Sore muscles symptoms and conditions

I am a few days away from my 19th birthday and i've been taking Yasmin since the age of 11. I was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 11 and Yasmin has been what's keeping my period regular and more or less pain free since then. In May of 2008 i was switched to the generic version of Yasmin called, Ocella and started to notice more and more symptoms and side effects. My stomach pain in the mornings grew greater by the day and when i was on my sugar pill i would gain an unbearable migraine. Thinking it was just part of being a woman i ignored it and went about my life. It wasn't until December of 2008 while out with a group of friends i came into some serious stomach pain. thinking it was just a typical stomach ache that i normally got i ignored it. when i came to be about 4 am and the pain hadn't stopped i started to worry. first thing in the morning i went to the doctor who referred me to get an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that i had gall stones and that i should have my gall bladder removed before more complications were to occur. Being a college student only a week away from returning to my second semester i opted to wait until spring break to have the surgery. During the 3 month wait i experience extreme diarrhea whenever something was put in my mouth, extreme stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, headaches, sore muscles, the list goes on and on i felt like i had been hit by a truck every day and i still had to go to class. in March of 2009 i had my gall bladder removed thinking that the symptoms would finally stop i returned to school only to find that nothing got better. It's been 7 months since my gall bladder has been removed and i'm still having the same symptoms as before and now i've added depression, stress, lack of energy and interest and many other things to the list. I'm still taking Ocella because i've never been advised otherwise but the symptoms are taking over my life. I am a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering at college and it's just become harder and harder to focus on my work or to enjoy the aspects of college that i should be with the frequent trips to the bathroom or having to opt out of a fun activity because of stomach pain. I was wondering if anyone can help me, maybe point me in a direction where i can get better and get back to enjoying what a 19 should be. Thanks.

After reading these posts I am more confused than before, because my experience is so far very different. I was diagnosed with DVT about two weeks ago and now take Coumadin daily; the Lovenox injections have been discontinued. The reason I'm so confused is I now feel the best I have in 5 (five) years.

Before being placed on the anti-coagulants I had memory and concentration issues that were progressively getting worse and greatly affecting my job, and had daily headaches. I had joint pain that made it difficult to get up after sitting for awhile; they felt constantly inflamed. I felt fatigued all the time and my muscles hurt like I had really pushed them; I just didn't have any strength, and had muscle cramps. I was constantly yawning and found my jaws hurt from clinching my teeth, subconsciously trying not to yawn. I was extremely sensitive to physical touch, even hugs hurt. I also felt extremely depressed and cried almost daily. My lips and left cheek tingled, as well as other parts of my body. Plus I would get the feeling of sudden pressure in my head (different from a headache) like it was going to pop off, and I my eyes didn't seem to track what I looking at and had difficulty in remembering or comprehending what I just read.

About 6 (six) days after starting treatment it completely changed and these symptoms are essentially gone. I have talked with my doctor and pharmacist and they are baffled. I am concerned this change, while welcomed, may indicate an underlying condition that is not yet diagnosed. Has anyone ever heard of such an impact from starting Coumadin treatment?

I've been on the NuvaRing for 2 years now. I think it reacts differently to everyone. It has made my life much better. My periods are shorter, lighter and less painful. I used to get sore muscles and sore breasts a few days before I started now I have none of that. I'm not moody and for the first time in my life I don't have to spend the first day of my period in bed. My body adjusted to it quickly and I didn't have any spotting. I still have my sex drive and there is no pain during sex. I have a lot of stomach problems (bad gallbladder) and if I were on an oral contraceptive I would likely be pregnant because my body wouldn't absorb the pill properly. This has been a lifesaver for me.

I am a 42 year old male. I have been on Lisinopril for two years. I developed sore muscles and joint pain. I was so tired I wanted to sleep all the time. My blood sugar was up. Some one mentioned to me that some blood pressure meds can cause blood sugar to rise. I quit taking the Lisinopril for a day to see what would happen to my sugar. It went down, and then I noticed that my joint pain was gone and, my muscle pain and soreness was gone and I had much more energy. I go see my doctor tomorrow for other options.
The drug made me so tired over the years I could not exercise and I have put on 25 more pounds
side effects
depression, muscle and joint pain, muscle stiffness, tired, weakness, dizzy

