Stents symptoms and conditions

I am a 61 year old mail. Two years ago I suffered chest pain resulting in the fitting of two stents was placed on Lipitor and had the usual liver function test which proved normal. Initially I was put on a low dose but as my cholesterol level did not improve eventually I was placed on 80mg which is the highest dose and this did lower my cholesterol level to a satisfactory level. A few months ago I had severe unexplained back pain which I thought might be due to the statin and when I stopped taking it, very quickly the pain went. I have restarted the medication for about 6 weeks now and in the last few days have had intense pain in my lower legs, hips and lumbar region. I have decided now to stop taking the drug and will be seeing my doctor shortly. Although I am taking other medication (amlodipine, perindopril and bisoprolol) for blood pressure I feel quite sure that my intolerable pain is due to the statin.

1 minor heart attack 5 stents placed over past 6 years thru 4 angio episodes. each hospitalization plavix and statins prescribed each time the side effects started within 2-3 weeks, some times sooner . same crap as most...serious leg fatigue, joint pain, skin is tender to touch. But my FAVORITES are the chest/heart pain that mimic heart attack 'feelings' and the 3AM sweat and anxiety/panic attacks.......3 different statins all the same results symptoms
so intense that i have been admitted 3 times for heart cath, ALL false alarms
S-O-O-O DOC what the hell is going on????? ANSWER: must be reflux, must be stress, must be ANYTHING BUT THE STATINS!!!! each time i quit the statins soon after rehospitalization and each time the symptoms went away......last episode was Friday July 31st. i was really bad....constant chest pain and pressure, legs so fatigued that 1 flight of stairs felt like 10 ...shortness of breath...body aches like you feel when first getting the flu etc. etc you guys all know the crap
they rushed me in to the Cath Lab....nothing wrong...must be stress!! must be reflux!!! bullshit. I quit the Lipitor that day
Today is Tuesday.....I am WAY BETTER each time the same thing, on the statins ...feel like crap, get off the statins and feel almost normal within a week
I will NEVER take a statin again
I am lucky that I have been recovering quickly

Except for having high cholesterol (310), I'm a 29 yr old healthy active female, very petite and weigh 98lbs. My mother has had a quadruple bypass and 4 stents at the age of 54, high cholesterol is just hereditary in my family. My doctor put me on 40 mg of zocor. The first week taking zocor I started feeling strange, a little soar here and there and very tired at times, also I have become very forgetful. It's been almost 2 months now and I have severe pain in my legs. First it was the right leg and now both legs, the pain starts at my lower back all the way down to my cav. I have a burning painful feeling sometimes numbing feeling, its driving me crazy!!!! I can't stand for too long cause I feel tons of pressure on my lower back pushing down my legs, It feels like my sciatic nerve. I went to my doctor and he said he is 95% sure that this is from the zocor medication, he told me to stop it right away. This is my first day without it, I know I need to do something to prevent what happen to my mother, I'm on a strict healthy diet, staying away from all fatty cholesterol filled foods, but there has to be a better way then taking statin drugs! If anyone has some ideas of what kind of alternative meds I can take, please help.

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

DO YOUR HOMEWORK PEOPLE, Lisinopril is NOT made from snake venom. Blood pressure meds were developed from INFORMATION that was obtained by recognizing and separating certain enzymes from the venom. The drugs were then formulated to SIMULATE the effect the venom has on human blood pressure. I too, am taking lisinopril along with a long laundry list of meds after a heart attack and 3 stents. No doubt anything you put in your body that God didn't make can cause harm, and evidence of serious side effects abound. However, harm can also come from false information and perpetuated lies, such as blood pressure meds containing snake venom. THEY DO NOT............ only the research comes from the pit viper. NO VENOM.......... get smart, read more, understand what you read and you will be healthy.

My co worker 's husband was diagnosed with chest pain and heart disease two months ago.They inserted two stents.
They also started him on statins and other cardiac medicines.
Yesterday he went for a walk and came back home and suddenly dropped dead. The cardiologist said it wasn't heart related.
I remember reading how those stents were killing people. I am sure those statins didn't help either.

