Hdl symptoms and conditions

I posted several months ago on this string and wanted to update. I had bloodwork done for the 1st time since I quit the 20mg of Lipitor in August. LDL went from 123 to 210. Total Chol went from 191 to 285. HOWEVER all shooting pains I had been experiencing in legs, feet, and chst are GONE! Went back to my Dr. today, told her that same result and my serious objection to taking any kind of statin and she prescribed CRESTOR while telling me it was more potent than Lipitor! WTF!!!

I refuse this course, am drinking 30 - 40 ozs. of water each day now like I should have been, doubled my CoQ10 to 200mg/day, finally getting back into the gym to lose weight and get the HDL up from the level of 36 it is now. also started to drink the new yogurt type "shot" of Promise for cholesterol that provides 2 grams of plant sterols per day.

I will not take statins ever. I WILL find a natural way to keep my Chol under control. I've also been convinced that you don't have to be at or under the 200mlg of total chol to be healthy. Look at your C Reactive Protein and Homosiytes (sp?) If they are in range you should be good.

I know Lipitor was the cause of my rupturing each of my Achiller tendons a year apart while playing tennis in my late 40's Muscle pain soon followed.

PLEASE HELP! My father, age 74, was on lipitor for a year or so and then was switched to zocor a few weeks ago to help control his cholestorol. In the past week, the tightening he experienced in his leg, while on lipitor, has become debilitating leg pain now while he is on Zocor. Ultrasounds have ruled out a blood clot. He has no pain when he sits, but he describes the pain has his calf wanting to explode when he stands and he cannot walk with out the help of a cain. The pain radiates from his leg up to his hip.

His cardiologist has taken him off the zocor for a few weeks to see if there is an improvement. It has been 3 days and he feels a bit of relief. SO here is the million dollar question: His labs indicate his cholestorol is normal now, most likely thanks to the statins.....can anyone suggest another form of meds that will help regulate his cholestorol....say COeq10 and fish oil? Any help is SO appreciated!!! Thanks to each of you for your posts. It is so comforting for my dad to know he isn't developing a new issue and that it can be resolved with the removal of zocor!

I was prescribed Zocor for high cholesterol. Almost immediately I began to experience body aches -- some days more severe than others. I would take ibuprofen and it would help. Then, I started getting a pretty strong pain on my hip which radiated down my leg onto my foot. The pain was so severe, even the Motrin 800 mg. pills didn't help it. I am 53 years old, but I felt like a 90 year old. I had problems walking, especially after sitting for an hour or so. I had problems with stairs. Even laying down was painful. I tried heating pads, ointments, etc. When I told my doctor about it, she said that this was a typical side effect of statins, and that because I am diabetic, I need to continue taking Zocor to keep my cholesterol down. Just the other day, I stopped taking Zocor for 3 glorious days and guess what? NO pain!!! I resumed it because my doctor insists that I stay on it, but I wish there was something else I could take that wouldn't cause pain.

I was on Lipitor for less than a week 2 years ago and the muscle pains were so bad that moving my head was painful. I called the doctor's office and was instructed to stop taking the medication; which I did and felt 'back to normal' within a few days. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since that time, or if I did before surgery, no one mentioned anything negative about it. However 6 weeks ago I had a heart attack. Apparently my cholesterol was twice what it should it have been, and my potassium was incredibly low. So I'm now on Lipitor (standard procedure after having a heart attack and high cholesterol seen as the cause of it) to ensure that another blockage does not occur.

The only problem is I'm now bloated even though I've changed my diet drastically (no more junk food or soft drinks, no 'white' flour products, no dairy products with more than 5% M.F and lots of veggies and fruits). I've lost 3 or 4 pounds but my pants are too tight around my waist, and now I have a my upper abdomen bulges over the waistline. Besides that, I get muscle 'kinks' in very places and after sitting for more than 10 minutes I limp when I take the first few steps.

