Triple bypass symptoms and conditions

Hello everyone. I too am experiencing the same problems described here from Lisinopril. On January 1st of this year, ( 2009 ) I was taken to the hospital emergency room and admitted into the hospital under the assumption that I was having congestive heart failure. After a barrage of tests it was determined that I have diabetes and I was already taking hydrochlorothiazide ( 50 mgs ) for water retention. I was prescribed Lisinopril ( 10 mgs ) and told to cut my hydrochlorothiazide in half. Everything was fine for about a month and then it started...
I had noticed on the bottle of Lisinopril that the one side effect in some patients was a dry cough but disregarded it since it didn't seem to be affecting me. After being on Lisinopril for a month, I began having this awful dusty feeling in my throat. It actually feels like someone has a bellows filled with dust which they've placed in my mouth and released a spray of dust which caused me to have this feeling of needing to cough almost to the point of choking. I don't have this cough all day long. It only happens intermittently throughout the day. Sometimes when I am standing or sitting but mostly when I am laying down in bed. I've also noticed that it seems to have somewhat of a consistent schedule. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I would take the pill every morning around the same time. However, I've stopped taking it about a week and a half ago and still seem to have somewhat of a pattern of when the coughs occur. Strange.
Another thing I noticed is that I've seemed to have an excessive amount of saliva which would also cause me to choke at times. Have any of you experienced excessive saliva with this medication?
I've been trying to lose weight without success and I'm wondering if Lisinopril has something to do with that as well. After reading all of these comments on this forum, I am wondering if doctors as well as The American Medical Association should take a closer look as to whether the side effects of this medication out weigh the benefits and/or what this medicine is supposed to be helping the patient with. So far I see no positive effects from this medication.

I have atherosclerosis and had a triple bypass in 1996 - since then I have been taking lipitor - first started out at 40 mg and just recently started taking 80 mg. I can relate to the leg cramps - both my right and left calf are pretty knotted up, and my calf muscles twitch somewhat when I get in bed - and then just prior to waking up I usually get a cramp in one or both legs. I have really had no other side effects - I excercise regularly on the elliptical machine. I feel like maybe drinking more water might alleviate the cramps - I'm going to religiously try to keep hydrated this year. Even so, I do feel like the cramping is a result of the medicine.

I can't believe that this drug is legal and that it has not been taken off the market. I have been on it for a year and couldn't understand why I was gaining weight, nothing helped to get those pounds off. I started at 160 and now at 195 and growing. Three years ago I had triple bypass, weight 150, some of the meds caused some weight gain, but nothing like this. My joints was so sore in the morning I couldn't hardly walk, I just knew I was going to be using a walker if this kept up. BTW I'm 65 female, always been active and busy, now I just do what I have to or can and that doesn't make me happy. I have recently been having crying spells and sore throat, voice lost, and enlarged tongue. The enlarged tongue caused me to do some searching on side effects.....I am so glad I found this page. I haven't taken any puffs of Advair since., that was 3 days ago. My tongue is starting to shrink, my joints aren't as sore, my crying is stopping. The weight is still with me and might never lose it, time will tell. I don't seem as hungry and eating less so maybe there is hope. This is a drug that should have Big warning all over it. Advair has taken a year of my life at this point. If there is ever a law suit I would be the 1st to sign. I didn't have that many breathing issues and really didn't understand why the Dr. put me on it.
I usually check up on drugs before I take them, this one slipped through the cracks, guess cause it wasn't a pill. At this point I just hope that others find this in time and stop using Advair before it ruins their lives.
God Bless
Barbie Kay

Hi
I started taking 10 mg. daily ofLipitor 8 yrs. ago and about a year later I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. There's no test for Fibro, just blood tests to elimate everything else ex: Lupus, RA etc. I've been suffering so much from muscle pain, all the tender points as in Fibro and also diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three doctors diagnosed me with Fibro. and chronic fatigue. I had most of the symptoms everyone else is complaining about also. The pain in my stomach muscles are just about gone too.

It reached a point three weeks ago when I was having sharp pains all over my body and muscle cramps and charlie horses at night and I could just about walk up the stairs my hips hurt so much that decided to stop Lipitor. I was so tired all the time and in constant pain.

My doctors said it couldn't be the Lipitor. The pain in most of the tender points are just about gone but I know it will take a while to get out of my system. I lost muscle strength over the years and hope to get that back. I'm 64 years old and know it will take awhile .

