Lipitor and physical therapy

This is an update. I have experienced "some" problems trying to get Doctors to believe that my muscle problems are Lipitor related. I was sent this by a nurse. It is not the full page.

"2005 Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference (pg.155)

atorvastatin
Lipitor

Uses: As an adjunct in primary hypercholesterolemia

Interactiions:
*Risk of possible rhabdomyolysis; azole antifungaals,
cycloSPORINE, erythromycin, niacin, gemfibrozil, clofibrate".

Guess what? I have been using an azole antifungal intermittently for the entire time I was on Lipitor. It is not a medication I "take". It is used topically for a fungal nail which refuses to clear up. You may have been using it for athletes foot.
Now one pharmacist says a topical application cannot cause this interaction and another pharmacist says it is almost certain that the azole antifungal gets into the blood stream and will interact with the Lipitor. I have to laugh.
Next week I start Physical Therapy on my left elbow.

I am wondering if the plantar foot pain that my husband is suffering for 6 months could be from lipitor that he is taking for several years now. Has anyone have this problem?

Trying to figure out if my back pain is like others. The pain is in the lower left side and groin area of both hips. I have trouble reaching my feet to put on shoes and socks. Ive been on Lipitor 20 for about 5 years and have never had a problem before. This started about 6 months ago and even with heat and stretching it seems to get worse. It hurts when I stand for any length of time. It hurts to walk or run. It hurts very badly if I try to straddle something like an ATV or a horse. When I sleep (if I can) I sometimes have to put a pillow between my legs and lay on my side because it hurts a lot to bring my legs together. Feel free to email me at ******

I'm a 46 years old male normally good shape,I was put on Lipitor due to high cholesterol and family history of heart problems.I've been on lipitor for four years , 2years on 10mg, 1 years on 40mg and 1 year on 80 mg.
The last 6 months I have been experiencing severe archiles tendonitis to the point where I can hardly walk. I am extremely disatisfied with this drug and have read a lot of complaints regarding this drug.

Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Please reply to this post.

Thank You

I quit Lipitor (40mg) five weeks ago. I believe I was on a trajectory to disabilty within a year.
The unbelievable left elbow pain has gone (maybe the cortisone worked!). My left knee feels "normal" again, not perfect but nearly like it used to be. Within a couple of days of quitting I had severe pain in my right thumb along the bone, then in the middle of my right hand, then between the first and second fingers in my right hand. I currently have minor pain in my right wrist (this is new) on the pinkie side and minor pain in my left shoulder where the arm joins (this has been intermittent for a couple of months). I am feeling much better - but would not be at all surprised if pain appears in another part of my body before this is all history! There is also plenty of joint clicking going on.
I believe I first reported pain to the assistant doctor to the heart surgeon two weeks after I had the stent put in and was put on Lipitor. I was also on various other medications. I had tingling on the ends of my fingers and toes at random - hard to describe but it was as if a fairly sharp object (like a ball point pen, say) was being pressed progressively harder from the end of the finger/toe and towards the rest of that finger/toe: and as the pressure increased it would suddenly become painful. It was not a tingling/numb sensation but more a tingling which increased sufficiently that it hurt.
I am only being so specific because when I described these "symptoms" the doctor shrugged. If anyone has had similar - and I have seen tingling mentioned here - please make contact with me as I do want to report my experience back into the medical community but find, an exact description difficult. Things never needed to have got so bad if this was the first warning.
I since asked my family doctor if my knee problem was Lipitor related and she thought not: I was referred to Physical Therapy. I also told the physical therapists (who thought my knee should recover much sooner, and were surprised that I had zero mobility pain) that I also had serious elbow pain.
The orthopedic surgeon I saw did not connect the elbow problem to Lipitor.
The heart surgeon (stent insert) could perhaps be the only person who I did not tell of the pains - I don't remember - but I may be so grateful to be alive - that he may be someone to whom I did not voice a complaint!
On the positive - five weeks later I am feeling significantly better.

I had been taking Lipitor for well over six years to help lower my Cholesterol count with no know side affects. A problem developed about two and a half years ago with nerve damage that gave me excruciating pain in my shoulder and arm. After an MRI and three cortisone shots I was referred to a neurologist for help. He had no idea what was causing the problem.

About six months after many doctors could do nothing for me, and referring me to a physical therapist, my wife showed me a story in a magazine, which I can no longer find, that talked about problems with Lipitor that had not been properly documented. The article talked about exactly the side effects I was having. The article said there was a problem with nerve damage. It had been well documented that some people had muscle problems, but it was not know there could also be a problem with nerve pain.

I contacted my doctor and stopped taking Lipitor. Two months later, the pain just disappeared. The very day the pain ceased, I had a visit from a good friend of mine who is a Radiologist and who had studied Lipitor because of a problem he was having.

