Big toe symptoms and conditions

I took Zocor for 9 months after I had a heart attack. After about 8 months I began having sever muscle spasm in my legs. I had a couple of episodes where when walking I couldn't pick up my feet and thought I was having a stroke and had to sit down and rest before walking on. I had to do this several times to get where I was going. I told my cardiologist and he had me stop the Zocor. The spasms stopped but I never regained the strength in my legs. Today I have had to put ramps in at home cannot climb steps. The ramp is difficult because of the incline but it is better than crawling up my steps to get in the house. I can only walk about 50 steps before my legs give out on me. I cannot walk on uneven ground without holding on to something or someone. I have now had 2 back surgeries because I have been told over and over it is my back with no relief for the legs. This last surgery my left foot drags and my big toe hangs down and I cannot pull it up. Now I fall a lot because of that and have to wear an AFO to keep my foot and toe up so it doesn't drag and trip me. The back doctor thinks it another pinched nerve and wants to open back up again. I am so tired of them trying to convenience me it is my back when I know it was the Zocor and the damage apparently is irreversible but no one wants to agree with me. I am sick of it and just wish they would say yes it was the Zocor and get you a scooter and live the best you can. I know I am headed for that road I use a walker and cane when I don't have someone with me to hold on to. Because I am so unstable on my legs.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

About a month ago I noticed my left thigh was going numb. I had been a little less active due to tennis elbow, so I stepped up my exercise a bit. The whole side of my thigh hip to knee became completely numb. A few days later I began to tingle in my hands and face and by big toe and foot. I went to my Chiropractor 3 times a week and he really felt I was in good alignment and should not be having these extreme problems. He scheduled me for an MRI and x-rays. He kept asking about ANY other changes in life. I lost my brother to polymyositis 5 years ago and was starting to have scary thoughts. I woke up at 2am on a Friday 2 weeks ago and remembered my Dr. had started me on Lipitor 6 weeks earlier !
I got up and googled "Lipitor numbness" and found this page and a host of others. I stopped taking Lipitor. It has been 2 weeks since I quit and numbness has turned to shooting pains and burning so bad I can hardly stand my pant legs or my bed sheets touching me. I continue to have tingling in my hands and feet and I am a professional musician. (guitar player) Will somebody please tell me that over time all of these symptoms will wear off and pass ?

For the last year and a half I have taken Levothyroxine Sodium 50mg, now increased to 75 mg. I have gained a great deal of weight and developed arthritis in both knees. Some days my knees hurt so bad I can hardly get out of bed. Since my medication was increased to 75mg. I have been itching like crazy. It is not continually, but at times I just go into an itching fit. Please help! Is there any other thyroid medication that works without all the bad side effects?

I have been taking 1,000 mg for about 6 month to lower my LDL to 70 mg from 107 mg. I also take 81 mg aspirin about 30 min. before I take my 1,000 mg Niaspan. My HDL and triglycerides are fine. Lipitor did not lower my LDL and Vitorin caused the tingling in my right arm. After discontinuing Vitorin, I was put on Niaspan. The flushing is OK but the itching on my back was horrible not to mention insomnia. Itching comes and goes but what worries me that recently I have developed the pain in my toes, (excluding the big toe) and when I get out of my bed my feet do not want to support me for at least 5-6 steps. I have been always able to walk for miles! I realized that one of the side effects of Niaspan is elevated concentration of uric acid (gout) or glucose (diabetic condition).
Any similar side effects?

