Muscle twitching symptoms and conditions

I am using Zocor 20 mg once day for the past 2 years. I am exercising regularly and seem to have no problem there. I often have leg muscle twitching in the evenings/nights that I am pretty sure is due to the medication.
Furthermore, recently I have a pain in my right ankle/calf when walking, that feels like a stretched or torn muscle or tendon, but there is no external redness or heat or swelling. I suspect it is due to Zocor as well.
Finally, I have nightly shoulder tenderness that might be due to the durg.
All symptoms started within the past 2 years.

About 4 months ago I was put on a 10 day treatment of 500 mg Levaquin, because of an on going sinus infection. I took the pills for 5 days and experienced muscle twitching, weakness, dizzyness, upset stomache, irregular fast heart beat, extreme anxiety, I had this weird tingling numb feeling from my knees down and couldnt sleep at all. I called my doctor after 2 days of the medication and told her about my side affects and she told me to continue the medication. After 5 days went by I looked up this web site and was shocked to hear that I wasnt alone. I threw away the rest of the medicine and prayed I wouldnt have long lasting affects. I continued to have muscle twitching, cramping, and weakness for the next 3 months and my leg muscles would ache and tighten by themselves. I have played sports my entire life and had just gotten done my season of college basketball before I got sick and after I took this medication I could barely walk up the stairs without feeling like I was going to pass out. I was in and out of the hospital having blood tests they tested me for lyme disease, and did 2 cat scans of my head. I went to a neurologist and had tests done worrying it was ms or als and they sent me to have an MRI of the brain and my neuroligist asked me if I had been on any medications and I told him levaquin. After 3 months of crying myself to sleep being put on about 8 different medications to control my anxiety my neurologist diagnosed me with BFS. BFS is a neaurological disease that affects your nerves. It is not life threatening but many people suffer because of the anxiety that comes along with the disease and I get muscle twitching all over my body and feel tired most of the time. It took me to get a long time to feel even a bit better but I began taking magnesiun, B12, Potassium, and other ones to help nerve function and a mild anxiety medication and I have felt a little better. Nobody believed me when I told them my illness was from levaquin but after I was diagnosed I realized that just 5 pills may have ruined my life. Now today I have my good days and bad. I just turned 21 but I cant drink or have caffiene because of BFS. I met the love of my life about 3 weeks after I got out of the hospital and I knew we were meant to meet because his step father had passed away a month before. His step father took levaquin for an infection and his kidneys and liver failed 11 days later and he passed away. I was so devastated when my boyfriend told me about this and called my parents to tell them how SCARED I WAS. I am dealing with what this medication has done to me by staying positive, and telling as many people as possible about how bad this medication is. I wish I would have rad this site before I took those 5 pills but I didnt. Levaquin should not be on the market and I will pray for those who have had the same heartbreaking experience as myself.

My husband went on Lisinopril in Feb 07, his bp went down and was regulated his headaches almost left but then he had sinus surgery in mar or apr. He has now developed muscle twitching and now the "doctors" say he has Motor Neuron Disease.... I refuse to believe after reading everyone's side affects that this 41 year old with no family history of this other than 1/2 siblings with high bp that he has this disease. He has experienced neck stiffness like it is broken (had MRI) no broken bones or slipped disc, he has had the chills, hw has vision blurred issues, heaviness in his legs, left side of his body more prominent than the right, he has crazy dreams and thoughts, he feels like he is dying, he doesn't however have any coughs, he has anxiety which they put him on anti depressant. After reading others comment I researched this med, it was developed by venom in a poisonous Brazilian snake. My husband as a child would get bitten by wasps, fire ants etc.. they would rush him to ER for meds and he used to take shots if stung, swells up like a balloon. So in my theory this med has the snake bite affects and I believe this has caused him to have this neuron disease but I can't prove it. His muscles twitch all the time. I believe this drug has been slowly poisoning him to a eventually paralysis to death. I have begged the doctor to take him off. He has but now he is on Atenolol, which is not much better but has no snake venom or ACE inhibitors. Please people email me. I am desperate we need to band together.
Thanks you Joann

I was a relatively healthy woman up until the day I took Levaquin for chest congestion. On the second day, I developed insomnia, hot flashes. panic attacks, feelings of impending doom, depression, muscle twitching, dehydration, blurred vision etc...I ended up in the ER for near-syncope/dehydration. I thought I was going crazy and the doctors couldn't explain the symptoms because all the tests came back negative for any diagnoses. The doctor prescribed ativan which has helped a lot. I drink plenty of fluids especially green tea (antioxidants) and lemon juice (purifier). No caffeine. I also take liverite and milk thistle to help restore liver function. Exercise nightly if you can. After 1 week, I can now sleep through the night but I still suffer from anxiety.

