Simvastatin and drs

I've been on Simvistatin for several years. I have inherited a very low 'good cholesterol' (HDL) of 28 - 30 no matter what I do. I was on 20 mg for a few years, and my doctor decided to increase it to 40 mg... soon after the increase, I noticed that my ankles couldn't 'bend' and my heels hurt. I'm only 58 but I felt like I was 102! Also, I have put on weight through my middle...particularly in the stomach area. I questioned my doctor about it, especially since my Dad, who has had 2 heart attacks is only on 10 mg of simvistatin. She didn't really listen to me, so I switched doctors. My current Dr. immediately took me off simvistatin and started me on pravasatin along with 200 mg of CoQ10. So far, so good. My ankles feel better, too!

I started taking 20mg of Simvastatin on 10/17 due to high cholesterol. Five days later I came home from work feeling very tired and fell asleep. I woke up feeling severe flu like aches and pains in places I didn't know could hurt and then got the chills. I stayed home from work the next day and it's a good thing I did. I awoke with a severe cramp in my upper right thigh. I have always been prone to calf cramps so wasn't too concerned. However I stopped the meds on 10/22. This continued on a daily basis and I went to the doctor on 10/27. I had an x-ray done which showed a bulging disc and some uncushioned discs. She put me back on the meds BUT with a COq10 am and pm and cut the pill in half. Do you think she knew it could be from the med? I foolishly restarted and by 11/4 took myself back off, had an MRI and such severe nerve pain in my right leg that I thought I would die. It was a bolt of lightening starting at my upper thigh and coming out the bottom of my foot. It felt like a hot poker running down my leg. The episodes were on a daily basis, would come every two hours, and could last as long as 45 minutes with no relief. I am now going for pain management and had an epidural a week ago which got rid of the nerve pain but I am still numb down my right leg to my right ankle. I have been healthy for years and feel that this was all brought on by Simvastatin. Any idiot can figure out that your nerves are running through your muscles. I am angry to think that this could have caused me permanent damage.

I have been taking 20mg of Simvastatin every night for about 4 years now and after coming across this site I have decided to stop taking it. I have been feeling particularly unwell for a couple of days, decided to do some research and can't believe what I am reading on this site! For the last year I have suffered terrible pain and loss of movement in my neck shoulders and arms and shooting pains in my legs along with muscle tics. More recently dizzy spells and quite severe tinnitus and headpain and fatigue. I have also found that my muscles tire very quickly when doing the smallest of tasks i.e: changing a duvet cover! The night sweats are particularly bad which I have been putting down to my age but may be to do with the statins. I am praying that these symptoms will reverse once I stop taking them but remain skeptical after reading other peoples comments on here!

I'm only on 10mg Simvastatin and 10mg Lisinopril. I have type 1 diabetes and a minor TBI from a heat stroke. If I stop taking these then after a day or two I will start feeling barely controllable fits of rage. Sometimes I still get angry but for some reason the lisinopril and Simvastatin seem to ease it. I also have hypogonadism. I like my combo of simvastatin and lisinopril in the morning with my 20mg adderall. Little bit of redness on face but the benefits seem to outweigh.

My total cholesterol was 220 and LDL was 157; I started taking 40mg last week and within 2 days I just felt horrible. I felt weird and yuck in my stomach. There was a fog in my head and 2 days ago I was so dizzy I was almost falling over; I had to catch myself with the walls and doors. The next day, yesterday, I started having higher blood pressure and racing pulse with heart palpitations every 45 seconds or so, which makes me breathe deep often. I have felt pain in the back, arms, neck, and hips. I have also had weight gain and stomach irritability. Last night was the first night I did not take my medicine and even though I don't feel all that better I will see how it goes. I fought taking this medicine for over a year now and since my cholesterol went up I figured I'd try it in hopes my level would drop, but I can't handle this, I'm only 38!

