Vytorin and cholesterol

On Vytorin for the first time 10/80 for 8 weeks -cholesterol numbers are fine now. My liver count was slightly high and my doctor said that was fine. I took myself off. This is the 3rd day without and I am less tired each day and I am feeling like myself again.

* Completely sunburned after 30 minutes in the sun
* Have to get up at least once a night to urinate (never had before)
* Extreme pain in my feet when I first get up in the morning. (Goes away in 30 seconds) If I feel it when I get up to urinate, I won't feel it later when I normally get up
* Decreased sex drive
* Cholesterol decrease from 310 to 147

Afraid these side effects are just the beginning

Yes, I have been taking Vytorin 10/40 for about 10 months, and it did reduce my cholesterol and triglycerides to 'normal', however, I slowly developed (initially) some 3 months back, problems in my left solder, diagnosed eventually as 'rotator cuff' ligament damage, however, it came on slowly and progressively worsened. I had not done anything strenuous to develop such a condition. It became so bad that I was basically redd to using my right arm. On top of this, the muscles in my lower arms became sore and felt strained even lifting a glass of water was painful. My Doctor was informed of increasing on-going muscle problems, did an emzine muscle test, which turned out to be 'clear'. And I also lost my sexual drive gradually.
I went off taking Vytorin a week ago on my own gut feeling, and my arm muscles and left shoulder have improved. I am also hoping no permanent damage. I am moving to a much higher exercise regime to 'burn' cholesterol and reduce triglycerides, and in the mean time look for 'natural' solutions as well.
I am not impressed with the medical responses I got, along with miss-diagnosed muscle / tendon supposed 'rotator cuff' serious problem that developed in my left shoulder, which I suspect may never be the same functionally. I recommend looking at other alternatives and natural remedies, this is my course of action. MM

Was on Vytorin for 2 years & experienced no noticeable side effects during that time. It lowered my cholesterol to 179. Had a hysterectomy (complete) in Dec., 2007. In May, 2008, I began a sudden on-set of severe numbness in both hands (especially when lying down)--classic carpal tunnel symptoms and intense pain in all joints. When I move from a sitting position to stand up, I can hardly do it. This is what I thought I would feel like at maybe 80 years old--not 46 yrs. I thought maybe it was because I'm not taking hormone replacements, but my doctor said it could be the Vytorin & he took me off of it. I've been off for 2 months, but the symptoms are not improving. The carpal tunnel seems to have lightened up a bit, but the joint pain (especially hips) has not gotten any better. I wonder if it ever will????? Also experience fatigue, foot pain, & weak fingers.

I have been taking Vytorin for about 9 months. I have severe pain and stiffness in my feet and toes. It is so bad that most nights it wakes me up. I am having a lot of pain in my knees too and after reading all of these symptoms, I am also wondering if it is not all related to the Vytorin. My cholesterol numbers are great but I feel like I am falling apart. I am a 52 year old female and have never had so many aches and pains.

I have been taking Vytorin for approximately 8 months. I noticed that my knees were weak and I had cramps not only in my thighs but also my hands. I can hardly stand up from a sitting position. I thought it was because of the normal aging process. I am a Nurse and started to look at the medications I was taking. I decided that Vytorin could be the culprit. So 1 week ago I stopped taking it. I see some improvement in my knees and cramps. I did have problems with Lipitor in the past. I will not take any more Statin drugs. It is ridiculous to have such side effects from a drug that collegiately is suppose to help you. My cholesterol is around 200. I will seek other avenues to lower my cholesterol.

I am a 45 yr old female and I have been on Vytorin for about 2 yrs or so for my cholesterol problems. Was on Lipitor before that and was getting leg pain so I stopped taking it. When blood work time came around it was still up so my doc put me on Vytorin. I have noticed that I feel like I'm dying. I have severe neck,back and arm pain, cold and hot attacks, can't sleep, chest pain,blurred vision, sudden stomach cramps, nausea, throat and ear aches, and bad stomach problems. I have had heart cath, ekgs,endoscopy, blood work and everything keeps coming back normal. Matter of fact, I went to the heart doc today and he put me on a 24 hour monitor and for low heart rate that has gradually gotten worse over the past few months.He even mentioned a pace maker. I don't even want to start about the depression and anxiety attacks that I have. They are AWFUL. But the more blogs that I have read, I think I know where the problem may lye. The Vytorin, so as of tonight I will NOT take another one..I just hope that there is no permanent damage done as far as my liver. I hope you all the best and I will let you know how I start to feel in the next few days...

I was on Vytorin for about 3 years. Originally I was prescribed 40 mg and when my ldl didnt go down enough for the doctor. I was prescribed 80 mg a day about a year and a half ago. A bit of history....I had a heart attack at 33 years of age and at that time was given angioplasty. I am now 44 years old and have not had another attack. I have been having muscle pain for over year, although it feels more like my syatic sp? nerves in my lower back. My knees are so bad that I have been having to wear knee braces periodically and can no longer kneel without falling over in extreme pain. My muscles in my thighs have been deteriorating even though I have been working out with a personal trainer for over a year and my calves were getting huge to compensate. I also went to an eye dr. as I was having trouble reading and driving at night due to blurry vision. They said that I still had 20/20 vision and to start using very light reading glasses when reading and that should help. The last straw was when I was on vacation and had a terrible bout of paranoia. It was so bad that I can't even tell anyone what it was about. Another major effect that I have had over the years from any statin is the fact that my sexual urges are basically non existent.

