Acceptable level symptoms and conditions

Hi
I started taking 10 mg. daily ofLipitor 8 yrs. ago and about a year later I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. There's no test for Fibro, just blood tests to elimate everything else ex: Lupus, RA etc. I've been suffering so much from muscle pain, all the tender points as in Fibro and also diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three doctors diagnosed me with Fibro. and chronic fatigue. I had most of the symptoms everyone else is complaining about also. The pain in my stomach muscles are just about gone too.

It reached a point three weeks ago when I was having sharp pains all over my body and muscle cramps and charlie horses at night and I could just about walk up the stairs my hips hurt so much that decided to stop Lipitor. I was so tired all the time and in constant pain.

My doctors said it couldn't be the Lipitor. The pain in most of the tender points are just about gone but I know it will take a while to get out of my system. I lost muscle strength over the years and hope to get that back. I'm 64 years old and know it will take awhile .

I went to my doctor Tuesday and told him I took myself off the Lipitor and that I now remember being diagnosed with Fibro shortly after going on Lipitor. He got so mad at me and said that Lipitor doesn't cause a disease. As I said there's no test for Fibro and it's not a disease it's a syndrome or condition where the brain sends pain signals to the tender point muscles but there's nothing actually wrong with the muscles. I told him that 6 years ago when I tried going off Lipitor for 3 months and joined a gym, Curves, I felt fine and thought I was in remission. Then when I started taking Lipitor again I couldn't do the exercise in Curves and had to stop going. It never dawned on me it was the Lipitor.

I now have a problem with my heart, one condition I might have been born with but the Arrthymia I don't know about. My heart beats too many beats and it beats 4 beats and the 5th beat is backwards. Now I'm on 25mg of Topricin (the generic) beta blocker to slow down the heart beats. I don't know if this is caused by the Lipitor or not. My cardiologist said that Lipitor can affect every muscle in your body and she suggested that I get a RX for a blood test to tell whether I have muscle damage. I went for the test Tuesday but haven't received the results yet.

I'm going to change doctors, I don't like my doctor's attitude with me over the Lipitor. These doctors think they're God. When I told him on Tuesday about the 3 months that I felt fine 6 years ago he said that there are other drugs besides statins to lower cholesterol. I don't want to go on any drugs and the non statin drugs can cause intestinal blockage, he got upset when I told him that too. I'm going to try to lower it with flaxseed and fiber and see if that works. I go to Weight Watchers and kept 17 lbs. off for 6 years now, I do try and eat healthy.

I can't believe it cost me almost 8 years of my life in pain. It's even hard for me to get down on the floor with my granchildren, I have to crawl to the couch or chair to lift myself up and I get tired so easily. I just hope I get back to normal.

I'm so glad I found this website and figured out what was wrong with me. I hope my writing helps someone else dignosed with Fibromyalgia and taking a statin.

Thanks for listening.
Marie

Dizziness, fainting, rapid fall in blood pressure.
Not sure that this is a problem with Lisinopril, but would be interested in any comments. Have been taking Lisinopril for about 15 years, 10mg/day, BP been stable in the 130/75-85 range until it rose to 140/102, between Sep'06/Jan'07. Was spending the winter months in Spain and on returning to UK in May 2007 agreed with doctor to increase dose to 20mg/day. BP, diastolic reading remained high in 95/98 range. To cut a long story short doctor suggested 10mg Amlovasc (Amiodipine) which is a Calcium Antagonist in addition to the 20mg Lisinopril. This 'worked' and BP was then down to 130/84 range. No particular side effects apart from some dry cough. However 5 days ago I collapsed, fainted for a short period, poor vision, comforted by first aiders until ambulance arrived. Was sick before ambulance arrived and then felt much better but they measured my BP as 80/40. Had various checks in emergency (this is in Spain) ECG etc and now waiting for appointment with cardiologist. Since this event I have seen on the Amlovasc info sheet that it may interact with ACE inhibitors which is what Lisinopril is. I wonder if this possible interaction was the reason for the collapse etc? I have also been taking Benecol (Stanol Ester) since August 2007 to maintain my cholesterol at an acceptable level. This has been successful. Once I have had the consultation with the cardiologist I hope to know more.