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 did a post a few days ago--but must add to it. I have SLE, MS, CAD, HBP, having 5 stents, asoteoporosis, arachnoiditis, cerebritis/vasculitis from lupus, chronic pain(fibramyalgia) and a bucn more that ill give u sum idea. I am also a RN for28 years and KNOW what medications can do. I mena come on lets face it--if we ALL read THOROUGHLY all the inserts with ANY medication--NONE of us wud take any of it. Even ADVIL and ASA have horrific side effect.!! I saw my doctor yesterday afternoon due to this rash--not my typical lupus reash---doesn't look like discoid lupus, it begins on my chest goes uop my face then all down my back then gradually works its way down my leg---it gets rasm, macular and some some end up with a popular looking area. The PAIN from if is almost as bad as the itch from the rash. I have had shingles and it is similar to that pain. I have been putting topical steroid base creams all over to no avail. I begged my doctor for the KENOLOG shot and discussed GREATLY the side effects: I have had a hysterectomy so that is nothing, it cause cause a psychosis, depression, panic racing thots insomnia--basically ALL the side effects everyone has mentioned---but IT WORKS -I JUST GOT UP AND THIS DIFFIGURING DISCUSTING RASH ALL OVER IS ALMOST 90% GONE!!!! Like I said I have been on steroids most of my life--and I KNOW the side effects of them--PERIOD. Educated patients READ the inserts and ask their doctors---all meds have risks but the questio is does the risk outweigh the benefit t
??????????? I am on a mediation that has you with an increase of 10-15% increase of having an heart attack--which I have had two--but I CHOOSE to take it becuz the benefit outweighs the risks. I understand 100% all the complaints concerns and everything, attorneys will NOT take cases where the medication is used and adminierted the correct way--esp. when the side effects are clearly listed. Doctors are TOO freaking bust these days to sit and TALK and explain every side effect with each of their patients. Does each of you know that the average physician HAS TO SEE at least 60---yes sixty patients A DAY???? That is actually in their contract--thata approximately 7 and a half minutes ith each of us.!!!!!!! Make a list of all ur concerns, questions etc for the doctor and I do this ---I manuaver my chair to in feonrt of the door and I DO NOT LT THE DOCTOR OUT until he has answered ALL my concerns---yea they get mad tell me I can't do that--and my response is is IF YOU can make me wait in ur office lobby for more than an hour--I will do what I have to do to get proper CARE!!! Shuts most of them up. But I am lucky I do have 6 of the most careling and compassionate physicians--I have lucked up--I have had my share of "stupid" doctors but-hey WE are the patient-=-go to another one until ya get one ya like. If you go to other website about medicine there are many more complaints and unhappy patients with medications they take. But I understand where all of US are coming from---Doctors are no different than us--and they are not GOD--they make mistakes and as long as they don't KNOWING harm you---or commit fraud--no lawsuit happening---now sueing the MAKER of kenalog MAY be a possibility( my sisiter is an attorny) thats her advice and itd have to be a class action suit and its kinda sad--patients don't ever get much in things like this but its worth a shot!!!

I'm a 52 yr old male who had a massive heart attack 14 months ago. I ended up with 3 stents. In the hospital, I was told I was probably one of the healthiest people they had seen with come through there in my condition. All my numbers were good, except for the triglycerides. Over the top.
So, anyways, we start a lipitor therapy. Within 6 months, I needed help to get up from a kneeling position. I had aches in my chest, abdomen, knees, the bottom of my feet hurt, I would wake in the middle of the night with a pain shooting up and down my legs. Up until that time, (I work in a large shop) concerned co-workers ask I how was doing and the topic of lipitor would come up.
This is when I started noticing the common underlying theme of aches and pains. Someone always knew somebody that was taking lipitor. Finally, the day I had to be helped up at work, I said that was enough. I was sure the lipitor was the problem. I stopped the lipitor and all the symptoms went away within a couple weeks.
My doctor had a fit when at my next visit I told him I wasn't taking that crap drug anymore. So, my next test was Kozar, I had the same problems.
Today I'm on crestor, (almost sounds like I'm sucking toothpaste) they are 10mg tabs, but I still whack 'em in half and so I can tolerate the symptoms. These side effects are not near as bad as the lipitor was.
I also found out, and I don't know why, but I started taking a multi-vitamin tab every other day ( only cause I'm allergic to those too) but, something in them seems to counteract against the side effects of stain drug. I felt super good for about 3 weeks on the one-a-days until the allergy's kicked in and I backed off on them.
But, in closing, after reading many of the postings, it still comes down to that doctor will not know everything that is going on in your body, the doctor probably will not spend anymore time on you than your 15 minute visit. It is up to you to research what options are available and use them.
I researched what triglycerides were and how to control them. I quit smoking and started daily exercising. I adjusted my diet. My recent tests show that so far the lifestyle change is working. My heart is stronger, my tubes a little cleaner.
Those crappy statin drugs are not a cure all pill of the day, but they do help. The more you change your habits, the less dosage you should need.

