Heart bypass symptoms and conditions

I have been on Toprol 25mg XL for over three years now and I personally think it's a great drug. My doctor prescribed it to reduce my heart work load after I had a quadruple heart bypass at 47yrs old - not over weight. Initially, I felt tired, lacked motivation to do anything, dizziness when I abruptly stand up - still do, weird dreams, lack of sex drive including less rigid erection and less intense ejaculation, depression and also gained over fifteen pounds. Anyway, things have improved since, I started working out every day and quickly lost the excess weight. All the side effects have gone except for the occasional dizziness and the sex part. I can feel my heart go out of wack if I don't take the med. Stay away from the generic that you have to take twice a day - not as effective.

My heart rate spikes when my blood pressure gets markedly lower. I also get really dizzy when that happens. I know that so many of you are struggling with these side effects and I also know (based on experience) how nerve wracking it can be. Maybe...just maybe we aren't experiencing side effects from the drug exactly, but instead the effect of the drug working. Maybe once our bodies get used to the lowered pressure, our heart rates will normalize. Maybe when we adjust to the lowered pressure a little better, we won't get so dizzy....

Don't mean to sound preachy...I guess I'm just trying to suggest an alternative view...again, one that is based on experience../.

I took Lipitor for 4 or 5 years. I lost count. I am a type II diabetic and the Dr. threw tons of prescriptions at me. I was convinced all my problems were not the result of Lipitor because my sister's Dr. told her that if you had the muscle pain you would have it all over. Well I got sick of feeling like I was 85 years old. I am 57. I know I am not young anymore, but I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes without having trouble getting up. The right top of my leg hurt so bad some times that I could hardly walk . I also had really bad pain on the right side of my lower leg. I had pains in my neck and shoulders and attributed it to stress at work.Last, but not least I had terrible gas and bloating. The gas was downright embarrasing. Well I took it upon myself to stop taking it. Within several days I felt like a new woman! The minute I woke up one morning I could feel the difference before I even got out of bed. I felt like I had been given my life back.

When I called my Dr. to let her know she wasn't very happy and wanted me to come in. Well now she put me on Crestor and it's been two weeks and the old pains and gas are coming back. I am NOT going to take these terrible statins anymore. They say that the muscle and joint aches are rare, but that is only because most doctors won't listen to their patients. You know your own body better than anyone else.

I have heard that some of the "older" statins are not as powerful and they don't have as many side effects. Has anyone else heard this or had any experience using them?

All I know is that for now I am off statins.