4 years ago i was given simvastatin 20mg for high cholesterol when i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes....last year (November) i stopped taking it after someone commented after hearing me complain about aches and pains and asked if i was taking statins....i checked and found i could relate to several reported side effects...over the last 10 months my aches and pains had slowly disappeared and my cholesterol was recorded at 4.9 in July ....however 4 weeks ago i suffered an optic nerve stroke and my doctor immediately put me back on simvastatin at 40mg despite my complaints is there an alternative i can take as i don't want to risk loosing any more off my vision and as the aches and pains are returning ...i will reluctantly take it but carefully monitor myself....

I am not sure of the origin, but I have my issues outlined below since I switched to the mail order Simvastatin. I was getting it from Rite Aid for over 2 years without issues. I found out mail order Simvastatin was made by same company as Rite Aid, TEVA.

My issue is throbbing in neck, high blood pressure (HBP), twitching in eyes (prob due to HBP), uncomfortable in general. I also know that I took pill in morning and by 9am issue would start and get worse into lunchtime, where is was the worst, then subside by 2 or 3 pm. Doc said it was nerves and stress and gave a script for that. Also said get off of simvstatiin for 2 weeks. Well without much or any change to the stressors in my life work, stock market, etc, I am not experiencing the throbbing or HBP. I have not taken the script for stress or the Simvastatin either. Didn't like the idea doc said you can get addicted to stress pill. I will get back in Simvastatin shortly, but do expect to be back where I was within a week or so. Anyone else experience this throbbing and HBP.

Dizzy, like getting sucker punched in the head; dizzy while LYING DOWN? This also happened with other statin. While bending over to pick something up or tie a shoe, almost fell on my head. Yet, cardiologist thinks it's "all in my head." It sure IS!

Amazing! Like you, I've fallen into this trap. So healthy and in shape at 59, (more like in my 40's), working out every day, happy. Now, after 2 months on Simvastatin, 20mg every other day, my shoulders and neck muscles are so inflamed, swollen and there's more hurt in my upper body than ever in my life. For the past week, I've been having trouble even getting my clothes over my head! Also headaches have started which I've never had before. I thought it was the relatively wet summer we've had this year in Denver, and was believing the weather had brought me into full-blown arthritis. I am so disappointed in myself to have poisoned my body this way, especially after telling my trusted MD for the previous 3 years "no thanks" to a satin drug. Thank God for my chiropractor sat me down yesterday for a consultation for why I was so much in pain. When she found I'd gone on a satin, the light bulb was lit. I will never taking any satin again and will work to always be as drug free as I can be after this lesson. Thanks to those of you who give me hope that I may feel better very soon (yes, it's no way to live) and I pray for no permanent damage from this "Simvastatin".

What brought me to this site is the fact that I have a bitter taste in my mouth that gradually occurred since I have been on Simvastatin 40 mg for about three weeks. I have also noticed a strange burning/numbness in my heels only, which has also been gradual. I feel more sleepy most days and not what I would call fatigued, but just like I don't feel like doing anything. I eat more just to try to get the taste out of my mouth and don't feel like exercising. I also finally went back to my Pilates class and felt unbalanced when trying some simple stretches. I usually have excellent balance. I guess my question is: Are these things related, and are they going to just get worse?

hi all i been on 40mg of simvastatin for over 2 years now over the past year my side effects are stomach pain, chest pains, upper back pain, i do have sore feet as well and shortness of breath. When i went for my cholesterol check it was 5.8 the GP put me on simvastatin i ran out of my meds for a week i felt ok then i start taking them again chest pains and shortness of breath came back i have now been of the 06/09/09 i will keep you update and let you know how i get on. I talk to a lot of people about this and they have stop taking simvastatin

80 mg prescribed over 18mth period - shoulder pain began after one year - acute pain at night', diminishing rotational capability during the day. Second shoulder pain followed soon after with same symptoms. Feels as if the joint is becoming unstable and the moving skeletal components rubbing together and jarring.(clicks,clonks felt & heard) GP immediately took me off them and arranged physio. After two weeks without simvastatin there is no change/ relief in symptoms