People have told me to 'keep taking Lipitor and Plavix' but exercise more. The only problem with that is that I have a brain aneurysm and the neurosurgeons don't think it can be operated on 'without it being a very high risk procedure'. The first one ruptured 10 years ago and since then I've managed to control my blood pressure. However the meds I took for that was what lead to my potassium being so low that my electrolytes were imbalanced. That combination of low potassium and high cholesterol is what lead to the heart attack.

I'm 54 and feel as though I'm losing control of 'how' I feel. Between Lipitor, Plavix and diuretics and medication for hypertension I'm not sure if it's one drug in particular that's making me 'ache, limp and look like a blimp' or if it's because of the interaction of all of them. How do I decide 'what' to stop? What's more important to look after first - my heart or my brain?

i was a healthy 35 year old male but had high cholesterol, so the doctor prescribed lovastatin (mevacor) and tried it for a month but developed muscle weakness. months later, i'm still experiencing severe muscle spasms and my neurologist is stumped -- mri's, spinal tap, emg -- all normal. I just want to feel normal again. can anyone help? please email me!

I am 42 years old and been taking crestor 10 mg for about 18 months to 2 years.. Recently been feeling tired with heavy legs.. told my doctor did a blood test everything was normal.. doctor advised to get off crestor its been 3 week and still feeling tired in legs.. am pretty active, workout , lift weights.. walk and play golf lately 18 holes carrying bag are becoming difficult.. will stay off crestor for a while and see if leg pain and tiredness goes away.. Anyone experienced similar systems... What did you do... My cholesterol on crestor had dropped to 160.. last test while on crestor was 238 hdl 133 and ldl 64.... not sure what to do but till i don't feel normal do not plan to take crestor as that is the only medication was taking....

I'm a 46 years old male normally good shape,I was put on Lipitor due to high cholesterol and family history of heart problems.I've been on lipitor for four years , 2years on 10mg, 1 years on 40mg and 1 year on 80 mg.
The last 6 months I have been experiencing severe archiles tendonitis to the point where I can hardly walk. I am extremely disatisfied with this drug and have read a lot of complaints regarding this drug.

Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Please reply to this post.

Thank You

I must let you know from experience with both drugs scientifically, Lipitor does lower your cholesterol levels, and when u want to talk cholesterol, talk, LDL's or HDL's donttalk general. Lipitor has been proven to reduce your LDL levels yes, but the standard dose regimen for Lipitor is 40 mg, NOT 10mg, further more once Lipitor does that at 40 mg, it ALSO STARTS LOWERING YOUR HDL's which are your good cholesterol. So dont be fooled that your cholesterol levels have dropped. Consider the patients out there who suffer from GENETIC/ FAMILIAL DYSLIPIDEMIA's . The game is totally different for GENETICALLY OBESE PAX as well.

I think all of you folks with side affects are are blaming your ills on Lipitor rather than putting the blame where it belongs: on your own mental health. I am a 65 YO male and I have been on Lipitor for more than six years now. I have no side affects, I work out four days per week with cardio and weights and feel that Lipitor should be added to the public water supply. My total cholesterol has gone from the high two hundreds to under one-forty on a single daily dose of 10mg. All of you hypochondriacs get a grip.

I have read all of the symptoms on this page and have many of them. I too was on all of the statins but had to stop due to terrible muscle aches, pain and fatigue. This is my second attempt at Welchol and the same as before lower back and hip pain, foot pain, lethargy and trouble sleeping. Dr said not absorbed by the body so no side effects, B.S. I also had a strange bout of anemia before, I'll bet it was the Wechol then too. I'll take my chances with the Cholesterol I can't live like this. There must be something else we can take?

