Muscle weakness symptoms and conditions

I have been on lisinopril for over 3 years - 5 mg/day. I am a 52 year old female in great shape and exercise daily. For over a year now I have had muscle aches, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, foggy brain feeling, insomnia, fatigue, some tingling in extremities. I also sometimes get these spells where all these symptoms come on at once. It's very strange. Been to numerous doctors including, PCP, 2 neurologists and a rheumatologist and after many tests they all come up with nothing. After reading posts at this site I think it may be the Lisinopril and with my PCP's permission stopped taking it 11 days ago. My blood pressure is fine - I am monitoring it daily. My symptoms still remain. Does anyone know how long these symptoms may continue? I am grateful for any additional information you could provide.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

They think that I have either crohns or ulcerative colitis. I have tried antibiotics, lialda, mesalamine enemas, with no improvement. After another colonoscopy they put me on prednisone at 40mgs, 30, 20, 10, then 5 decreasing weekly. Well the first week was okay. I had some of the side affects, insomnia, extreme hunger, and crazy. I could deal with that. But then when I decreased down to 30mg, my body flipped. I awoke from the middle of the night with burning pain in the knees. So bad I took 4 ibuprofen and threw myself in the tub with epsom salt. I thought okay that was weird because I have never had a joint pain in my life. I saw the gastroenterologist that day bc I was still having abdominal pain. He totally blew off the knee pain and said he had no idea what that was. I thought okay maybe it will go away. A few days went by and nothing. 3 days later and I awoke one morning crying in pain because of my legs. I called the on call doctor who also said he had no idea and go to the er. So I went crying hysterically for 4 hours. Even after 3 rounds of dilaudid I was still in pain. They suggested a Rheumatologist. So I went to one a week later who said I was going through steroid withdrawals. And there is nothing we can do but treat the symptoms of pain. I am now down to 10mgs have been out of work for 2 weeks and am absolutely miserable with severe leg pain, muscle weakness and fatigue. He also adjusted the drop down increments to 5 instead of 10. Anyway I will never take this drug again and I think they rushed to this one. Just wanted to share. I am glad I found this website because I went from a fully functioning physically fit 28 year old to a crippled crying crazy person. I think I was scaring my husband, honestly, until we both read some of your postings which were similar.

Frantee, I was a near fatal victim of statins. A few weeks ago I met a fit 70 yr old retired builder customer, who was wreaked in pain, couldn't walk to his letterbox or stay awake or do weeze etc etc. I gave him the Medsafe (New Zealand government) print out of statin adverse effects. He and his wife then knew without doubt that it was his statins killing him. They went to their doctor who put the fear of God into them "if you stop taking this medicine (statins) you could well have a heart attack or stoke and die" this fellow's golden years are painfully and avoidably ruined, end of story. This is despite Medsafe telling all doctors in NZ "... if a patient presents unexplained muscle weakness or pain to cease the medicine immediately" Undisputably criminal negligence. Like yourself I have been blackmailed, when I've gotten a bit niggly with my GP I get very very scared that my supply of oxycontin will be cut off. If I were to loose my pain killer any time in the last 14 months I would definitely have suicide out,at the worst I could not walk 500 metres without pain killer even with the medicine I came very close to suicide a couple of times. The only solution for survival is to have your blood tests etc done with your doctor, accept the prescriptions, agree with everything he says then study or visit a qualified natural path before taking medicine. There is currently major dissention at Harvard medical school where the medical students are saying "the information we are receiving is not at "pure" as it should be in such a "protected" environment. It seems like the pharmaceutical finance structure, stocks, bonds, shares debentures etc is in the top 3 or 4 finance structures on the planet. We've seen oil cause war and the largest frauds of all times in the financial banking sector I have no doubt the largest and cruelest genocidal crime has yet to be fully exposed. help yourself and help others, best for your recovery.