Unfortunately, until someone dies from this drug, it will not be taken off the market. The FDA doesn't have your best interest at heart and does not care how medication side effects affect you because they are funded by the pharmaceutical companies. I have learned a grave lesson....read all inserts before ingesting anything.

Uncontrollable muscle twitching and tics, depression, anxiety, insomnia.

Thanks to this info I now know that it must be the singulair that is causing my muscle twitching, anxiety, nightmares, and insomnia. I was being to think that I was going crazy. Started the med after having an asthma attack in the airpart in dec. The sideeffects started about two weeks later. As of today I will stop the singulair.

Im glad I found this site!! I thought it was just stress, but then realized my symptoms began after taking Singulair 10 mg. Awful night sleeps, muscle twitching, anxiety, nightmares, and insomnia. Im going to stop the medicine and hopefully be back to my old self again!!!!!

I have read these sites and boy wait till you hear what i have to say. I had a very very severe reaction from levaquin one year ago. I had heart palpitations, nervous system was stimulated, joint pains. severe muscle twitching, firing in my neck and arms, my shoulder became locked. also I had anxiety sort of symptoms. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. I was not anxiety befor the levaquin. And balance problems I couldn't walk without tipping over. I still have this problem today but it come and goes. I have vasculitis (vascular spasms) all over my body. It effects my breathing, heart, and bowels. My blood pressure went up sky high and my blood pressure was not like this before. I am also sensitive to other medications. My body was destroyed from this drug! It belongs in HELL. Yes people need to know about this drug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY WIFE HAS BEEN TAKING ZOCOR FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS, SHE NOW SUFFERS FROM BACK PAIN ,JOINT PAIN ,MUSCLE PAIN,GENERAL STIFFNESS ,BACK MUSCLE TWITCHING,STOMACH PAINS AND FATIGUE. IN THE LAST YEAR ITS GOT SO BAD THAT IT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED HER LIFESTYLE(MINE TOO...I NOW KNOW WHERE THE HOOVER IS KEPT!!!!!!!)
DEXA SCAN MRI SCAN NEUROLOGIST ORTHOPEDEIC SURGEON
NONE COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG!! WHILE ALL THESE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT HER G.P. CONTINUES TO PRESCRIBE ZOCOR!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION FROM THIS MOMENT SHE WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER ONE

This is in response to guest #36367. I am also wanting to know about any class action lawsuits. I have been off of Zocor now for four months. I am still left with my problems such as muscle twitching (I would say it is about 75% better), sore legs and shaking. My doctor told me she has another patient who has the same symptoms as I do, and after a year she still has problems when she is stressed, sick or tired. I don't think this problem will ever go away. My neurologist couldn't find anything wrong with me and said he thinks I had a neuromuscular reaction to statins. I have always been in good health and felt good, but not anymore. I hope someday I am 100% better, I was shooting first for one month, then was hoping maybe at two months, now I am hoping at six months I am back to me. Good luck.

This is just an update, I have been here before.

It has now been four months since I have been off of Zocor. I am still left with muscle twitching, not as bed and some days not at all. I have permanent leg pains and tightness. I beleive Zocor declined my health for good. I have always enjoyed good health and looked young for my age, but now feel terribly sore and stiff and like I have aged. I wish I could make a claim to someone. I never thought this would happen to me. When I see the commercials on TV when it says report any muscle aches as it could be a rare, but serious condition, boy they aren't kidding.

I am on 200mg of Zoloft. I started it last January, and have slowly increased my dosage to find the correct dosage. I am starting to feel anxiety again, and feel as though your body gets used to the meds, and you continually need a higher dosage. I am jittery, have insomnia, have very vivid dreams, tremors, my eyes tremor when I try to close them and I see flashes of light, when I nod my head down towards my chest it tremors, i am restless, it has made my add worse, it causes slight weight gain, muscle twitching...it worked fine, but the higher the dose, the worse the side effects, and here I am with anxiety again. I suppose I need to switch my meds - maybe try lexapro. But definitely get a new psychiatrist.

This is in response to guest 31530.

I have been off of zocor for almost two months and still have some sytmpoms. I had developed muscle twitching and tightness.

After many doctor appointments, I had a follow up with my MD yesterday. She told me that she has another patient who has the muscle twitching and that patient's has lasted a year.