I went to my doctor Tuesday and told him I took myself off the Lipitor and that I now remember being diagnosed with Fibro shortly after going on Lipitor. He got so mad at me and said that Lipitor doesn't cause a disease. As I said there's no test for Fibro and it's not a disease it's a syndrome or condition where the brain sends pain signals to the tender point muscles but there's nothing actually wrong with the muscles. I told him that 6 years ago when I tried going off Lipitor for 3 months and joined a gym, Curves, I felt fine and thought I was in remission. Then when I started taking Lipitor again I couldn't do the exercise in Curves and had to stop going. It never dawned on me it was the Lipitor.

I now have a problem with my heart, one condition I might have been born with but the Arrthymia I don't know about. My heart beats too many beats and it beats 4 beats and the 5th beat is backwards. Now I'm on 25mg of Topricin (the generic) beta blocker to slow down the heart beats. I don't know if this is caused by the Lipitor or not. My cardiologist said that Lipitor can affect every muscle in your body and she suggested that I get a RX for a blood test to tell whether I have muscle damage. I went for the test Tuesday but haven't received the results yet.

I'm going to change doctors, I don't like my doctor's attitude with me over the Lipitor. These doctors think they're God. When I told him on Tuesday about the 3 months that I felt fine 6 years ago he said that there are other drugs besides statins to lower cholesterol. I don't want to go on any drugs and the non statin drugs can cause intestinal blockage, he got upset when I told him that too. I'm going to try to lower it with flaxseed and fiber and see if that works. I go to Weight Watchers and kept 17 lbs. off for 6 years now, I do try and eat healthy.

I can't believe it cost me almost 8 years of my life in pain. It's even hard for me to get down on the floor with my granchildren, I have to crawl to the couch or chair to lift myself up and I get tired so easily. I just hope I get back to normal.

I'm so glad I found this website and figured out what was wrong with me. I hope my writing helps someone else dignosed with Fibromyalgia and taking a statin.

Thanks for listening.
Marie

I was started on Toprol-XL after a triple bypass in 2000. I had experienced several episodes of rapid heartbeats. For the next 7 years I took it daily and had no side effects that I was aware of other than feeling a little weak if I missed a dose.
During this time, I was diagnosed as a diabetic and started on Lantus insulin. I had some gastric side effects from the Metformin but other than that I was doing ok. I was and am still overweight but I was also in good enough shape to walk 30 minutes everyday on my treadmill and to hold down a stressful job.
In September of 2007 I hosted a large family reunion at my house and had no physical problems. Right after that I came down with a bad sore throat and was put on Clindamycin. At the same time, my husband went to refill my meds and came back with the generic version of my Toprol-XL. Our insurance now requires us to use generics if available. Within two weeks I was having shortness of breath just walking up the steps into my house. I at first thought it was a hang over from the sore throat and went to my GP. He had me switch back to the original Toprol-XL and I felt an almost immediate relief. However, the symptoms did not go away entirely, in fact after seeming better, they came back again. I went back to my GP. He was concerned enough to want to send me to a cardiologist. Since we had just moved here a year ago I had not visited a cardiologist as yet so this doctor was new to me and my symptoms.
So far we have done a nuclear stress test, echocardiogram, EKG's, heart cath, lung scan, and numerous blood tests. Everything looks good according to the cardiologist. And yet, I cannot walk through my house without stopping to try and catch my breath, I have had to quit work since I can no longer climb the stairs to the second floor offices, I cannot sweep a floor without having to sit down.
Is it possible that a side effect from this generic drug could have damaged something permanently? Has anyone else had any kind of problem like this?