Now for the good news!!!! In late April, after returning from my vacation, I decided that I wanted to see if the Vytorin/Simvastatin was giving me a majority of these symptoms and decided to quit cold turkey. Well 2 months later I can say that I feel about 90% better. I haven't had to use the reading glasses within 48 hours of stopping (I'm not even sure where they're at now). Within a week I noticed my libido returning and the paranoia completely gone. Within the last 2 weeks I have noticed my thigh muscles coming back and the muscles around my knees getting stronger. I am so thankful that I am returning back to normal!!

I will never, ever take another Statin again!!!!

Not sure if this is Vytoring related, but I have near-constant nausea (with NO loss of appetite), fatigue, exercise intolerance and shortness of breath and pain in both elbows.

It cut my cholesterol in half and is still down, but my triglycerides have shot way up....

As MANY of you have posted, "I thought I was just getting 'old." Now I know it's the statins. I thought I was doing the right thing because I have family history of cholesterol problems. I was first on pravachol, then lipitor for a few years, now Vytorin - which dropped my numbers to the lowest ever - 190.

HOWEVER - I have never felt worse. I have all the 'symptoms' described in this blog. Reclusive, depressed, extreme shoulder/neck stiffness and pain. Low back, and hip joint pain (severe). I can't even workout because I don't have the stamina to go through my routine. LOSS OF MEMORY!! This is severe. I use to be able to memorize hundreds of numbers or addresses and now can't remember a number that I looked at 2 seconds ago! This is insane! They need to remove this drug from the market. I'm done with statins.

I have been on Vytorin for about 4 years; was taking Crestor before that. In the last year, the tops of my feet have developed a burning feeling, and different parts of my feet have numbness at different times. I also got up 2 to 3 times per night to urinate. My core felt weak and my muscles ached. I read the comments on this forum and others regarding Vytorin side effects. I decided to quit taking this drug and informed my doctor of my choice. Vytorin got my cholesterol down to 137, but who cares. I'm relying on a sensible diet and Omega 3 to keep me going. The foot burning is still there after 3 weeks but it seems like its less than it was.

Guys - I just have to make a little follow up to my earlier post in January of this year. After giving it consideration and after reading all of your posts - I truly felt that I should stop this poison. And I did. Cold Turkey......

First day - mentally, I felt like I had been freed. Probably just a psychological thing, but nonetheless...
Second day - okay...my head felt clearer....my ear started to feel better...ah....my back...it's starting to feel less stiff...
Third day - no heating pad at night....I feel "lighter" (for lack of a better word)
Fourth day - my thighs don't hurt anymore.....I'm still tired.....very very tired...but the anxiety seems to be subsiding....I feel like I've come out of a strange fog....
Fifth day and on - my hubby says it took me a good two weeks to come around to "me" again.....now I'm still continuing my 2 TBS of flaxseed a day.....slowly losing a little weight - 5 pounds at this point.....15 more to go.....and thank God my chest doesn't hurt anymore. I don't feel like I'm dying (well, I still have anxiety attacks - but that's a separate thread - haha)....

My hubby just got diagnosed with cholesterol problems as well and he's on Simvastatin (sp?) which I believe is Zocor....and no problems. It's all in the makeup of a person, I'm convinced.

So everyone - if you feel like you're dying on this crap Vytorin, try to free yourself....even if it's just for a month....eat really well...take your flaxseed.....and see if you can get off of this horrible poison that OUR bodies don't accept...

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now....."-)

I'm crying reading these posts. I thought there was something wrong with me. I'm 41 years old - and my family has a health history of "making" cholesterol. Both parents were on statins. My total cholesterol was 267 a few months ago - LDLs were 171 and my HDLs were 42. I started taking flaxseed meal every day - and within a few months, my cholesterol dropped to 193, my LDLs were 117 and my HDLs were the same.
My doctor's didn't think it was the flaxseed - they had prescribed Vytorin which I reluctantly took for about a week. They attributed my lowering numbers to the statin, not the flaxseed - so I followed their advice and started taking the Vytorin about 3 weeks ago......
Now I don't know if it's coincidence, but I have developed a severe left ear problem....and have taken 2 separate antibiotics, but to no avail. I have also developed a severe pain in my left shoulder, the back of my left arm and sometimes it shoots into my chest.
I suffer from anxiety attacks, so of course, to me, this is a heart attack, but since I've been tested so many times and I'm a healthy woman, I know that's not it. I thought I'd log onto google today and search out what could possibly be causing these troubles. I read these posts and I literally have been crying for about 15 minutes. My doctors have told me that Vytorin is almost a "magic" pill. They said if someone could tell you that you could take this pill and it would reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by 50%, why wouldn't you take it? Given the history of your parents, it would be foolish to not.
I have also been given instructions to lose about 25 pounds (not bad), and I know that if I could just exercise, eat well and take my flaxseed as well as making sure I eat 2-3 meals of fish a week, then I have to be better, don 't you think?
Do you think statins are the only way to go? I'm so happy to know I'm not alone - I'm not going crazy - I'm not experiencing any heart attacks....my anxiety is ten-fold lately - I wake up after a full-night's sleep feeling exhausted. I have four wonderful children and a wonderful husband - I live for them - and I feel so sad and depressed lately.
Oh my gosh everyone - do you really think that the Vytorin would have such an incredible impact on all of our lives?????