I took myself off it after 3 months of taking it. I simply told my doctor that I will take no more statins. I had liver enzymes checked, but I had come off the drug 3 weeks before that. My enzymes were through the roof!
Needless to say, this drug is poison. Guess I'll eat avocados instead....
and they're a lot cheaper. My cholesterol is coming down without that poison. Exercise and diet...and if I can lose weight my numbers will be perfect. Hope you will all be blessed.

I started taking this drug about a year ago, for high cholesterol, I experienced muscle pain, night sweats, and fatigue, I did not associate it to the drug, I am on a cane I thought that was the reason for the arm pain and the other symptoms to menopause. It eventually stopped, but would return. We went on vacation and I forgot my meds and everything subsided, I started taking the Simvastatin when I returned home and my night sweats, fatigue and muscle pain returned. That is when I decided to look it up on line and found this site. I am going to stop taking it for now and see my doctor next week. Thanks for all the info.

I have been reading all of your Simvastatin experiences with high interest and would like to share my adventures with all of you as well. My story began seven years ago when I was relatively healthy and enjoying life. My doctor prescribed Lipitor for my elevated cholesterol and two months later I found myself in the emergency room after having a severe bout with vertigo for the first time in my life. I have since spent the last seven years fighting this debilitating illness which continues to haunt me after having seen every top neurologist in my area and having taken every neurological test available. It would be as difficult to convince me that I was not somehow "poisoned" by Lipitor as it was for me to convince my doctor.

I was eventually prescribed Simvastatin 40MG and seemed to stabilize for a few years even though my dizziness problems persisted. Suddenly I began experiencing bouts of upset stomach and severe lower abdominal pain. I allowed my doctor to order basically every nasty test known to man in an effort to discover the cause of this new problem, but all have come up negative so far. Eventually I began to experience total exhaustion in the middle of my work day, not to mention the back, neck, and muscle pain that has been described so vividly in this forum. Basically, I have become a 53 year old man who feels much older, has absolutely no energy, and rarely has a day when I can honestly say I feel alive and well.

I am not a doctor and I can't honestly prove that Simvastatin is the cause of all of my problems. However, I do have common sense and after reading all of your thoughtful comments on the subject I would be foolish to at least not suspect that the drug may possibly be making me less healthy and not more healthy. Thank you all for opening my mind to this possibility and I certainly plan on discussing this with my doctor very soon, who may no longer by my doctor should he continue to insist that I take this nasty drug.

August 12, 2009. I have been on Zocor/Simvastatin (40mgs) off and on over 5 years. I do not have any muscle mass left. I am an avid walker and exercise as much as possible in addition to still working in a high pressure position at the age of 72 (thankful for the job). My entire body hurts constantly, hands, fingers, legs, knees, neck, back, head and other parts to numerous to mention. My sex life is the pits. My doctor tells me I have high cholesterol that must be controlled by medication. I had a quad bypass in 1999, a cardiac defibrillator installed in 2003 (Actually 3 of them, first one was defective and went off, got a severe infection on reinstall #2, and 3rd one still is in and working hopefully). I never had a heart attack, no high blood pressure, just clogged up. I take enough medication to kill an elephant. At 72 I am going to trash the Simvastatin because I know it is the basis for my muscle loss and severe pain constantly. Doctor also had me on Lipitor for a long time (5 years). Statins really suck!