My mother, who is in her early 70's, is diabetic and had high cholesterol. She had been taking Lipitor and the doctor increased her dosage. She was experiencing muscle pain for some time, especially when she woke in the morning. The muscle pain worsened and her muscles became very weak. She had been complaining to her doctor for some time. It took a chiropractor to suggest it was the Lipitor. Her doctor finally ordered blood work and her enzyme levels were at 9500. She was immediately hospitalized, tests run and IV's given to flush the Lipitor from her system. She was expected to slowly recover. After weeks, her levels dropped to 6500 then began to rise. Her doctor now says her muscle damage is permanent and plans to give her prednisone to stop the inflammation. This muscle damage is a terrible "side effect" for a drug that was supposed to help her. She can hardly get up or down from a sitting or lying position, can hardly walk and her lifestyle has been severely curtailed. She is also exhausted all the time.

Not sure but didn't have a problem with sugar until a month after starting Lipitor 80mg. Leg muscles feel like they are going to cramp when I move quickly and I now have much fatigue both muscles and general. AND, I now have to start Metformin for diabetes. No history of diabetes in my family and I am not much overweight and get loads of exercise. I am wondering if the Lipitor could have contributed to the diabetes?

I've been taking prescription Niaspan for about 2 1/2 months now and was warned by my doctor about the flushing. For the first month and a half all was fine but one night my wife and I were reading in bed when I suddenly felt like my face was on fire. My wife grew alarmed and said that I looked beet red. Within five minutes the feeling and red appearance had spread all over my body. We went over the day to see if I had done anything out of the ordinary and realized that I had eaten shrimp and clams for dinner at a Chinese buffet. I chalked it up to that. We shut off the light and went to sleep and when I woke up in the middle of the night to let the dog out I was back to normal. Last night was the second time now this has happened only this time I was sound asleep when it hit. I woke up suddenly to discover the same symptoms and it was painful to move even a finger. As soon as I moved ANYTHING I felt like I was being stung everywhere. My skin too was hot to the touch. I went on an agonizing walk to the bathroom to see what I looked like and I was fire-engine red from head to toe. Again I managed to go back to sleep but I still have some lingering effects of tingling even now as I write this. My wife told me this morning that I was being melodramatic. I told her she should try it and get back to me.

I took 20 mg. of Lipitor for about 6 months only, severe pain in my right forearm and right bicep, Muscle weakness in both arms, Neck pain developed and pains in my feet. I quit the Lipitor when I read that the muscle damage could become permanent. the pain in my feet continues and I quit taking Lipitor about one year ago. As I walk, the pain eases up and goes away. It is when I am in a resting position and then start to walk. The first few steps really hurt. I also have calf pain. Will this ever end? Is there a way to speed up the healing process? I guess I don't have a lot to complain about but I hate most meds because of these side effects. Thanks for any feedback, Juleeegirl

I am a 52 year old male.8 years ago I had a heart attack.2 stents were put in.I have been on lipitor for the past 8 years.I was on 80 mg. for years,cholesterol got so low the Doctor reduced it to 40 mg.I lived with minor soreness,thinking it was age,arthritis,and a side effect of my very physical job.3 weeks ago joint pain started getting worse! Knee, hips,and especially the shoulders.It got to the point I could hardly crawl out of bed.Feb.20 called the doctor and he told me to stop the lipitor immediately! Today Feb. 24 pain is way less already.I wonder now about long term damage to muscles and joints! I am supposed to call him at the end of the week,very curious about what the conversation will be like. I do not plan to go back on the lipitor especially after reading this web-site.Thanks

