Zocor and blood samples

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.

I cannot believe I am reading all of this. Almost every sympton I have had. I am only 50 (Ha!) but had a heart-by-pass 5 years ago. I was put on 20 mg of Zocor since. In the last year I have had dizziness, memory loss and of course the muscle aches I have had since taking the Zocor five years ago. I could put up with the muscle aches as I thought "well the Zocor is saving me in other areas". Not anymmore- I can't take the dizzines, lapse of memory and fatigue all day long- I have been to several Neurologists, Blood Samples, Brain MRI's etc-etc- all with the same results- "there is nothing wrong with you"! Well there is- and I believe it is the Zocor- no, I'm convinced. This is my first day off the Zocor- I'm staying off it- hope I get better.

I had posted before about severe muscle/joint pain and weakness while taking Zocor. I was also having a problem with my white blood cell lymphocyte count. They were less than a tenth of what they should have been. This would adversely affect my disease fighting capability. After several visits to a hemotologist/oncologist and over 20 lab blood samples, nothing was found. I told my doctors that I had read on the Internet that Statins had been found to be immunosuppressors, lowering both T & B cell counts dramatically. None of them knew of or had read about this.
The only reason my blood cell count was even checked was because I complained of tiredness, pain, etc.

I decided to stop taking Zocor on my own and the improvements were dramatic. The muscle pain and weakness lessened considerably but did not totally disappear. My vision sharpened. The Lymphocytes went back to normal in a little over two weeks.

With so many people taking statins, are our immune systems being weakened making us more susceptible to cancer and disease? Certainly this question needs to be answered.