Cholesterol numbers symptoms and conditions

That's it!! I have had it. A couple of years ago, Dr prescribed Lisinopril HCTZ for my high blood pressure. 6 months later, 'Hey your cholesterol is really high.' So she prescribed Crestor. Then 6 months later, 'Oh Crestor can cause liver damage, we'll need to check your liver.' I know doctors mean well, but they seem to all be trained to simply prescribe a pill. The average senior citizen takes 12. Daily! I have had it. I refuse to take the lisinopril any more. Last night: zero sleep due to the cough. Hacking and coughing, trying to 'hock-up' the crap draining down my throat. The wheezing at the top of my bronchial tubes. Unable to inhale enough air to cough. Peeing in my pants. Disturbing everyone else in the house. This is just bullsh--. Hey, how about another tip: Did you know the HCTZ can cause artificial inflation in your cholesterol numbers?? Guess what: after switching 5 months ago to the lisinopril plain, not with the HCTZ... you got it cholesterol went down. Down by 80 points, too! I made no other change during that time, not in my diet, exercise or anything else. So effective today: (1) No lisinopril (I'll check my BP daily), (2) increase my Kelp and selenium for my thyroid, (3) stick on my insulin-resistant diet, (4) reduce my caffeine intake. I'll keep this site posted on my progress.

My husband has been on Vytorin for a week or two and is complaining of tiredness and fatigue. I would like to know is anyone else has this problem

I've been on lipitor and other generic forms of it for the last 8 years since the age of 26. I started on 10mg then 20mg and later 40mg. About 4 years ago I started with severe stomach cramps. The pain is so bad that I have to go home in the middle of the day, I can't walk or sit straight the pain is that bad and NOTHING helps. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would probably put this at a 7 or 8. I would also be nauseous and be really tired. I have had countless opinions and tests done and doctors keep telling me it is an "enigma" and there's nothing wrong with me. We've treated it through coeliac diet, exercise, lots of water, but it never helped. About a week ago I stopped drinking my meds by pure chance. I have not had one incidence of stomach ache. My doctor tells me that it's not possible for the lipitor to be the cause. I am sure he's wrong. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I was recently prescribed Simvastatin 40 mg by my GP as I have high blood pressure and Cholesterol. After the first nigh of taking Simvastatin, I am suffering from severe dizziness and feel weak. Can Simvastatins cause these symptoms after one dose and has anyone else had this problem?

33 year old, 125lb female with cholesterol of 234. I was put on Simvastatin 40mg, which I took fot 3 night only. All hell broke loose, insomnia, hands are numb, severe joint/back pain, extreme weakness... The thing is, I took it for 3 nights & realized it wasn't for me. I've been off of it for 3 weeks, but the symptoms still persist, rendering me pretty much dead.... I was told by a few that putting me on 40 mg to start off probably did the job... Three week of living hell & my primary physician don't have answers for me!

I was on 40 mg of simvastatin for 4 months with seemingly no side effects when my doctor said my cholesterol wasn't coming down quickly enough to suit him, so he added lovaza - had me taking both at the same time. Within 2 months I was noticing sore muscles but didn't relate it to the meds. After about another 2 months I was so bad I could hardly walk - extreme muscle and joint pain over my entire body, severe weakness, shortness of breath. Then I found out that both of those drugs can cause these side effects. I wish I had tied it together sooner. I have been completely off of them both for about 3 months and still have some pain in my feet, shoulders and elbows, along with severe pain in my hands, and I am still weak and short of breath. I don't know how long this is going to hang on, but I certainly hope it isn't permanent. I can't stand to think that I might have to live with this pain for the rest of my life. My hands are so close to useless, and I am so weak, that it's about all I can do to take care of my job and make a living. I haven't been able to work around the house for months. I want to work on my cars (my hobby). I have 2 antique cars that I enjoy working on and driving, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do very much with them this summer. My hands just won't let me. And the beauty of it all? My cholesterol numbers did not come down any great amount. Since I stopped taking the meds I have brought the numbers down by changing my diet - eggbeaters instead of whole eggs, less beef (venison is very low in cholesterol) more chicken & fish, oatmeal, plus I'm taking vitamin C, D3, garlic and cinammon for cholesterol and B complex for muscles, msm and glucosamine for joints. I also bought a hot tub, which helps with the pain and stiffness. This has definitely not been a fun thing. I just hope it goes away some time soon.

