Zocor and joints

60 year old male on zocor for approximately 10 years. taking 80 mg daily.
only recently (within the last 18 months) i noticed some changes going on.
first i had joint pain in my feet, both feet, same areas. the foot pain went away but then the pain traveled up to the back of my legs, behind the knee,
when the muscle or tendons attach. every time i sat for awhile, then got up, the pain was brutal. that lasted about 3 months. later the pain shot up to the joints in my hands. both hands, same place on both hands. when i rotate my thumb or move it, the knuckle area of the thumbs, same place,
hurt bad. i will confront my health care provided at the va on these issues.
she disregarded my previous remarks and said arthritis, hands and feet and perhaps i overextended something at the gym on my behind the knee issue.
i think she is wrong. recently i had a severe cold and did not take the zocor for two days. the thumb pain subsided substantially. i resumed and the pain came back. now it feels as if the pain will travel back down to behind my knees again as i am beginning to feel a pull. any others out there with these issues???

I've used the Zocor generic, Simvastatin for approximately 7 months with no problems. Suddenly, I began to experience pain in my muscles and joints. From one day to the next, my body was in excruciating pain especially my knee, I could barely get up from a seated position, and could barely lift my legs to walk. I told the doctor, I felt like a very old person. I am 53 and never had any problem with my knee. The doctor advised me to stop taking the pills. Now, all muscle pain is gone, but the knee pain is still huge problem. I am wondering if this will ever go away or will I be crippled for the rest of my life. Prior to this, my only illness was high blood pressure. I know that my recent problems are from taking Simvastatin.

Like many posts describing side effects, I was not sure that all the new little health-related issues I've been noticing were connected to taking Zocor. I'm thinking that perhaps my issues are related to the drug, especially since the only other drug I take is Levothyroxine (for hypo-active thyroid). I have been on the generic for two months. (I'm a 39 year old female.)

In the first month, my total cholesterol score was 278. After taking it for one month with no change in diet or physical activity, it reduced to 207. So, the drug does work! Now I need to determine if the cost is worth it.

In the past week, I've noticed several of the side effects listed in some of the posts: sharp pain in knee (feels like there is a paring knife in it!); lower back pain; joints creaking and popping; skin on tips, sides, and underneath of fingers kind of blistering-hardening and peeling off; brain fog in the morning; difficulty maintaining a deep sleep; crazy dreams; general increase in skin blemishes; heartburn; loose bowel movements; and increased sinus congestion.

I am 54 and began taking Simvastatin 20mg on Jan 11, 2008 my blood panel showed chol 319 ldl 251hdl 44 trig 118 on Jan 26 I experienced chest pain like I had swallowed an ice cube for fifteen minutes and thought it was a side effect of the Statin I went to the surgicenter and was checked in with Troponin at 0.1 after one hour there I had another pain and they gave nitro g and it continued the Troponin level went to 1.6 They sent me to get an angiogram and I ended up getting two stents. just before the procedure after not having eaten for 22 hours my blood panel was done again and my chol was 155 ldl 89 hdl 38 trig 136. my ldl had gone down 162 mg/dl in fifteen days. after two weeks now taking Plavix as well I began having extreme pain in my joints and both knees forearms and calves, so bad I can hardly walk and have been prescribed Darvocet for the pain. I want to stop taking the Simvastatin I am alarmed at the rate of decent and wonder if my symptoms could be a product of too low of cholesterol. I can't get a straight answer from three doctors I've spoken to. I'm being crippled by the cure

Have been taking Zocor for about 5 years now, leg and knee pain makes in almost impossible for me to walk. Has this medicine caused permanent damage to my muscles and joints? a question I would like to have answered. I am 71 years old and up to now could walk endlessly without pain or distress. A couple of years ago switched to generic Zocor which is SIMVASTATIN. Noticed no difference, but still have difficulty walking very far and am from side to side unstable, when I walk, because of pain in one leg or the other. Now what is the answer, has this medicine caused permanent injury, it has caused me to be more comfortable sitting and have things to do. Will the pain go away and will I regain my strength back in my legs? Wonder what is the answer.

Tom.

I have been on Vytorin for about 2 years. Before the drug, I had not aches or pains. My cholesterol levels are good now but the quality of my life is not. I feel as if my joints have aged 30 years over the past two. Lower back pain has caused me to see chiropractors, physical therapists, and surgeons. Now, my feet are hurting so badly that I can hardly walk. I don't know if it's related, but since I've been taking vytorin, my 2nd toe on both of my feet has become crooked and it almost on top of my big toe. I've spoken to my doctor today once again with all these concerns and will be discontinuing the drug for a week to see if these horrible symptoms disappear.

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.