after about a week on my methadone my feet and ankles swell they diagnosed it as cellulitis but cellulitis doesnt go away w/out antibiotic treatment so the next 2x it happened i didnt get antibiotic treatment i just put my feet up and stayed off them and the methadone and the swelling went down! also after about a week i start to do random episodes of passing out once with my face in bowl of cereal and once doing dishes and this was at prescribed dosage!!! be very careful i am on blood thinners and i think the dosage builds up quicker in my system perhaps. i didn't tell doctor because they work for my pain better than anything else he has given me and its hard enough to get something that even takes the edge off my pain i have so many medical problems that three very reputable neurosurgeons refused to operate on me due to my risk of stroke and i am only 49! i have deg disk deg joint rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis in lower back l4-5 and s-1 several disks that are dehydrated and dessicated , many bone spurs poking in spinal canal in cervical spine every disk in cervical spin either bulging herniated or previously operated on severe arthritis in feet toes and severe nerve damage in right foot where big toe and baby no longer can lift up neuropathy in right arm radiculopathy in left missing protein s in blood which is the protein that keeps your blood from overclotting so i have been on blood thinners since 29 yrs old and have had several pulmonary embolisms b4 age 29 and proper diagnosis and the list goes on! and yet even though i got my soc sec disability by myself w/out lawyer assistance due to list of medical problems which spoke for itself i still cannot find a doctor who will try to work with me realistically on a pain management program that even manages to take the edge off to enjoy the quality of life enough to be able to spend time with my 4 yr old granddaughter doing things like fishing and playing with her in ways that i would like such as camping amusement park rides (which they have forbidden!!!) can anybody out ther help me find a doctor who will not be afraid to prescribe something that will really work enough to put me back in the game off life ? did i mention that i need right hip replacement it is bone on bone and left isn't far behind and lower back was listed as severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis needing surgery also as of 2 yrs ago and also need several cervical surgeries and that i have a benign tumor in thoracic spine that cant be operated on but does still cause pain! so please if you can be of help to me/as winter is upon me now ,which as we all know multiplies most of our pain problems so speed of the essence!!!!xoxoxoxo please e-mail me if you know of any doctor who can be of real help managing pain no surgeon will touch me due to risk of stroke , i stayed awake for last major surgery it had to be done risk outweighed stroke risk if it didn't get done. i am currently on methadone 10mg 4x daily and it barely takes edge off and causes too many side effects which i wont tell dr. because it is the closest thing ive had to pain relief and have been on same dose for 4 yrs ,and my pain has no hope of improving but only the certain knowledge that it is going to get increasingly worse every day and my granddaughter only has me her grand papa and her uncle, my son, that she can depend on being ther in a good role model form as well as being her only consistent source of love ,affection and proper parenting! I love my daughter but her and her boyfriend ,my granddaughters father of course, are 2 of the most self centered people on earth and unfortunately they put their needs b4 thier own daughters on every level and in way to much detail for me to put here i need only say this combine 2 totally self centered individuals with a pretty big cocaine addiction and you will get enough with that to know my dilemma! they buy her many clothes n toys n moviiiies to keep her busy while they play but never enough food or mmeds or real needs such as affection, love ,food, drinks etc!! they both work in a hosp making great money but i have to provide my sweetie(grand baby) with food meds affection love and all the things they should be doing! this is why it is even more urgent i am able to function well w/out as much pain as possible she needs to be here with me and her pa pa in a healthy ,wholesome loving and affectionate home she loves to bake and read and learn with us she never wants to leave and it tears my heart out when i drop her home with her daddy and she cries hysterically because she doesn't want me to go and she wants to stay with me and i cant! so please help me find a good doctor who can help me function at highest level w/out pain but also as coherently and safely as possible!!??? i would be forever indebted to you for your kindness and help! e-mail is ******* please send referrals or recommendations of any and all sorts tysvm, i live in the area of erie county new york tysvm,xxxooo tysvm for all your time ,much love, pained and troubled grandma in n.y who needs your help to be able to help my sweet grandbabyxxxooo

Hi I started taking Lipitor when I was about 41 and gradually noticed a big toe becoming numb. Then later another toe became numb. I had just started swimming about this time with fins and thought at first it may have been caused by them. But then I stopped swimming and the numbness continued. I visited a Neurologist a couple of years ago who tested for everything and found some peripheral nerve damage to the feet. I said the only thing I could think of was Lipitor. He said here was no conclusive evidence it causes this but explained how nerves are made of Lipids and lipitor limits the production of lipids. I stopped taking it but later my GP said I need to go on something for my cholesterol. He put me on Crestor. I took a Lipitor the other week and my toes tingled that night. So I am convinced it is Lipitor. I am not sure how to reverse the damage though.

