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Hi, I am a 45 year old male with high cholesterol. prescribed 20m...

Posted at 12: 8 PM on Nov 24, 2008 by mikepaul, #36862
Hi, I am a 45 year old male with high cholesterol. prescribed 20mg. of Lipitor to control it. Am having a strange twitching muscle in my right calf since I started the meds. Forearms hurt, trouble sleeping, twitching in my sleep, apparently, tiredness. I'm worried about going off it. My dad died of a heart attack. Would it hurt to try going off it for about 3 months?
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Reply 7 months ago on Nov 24, 2008 by propsguy, #14791

eat more vegetables, walk everyday, don't expect medications to control your cholesterol

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Reply 7 months ago on Nov 24, 2008 by 777, #14792

I stopped taking this dangerous drug " cold turkey" , because of the MANY side effects. If necessary, there are natural products and alternatives to control your cholesterol. Drs. all they know is to push drugs.

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Reply 7 months ago on Nov 24, 2008 by bobby, #14795

Muscle twitching and spasms is a common complaint among statin users. I hear this all the time, and experienced it myself when taking a different cholesterol lowering drug

50% of heart attacks occur in people with low to normal cholestero. And half of all first time heart attacks happen to people with LDL in target range. If you continue to take the Lipitor, you will lower your cholesterol, but you shift your risk from the 50% that have heart attacks, to the other 50% group that has just as many heart attacks. Where is the benefit in that?

The risks are high as you are experiencing cholesterol deprivation and its symptoms. Don't be worried about going off lipitor. You will regain your health. Serum cholesterol is a very poor predictor of cadiac events. I would not worry about cholesterol. There are other more valid risk factors.

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Reply 7 months ago on Dec 06, 2008 by texaslady54, #15066

I have high cholesterol (320) and have tried almost all of the Statin drugs. Each time I have some type of blood work (at yearly checkups mostly) I get another lecture about getting back on a Statin drug. I finally relented 3 weeks ago and started Lipitor again. I know my cholesterol is very high, but I don't eat junk food, and I do take in plenty of fish and vegetables.

This entire past week, I started developing muscle twitches in my left forefinger, then my arms, and it has scared me after reading about people on another site, www.peoplespharmacy.com developing ALS-like symptoms or going into full blown ALS after taking Lipitor.

I am stopping this drug immediately, and I am never taking another Statin drug as long as I live. I have been scared with the muscle twitching and I hope that it reverses, because it is quite un-nerving.

I didn't have so much of the muscle pain this time around, but the muscle twitches have pretty much been constant in the last few days. I hope this helps someone else. Neurogically, it has very bad side effects.

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Reply 6 months ago on Dec 20, 2008 by suzzan, #15403

i have the same symptoms as you are describing. i think i will take myself off this drug immeditely. i have been on lipitor for about 5 years.

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Reply 6 months ago on Dec 20, 2008 by mikepaul, #15405

I have gone off the Lipitor cold turkey. I am now taking 3000mg of vitamin C, 40mg of CoQ10, extra garlic tablets,lecithin,Omega 3 tabs, and drink a glass of red wine daily. I feel as if I am being pro-active about my heart health and feel better for it.I am not as tired and the twitching has stopped! I'm so glad to be off that thing!

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Reply 6 months ago on Dec 21, 2008 by texaslady54, #15419

My twitching got so annoying and frightening, that I went off Lipitor immediately after my last post.

I am still feeling some twitching after being off the medication,. I never had that type of twitching before taking Lipitor.

I am positive that it has to be related. I will never take a statin drug again.

Since doing some research on triglycerides, I am going to drink 8 oz. of pomegranate juice daily in hopes that it will help.

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Reply 3 months ago on Mar 23, 2009 by mario33101, #18389

Muscles soreness and muscle twitches are very common with me. It started about a month ago with lower back pain and pain in my hip area. Xrays showed some arthritis. The about a week ago I started having flu-like symptoms. Been to the doctor and I don't have the flu. Took some blood for testing and I am waiting for results. My muscles are achy. The ache travels all over my body. I have twitching in my body. I feel a constant twitch in my back. When I try to fall asleep I my whole body jerks. Feels like nerve damage. I feel very uneasy inside. I have been on Crestor in the past and then I was switched to Simvastatin in November. I am now thinking this is related to the medicine but I am not sure. I also get headached lately.

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