Cholesterol lowering drugs symptoms and conditions

June 27/09
I am 65 yrs , very active. Play hockey, baseball, slopitch, and jog.
Started on Lipitor 10gm about 5 years ago. About 6 months later increased to 20gm. about 1 years later increased to 40 gm. Did not really notice any side effects. During that time cholesterol dropped from approx in Aug2005 to 8.01: ; Jan06 to 6.37:; Apr06 to 5.3 ; May09 @ 4.2. No problems noticed while on 40s for about 2 years.
June09 doctor increased to 80 gm !? Started to notice muscle cramps and pain . Also started to notice some stomach upsets.Thought I had strained a hamstring muscle from hard running acceleration but not sure now after reading some of the comments. Three days ago , although I always stretch for 1/2 to 3/4 an hour before every baseball which I play 4 times a week, I had very severe muscle cramps suddenly above my calf muscle just below the knee as I started to run to 1st base. I played the rest of the game but in pain and could not run hard . Could not sprint on my toes as I always did , so had to run about half speed but flat footed on the bases but painful,as we had only 9 players. Had hot shower Thursday night after game, massaged calf area with Wintercrest ointment. Got up this morning Friday , muscle sore but can walk on my toes. Tonight @ midnight slight soreness but most of the pain gone. I was thinking that I might have strained a calf muscle playing baseball but noway! I think it has to do with the doubling of the Lipitor from 40 to 80!!!! Will cut back back to 40 gm on my own till I see the doctor.
Will go to see my Doctor ASAP!!!

Hi and please feel free to email me. I was on Lipitor for quite a while (20mg)without any issues. Due to insurance etc I was switched to 40mg of simvastatin-(Zocor-generic)--with in a short time i noticed i was waking nearly every morning with a mouth full of junk requiring a deep throat clearing. Then a low level sore throat that persisted for more than two weeks. I went to my doctor who agreed that it may be related (though I think she doubted it) and had me stop. Now i have been off for 5 days and still my throat is sore (though not sore to swallow) and mouth generally feels "messed up".

If any of you have had any sore throat experiences etc please let me know. Also how long did your side effects last once you came off the drug?

took lipitor and erythromycin and now have neuropathy

Do cholesterol lowering drugs do any good? Thats a good question considering the debilitating side effects everyone here is complaining about.
Advertisements in the USA claim "30% reduction" in heart attack and strokes, but does that mean that everyone that takes the drug reduces their individual risk by 30%. Not exactly. The advertisements boast what is called relative risk reduction. The absolute risk reduction is what counts and is less than 1% on most statins. So how did lipitor do on prevention of events? Here is the bottom line: If you are a middle aged male, 100 MEN will have to take lipitor for 3.3 years to prevent one MAN from a heart attack or stroke. WOW! You have to treat 100 guys for over 3 years in order for one guy to benefit.

I am generally classed as an active, happy and positive person, loving life.... but the last 4 months have been a blinking nightmare....
It seems we all pretty much have the same symptoms, horrid shoulder pain, muscle soreness, spasms, feet and generally feeling like "what the??" is where we are all at..horrid thoughts of MS? Motor Neurons, Parkinsons, etc. all sorts of possible sinister problems.
I too have stopped taking Lipitor only a week ago (and I only started back in October 2008 after "arguing with my doctor for many years not wanting to take it...and i didn't even know about the horror side effects, i just thought it was totally unnatural to strip the body of something almost totally,).. within 2 months I started showing signs of chronic neck C5/6/7 and left shoulder. Maybe I had injured myself once before and suffered pinched nerves, but the pain eventually went, but this is not normal or should I say usual...... I have constant buzzing of left thumb/forefinger and hand and my right leg. NEVER NEVER have I suffered from this type of symptom before in my entire 50 years... Even some days when the spasms are at their worst I get an itchy nose and tingling lips. The scariest symptom of a white flash in my left eye convinced me...So fed up with it and after stumbling on all the negative comments and side effects with this drug I made to decision to take control of my own life. It is too uncanny....As I said, it's only a week now free of Lipitor, I have increased my Vitamin C intake and making sure I take a Mega Multivitamin daily too. There is some interesting reading in various websites of Vitamin C vs Statins...

