Zocor and ankles

Have stopped taking Zocor today after finally accepting that my life has changed since taking this medication....am too weak to open a soda bottle, keep twisting words, memory is shot, Hips, knees and ankles scream whenever I have been sitting for more than 15 minutes....light headed, dizzy and constant headache...want to just curl up in a ball and cover my head for loss of ambition. I am exhausted all of the time.

I take zocor 20mg every night. My ankles are puffy and do hurt, but my biggest problem seems to be my intestiines. I know this isn't a very nice subject to talk about but I was wondering if anyone else has these same problems. I have awful smelling gas and non formed stools every morning. I don't know if this is a side affect of zocor or not, but it seems to have started about several months ago after taking zocor for awhile. Any help anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated. I am also a type 2 diabetic and take metformin twice a day.

Thanks

I am so happy after taking myself off ZORCOR in mid August 2007. I have my ankles back. They had been swollen. My knees were swollen and were so painful. Although I am 66, I have been active all my life in activities which included running(now walking) aerobic dancing, swimming, hiking to name a few. In June 2006 following a strenuous down hill hike, I experienced knee pain and swelling. I was taking 10 mg. of Zorcor at that time. I went to see an orthopedic doctor and he gave me an injection of steroid in the knee joint. It did relieve the pain. Then the right knee started. My knees were so painful, that I could not sleep, I had difficulty doing stairs. In fact I began walking backwards down steps so the knees would not bear the weight. It was after I was advised to increase the dose to 20mg.that the addtional side effects began. I was having difficulty standing from a seated position and even purchased a sofa that was more firm so I could rise from it.
I could not sleep,I had shoulder and arm weakness and lethargy set in. Normally I am active from 6:30 AM until 10:30 PM still working and very involved in my community as well as hobbies. At 20 mg. I was tired, losing interest and was content to be a couch potato. So I went on the internet and read everything I could find on Zorcor. I noted that I had 5 of the 7 major side effects which included itching skin, particularly from the knees down, itching,scalp, trigger fingers (thumb index and middle fingers were locking as much as 3 times a week. Just touching my legs to put on body lotion was painful. I felt as though I was getting the flu, just really down(depressed) and tired. I decided to stop the ZORCOR so I could sleep. Within 3 days I found that the pain in my knees was gone. I had my ankles back (no swelling). It has been six weeks since stopping Zorcor and I am back to my former self. I will never take STATINS again!
I will continue to exercise and maintain a diet rich in fiber and fruits and veggies.
Quality of life still vies for Quanity in my book.

My doctor started me on Mevacor a few months ago at 40 mg - I could hardly stand up to walk - my back was killing me! Then she put meon 5 mg of Zocor - okay for the first few weeks, and my cholestorol went down so she told me to double it to 10 mg - then the leg cramps started. I stopped taking if for a few weeks and restarted at 5 mgs (again) last week - now my legs are aching and my ankles are swollen big time. Also noticing fatique and some blues/depression. I told my doctor today that I am not taking it anymore! Not asking her, TELLING her.

on zocor since dec 2006, i have alot of other medical problems, arthritis, fused foot, very bad lower back and some osteoporesis, but i believe more so, than not; that my symptoms increased after a change in dosage. now i'm very tired, extreme muscle weakness, knee pain, having trouble walking, weight gain (10 lbs in last 2 months) and unbelievable swelling in ankles and top of foot, very painful
It's hard to blame zocor on this, but i don't just want to wear compression socks and so forth, because that could be masking the cause, and maybe just a change in lipid medication will change things around. it's a vicious circle, cant work out or walk, to tired to do anything, but work 14 hours a day, it's such an effort to walk (I keep blaming the weight gain) but maybe its really the swelling and joint pain along with the muscle weakness that's to fault.

A friend has been on the generic version of Zocor (simvastatin) for a couple of years. He is young (38) and now he can barely walk because his feet and ankles swell so badly he can't put on his shoes or pants.He is under the care of a VA hospital and they just keep sending him home, after running every test in the book, saying he will simply have to "live with it" and they can find "nothing wrong". Statin drugs cause muscle debilitation and the risks far outweigh the benefits, in my opinion.He has a slim build,doesn't eat fat and only takes medicine for high blood pressure. He does smoke.
I say all of you on Zocor need to go to legalzoom.com (I am not affiliated with them in any way), and discuss a possible class action lawsuit. I am really angry about this.

My side effects are the same as Guest #26472. The pain is so bad in my legs and ankle musles sometimes I can hardly get up from a chair or walk across a room, I find myself walking bent over to relieve the pain I have in my shoulder and upper arm musles, my hands feel like pins and needles and my ankles and lower legs swell. In January I had a triple bypass and have been taking 80mg Zocor ever since. I have talked with my Dr. about this and he has never said to stop taking Zocor or recommended any other medication, he has only adjusted other medications I am on.

I am 61 years old and have always exercise and watched my weight. exercise and diet was not enough and the doctor put me on 10mg of Zocor for the last 5 years.
For the passed 3 years I have experienced severe pain, mostly on my knees and ankles that prevents me from walking, at times the pain is so bad that my wife had to take me to the emergency room. This year the pain is occuring more often, almost every week. I had several blood test and MRI's and the doctors can not find the reason for the pain. My cardiologist tells me that the pain is not related to Zocor because it should had happen at the begginig of using the medication. I know that I need to lower my cholesterol and tryglicerides, but after reading this page, I will be affraid to take this medicine.
Does anyone know any other method to lower Cholesterol and tryglicerides??????.

FATIQUE,NEASEA,NO APPITTITE,PAIN IN SHOULDERS, ELBOWS,ARMS,SWEATING,PAIN IN ANKLES,KNEES,HEAD.HAVE HAD ALL KIND OF TESTS.NOTHING SHOWS UP. BEEN IN HOSPITAL 2 TIMES FOR FATIQUE, AND DEHYDRATION.MUSCLE PAIN IS DEVASTING. MY ENERGY IS ALL GONE TO HELL. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED MY MARRIAGE.I;M ON 80MG OF ZORCOR.I HOPE IF I QUIT IT WILL GO AWAY.I;M PRAYING FOR US ALL.

I find all of these reports interesting. I have a varied background of medical problems and am on medications for thyroid, hormones, and have been taking methotrexate for a couple of years and now remicade infusions for psoriatic arthritis. I've also been on Zocor for a couple of years now. The psoriatic arthritis symptoms (and I also have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia) are quite similar to the "side effects" being attributed to Zocor. This last couple of weeks it has escalated to the point that I can barely walk or grasp anything in my hands. I'm relatively okay when I first get up in the mornings, but after an hour, my feet, ankles and legs ache like they're severely bruised and my shoulders and upper arms and hands are similarly sore. My rheumatologist is having me get some lab studies this week because he thinks the culprit is the Zocor. I'd hate to think I've been dealing with all this discomfort the last couple of years thinking is was due to the psoriatic arthritis when, in fact, it's a side effect of the Zocor. But life would be much more pleasant if I can go off the Zocor and not experience this kind of pain. At least all your comments give me positive thoughts that perhaps this discomfort will be in my past soon. Thank you all.