Welcome to Medications.com

I took lipitor for almost two years (42). Started having a pain i...

Posted at 7: 3 PM on Oct 25, 2007 by ngeddings, #24585
I took lipitor for almost two years (42). Started having a pain in my upper thigh as if someone was turning a screw driver into my leg. The pain progressed into my right hip that felt like someone was trying to "unscrew" my hip out of the socket. The pain progressed down my leg - i.e. sciatica pain. The pain got so bad that I could not sleep at night and if I did fall asleep the pain would be so bad I would wake up crying. I went to my regular doctor and an orthopedic doctor. Had xrays, ct, and mri's. Blood work for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, etc. No bad results. I asked my physician if the Lipitor could cause it - "no" was the answer. My prescription for lipitor ran out and I was off of it for three months. I noticed significant relief in the above mentioned symptoms but still did not relate it back to the lipitor until I had a new prescription refilled and within a week I was "crying" in pain again. I immediately stopped the lipitor and within a few more months all the pains were gone. It still took me a while to get "comfortable" in bed to sleep - the pain had obviously affected me psychologically as well and I was still afraid that I would wake up in pain. I do sometimes feel the pain in my right hip if I sit for extended periods of time but nothing like the above. I am an RN. I have told the above story to several physicians at the hospital and they always react like they don't believe it.
REPLY TO THIS POSTING | Private Message me | Add as friend | Flag as inappropriate
 
Reply over 2 years ago on Nov 10, 2007 by jca77, #2842

I am also 42 and an RN. For many years, I have had doctors prescribe statins(Lipitor and Zocor) because of my familial, very high cholesterol. Each time I start to take it, after about two weeks, I would have very uncomfortable joint pain, bad indigestion and mild headache. I would stop taking it. For a brief time, through some fairly extreme lifestyle change, I was able to lower my cholesterol significantly but still not enough. Each time a statin was prescribed, I would tell the doctor about my joint pain and they either didn't believe me ("I've never heard of joint pain, only on rare occasion, muscle pain") or would say I must deal with it because I need the statin. This last time, I started taking 40mg Zocor and kept taking it even though my hips, knees and shoulders were killing me. I took Prilosec for the reflux and Tylenol or ibuprofen for the joint pain. Then, my muscles started to cramp and ache and burn and my hands felt arthritic. I could barely walk and at the end of my 12-hr shift would be near tears. Finally, my doc told me to stop taking it but has now prescribed Zetia and cholesteramine. I'm reluctant to restart anything because my muscles are still achy.

Private Message me | Add as friend | Flag as inappropriate

Make a reply to this posting:

Type your reply to this side effect post:


Medical advice disclaimer
© 2002-2007, Skylabs Inc.  |  About Us  |  Disclaimer/Terms of Use  |  Advertise  |  Contact Us  |  Site Map  |  Developed by: W3matter.com | Sleep Apnea