I was on 40 mg of simvastatin for 4 months with seemingly no side effects when my doctor said my cholesterol wasn't coming down quickly enough to suit him, so he added lovaza - had me taking both at the same time. Within 2 months I was noticing sore muscles but didn't relate it to the meds. After about another 2 months I was so bad I could hardly walk - extreme muscle and joint pain over my entire body, severe weakness, shortness of breath. Then I found out that both of those drugs can cause these side effects. I wish I had tied it together sooner. I have been completely off of them both for about 3 months and still have some pain in my feet, shoulders and elbows, along with severe pain in my hands, and I am still weak and short of breath. I don't know how long this is going to hang on, but I certainly hope it isn't permanent. I can't stand to think that I might have to live with this pain for the rest of my life. My hands are so close to useless, and I am so weak, that it's about all I can do to take care of my job and make a living. I haven't been able to work around the house for months. I want to work on my cars (my hobby). I have 2 antique cars that I enjoy working on and driving, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do very much with them this summer. My hands just won't let me. And the beauty of it all? My cholesterol numbers did not come down any great amount. Since I stopped taking the meds I have brought the numbers down by changing my diet - eggbeaters instead of whole eggs, less beef (venison is very low in cholesterol) more chicken & fish, oatmeal, plus I'm taking vitamin C, D3, garlic and cinammon for cholesterol and B complex for muscles, msm and glucosamine for joints. I also bought a hot tub, which helps with the pain and stiffness. This has definitely not been a fun thing. I just hope it goes away some time soon.

I began taking Atenolol/Tenormin for about 3 months now for Mitral Valve Prolapse. At first I believed it was working at indeed felt a lot better. Up until about 2 to 3 weeks ago I have experienced SWOLLEN ANKLES, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, EXTREME TIREDNESS, SORE MUSCLES, LACK OF ENTHUSIASM. If you are currently taking this, stop now. It is just a downward spiral. I recommend daily walking, healthy diet, and lots of water. My mother did this when she was diagnosed and stopped taking the drugs and it worked wonders.

After reading all the comments that have been posted, I feel compelled to add my story. I have been on advair for approximately two years. One of the first comments I read a week or so ago was about the person that had horrible foot pain for over two years and felt it could have been from the Advair as well.

I have had severe foot pain for over 2 years. I had plantar faciitis in both feet and had surgery on both to fix that. Several months after surgery I still wasn't healed as much as I thought I should be and my doctor felt the same way. I then began a series of more cortizone shots, physical therapy, ultrasound therapy plus an on going slew of blood tests to rule out everything we could. I even went to a Neurologist and had an EMG done. Newest diagnosis is tarsal tunnel syndrome, so I was put on yet another drug (Cymbalta) I wouldn't recommend that one either. And still the pain exists. In fact the pain went from the heals to the tops of my feet. It feels more skeletal than nerve related. I have had stress fractures in both feet and ironically the same exact bone approximately 6 weeks apart. Is all of this coincidence, or linked to being on Advair?

I also have gone through most of the symptoms that others have posted; fatigue, insomnia, blurred vision, sore muscles, headaches, water retention, weight gain (40 pounds in 2 years), slow healing, bad scaring, easy bruising and many more I'm sure I've forgotten.

The day after being on this site and reading everyone's comments, I went and threw my Advair away. I don't have asthma, just bad allergies, and right now my breathing has been fine being off of the Advair. I still use my inhaler though as needed. The one comment that scared me the most was the side effect that several posted about rotting teeth and jaw problems. That's one side effect I haven't had and that's the main reason I stopped using the Advair. I have perfect teeth and don't want to ruin them.

I don't have any answers either, but just know that we as patients have to take control of our health. Don't feel bad if you disagree with your doctor or ask for a second opinion. We as a society have become quick to fix our ailments with drugs that have yet to be "proven" as safe over a long period of time.

Im in the process of weaning my self off of two other drugs that I was taking besides the Advair. I'm doing more on-line research regarding natural remedies for some of my ailments. I still have some side effects but that could be due to the detoxifying process. This is a process that takes a few weeks. Make sure you consult with your physician first before trying any of this.

Pregnant or not pregnant?

After reading the posts from women who have had negative experiences with mirena, it has helped me know I am not alone.

I had the mirena inserted three months after the birth of my second son at the end of 2006.

Everything "seemed" great. My periods were lighter, sometimes only spotting. And the mirena was preventing pregnancy which was why I had it inserted. I wanted a tubal, but my obgyn recommended mirena instead, saying she had it and it was great.

After over indulging at Christmas, I decided to do a bit of dieting right after. The number on the scale has gone down, but my belly size has increased significantly, and so have my boobs.