My doctor told me it may never go away and when I am tired or stressed it could flare up. I have had CK levels check and have no documented muscle damage, have been to two neurologists and they all think it is from the bad effects of the simvastatin I was on for 3.5 weeks.

I've been taking Lupron for a little over two weeks. I chose the back of my arms as the injection site. For the first thirty minutes or so afterwards I'll feel a slight numbing/tingling sensation in the arm that I recieved the shot in. I've also noticed increased muscle twitching in my legs and arms at night while lying in bed which makes it hard to sleep sometimes.

I have constant nerve/muscle twitching in both legs, mainly
below the knees; I had herpes simplex encephalitis 6 years ago,
and continue to take trileptal. Could this be a side effect, as I
continue to occasionally have seizures.?

I took Lipitor for 36 days. At first I noticed only some increased heartburn and constipation. Then came the insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and increasingly severe depression. One day I took my usual walk with my dog and felt as though I were walking through waist-deep mud. I went home and took a nap and when I awoke I felt as though I had been beaten with baseball bats. Every muscle in my body ached. By the next day, I was suffering with nausea, upper abdominal pain, and could barely stumble to the Dr.'s office. She drew blood to test for muscle damage and it was negative, but told me to stop the Lipitor. Many of the symptoms subsided almost immediately. Still, 3 weeks after stopping the Lipitor, I have constant muscle pain, especially in my legs, also weakness and fatigue that prevents me from living my normal life. I also have a constant tingling and burning sensation in my feet, and muscle twitching. I wish I had researched Lipitor on the Net before taking. I am very angry that this drug and others like it are being pushed on the general public by the medical community and the pharmaceutical companies. It is sad to read the experiences on this forum. I wish you all the strength to recover and regain your lives.

My husband has been on Crestor since early 2004 then switched to Lipitor this year. He started having low back ache about three days ago and continual tremors (painless muscle spasms) in his neck, face, shoulders, arms, and hands that have increased in intensity. He was told to go the Emergency Room today. They ran a full spectrum of blood tests including CPK, which all returned normal results and sent him home. After clearing it with the Dr. he decided to stop taking Lipitor and see if that makes a difference.

Has anyone else had tremors, muscle twitching, or small muscle spasms with statin drugs?

I'm so glad I found this site. Was put on tapering Prednisone dose for sinus infection. Wasn't much, starting out with 24 mg, then 20 mg, 16 mg, 12 mg, 8 mg, lastly 4 mg then stop. Oh my goodness!! The first 3 days I thought I was literally going to die of something! I felt so anxious, almost panicky. I couldn't sleep at night-really irritating with 2 little kids waking you up when you do fall asleep. I also had muscle twitching. I had a lot of heartburn, which is now subsiding with the smaller tapered doses. As a RN for 23 years, I can't tell you how many times I have given this stuff, aware of the side effects, but it really feels real when you take it yourself. There were some good things...I haven't had an allergy attack in 5 days, and I haven't breathed this well in months. The anxiety is gone. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have to take this stuff. It is a very good drug, especially in such severe illnesses, but it is very potent. Most doctors do give careful consideration when prescribing this.
Gail ***
Overland Park Ks

I took 2 500mg of Levaquin back on April 18 2004 for a suspected throat infection. I didn't have an immediate reaction to the drug until 7 days later when my life become a living hell. I experienced tightness in my throat I thought I was choking, reflux acid from my stomach burned my throat and I developed the worst case of IMSOMNIA anyone could possible bear, I spent 3 days literally unable to fall asleep. I call the doctr and had him prescribe Ambien which only helped for 4 days after that even 2 ambiens wouldn't put me to sleep. I developed rapid heart beat and strong palpitations, I now have more black spots floting in my eyes,I bacame disoriented, irritable, depressed, and even on those four days when taking ambien I had the terrible nightmares and hallucinations, as I tried to concentrate on sleeping my mind just kept going on it's own making out a lot of nonsense visuals things. I stop to ambien and tried Valerian root which seem to help me better but upset my stomach. I developed Neck pain as if something had been ruptured on the right side off my neck. I also develedped pain in my shoulder radiating down my arm. Two months later I started to get muscle twitching, and the depression kept getting worse. I have never been the same ever since. It's been more than 4 months after the incident and the twitching, depression, neck pain (now on the left side too), irritability, panick/anxiety feeling in my stomack it's still here. I am taking supplements and magnesium to try to rid my system of these effects. I will be posting regularily as to any information I find that can be helpful to dealing with these side effects.