I have been taking zocor for about 3 years. Started out with 10 mg every other day, then every day; for nearly the last year I have been taking 20 mg once a day. It did lower my cholesterol enough to suit the doc. Did not really notice any symptoms at first. It seems I have been noticing more and more problems recently. Especially after my husband decided to tell me that he thinks something is very wrong. Maybe my problems are just age related. Most recently I have had two falls brought on by a simple "toe stubbing". For the past 3-4 months I have had unrelenting lower back pain and hip pain. Both to the point that I can't sleep and am having trouble walking. All of that I attributed to arthritis which I do have in my hands. The tingling, pins/needles sensations and foot pain started over 2 years ago but my doc said that couldn't be the zocor. My liver function was normal every time he checked. Diabetes has been ruled out. I am overweight so I just wrote off the fatigue to that. But - three years ago I was walking daily on our farm - up and down hills for over one hour at a time - and teaching high school full time. I am retired now and I don't think I could do that much walking because of the pain and stiffness. Does any body know how long it will take me to get rid of the symptoms? I stopped the zocor without the doc's knowledge day before yesterday.

Extreme fatigue, severe muscle pain, feel horrible, no energy, hot then cold, extreme swelling in feet, blood vessels breaking in legs and arms. stiffness in all joints itchy skin

Since starting Zocor a few months ago I have begun to experiencing stiffness of my joints and a great deal of pain.

My doctor just put me on Zocor a month agao. Both my bad and good cholesterol were high. My total cholesterol was 273. I am already thin and have a good diet so medication was the next step. I have had back pain, muscle stiffnes in my joints, especially my legs. I can hardly get out of bed in the morning. My chest on the left side hurts all the time and I feel a throbbing in my back on the left side. My doctor has done a ton of blood work and also a cat scan. Everything has came back normal. I did not have any of these symptons until I started the Zocor. I have asked my doctor to take me off of Zocor. One last thing, I have also experienced the diziness and blurred vision just for a moment.

In July I was put on lovastatin for moderately elevated cholesterol, I have a family history of heart disease. After being on it for a week I started feeling achy, and flu-like symptoms. My joints and back hurt. My doctor had me go off for two weeks and try again. This time after just two days all symptoms came back. Again, my doctor took me off the lovastatin and a month later had me restarted Zocor (simvastatin). My back pain got worse and the back of my legs started aching and getting charleyhorses at night. My doctor checked a CK level which was normal and her nurse advised me to keeping taking the drug, that it wasn't doing any harm to my muscles and that my side effects would probably get better. Two weeks later I woke up in the middle of the night with restless arms and muscle twtiching all over my body. Another CK level was done and it was normal. I have seen two neurologists and they seem to think it is lingering effects of the statin drugs. I have been off of them for a month and still have twitching, although I think it is a little better. I am really getting tired of this and think that something is really wrong. Has anyone else ever experienced somethimg like this?

I began taking lovastatin in July, after three days on it my joints and back ached. I felt like I had the flu. My doctor told me to stop it for two weeks then retry. One day after trying again I had the same symptoms. They switched me to Zocor (simvastatin). After a week on that my muscles ached, had a CK test and it was fine, continued taking and woke up one night with all over muscle twitches. Stopped taking it four days ago and still have twitches. Has anybody heard of this. My doctor told me it would probably go away, but it is driving me crazy. When and if I get over the aches and twitches I am supposed to try red yeast rice with coenzyme Q10. Please let me know if anybody has experienced the same and when these twitches and aches will go away?
ph

So glad I found this site! I have been on zocor for several years and began having pains in my hips and had tension headaches. X-rays were taken and the dr. said I had arthritis in my neck and back, ok, I accepted that but what about my fingers, elbow, arm and shoulders? I know I have carpal tunnel in my right hand but getting on and off the toilet was very difficult with the pain. I could hardly move, my legs ached so bad. my memory was terrible, i thought old age! I am 55 years old! I have hot flashes, night sweats, don't sleep well, vision is getting blurry. I decided after reading everyones comments which sounded like I was writing them, to go off of zocor. Within 3 days I began feeling less achy. I do wear a brace on my hand for the carpal tunnel, which helps some but not totally. It has been a full week and i can move so much better. My hands and wrist are still sore but my arms and legs are feeling better. I just hope in weeks to come I feel alot better. We got back to the doctor the beginning of May so I am hoping he will agree with me for going off the medication. After all, it is my body!

I am a 58 year old male and have been on Zocor for about 2 years. Over time I have noiced joint pain particularly in my big toes, both thumbs and my shoulders. I also, when getting out of bed in the morning, sounded like a broken machine -everything popped and cracked when I first started moving. In addition to the pain and noisey joints, I have more recently noticed fuzzy vision in the morning. I stopped taking the Zocor a week ago as an experiment to see if that might be the cause. Well the result is the toe, thumb and shoulder pain is pretty much gone as is the popping and cracking. I think the fuzzy vision is better but I'll give it a few more days to be certain before I make that claim for sure. I'm really not sure what to do now. My wife is afraid I'm going to keel over but I'm tired of the pain.

I have been on Zocor for about 6 months now and I see the posts about muscle cramps and stuff. My neck is doing a funny popping thing along with some other joints. They don't hurt or anything but could this cracking or popping be the Zocor?????

I am now in my 11th month of suffering severe side effects from 4+ months on Zocor. Muscles in arms and legs very weak...I can barely stand up. Most joints very painful and stiff. Even with exercise therapy, not much improvement noticed. I am retired, but this is no way to live. Please post IF anyone knows how to recover.