I am a 46 y.o male who started taking Simvastatin almost 8 months. At first I had no problems. I am an avid swimmer who swims laps at least 3x a week and had a weight lifting program (light wghts./ numerous repetitions. About 2 months ago I got severe pains in my neck and shoulder. I thought maybe I was overdoing it so I ceased workouts and went to the chiropractor. After two months of misery and missing swimming I decided to look into the statins. I am going off it tomorrow and will see if that does the trick. If I cannot exercise and be fit the Statin is not going to be useful anyway. I have a feeling stopping will help because rest and treatment sure didn't. I will try and report back

Just started taking 10MG about 2 to 3 weeks ago, and now I get DAILY excruciating headache pain on the right side of my brain. It primarily occurs when I exert energy (I am an open water swim competitor, so I exert a lot of energy). When I train in the pool or ocean, I get the worst headaches imaginable, which has never happened to me EVER (I am 47, and have been competing in the water for over 30 years). I water skied last weekend with my kids, and once I got up on the ski I felt the worst headache in my life; I had to stop (which was a real bummer), and almost requested to go to the hospital because I felt I was having some kind of brain aneurysm (sp?). No way am I taking any more of this "medicine"; I have been healthy (and drug free) my entire life, and not a chance will I throw it all away as a guinea pig for big pharmacy. I don't think the link between cholesterol and heart disease is as iron clad as the Drs. and pharmacy companies insist, and even if they are right, I'd rather deal with the problems later than live with the symptoms now. If you doubt if this is real, you may e-mail me at ******

I have been on Simvastatin for 11 months and have gained 46 pounds. I also am having problems with my knees joints and wake up 2 to 3 times a night. My Cardiologist told me weight gain is not a side effect of this drug but I'm not so sure. He also said my knee problem is a result of the weight gain. I quit smoking last September and I know that's responsible for some weight gain but not 46 pounds. I walk for half an hour every day, watch what I eat and do cardio arm and leg exercises. I also have a rash on my arm, which is says in from Plavix, and he took me off it. I had a heart attack last September. Anyone else experiencing these problems?

Followup to my June 7th posting. I have since started Simvastatin again, and was actually off of it for a week. I have had a comprehensive blood test, been to the doc, and everything is ok, except my LDLs are high and total Cholesterol is still 204. The weather here has finally dried out and all my aches and pains have subsided. I'm walking briskly 3 miles a day after work, hiking on weekends. I'm adding foods to lower my LDLs and raise the HDLs in addition to 80mg Simvastatin. Also I'm eating less, and have cut most of my red meat and fatty foods from my diet. I'm 6', 187 lbs. and 59 yo. I actually feel good now, and nothing has changed except I'm getting more exercise, eating less and healthier, and it quit raining.

I m Asian 5ft 5, started on simvastatin 3 wks ago cause doctor advice. Feeling cramp and numbness in my right leg 3-4 times a week and my hands and legs felt so tired and weak when i get up in the morning. Told my doc about this but she said its normal! How am i suppose to go through the rest of my life like this? I m only 37 years old!

I have been on simvastatin for 2 yrs . The past six months have had foot pain my doctor described as neuroma.By the time I started physical therapy the pain was in my arch + tendons. I went to physical therapy for two months, the therapist became concerned when improvement peaked. Still have burning nerve pain. I think its time for natural supplements . I hear "red Rice Yeast" is effective.
S. M.

I have been on Simvastatin for about 4 months now. For the past 2 months, I have been having unexplained muscle/joint pain and tightness in my hips and thighs. I couldn't figure out what I'd done but thought it was just one of those things (slept wrong, stepped wrong, etc.). I've been working with a foam roller to get the knots out, even getting up in the middle of the night to work on the roller because it hurt so much. That helped some. Took Motrin but that didn't work at all! Added Omega 3 fish oil and glucosamine and that did help a little. Have been limping for 2 months now and it finally occurred to me, "I wonder if it's the Simvastatin?" I already knew I was sensitive to chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, so everything I see written here makes sense to me. I emailed my MD today and she said to stay off it for 3 weeks and see if I see any improvement, plus get blood work. I sure hope I don't have any muscle damage. Thank all of you for posting your experiences