Get off the Lipitor, me and me husband, both had the severe joint pain. The pain moved from one joint to the next. It would be in the shoulder, then the next day or so, it would move to our feet, then to the hand and wrist. It would swell , so bad, that it felt like, that part of the body was going to burst !!! My husband was on LIPITOR for 1 1/2 years, before it hit him. Doctors thought it was gout, and my husband was walking on a walker ,at 49 years old, and never being unhealthy. I was on LIPITOR for only one month, after a stint was put in my heart. Believe me, it is not the stint , it is the LIPITOR. I knew what it was when it got in my joints, so I went off it right away. It still takes about 2 weeks to get it out of your system. I now know of other people, who are on LIPITOR, that have severe muscle cramps. If this is happening to you, then you can not take anything with STATINS , in it. If you are allergic to STATINS, it can cause another muscle disorder , that can destroy your muscle tissue.

I stumbled onto this website just today looking for information on another drug. Little did I know what I was going to find and so happy I did. I have been taking Zocor for nearly 5 yrs. now. My health has taken a spiral downhill. I too, have been experiencing almost every symptom that has been mentioned. Rt. shoulder pain, hand pain, pain and tingling in hands and feet, leg cramps, muscle weakness, numbness, memory loss, itching, fuzzy headed at time, can't concentrate, and trouble breathing. My doctor has told me my cholesterol is just fine the last two times I've had my checkup, but has never suggested I come off it. I guess I will be calling him tomorrow.

On Vytorin for the first time 10/80 for 8 weeks -cholesterol numbers are fine now. My liver count was slightly high and my doctor said that was fine. I took myself off. This is the 3rd day without and I am less tired each day and I am feeling like myself again.

I have been taking Vytorin for about 9 months. I have severe pain and stiffness in my feet and toes. It is so bad that most nights it wakes me up. I am having a lot of pain in my knees too and after reading all of these symptoms, I am also wondering if it is not all related to the Vytorin. My cholesterol numbers are great but I feel like I am falling apart. I am a 52 year old female and have never had so many aches and pains.

leg and hip pain and calcium levels in blood tests showing high readings.

Niaspan has one of the highest drop out rates of any drug on the market. The reason is due to most people finding the side effects unbearable.

The reason the side effects are so harsh is simple. We are inducing nicotinic acid poisoning for the sake of altering our cholesterol numbers. But we have yet to prove that doing so will reduce our chances of a cardiac event.

So why are we poisoning ourselves and taking the high risk of damaging our livers, nerves and muscles for a theory? The answer to that is simple as well. Years ago the population accepted the cholesterol theory as the gospel truth. Big Pharma responded to the demand by producing drugs that would alter our lipid profile, and "we the people" reached deep into our pockets to buy these drugs to save our lives.

But we have been lowering cholesterol now for about 35 years and heart disease marches on.

I am Robert Olson and I invite you to think about it.

I have been on Tricor for about two years, but due to creeping up in my cholesterol numbers, my doctor has put me on Zocor, too. All has been fine for about six mos., but recently I have been having soreness in my upper arms/shoulders, which I attributed to having lifted something heavy and driving for a very long distance. However, that was over a week ago, and it has not gone away. In addition, my feet hurt all the time. It is the muscles in my feet and I have difficulty walking, after sitting for awhile. All I have read points to the Zocor, but I am wondering if the combination is the real problem.

I have written before about my disatrous experiences with statins especially Lipitor. Through the years, doctors have insisted I take them and I, like a good patient, never questioned that side effects to them were causing my problems. (knee pain, imbalance, muscle stiffness, etc.) I stopped Lipitor in Sept., 2004, and of course my cholesterol numbers spiked. I found a protocol suggested by LARRYHOR on a forum and, in desperation, tried it and it worked beautidully. In fact, my doctor said to keep doing whatever I was doing. My total cholesterol went from 293 to 226, HDL from 71 to 84, LDL from 188 to 112 and triglycerides from 166 to 152. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL was 4.1 and was brought down to 2.7. With this protocol it is necessary to take 8 pills a day but that didn't bother me if it worked and it did. My thanks to ****** for leading me to this. I have read and researched enough about the statins to really scare me. In fact, my husband, who is also a long time user has just been told his liver enzymes are higher and he has to stop Lipitor temporarily and have additional tests. He has had a quadruple by-pass, a stent and a pacemaker so the doctors have scared him into continuing Lipitor until now. I don't think doctors have stressed muscle pain, weakness and siffness enough or maybe they are unaware that all these symptoms can be caused by statin medication and not age, as I was told. As proof, my muscle pain, stiffness and knee pain are gone. Some of the other symptoms are long lasting or maybe permanent. At least, I have no pain.