Statin side effects symptoms and conditions

I have been taking Lipitor for about 6 years suddenly developed a rash on my shoulders and chest. My doctor diagnosed SCABIES!!so I treated myself for that then the rash progressed so I had a biopsy done and after 3 months of agony my slin specialist had taken me off Lipitor as theh test showed a reaction to a drug. I am still itchy prickly and burning on arms legs and hands and cannot tolerate cortisone cream so am on tablets for a week..can anyone relate to this condition? My scalp is also very dry and scaly.

omg, im 32 years old been on zocor for 3 months now and am experiencing dizziness and disassociation with myself. I know now that it is from the drug. It seems like i want to sleep all the time. I was pretty convinced it was from stress but i have been in war in Iraq and under stress-post war depression and its nothing like statin side effects!! I went on statins because of a genetic disorder that runs in my family, the cause, well high cholesterol. Now my levels are fine but i feel like im a zombie most days? i know in the long run its healthier for my heart and veins to have low levels but at what extent? i think im going to go off for a few weeks and then back on it.

777
I've been noticing that you as well as bobby are continuously replying to many of the posting. I stopped taking lipitor in December after having chest pains for 10 months which included being hospitalized for 2 days of testing. I'm still having the chest pain although I believe it's getting better. There was a week in the beginning of this month that I had no pain at all but now it's back. My question to you and bobby is you keep saying you still have some side affects for months but fail to list them. What are they and with your experience, why does Lipitor cause chest pain? What have you found out in your research? Is this drug causing damage to the interior lining of the arteries? Is this why many people are getting the pains from?

I am a 39 year old female in relatively good health. In the past year since taking Lipitor, I have had SEVERE thinning of my thick hair. I have lost nearly 2/3 of it, and luckily I had a lot, but I am thinning more quickly on the top of my head and you can now see my scalp. After reading this, I am stopping my Lipitor, tonight. I hope that my hair returns ... I have also had chest pain, leg pain, trouble sleeping, trouble with eyesight, trouble focusing, unexplained weight gain and extreme fatigue. I think I would rather take my chances with high cholesterol than be bald at 40. Nice eh? I complained to my doctor when my hairdresser called this to my attention, and she poo-pooed it and referred me to a dermatologist- who after months of waiting rescheduled. I will be BALD!

4 months ago started on preastatin 20mg increased within 1 month to 40mg; could not stand up without help; stopped statins at that time. CPK done 157, this was done to show me I wasn't in danger of rhabdomylysis, I continue to suffer with swelling R leg and severe pain. Leg is still swollen 4 months later.....I am professional RN in ICU ,,can't really do my job as necessary...Should I file for disability; or does someone have an answer to provide relief for this malady???

I have had all the side effects on 10 mg of lipitor for 13 years. My new doctor told me to get off "TOPROL" and take Bystolic (a new blood pressure reducer).

My doctor believes its the blood pressure medication and not the Lipitor.

Anybody has thoughts on this?

Through the past years I have been looking for information about the quinolone antibiotics, Levaquin, Cipro and others.

I have not taken this kind of medications myself but a close friend did and I am absolutely sure that`s why he suffered psychiatric symptoms as well as extreme sesitivity to light and also had cramps/convulsions.

It`s a terrible long story which also etails other medications for instance statins.

I am surprised at how similar quinolone and statin side effects seem to be.

A few minutes ago I found a new site which might be interesting:

Google for "Death by Levaquin" and you will probably find the site I am thinking about.

If I write down the exact address it will be replaced by *****.

O passed away at an old people`s home at the age of 74. I will never forget his suffering.

The best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to "educate" yourself on diseases/medications and how the pharmaceutical industry is run.

Here are two books on that issue: Overdosed America (John Abramson) and The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell).

Don´t give up.

I was prescribed Simvastatin four days ago, against my wishes, as I had heard about the side effects of muscle pain and numbness in the joints and feet. However, what I had not expected were the terrible nightmarish dreams that followed. On the fourth night I stopped taking Simvastin as I was literally too afraid to go to sleep.
I then slept fitfully but did not experience the vivid and disturbing dreams of the previous three nights.
I shall ask my doctor for alternative medication. If she cannot offer me anything other than statins, I shall stick to Benecol and research further!

Jacqui M.

I was prescribed Simvastatin 40mg four weeks ago and had horrendous side effects almost immediately eg deep depression, diarrhea, bad stomach aches and night cramps in my legs. Last week my doctor prescribed Lipitor 10mg and I feel no better in fact probably worse. The worst side effect for me is the stomach aches and constant diarrhea and complete lack of appetite. There can be absolutely nothing in my stomach any more. Does anyone else have these symptoms? After reading peoples experiences on here I feel I should stop taking this medication immediately!

Karen

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 am a male 48 years old and have been taking zocor for only one month now and started getting a lot of heavy headache pain, and nausea,sinus headache and not feeling of working. ever since i feel always tired and not been able to proform at work also i m constipating with no bowel movements .

I have been taking Simvastatin 20 mg. for about two and 1/2 months now. It really lowered my Cholesterol but I have been extremely fatigued and now I am getting really dizzy when standing up and having some nausea.

Dr. Duane Graveline MD is a family practitioner who trained as an astronaut. He suffered 2 episodes of transient global amnesia after being on Lipitor 40 mgm/day for several yrs and began researching statins. He has a very informative web site which also has a forum for participants to share their symptoms of statin side effects. www.spacedoc.net

After by-pass heart surgery in 2002, my cardilogist put me on 40mg of zocor.
I was in good health with no physical limitations. I had no heart damage. The restriction of heart arteries were found due to my stress test that was performed each year as a part of my annual Physical. After surgery I was on zocor for three years, during that time I experienced a little tiredness, little weakness, a little muscle aches. some tingling in my right arm and shoulder. I went to my heart doctor Jan. 2006 and he changed me to vytorin (10mg zetia and 40mg zocor). about 6 months all of the about symptoms got worse.
By Jan. 2007, my muscles became so stiff, I could not walk, had balance problems, severe muscle aches and cramps, numbness and tingling in both arms and hands, also stifness and pain in my hands, stiffness and pain in both feet, stifness and pain in my back and weird nerve sensations over my entire body. During Jan. and Feb 2007, I was seen by my family doctor, a neurologist, and a muscle doctor. Thanks to the internet, I found info on zocor and zetia, which is the drug vytorin. Warnings described the same symptoms I am experiencing. I stopped vytorin, I am not taking any statins drugs now. My doctor order a blood test to check for muscle damage, It indicated severe damage, a Creatine level of 770. This level should not be over 200. After being off the drugs for 30 days the creatine level dropped to 645. My condition has improved by 25%. I am walking a little better, but I still having muscle problems, there is improvement. I think there will be a very long recovery. There seems to be some evidence that these Statins affect people of age much more than the young. I am 70 years old. PLEASE PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE TAKING STATINS DRUGS, STOPPED NOW! SLOVE YOUR CHOLESTROL PROBLEMS BY OTHER MEANS. Since I stopped my cholestrol has gone from 157 to 280, but I am not going back taking these drugs. I am trying the natural way now. I have read post after post on many web-sites of people with the same symptoms that were using these drugs. The drug companies and the FDA are responsible for the the degradation of people's health taking these statin drugs.

I forgot to add : please read Dr. Duane Graveline's web site, www.spacedoc.net

He is an MD and former astronaut who suffered transient global amnesia episodes from Lipitor and has amassed a great deal of information about statin side effects