Sudden heart attack symptoms and conditions

I have been taking 40mg lipitor for over 9 years now.

I have had back issues since an injury to one disc (L4?), and had microdiscectomy in 2001? Took about two years to actually get close to normal.

The last few years, I have had multiple issues with shoulder pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, lower back pain, Upper rump muscle pain , and now both hips are killing me (the shoulder, upper rump muscles and hips are by far the worst). And I am now so weak in my lower back muscles, that it feels like I will (and do) pull out my back.

I have seen NO many doctors I can't even name them all. I have had operations, multiple injections (cortisone) taken pain meds, etc. Nothing has helped and in the last year and a half, I have gotten steadily worse. To the point where I can't really do much of any activity. Sleeping at night is painful. Can't lie on left shoulder, and can't lie on either hip for more than a few minutes. If I fall asleep on my side, the pain wakes me up. When I try to walk, 80% of the time, I end up with a pain in my upper right rump (sacroiliac area), that I MUST sit down to get the intense pain to go away, which it does. But comes right back when I walk again.

I have had x-rays, MRIs etc, and never reveals all that much. Disc issues, yes. NOt much else.

Recently, I have begun to get a nasty clicking (catching) on my left jaw (joint?). Not really painful, but something definitely wrong. My dentist sent me to his Chiro. I went and liked him right away. I had gone to another chiro for years and I believe in them. But this one is the best I have seen.

Anyway, one of the FIRST things he suggested, was that it was POSSIBLE that the Lipitor is causing all of my problems. Put me on COQ10, and doing multiple adjustments and treatments. I will be seeing my regular doctor 5/26, and my chiro wants me to see if he will take me off lipitor and put me on Niaspan instead.

I guess my question is: Can Lipitor be fine with me for so long, and then in such a short period of time, turn me into a compete wreck from the pain and wasting away of my body/muscles? I've told doctors for over a year now that there is SOME connection as to all these issues and pain. One Doctor, of course, gave me the "you are getting old" bull. Yes, I am 56 yrs old. But I understand the process of getting old, vs the complete failing of ones body.

Also, IF it is the Lipitor, can it possible all go away? Or should I expect some damage forever?

One more thing, the last ortho I went to the other day for a second opinion, wants me to do a EMG, to see if there is muscle damage. I was not planning on doing it, but wonder now, should I? He was not doing it because of lipitor, as he never even talked about that to me. I had shoulder operation and have not had the results I feel I should have had.

Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do you have to stop it slowly? I have been taking Lipitor for 5 years now and I have been trying to find out what is causing my leg weakness. I mentioned it to my doctor who said it si just a fact of getting older. The problem is getting worse and I noticed it started about 3 months after taking the Lipitor and has steadily gotten worse. I am 49 years old a little over weight {which I am working on}. I also noticed my asthma which I haven't delt with since a small child has come back. This may or may not have to do with the Lipitor but the pain in my knees and legs I believe do. It really hurts in the joints of my legs and sometimes in my shoulder area.

I am a 54 year old male who started Lipitor 60 days ago. In 45 days my cholesterol went from 275 to 180. I never had knee pain before I started taking Lipitor; but now can hardly get around. Knee and leg pain is terrible and advil or tylenol won't help. This morning was my last lipitor pill. What the hell is the deal? I hope I do not have permanent damage! I would rather die from sudden heart attack than suffer this pain.

Thank you all for making me feel as if I'm not alone. I thought this was the way I was supposed to feel. 6 years ago I experienced a sudden heart attack with no symptoms at 42. A new doctor put me on Lipitor about 2 1/2 years ago as a precaution. The heart attack was genetic as I was about an 80% vegetarian and walked about 8 miles a day. My mother had her first heart attack at the same age. I always had weight problems as a kid, but slimmed down as an adult. After the Lipitor, I have gone from a 32 waist to a 42, joint pain, sleep problems, lack of concentration and the constant feeling as if I have been run over by a Mack truck. You all are giving me the confidence to go with my instincts and stop taking this med. along with switching to a doctor who will listen to me and not tell me to get a personal trainer of which I cannot afford. By the way, I still walk my 4-6 miles a day even in the snow and rain. For me, it's always been my best form of exercise. Again, thank you all for not making me feel alone.

I am so glad I checked out this site. Reading all of this feel like I'm reading the story of my life. Two years ago I was switched to Yasmin because I was retaining too much fluid in my ankles with my previous pill (ortho-tricyclen for 9 yrs). Six months into it I was going to the emergency rooms and doctors with panic/anxiety attacks. I had terrible chest pains, my heart would race. I thought I was going to die. And the all slap you on the back and tell you to go home and get some rest, you're just having anxiety or too much stress. Well my anxiety and stress was coming from what felt like a sudden heart attack. The doctors did all the blood tests, ekg, thyriod, everything was ok. Then my doctor wanted to put me on a drug to regulate heart rythums. Well I had stopped the pill because I wanted to get pregant and you can't take this medication while you are pregant. It did not feel right to me to take this medication at 26, so I instisted on going to a cardiologist to get their approval on it. Of cousre they were much smarter, they did a few test to make sure and advised me not to go on that medicine. It gave me enough time to find out that I was pregant at the time.
So now two years later I was having hormonal embalances starting from the time I quite nursing. I started having ovarian cycst, so the ob doctor wanted to put me back on the Yasmin to help regulate and clear away the cycsts. I suspected the Yasmin for being my problem before but I got pregant and things begain to get better. So a month and half ago I started back and the first and second weeks I was nause and had abdominal pain. The third week I had a head ache for 4 day straight that put me in bed for two of those days. Then the racing heart started again and at that point I quite Yasmin. Now even after being off of Yasmin for two weeks plus, I am having chest pains and pains down my left arm and strange body aches.
I have another friend who as been having the same systoms while taking yasmin and this is why I decided to start investigating it. I am finally relieved to see that it is not in my head that other women have had the same side affects. Now it makes me more angery at my doc for not being more suspious of my birth control pill.
Thank you so much for the peace of mind. I will definetly share this web site.
Tanya