I was given Avelox at my clinic for bacterial pneumonia, the doctor said it was a wonder drug and I'd be up and running in a couple of days. I took the medicine that night and I got very dizzy and started sweating, felt like an anxiety attack so I took my xanax and it helped a bit. The next day I tried to get up and about 15 min. later my head started buzzing and my ears were ringing, I tried to walk up the stairs and dropped to my knees at the top step and fell to the ground. I didn't lose consciousness but I couldn't move or speak for several min. when I started to come to, I crawled to my bed and everything was spinning, I started to have severe chest pain and was rushed back to the clinic. The doctor said to stay on the Avelox and take it before bed and finish all the dose, so I did, and gradually got worse and worse. I went to my doctor the day after Christmas and told him what happened, he said I still had crackling in my chest and my cough was still bad, he put me back on Avelox for 3 days, so I've now been on it for 10 days. I became so weak and couldn't eat, it felt like the food wouldn't go down, I was sweating, dizzy, still had cough so I called my doctor again and he put me on prednisone taper and another 5 days of Avelox. Two days later I ended up in the hospital with severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscle weakness(felt like I had lost muscle), severe bone pain to the touch, sweating, extreme fatigue, decreased mental ability, confusion, headaches and chills in my legs. It has been over three months since I first got sick and I feel worse today, my doctor's have no answers or solutions, just let it run its course. I feel trapped in my body, I'm 33 and a mother of two active kids, and I can barely get out of bed most days. I feel like my life has been taken from me and I want it back.

I have been on SMZ-TMP for a UTI for about 9 days and I ended up in the emergency room last night for severe rash, and fever of 102. I have had the most horrible back pain, leg pain, cramping, joint pain, muscle weakness and migraine since I started taking it. I thought most of that was due to the UTI/kidney infection and didn't realize that I am allergic to it. I stopped taking it 24 hours ago, and while I still have a slight rash, headache, slight fever and body aches I feel a helluva lot better than I have in over a month. People need to be aware that the sulfur in this drug can cause serious problems.

I have obly been taking the drug for a week but I am experiencing muscle weakness in my arms,vaginal itch and dryness, loss of sexual appetite and dry mouth

This is an update about my son who took Levaquin 16 months ago when he was 16 years old (he is now 17). My son was given Levaquin September, 2007, to prevent an infection after minor sinus surgery. His symptoms were severe muscle weakness (he would get exhausted walking from the parking lot to a store and back, severe joint pain (in thumbs, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles), dizziness (he felt like the room was moving away from him and would lose balance), and headaches (a severe pressure in the back of his head that was constant and then shooting pains in his head that would come and go for no reason). He then developed IBS a few months after taking Levaquin. He was an athlete at the time and in very good shape. Prior to Levaquin, he was rarely sick and headaches were equally as rare. He was a junior at the time and as a result of the Levaquin, missed most of his junior year. He kept up through home instruction and maintained 2 honors classes, but had to drop his AP class.

In the first 4 months, his muscle weakness, dizziness, and joint pain (except for his knees) went away. As a parent, it is very painful to have your son hold his head in his hands and ask you to make the pain go away…but you can’t. It took 9 months for his 24x7 headaches to go away. His IBS recently went away after giving him enteric coated peppermint pills twice a day. All that is left now is his knees hurt when he plays sports, so he can't. The knee issue is pretty minor compared to where he used to be.

Here are some things we learned: 1) We tried giving him magnesium, potassium, selenium, calcium, and B-complex after the Levaquin...but it didn't make him better; 2) We took him to over 20 doctors; most couldn't believe it was Levaquin, but some did; 3) Ortho-McNeill will admit that Levaquin can cause these symptoms (I called them); 4) There is no magic pill, once you have ingested Levaquin and develop symptoms, you can only treat the symptoms; 5) Numerous tests of all types over several months never came up positive for any disease or illness; 6) Filing a Medwatch report with the FDA is important since every report helps; 7) Levaquin is not FDA approved for anyone under the age of 18, but is still allowed to be prescribed; 8) Doctors get most of their information on drugs from the pharmaceutical representatives, so BEWARE and do your own research before taking medication; 9) Most drugs have side effects, but beware of the ones that have long lasting effects like the fluoroquinolone family; 10) Never ever lose hope or the belief that one day you will be better. The power of faith does wonders for your health.