My period stopped completely in August or September. I was told this would happen, and I was glad not to get it. I'm not so sure now.

I have all of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy (I feel just like I did when I was pregnant with each of my sons). I can't get through the night without getting up to pee at least a couple of times. My boobs are sore and sensitive. I've had headaches. My lower back is killing me. I feel nauseous in the mornings. I'm ravenously hungry at times. I'm sooo tired. I feel little flutterings in my belly. My pre-existing stretch marks have stretched even more and are itchy as heck.

Two hpt's have shown negative results. I'm making an appointment today to see my gp and find out what's going on.

I used to be nicer than nice and noticed after the birth of my second son I lost a lot of my niceness. At first I thought it was post partum, and when my nasty spells continued, I chalked it up to having two little ones to keep up with and being tired and all. I NEVER tied it in with mirena. Now I see my moodiness is possibly related to it.

I had commented to my husband one day before Christmas that I was feeling really bitchy, and he commented, "you're always bitchy". His comment shocked me. He told me I'm mean. This so does not describe the person I used to be. I want the old me back. This isn't fair to me, my husband or my boys.

Also, since giving birth to my second son, I have had body aches like you would not believe. When I get up in the mornings or after having sat for a spell, my body (feet, legs, back, arms - everything) hurts. Once I've limbered up, I'm okay until the next time I sit or lie down. Again, I never tied this in with mirena.

If I'm pregnant, mirena didn't do its job, so I'll have it removed and after the baby is born, either have a tubal like I had originally wanted, or convince my husband to get a vasectomy.

If I'm not pregnant, I will still have the mirena removed, because these are side effects I can do without and I want my life back.

Wow, i cannot believe what i'm reading. I have been taking Simvastatin for almost three years. My Doctor never mentioned any side effects. It has gotten bad enough for me to seek information on the internet. What medicine cause all my symptoms; Tingling in the hand and feet, weakness of muscles, dropping things, dizziness, memory problems, sore muscles, sinus problems sore knees, arms, shoulders, stomach,numbness, sensitivity to light. I'm sure glad i have found this web site. I think i am going to take myself off of it for a week and see if things improve. Drug companies must be making a killing on this medicine since they refuse to warn potential patients.

Hi all....came across this website on Sunday and could not believe what i was reading, after reading the side effects everyone was experiencing i decided to get my mirena coil removed!!! I had my coil fitted just over 4 weeks ago and have been experiencing headaches, greasy hair, spots like a teenager, sore lower back, severe cervix pain, bloating, heavy bleeding, sore muscles in my legs like having flu, hot flushes then shivering, sometimes a feeling of being spaced out, my concentration is poor, crying all the time, mood swings and nausea!!! I was told by the nurse about 2 weeks ago side effects can last 3 months and decided to keep going, but on Monday i decided enough was enough and went to my GP to get it taken out. She could not find the strings and all that poking about made my stomach pains even worse, bleeding heavier and very tender. She sent me to the hospital thinking they would find the strings, but they couldn't either, had to have a scan and internal scan. Well, it turns out that my coil is lodged in my uterus and the strings are not hanging down they are tucked up. So, now i have to back to hospital this Wednesday coming to get it removed under general anesthetic, not so pleased!!! I am writing this as i would like to know if anyone was told the side effects were quite as bad as they are or were they just handed a leaflet to read like me and were they told that they might not be able to get it out easily and having to get it out by general anesthetic??? I think if they are going to give woman things like this then they really have to tell you everything that can happen, especially the fact that things can go wrong!!! I really sympathise with you all who are going through this hell of having a mirena fitted!!! I would not recommend this type of contraception to anyone now!!! I now just want mine out and am counting the days down to when i will be feeling better!!!

I was given Dexpak for a severe sinus infection. I took it for 5 days and could no longer take the side effects, so I quit it cold turkey. I have been off from work almost the whole month because of this drug.

The side effects I had from it were:

• anxiety
• hyperactive
• uncontrolled talking
• severe tremors and shakes
• overheating
• loss of appetite
• sitting still and the room spinning
• loss of vision
• severe headache
• loss of concentration
• unable to think
• no sleep
• all upper body muscles tied into knots
• esophagus swollen and raw
• dizzy
• personality change

After I quit I became ravenous the next day. I ate a lot of protein and fruit. It has almost been a week since quitting. I still have problems sleeping, headaches, a swollen esophagus, sore muscles and my personality is not quite normal. Hopefully I will get back to normal.

