, I have loved it, but it makes it difficult to build my business as a personal trainer if I am gaining weight.

Wow, I thought I was going crazy. I've been so sick the last week but didn't think it would be this new medication. I'm taking 150 mg once a day for 15 days. I have three left of which are going in the garbage. I missed a family reunion today because I'm so tired I can't function. It's like someone gave me a sleeping pill. I've taken three pregnancy tests of which they were all negative thinking I was pregnant. The nausea is horrible. Just talking about food makes me vomit. I have stomach cramps, severe lower back pain, my heart feels like it's doing flip flops at night. My face feels very hot at times. My hands feel like raw nerve endings when put in cold water or wind blows over them. My arms tingle and hurt when exposed to the sun. I just want to lay in bed and not face the world. I've been dieting and lost 15 pounds prior to starting the medication. Boom, all that stopped. Still doing all the workouts and carefully eating but have gained 4 pounds back. Very disappointing. I am so glad I found this site. You won't find this information on the manufactures website.

Happy to have Mirena out of me! I had Mirena inserted in 7/07. I had it removed on 7/13/09—YEAH!. My sister, who is a Sonographer (she does ultrasounds), noticed my weight gain and that I haven’t been myself for a while (moody). She said that so many women complain to her about Mirena when she is doing ultrasounds for them. Most of them tell her about the weight they have gained and their moodiness. My sister said… “You workout all of time and watch what you eat. You shouldn’t be gaining weight.” I was 150 lbs when Mirena was inserted and two years later, I weigh 168 lbs. I workout intensely five or more days a week and earned the 2008 Olympian title at my gym (which took a year of hard work to acquire), but my weight keeps creeping up no matter how hard I try. My workouts keep getting harder because my body is heavier… it’s so frustrating! Following my sister’s advice, I decided to do some research on Mirena and found this site. THANK YOU! I was so relieved to know that I wasn’t crazy and that others have experienced the same symptoms as me. Here are some of the other symptoms that I experienced from Mirena: constant bloating, I ached from my hips down to my knees (which I attributed to my hard workouts, but was wrong), mood swings, hot flashes in the middle of the night, acne on my chin, dark hair growth on my chin, dull cramps in my lower stomach, back ache, fatigue, fluttering in my stomach (which felt like a baby), sensitive breasts, pain during intercourse, spotting after intercourse (almost every time). I’m not sure how long it will take me to get my body back, but am so glad that I’m on my way. I’d like to thank everyone who posted symptoms on this site, you’ve changed my life.

I had Mirena in for a year and a half. I did not make any connection to the way I was feeling and the Mirena b/c my doctors told me there would be no side effects except spotting. In fact, I had several RN's at the time talk so highly of it I felt it a good idea! I work in Gym's for a living for over 8 years now- i mention this b/c I think it is important to stress that I live an active lifestyle and have never NOT exercised.
At first I had cramping everyday- I was on Advil EVERYDAY. I became very tired. I have heard of others not being able to sleep but I was opposite-i would sleep for 10 hours a night if I could get away with it. Workouts became harder and harder since i was so tired all of the time.
When I started I weighed 138. Almost two years later a steady weight gain...I am now 158. Yes, 158! I am 5'5! I never stopped working out or eating right! I could not figure out the weight gain...I kept a food diary and upped my workouts to 5 times per week. I could not get the weight off.
Plus- I could not figure out why my stomach was always distended- I read here that it is bloat. Oh boy did I have that- so embarrassing for someone who teaches a core class to people at the GYM.
I had a low grade depression and serious anxiety about the weight.
My Husband noticed how I struggled and coupled that with the lack of sex (make that NO sex) and something just wasn't adding up....
So, I started to research and found web postings such as these...I immediately called for an appt to have it removed.
That was Monday. It is Thursday.
It was very painful for me to have it removed...in fact I cried on the table and the DR had to comfort me.
My period started right away- not heavy but very light. My doctor mentioned that I have not ovulated in a year and a half so it will be interesting to see how my body responds to the lack of the Progesterone.
I am still very tired and have some of the cravings for sugar but not quite as bad.
I hope and pray the weight comes off and the sex drive comes back ASAP. What is the point of birth control if you loose your desire to have sex and end up in a fat depressed body?
Take it out!

