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Two years ago I started stumbling around and falling (at age 66) and my legs seemed weak. I could go up steps only one at a time. My doctor traced it back to a statin drug reaction. My health insurance switched me to a cheaper generic some months before...thank you very much. Still having leg problems with no statins for two years. Turns out I didn't need them in the first place...my former doctor was a zealot cardiologist who thought everyone needed statins. He died.
Research has shown that IQ drops 10 points in the last 10 years before you die. Long term studies using the Wechsler over periods of time correlated this information.
So if your intelligence drops suddenly, you got about 10 years left. Go forth and do something!
Over the past few years, I've noticed some changes in myself that were puzzling but did not take too seriously as I thought they were temporary. I've had limitations put on me by my eye surgeries and total knee replacement. I knew there would be a recovery period for both of them. And I fully expected to go right back to my "normal" self once I was healed. I was not fully able to comply with some of those limitations as I live alone and have no family to help. I've always done things for myself, been able to do them without too many problems, etc.
Recently I realized that the changes are not improving and started to remind myself that I'm "not a kid anymore." I can't seem to get the strength to do the physical work I've done in the past and have been beating myself up quite a bit over it. I "should" be doing this and that, but I'm not doing. Fatigue is there every day. Yesterday I needed to go to Walmart for a few things and when I got home, sat down on the couch and went right to sleep. I woke up with a start..... how long had I slept? About an hour.
It's hard to believe a short trip over to Walmart, doing some shopping, getting some info from a clerk about something I might want to get later on..... wore me out. When I got home, I needed to go over to another building in my complex for something and dreaded the short walk.
Oh my gosh, what is happening to me? I'm 74, really not old by any stretch of the imagination, but really feeling like I am old. I do have a lot of arthritis, the damp weather (we've had a real snow storm over past few days and now it's just cold -- 30'ish degrees). So it's generic Tylenol and heating pad.
Has anyone else experienced these changes? What have you done to get back to normal?
Or is this the new normal and I'm just whining?
Yes, there have been some significant changes in me. I've been increasing my intensity of exercise and adherence to the most healthy and disciplined diet. So, as the years go by, I've become stronger, faster, leaner and more vigorous, as well as sharper mentally and more productive. The heavy exercise also strengthens my joints, so I have no problems with them. It's when you slack off, that the joints decline.
Two years ago I started stumbling around and falling (at age 66) and my legs seemed weak. I could go up steps only one at a time. My doctor traced it back to a statin drug reaction. My health insurance switched me to a cheaper generic some months before...thank you very much. Still having leg problems with no statins for two years. Turns out I didn't need them in the first place...my former doctor was a zealot cardiologist who thought everyone needed statins. He died.
I don't need any of that. I'm a vegan(for the last 12 years) who doesn't eat sugar(anything in food packages with sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malto dextrins) or wheat. I have dark chocolate powder twice a day, and take plenty of vitamins. Last time a doctor tested my BP it was normal, and that was in the middle of a 103 degree fever for a tick borne disease. My Cholesterol is very very low.
You can have a diet that prevents the need for these drugs, and all their amazingly bad side effects.
I just recently had surgery about 6 weeks ago. I'm 68 years old. It has really slowed me down. I've noticed it is taking much longer to recuperate than I thought. I do a few things, maybe run one errand and I'm exhausted. People tell me it takes longer to recover when you are older and that it could be 6 months or longer before you start to feel stronger.
I suppose I'm just frustrated and want to feel back to normal. I have to tell myself to do just a little at a time because I can definitely feel it when I overdo things.
Next time you go to your doctor, have her review all your meds. Many have fatigue as a side effect. I cannot take the higher dosage of statins that my doctor would like because it makes me sleepy and lethargic for half of the next day. So I take a lower dose. Also, combinations of drugs can increase the effect of a side effect that might not bother you if you only took one drug or the other.
Age 72 here. Sometimes an event will occur which makes us realize there has been a change - a change we hadn't noticed previously. Such an event took place for me a couple of weeks ago.
The homeowners' association owns a 16-foot extension ladder which I use for exterior painting and various other tasks. I needed a taller ladder to finish painting a portion of our perimeter fence, so I borrowed a 24-foot extension ladder from our handyman. The taller ladder, being heavier, was difficult to put in place and move from place to place. After about half a day working from it, having completed about half the painting it needed to use it for, I had it on the ground and discovered that I could not lift the ladder up against the fence, even though I had done so a few hours previously!
What a revolting development! I will have to borrow it another time and have the handyman place it in position for me just to be sure of success. Pretty embarrassing. Fortunately it's only once in a blue moon that our 16-foot ladder, which I can manipulate with no difficulty, is not tall enough for something I want to do.
My balance is starting to go. It's a very subtle change but since I am very much into pushing my balance to the limit in multiple ways, I can detect small changes.
It sucks.
This is the distant early warning of what is to come.
Yes, there have been some significant changes in me. I've been increasing my intensity of exercise and adherence to the most healthy and disciplined diet. So, as the years go by, I've become stronger, faster, leaner and more vigorous, as well as sharper mentally and more productive. The heavy exercise also strengthens my joints, so I have no problems with them. It's when you slack off, that the joints decline.
If everything you say is true, athletes and manual workers would never have to retire.
Two years ago I started stumbling around and falling (at age 66) and my legs seemed weak. I could go up steps only one at a time. My doctor traced it back to a statin drug reaction. My health insurance switched me to a cheaper generic some months before...thank you very much. Still having leg problems with no statins for two years. Turns out I didn't need them in the first place...my former doctor was a zealot cardiologist who thought everyone needed statins. He died.
I did much the same thing. I have always had muscle strength, especially my legs. I started feeling so weak all the time so I went online and found that two drugs taken together affected muscles. I stopped one altogether and changed the other. I'm back to my old self. The DR acted like I was being a baby or one of these old complainers - I got rid of her too. Turns out she knew this would happen but you know, time is money, take these and get out of my office so I can take the next one in line. Never use to question what DRs say, now I do my own homework. The Pharmacist knew about this as well and wondered why I would be taking these 2 drugs together.
The new DR is young and hasn't developed bad habits yet - she removed 2 drugs. DRs claim not to get a kick back from the drug companies - I don't believe it.
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