I was giving 3 months samples of Yaz in May. I was taking another BC pill for about 2 years and had NO problems, periods were a little off, but it was consistent. OBGYN insisted on changing me to Yaz. Well in June I developed Phlibitas in my left leg and missed about 2 weeks of work. I had been having pain in my right leg for awhile, but thought it was just sore muscles. Well the pain became just horrible and I could hardly walk! I was taken to the ER, and found out that I now have a DVT. I am now going on a month of no work. I was lucky that they caught it. I want them to take this off the market before any more women are effected or DIE.

Besides hair loss, vision problems, pain all the time, dry mouth, diarrhea, sleeplessness, pounding heart, I also had a problem with mucus filling my stomach and my food would get stuck. So I had to vomit to get the mucus up so I can continue eating. The first time I quite taking this poison pill, I got to feeling much better and my stomach got much better too. But never connected Lipitor with my problems. When I started taking this poison pill again, all my problems returned. But only worse, because I was in so much pain that it was hard for me to climb stairs and I had to hold on to everything just to go to the bathroom at night. Than I quit taking this poison pill again and haven't taken anymore since. All my problems disappeared again. I told my new doctor what this poison pill was doing and he told me to stop taking it, which I had already done.

So how many more people is this poison pill going to hurt and kill before Lipitor is taken off the market? I'm once again seeing Lipitor advertised on TV claiming this poison pill is FDA approved. Wasn't Baycol approved by the FDA as well and was taken off the market because it was too dangerous?Scary!

I'm 62

I started simvastin on Aug 11. Lately I got severe lower back ache every time I get up in the middle of the night and every morning but the lower back ache goes away as I starts my day after 1 hour. I am also experience short memory loss.
Pls advice if this is a serious side effect of the drug.
Thanks....hw

please can u tell me does anybody on this site suffer from memory loss cause they are taking simvastatin

My arms are hurting very bad and my shoulders are out of joint. I feel awful and have zero energy. I have been off for 10 days now and am still in pain. I bought some fish oil caplets and will go with lifestyle change. I will never never take another statin.

I had 95% occlusion of the major artery in my heart July 2007 with no symptoms except slight shoulder pain on 3 occasions. They did a cath and inserted 2 stents. Started with Lipitor 10 mg. and my LDL dropped from 75 to 112. The MD wanted to double the dose, but I refused because of intermittent nocturnal nausea. MD switched me to another statin and I had immediate muscle involvement and severe nausea at night. She wanted me to try another statin drug and I refused. After a 2 month period of no statins, she put me back on Lipitor 10 mg. daily. I decided to cut the pill in half and take it twice a week, then move to every other day and gradually go to 10 mg. daily. Immediately, the nocturnal nausea started again. Last night I awoke at 2 a.m. with nausea, sweating, sore muscles around my rib cage. Still no sleep at 4:30 a.m., so I got up and tried to eat something. This has been the pattern every night since I went on Lipitor.

I don't know if I can take this any more.

CK

I started using lipitor from my doctor, it lowered my cholesterol all around but I started to have lower back pains. At first I thought it might be prostate cancer, but after having to MRI's done they found no cancer, thank god. But I went to an orthopedic surgeon to see what the problem was. He looked at the mri's and saw lower dics hitting my nerve endings. He also thought that it might be muscle problems so he gave me 3 epidurals and that helped for a while took away about 50% of my pain, but I still have the pain, It is hard for me to get comfortable when I sit or even when I am sleeping. I don't want to think that it is the lipitor that is doing it to me but after talking with others I feel it is time to talk to my doctor about it. My doctor said that lipitor is the safest one that will do very little harm to my liver. I am not a doctor so I would not know.. My cholesterol level was 246 at one time now it is 175. I am now facing possible spine fusion to help correct my disc problem. But will also ask doctor to prescribe something else.

Alan

I have been on 10 mg Lisinopril for 5 weeks. I wake up in the morning with tight joints and sore muscles. My heart races. I feel light headed at times. I have asthma and worst symptom is it is causing me to stay up all night because I suffocate and cough badly if I lie down. I can hear myself wheeze during the day and night and feel like there is fluid around my heart or lungs. My hands and legs feel swollen. My stomach feels raw and I have no desire to eat red meat it just doesn't taste the same. My taste buds have totally changed as any food or drinks doesn't tastes "good" anymore. I'm also on Lopressor for HTN. I am going to stop taking the Lisinopril as I can not deal with the suffocating and wheezing. I get that more than the "cough" the doctor warned me about.