I had the Mirena inserted July 2007. I thought the Mirena was the best invention ever! I have migraines so I could no longer continue taking the pill. My doctor and I discussed my options and we both thought the Mirena would be a good solution. I didn't want to have anymore kids but I was mentally ready to have my tubes tied. With the Mirena I would have lighter periods and no migraines and it lasted for 5 years. No remembering taking a pill every night. Sounded like a win-win situation to me. During the latter half of 2007 to early 2008, I gained 22 lbs. It appeared overnight (or that's how I felt). I blamed it on it being the holidays and eating too much. I increased my workouts, hired a personal trainer (not cheap) and dieted my butt off. I didn't lose a pound. Early this year my co-worker told me about this sight. She had the Mirena also. When I started reading the side affections that women were experiencing, everything started clicking into place. The weight gain. The hair loss. My hair grows like a weed. And I've been trying to grow my hair out for at least 8 months. It hasn't grown an inch even though I get my ends trimmed. The hair at the back of my head has broken off. It's shorter than the rest of my hair. I have ZERO sex drive. I'm moody (more than usual). I've made an appointment to have it removed Wednesday. I can't wait! I still don't know what I'm going to do about birth control.

I am 37, and developed a DVT in my left calf possibly due to birth control pills. I was tested for Factor 5 Leiden and since I was positive that may have been a contributing factor as well. Waking up in the middle of the night and first thing in the morning with excruciating pain was a daily occurrence and finally after 2 weeks of Lovenox injections and warfarin the pain subsided. I still experience post thrombotic pain in the back of my leg three months after starting the medication. My INRs are inconsistent and my doctor keeps changing my dosage. I have been avoiding all food that that can interact with the meds, it is extremely irritating. I have been doing an hour of low impact exercise daily and am looking forward to when I can finally go jogging and increase my cardio workouts. I can't wait till I can finally be off the medication it affects everything I do.

Glad I found this site...I have been on the NR for 1 1/2 months, this is my second attempt. First time I had it in after attempting an IUD (Murina), which gave me intense cramping (I have a tilted uterus) and bled for 7 weeks. I thought that the cramping from the NR was due to my body healing from the IUD, so I left it in for a month until I couldn't stand it anymore and took it out.

Now my second attempt at the NR, I have cramping on a daily basis, spotting to the point where I will be walking along and splat in my underwear major discharge (yuck!), heartburn, diarrhea (IBS), headache, unexplainable crying, little weight gain, I go to the gym 3 times a week and do yoga and pilates at home, my body responds really well to workouts and the scale has not budged to any weight loss.

My body is very sensitive to BC and was told by my gyno that NR has a low dosage and will not affect me like YAZ (made me a crazy person), Ortho Tri-Cyclene, Ortho-LO, which gave me migraines for 9 days out of the month.

Thanks to all the women out there (YOU ROCK!) who are posting their experiences, as of today this ring is out of my body!

ok so all of you who are not getting the results you desire take notice: YOU HAVE NO IDEA WTF YOU ARE DOING!! before you go shoving some chemical into your body to get fats and easy results you need to get educated. Anabolics are not for amateurs. if your diet/nutrition isn't right, you are going to have problems. if your workouts aren't right, you're going to have problems. by problems i mean you are not going to get the desired and intended result and yes you could seriously screw yourself up. first thing is first you need to understand that regardless of whether or not you use anabolics if you are unwilling to put in hard work and dedication to a fitness lifestyle you will never get quality or lasting results. you are an idiot if you begin a cycle without immediate access to proper post cycle therapy meds in order to come off the stuff safely and effectively. if you are going to use a chemical you nedd to undrstand the complexities of what you are putting into your body and how to manage it in order to get the desired effects and avoid undesired effects. Winstrol has a short half life so if you're not hitting it everyday and your not stacking it with a longer acting chemical to sustain your hormone levels then you are going to experience the negative sides such as a decreased sex drive, or erectile dysfunction or depression. if you don't manage your diet to ensure you are getting the extra nutrient support that you need to keep up with the increased rate at which your body is now utilizing those nutrients then you are going to experience a litany of problems that would normally be associated with malnutrition because that is what you are; malnourished. so before you go pumping some chemicals inot your body and screwing yourself up and giving anabolics a bad rap and ruining it for the rest of us who know WTF we are doing, you need to get educated, and i mean you need to know as much if not more about this stuff than your doctor. you need to get educated in regards to your nutrition, like you need to be a F'n dietition. and you need to get educated about fitness like a flipping personal trainer level of education. if you don't take vitamin and protein supps then you need to get at it way before you ever start on anabolics so that your body is so saturated that you can taste the vitamins in your sweat and then when you do go on the anabolics you need to up your dosage to twice a day. newbies stay away from the test and the winnie and the hard core stuff. just get yourself some Dbol and some nolva take 50mg dbol and 10mg nolva twice a day, because dbol is only active for about 12 hours, so if you take it at 7 am, by 7pm you will have no sex drive and be a moody bitch. It'll keep you from flippin your lid as typically one of the sides is a sense of well being, kinda like being on prozac maybe and is a good beginner drug with only positive sexual side effects. train hard, eat right, rest right. you'll have some water weight but it should be mild with the nolva. you'll feel good and after about 6 months you need to cycle off the dbol using clomid for 8 weeks while maintaining your nolva dosage. you start out 200mg clomid everyday (split doage) and every 2 weeks decrease by 50mg until you are done with it. continuing your workouts you should be able to get you body's natural hormone back to work w/ min withdrawal symptoms. next cycle get some more dbol and nolva and up your anty to a simple blend like sustanon 250mg a week. it's a great kick the day you inject it and it is good for up to 2 weeks in your system. since it is still active for two weeks after injection there is no point in hitting your recovery cycle until two weeks after your last injection. Tren is an awesome chem to use if you can get some real tren that is. the best way to make certain you are getting good tren is to make it yourself using finaplix tabs and a home brew kit you can get on the web. the injection stings like a mother the day you take it and if you get a good heavy dose you may have a coughing fit which can be kinda scary the first couple of times, feels like you inhaled a glass of water, but the day after your injection your injection site is usually pain free and ready to work which makes it great for changing up your injection sites to control scar tissue buildup. it will get you ripped fast. you will be hungry constantly and be able to tear the hell out of your local buffet. i highly recommend stacking it with the dbol again if for nothing else but to counteract the mood and sexual sides. the sexual side effect i have encountered is simply an inability to orgasm (blue balls), which can have it's uses but believe me when you haven't had an orgasm for a month and you are giving it all you got it can get kinda frustrating. Testosterone on the other hand has a tendency to give you both a high sex drive and unfortunately oversensitive orgasm (hair trigger). so you can see that stacking test with tren will make you girl or girls very happy. anyway that is all i am giving you jokers. i leave you with this thought: think about getting your head out of your ass before you go sticking a needle in it.

