Pravachol and cholesterol

ok I am 35 and just took my Pravastatin 20 mg. aka pravachol for the first time ever. This question is going to sound crazy because no one seems to ever have these symptoms so far that i have read. I took my pill and 39 minutes later i felt high like a marijuana high or a pain pill type of affect. i feel the pain in my muscles but it almost feels like a muscle relaxer to me I seem to be having opposite affects of this drug. Has ANYONE had this experience please please let me know.

Developed deep muscle aching and weakness in my legs to the point it was an effort to even get across the street. I quit taking Pravachol and never had the symptoms again. Not sure what I'm going to do next...maybe work harder on exercise and diet?

I was prescribed Pravachol after experiencing a reaction to Zocor. In hind sight, this was probably the worst thing my doctor could have done to me. Only weeks on the Pravachol I began to experience lower back and hip pain. I blamed it on my mattress! Then one morning I went to roll over in the bed and pain shot through me up to my head. My hips were frozen the pain was unbearable. I cried and my husband got some old crutches from the garage. I needed help getting to and from the bathroom. He left for work and left me with the heating pad and Ibuprofen. I realized that this was extremely similar to the knee and leg pain I'd experienced on Zocor only to a much more significant degree and much more painful. I immediately stopped the Pravachol and a week later began to see improvement. Within two to three weeks I recovered to a degree of functionality. My doctor actually pushed me to try the Pravocol again! I got a new doctor instead. Turns out my cholesterol isn't even that bad!! I'm furious for the long term damage done to me and furious at a system that would put people through this knowing what it does!

My MD put me on Pravachol in August due to my elevated cholesterol, and the sudden, premature death of my beloved brother from a heart attack caused by his high cholesterol. I'm a very active, busy, 54 year old full time paramedic. So I'm no dummy in the ways of meds and health care. After being on this stuff for a couple of months I noticed that I was having a lot of unexplained pain in my lower back and legs. At first I attributed it to my job, which involves a lot of heavy lifting. But it kept getting worse, to the point of having great difficulty walking because of severe pain in both hip joints.I felt like I was an 80 year old woman. I couldn't even stand to use an elliptical machine or swim at my fitness center. I was also extremely depressed, lethargic, and having heart palpitations. I had pain in my shoulders, neck, back, kidneys, hips, and thighs. I stopped taking it 3 days ago, and have already noticed improvement. I think I'll try to lower my cholesterol with diet, weight loss, and exercise instead.

I was on Pravachol 40mg for 4 years. It got my cholesterol down from a bad 7.8 to 4.8 and it was great. I was even able to eat my beloved dairy products with impunity. Then, the pain started in my legs about 9 months ago. Was also experiencing calf cramps at night that were so bad I came out of bed screaming. I didn't think about that, because as an ex-athlete with 1 shoulder and 3 knee surgeries + lots of breaks and wear and tear, I just though it was from that or menopause. I also had a lot of heart palpitations and put that down to stress and menopause (I am 51). The leg pain got so severe when walking, etc., that I thought it was DVT. Constant, deep aching in my calves and cramping.. (and I still didn't think about the side effects of Pravachol)! Didn't mention this to my doctor. I lost 12kg, so my doc put me on 20mg, thinking that less weight = less cholesterol. Then I had my blood test. Always got the 6 month blood tests for elevated CK levels (indicates muscle damage) and liver functions. Got a call from Dr. next day saying to stop Pravachol immediately, as the CK levels were almost double what they should be. (Folks, I was taking CoQ10 all the time, too!) One week off the Pravachol and the pain and cramps disappeared and so did the heart palps and a lot of the other "funny" stuff happening to me. You have to consider that Pravachol can damage muscles and the heart is a muscle, so..... However, two months after going off the pills, my cholesterol was up to 6.9 (only bad one went up.) Not good. I have a genetic predisposition for this disease (mom, dad, brother) and it can't be controlled by diet. Both I, mother and brother tried...no avail. I am now on Ezetrol and will have a test in 2 weeks to see what it is doing. No pain from this, but boy am I having bad sweats! Has anyone else experienced these sweats? However, if it drops my cholesterol and doesn't damage my muscles, I'll carry around a bucket.
I do believe that you really have to think hard about taking any of the statins because of their action on the body. For Heaven's sake, if you are on statins, get those 6 monthly blood tests! It could save your life. I've heard anecdotal evidence of muscle damage without the CK being elevated on the blood tests. That is scary.

I do not know if this is a side effect or not but would definitely like to know if any one else has experienced this. I take am a diabetic and have hypertension and take several other medications, as well. I feel as this is a sleeping pill. I have taken this medication for a year and it has helped greatly with my cholesterol and all, but I have definitely changed in my sleeping habits. As I said, it is like a sleeping pill, and I cannot get awake in the morning and am very fatigued. I would appreciate any information available.

Thanks

I am scared to Death!! Was on Zocor for 5+ yrs. Knee , leg pain and numbness til finally in Jan. 2002, my knee "folded" and went down and fractured my ankle badly!(7 screws and a plate) Was in hosp, 10 days,3 in ICU( anesthesiology overslept me) and when I woke up enough to know what from what, had NO feeling in either leg from the knees down. Long story short, I am one of the 1 in 100,000 who developes peripheral nueropathey from Zocor, plus was on Verapamil for ^ bp, which has just recently been found to be a no -no! Went off all for about a year and then started on Zetia. Not working, cholesterol is 262 and my Dr. has put me on Pravacol, another statin!!I will be most attuned to my body for any signs of knee pain, increased numbness (not completely feeling again, esp. feet) etc!! I am a 55yo female whose Father had a stroke at 58. I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot!!:(