Angioplasty symptoms and conditions

age 72 had MI angioplasty and stent.On lipitor for 3years but recently noticed increase in muscle and joint pains and then lightheadedness and walking unsteady and tending to go slightly from side to side.Also a tendency to have nasal congestion.I am an MD and will stop the statin and assess the progress.

Hi
I had a blood clot in my l. leg. I had an angioplasty and was put on 4mg of Warfrin daily.
Since I started on Warfrin I have developed a hearing loss and a rather severe feeling of soreness when I rise from a chair. I really feel like I can't make it thru another few months.
Maybe the warfrin is not the problem. I have heard of no other warfrin users getting hearing loss.
Love to hear your Warfrin experiences
Ernie M.
Canberra, Australia

I am 59 years old Asian male and have gone through six angioplasty and have seven stents in all three arteries in the year 02-03. No heart attack so far. I am taking 10 mg of Lipitor and can not tolerate 20 mg or higher strength because pain in the knee, thigh and leg increases. I tried to reduce my cholesterol by changing food, weight reduction and 40 minutes of tread mill at 5 mph, 5 days a week. I did not get the desired results i.e. keeping LDL below 70.
Since liver makes 80 % of cholesterol, I have to take 10 mg of Lipitor and tolerate the minor side effects. With change in diet, exercise, weight reduction, and 10 mg of Lipitor, I am able to reduce my total cholesterol from 247 to 116, LDL from 164 to 62 and increase HDL from 32 to 42.

I've had a heart attack at age 46 (2000) and had two stents put in. I have been on various cholesterol medicines. If my cholesterol went down my triglycerides went up, leg pains were horrible. In 2004 the Dr did another angioplasty my arteries looked clear. In 2007 I started having chest pains and went in for another angioplasty, I had two 90% blocked arteries and One 70%. I have been taking Vytorin for over two years, I started with 10/20, I had moderate cholesterol and a little high in triglycerides, and a little high in my liver enzymes. My doctor increased me to 10/40 since the angioplasty, yes everything dropped in to normal ranges except my liver enzymes which have now doubled.I have had very strange eye attacks, it is like my eyes go numb, anxiety attacks, depression, horrible lower back ache by my hips, shoulder pain coming on lately. The good thing is that this comes and goes, it is not constant, but when it hits it is bad. One thing I think I have been an example for, is Vytorin doesn't work any better than anything else, because if it did I wouldn't have had 2 more blocked arteries,
Now I am concerned about the 3rd one he did not put a stent in it and upped my dosage hoping it would keep it from clogging. I fear I am doomed...

Dear Users,
At first I thought it was just my imagination seeing that I have recently undergone angioplasty with stenting I should be feeling on top of the world but then I started developing breathlessness and muscle aches with the occasional sleepless nights which my specialist could not explained and attributed it to my genes as my elder sister had the same experience. However, now it has gotten worse with sudden piercing pan to both my shoulder blades right to my finger tips. I am in a way glad to have found this site and know that others have the same problems as myself. It would be a good thing if all patients are warned of these side effects.