Eddie

my 60 yr. old husband experienced hand tremor and tingling, muscle twitching and jerking of legs esp. at night and immediately upon awakening, slowed reaction times, walk without swinging of arm on right side. He was diagnosed with parkinson's disease last week. my niece's husband (57 yr. old) was diagnosed with parkinson's 3 weeks ago! when it was discovered they had the same symptoms and had one major factor in common: BOTH HAD TAKEN LIPITOR FOR 4+ YEARS, i made my husband stop the drug and began researching. since statins result in incredible decrease in the body's ability to manufacture coenzyme Q10 he began on 100 mgm/day of the drug. on his own. when he was diagnosed by the neurologist with parkinson's the physician recommended my husband take coq10 at a dosage of 1200mgm/day! ( He also is taking vit c, selenium, & folic acid)It is still way too early to determine if any benefits will result, but the night and early morning twitching and jerking of his lower extremities has stopped for the past 2 days and the hand tremors have definitely decreased.

I started taking Advair in August 2003, and it wasent untill around march 2004 when i noticed how tired I was. When i run my chest burns and my legs get so tired after 3 mins. I have to stop. My muscles get so tired just from going up the stairs, and im only 23. Ontop of it all I notice muscle twitching and tightening, has anyone else my age had symptoms like these.

I've been taking zoloft for 2 months. Started out at 25mg, then uppped it to 50mg. The first couple weeks I experienced shakiness, headaches, muscle twitching and vivid dreams. MOST OF THE SIDE EFFECTS WENT AWAY AFTER 2 WEEKS. The side effects I still feel are the jaw tension. Also I started to have spotting between my periods which I've never had before. Has anyone else experienced spotting?
Overall it has helped eliminate the panic attacks but I still have a overall sense of anxiety.

Ok, here goes! I've waited to enter this until I left the levaquin nightmare. This drug made my life miserable for three months. Iam a very healthy active person even ran a marathon in Novemember. I was prescribed levaquin for a lung infection in February. Was prescribed 500 mg for a week. When I started taking the drug I had very bad neck spasms but just assummed the drug was ridding me of infection. The full effects of the drug became more evident towards the end of treatment.
I was extremely tired, sleepy, very weak muscles hardly able to push the gas peddle without feeling weak. The thought of walking to the mail box was overwhelming. I had internal chills and shivering, muscle aches, muscle spasms and muscle twitching and just felt dreadful. This went on for about three months. I am still not myself but I think I am on the road to recovery. I was told by my doctor that I had neurotoxicity to levaquin. I cannot tell you how much money and agony this has caused me. I was also referred to a rheumatologist, and a neurologist to rule out other diseases.I went to a naturopath, my obgyn, my dermatologist (
weird skin things) I worried like crazy that I would never be the same all because of an antibiotic. This drug should be taken off the market immediately. Good luck to all of you who are suffering. I have things that seemed to help me but I think time is the only cure.

"Maybe you people need to realize that just because you have a symptom, and it happened after you took a drug, the two aren't necessarily related. Take my word for it, I'm an M.D."

Take your word for it? I go to UCLA for my medical care. I must have seen about 4 different doctors there who are unable to diagnose what I have. I told them that after starting Trimox, 5 days later I had severe pins and needles in my lower right leg. They switched me to Levaquin and that made it worse. Then muscle twitching started. They too said that "it's NOT the Levaquin!" all right then, "what's causing the pins and needles and muscle twitches" I asked these doctors who's word I'm supposed to be taking. All their answers were "I don't know...". BRILLIANT. 4 doctors at UCLA say it's not the Levaquin, BUT cannot give me a viable explanation as to what's causing them. Ironically, within 4 days of stopping the Levaquin (because a pharmacist said that it was indeed a rare side effect from the drug) the pins and needles subsided. Hmmm, what could it have been?!? Maybe if the doctor gave an intelligent response when presenting them with our symptoms, they could say something other than "I don't know what could be causing that" and just passing the symptom by like it doesn't mean anything, we'd be more apt to 'take their word for it'. The words "I'm an M.D." are not synonymous with the words "I Am God". I will always question a doctor's word. It's my responsibility because it's MY health that they may be misdiagnosing. This arrogant attitude of Dr.'s is really getting tiresome. WE hire doctors to work for US. WE do not work for the doctors. WE pay THEM. They act like it's the other way around. Doctors have to stop dropping the ball and start investigating the symptoms instead of just shrugging them off with "Oh, that's just age". It's maddening!! ...-Dave