Zocor and blood pressure

My doctor & I agreed I should go on Simvastatin 10mgm for a slightly high cholesterol approx March 2nd. My already tenuous sleep problems became more so immediately. Medication for sleep was ineffective.
After 3 weeks of Simvastatin I started dozing off & waking with sort of panic attacks-weird dreams & my heart fluttering.-several times during the night.
During the daytime when checking –occasionally my blood pressure would drop to below 100 systolic over 40 & my pulse dropped to 38-40/per min. The pulse was regular like a ventricular rhythm (when the atria of the heart is no longer the electrical pacer) This drop would persist for approximately a half hour & occur several times during the day. There were no other symptoms associated that I could discern.
I could find no side effects listed online or from the pharmacist like these for Simvastatin. Concerned, I stopped taking the Simvastatin 11 days ago. Three days ago I felt good, found no BP or Pulse problems & have had good sleep. Since this has continued I am feeling certain that I reacted in some way to the Simvastatin

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.

I had my first MI at age 57 on Oct. 29th 2004. I was given Zocor 40 meg. and my problems started in the hospital. I had terrible leg aches and they even looked for clots. Finding nothing I was sent home after 5 days with two stents and told if I got tired just rest. I had to take two months off work. In January I returned back to work but the leg aches continued at night. In January I returned to the hospital with another episode and received three more stents. My cholesterol was at 110. The Dr. continued me with the Zocor 40 mg. twice a day now. I continued to have problems with clogging arteries and in the next four months I had another 4 stents. In the summer I walked a lot and still continued to have leg aches at night. After a year of complaining I was put on Vytorin and things really got worse. In six months I couldn’t walk right, kept falling, couldn’t sleep with the cramping, my joints all felt like they no longer supported my frame. I was put on Crestor, then Lipitor, then Zetia, and then I took matters in my own hands. I stopped the statin drugs. My cholesterol skyrocketed of course to 289. It was only 189 at the time of the first MI. I have slowly regained my ability to walk and joined Curves. This is about all I can do and am slowly getting better. I tell everyone I can about my horror story with statin drugs. I’ve been to an arthritis specialist, negative on all forms of arthritis causing this. I went to a gastric specialist and no stomach problems. I was sent to a neurologist who told my muscles were very weak and not to take statin drugs, but like all the Dr.’s I’ve been referred to none would touch the statin drug issue. My last referral was to an orthopedic surgeon because of my walking problems, and at first I was told that if my hips didn’t stop degenerating I would need them replaced to be able to walk. Last month after 9 months off statin drugs he retook x-rays and said my hips are looking fine. There is hope. I have been on a strict diet and exercise program and am ready to start stationary bicycling to try to rebuild muscle mass lost during the 2 years on different statin drugs. I also took C10 150 megs. after getting off statins to see if that would help and I don’t know, but I am told to keep doing what I’m doing. I hope the cholesterol will come down as I eat more oat bran or oatmeal. I hope my story helps some of you because I do believe I am getting well.

After by-pass heart surgery in 2002, my cardilogist put me on 40mg of zocor.
I was in good health with no physical limitations. I had no heart damage. The restriction of heart arteries were found due to my stress test that was performed each year as a part of my annual Physical. After surgery I was on zocor for three years, during that time I experienced a little tiredness, little weakness, a little muscle aches. some tingling in my right arm and shoulder. I went to my heart doctor Jan. 2006 and he changed me to vytorin (10mg zetia and 40mg zocor). about 6 months all of the about symptoms got worse.
By Jan. 2007, my muscles became so stiff, I could not walk, had balance problems, severe muscle aches and cramps, numbness and tingling in both arms and hands, also stifness and pain in my hands, stiffness and pain in both feet, stifness and pain in my back and weird nerve sensations over my entire body. During Jan. and Feb 2007, I was seen by my family doctor, a neurologist, and a muscle doctor. Thanks to the internet, I found info on zocor and zetia, which is the drug vytorin. Warnings described the same symptoms I am experiencing. I stopped vytorin, I am not taking any statins drugs now. My doctor order a blood test to check for muscle damage, It indicated severe damage, a Creatine level of 770. This level should not be over 200. After being off the drugs for 30 days the creatine level dropped to 645. My condition has improved by 25%. I am walking a little better, but I still having muscle problems, there is improvement. I think there will be a very long recovery. There seems to be some evidence that these Statins affect people of age much more than the young. I am 70 years old. PLEASE PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE TAKING STATINS DRUGS, STOPPED NOW! SLOVE YOUR CHOLESTROL PROBLEMS BY OTHER MEANS. Since I stopped my cholestrol has gone from 157 to 280, but I am not going back taking these drugs. I am trying the natural way now. I have read post after post on many web-sites of people with the same symptoms that were using these drugs. The drug companies and the FDA are responsible for the the degradation of people's health taking these statin drugs.

Anyone have peripheral neuropathy on Zocor? I had shooting pains down both arms for a few days one month into taking Zocor. This stopped but is replaced with intense muscle pain in arms, hands, shoulders and back - and recently hot flashes. I stopped taking the Zocor 3 days ago AMA (against medical advice) as my doc said the neuropathy is not a side effect of Zocor.

I am 34 years old, white, male, american. I am 6 foot 2 inches and weigh appx 215 pounds. My blood pressure had been creeping up a few years ago so I was put on a small dose of Benicar. No problems, BP went down. During a regular check-up with blood tests it was discovered that my cholesteral and triglicerides(have no idea if I'm spelling these corectly) were up. Cholesteral was 215 and trig. were through the roof. He put me on 10 mg per day and said we'll do blood tests in six weeks. About three weeks in I started cramping in my abdominal region. It got worse with alocohol intake but didn't seem to change much other than that. I complained to my doc's nurses and they said, "Zocor doesn't usually have ANY side effect." My blood test showed a drop in my numbers and no liver or kidney problems (according to my doctor). I stopped taking Zocor for about four days and felt better. I started again and now my cramping is worse than ever. My doctor hooked me up with another doctor and I have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week. I might stick it out until then to see if anything shows up but this website and these posts really worry me. Doctors I think listen to drug salespersons and not their patients too much. Wish me luck.

My husband is taking Zocor. The problems he has had is lung cancer(doing chemo) and had a mild stroke in October. the stroke caused him to have memory loss and is not able to read at all. On his left hand, two to three fingers are numb and tingling all the time. I am beginning to wonder if Zocor could have caused the stroke. His blood pressure is fine with medication. He has had constant headache for the last 3 weeks. It is difficult to pinpoint what is causing the problem when a person has several health problems. Dolphinmadam@aol.com