I don't know if this post will help anyone. People are affected by this drug differently and recover at various rates. Most people do recover and you need to believe you are one of them. Fortunately for my son, it looks like he is okay now, but it has been an extremely long, difficult road. Keep your faith as my son did, and I'll pray that you all recover. If you haven’t taken this drug yet, then don’t. If you are taking it, then stop. If you have already taken it and have developed symptoms, then be strong and keep the faith.

I had muscle aces and pains most of that time but near the end of the 3 weeks I would loose the use of my left arm for periods. I would feel faint and very weak. I have had restless leg since I was a child but my legs got much worse during the 3 weeks. Finally I remembered that if you had muscle weakness you were to stop Zocor so I did. The daily muscle weakness gradually went away but I developed severe restless leg and had to go on Requip. I also started having face spasms and “turrett” type spasms in my legs that would travel up into my arms and hands. My hands would clench and I couldn't talk plain. My head would jerk and my body would shake inwardly as if I were freezing. These symptoms were worse when I was stressed or got too hot. Eventually I had to quit my job, it was very high stress. Five years have past. I now stay home and garden and paint. I very seldom leave my home and my stress level is low but when I do get into a stressful situation I still have to deal with the “loss of control” over my body. My sleep is a nightmare every night. My restless leg syndrome is getting worse and I've had to increase my Requip and will probably have to do so again soon.

My cholesterol is very high and my doctor keeps trying to get me to go on some meds for that but I would rather die than add to the painful, exhausting struggle I go through now because of what Zocor did to me.

I had two Kenalog injections the 5th of Dec. '08, one into my right shoulder joint, the other into a tendon anterior to my right shoulder, - oh, and another one in a trigger point at my right shoulder blade. I have been in agony since 2-3 days after the injections. The night of the injections I had severe tachycardia, my heart rate was around 120-140 for three days. I was also flushed and so hot that several people asked if I was ill. The worst part of these injections started, as I said earlier, 2-3 days later. I have horrible pain in my shoulder blade and throughout my ribcage. I have muscle spasms and such burning that it actual causes me to bend to the right, and I could scream with the pain!! Nothing helps other than to put a hand towel behind my neck and pull each end so hard that it takes the pressure somehow off the muscles. I can hardly hold my head up most of the time due to muscle weakness. The Dr. says nothing other than take Advil. My internist, who did not do the injections, thinks I have what is called RSD from the needle sticks.
I don't see that this is easing at all, and I'm really concerned that I'm going to live like this the rest of my life!

My experience with Zocor was related to increased difficulty breathing; SOB was present with all exertion no matter how light. After awhile, I just stopped doing much of anything. The smallest exertion, such as getting ready for bed {brushing teeth, hair, washing face and putting on a night gown} invoked labored breathing and a pounding heart. After a week off the drug, the symptoms all by disappeared; now, 4 months later, I am up and around, walking longer walks and not short of breath. My problems may have been related to muscle weakness, but the heart is a muscle and the lungs function in conjunction with the heart.

Hello I'm a 41 year old female, and I took Lipitor 20 mgs for 6 months about two years ago. When I called my doctor's office to complain about side effects they told me it couldn't be the Lipitor because I had been taking it for a month already, and would have had problems before that. I eventually took myself off of the drug 5 months later. Here are some of the side effects I experienced:
Itchy fingertips, increased blood pressure, 30lb weight gain, shaky hand writing, acne, poor driving skills, poor memory, hair loss, "frozen joints", IBS, incontinence, low grade fever, itchy feet, numb toes, numb hands, foggy brain, joint pain, muscle pain, foot pain, plantar pain, dizzy, jaw pain, back and neck pain, week ankles and wrists, nasal allergies, skin rashes, migraines, heartburn, Increase in Astham, heart palpitations, knee pain, difficulty standing up from sitting position, difficulty climbing stairs, water retention alternating in feet, hands, arms and legs, almost constant taste of bile in my mouth.
These are only the ones I can remember. Two years down the road everything but the muscle and joint pain and weakness is gone. even those have improved a lot. I stopped taking the Lipitor and lost all 30lbs I had gained on it, without dieting, in a months time. I still have two toes on each foot that are partially numb. I have trouble climbing stairs, and getting up from a sitting position. I can do both, but I move slowly while doing them. The pain in my muscles and joints drives me crazy, but I'm grateful that the rest of the symptoms have cleared up. My doctor never believed me about my symptoms, and neither does my new doctor really. Went to the emergency room for asthma that was not responding to my inhaler, and they were about to let me go home when I mentioned to the doctor that I had been on Lipitor. Suddenly a huge battery of tests were ordered including a CT scan and a stress test. When I asked the doctor why he said that they just wanted to be sure that it wasn't something other than asthma. Why did they do that after hearing about the Lipitor? Do they know something? Are there doctors who believe that statins are killing and seriously injuring people? I'm so angry. Even as I sit here typing I know when I stand up I will have massive amounts of pain that I will have to "walk off". My quadriceps have not recovered, and remain ridiculously weak.
If I can stop one other person from going through this I will be happy. Thanks everyone for taking the time to list your symptoms. It makes me feel better to know that someone believes me, and knows what I am going through.