I started the drug Lamictil about six weeks ago at the insistence of my Doctor and my wife because I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Depression brought on by long periods of darkness and cold - winter). Recently I noticed that I can barely get out of bed and that my feet hurt. I am a trained athlete and my workouts have been essential for controlling my sadness and now my depression is worse than ever and as a side benefit I have tremendous feet and leg pains, rage issues, thoughts of suicide and extreme sadness. I have also broken out in a rash which could be Johnson-Stevens disease - all because those two nitwits didn't want to deal with my occasional sadness. They just threw me under the bus -IF YOU ARE TAKING THIS GET OFF IT and if you are seriously depressed ask your health provider for something more stable. No matter what your condition is short of seizures, this medication is not the answer.

Hi I am 45 an been taking 5mg Lisinopril daily for the last 5 years, I am also a very active racing cyclist. Over the last 12 months I have seen my performances drop by 50% and I am so tired all the time, I also feel short of breath, been to docs he ran all the normal tests, nothing showed up, also,I now get terrible headache above my right eye whenever try any exercise. Watch out for grapefruit, it must react with the meds, my throat swelled up almost closed, horrible experience, I now ger blurred vision and muscle weakness. Not on, I have taken myself off the meds to see if things get back to normal, I will be able to monitor the situation based on my cycling performance results and will report back.

I have been taking Move Free for over a month now to help with sore knees that hinder my workouts. I have been experiencing frequent gas and diarrhea. It has become a problem for me at work and i beginning to get concerned that something is seriously wrong. I didn't know what was going on and tried to narrow down what was different or new in my diet. I noticed the bottle of Move Free on the counter and found this site. It seems Im not the only one having these side effects. I will discontinue using the product immediately and hope the stomach problems get better.

I am 30 yrs old and have been on NuvaRing for a year or so. When I first started the NV, I was healthy and had no health problems. Since then a gradual onset of multiple symptoms.

It started with pain during sex, then not wanting to have sex, and now I haven't had sex with my husband in a few months because it hurts and I have no drive. I have gained weight. I went to the doctor and they told me that my blood pressures were sky high.

I have never ever in my entire life been sad, depressed, or had any mental issues. I feel so depressed, sad, and tired all the time. This past month I have wanted to do nothing but lay around the house. I force myself to go to work and drag though workouts at the gym. I have no reason...my life is great! NuvaRing is the only thing that I could think of. My family MD conducted a physical on me and found no cause other than NR for these symptoms.

