Male caucasian symptoms and conditions

I am a 55 yo caucasian male caucasian. Profession: Dentist. Was placed on Lipitor 20mg/day. After 2-3 months noticed that I bruised very easily; began feeling weak, tired; would develop severe muscle & joint pains after Karate & Weight training. Because of my genetics, lab values did not improve enough. The dose was increased to 40mg/day. Leg cramps, weakness, and muscle pains became totally incapacitating. Has to go to bed. Sleeping was difficult becasue of constant pain. Discontinued Lipitor: all symptoms abated.

Was then placed on Vitorin 10/20 one per day. After 4 to 6 weeks noticed severe muscle & joint pain. But there is no bruising like I had while taking the Lipitor. I altered the dose to one every other day, i.e., 1/2 the perscribed dosage, and symptoms have lessened. However, when I perform and intense Karate & weight work out session, 48 hour later I have severe muscle & joint pains which necessitate bed & rest for 24 to 36 hours.

My Cardiologist is skeptical of these effect being related to these cholesteral statins...but as a clinician of 30 years i KNOW there is a direct relationship.

I am male, caucasian, sixty years old, average height, a little overweight.

I can't expressly pin my symptoms down to Lipitor, since, following 2 mild heart attacks, I am now on several drugs, namely aspirin, clopidogrel, lipitor, tildiem, cozaar and cardura.

However, the Lipitor was upped to 40mg daily after my second heart attack as routine dosage, and only since then have I noticed these symptoms - aches in wrists, knees and hips, apparent muscle weakness and tone, very dry and depleted skin in thickness and tone, dry and brittle hair, plus a tendency towards infections in nose, throat, eyes and ears and a very pronounced although erratic tinnitus. Before all this I would have called myself robust. Now I feel rather weak and sickly, although perhaps some of this can be attributed to my cardiovascular condition.

My history also includes Hogkins Disease, diagnosed 24 years ago and not recurring following treatment with radiotherapy and surgey alone.

Next week I am due to see my heart specialist and I will ask him how much of my symptoms could have been caused by Lipitor, and whether or not I can at least cut down the dose.