Just had Mirena inserted in the middle of June 2008. I haven't decided what to think about it yet. I screamed when it was inserted as I have not had any kids yet. Was in severe pain for about a week. And now I have on and off bad pelvic pain, some occasional nausea. The only other thing I noticed is sore muscles and lack of energy. I am lucky I have no period so far. I got off the depo shot after being on it too long and switched to Mirena right away. As for now I am staying on it unless things get worse.

Hello folks - thought I would post here as well.........I am on 20MG of LISINOPRIL 1 time daily. I notice during regimented times of the day I get the side effects. I take it when I wake up in the morning. I have been on this for about a year now...........it has lowered by HBP from 150's/80's to about 130/80..............regular........I am a 37 year old Male

Problem is the multiple side affects:

1. Tiredness - comes and goes all throughout the day - almost like I could just close my eyes and go to sleep anywhere.........feels like someone threw sand in my eyes.......
2. Shortness of breath
3. Sore Muscles - everywhere - it doesn't discriminate!!!!
4. Pain in the chest mostly the left side but sometimes the right
5. Headache in one spot in the head - doesn't last long
6. Wake up often in the middle of the night with dead hands or legs
7. Sometimes I just have a total memory blank on things I should know right away - usually only occurs when I'm getting tired.
8 Of course the panic from thinking something is wrong with me!!!

Anyone else with these set of symptoms????

Drop me a note!!!!

My son has been battling sinusitis for a few months . I didn't know sinusitis could be so bad. His doctor prescribed Levaquin three days ago and I read the side effects and realize it was a risk because my son has seizures.After 2 dosages and sleepless nights with headaches and him not being able to function I've stopped giving it to him.
Thanks for such a great website!
The benefits don't out-weight the risk.