I have been on Lexapro for several years to help with migraine auras brought on by anxiety.
6 months ago my doctor put me on Vitorin for my high cholesterol (280 total) which was not being controlled with Lipitor. Lately I have been having the auras again and thought maybe the Lexapro had stopped working.
I also have a problem sleeping straight through the night, have recently started having strong frequent urges to urinate, and some strange mental/visual experiences. e.g. I was recently in route to JFK terminal and I swore that a sign said "Jet Blue-terminal 4". My daughter said that it was 6 but my brain literally SAW 4. She was right.
The other day I was taking a frozen dinner out of the freezer for lunch. The package said "Stouffers" and I was surprised because I didn't think I had bought Stouffers. When I went to open it it was a "Smart One" frozen meal, but I SWEAR I saw "Stouffers." I'm 54 but thought maybe I had a brain tumor or early Altsheimers or something.
I came upon this forum by mistake looking for answers. Maybe Vytorin is my problem, even though I do not experience any of the joint or muscle pain.
I need to go back to my primary physician to have the cholesterol rechecked. This better all end soon because its scaring the daylights out of me!

My Doctor prescribed Vytorin becase my LDL was high (160), about 1 month ago. At the beginning, I didn't feel anything, but gradually I have been feeling stiffness and pain in all my joints and an incredible pain on my left shoulder, extending to the arm giving it a burning sensation. My mood has changed. I'm more irritable, depressed and my memory is worse than ever. I can't enjoy reading anymore because is very difficult to focus. My appetite increased enourmously and I gained 5 pounds since I'm taking Vytorin 10/40 every other day. I just read in this site that many people is experiencing the same side effects, so tomorrow (Monday), I'll notify my doctor I'm going to stop this poison. Iread in other websites that it causes muscle destruction and inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol in the brain, needed for well functioning. Who approved this crazy drug?

In Sept, I was given a script for Vytorin as my triglycerides were high while rest of cholesterol was in the good zone. I have taken Zocor for years with no problems at all. I am also hypertensive and type 2 diabetic. I take a lot of medications. I was told that there might be a possible problem and to stop the medication if it did come about, by my primary care dr. The chief pharmasist also talked to me about drug interaction that could take place due to one of my BP drugs. I had trouble from day 1, starting with severe HA. It got worse as the days went on and by day 5 I was a wreck, pains from top of head to bottom of feet and depression issues as well. I was unable to reach my PCP as he was in the Arctic Circle on training exercise. I stopped the medication and it took about 10 days for me to come back to what for me is normal. I then called in a request to go back to the zocor as it had not bothered me in the past. Happy to say that I have only the old problems that I have been living with for years and doing fairly well. I have since been tested for any possible damage and thank heavens there was nothing new. It will be a long time before I accept a change or addition in my medications. I guess if it sounds too good to be true it must be so.

I'm a 36 yo. female weighing in at 119 lbs. About four (4) weeks ago, I found out that my cholesterol is 221/154 so my doctor started me on Vytorin (10/20 mg). I started to - noticeably - not feel like myself about 2-3 weeks ago, but I thought it was just 'female' sickness. Once that factor played itself out I got concerned because I was progressively feeling worse. In general my physical symptoms were feeling extremely tired, nauseous, weakness, constipation, gas, diarrhea, dizzy & lightheaded and inability to concentrate and/or focus. On the 'mental' side, I have a history of panic attacks, depression and social anxiety disorder but they have all been kept under control with medication - that is, until I started taking Vytorin. I'm literally known for my friendliness and sweetness, etc. but for the past couple of weeks I've been in a constant bad mood, cranky, very easily annoyed about things and at people, depressed, anxious and generally uninterested in things that normally excite me. This past Friday night I was, once again, very upset and depressed about how bad I felt and wondering what was wrong with me, etc., and it hit me. The only thing I've done different in/for the past month was the introduction of the Vytorin into my system. I found myself almost crying I was so relieved to have figured out what the problem was. It's been 2 days since I stopped taking the Vytorin and today has been the best I've felt - physically and mentally - in 3 weeks. Hopefully, I'll continue to get back to my 'old self'! (Thanks to everyone else for sharing their side effect(s) symptoms on this site. It helped me verify mine.)