Gerald e markle symptoms and conditions

wow- glad I found you guys! I'm female, 54, thin, healthy, have always exercised and watched my diet. cholesterol went up to 280 a couple of yrs ago- tried more diet/exercise but it only came down to 250, so since then have tried 4 low-dose (40 mg) statins (crestor, lipitor, zocor, and now pravastatin), all of which after 2-6 months made me feel like I was jumping out of my skin and caused chest pain and palpitations that stopped almost immediately when I discontinued them. Also, I've always fallen asleep quickly and now take an hour or more, and recently my fingers have started falling asleep/tingling. I'm stopping the pravastatin today! Maybe 250 isn't so bad, if this is the alternative. Does anyone have any remedies to suggest besides low fat/low sugar diet? I just read that we should avoid reduced-fat milks (I drink 1%) because they contain oxydized cholesterol, which irritates the artery wall.

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!!!

I am in shock and so glad that I came to this website. I have been taking simvastatin for about 5 months now and this morning I decided to do a web search with the words simvastatin and headaches. Everyday I for the last two months I have been asking myself why am I having these terrible headache. My Doctor did a CT scan, I had my eyes tested, I had my hearing tested, my blood tested and everything comes back good. I realized that I have to do something about this problem myself because my doctor prescribed another pill for the headache and that's that. Today I did not take the medication and I will not be taking it again. The symptoms that everyone described are so real to me but the headaches were the worst. I have to thank you all for posting this information. I now feel that I will get my life back.
Thanks verdul1

I had 95% occlusion of the major artery in my heart July 2007 with no symptoms except slight shoulder pain on 3 occasions. They did a cath and inserted 2 stents. Started with Lipitor 10 mg. and my LDL dropped from 75 to 112. The MD wanted to double the dose, but I refused because of intermittent nocturnal nausea. MD switched me to another statin and I had immediate muscle involvement and severe nausea at night. She wanted me to try another statin drug and I refused. After a 2 month period of no statins, she put me back on Lipitor 10 mg. daily. I decided to cut the pill in half and take it twice a week, then move to every other day and gradually go to 10 mg. daily. Immediately, the nocturnal nausea started again. Last night I awoke at 2 a.m. with nausea, sweating, sore muscles around my rib cage. Still no sleep at 4:30 a.m., so I got up and tried to eat something. This has been the pattern every night since I went on Lipitor.

I don't know if I can take this any more.

CK

I was prescribed Zocor approximately 1 month ago. I began taking the Zocor and immediately on the first night I had slurred speech. It went away after two nights...but I continued to have horrible headaches for about a week. Finally, I thought I was in the clear. After about 3 weeks, I had a little spasms in my left leg...from the foot to the hip. It went away...and a few days later it showed up in my right leg...from my foot to my hip. My right knee is currently on fire...and I can't walk really well. I have a tendency to dray my right leg behind me. It gets better after a period of rest, but as soon as I try to walk...it's back again. I stopped taking Zocor a few days ago, and I see the doctor tomorrow.