Can Statins Cause Chronic Low-Grade Myopathy?
Statins (hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase
inhibitors) are highly effective drugs for reducing serum
cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials have shown that they also reduce risk for
coronary heart disease events, coronary procedures, and
stroke by about one third (1). Millions of people in the
United States and worldwide are being treated with statins.
In clinical trials and in clinical practice, statins have proved
to be remarkably safe.
The one notable side effect of statin therapy is myopathy.
A small fraction of patients who are treated with
statins will develop severe myopathy (2). In the worst cases,
severe myoglobinuria, acute renal failure, and even death
can occur. The incidence of severe myopathy is low, perhaps
1 in 1000 patients (2). Predisposing factors for severe
myopathy appear to include advanced age, relatively low
body weight, female sex, certain medications, use of multiple
medications, multisystem disease, and acute illnesses
or major surgery (3). If statins were avoided or used in low
doses in these circumstances, it is likely that the incidence
of severe myopathy could be greatly reduced.
Less severe forms of myopathy undoubtedly occur. In
some patients, fatigue and muscle pain and weakness develop
with moderately high serum creatine kinase levels
but not acute renal failure. In these cases, the myopathy
resolves when statin therapy is discontinued.
Still more patients report various muscle symptoms—
fatigue, pain, and muscle weakness—but have normal creatine
kinase levels. These symptoms probably are unrelated
to statin therapy in many patients. In middle-aged and
older people, muscle, joint, and tendon symptoms are very
common. Naturally, if a patient takes a medication that is
believed to produce muscle problems, symptoms are often
attributed to the medication. On the other hand, the major
controlled clinical trials have not detected a higher prevalence
of muscle symptoms during statin therapy versus placebo
(1). This failure of detection has generally led clinical
trialists to conclude that statin-associated myopathy with
normal creatine kinase levels essentially does not exist or
that, if it does exist, it cannot be detected above the “background
noise” of muscle symptoms in the general clinicaltrial
population.
Many physicians in clinical practice nonetheless believe
that they can identify a subset of statin-treated patients
who have a unique set of statin-related muscle symptoms.
Some patients clearly relate the onset of muscle
symptoms to initiation of statin therapy. These symptoms
may abate after discontinuation of therapy, only to reappear
when statin therapy is restarted. The number of such
patients is not large, and thus it may have been impossible
to identify them in large clinical trials.
In this issue, Phillips and colleagues (4) report on a set
of studies in four patients who had muscle symptoms during
statin therapy that resolved during placebo use. Quantitatively
measured muscle weakness also resolved during
placebo use. Muscle biopsies were performed in three patients
during statin therapy and then during placebo use.
Several pathologic changes were seen on biopsy specimens
obtained during statin therapy: increased lipid content of
mitochondria, fibers that did not stain for cytochrome oxidase
activity, and ragged red fibers. The authors suggest
that these patients had statin-associated myopathy with
normal serum creatine kinase levels.
Despite the study’s small size, we cannot dismiss these
observations as random variation in muscle structure.
However, these highly suggestive results are clearly preliminary.
The number of patients was small, and all appropriate
controls were not used. Nonetheless, this study is novel
because it used quantitative measures of muscle strength
and muscle biopsy to address the question of myopathy
with normal creatine kinase levels during statin therapy.
To be confirmed, the current data would have to be
extended to many more patients in whom muscle symptoms
are closely correlated with statin use. Reproducibility
of symptoms during therapy and symptom resolution after
discontinuation of statin therapy would be necessary. A
definitive study would have to be carefully designed and
executed. It would need to be double-blinded and placebocontrolled
and include sufficient numbers of patients to
provide a valid statistical comparison. In addition, investigators
would have to carefully consider the appropriate
selection of patients. The development of a registry of candidate
patients at multiple sites could facilitate a multicenter
study.
Is a carefully controlled, sizable study of this type
worth the investment of time and effort? To date, no evidence
indicates that prolonged statin therapy leads to permanent
muscle damage or progressive myopathy in patients
with normal creatine kinase levels. Controlled
clinical trials attest to the general safety of statins, and
symptomatic side effects appear to be limited to a relatively
small proportion of treated patients. In addition, no therapy
prevents or treats statin-induced myopathy, short of
withholding the drug. On the other hand, statins are being
prescribed to millions of people, and are usually continued
throughout the patient’s lifetime. It is certain that statins
cause myopathy in some patients. For these reasons, a valid
argument can be made for a more extensive study of lowgrade
myopathy in patients treated with statins.
In the meantime, physicians should recognize the great
benefit of statin therapy in high-risk patients and their
documented safety for most patients. For high-risk persons,
the proven efficacy for preventing cardiovascular disease
outweighs the unlikely possibility of permanent muscle
damage. Phillips and colleagues’ preliminary results
certainly do not provide adequate information on the spec-
Editorial
www.annals.org 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 617
trum, scope, or prognosis of myopathy with normal creatine
kinase levels during statin therapy. For these reasons,
prescription of statins for eligible patients should continue
despite the current results. Moreover, before discontinuing
therapy, physicians should carefully evaluate any patient
receiving statins who reports muscle symptoms. In most
cases, the symptoms will be found not to be consistent
with chronic myopathy, and often they will not be related
temporally to statin treatment. High-risk patients in particular
should not be deprived of major cardiovascular risk
reduction just because they display symptoms not clearly
documented to be closely related to statin therapy.
Despite these comments, the actions of statin on muscle
metabolism and structure deserve further investigation
to clarify the confusing area of low-grade myopathy apparently
associated with statin use in a few patients.
Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, TX 75390-9052
Current Author Address: Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD, Center for
Human Nutrition and the Departments of Clinical Nutrition and Internal
Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Y3.206, Dallas, TX 75390-9052.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Honoraria (from Merck &
Co.; Pfizer, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Bayer); Grants (from Merck
& Co. and Pfizer, Inc.)
Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:617-618.
References
1. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment
of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;
285:2486-97.
2. Staffa JA, Chang J, Green L. Cerivastatin and reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis
. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:539-40.
3. Pasternak RC, Smith SC, Bairey-Merz CN, Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Lenfant
C. ACC/AHA/NHLBI clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins (1)
(2). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;40:567-72.
4. Phillips PS, Haas RH, Bannykh S, Hathaway S, Gray NL, Kimura BJ, et al.
Statin-associated myopathy with normal creatine kinase levels. The Scripps Mercy
Clinical Research Center. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:581-5.
© 2002 American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal
Medicine
Editorial Statins and Low-Grade Myopathy
618 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 www.annals.org

I started on it in June 2007, by December, I had gained 20 lbs, was out of breath most days and was weak all over. Had general sore muscles and felt out of strength. Been off now 5 days, strength is returning and am feeling much better. No weight loss yet but at least I feel much better. Sleeping was not affected one way or the other.

My 44 year old, otherwise very healthy husband has been taking Lipitor (10mg) for several years. Currently been showing ALS-like symptoms. Left foot dragging, muscle cramps, twitches, etc. We are headed to Duke University to find out of he has ALS. He is off of Lipitor for 3 weeks now, taking CoQ10 and lots of vitamin C. If anyone else has had these symptoms and they've been rectified, could you share how long it took and how soon you began to feel the initial improvement? Thanks KCC>