Cholesterol problems symptoms and conditions

I am 59 and switched to Simvastatin from Lipitor. Much lower in price. My cholesterol is 200 and the doctor was very pleased with the number. So far no side effects but it has been only 5 days. The dose is 20mgs. Now after reading all the BAD side effects I am very scared!
Is there any positive statements about Simvastatin?
S.

I am a 65 year old female taking 20mlg of lipitor for almost 10 years. All of a sudden I started having severe pain, shaking and weakness in the calf muscle. The pain is unbearable. Doctors after doctors including a cardiologist, rhoumatologist and internist don't know the reason. I have stopped lipitor for 3 days. I cry and pray to god to help me everyday. I cannot exercise which is my passion for many years. I am hoping the lipitor is the reason and not something else. I have to wait and see. But I suspect it is.
SR
I do have nausea, depression and low back pain and arthritis and frequent headaches.

I am a 45 yr old female and I have been on Vytorin for about 2 yrs or so for my cholesterol problems. Was on Lipitor before that and was getting leg pain so I stopped taking it. When blood work time came around it was still up so my doc put me on Vytorin. I have noticed that I feel like I'm dying. I have severe neck,back and arm pain, cold and hot attacks, can't sleep, chest pain,blurred vision, sudden stomach cramps, nausea, throat and ear aches, and bad stomach problems. I have had heart cath, ekgs,endoscopy, blood work and everything keeps coming back normal. Matter of fact, I went to the heart doc today and he put me on a 24 hour monitor and for low heart rate that has gradually gotten worse over the past few months.He even mentioned a pace maker. I don't even want to start about the depression and anxiety attacks that I have. They are AWFUL. But the more blogs that I have read, I think I know where the problem may lye. The Vytorin, so as of tonight I will NOT take another one..I just hope that there is no permanent damage done as far as my liver. I hope you all the best and I will let you know how I start to feel in the next few days...

As MANY of you have posted, "I thought I was just getting 'old." Now I know it's the statins. I thought I was doing the right thing because I have family history of cholesterol problems. I was first on pravachol, then lipitor for a few years, now Vytorin - which dropped my numbers to the lowest ever - 190.

HOWEVER - I have never felt worse. I have all the 'symptoms' described in this blog. Reclusive, depressed, extreme shoulder/neck stiffness and pain. Low back, and hip joint pain (severe). I can't even workout because I don't have the stamina to go through my routine. LOSS OF MEMORY!! This is severe. I use to be able to memorize hundreds of numbers or addresses and now can't remember a number that I looked at 2 seconds ago! This is insane! They need to remove this drug from the market. I'm done with statins.

Guys - I just have to make a little follow up to my earlier post in January of this year. After giving it consideration and after reading all of your posts - I truly felt that I should stop this poison. And I did. Cold Turkey......

First day - mentally, I felt like I had been freed. Probably just a psychological thing, but nonetheless...
Second day - okay...my head felt clearer....my ear started to feel better...ah....my back...it's starting to feel less stiff...
Third day - no heating pad at night....I feel "lighter" (for lack of a better word)
Fourth day - my thighs don't hurt anymore.....I'm still tired.....very very tired...but the anxiety seems to be subsiding....I feel like I've come out of a strange fog....
Fifth day and on - my hubby says it took me a good two weeks to come around to "me" again.....now I'm still continuing my 2 TBS of flaxseed a day.....slowly losing a little weight - 5 pounds at this point.....15 more to go.....and thank God my chest doesn't hurt anymore. I don't feel like I'm dying (well, I still have anxiety attacks - but that's a separate thread - haha)....

My hubby just got diagnosed with cholesterol problems as well and he's on Simvastatin (sp?) which I believe is Zocor....and no problems. It's all in the makeup of a person, I'm convinced.

So everyone - if you feel like you're dying on this crap Vytorin, try to free yourself....even if it's just for a month....eat really well...take your flaxseed.....and see if you can get off of this horrible poison that OUR bodies don't accept...

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now....."-)

I am 48. Family history of Cholesterol problems. Tried a change of diet with some success, but, according to my Doctor, not enough. Doctor strongly encouraged me to take Lipitor to lower cholesterol. I had never been on any meds, so I was reluctant. I asked about niacin as opposed to a statin. He said no.

for 2 years, I've been on Lipitor-10mg/day. I was informed to look for side effects related to liver and muscle. I have never experienced any of the muscle aches/side effects described in the postings I just scanned, with the exception of mild lethargy. Liver tests have always been normal.

However I have been experiencing what I consider significant cognitive decline. I have experienced difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss (e.g., did I take my medication, or only THINK I took it). I feel inept when trying to carry on conversations, helping my kids with homework, reading an article in the paper. Ask my age--I have to think about it. recalling words to put together a complete sentence--challenging at times. I also have experienced occasional feelings of dizziness/floating.

For a long time, I blamed much of these symptoms on stress and a preoccupation with a variety of family problems, however when these problems subsided, and the symptoms persisted, I then assumed that they might be menopause-related.

Until a week ago, I didn't realize there might be a possible link between Lipitor and cognitive decline, until I read an syndicated medical advice column in our local newspaper.

My annual check-up was 4 days ago, and was prepared to discuss with him, my concerns/fears about my cognitive decline in relation to menopause or early-onset alzheimers. Instead, I asked him about a connection between Lipitor and cognitive decline. He acknowleged a link, but minimized it in relation to the studies performed. Never-the less, he agreed that I go off lipitor and come back into the office in 2 months for a recheck. I have been lipitor-free for 3 days.

In 2000, a week before my wedding, my father came to visit and mentioned leg weakness, pain in his lower back, and tiredness. I asked if he had been doing anything different recently that would explain these symptoms. He thought about it and said the only change was that he'd started taking Lipitor. We finished up preparation for my wedding which included my father's fitting for his tux and shoes...that week, he had to take a size 11 shoe (his normal shoe size for the past 40 years was 9m. My wedding day arrived and he could barely walk me the 30 ft up the isle. Exactly a week to the date of my wedding, my father passed away from what I was told was a massive heart attack. He had never been diagnosed with heart problems only elevated cholesterol. Unfortunately, my mother, in her time of sorrow, did not request an autopsy but assumed one would be done before the hospital transferred my father to the funeral home. My father was cremated and we then found out no autopsy had been performed.

Last week, my cardiologist placed me on Lipitor for high cholesterol. She explained that there are about six other medications but that most of them were statins. After dose three, I'm having lower back pain but haven't yet experienced any leg pain. When I discussed this with my pharmacist, she thought leg pain would be the first sign of my having a problem so told me to hang in with the medication until my appointment with my cardiologist this week.

Is anyone else experiencing low back pain? It feels like a pull or even a cold in my back.