Lipitor and suggestion

About eight years ago I felt heaviness in my chest along with some pain/discomfort when doing hard physical labor and occasionally in the hot-tub. Following my doctor’s advice and an angiogram, a stint was placed and medication administered – Lipitor and plavix I also went through a 6-month program for cardiac recovery including dietary changes and a proper exercise program. About six month following that I gradually just stopped taking my Lipitor and plavix and returned to my old eating routine and other life-style. I don’t smoke (never did) and don’t drink or otherwise indulge in any recreational drugs. I’ve never been hypertensive with blood pressures typically at 115/68. I maintain a trim and healthy appearing body just naturally or genetically. I eat lots of red meat, not a lot of vegetables, drink gallons of orange juice, and eat much more junk-food than I should. About six years after that (near heart attack) event I was given a “stress test” by my physician… I was then 61 and tested at the level of a 38 year old! Two years after that I had a significant heart attack out in the middle of nowhere! It took almost 6 hours to get me to an emergency room in Spokane, Washington (that’s a story of its own). That was on a Thursday – I was back to work full-time the following Monday (four days later). This time around with more drugs than I could swallow in one gulp! Lipitor, Plavix, Coumadin, aspirin, and carvedilol. The combination or amount was more than I could tolerate and I was weaned off all but the Lipitor and aspirin within a year. My heart has returned to nearly full-function and I have no physician imposed restrictions. All that said, I’ve been gradually developing muscle soreness (pain, actually) in my fore-arms and legs. I’ve been growing more lethargic and tired with each passing month. I’m now 65 and feel that the Lipitor is inhibiting my health… I want to get off it and be “normal” again. Or is it just being sixty five? Can I just quit taking the drug? Leaving only aspirin for blood thinning and the hope of a better diet for cholesterol control.

Get off the Lipitor, me and me husband, both had the severe joint pain. The pain moved from one joint to the next. It would be in the shoulder, then the next day or so, it would move to our feet, then to the hand and wrist. It would swell , so bad, that it felt like, that part of the body was going to burst !!! My husband was on LIPITOR for 1 1/2 years, before it hit him. Doctors thought it was gout, and my husband was walking on a walker ,at 49 years old, and never being unhealthy. I was on LIPITOR for only one month, after a stint was put in my heart. Believe me, it is not the stint , it is the LIPITOR. I knew what it was when it got in my joints, so I went off it right away. It still takes about 2 weeks to get it out of your system. I now know of other people, who are on LIPITOR, that have severe muscle cramps. If this is happening to you, then you can not take anything with STATINS , in it. If you are allergic to STATINS, it can cause another muscle disorder , that can destroy your muscle tissue.

I have extreme thumb spasms, often both thumbs at the same time. i had an episode a few weeks ago of a severe pain in my hip running down my leg. I was in bed all weekend as a result and needed a cortisone shot to help relieve the pain. I forgot a name right after they tell me and I am only 50 years old. I lose my balance and sometimes almost fall and have vertigo every now and then. I wonder if all these symptoms are from lipitor. I have been on it for at least 3 years.

Three years ago, my Doctor said he wanted my cholesterol lowered. He prescribed Lipitor 10 m every other day.. Last year Cat Scan revealed a clogged minor artery so doctor increased to 20m PER day.. Test results proved Cholesterol down to " perfect" said the doctors BUT the rest of me was falling apart.. Severe muscle cramps in both legs, fatigue, muscles all over had no strength, weakness, nausea, headaches etc.. My cousin who is a doctor had been taking Lipitor herself but stopped because of the above symptoms.. Both my Cardiologist and internist have told me to stop taking Lipitor for a period of time to see if these symptoms dissipate.. After three days I already feel better. I have begun to eat 100% healthy: taking vitamins: vitamin C, Omega 3,6,9. lecithin & exercise, etc. And praying a lot..

I had 95% occlusion of the major artery in my heart July 2007 with no symptoms except slight shoulder pain on 3 occasions. They did a cath and inserted 2 stents. Started with Lipitor 10 mg. and my LDL dropped from 75 to 112. The MD wanted to double the dose, but I refused because of intermittent nocturnal nausea. MD switched me to another statin and I had immediate muscle involvement and severe nausea at night. She wanted me to try another statin drug and I refused. After a 2 month period of no statins, she put me back on Lipitor 10 mg. daily. I decided to cut the pill in half and take it twice a week, then move to every other day and gradually go to 10 mg. daily. Immediately, the nocturnal nausea started again. Last night I awoke at 2 a.m. with nausea, sweating, sore muscles around my rib cage. Still no sleep at 4:30 a.m., so I got up and tried to eat something. This has been the pattern every night since I went on Lipitor.

I don't know if I can take this any more.

CK

in addition to memory problems (sudden onset-coincident with
lipitor) and major fatigue and body pains i developed loud
RINGING IN THE EARS (tinitus). sleep is difficult and infrequent.
i stopped lipitor (80mg once a day) about two weeks ago and
tinitus and some memory problems continue.
i consider that i was very foolish for not researching this drug before taking it (i didn't want to know side effects so that i wouldn't
develop them by suggestion).
If the tinitus continues much longer...

Persistant muscle cramps.

I'm 66 years old and have a long history of muscle cramps after physical excertion such as tennis. I've been on 10mg for several years so even though the cramps have gotten more frequent and more persistant (harder to walk off) I did not think Lipitor could be implicated.

At my MDs suggestion I have stopped taking them. Surprise! No more cramps. And I am playing tennis especially hard to try to bring them on. But nothing.

This has been a surprise. I should go back on Lipitor to test that it is really the cause, but that dedicated to science I'm not.

My husband was on Lipitor for about eight months. In that time his personality was drastically altered. A very kind, loving, wonderful husband and father turned into a monster. He began having temper tantrums, was moody and suspicious, suffered muscle pain, and had short term memory loss. He was no fun to be with. My daughter broke my heart when she tearfully pleaded "I want my father back."

We have you all to thank for geting him back! He would not listen to any suggestion his medication might be affecting his personality. So I printed out 25 pages from this web site and just left them on the kitchen counter. Once he started reading, he could not stop. He recognized himself and immediately cut all his pills in half, weaned himself off Lipitor and now we are trying diet and exercise. The husband and father we cherish is back!