BUT it would really be nice to read any comments of people who have recovered from these rotten symptoms and what sort of time frame it took to get over them. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for us all. Some indication of Recovery period is probably our greatest "want to know"... and also...when will i be able to enjoy cycling again. Thank you to everyone for the input and may our strength be returned, not only physically but spiritually as well. :-)

I read with interest several of the posts here. I have been on Lipitor for about 5 years. I have been experiencing leg pain, back pain, neck, and hand pain for likely 4 of the last 5 years. I have arthritis, I thought. Two weeks ago I ran out of Lipitor. I read several other forums where Vitamin C and Omega 3 were suggested as a possibles to replacing the Lipitor along with generous amounts of water. I said, What the hell, I will give that a try. Within days of stopping the Lipitor, most all the pain has subsided to the extent that I have not had to take any other Pain management medications at all. I was prescribed Perocet for the pain I have been experiencing. Two weeks ago, I had a tough time opening a bottle of soda, or even a relish or pickle jar. Today I can! Coincidence, I think not!!

777
I've been noticing that you as well as bobby are continuously replying to many of the posting. I stopped taking lipitor in December after having chest pains for 10 months which included being hospitalized for 2 days of testing. I'm still having the chest pain although I believe it's getting better. There was a week in the beginning of this month that I had no pain at all but now it's back. My question to you and bobby is you keep saying you still have some side affects for months but fail to list them. What are they and with your experience, why does Lipitor cause chest pain? What have you found out in your research? Is this drug causing damage to the interior lining of the arteries? Is this why many people are getting the pains from?

I was put on Lipitor 10 mg. last Spring about 8 mos. ago. I have never taken medications/drugs other than aspirin or Motrin or antihistamines. Since that time I have had a strange combination of unexplained symptoms arise throughout the months. These sx's included: Headaches, stiff neck and severe neck pain, acute shoulder pain, hip pains, joint pains, severe knee pain (tendon or Ligament problems?) and loss of movement, hair loss, jaw pain and some memory confusion. Initially, I had severe HA's for several months, but attributed them to stress, however, I had never experienced HA's as a common occurrence. Then we went away to our Maui house to get away from stress, HA's continued, along with leg and shoulder pains. At the same time, I started noticing several strands of hair falling out if lightly touched my hair to move it out of my face. The pains seemed to move around my body at different times, for no apparent reason. I am used to daily exercise, living in CO in the mountains @ high altitude, not usually having muscle soreness. Now, given my leg and knee pains have gotten so bad, I cannot hike and have difficulty climbing my stairs. Skiing is out. Snorkeling caused leg cramps. No explained reason for having muscle tenderness or soreness without my usual exercise at present time. When the pain leaves one area it tends to arise in a different part of my body. At the present time, my hair loss has subsided, as also my jaw pain and headaches. However, my leg pains and knee pains are so acute (for no apparent reason) it is impossible to exercise and difficult to walk that I looked up adverse reactions to Lipitor, finding all my sx's most probably might be attributed to this drug. Partially my fault for not looking up RX information prior, especially being a medical professional for many years. My husband kept throwing away the info when purchasing the RX. Too many unexplained symptoms, I decided to obtain the drug info. myself. I tended to make excuses for months, such as: I am getting older, under stress, must be an old injury, not exercising properly, need PT therapy etc.... I am dc/ing the drug immediately and have an appt. with my MD on 1/5/09 to discuss.

I have been on lipitor 10mg for about 6 mths (after reacting to lipex with severe hip pain and going off that). Am now experiencing abdominal pain, severe headaches, excruciating neck pain and to top it off a droopy eyelid and loss of extreme peripheral vision after a bout of flashing auras and fluid like waves in the outer edge of my eye. After tests my retina is not detaching so what is the cause then. My cholesterol is high when not on lipitor and am wanting to lower it without drugs. I could do with losing 10kg weight but will that bring down the cholesterol. I walk every morning for 30-40 mins. Diet is healthy, a few junk things each week but not overly so.

I am a 50 year old woman and have been taking Lipitor for about the last 6 months. I have developed a severe case of eczema on my scalp as well as hair loss. Also I have been having pain in my hips. I never would have attributed my symptoms to Lipitor, but now I am thinking that maybe Lipitor is the cause of them. Also I read in some of the comments that it may be connected to memory loss. I have noticed I have a hard time remembering things too but never thought it could be related to taking Lipitor.

I am wondering if the plantar foot pain that my husband is suffering for 6 months could be from lipitor that he is taking for several years now. Has anyone have this problem?

i had the most painful and frightening episode last night. thank god for the internet....the zocor stops today....after only a week or so of low dose....severe leg ,inner thigh muscle cramps and then last night...i must speak frankly,at the end of normal sexual relations, my climax spasm transitioned into a groin and lower stomach cramp that made me roll off the bed in pain and confusion,never have i felt such horrible mind numbing pain....took about ten minutes for spasm to release,still awful sore this morning....it's oatmeal and more swimming for me...just the memory of the pain and helplessness in the midst of it make me nauseous.