Started taking prednisone about 3 months ago for a serious flare-up of my Sciatica. My Sciatica was so bad that I couldn’t even stand up. After a couple days of prednisone, I was able to walk, but still had pain on my left side, from my back down to the tip of my big toe. Symptoms started getting better, but then the side effects started. Gain 40 lbs, can’t sleep, muscles are so weak it’s hard to walk, blurred vision… one day (laying on my bed) I noticed I couldn’t even see the clock on the cable box anymore. Lumps started appearing. One on my wrist and one big one on my upper arm. I cut my finger 5 days ago and it still hasn’t closed up completely yet. It even still bleeds. I know on the side of my pill bottle it says “This medicine may lower your ability to fight off infections”, but man! It sucks when you have a little cut that just won’t heal. Anyway, I’m sick of the side effects and they only seem to be getting worse. I’m stopping today! I would rather fight through the pain of my Sciatica than to deal with all these side effects. I just hope (and pray) that the side effects go away without doing (if not already) major damage.

My first injection gave me generalized bodyache, but after the 3rd day it was absolutely wonderful, I am 49 years old, 120 pounds and 5'5, and I felt my legs extremely energized like when my knees were not injured. Then I went to the 2nd injection, when the medication was ejected in the joint, it was extremely painful. I had to have help to excert my self. I was not able to squat down. In the mornings,the posterior side of my muscles, below the knee, felt like it was shrunk down to a third. Every step was excruciating pain, especially when walking down just a few steps. Before the shot,I had pain in the lateral side of the knee. Now the pain is in the internal side of the leg, starting below my knee all the way down to my big toe. If I would have known this pain would have occurred, I would have never taken the second injection. My condition got even worse than before I ever had any injection. I am so devastated I have come to the bridge of crying and feeling crippled. I had the last shoot about two weeks ago and my legs feel very heavy when I take a step. Now I hope and pray for a miracle.

Hi, Had a KENALOG injection about 2 months ago for chronic hayfever, since about a week after I had the shot, I have had various joint pains in the leg in which I had the injection. It started in my hip, then my ankle, even at times my big toe joint! Has anyone else had a similar experience, if so how long should this last? I can't exercise, even walking a short distance is painful. I have 2 young kids and this is not helping!!
Sarah, Hampshire, UK

