mrsD recommended I post this question in this thread, as it might have to do with parathyroid problems, so here goes!

I had to have my thyroid removed back in January. Now, all my life I've had problems with leg cramps if I drank too much milk or ate too much cheese, etc., but after the surgery, the doctors wanted me to take calcium, so I started getting serious about taking it. The muscle cramps started after a couple of days and got progressively worse, till even the muscles in my arms were spasming. My toes were curling! I have heart rhythm problems and that got worse also. Anyway, I realized the cramps started after I began taking the calcium so I stopped for a few days, then the cramps faded. I started the calcium up again and the same thing happened; I repeated a couple more times just to be sure. mrsD suggested contacting the endo to be tested for parathyroid problems. I'm thinking now, the parathyroid thing has been going on for many years due to the milk problems.

Also, after reading some of the comments on this thread, something else occurred to me. While in the military, I was assigned to two different installations that are now major Superfund sites (researched this due to multiple medical people asking me if I'd been exposed to radiation) but since I was not in the Middle East during the depleted uranium usage, I didn't think anymore about it. Until...I found a listing for a "minor" nuclear "incident" at one of the installations I was at, during the time I was there. So I guess the thing I'm wondering is, could that have aggravated what was originally a fairly minor parathyroid problem?

Like many of you, I was on statins for many years and had worsening leg pain with no obvious source, so after hearing scuttlebutt about it, I did some research and decided to quit taking it. I had eaten a good diet (almost no eggs, butter, low-fat milk, careful about all fats) had still not been able to get my cholesterol levels below 180, so I'm now on niacin, and have developed lesions on my liver, which the doctors say are benign and aren't concerned about, but I have pain in my upper right side almost continually now, on top of everything else! I'm 57 and am almost chairbound and helpless. I've had three mini-strokes and have the short-term memory and retention ability of a five-year-old, so I'm getting really frustrated dealing with just getting quality healthcare from the VA.

Anything the members can suggest to help me get a bead on getting some quality of life back would be super-appreciated! I take so many different medications that it's a challenge just to keep track of what I've taken and what not, and getting refills, etc. So, set me straight, guys and gals!!! Thanks a million in advance! Dawn