Just started today with 40 mg dose of Sortis (Swiss-branded Lipitor).
60-90 minutes later, I am very dizzy, sweating, funny taste in mouth.

I am done... no more. My cholesterol is normal, but recommended as complementary treatment with Glucophage, as I am very slightly diabetic.

I am still spaced out as I write this note. Called the MD to tell him that I the one dose is all that will enter my body.

Being a scientist, I am reluctant to say my symptoms are completely due to the statin (Crestor) that I've been on for 2.5 yrs. Started with a bulging/herniated disk in my lumbar region 4 months ago. Then increasing leg pain and major leg/foot cramping at night. Had my blood checked for electrolytes and CPK. Electrolytes were ok but elevated CPK (muscle breakdown enzyme). Doc took me off Crestor and now a month later, no cramping and much reduced leg pain. Am going in for a cholesterol check next week to see what the levels are. I wonder how much the Crestor played in my herniated disk. Certainly it has played a role in the leg pain and cramping as I no longer have it to the same degree. The FDA and surgeon general talk about putting everyone on statins. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Maybe CoQ helps, but I am done with statins.

Taking high dose of statin (generic zocor 80mg/day), I was short of breath, severe fatigue and couldn't get out of bead for long. The following information saved me. The article was published in 2002 by a Board Cerified Cardiologist:

"July 8, 2002
STATIN-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY
INTRODUCTION TO THE CITIZEN’S PETITION ON STATINS
By Peter H. Langsjoen, MD
The medical profession has, after more than 30 years of excellent propaganda, successfully created the wholly iatrogenic - "pseudo-disease" dubbed "hypercholesterolemia" and the associated malady "cholesterol neurosis". After decades of dismal failure to cure this "disease" of numbers with low fat diets and a host of cholesterol lowering drugs, the medical profession stumbled upon the magic bullet, the cure for this dreaded artificial disease - statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). First released on the US market in 1987, statins have rapidly grown into one of the most widely prescribed class of drugs in history. Statins do three things:
1. They block the body's ability to make cholesterol, thus lowering the blood level of cholesterol, thereby curing cholesterol neurosis. Doctors and patients equally neurotic have immediate gratification. The "evil" high cholesterol has been dramatically lowered and the future is bright and promising. So far...so good.
2. Unrelated to their cholesterol lowering, statins have been found to have anti-inflammatory, plaque-stabilizing properties which have a slight benefit in coronary heart disease.
3. Statins kill people - lots of people - and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), eventually - those patients who start with a relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly - in 6 to 12 months. Younger, healthier people who's only "illness" is the non-illness "hypercholesterolemia" can tolerate statins for several years before getting into trouble with fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness (usually with normal muscle enzyme CPK tests) and most ominously - heart failure.
In my practice of 17 years in Tyler, Texas, I have seen a frightening increase in heart failure secondary to statin usage, "statin cardiomyopathy". Over the past five years, statins have become more potent, are being prescribed in higher doses, and are being used with reckless abandon in the elderly and in patients with "normal" cholesterol levels. We are in the midst of a CHF epidemic in the US with a dramatic increase over the past decade. Are we causing this epidemic through our zealous use of statins? In large part I think the answer is yes. We are now in a position to witness the unfolding of the greatest medical tragedy of all time - never before in history has the medical establishment knowingly (Merck & Co., Inc. has two 1990 patents combining CoQ10 with statins to prevent CoQ10 depletion and attendant side effects) created a life threatening nutrient deficiency in millions of otherwise healthy people, only to then sit back with arrogance and horrific irresponsibility and watch to see what happens - as I see two to three new statin cardiomyopathies per week in my practice, I cannot help but view my once great profession with a mixture of sorrow and contempt.
Statin-induced CoQ10 depletion is the topic of a recent petition to the FDA requesting that this drug/nutrient interaction be identified in a black box warning as part of statin package insert information. A comprehensive review of animal and human trials addressing this issue has been submitted to the FDA as a supporting document. We, of course, do not expect any response from the FDA, but 10 years from now when the full extent of statin toxicity becomes painfully evident, at least we can, in good conscience, know that we tried and who knows, sometimes small sparks may spread in dry grass.

See Also:
Cholesterol Drugs And The Depletion Of Coenzyme Q10: A Review Of Human And Animal Data.
By Peter H. Langsjoen, MD
Citizen Petition: Needed - A Change In The Labeling Of All Statin Drugs"

I'm 58 years old and I've been on 10 mg Simvastatin for 14 months since I was diagnosed with Diabetes 2. Also Metformin and Glipiside as my bs got up to 499 at diagnosis with high cholesterol.