So, if you didn't anything out of my rambling, sorry, but at least take my one advice and get off that Lipitor.
Billy

I am 59 years old Asian male and have gone through six angioplasty and have seven stents in all three arteries in the year 02-03. No heart attack so far. I am taking 10 mg of Lipitor and can not tolerate 20 mg or higher strength because pain in the knee, thigh and leg increases. I tried to reduce my cholesterol by changing food, weight reduction and 40 minutes of tread mill at 5 mph, 5 days a week. I did not get the desired results i.e. keeping LDL below 70.
Since liver makes 80 % of cholesterol, I have to take 10 mg of Lipitor and tolerate the minor side effects. With change in diet, exercise, weight reduction, and 10 mg of Lipitor, I am able to reduce my total cholesterol from 247 to 116, LDL from 164 to 62 and increase HDL from 32 to 42.

My name is Charles and I had a major heart attack in 1998 after suffering through great stress. I now have 4 stents that work pretty well for me although each day without pain is a blessing and I am just not as energetic as I was BHA. My doctor recently told me I needed to increase the good cholesterol HDL and prescribed Niaspan to help. While trying to find a cheap alternative to Niaspan and even where to buy Niaspan at a reasonable cost, I came across this page and found out WHY my back was absolutely killing me. I took my office chair down to the garage blaming it for this pain. At Sunday School this morning I hurt so much I had to roll over on the floor and get up like from my hands and knees. Niaspan I conclude is causing all of the lower back pain. Niaspan's lower back pain I discovered is widespread. This crap should be taken off the market. Niaspan is total garbage and should be taken off the market.

Has anyone had hair loss? I have been on Simvastatin for 30 days adn I noticed hair loss.

I am 54 and began taking Simvastatin 20mg on Jan 11, 2008 my blood panel showed chol 319 ldl 251hdl 44 trig 118 on Jan 26 I experienced chest pain like I had swallowed an ice cube for fifteen minutes and thought it was a side effect of the Statin I went to the surgicenter and was checked in with Troponin at 0.1 after one hour there I had another pain and they gave nitro g and it continued the Troponin level went to 1.6 They sent me to get an angiogram and I ended up getting two stents. just before the procedure after not having eaten for 22 hours my blood panel was done again and my chol was 155 ldl 89 hdl 38 trig 136. my ldl had gone down 162 mg/dl in fifteen days. after two weeks now taking Plavix as well I began having extreme pain in my joints and both knees forearms and calves, so bad I can hardly walk and have been prescribed Darvocet for the pain. I want to stop taking the Simvastatin I am alarmed at the rate of decent and wonder if my symptoms could be a product of too low of cholesterol. I can't get a straight answer from three doctors I've spoken to. I'm being crippled by the cure

Have been on some form of statins since 2000 when I had a heart attack, Baycol until they recalled it then Zocor. Have had three stents since 2000, one in 2005 and one in 2006, a year apart all most to the day. Things got really bad after the last stent, was put on 40 mg. Then the Dr. was not happy with the cholesterol test after the 6 week checkup after the last stent, put me on 80mg, thats when things really went down hill , fatigue,eyes twitching,foot pain,joint pain, finally ended up in the e.r. with sever lower back pain. After morphine and muscle relaxer was sent home, when entering our house right leg gave out and fell, since then legs have been weak and can't stand to be on them for long periods of time. Have been recently told I have polyneuropathy. The Dr. don't think the statins have anything to do with all these ailments.Have since stopped using the statins and most ailments have been gradually getting better. I am getting to understand why they call it a wonder drug so many unexplainable side effects so many more $$$$.