After 3 months taking lipitor, woke up during the night with full body muscle spasms. Emergency crew took me to emergency wherby morphine was injected over a three hour period to loosen the tightened muscles. Use of lipitor ended that evening.

For the next 26months, 8-12 major spasms occurred within a 24 hour period. Methocarbanol was and still is being used as a combative tool against spasms.

Currently determining what should be taken to provided nutrients to the muscles to help them to repair the damage done by the spasms that occurred.

Presently, major spasms have diminished to 4-6 per month, tight muscles persist, and its very easy to have muscle cramps when doing miscellaneouls medium to heavy duty chores. Medium would be reaching out to help pull yourself up and heavy would be snow shoveling with medium size shovel.

In my case, Zetia (non-statin) has brought my chloresterol levels down to an acceptable level & no side effects have occurred.

I have been taking 20mg of Lisinopril for about 6 months. At first my blood pressure came down to an acceptable level, but now seems to be creeping up again. I know this means a higher dosage, but I am reluctant to take it as I have developed ....not a cough as such, but when I go to bed especially, it feels like I have a lump of mucus in my throat and have to keep swollowing, but it doesn't go away. This is accompanied by a burning in my throat which I get any time of the day. Last night I had terrible chest pains together with all the other stuff I didn't sleep a wink! when I reported these symptoms to my doctor she said I has asthma and gave me an inhaler to use, but this has not got rid of my symptoms. I am sure it is the lisinopril.

I find it more difficult to get an erection, but 5 mg per day brings my bp down to an acceptable level. Can someone tell me what med is just as good for bp as Lisinopril but doesn't have the erection problem?

I had a hair analysis done 3 years ago to see if my mercury level was high. I found it was 1.92 when the acceptable level is 0 - 1, so it was almost 2x the norm, and my aluminum level is off the chart at 35.5 when it should be 0 - 9. My Naturopath recommended the standard for heavy metal toxicity: take chelated minerals (minerals compounded in such a way that they will bind with the heavy metals in my body and remove them) plus 2,000 mg vitamin C per day.

Well,I started back on my chelated mineral therapy and high antioxidants this morning and have felt the best I have felt in a month - since before I began Levaquin. Remember, this is only one day, but I could not help but pass on the information. Every day I have had aches and pains throughout my body, or in my neck, back and ribs or all of the above. I have had no energy. I am one of the people who has blood in my urine. Still have not had the thorough check-up to determine the cause. So, my lower right back is still sore and it hurts to take a deep breath, sneeze or cough, but unfortunately I think that may be kidney related an will take more than some chelated minerals to aleviate the pain. What prompted me to resume the chelated mineral therapy was doing a little research on the ingrediants in Levaquin.

I looked up the ingrediants in Levaquin and was surprised to find that it contains iron, even though the instructions say not to take it iron.

I did a little more research on-line and found that heavy metal toxicity can cause arthritis.

I also found the following, and I don't understand exactly what it means (does anyone else?): There was also some mention of how Levaquin "has the potential to form stable coordination compounds with many metal ions. This in vitro chelation potential has the following formation order: Al+3>Cu+2>Zn+2>Mg+2>Ca+2."

It made me wonder if it could cause a combination of metals that is harming me and causing all of these side effects. Or maybe because my body is so high in Aluminum (Al) to begin with, maybe this is why I have had such painful side effects. Or maybe Levaquin just dumped a large quantity of iron in my body, that has started arthritis. As you can see, I am grasping for answers and solutions, not bandaids, but getting at the root cause. There has to be something in our bodies that is "causing" all of this on a daily basis, that has to be removed.

I am really "searching" for answers because no one seems to have any. So please keep in mind that this is only one day that I feel better. I will give you updates. Let's hope for the best. I don't want to be like the others who have been debilitated by this. I want to prevent the osteochondrosis and arthritis and I want to stop the aches and pains for good. Good luck everyone!!!