I am 54 and began taking Simvastatin 20mg on Jan 11, 2008 my blood panel showed chol 319 ldl 251hdl 44 trig 118 on Jan 26 I experienced chest pain like I had swallowed an ice cube for fifteen minutes and thought it was a side effect of the Statin I went to the surgicenter and was checked in with Troponin at 0.1 after one hour there I had another pain and they gave nitro g and it continued the Troponin level went to 1.6 They sent me to get an angiogram and I ended up getting two stents. just before the procedure after not having eaten for 22 hours my blood panel was done again and my chol was 155 ldl 89 hdl 38 trig 136. my ldl had gone down 162 mg/dl in fifteen days. after two weeks now taking Plavix as well I began having extreme pain in my joints and both knees forearms and calves, so bad I can hardly walk and have been prescribed Darvocet for the pain. I want to stop taking the Simvastatin I am alarmed at the rate of decent and wonder if my symptoms could be a product of too low of cholesterol. I can't get a straight answer from three doctors I've spoken to. I'm being crippled by the cure

I am a 51 year old healthy male. Was on Vytorin for nine months, but finally noticed I was getting really lethargic, was weak ( I used to be able to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 6 mi/hr, but finally could barely muster 10 minutes), had bouts of blurred vision, and a nasty tingling and pain that developed in my right foot causing me to limp. I had developed night sweats and cramping in my foot and legs. I was feeling like a 70 year old man in a 51 year old body, neglecting many of the things I normally like to do. I was just too tired. All this slowly developed and I did not put 2 and 2 together until I finally decided it had to be the Vytorin. I quit for a week, told the doc all my symtoms except the foot tingling were better. He said, lets try pravachol, 80mg instead since cholesterol of 180, 40 for HDL was still too high! One week on Pravachol was all I could take. All the symptoms came back and even worse. Now he wants to put me on Zocor. Says this is all "trial and error" to find the right combo. I am afraid I have nerve damage from this drug in my foot and I don't think the side effects are worth the decreased cholesteral count. I'd rather have a heart attack and die quick than suffer a long slow fall to become a total invalid by continuing to take these statin drugs. They are poisons, plain and simple.

I took increasing amounts of Niaspan for a number of years and experienced the flushing that even at its worst soon passed each time. But earlier this year, while on 1000 mg, I suddenly experienced terrible itching after showering, even after taking cool showers. It was maddening, as sometimes after a shower, there was no side-effect. When it reached the point one day that I had hives, I stopped Niaspan. I have been off the medication for about 4 months. Two weeks ago, I started up again at 500mg. I have been ok with no flushing. Today, after a cool shower, I experienced a bout of severe itching on my legs. I don't know what to do. I can't tolerate the itching but my HDL has already gone lower than before. Any ideas?

36 year old female; have been on Lipitor 10mg for about 3 weeks now. Have been experiencing chest pain with fast heart beat. Feels like I can't get a breath all the way. Can anyone help out? I'm scared. It feels like I can't breath in all the way and I'm scared to stop the Lipitor since my cholesterol is 264 now. Thanks.

I've been on simvastatin, (Zocor's generic) 5 mg, for about 2 months now & am experiencing pain in the ball of my left foot, and middle toes. I'm 53 years old, and have never had any trouble whatsoever with my feet. I was put on simvastatin to lower my LDL which is 152. My HDL is 82. I'm due to go in for my blood works in another week and a half, but I would like to stop taking the prescription now, but I will probably wait to see if it has lowered my LDL. This sure isn't worth the pain.

I'm a 28yo male. my over all cholesterol was elevated at 248. I am a very healthy person otherwise, and active. My HDL chol is very good. My Dr. had me try to lower my chol by diet and excersise at first for a little over a year, but didn't work. About two months ago he decided to put me on Zocor 10mg. The day i started taking it I felt very tired, weak, very dazed. I told my Dr. and he said it was a likely side effect and to keep taking it. After a week I was still feeling bad to the point where I had to call in sick to work. My Dr. finally told me to stop taking the Zocor and come in to the lab to get my blood drawn. A few days later my results showed that my liver and muscle enzymes were way elevated. My Dr. called me and said to drink copious amounts of water to flush out my system. After about a week of still feeling terrible my liver and muscle enzymes were back down to normal range. That was almost two months ago and still feel terrible. I've been very fatigued,muscle weakness,muscle spasms all over my body,dizziness,very sharp headches, stiff neck,but mostly pressure in my head and in my ears which cause them to pop and ring. My back even got really stiff and sore for a couple of weeks. I've been in such a daze. After 8 hours of sleep when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I've only had about two hours. I've been back and forth to my Dr. many times over the past couple months, and he's started telling me that because of taking a low dose of Zocor for only a week, he doesn't think it was the statin that is making me feel like this and said it could be a virus, and has been drawing blood for lyme disease and mono etc., which have all came back normal. I believe this is ALL from the Zocor!! I think I have drug induced myositis. I am scheduled next week to see a Neurologist. Hopefully he can give me some answers. I hope my experiences can help one of you out there. Alot of Dr.'s out there aren't aware of how dangerous these statins really are!.