Update..1 week off the simvastatin now. Still not myself, but I am noticing that I have a little more energy. I can go outside again and visit with family and friends. Some days are better than others. I still have terrible pain in my upper right abdomen, and my ankles still really hurt when I walk, right shoulder is still very stiff and sore to move. I hope what ever damage this poison did to my body over the 11 months will get better. I am only 36, and this pill made me feel like all I wanted to do was die! I AM SO MAD at my Dr. Fresh out of med school. I haven't even called for my next appt. yet, I'm worried that I wont be very nice to her at all. How can they give this to people. She never said anything to me about any of these possible side effects. I did a search on FDA and Simvastatin, I can not believe they would allow Doctor's to give this poison, I guess it is all about the money for them, while we the consumers suffer.

My healthy, active 55 yr old husband of 30 yrs was prescribed SIMVASTATIN in Aug. of last year. He started having pains in his legs & back and had an appointment in Oct. with the dr. to check on how he was doing with the new drug. When he went in to the office, he was having terrible pains in his chest, legs & back. The dr. immediately called 911 thinking he was having a heart attack. He was in the hospital for a week while they ran a multitude of tests. All came back clear for his heart. He kept telling the dr. that the back & leg pains were still there. They didn't seem to be concerned about anything except his heart. He was dismissed continuing to have pain. The pain steadly increased over his whole body, then in Feb. of this year, he suffered a major seizure and spent another week in the hospital. This time they wrote it off as epilepsy and put him on anti-seziure pills. After he was released, the symptoms increased, his memory, vision & balance are all effected, he has chest pains, depression, and is in constant pain. He's been sent for numerous MRI's, bone scans, blood tests,etc. He has been to neurologists, neurosurgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. The entire time, his health has declined because he was being poisoned by Simvastatin. Finally, after doing our own research, we found a neurologist that recognized the problem. He told us that this drug distroys muscle tissue and that the damage may be irreversible. My husband can no longer work, drive, or enjoy life. He walks without a cane or walker, and depends on pain pills because the pain is so severe. He stays in bed most of the time due to the pain and lack of energy. He has been off Simvastatin for a week now with no change. We are hoping & praying for improvement over time. PLEASE, if you are your loved one are taking this drug-STOP IMMEDIATELY. The results can be devastating. I can't imagine why the FDA would approve a drug like this that destroys quality of life.

My husband has been on Simvastatin for a few years, six months ago his dose was increased to 40mg, since then he has become someone I don't recognize, we have been married over twenty years and he used to be a very placid and wonderful man. He is now both verbally and physically abusive, he threatens me with divorce on a regular basis. He lies about me to others telling them he does all the housework (never) there is never any food in the house ( Totally untrue) He disappears for hours on end, and sleeps much of the time. He can be quite plausible with other people but turns into a monster when he returns home. Doctor told me I don't think it can be the statin, don't believe everything you read on the internet! She said to be sure for him to come off it for a few weeks - he refused! His aggression is escalating and I now dread him coming home. he has odd moments of being nice but within hours he is back to being nasty. He had been impotent for 7 years but now during his "nice moments" becomes amorous! I am at my wits end, has anyone else experienced this!

I've been on 80mg of Simvastatin for probably about a year. I'm a 59 yo male 188 lbs in good health but with high cholesterol. Lately I've experienced severe head and neck pain, shoulder pain, hand and joint pain, and foot pain. I'm normally very active, hike and walk a lot but lately, and it's getting worse, so I don't feel like doing anything. I'm thinking it's the Simvastatin causing all these problems. I don't feel like paying $1000s to have med professionals hit or miss with ideas and more tests so I'm going to quit the statin on my own and see if I feel better. I've also noticed memory loss, tiredness, dizziness, temporary vision issues at times. These are not good as I like to rock climb and participate in stressful and demanding activities.