He explained that Lipitor was doing the job it was supposed to do, namely keeping the liver from producing all fats. The problem I was having was that I had injured a nerve and Lipitor was keeping the liver from producing a particular fat needed to help heal that nerve. It seems that the myelin sheath around the nerve needs that fat to help the nerve heal itself, and Lipitor was preventing the production of that particular fat.

Once I quit taking Lipitor it took about two months for the healing fat production to do it's thing. Recovery of the nerves in that arm has been very slow, but they do seem to be healing now.

I thought this was such an important finding that I notified all the doctors I had seen about this problem. To my great surprise I heard from no one. Not even a thank you. I guess that since they didn't find the solution, they just were not interested.

I hope this discussion helps someone else. Thanks for listening.

I have been on 40mg/day of Lipitor for 5-6 months and this is how I feel: totally drained - no energy at all - horrible lower back pain - I've been in physical therapy for the past 6 weeks. My neck muscles, back muscles and hip muscles were in constant spasms. Right after beginning Lipitor I woke up with vertigo and still have the dizziness. I was convinced that I must have some horrible disease and was dying at age 47. I stopped taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago and starting taking fish oil, vitamin c, coq10, b vitamin, daily vitamin - the muscle spasms are a little better - still have lower back pain, brain fog, some dizziness. I am so tired all the time - it's so difficult to work a full time job right now. Has anyone else had these same symptoms? Does anyone know how soon I should start to feel better?

I'm a 47 year old male and have been on 20Mg Daily Lipitor for about 4 years. Everything was mostly fine until about 1 year ago when I started experiencing severe hip and groin pain. I played hockey regularly up until that time and assumed the problem was a hockey related injury, though never remember any specific incident that may have been directly responsible. I told my doctor I thought it was a sports hernia because the symptoms and suspected cause held a close resemblance. X-Rays, MRI and Bone Scans were all negative. Physical Therapy was a useless waste of money. I was in agony for over a year and barely able to walk some days. Could no longer participate in hockey or other sports. Even coaching youth sports was a challenge due to the pain that greatly limited my mobility. The maddening part of it all was the doctor's had no explanation and just wanted me to continue with Physical Therapy. My wife casually suggested to me that maybe it was the Lipitor as she had heard some recent news on TV related to Lipitor and muscle pain. I told her she was being ridiculous and that's when I started to do some internet research and came across this site. It's all starting to add up. I've been off Lipitor for a week and the pain on my left hip is almost completely gone while the pain on the right side has shown significant improvement. While I am seriously happy that I think I have found the cause of my pain, I am incredibly angry that not a single doctor (I saw a total of 3) even suggested the possibility that the problem might be the Lipitor. They all new I was taking it. I know the drug has had highly positive affect on most people and saves lives but I feel that I've lost a year of my life to it.

I was put on Lipitor in 2004 and didn't realize what was happening to me-I thought I was just getting old. (I'm now 66) I went from a very active person to one who struggled to get out of the car and my entire body ached. I was constantly tired, I had trouble putting thoughts together. I would sit at the kitchen table and cry because I felt so awful. I started losing my balance and falling down. In one of my falls in December 2006 I injured my left hip. I went to a chiropractor to see if he could help relieve the pain in my hip. While going over my symptoms and medications he pointed out that the Lipitor I'm taking could cause most of my symptoms. He suggested I call my doctor and talk to her. I did and she said that Lipitor could cause severe muscle aches-she wanted to do a blood test and said that I could just go off the Lipitor. My blood test was normal. That was in March 2007 and I have been off the Lipitor since. The fatigue and muscle aches have gone away. I still have the hip pain (bursitis) and have been going to physical therapy for that. My memory is improving but I still have to concentrate, repeat names and write things down trying to remember. I'm trying to lose weight (most of it gained around my middle). I go to the gym and exercise to try to build my muscle strength. I'm not tired all the time, I've read that the symptoms can last a long time and sometimes may never go away. I've been told by the doctor that if my cholesterol is up at my next visit that she wants me to go back on Lipitor. She also said that if it had been the Lipitor, the symptoms would have gone away right after I went off the Lipitor. I will absolutely refuse to go on any Statin-I cannot take the chance of feeling so badly again.

I am a 44 year old male. I was taking Lipitor for the past 2 years because my LDL cholesterol level had continually increased to a high of 315. My doctor felt it was best to have me take 10 mg of the drug once a day. After about 3 months I started to have really bad joint pain in my hips, lower back and gluts. I was misdiagnosed and I ended up received physical therapy and a few cortisone shots in my lower back. It still was not getting better so I began to analyze my body to try and figure why this was happening and looked up side effects from cholesterol so I stopped taking the Lipitor and sure enough the pain went away.