You don't know how good some of your posts make me feel. I was placed on Lisinopril after having a stent put in. I am 45 year old male who smoked a lot before and cholesterol at 280. I was about 35 pounds overweight not that bad except for the other 2 factors. My heart races now without any reason, dry cough at times, and chess pain also with no reason. Guess what sports fans??? I have never had high blood pressure. Why are these MD's prescribing this poison??! They will swear up and down, "by taking this med it will reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke." This a bunch a hogwash. It is causing problems!

I have been taking Lisinopril (5mg) daily along with atenolol (25mg) daily more than three years ago. I had a host of sysmptoms such as extreme fatigue, itching, shortness of breath, dizziness, numb fingers, etc. My doctor put me on this regiment after i had to stents put in my heart. I didn't have a bp problem. I had a coleterol problem, but she said i would need to be on these meds fo the rest of my life. I was ruched to hospital when i couldn't get my breath. I was told i was suffering from depression and anxiety and put on Clonazepam and Citalopram. This only added to my fatigue and i have had sexual side affects to boot now. Before i took Lisinopril i was playing softball and spending time with my children. Now all i want to do is sleep and no matter how much sleep i get it is not enough. I want my life back!!! After reading your posts i have decided to stop taking all the meds and hopefully find the person i once was. Thank you all for opening my eyes. I am not crazy after all.

on zocor since dec 2006, i have alot of other medical problems, arthritis, fused foot, very bad lower back and some osteoporesis, but i believe more so, than not; that my symptoms increased after a change in dosage. now i'm very tired, extreme muscle weakness, knee pain, having trouble walking, weight gain (10 lbs in last 2 months) and unbelievable swelling in ankles and top of foot, very painful
It's hard to blame zocor on this, but i don't just want to wear compression socks and so forth, because that could be masking the cause, and maybe just a change in lipid medication will change things around. it's a vicious circle, cant work out or walk, to tired to do anything, but work 14 hours a day, it's such an effort to walk (I keep blaming the weight gain) but maybe its really the swelling and joint pain along with the muscle weakness that's to fault.

I had my first MI at age 57 on Oct. 29th 2004. I was given Zocor 40 meg. and my problems started in the hospital. I had terrible leg aches and they even looked for clots. Finding nothing I was sent home after 5 days with two stents and told if I got tired just rest. I had to take two months off work. In January I returned back to work but the leg aches continued at night. In January I returned to the hospital with another episode and received three more stents. My cholesterol was at 110. The Dr. continued me with the Zocor 40 mg. twice a day now. I continued to have problems with clogging arteries and in the next four months I had another 4 stents. In the summer I walked a lot and still continued to have leg aches at night. After a year of complaining I was put on Vytorin and things really got worse. In six months I couldn’t walk right, kept falling, couldn’t sleep with the cramping, my joints all felt like they no longer supported my frame. I was put on Crestor, then Lipitor, then Zetia, and then I took matters in my own hands. I stopped the statin drugs. My cholesterol skyrocketed of course to 289. It was only 189 at the time of the first MI. I have slowly regained my ability to walk and joined Curves. This is about all I can do and am slowly getting better. I tell everyone I can about my horror story with statin drugs. I’ve been to an arthritis specialist, negative on all forms of arthritis causing this. I went to a gastric specialist and no stomach problems. I was sent to a neurologist who told my muscles were very weak and not to take statin drugs, but like all the Dr.’s I’ve been referred to none would touch the statin drug issue. My last referral was to an orthopedic surgeon because of my walking problems, and at first I was told that if my hips didn’t stop degenerating I would need them replaced to be able to walk. Last month after 9 months off statin drugs he retook x-rays and said my hips are looking fine. There is hope. I have been on a strict diet and exercise program and am ready to start stationary bicycling to try to rebuild muscle mass lost during the 2 years on different statin drugs. I also took C10 150 megs. after getting off statins to see if that would help and I don’t know, but I am told to keep doing what I’m doing. I hope the cholesterol will come down as I eat more oat bran or oatmeal. I hope my story helps some of you because I do believe I am getting well.