I had Hodgkin’s Disease in 1981 at which time they removed my spleen.
I was given a supply of Erythromycin antibiotics as a prophylactic, as a result of my Splenectomy to counteract any ongoing infections etc. and I have used this now for years, on an as necessary basis rather than continual, with good results.
In 1994 I suffered a Heart Attack and they found my Cholesterol level to be 9.6. I had Angioplasty and a Stent was inserted to hold the artery open.
Following that, I was prescribed Zocor (Simvastatin) to reduce my Cholesterol level.
My eyesight, which has always been very poor as I have Cone Dystrophy, deteriorated over the next three years to a point where I was registered as blind in 1998. The form indicated “Primary loss of central field”.
I suffered various side-effects from the Statin including General Weakness, Panic Attacks and Palpitations. My Cholesterol during this period averaged around 7.
The Doctor changed my Statin to Lipitor (Atorvastatin) in 1998.
In 2000 I complained to the doctor that I had severe muscular problems, to a point where I had to wear knee supports just to climb the stairs. He referred me to the Physiotherapist who manipulated my legs and gave me exercises to help strengthen the muscles. I was unable to walk after that for about 2 weeks!
By sheer fluke, I went on holiday in 2001 and forgot to take my Statins with me. I did not start taking them again straightaway when I returned and I noticed my muscles improving. As I had an appointment with the doctor, I started taking Lipitor again and found that my muscles again deteriorated.
Apart from the muscle issues I experienced lethargy and some digestive problems.
I suspended taking the Statins in October 2001 and my muscles gradually returned.
My Cholesterol crept up to 9.2 and I was referred to the Lipid Clinic at St. Bartholemews Hospital in March 2002.
The specialist there put me on Lescol (Fluvastatin), together with a diet of fruit, beans and chicken.
My muscles continued to return but I suffered from sleeplessness, nightmares and headaches and generally felt unwell. My Cholesterol did, however, reduce to 6.1 and my Triglycerides fell from 14 to 2.3.
In July 02, I stopped taking Lescol (due to erectile dysfunction) and my general well being improved immediately.
I was not prescribed any other Statins at that time and by February 2003 my muscles had returned to almost normal but my Cholesterol had crept up to 8.7.
In February 2003 the Lipid specialist at Barts tried me on Supalip 180 Fenofibrate together with Ezetimibe, due to my intolerance to Statins
On this combination I suffered from fatigue, impotency and again, muscle wastage so I stopped taking any Cholesterol reducing medication for a few months and my Cholesterol rose again to 8.3.
Between May and August 2004 the Clinic tried me on Pravastatin and Ezetimibe but I still suffered from fatigue and impotency and stopped taking any Statins, with my Cholesterol at 7.3 and Triglycerides at around 7. Lipid clinic suggested trying Rosuvastatin (Crestor) but I had had enough by then and thank my good judgment for not taking it, as the side effects are reportedly worse than other Statins.
For the next 3 years, I felt fit and strong with no problems with my muscles nor any sleeplessness, panic attacks etc. In July 2007 my GP took a blood test. My Cholesterol level was 7.4 with Triglycerides at 7.
Over the last few months, I have been taking my glasses off more and more to be able to see more clearly. In the last few weeks the clarity of my vision has improved considerably and I can now see people’s faces and generally much more detail. Red things, like buses and traffic lights are now considerably brighter and I am now able to watch TV from a distance again rather than sitting a foot from the screen. I find I no longer need to wear glasses with a special red tint to improve my vision.
My vision appears to have almost returned to the level it was in 1994 before I had my heart attack and Statin therapy.
I have recently found that one of the side-effects of some Statins is blurring of vision, particulary the statin Zocor, and that this is also a symptom of Rhabdomyolysis which is caused by the taking of Erythromycin with Statins. I do not know what the nature of the blurring is, but nobody has ever mentioned that Statins could affect my eyesight.
Looking back at the timings, I had been on Zocor for 3 years when I was declared blind, and it could be only now that I have been off Statins for 3 years, that my eyes are recovering.
Whilst researching the side-effects of Statins which include, in particular, muscle breakdown and blurred vision, I have found that they should not be taken with Erythromycin!
I believe I suffered blindness, resulting and much discomfort for years as a result of misdiagnosis of the side-effects of the Statins and the prescribing of Statins whilst being prescribed Erythromycin.
I believe that Cholesterol levels in people who have had a Splenectomy are abnormally high and people who have a Splenectomy should be warned to immediately go onto a low fat diet and not have toasted bacon sandwiches on the way to work every morning as I did!
The Lipid Clinic also suggested that my complaints about various side effects were psychosomatic and even told me not to look at the side effects leaflet with the pills, just to give them a try for 6 months..
I recently visited my GP and suggested that the combination of Erythromycin and Statins was the cause of my severe muscle breakdown and eyesight deterioration and questioned whether the Statins should have been prescribed when I was on Erythromycin. He advised that he would not do so, would suspend one or the other, but that they probably knew more now than they did a few years ago.
I just wonder how many other people have been suffering for years, just thinking their health and vision is deteriorating with age, when it is probably the medication they are on!