I STARTED LEVAQUIN, 1ST ROUND FOR STAPH INFECTION POST OP BURSECTOMY. AFTER THE 2ND DAY, I ASKED DR. FOR PAIN MEDS JUST TO CONTINUE ANTIBIOTICS. I HAD TERRIBLE JOINT PAIN, AND COULD BARELY WALK. I ALSO STARTED GETTING PITTED EDEMA. THE DR CONTRIBUTED THE EDEMA TO IV FROM SURGERY AND DISMISSED ALL THE SYMPTOMS I COMPLAINED ABOUT FOR THE LEVAQUIN ASSUMING I WAS A DRUG SEEKER I GUESS. AFTER THE FOLLOWING WEEK, MY SYMPTOMS SEEMED TO GET BETTER. I AM NOW ON ROUND 4 ( 500MG LEVAQUIN X 7 DAYS) I WENT TO DR BECAUSE MY PITTED EDEMA RETURNED. I ACTUALLY HAD A ROLL WHICH COVERED MY ANKLE. MY FEET WERE HUGE. THE PA SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT, BUT SAID IT WAS NOT LEVAQUIN. BY THE NEXT DAY I COULD BARELY WALK. MY KNEES HIPS AND BUTT MUSCLES HURT SO BAD. I HAD A LUMBAR FUSION A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THIS WAS MORE PAINFUL. I STOPPED THE DRUG BECAUSE MY BIG TOE STARTED GOING NUMB. SYMPTOMS STARTED TO DISAPPEAR BY NEXT DAY, BUT THEN MY ARM INFECTION RETURNED SO I RESTARTED LEVAQUIN. THIS TIME, BY 2ND DOSE AL SYMPTOMS RETURNED. NOW MY BIG TOE WENT COMPLETELY NUMB ON TOP HALF AND MEDIAL SIDE. I COULD NOT USE KNEES AT ALL. IF I COULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE STORE, I WOULD HAVE GONE AND BOUGHT A WALKER. I AM 45. I DECIDED TO STOP DRUG AND START SOME KEFLEX I HAD IN CUBBORD. SYMPTOMS WERE GONE IN ABOUT 2 DAYS. I STILL LIKE CRAP, BUT I CAN WALK NOW AND THE SEVERE FEET, LEGS, KNEES, HIPS , BUTT , WRIST PAIN ARE SO MUCH BETTER. I DID HAVE TO LAY FLAT WITH LEGS ABOVE HEART FOR 2 DAYS TO HELP GET RID OF EDEMA. I READ ONLINE WHERE OTHERS HAD THESE PROBLEMS ALSO. I HAVE TAKEN LEVAQUIN BEFORE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. I HAVE TO WANDER IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF FACTORY TAMPERING OR INGREDIENT CHANGE ETC, THAT COULD PASSABLY BE HAPPENING. MY MEDS WER PURCHASED AT SAVEMART AND KAISER. I HAVE TAKEN THIS DRUG MANY TIMES PRIOR TO 2005 AND ALWAYS HAD GREAT RESULTS. I AM GOING TO SEE IF ANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS WERE PRIOR TO 2005. I READ WERE SOMEONE SAID TO DRINK A LOT OF WATER . I AM NOT A BIG WATER DRINKER SO I MUST ADMIT IT HELPED. I READ WHERE ANOTHER LADY HAD MULTIPLE TESTS, AND FINALLY THE ONLY THING THAT CAME BACK ABNORMAL WAS A LAB TEST TO SHOW MUSCLE DETERIORATION. I ALSO DID A COLON CLEANSE. SOMETHING I ALREADY HAD THAT I USE ON OCCASION. SO, I DONT KNOW IF IT WAS A COINCIDENCE, BUT AFTER THE COLON CLEANSE, DISCONTINUE OF LEVAQUIN, LOTS OF WATER, AND CUT DOWN ON ANY SALTY FOOD, THE ONLY SYMPTOMS STILL LEFT ARE MY KNEES. I STILL CANNOT GET UP OFF THE FLOOR, OF BEND DOWN WITHOUT SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO. BUT THEY ARE IMPROVING AND THIS IS DAY 3. EDEMA IS COMPLETELY GONE. MY SIDE AFFECTS PAPER STATED DANGER OF TENDON RUPTURE AND IT ALSO STATED NOT TO EXERCISE. SO, IT CANNOT HURT TO DO A COLON CLEANSE. IF NOTHING ELSE, IT HELPS GET RID OF LEFT OVER TOXINS IN BODY. I WOULD ASK FOR A GOOD ONE AT AN HERB STORE. BUT MAKE SURE YOU DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER. I THINK DEHYDRATION HAS PARTLY TO DO WITH MUSCLE PAIN ETC. ALL 3 DOCTORS I SPOKE WITH REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS IS THE CULPRIT. I AM GOING TO DEMAND THEY PUT MY SYMPTOMS AND PUT THAT I STATE I BELIEVE LEVAQUIN IS CASING OR CONTINUING TO CAUSE THESE PROBLEMS IN MY MEDICAL RECORDS. ASK DR TO READ BACK TO YOU WHAT THEY DOCUMENTED IN YOUR CHART. INSIST THEY PUT IT IN YOUR CHART. IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS DRUG DOWN THE ROAD, YOU WILL HAVE IT DOCUMENTED. NOT ANY OF MY DOCTORS DOCUMENTED THE THINGS I TOLD THEM ABOUT LEVAQUIN WHEN I ASKED. I AM NOW GOING TO INSIST THEY DOCUMENT IT IT ALL, AND PROVIDE ME A COPY OF THE MEDICAL RECORD AFTER IT HAS BEEN DICTATED. PS. IT IS NOW CAUSING CRAZY NIGHTMARES, DEPRESSION. I CAN LIVE WITH THAT, BUT THE PAIN ON A SCALE WAS A 9. GOOD LUCK, AND IF ANYONE FINDS A DOCTOR WHO HAS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, PLEASE POST IT. THANK YOU DK