I had NO IDEA that my suffering the past year could possibly be tied to one of the drugs I've been prescribed. In the first three months after diagnosis, my Diabetes was controlled and I've even backed off some of the meds. My cholesterol also came down beautifully. However, the debilitating weakness and muscle aches (which has increased over the 14 mos.) has become so bad (especially this last week) that I came to the Internet looking for possible reasons for 'body ache'.

And get this: I take a packet of vitamins every day which includes a daily dose of Q10... BUT I haven't been able to take them for about a week and this last week I felt like I was ready for a wheel chair~!!! Worse than it's ever been, knees and feet in horrible condition, hands and wrists unable to open a water bottle. Total body aches so severe it made me want to research something, anything to see what might be the problem.... before seeing the doctor about it!

My shock at seeing my medication here listed with the horrible side effects I'm experiencing has been a revelation~!! I am going to stop the Simvastatinn and see what happens. BTW, I've been an active person all my life, was a 2nd Degree Black Belt and taught Tang Soo Do and know what muscle aches and pains are, know my body (at least I did) and pretty much thought my active life was over.....

Not now~!!! I'm FURIOUS!!

46 yr old male and was started on Lip. about a month ago. Overall cholesterol level was 116!! Within 3 weeks I began having soreness move across my legs and hips to begin with, Just a drained feeling. Then leg cramps in my left legs. The drained feeling intensified until I went back to my Dr. last week who immediately ordered me to stop taking any more. I had been off about 4 days when I began have severe pain, lost all color, was not able to get out of bed, could barely talk or walk and was taken to the Doctor's office this past Sat.. I was not able to set up.My wife had to basically talk for me because I was in so much pain, could not communicate, was feeling like I was leaving my body. I do not and have not taken any narcotics or alcohol, but I was given "the field sobriety test", or what I would call it, as I am retired from law enforcement and have given thousands..... But never one for lipitor!!!

I told the Dr. I do not want no drug, I want an answer. I was told to come back on Monday as the Lab. folks wouldn't be in until then. I would not have to wait.

I have used this facility for many years, but I am totally shocked. I feel I have came as close to dying as any situation I have ever been in. I have never hurt to bad. I have never have so many leg cramps. I have never woke up each morning feeling like I have never slept a minute but have been working my butt off chopping wood or digging ditches or climbing mountains all night, simply exhausted.......I will always advise people about this drug....

I noticed that the FDA turned down approval for Merck's Cordaptive. That was the niacin cholesterol drug that came with it's own chemical to control the side effect of facial flushing.

I noticed that they were in clinical trials for montelukast's effect on preventing heart disease. So I guess that Merck is trying to capitalize on the "inflammation" angle that is mentioned below. Who shows up for these clinical trials?

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00379808?term=%22montelukast%22+and+%22heart%22&rank=1

The surgeons can do liver and kidney transplants but there won't be enough organs to go around for all of us who get sold all of these drugs. But nobody does brain transplants. What are the people on montelukast long term going to do? And there will be many, many more of them if Merck gets approval for preventing heart disease.
-----------------------------------
http://blog.pharmexec.com/2008/05/01/mercks-cordaptive-a-nasty-surprise/

"The Merck drug was a nice piece of innovation: Kim’s elves figured out what causes niacin’s worst side effect, facial flushing, and developed a spanking new chemical, laropiprant, to control it. But since the cholesterol market is not exactly under served by pharma, you could also surmise that FDA is getting bearish on innovation there (more about that later).’s John Carey, apparently the only reporter not to be surprised, offers a must-read analysis of the situation.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/apr2008/db20080429_182260.htm

“Add it all up and the FDA’s decision shouldn’t be seen as coming out of the blue. Cordaptive offers no big improvement over niacin alone—while introducing a new, unknown risk. And even the benefits of niacin’s effect on cholesterol may not be that big.”

“The decision also comes at a time when the very idea of cholesterol-lowering is under increasing scientific attack. Yes, doctors know that the statin class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, like Lipitor, do prevent heart disease and heart attacks. But there’s growing evidence that a big chunk of the benefits of statins comes from reducing inflammation,” writes John Carey.

I took Lipitor for 4 or 5 years. I lost count. I am a type II diabetic and the Dr. threw tons of prescriptions at me. I was convinced all my problems were not the result of Lipitor because my sister's Dr. told her that if you had the muscle pain you would have it all over. Well I got sick of feeling like I was 85 years old. I am 57. I know I am not young anymore, but I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes without having trouble getting up. The right top of my leg hurt so bad some times that I could hardly walk . I also had really bad pain on the right side of my lower leg. I had pains in my neck and shoulders and attributed it to stress at work.Last, but not least I had terrible gas and bloating. The gas was downright embarrasing. Well I took it upon myself to stop taking it. Within several days I felt like a new woman! The minute I woke up one morning I could feel the difference before I even got out of bed. I felt like I had been given my life back.

