Fortunately for Lawrence, the doctor quickly ordered him to stop taking the cholesterol medicine he had been taking for seven years. He also prescribed a fat-free diet and almost complete rest. Lawrence said somberly, "I realize he saved my life. We have since heard of others who did not recover but died by letting this go on too long."
The next three months, Lawrence reports, "were utter agony." He was unable to bathe or dress without help, and his wife had to take over all household chores. "The pain and fatigue were intense. The muscle injury even had taken my voice away, and it is very difficult for me to swallow food."
Four months after stopping the drug, Lawrence reported, "I have begun to regain some use of my arms and legs and the muscle pain has receded. The doctor has prescribed a physical fitness program, and I go to the local gym three times a week for an hour of exercises. We continue the fat-free diet, though I have lost too much weight."
more ...
April 17, 2011
Side effects of medication can take years to show up
by Elizabeth L. Bewley
Lawrence was 67 and newly retired from his job as a high school principal in New Mexico when he landed in the hospital with a heart attack. His doctors put him on a drug to control cholesterol. He felt lucky to be alive. He continued on the drug month after month without any problems.
Four years later, his health took a turn for the worse. He developed a rash all over his body. Doctor after doctor found his symptoms puzzling.
Eventually, his dermatologist referred him to a nationally renowned clinic where he underwent days of testing. They checked for, and ruled out, every life-threatening cause they could think of (skin cancer, lupus, Lyme disease, and so forth.) They also offered treatments that would only soothe the itchy rash -- not eliminate its cause.
Three years after that extensive round of testing, Lawrence became seriously ill.
He noted, "I began to feel body aches and a sick feeling in my digestive system." Within weeks, "the onset of pain and weakness caused me to seek out a new family doctor. When he saw my blood tests he immediately discovered my liver was almost destroyed and muscle structure profoundly impaired."