I wanna say I have had no side effects for Gout. So far this stuff is great no more big toe

Hi,I am a 54 year old male and a recipient of a kidney transplant in mid 2006. I have been on a variety of different drugs mainly the two that i am most concerned with are Prednisone and Fosamax. I stopped the Prednisone with my doctors blessing as my transplant went very well. However i have been suffering from joint pain first in my feet at the joint of my big toe and then my knees and right hip, next my neck. The knee pain is the worst and my legs feel fatigued most of the time. I am active however it is difficult to remain positive when you experience constant pain. I don't know if this is being caused by Fosamax. I now believe that the Prednisone was masking the pain. Any thoughts?

I took Lipitor for about 2 years- 5 mg.
Leg cramps-soreness throughout my muscles- very sore buttocks-
my legs are shaky- if I use them too much; (as in walking 3 miles)
I am (was ) an avid body builder that could squat with 100 lbs- and now ( I am a health conscious -non drinking- NO other medication 104 lb slim female) have quivering legs if I stand for too long. I even had a muscle biopsy- and it cam back negative- I have not had a statin for 6 months- but I still have cramps- and abnormal liver values- and I have NO other conditions-I have been scanned from head to toe - open MRI- closed MRI -but the muscle stiffness- soreness- especially legs- continues-
does anyone know how long it lasts? I have also been tested for liver cancer- thank God-negative.
I really feel that Lipitor did this- has anyone else gone from fit as a fiddle to a quivering -achy person- I have gone through 5 doctors- internal - gastrointestinal - neurologist- hematologist and all is negative- just high liver values and muscle pain. Thank you so much.Maxine

I am a 52 year old male from South Florida. Two years ago my Dr prescribed Lipitor. I started to feel weakness in my legs after mowing the lawn but I dismissed it as just being worn out from the summer heat and humidity. About six months ago the little toe on my left foot became numb and it spread to my other toes. I get continuous spasms in my left big toe and now the toes on my right foot are becoming numb. When I sleep at night I am continuously being woken with leg cramps in my feet, calfs and thighs. My feet feel heavy, my legs feel weak. There are times that I just lose my balance. I have a physical job and when I get home I don't want to do anything. I am going to see a neurologist on 3/31 to see what he thinks. My biggest fear is that I now have permanent damage. I have not read any articles about individuals having a full recovery after stopping the medication.

Help!! I need some advice. I'm 47 and have been diagnosed with HBP. I'm 6'2", 250 lbs. My Dr. has prescribed Lisinopril, which I'm suppose to pick up today. I've never been on any prescription medicine before. Don't have any known allergies. My BP averages 138/90 in the am and 170/117 in the evening. My fear is once I start taking this medication, am I on it forever? The side-effect described on this board are frightening. Any advice??

I was prescribed Zocor 10mg about 3 mos ago. I started having severe pain in my knee when kneeling down like a hot knife. The skin on the side also became numb. After x-raying the knee they found nothing wrong. Cholesterol went down but they upped me to 20mg and within a few days I developed a rash on my arms, hands and legs - no itching but annoying. Thinking it was a food allergy I didn't worry about it too much. Then I started getting knee pain in my other knee and then in my big toe. I'm 50 years old and feel like I'm 80. Now the palms of my hands are peeling like they've been sunburned. My doctor has told me to stop taking the Zocor but that she has never heard of these side effects.

My ENT prescribed Levaquin 500mg per day for 12 days for an unusual bacterial sinus infection. Within four days I was feeling horrible. I have been off the medication for four days now but my symptoms haven't improved much.

