Vytorin and panic attack

Wow! I have been on Vytorin for 7 months. About a month after starting this poison, I had a panic attack. Scared me to death. I have been working with my Dr. to find the root of this new found anxiety. After reading these threads, it sounds to me like the Vytorin may be to blame. I also have a clay colored stool and have 2-3 bowel movements a day.

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.)

After having taken various statins for over 8 yrs., my Doc decided my bad cholesterol wasn't coming down fast enough to suit him. A yr. ago, he put me on Vytorin, not the advised dosage, 10/40, but 10/80. I have been suffering from severe panic attacks for over 30 yrs., but they had been bought under control with meds..With the Vytorin, the panic attacks have started again, I am horribly depressed, afraid to go anywhere and panic at the thought of anyone coming to visit. I also have night sweats and muscle pain in my arms so badly it is agony to stretch. Muddled thinking, outbursts against those I love, inability to concentrate, etc. finally caused me to seek my own remedy. After reading of others' experiences with Vytorin, I put 2 and 2 together and stopped taking it on my own, My doc's gonna have a fit when he finds out. But 2 wks. after stopping, my energy levewl has returned the depression is not as bad and the panic attacks are easing. The bad pain is still there; don't know if that will ever go away.....