When I called my Dr. to let her know she wasn't very happy and wanted me to come in. Well now she put me on Crestor and it's been two weeks and the old pains and gas are coming back. I am NOT going to take these terrible statins anymore. They say that the muscle and joint aches are rare, but that is only because most doctors won't listen to their patients. You know your own body better than anyone else.

I have heard that some of the "older" statins are not as powerful and they don't have as many side effects. Has anyone else heard this or had any experience using them?

All I know is that for now I am off statins.

I have been on lipitor for a little over two years now. I experience extreme joint and muscle discomfort. I am also picking up weight at an alarming rate. No matter what I do to lose the weight, it's not working. I've had several blood tests, but all come back fine..but I know I don't feel well and I'm having trouble remembering things....

After by-pass heart surgery in 2002, my cardilogist put me on 40mg of zocor.
I was in good health with no physical limitations. I had no heart damage. The restriction of heart arteries were found due to my stress test that was performed each year as a part of my annual Physical. After surgery I was on zocor for three years, during that time I experienced a little tiredness, little weakness, a little muscle aches. some tingling in my right arm and shoulder. I went to my heart doctor Jan. 2006 and he changed me to vytorin (10mg zetia and 40mg zocor). about 6 months all of the about symptoms got worse.
By Jan. 2007, my muscles became so stiff, I could not walk, had balance problems, severe muscle aches and cramps, numbness and tingling in both arms and hands, also stifness and pain in my hands, stiffness and pain in both feet, stifness and pain in my back and weird nerve sensations over my entire body. During Jan. and Feb 2007, I was seen by my family doctor, a neurologist, and a muscle doctor. Thanks to the internet, I found info on zocor and zetia, which is the drug vytorin. Warnings described the same symptoms I am experiencing. I stopped vytorin, I am not taking any statins drugs now. My doctor order a blood test to check for muscle damage, It indicated severe damage, a Creatine level of 770. This level should not be over 200. After being off the drugs for 30 days the creatine level dropped to 645. My condition has improved by 25%. I am walking a little better, but I still having muscle problems, there is improvement. I think there will be a very long recovery. There seems to be some evidence that these Statins affect people of age much more than the young. I am 70 years old. PLEASE PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE TAKING STATINS DRUGS, STOPPED NOW! SLOVE YOUR CHOLESTROL PROBLEMS BY OTHER MEANS. Since I stopped my cholestrol has gone from 157 to 280, but I am not going back taking these drugs. I am trying the natural way now. I have read post after post on many web-sites of people with the same symptoms that were using these drugs. The drug companies and the FDA are responsible for the the degradation of people's health taking these statin drugs.

The flushing didn't start for me until after I'd been taking it a couple of weeks, and seems to be getting worse. I am also experiencing bad swelling of feet and ankles. Muscles in back of my thighs are very sore, just like they got when I was put on statins several years ago, and I had to stop taking them because I got where I could hardly get up from a sitting position. I was assured this is not a statin and led to believe it is "safe". I also have arrhythmia and cannot afford to have my heart racing, which hasn't happened yet, but I think this Niaspan is going to go the way of the statins for me. I want to know what percentage of heart attack victims are on cholesterol lowering drugs - the truth. How can I find out? Thanks. Ernestine B.

consider the following if one is experiencing any symptoms of parkinson's--tremor, shuffling walk, lack of arm swinging on one side while walking, rigidity...and taking a statin:
Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The results of a recent study has scientists concerned
about a possible link between statins -- the cholesterol-lowering class of drugs
-- and Parkinson's disease.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered
people with low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) -- "bad" cholesterol --
are more likely to have Parkinson's disease than people who have higher levels
of LDL.

UNC researcher Xuemei Huang, M.D., Ph.D., reports the link raises questions
about whether cholesterol-lowering drugs, like statins, could increase a
person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Huang and colleagues are now planning a study to further investigate this
possibility and other reasons for the unexplained link. In a UNC press release,
she reports she would not recommend people change eating habits or stop taking
prescribed medications because of the preliminary results of her small study.
She cautions previous studies have linked smoking tobacco to a reduced risk of
Parkinson's, but health providers would never suggest smoking.

Parkinson's patients are more likely to carry the gene APOE-2, which is linked
to lower LDL levels, reports Dr. Huang. This is another area she will explore in
her upcoming study.

S

On: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:43:56 -0700