After reading all of this - I take Simvastatin 40mg - then had to go off of it, cause I got layed off & couldn't afford to get my med's filled. Went off the med - felt better (unknowingly). Then, I got a new job, got it refilled & started taking it again - my knees are killing me & fatigue is overwhelming me. I am emailing my doctor today - this is not right after all of what we are going through. M. J.

I was recently prescribed Simvastatin 40 mg by my GP as I have high blood pressure and Cholesterol. After the first nigh of taking Simvastatin, I am suffering from severe dizziness and feel weak. Can Simvastatins cause these symptoms after one dose and has anyone else had this problem?

I am 59 and switched to Simvastatin from Lipitor. Much lower in price. My cholesterol is 200 and the doctor was very pleased with the number. So far no side effects but it has been only 5 days. The dose is 20mgs. Now after reading all the BAD side effects I am very scared!
Is there any positive statements about Simvastatin?
S.

After one dose of Simvastation, on 2/28/09, eight hours later I woke to extreme vertigo, vomiting, cold sweats, muscle aches. I called my cardiologist at 1:30 a.m. and was told that I had the flu. Ya right! My vertigo has not left yet, and I have seen my primary care doctor who has ordered blood tests, and CAT scan. Just waiting for results. Still dizzy though. Anyone else have these symptoms?

Some good news re: my concerns in my Drs. note (posted the other day) "some buildup" and why such a high dose 40mg. of this poison?. I actually received something from the cardiologist on Fri. which made me feel much happier. 'NO SIGNIFICANT ABNORMALITIES - MILD CHOL. PLACQUE BUT NO SIGNIFICANT BLOCKAGE SEEN' so you can imagine how much better I felt - I had already made the decision to not take the Statins, but that report absolutely convinced me. If you haven't already had a doppler on your carotids, do so, it can ease your mind, since we're always being told we're clogging up our arteries with just about anything and everything, we're gonna have a stroke, etc. all these scare tactics. It's not an expensive test (about $80, not sure what will be added to that, as to cardio. reading the results), but worth it. Read up on the Red Yeast Rice - I've read several articles from several well known medical websites - it seems it actually can work better than Statins! Get off this stuff people, more risk than having a stroke!

I have muscle pain, weakness, and chronic lower back pain. Started statin drug, Simvastatin, on 11/21/07. I take no other drugs. Within two weeks, I could not sit without severe lower back pain. Reported problem to family medical doctor on 1/11/08. M.D. sent me to physical therapy for 8 sessions. No relief from physical therapy so I requested an X-ray on 3/20/08. X-ray shows very mild degeneration at one lower vertebrae. M.D. sent me to an orthopaedics doctor who recommended continued physical therapy. Went to a Chiropractor instead. After six chiropractic sessions with little relief, I made an appointment with an Osteopathic doctor. My M.D. sent me to a rheumatologist who prescribed high dose naproxen for two weeks. The rheumatologist ordered and X-ray of my lower back area. The lower back X-ray produced no negatives. The rheumatologist's next step will be to order and MRI of my lower back area. The D.O. suspects statin induced myopathy and because of hyper reflexes he ordered an MRI of my brain and cervical spine. I am now recommended to a neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Am I getting the run around? Only one doctor said I might have statin induced myopathy. The rest will not even mention the statin drug theory. I just pray for ache and pain relief. I have some improvement after four months off of the statin which I believe is quite a strong point that it was the statin drug and not some unknown condition. I don't think arthritis or MS conditions improve. All I know is that I had no health issues before taking the simvastatin. Good luck to everyone who has or is taking a statin drug. BEWARE!!!

I have been taking Simvastatin 20 mg. for about two and 1/2 months now. It really lowered my Cholesterol but I have been extremely fatigued and now I am getting really dizzy when standing up and having some nausea.

Has anyone had hair loss? I have been on Simvastatin for 30 days adn I noticed hair loss.

I've been on Simvastatin for about 4 years but have been suffering pains in my arms as well as very tender soles of my feet.