Muscle degeneration symptoms and conditions

I am 39 years old and work for an interventional cardiology medical device company in Tokyo, and so know the importance of controling one's cholesterol, keeping the LDL's low and the HDL's high. About two years ago, my doctor put me on 10 mg of Lipitor. Several months later I herniated a disc in my neck between C6&C7. From that point onward, I attributed all of my neck and back pain, and newly acquired total body muscle and joint pain, to the herniated disc, it made the most sense. Over the last seven months, I have really worked on my diet and began to exercise more (even though quite painful) and was able to lower my cholesterol. This resulted in my doctor lowering my Lipitor prescription from 10 mg to 5 mg. I noticed a slight alleviation of the pain I felt in my hip joints and calves. About two weeks ago I took myself off Lipitor completely and found further improvements in my total body muscle and joint pain. It's still there but greatly improved. In retrospect, I now believe the Lipitor may have been the culprit (or at least a contributing factor) to my herniated disc due to muscle degeneration in the neck, and all of the subsequent muscle pain, especially in my hips and calves. I fully understand I am not going to die from calf-pain, but may from heart disease. However, I have found my quality of life has improved tremendously over the last few weeks. Less irritability, better sleep, less pain, clearer head. I feel like I have lost two years of my life on Lipitor via personal suffering and lack of ability to do much of anything with my wife and two young daughters. We all need to take charge of our own health and therefore I encourage anyone who feels completely different after taking Lipitor to engage your physician, and make sure its the right option for you. If damage has been done to my musculature I hope I can reverse it. It is evident to me that some serious clinical studies should be done to investigate Lipitor's effect on muscle degradation and hope others will consider carefully whether or not do go on this drug. If you do, monitor yourself closely.

I am an active 63 year old male. I have been on 10mg lipitor for 5 years and have experienced a very gradual muscle degeneration in my legs, feet numbness & tingling and hair loss from my ankles up. I have been to a neurologist, two Chiropactors, and Physical therapy and got some relief, but these symptoms never really disappeared. Recently, my bad cholestrol level increased and my doctor doubled my level to 20mg. After a month, my symptons are now worse and I can hardly get out of bed in the morning with sore muscles in my legs. I have had full skeleton x-rays and MRI's and Bone Bi-op. and have been cleared from other problems such as cancer. I have a strong feeling that my problems are from Lipitor. My doctor is in love with the drug. I am going to stop the Lipitor for a month regardless and see what happens. Joe

I had all kinds of pains like others discribeded. I also had short term memory loss weakness,tired and felt like I was too old to do anything at 42. I was taking 10 mg. of lipitor for 5 or more years. I tore my bicept tenden ( think from muscle degeneration from the staten) and had sergery to repair it. The lipitor slows down the healing process from sergery or any other injury. I also had a double hernia(more torn muscle) opereration three years ago and had complications that did not go away till a month after I stopped taking lipitor. I no longer have pains and I can go up and down stairs with no problem now. I gained over fifty pounds while on the lipitor and have lost thirty of that in the two months since I stopped the lipitor. I no longer fall asleep at seven thirty every night and I can get jobs done around the house I could not get myself to do when on the lipitor. Lipitor is a good way to keep people sick and kill them slowly. There is hope if you stop the drug. The cloudy felling in your head will go away also. You get a great sense of awareness when you stop the drug. good luck...your Dr. will tell you that none of it's from the drug. My doctor told me I was just getting old and getting arthritis. Well it went away and i'm getting younger since not taking it.

I have diagnosed osteoarthritis, two joint replacements, looking at a third, and my knee hurt at time. Bad fall over a year ago led eventually to spine surgery with fushion of several vertebrae. Before fall I had some back pain and have had the shoulder pain for years(and now requires partical reaplacement). I was very active and relatively athletic doing agility with my dog. After fall and sugery for pinched nerves, I have never felt normal. Too much pain all over, fingers still numb, don't feel safe running with my dog. I suffered muscle degeneration due to the pinched nerves. Finally after numerous expensive test etc, rheumatologist suggested kenalog shot if I didn't feel better soon. Also tentative diagnosis of gout but my stomache could not handle pills for gout. So I got a shot of kenelog. - Super! I felt "normal" for the first time in over a year, didn't feel weak in knees, felt I could walk faster and further. Positive side effect was clearing my sinuus' and clearing up cough from phlem from sinus area. Got shot about 5 weeks ago and it has gradualy faded. I do not feel as painedl, but my activity level has decreased. I want another shot.

I am a 49 yr old physically fit female who began taking Lipitor around 2 yr ago. I began having leg pain/cramps and went off of them for two weeks or so. I have to admit I felt much better. I went back on them for fear of having heart problems with high cholesterol. Two weeks ago I started having severe pain in my left leg/hip area running all the way down like muscle strains. I can literally push on the muscle and it is so sore like someone has beat me. I can't lay on my left side anymore when sleeping. I think I am going to go off of it again and if the pain subsides, find other ways to lower the cholesterol. I am worried that this has caused some type of muscle degeneration. I am also experiencing numbness in my right hand more than ever. I am scared...

stomach bloat, joint pain, rash, fatigue, muscle twitches, muscle degeneration. muscle weakness, vomiting, nausea,foot pain, weakness, swelling of calves and feet and ankles, ALS (Lou Gehrig) like symptoms/