I have beenon lipitor for more than five years. I now have unbearable pains in my shoulders which are only relieved with antiinflammatories. I also have pains in my right foot which is sometimes very difficult to walk on. My Dr says ok go off lipitor but risk heart attack/stroke. I am getting to the point that the pain is so debilitating that Idon't care.

Since starting 25mg Toprol XL after having a stent inserted and suffering a mild heart attack during the angioplasty, I have lost all libido and have gained 40 lbs. My ability to jog/run has been diminshed. I also feel depressed, unmotivated and suffer from memory loss and brain "fog."
My question: Do I really need to be on this medication?
Thanks.

I've been on Toprol XL 50 for 6 years after angioplasty/3stents.

I'm tired during the day, sex drive diminished but not gone, and have inability to lose weight.

Are these symptoms related to Toprol?

Reading the experiences of others has a way of telling us we're in the same boat. After having read several of the posts here, I understand SO clearly what has been going on with me. I had an angioplasty and a stent installed almost two years ago, and the doc put me on Lisinopril, Atenolol and a couple of cholesterol-lowering drugs (Niaspan and Lipitor have their issues too).
After several months, I began to experience the most horrific series of "colds" I've ever had. I sing in a band, and I'd begun to wonder if I was losing my voice (and my mind). Constant globs of mucus in the throat, and persistent coughing, especially at night, and I went through a box of facial tissue every few days.
About six months ago, I got a call from the doc saying that I should be taking half the dosage in the AM and half in the PM (he didn't offer any explanation as to why I wasn't told this at first). I don't know how it works, but the sore throat, coughing and overproduction of mucus has passed. I should mention also that I began taking Airborne effervescent health formula every time the symptoms began to return (even slightly) and this has helped tremendously.
Still, the double whammy of Atenolol and Lisinopril has its way with me. I occasionally experience nasty bouts of vertigo, extraordinary tiredness (even after a full night's sleep) and numbness in my arms and hands while sleeping. I suppose that's the price I have to pay for inheriting heart disease from my folks.

i was prescribed tricor for my triglycerides after angioplasty. 10 mg zocor was added then 20 for about a year now. My hands are so cramped and the pain in my fingers is so intense that I cannot sleep. I can't lift or hold anything and typing this letter is very painful. I find it hard to even hold the steering wheel when driving. My hands are in so much pain that I am 1 day off of zocor and and praying for relief.

I began taking Lisiniprila few days ago upon leaving the hospital after an SVT attack and getting angioplasty and a stent for blocked artery. I had been on Altace already and had not attributed any symptoms I was having then to blood pressure medicine. I have fibro-myalgia, anxiety disorder as well as a history of depression so I am a difficult patient to treat at times as far as what disease may be causing what symptoms.
There is NO doubt WHATSOEVER that Lisinipril has made me feel ten times sicker than I have felt in quite a while. I have nausea almost 24-7, stomach pain, burning, feeling of something "turning over" inside my stomach as well as fatigue, light-headedness, pain in my eyes, pain in my kidney area and my neck and throat are swollen. I'm sure I have left something out as far as the symptoms but I can guarantee you that I WILL NOT be continueing this medication! I am very glad this site exists to help those of us recognize similarities from this drug that we otherwise might have spent no telling how long trying to find out what's causing these symptoms! The travesty in this is that we cannot depend on our own doctors to stand up for OUR well-being as opposed to catering to the drug companies or just plain out being uninformed, neglectful malpractitioners!

I am a 47 year old male who had a heart attack in march of 1993. I have had angioplasty three times with stent implants during the last two procedure's. My primary care physician thought it would be to my benefit to take Zocor. I have been taking 20mg a day for the past 4 years. During the past few months I have been having pain in my right elbow and lack of strength in my arm. I also have been having a steady dull pain in my right leg which runs from my thigh down through my knee and calf. I have had liver function tests done once a year because of an earlier bout with hepatitis and alcohol abuse, but the tests show that my liver is working fine. Does this sound like it could be a side effect of the Zocr?