feeling some relief to have validation to why i have been feeling this way.

i thought i was going the way of father (heart attack in his 40s) due to many symptoms over the past month similar to heart issues, except the leg cramps. i thought of my mother in-law, her diabetes, poor circulation.

i knew i had just had a thorough heart evaluation with my doctor last spring and everything was fine, except my hereditary cholesterol. frustrating. he had prescribed lipitor at that time. last week while driving to my office Christmas party i thought about driving straight to emergency.

food always seemed to help, as well lots of water. I think because i had liquids when eating, dehydration is what was being addressed.

on my own, i stopped lipitor (only prescribed medication i take) four days ago. no more nausea, no more light headiness (briefly early morning yesterday), no more weakness, leg pain decreased; these were my main symptoms.

I also experienced occasional foot cramps, general aches, heaviness in my esophagus immediately upon eating (thought of my mom with her hiatal hernia) indigestion maybe.

I had one episode a month ago (about the time all this started) where out of the blue i thought my legs were going to fall from under me, they became tingly like they were going to sleep, i was light headed as if i could faint. i had just finished a relaxing picnic by a natural stream, on a beautiful sunny day.

doctors who prescribe this medication should be more aware of these side affects. seems they are either not listening to their patients, or do not have the knowledge of these side affects, and in result, should not be allowed to prescribe.

My concern now is how long the discomfort in my legs will last, though they have improved. to make sure no serious damage has occurred,
i will see my cardiologist in two weeks to have blood work.

I would suggest to anyone who has not contacted their physician since stopping the statin, to do so. print a copy of this site and bring it with you!

T. - 47 years - trying to stay healthy!

My brother passed away at 56 of a stroke. So after having my blood tests done, everything was high, cholesterol, CR Protein....doctor put me on 20mg of Lipitor....the very first day, I had severe muscle weakness in my upper thighs, back of my calves, pain in my knees, pain in my wrists, pain in my fingers. What a nightmare. I tried it for two more days, called the doctor told him, he said reduce the dose in half........not a chance, I told him I believe in quality of life, not quantity of life. I'd rather be dead, then live like that.......and yet the doctor didn't tell me to get off of Lipitor!!!

I was diagnosed with Optic Neuritis in my left eye, at the time of diagnosis, I felt fine. Had an MRI to check for lesions on the brain, there were none. I was put on IV solu-medrol for 3 days, then 90 mg of prednisone for one week, with a rapid taper the second week. 6 days into the prednisone, I started have shortness of breath, etc. Went to the ER and my white count was 22,000. Had bronchitis and the beginnings of pneumonia. Because of the breathing problems, I only did 2 days of taper (doctor's advice). I have lost site completely in the left eye and now I have blurred vision in my right eye. Extreme fatigue, and a mental fog I just can't explain. A "twitch" in my left left hand and muscle weakness. I just don't feel "right". How long does it take for this drug to leave your system? Has anyone had a similar experience? My eye doctor was considering another round of prednisone for the optic neuritis, but I am not so sure I can survive it.