I am alright when I take 500mg of Niaspan at bed time but if I increase it to 1000 or as my Dr wants 1500, I have a severe reaction. It does not happen right away but about 4 hours after I take it. The itching is unbearable. I was told that over the counter items like Benedril(sp) would help but it takes a long time if it does help. I do not get these reactions every night, sometimes once or twice a week. I was told to take an aspirin or Advil before taking the niaspan and that seems to lesson the attack. I will say when I took the 1000mg it doubled my HDL(good) cholesterol but I don't think the unbearable itching is worth it. I have been told by my Alergy Doctor that there is something to take to prevent the attacks but he could not remember what it was. He did say that it is not an alergic reaction but a cardiac reaction. I wish I could find the remedy because it has helped raise my HDL dramatically.

My doctor wants to start me on Zocor but after reading all these ill sideeffects, I'm rethinking that. I have questions for Guest #15708 who is diabetic. My HDL and trigs are excellent. Just need to bring the LDL down a bit. How long after you started the supplements indicated in your message from Jan. 24, 2006, did your cholesterol level come down? Was the 93 your "LDL" number? That's the number I need to bring down.

IR is tricky with 3 doses a day,.. STAY AWAY FROM DIETARY SUPPLEMENT NIACIN !!! Unless,.. you are an expert identifying the safe, from the toxic, from he 'placebo'. YES.. most of the $20-35 a month NO FLUSH have NO BENEFIT. Do NOT work. Safe??.. yes! Work??,.. NO! Preventative Cardiology Norris RB, et al Jan 2006. the cardiologist wrote Rx ER niacin & pateint switched to NO FLUSH,.. no HDL changes, no further LDL drop, No trig drop,.. NOTHING !! Card didn`t know. Grilled patient. patient confesswed. Labs do NOT lie. HDL, especially HDL2 AND Lp(a) hardly move for 9 months, BUT continue to respoind for 3 years. Allen Taylor, MD, Colonel - Walter Reed & Moti Kashyap, VA/Los Angeles-Long Beach. ONLY niacin & estrogen increase HDL2. Fibrates LOWER HDL2. 1000 mg or 1g increase HDL2 11% & at 2000 mg or 2g it increases 189%. Absolutely unique. By he time the flushing quits occuring : 1) small dense pattern B LDL. even with a total LDL of 85, pattern B will eventually get you
2) LOW HDL2; Often far below 10 in males & < 15 in females
Niacin is THE MOST POTENT AGENT to fully correct BOTH these defects.
Manage triglycerides up to 800 mg/dL with ONLY 10 caps fish oil and 1 gm or more of RX niacin: No need for fibrates until pancreatiis is a threat @ ~>800-1000..

BEWARE the SR, CR, LA aka 'LOW' FLUSH niacins. Poor efficacy and other poor tolerability issues: GI, etc. Again, unregulated, not even OTC. DANGEROUS to play with. Several gov't studies, on Sustained release / SR at the VA, there were reports of confirmed hepatotoxicity: "...fulminant hepatic failure.." long residence times in the liver are not a good idea.
DO NOT PLAY DOCTOR!! Find a Dr. who has A LOT of experience Rx-ing ER niacin. If he doesn`t CURRENTLY have 50-100 successfully managed niacin patients, ask IM's, ENDO's & Cards until you find someone who does have clinical experience. 100 new starts a year,.. minimum. OR.. call a lipid clinic. They know. USE HE WEB: Find a lipid expert in your zip code: Lipid.org aka National Lipid Association

Take care,..
...be well...!! ;-)
Steve the Lipid Guy