My biggest complaint is that I can hardly walk due to terrible ankle and foot pain. All of the joints in my feet hurt but particularly both ankle and big toe joints. I can’t find a pair of shoes or even slippers that are comfortable. Every joint in my entire body aches. My shoulders and my arm muscles are so sore that it hurts to do anything. My wrists and my hands and fingers hurt and feel swollen. I can’t open jars or similar tasks. My knees and hips are sore so walking is painful. My lower back hurts if I walk much. Joints that I've had problems with in the past hurt even worse including my neck (cervical spine). My skin is very sensitive to touch even to my clothes, bed sheets and slippers. I’m miserable. I already had dry eyes but this drug has made them MUCH worse. My eyes are so dry, they both hurt and they are both bloodshot. My eyes are now even more sensitive to light so I wear sunglasses to reduce pain causing glare. Cognitively, I feel like I am in a fog; it’s kind of a spacey, surreal feeling. I feel like jumping out of my skin. I have had chest pain twice. My heart races at times. I have an intermittent, frequent knife like pain in between my shoulder blades (on the left side) and it is worse when I breathe deeply. I have tingling in my hands and they usually feel cold. I feel queasy at times. In general I feel ill and I have no energy. I fatigue easily. I don't know whether to cry or to scream but I feel like doing both. I've always had headaches but they are more frequent now. On top of it all I still have intermittent burning in my sinuses so I don't know if the drug has even cleared up the infection or not. I was re cultured today.

I have taken Cipro (similar to Levaquin) in the past so I did not make the connection between the Levaquin and my symptoms until two days after I had completed the drug. It was Christmas Day. I was too sick to join in the festivities. As I sat alone I started to think about my symptoms and I went online to research my symptoms. To my shock I discovered that there are thousands suffering as I am with similar symptoms due to this drug. I now fear that I may suffer permanent damage as a result of this drug. I was never warned regarding ANY of the dangers. The common adverse problems associated with this drug is NOT common knowledge in the health care setting but it should be. I printed out pages and pages of postings of sufferers and brought them to my ENT. I provided him with a list of sufferers web sites. He sat in stunned silence and it was obvious that he had been painfully unaware of the suffering that this drug was causing.

I blame the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA for allowing this tragedy to continue. I would like the name of a competent, experienced attorney with a proven track record against pharmaceutical companies. If any of you can provide me with the name of an attorney I will be in your debt.

I thank you all for your postings because at least I know that I am not alone. My heart goes out to you all.

Chris

I was prescribed Levaquin for Chronic Sinusitis and ended up with gout like symptoms in my left big toe. It has made it very difficult to walk and carry out everyday responsibilities.I am only 29 years old and have two young children to tend to and this has made it very difficult. It is very difficult to walk and stand and I am unable to wear shoes due to the inflammation and swelling. Does it get better?

You are all completely 100 % right
I have a book here called the high blood pressure hoax
the lady that wrote it is 100 % right in her findings we are all living it !!!!
the list of side effects is overwhelming too many too list
I quit all hypertensive meds yes my blood pressure shot up rebound etc

but I can actually sleep and don't feel depressed and tired anymore

it may not be a good thing but id rather live with no side effects my skin is actually clearing up in 2 days from the itching, the nausea is still coming and going brain fog is clearing up as well as a ton of other horrible side effects for the first time i actually feel good .....in 2 years of taking these horrible drugs ,,,,,yes they are keeping us alive but in the long run they will kill us just as fast as the hypertension !!!!!!!!!! good luck with diet and exercise everyone I am starting it myself this weekend

I have been on Vytorin for about 2 years. Before the drug, I had not aches or pains. My cholesterol levels are good now but the quality of my life is not. I feel as if my joints have aged 30 years over the past two. Lower back pain has caused me to see chiropractors, physical therapists, and surgeons. Now, my feet are hurting so badly that I can hardly walk. I don't know if it's related, but since I've been taking vytorin, my 2nd toe on both of my feet has become crooked and it almost on top of my big toe. I've spoken to my doctor today once again with all these concerns and will be discontinuing the drug for a week to see if these horrible symptoms disappear.