Hi there... I have just found this site and I'm very grateful to everyone who has taken the time to sit down and tell us their story mine is very similar. BELIEAVE me I feel like I am pushing my family away and I'm losing my relationship with the one person who used to make me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
I'm a 40 yr female have or maybe had a great job that I loved... On April 12 I noticed a small red rash on my lower right leg no big deal went to the Dr. gave me some cream and sent me home well I went to work and by the afternoon things just seem to get bad my legs began to swell and little blisters started to pop up so I went to the E.R. they had no Idea what was wrong with me got me an appointment to see a skin DR. so I went home but the pain from the swelling was so bad I could not walk any longer went back to the E.R. they gave me some pain meds and called in some other DR. things had gone from bad to worse my feet had gotten to big I could not put on shoes and I had bruised completely across the bottoms of my feet they put me on 30mg of PRED. and it seem to be under control sent me home after 3 day in the hospital things were good for about a day or so I thought I would go back to work well that was not a very good idea.... My sister had to come and take me back to the ER where they did 2 biopsies and still have no idea what is wrong with me. so now they put me on 60mg of PRED the rash has gone, lots of scaring on my feet because of the blisters once they broke and dried out but I can live with that....
It's the side effects that they don’t tell you about,
MOON FACE I can't look at myself cause really that’s not me anymore,
WEIGHT GAIN I have always been thick but I can't handle the extra 30lbs I've gained,
MOOD SWINGS are unbearable,
PAINFUL JOINTS, CAMEL HUMP, BLOODY NOSE, BRUSING, SORE TEETH/GUMS, DRY EYES, FAITIGE, and worsted of all
I don’t have a support systems in my life so I'm fighting this by myself everyday, I have 3 kids that I have tried to explain all this to but they don't get it and well my boyfriend he tells me he understands that its the meds pushing him away but if I can't figure away to control this I will lose every thing including my job. I cant even get the energy together half the time to make it up and down the stairs which also comes with the pain of just trying to lift each leg up to climb the stairs, I also have the camel hump which I find very painful, The acne and the hair growth that I have to get wax off once a month cause I feel like a man I feel like a loser and as of the last couple of days I just want to give up I am now down to 20mg per day but I find that I am feeling so sick I cant think straight I hope and pray for each and every person out there that has to take this MED that you get better and I do hope that my symptoms wont come back. Thanks for being here and I’m glad I found this site. I know now that I’m not losing my mind completely. Elizabeth.

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 had triple bypass surgury, and put on zocor as a preventative RX, along with other meds. Two months post surgery I started getting a pain in my right foot when walking 2 minutes and a continuous pain in left thigh all day and night long. Dr said I could take tylenol when needed. I started cardiac PT, walking on treadmill, exercise bike 3x per week. Pains persisted. 3 weeks later Dr agreed to take concern serious. Did blood work. Muscle enzymes elevated. Took me off Zocor taday to see if in a few weeks thigh would stop hurting. Ordered Ancle Bracial Index test to see if foot issue is circulation related.

My side effects are the same as Guest #26472. The pain is so bad in my legs and ankle musles sometimes I can hardly get up from a chair or walk across a room, I find myself walking bent over to relieve the pain I have in my shoulder and upper arm musles, my hands feel like pins and needles and my ankles and lower legs swell. In January I had a triple bypass and have been taking 80mg Zocor ever since. I have talked with my Dr. about this and he has never said to stop taking Zocor or recommended any other medication, he has only adjusted other medications I am on.

Had triple bypass Feb. of 05. Been taking 40mg of lipotor eversince. Choles. stays down very well, however, wife thinks I am depressed, I know my energy level is very poor, and I have alot of soreness in my joints, mainly hands and knees. I am going to stop the lipotor and either use Bios-Life2, I know works, or try fish oil & flax seed

I have been taking Lipitor 40mg for over 10years after a triple bypass. I experienced no noticeable side effects until about 5 years ago my feet were burning, stabbing nerve pains sharp enough to draw a sharp breath, unable to sleep properly. My doctor did not suspect Lipitor so I had to find the source of the problem by a process of elimination. This deteriorated further in the past year, with numbness and severe muscle cramps in feet and hands. I stopped taking the Lipitor recently and the pains and discomfort have all but disappeared.

I have been on statins for 20 years. Started with Mevacor and then Lipitor 10 mg. Had a triple bypass 4 years ago and at that time my Lipitor was raised to 40 mg. I didn't seem to have any problems. About six months ago Zetia, Actos and Glucophage were added and since then it has been a nightmare. I have had general body cramping, fasciculations (twitching) in my legs, muscle pain, lethargy, atrophy of the muscles of my legs (right>left), and foot drop on the right side. Saw Neurologist and had EMG/Nerve conduction studies showing motor nerve deficit in my legs. This is the picture of ALS. I stopped Lipitor about 1 month ago and the rest of the meds about 1 week ago and everything is better (except the foot drop). Hopefully that will improve with time. The problem is that I need those meds. Anyone had problems with lipitor that then switched to another statin without problems? Anyone had problems with Zetia alone? Anyone had problems with Actos or Glucophage?
Thanks,

At 42 years old, had triple bypass. I have been taking Zocor for a number of years and have never experienced any side effects. However, my cardiologist raised my dosage to 80mg and I have been taking that amount for about 8 months or so. I have recently (6 months or so) been experiencing joint discomfort in a finger or two and acute pain in my left hip joint, or what seems to be my hip joint. Feels like a sharp object being inserted. Could this be Zocor or just "growing old" pains? I'll be 50 in February, 2003.