I was put on prednisone for asthma. I tapered down from 80 mg to 10 mg over 2 weeks. After coming off of the prednisone, I experienced nausea, extreme dizziness, felt disoriented, and had muscle weakness so bad that I could barely stand up. After several trips to the emergency room, my doctor, and an endocrinologist, they figured that I needed to be tapered off of the prednisone more slowly. The endocrinologist started me back on 10 mg of prednisone and tapered me down to 2.5 mg. Since I have stopped taking the prednisone, I have experienced dizziness,headaches, tremors, a rapid pulse rate, blurry vision and a sensitivity to light. I have been off the prednisone for two weeks now and every day is different. I have some good days and some bad days. Although I have my strength back and the nausea has subsided, the dizziness is debilitating and it seems that my balance and fine motor coordination is off. I feel very mentally foggy. The doctors do not seem to have any answers for me as to why all of this is happening. It has been a very scary and frustrating experience. I am concerned that the prednisone has done some serious damage to my nervous system. Has anyone ever had these side effects? Do they eventually subside and how long will it take? It has been the longest month of my life dealing with all of the effects of this medicine. Any advice would be appreciated.

I stumbled onto this website just today looking for information on another drug. Little did I know what I was going to find and so happy I did. I have been taking Zocor for nearly 5 yrs. now. My health has taken a spiral downhill. I too, have been experiencing almost every symptom that has been mentioned. Rt. shoulder pain, hand pain, pain and tingling in hands and feet, leg cramps, muscle weakness, numbness, memory loss, itching, fuzzy headed at time, can't concentrate, and trouble breathing. My doctor has told me my cholesterol is just fine the last two times I've had my checkup, but has never suggested I come off it. I guess I will be calling him tomorrow.

My worst side effects were hand, rib, back, shoulder and arm cramps as well as front of the thigh cramps. The hand and thigh cramps were the most frequent. I am hoping the muscle weakness I have had is a side effect and will improve as time passes since taking my last dose. I have only been off of Lisinopril for 2 weeks. The cramps have mostly stopped and they were daily. I have also experienced weight gain which may have been a side effect. I will see as time passes.

My dad is 73 years old and has been in the hospital, rehab, nursing care, back to hospital, currently back in rehab since August 3, 2008. He was on Flomax which he was taken off of the first week in August after arriving to the hospital with low blood pressure and leg weakness to the point of being unable to walk. He had been taking it for years so doctors did not think Flomax the cause. However, once they ret'd him on Flomax he was unable to hold his head up when sitting in wheel chair (drooling) and very unresponsive. He also vomited and just stared at it, unable to respond to try to clean himself up. They took him off Flomax with some improvement. (He could hold his head up and respond.) His weakness declined to the point that he can no longer pee/poop without a diaper, can't swallow, can't speak (due to weakened vocal chords), and has no energy. He has a feeding tube. To date, they have not been able to pin point what dad's problem is. I noticed that on October 10, 2008, they returned him to Flomax. He again is sitting in wheelchair with head hanging down. No energy to do rehab. I have requested they take him off Flomax and LEAVE him off. I don't trust this drug. I think his long-term use of this drug could be what's killing my him.

I recently lost my brother Marty to ALS. Marty asked me to tell everyone about his experience and I promised I would. Marty began taking statin drugs in his early 40's. He took them off and on at the suggestion of his PCP. It began with Lipitor and progressed to Crestor. In Dec of 06 tests revealed elevated muscle enzymes, he was also having pain in his left leg. His PCP called and told him to discontinue the Crestor, which he did. The pain continued and other symptoms began to materialize. Symptoms included muscle weakness, toe drop, fasciculations and continued pain in his leg. In June 07 after many tests he received the diagnosis of ALS. He passed away in August 08 at age 52. He believed as I do that statins caused this most horrible disease in him. He also believed that cholesterol is a symptom not the causal agent of heart disease. Now you must decide.