I am 53 years old and have been on 10 mg of Lipitor for at least 5 years. For the past 3 years I have been experiencing tight muscles in my back and muscle spasms on my right side. I have had the following tests done - all of which came back negative: CT scan, Ultrasound, MRI, gall bladder scan, kidney scan, pelvic exam, even had a colonoscopy (that sucked), and went for physical therapy which the therapist said I had weakness on my right side. The doctor never even suggested to stop taking Lipitor but after reading these posts, I'm stopping myself.

I am an active 63 year old male. I have been on 10mg lipitor for 5 years and have experienced a very gradual muscle degeneration in my legs, feet numbness & tingling and hair loss from my ankles up. I have been to a neurologist, two Chiropactors, and Physical therapy and got some relief, but these symptoms never really disappeared. Recently, my bad cholestrol level increased and my doctor doubled my level to 20mg. After a month, my symptons are now worse and I can hardly get out of bed in the morning with sore muscles in my legs. I have had full skeleton x-rays and MRI's and Bone Bi-op. and have been cleared from other problems such as cancer. I have a strong feeling that my problems are from Lipitor. My doctor is in love with the drug. I am going to stop the Lipitor for a month regardless and see what happens. Joe

I posted this past week as guest 13049. I did make it , I did go to my doctor the next day and was sent to the lab for blood work that day. I haven't received the results yet. However I stopped taking Lipitor and most of the symptoms have subsided. I think had I not figured out what was causing all the pain and weakness, and had taken one more pill, I would not be here today, it was that bad.

Thanks for the concern from forum members. I will report my experience to whomever needs to hear it. I think of all the unsuspecting people who perhaps didn't get the chance.

I lost months of my life thru the fatigue, muscle weakness, back pain, etc. I have also had severe knee problems for several months and went to an orthopedic doctor last week. He said my knee problems were from weakened muscles around my knee and has perscribed physical therapy. Is it a coincidence? I don't know.

At least I'm still here and getting better...but I will never taken another statin drug..guaranteed!!

Thanks

I am 65 years old and started taking Lipitor (10mg) in November of 2003. Within days I strained my back doing something that should not have had this kind of impact. It took months to recover which was unusual for me. I should note that my lower back has given me problems in the past but this one was the worst and took the longest to heal. I also had the knee pain that many others have reported but that subsided within a few months.
In August of 2004 I had the worst lower back muscle spasms of my life and actually ended up in hospital for two days as I could not move without my back going into spasms. Muscle relaxants and anti-inflamatories solved the spasms in a few days. Since then I have not been able to get back to full strength in spite of physical therapy and religiously following an exercise regimen. It seems that if I do anything to put any strain on my back, it cannot handle it. I am/have been, very active all my life and still play tennis and golf regularly although I now question whether my back can stand up to golf.
I assume that lipitor is the main culprit here as my back has not responded to the exercise program.
I see many other similar cases on this web site but would be interested if anyone has had this same experience.

I have been on Lipitor for about two years. I am extremely stiff particularly my knees. I have been to a rhumatologist who injected my knees with cortizone and synvisc. Neither seemed to help. I walk with great difficulty and have to be extremely careful when going up or down stairs or just walking on flat surfaces. I just saw an orthopedic surgeon who recommended I go for physical therapy. Has anyone else suffered with these symtons?

I was taking Lipitor for 1Year. I began to fall and I couldn't get up. I was hospitalized and a neurological workup indicated that I had fibromyolysis caused by Lipitor. I stopped taking Lipitor. I was given a walker and sent for physical therapy. After many sessions of being treated as if I was a stroke victim I was released because I wasn't making any progress. I spent 3-4 months in the walker and 6 months with a cane. I was ver active prior to this, but it took a year to be able to walk without assistance. 3 years later I am about 85% recovered. I lift weights and walk about 3 miles a day. I am thrilled, since I could not even lift my legs initially. I still have weakness in my left leg and balance problems. I want to get the word out. I have been interviewed on local television twice. I woul like to go national . Len ***

I don't take Lipitor but I do take Pravacol and Zetia together. They are statin drugs. I take 20mg. of Pravacol and 10mgs. of Zetia. I am so glad I was sent this info from other people. I just know that since taking these drugs that I have experiened extreme pain and stiffness in both shoulders. Went to orthopedic dr. and was told I had forzen shoulders. Since reading all of the complaints from other people, I am inclined to believe that it is coming from these drugs. I can't sleep at nite due to the pain and soreness. Been thru physical therapy and cortizone shot with no relief. I am 50 yrs old and feel like 80 sometimes. I was always very active and I just don't want to do anything anymore. I just make myself do it. Thank you all for this info. I hope I can reverse this whole ordeal. Debbie ***