This is a great site for learning more on this subject where we can get the real facts from real experiences.( Vs. the deception from drug companies who are in the business for profit.)

Lipitor is pure poison, and Dr.'s hand it out like candy. All cholesterol reducing drugs that contain statins can trigger dangerous side effects. Not many of us are informed about the real danger of statins when we are handed the perscription. Inappropriate prescribing of medications will continue to be one of the leading causes of death. And we, the patients,do not always receive enough info. from our Dr.'s about the dangers and side effects from prescription drugs.

I'm 48 yrs. young. Female, small build, (was) healthy and active, happy, and an empty nester! My husband and I had moved to another province and hence had to find a new Dr.

I was prescribed lipitor 10 mg. daily after a routine check up by my Dr. because my cholesterol was a little high.

I started taking it in the winter 2005. I stopped taking it in mid June 2007... My side effects were progressive , drug induced, and it escalated to near disabling.

I knew something was terribly wrong. Was it A.L.S., M.S., West Nile, Lupis, Alzhiemers Disease, or a new designer disease? I did not suspect that the drug lipitor was the cause until much later.

At first, my Dr. said it was menopause. I should mention; since I've quit taking the drug 3 months ago, I have no symptoms of menopause !
At least my Dr. has acknowledged and diagnosed the cause of these profound symptoms." Myopathy as a result of statins."

Signs & symptoms I experienced are as follows;

Severe stomach pain.
Muscle pain, aching , weakness, stiffness, tenderness esp.to the lower extremities. Eventually, I could only shuffle to walk.
Pain in the palms of hands.
Stiff neck, shoulders, arms and lower back.
Trouble getting up from a seated position, and climbing stairs.
Extreme fatigue.
Hot and cold sweats
Night sweats
Fevers. High and low grade fevers.
Ringing in the ears.
Difficulty swallowing, and fear of choking.
Pain in the esophagus.
Memory loss, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness.
NO appetite, yet a lot of weight gained around the abdomen area.Bloated.
NO taste buds.
Speech affected, slurring words and mispronouncing. Tongue felt swollen.
Trouble breathing at night, would wake up coughing ( and I was not smoking then).
Trouble sleeping.
Loss of balance and coordination.
Blurred vision esp. in the morning.
Sharp shooting pains in the Rt. thigh.

Most of the symptoms have now subsided. I still have some foot pain and leg cramps and muscle stiffness... and poor concentration. Putting this together has been done with great difficulty, as I seem to pause a great deal and forget what I was trying to say. The recovery process is slow but at least it's progress. My Dr. has not prescribed any more medication. I've done my own research, after the fact, and started taking coQ10. and I've noticed a big difference!

Quality of life? Well, I'd rather have high cholesterol and die from that, than be poisoned again by statins. What quality is there, to live an extremely painful, useless and unfulfilling life? We were all guinea pigs, and we paid a terrible price for this! I hope we all can recover from this with no long term side effects.
If you are considering taking cholesterol lowering drugs do some careful research on statin drugs before you take them, and read the testimonies from those effected by them.
sj.

I don't know if what I'm experiencing is side-effects or old age (55), but I thought I had arthritis in my left big-toe (taking aleeve to help inflammation), and the toe felt as if it was trying to 'turn' my foot. Now this morning my left calf-muscle felt that it was trying to 'turn' my leg inward. It still feels uncomfortable after getting out of bed, but very disturbing. Advair was first given to me when I was using my inhaler too many times and I felt wonderful relief at being able to breathe freely, but now I'm not so sure if this is the cause of the other problems. How can you know for sure what is causing what problem?

Weight gain, exhausted, sleepy, pain in joints - mostly big toe and fingers, someone just told me it is the gout and they have the same thing.

I took Levaquin for 10 days for an infection around my big toe toenail.

I just want to state that I had no side effects with using this drug.