My hair is seriously falling out, I have nausea frequently in the morning, bad mood swings, feelings of rage, vaginal discharge, vaginal pain, painful urination, sex drive is totally dead, I hate sex, I'm tired all the time, I'm often constipated even though I eat a healthy diet, I have to take stool softeners, my stomach always feels swollen, I get TERRIBLE headaches 1-2 days before my period starts, cramps are worse, bleeding is worse, and I feel like crap physically/emotionally.

I am taking this out of my body next week. If you read this please spare yourself from the damage this medication can do to your body.

I had the mirena put in in june after my third child. I did feel a bit dizzy when it was first put in but did not cramp at all. I was still spoting then from giving birth, so it just continued for about 3 more weeks the stopped altogether. I have not had a period since, woooooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I don't feel bad about that at all. I did have a day when I woke up cramping and thought I was going to start but never did. My doctors nurse told me everything I needed to know about the mirena long before i had it put in. I actually made the appointment to discuss it with her. Everyone should have been smart enough to ask questions before it was done, not the day it is. You cant think straight when someone is getting ready to put a device in you. I have to say I love my mirena and would not trade it for a pill, a shot, or any other birth control method. Ladies know your gyn very well before trusting them. I think most of you just think it is your doctors fault. It is not it is yours for not researching it more. And come on what women is not moody a day in her life, not many. How many headaches did you get before the mirena? How were your sinuses before mirena? Probably the same. Some womens health simply changes after having a baby. I also advise against you removing these mirenas yourselves. It is not smart, you could get a bad infection from not being in a sterile environment.

I've been on Topamax for a year and a half now. I started with 50 mg. and am now up to 100 mg. I did have the usual side effects of the tingly fingers, feet and arms the first six weeks and then that went away. Food and soft drinks tasted funny for a while, but that too went back to normal. I did lose 15 pounds and I didn't really have it to lose in the first place, so I upped my workouts with weights to compensate. My migraines have gone from five a week to one, so it's helped me BIG time being on this medication. My eyesight, however, has suffered. I used to have 20/20 vision. I now need reading glasses. I'm sure it's because of this medication, but to be honest, I'll take the glasses over being in that severe pain five times a week.

I've posted several times before, but it ahs been a while since I've updated on here. So a recap: Almost 33, have 3 kids(ages 13,11,and 7) Had insert on 12/27/07 after having used depo for many years with no major side effects...issues continually worsened over next few months. Had removal early May, 2008. Several issues cleared up within the first few weeks after removal, such as the joint pain, swelling, heartburn. Brain fog and moodiness became much better. Libido returned gradually as well. But I still have had no success in losing the weight gained over the last 6 months. Still 30 pounds heavier thatn was at insertion...increased workouts, decreased caloric intake, only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months. Family doc even put me on meds to help with the weight loss, and they had opposite effect...I actually was hungry all the time and felt completely stoned! Acne still unrelieved to the point that I know have an appointment for a 2nd dermatologist as my first one ran out of options for me! Completely unable to clear up my face. Family doc wants to put me on antidepressants, but I don't' think that's the answer. Plus after all the problems I've had...don't trust a whole lot of meds anymore...especially ones that are known for reducing your libido! (Plus after all this and to STILL be overweight with acne...he'd be pretty depressed too!) Bloodwork all came back fine...actually a "Picture of perfect health!" The only thing he did say was that my testosterone level, although in normal range, was at the high end of normal. However, as I'm still young 30's, no one tested my hormone levels before...so I don't know what is normal for me. Will be talking to him about using an anti-androgen, like aldactone, to see if that will help. Not using any form of hormonal birth control any longer. As old-fashioned as it is...I now use a diaphragm and spermicide...and I'm actually pretty happy with it. I'm happy for all those ladies who had a flat belly again within a few weeks, and their faces cleared up almost instantly...but I must admit I'm jealous. I wish it was that easy for me. Good luck to all of you. Will post again in the future.

Over 6 years ago, the following Petition was submitted to the FDA, I would encourage every patient being treated with statins to read it and bring it to the immediate attention of their physician:

CITIZEN PETITION TO CHANGE THE LABELING FOR
ALL STATIN DRUGS (MEVACOR, LESCOL, PRAVACHOL, ZOCOR, LIPITOR, AND ADVICOR) RECOMMENDING USE OF
100-200mg PER DAY OF SUPPLEMENTAL CO-ENZYME Q10 TO REDUCE THE RISK OF STATIN-INDUCED MYOPATHIES (INCLUDING
CARDIOMYOPATHY AND CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE). http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/dailys/02/May02/052902/02p-0244-cp00001-01-vol1.pdf
May 24, 2002
Petitioner:
Dr. Julian M. Whitaker, M.D.

