Cholestoral symptoms and conditions

Started taking the Zocor generic Simvistatin just 2 days ago. My legs hurt so bad that I can not sleep. My right knee is swollen to the point I have very limited range of motion and can barely walk up stairs. It is after midnight and I can't sleep. Also having some angina and my little toe on my right foot is somewhat numb. I will be contacting my physician about this tomorrow. My cholesterol was 105 and this doesn't seem to be worth it to me!

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.

I would encourage every patient on statins to read the recent article (Feb. 2008) by Dr. Peter Langsjoen, MD/Cardiologist: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/feb2008_Alleviating-Congestive-Heart-Failure-With-Coenzyme-Q10_01.htm

The following information from this article is pertinent to complaints of muscle pain/weakness and fatigue:

"All statin drugs block the biosynthesis of both cholesterol and CoQ10, which explains statins’ common side effects of fatigue, muscle pain and muscle weakness, and a worsening of heart failure. When CoQ10 levels are lowered by statin drug therapy, one of the first changes to occur is a weakening of heart muscle function, known as diastolic dysfunction. This has nothing to do with diastolic blood pressure, but rather represents impairment in the relaxing or filling phase of the cardiac cycle. After heart muscle contracts, it takes a great deal of cellular energy, or ATP, to re-establish the calcium gradients such that muscle fibers may relax. Thus, if diastolic dysfunction is severe, it can result in congestive heart failure. In 2004, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that diastolic dysfunction (heart muscle weakness) occurred in 70% of previously normal patients treated with 20 mg a day of Lipitor® for six months. This heart muscle dysfunction was reversible with supplemental CoQ10."

I hope this information will be of help to patients suffering adverse reactions from statins..

I was on Lipitor 6 yrs. ago for approximately 6 months. The pain and weakness in my arms and shoulders was unbearable. Deep pain that felt like it went right to the bone. On occasion since then I seem to have flair ups. This past week I have been in pain. The strength in my arms is diminished. Has anyone else had this experience?

I was put on Lipitor about 1 year ago and the dosage was put up to 40mg about 3 months ago. My hands went numb and tingling about that time and I never thought that it was the lipitor. I've gone to a couple drs and a chiropractor and no one thought that it was lipitor. They are convinced that its carpal tunnel and that I should have surgery. Now I have swelling in my hands and legs along with aches and pains and I've comvinced that its the lipitor. I've been off it now for about 5 weeks and still have the swelling and tingling. Has anyone else have these symptons and for how long? Also my Dr. wants me to take Zetia for the cholestoral but I'm afraid to take anything. Any suggestions!!!

I'm 31 and recently diagnosed with hypertension - back in February. Lisinopril was prescribed at 2.5mg.

After the first month this had little to no affect. My BP was still in the 150s over 111s. Dose was doubled to 5mg.

Started getting pains in my knees. Felt like I could not stretch my legs enough. Also starting feeling dizzy, anxious, exhusted and had some stomach issues. Diet became an issue because I was either ravanously hungry or could not face food at all.

On Monday I was at the hospital for more checks to try and find the cause of my hypertension. Blood tests, urine tests, cholestoral checks, eye tests, ECG - all repoted very healthy.

However, even on 5mg of Lisinopril my BP was well in to the late 140's / 110's. I'm due to have more tests in a month but my Lisinopril dose has been doubled again, this time to 10mg.

I'm having real trouble concentating, very bad leg pains, stomach has got much worse and I am totally exhusted. The only thing that has subsided in recent weeks is the anxiaty but I think this is due to the fact that I have started smoking again - after not smoking for 8 months.

I'm very glad this site is first on the search engine (can I name it?, the one that begins with G!). I thought I was maybe suffering from a prolonged mild flu.

I have an appointment tomorrow and will discuss these side affects. If anyone is interested I will post the response.

Thanks for sharing this information. It is very helpful

I have continued to check into this website periodically. I took two different statins with the same side effects that other folks are experiencing. I took myself off of the drugs even though my cardiologist told me to stay on them. I have zero side effects now and have returned to normal. I got my cholestoral to acceptable levels with heavy doses of fish oil, niacin, diet, and exercise....I cannot take statins and it is obvious others cannot either. My husband takes statins with no side effects...I am amazed at cardiologists ignoring these effects. The only way they will take you off is if your blood shows muscle loss...and, then, it is too late...

I am 48 years old and have been on 10mg of Lipitor for over a year. I have had bloating, constipation and occasional muscle cramps. I can't say for sure that this was all caused by Lipitor, but after reading so many posts here, it got me thinking about it. Recently I began experiencing bleeding gums, which I've never had before. Has anyone else had problems with their gums since they began Lipitor? I plan to stop taking it and begin exercising more regularly. Also I'm getting off red meat and eating more fish and chicken and fresh veggies. Perhaps my cholestoral will lower without the aid of drugs. Any thoughts?

Rob

Lipitor..
I'm only on 10 mg. of Lipitor a day but I have gained weight increasingingly fast in my eyes.. Is anyone having weight gain problems.. Also my cholestoral level was approx. 166 but I have 3 stents so my Dr. put me on Lipitor.. I have always had lower chol. My arteries plugging up is Genetic.. It scares me to see these terrible side effects people are having.. Tghank you, L. G.

I started taking Lipitor about 8 weeks ago. I was doing well on a exercise regiman on a treadmill. I had had some pain previous to my feet as I am 370+ lbs and 6'4". However, 2 days after I started the Lipitor I got a cramping in my right calf. My physician had told me to notify him of any cramping right away but I didn't and just rested my leg. another two weeks of nursing my leg went by and it was feeling beter and I pushed of to hard on a curb and my muscle popped almost audibly. I went to my physician and he recommended ice and Alleve and dismissed any association with lipitor. Again another almost three weeks and I was walking across a street and speed up to get out of the way of a car and my calf popped again almost knocking me of my feet. I just got results from my doctor that my cholestoral has improved by 40 or more points but I have stopped taking it. There is just too much risk for something that is supposed to keep me from maybe having a cardiovascular event

I am a 49 year old male, and have been on lipitor for a few years. Was on 20 for a while and then went to 40mg. I had started with back pain which I did not initially attribute to lipitor. But also had other symptoms such as tiredness. I find it hard to get out of bed. But the weakness and back pain became so great that I did not feel like lifting anything at all. On a recent trip, my wife had to carry the suit cases. I have quit taking lipitor for two weeks, but am not feeling any better. I feel like I am 80 years old. I only hope this reverses itself. Oh, I also had foot pain when I walked occasionally, again, I did not link lipitor to that, was thinking it was just old age. The pain was in the arch of the foot, I thought it was weird. I did take nexium at the same time I took lipitor.

My cholestoral did go down a considerable amount, like from 230 to 159... but, there has to be a better way. And my liver functions are still normal.

I would be interested in learning about anyone who recovers, how long it takes, and if there is anything that will help this problem.

Jim

Im using zocor 20kmgs has lowered my cholestoral and have no side affects have been on it for three years and my cholestoral level is perfect