I had my first MI at age 57 on Oct. 29th 2004. I was given Zocor 40 meg. and my problems started in the hospital. I had terrible leg aches and they even looked for clots. Finding nothing I was sent home after 5 days with two stents and told if I got tired just rest. I had to take two months off work. In January I returned back to work but the leg aches continued at night. In January I returned to the hospital with another episode and received three more stents. My cholesterol was at 110. The Dr. continued me with the Zocor 40 mg. twice a day now. I continued to have problems with clogging arteries and in the next four months I had another 4 stents. In the summer I walked a lot and still continued to have leg aches at night. After a year of complaining I was put on Vytorin and things really got worse. In six months I couldn’t walk right, kept falling, couldn’t sleep with the cramping, my joints all felt like they no longer supported my frame. I was put on Crestor, then Lipitor, then Zetia, and then I took matters in my own hands. I stopped the statin drugs. My cholesterol skyrocketed of course to 289. It was only 189 at the time of the first MI. I have slowly regained my ability to walk and joined Curves. This is about all I can do and am slowly getting better. I tell everyone I can about my horror story with statin drugs. I’ve been to an arthritis specialist, negative on all forms of arthritis causing this. I went to a gastric specialist and no stomach problems. I was sent to a neurologist who told my muscles were very weak and not to take statin drugs, but like all the Dr.’s I’ve been referred to none would touch the statin drug issue. My last referral was to an orthopedic surgeon because of my walking problems, and at first I was told that if my hips didn’t stop degenerating I would need them replaced to be able to walk. Last month after 9 months off statin drugs he retook x-rays and said my hips are looking fine. There is hope. I have been on a strict diet and exercise program and am ready to start stationary bicycling to try to rebuild muscle mass lost during the 2 years on different statin drugs. I also took C10 150 megs. after getting off statins to see if that would help and I don’t know, but I am told to keep doing what I’m doing. I hope the cholesterol will come down as I eat more oat bran or oatmeal. I hope my story helps some of you because I do believe I am getting well.

I first had prednisone for bronchitis, along with antibiotics. they seemed to cure the coughing at least for a while but I started to gain weight.I figured it was a coincidence and just let it go.
The bronchitis came back, and worried that it may be heart failure, I saw my Cardiologist who told me taht i was OK from that angle!!
I started cardiac rehab after my last heart procedure. ( a couple of stents) and coincidentally the bronchitis came back.
Same prednisone scrip but his time the weight gain was very noticeable. Ten pounds in one week!
I was stopped on the excercise machine because my face and neck was beet red after 15 mins of light excercise. Apparently the other patients were getting worried just watching me.
As the pred regimen came to its end, after 12 days, I lost 6 of the ten pounds in 3 days. thats where I am now.

I started taking it 7/25/06 and by today 10/26/06 after taking only 2.5m,I have a terrible cough,I got this drug after getting 2 stents put in.My family doctor today told me to stop taking it and we should see the cough clear up,its terrible to sleep.

currently taking 50mg toprol daily. No sex drive, cannot lose weight, always very tired. Taking medication for high blood pressure. I would like to decrease dosage. All together I take 8 meds a day. For pressure and heart. Have 5 stents.

i had 2 stents inserted one yr ago.i been on lipitor for 4 yrs,i am getting wekness in my arms and legs,my cardiologist pulled me off lipitor yesterday,and im hoping ill feel alot better.feeling very weak with no strengh.

I began taking Liptor on March 12, 2005, which is the day I had my heart attack. I have taken myself off of it on Nov. 3, 2005. Even during my cardiac rehab I had pain down my right leg and right foot. The nurse said is was from the surgery of going into the groin and putting two stents in my heart. However, on two occassions I've had chest pain and had to be hospitalized and the leg and foot was still bothering me. Now both my feet hurt very badly that I find it difficult to even walk around in a grocery store. I've went to a new cardiologist they did blood work and my LDL was 107 and my HDL was 47, making my total choleserol of 195. At one time, the total cholesterol guideline was s up with that?

The cardiologists need to listen to their patients and not worry about how much money they are going to make from the drug companies for prescribing all these drugs. Yes, they are fine in the beginning, but down the road all they are bad for you. I am going to find a better way to reduce my cholesterol naturally.

Lipitor..
I'm only on 10 mg. of Lipitor a day but I have gained weight increasingingly fast in my eyes.. Is anyone having weight gain problems.. Also my cholestoral level was approx. 166 but I have 3 stents so my Dr. put me on Lipitor.. I have always had lower chol. My arteries plugging up is Genetic.. It scares me to see these terrible side effects people are having.. Tghank you, L. G.