This Petition is based in part on the clinical findings of Dr Peter H. Langsjoen, MD, which he also reported to the FDA:

Statins kill people - lots of people - and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), eventually - those patients who start with a relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly - in 6 to 12 months. Younger, healthier people who's only "illness" is the non-illness "hypercholesterolemia" can tolerate statins for several years before getting into trouble with fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness (usually with normal muscle enzyme CPK tests) and most ominously - heart failure. In my practice of 17 years in Tyler, Texas, I have seen a frightening increase in heart failure secondary to statin usage, "statin cardiomyopathy". Over the past five years, statins have become more potent, are being prescribed in higher doses, and are being used with reckless abandon in the elderly and in patients with "normal" cholesterol levels. We are in the midst of a CHF epidemic in the US with a dramatic increase over the past decade. Are we causing this epidemic through our zealous use of statins? In large part I think the answer is yes. We are now in a position to witness the unfolding of the greatest medical tragedy of all time - never before in history has the medical establishment knowingly (Merck & Co., Inc. has two 1990 patents combining CoQ10 with statins to prevent CoQ10 depletion and attendant side effects) created a life threatening nutrient deficiency in millions of otherwise healthy people, only to then sit back with arrogance and horrific irresponsibility and watch to see what happens - as I see two to three new statin cardiomyopathies per week in my practice, I cannot help but view my once great profession with a mixture of sorrow and contempt.

I have been on Zocor for one year. I am a former athlete used to dealing with pain associated with playing and training at a high level. Since using Zocor, my energy level has decreased significantly, very tired, before, during and after workouts. Muscle pain specifically in my neck, back and legs has significantly increased without cause. I have a constant feeling of a stabbing pain in my abdomen, accompanied with nausea, bloating and abdominal gas. After seeing some of the posts on this site, has there been a lot of reporting of abdominal pain? Bloating? Gas?
I too, have had trouble sleeping, accompanied by unexplained itching, and now after seeing these posts probably some mild depression. I believe I've had some short term memory loss - but then I can't really remember - LOL. Is the drug worth it? Physicians all seem to downplay the side effects, justifying the desired lower cholesterol, as more important than the side effects.........is it?
At 46 years old and formerly a competitive athlete at an elite level, I'm wondering if feeling better by NOT taking the drug is better than feeling worse and taking it. My training regimen was very intense prior to starting Zocor - NOW - it seems as if I can't keep up any longer. Any response to these problems would be greatly appreciated.

I had my Mirena for several years and loved it. I did not have any periods and I thought no side effects. I did gain a lot of weight. I started working out 4 days a week (hard workouts) and eating right for 2 months. Not only did I not lose any weight, I gained some more. This is when I figured out the Mirena had something to do with it. .

So I had the Mirena removed about 2 weeks ago. I had slight cramping and bleeding when it was removed. The next few days I had flu symptoms. After reading other posts, I realized that other women had flu symptoms too after removal (very interesting). Anyway, I lost 4 pounds in the first two weeks. This is without working out or watching my eating...at all. My appetite has shrunk dramatically. I am going to get back into hard workouts and eating right. Now I should start seeing results from my efforts to lose the weight. I will update my post.

I also noticed my sex drive is better now. I always thought my lack of sex drive was due to being tired as a working mom. But I am noticing improvements already.

I started using the Nuvaring 6 months ago because my doctor didn't want me on the patch anymore due to the threat of stroke. I was on the patch for two years and had no problems (I was 5'9", about 180lbs, so the higher dose of hormone was fine for my size). Since I started the Nuvaring I've had excessive discharge (soaking onto my pants!), I'm tired all the time but can't sleep at night, I've gained a lot of unexplained weight (hence, I said I WAS about 180, I think now I'm up to 200) despite increasing workouts and no diet changes, and I have NO sex drive, which really freaked me out. At first I thought it had something to do with my boyfriend, like I had lost my attraction to him. Then I thought, "If Brad Pitt walked in my house right now, would I want to have sex with him?" and I realized the answer was no. Talk about freaked out! Also, during my period I had a day of intense cramps, which I've never had in my life! Something about that just isn't right.
After I found this site I realized all of these side effects are common, so I'm calling my doctor to go back on the patch and feel normal again! Tell me, though, ladies, if I take the ring out after only being in for 1.5 weeks, will I get my period after a couple days like I usually do or will it wait until the normal time?
To anyone wondering about the Nuvaring, you'd have to try it to see if it works for you. Some women love it, and I have to admit the convenience is the best I've had, but for others the side effects are life-altering. Everyone's different!