Zocor and muscle pain

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???

PLEASE HELP! My father, age 74, was on lipitor for a year or so and then was switched to zocor a few weeks ago to help control his cholestorol. In the past week, the tightening he experienced in his leg, while on lipitor, has become debilitating leg pain now while he is on Zocor. Ultrasounds have ruled out a blood clot. He has no pain when he sits, but he describes the pain has his calf wanting to explode when he stands and he cannot walk with out the help of a cain. The pain radiates from his leg up to his hip.

His cardiologist has taken him off the zocor for a few weeks to see if there is an improvement. It has been 3 days and he feels a bit of relief. SO here is the million dollar question: His labs indicate his cholestorol is normal now, most likely thanks to the statins.....can anyone suggest another form of meds that will help regulate his cholestorol....say COeq10 and fish oil? Any help is SO appreciated!!! Thanks to each of you for your posts. It is so comforting for my dad to know he isn't developing a new issue and that it can be resolved with the removal of zocor!

I have been on zocor for over a year, about 8 months ago I began to have pain in my left arm, got and injection and it was better it started again in my left arm , this time there was pain , tingling, numbness, swelling , it got better but it moved to the right arm which is twice as bad, I am often brought to tears from the pain..I sometime describe the pain like shutting your hand in a car door. My Dr keep giving me the same meds.

Have been taking Zocor for a month. I am about to give it up starting tomorrow. Calling my doctor. I rather try flax seed in my diet. Have had normal cholesterol for life, however the last couple of years it has been hovering around 230-260 esp. since menopause. So, the last check up the doc put me on 20mg, I don't like how I am feeling. Very tired. Low level of energy, and my skin tone appears to be changing yellowish color. Has anyone else experience the dis-coloring of their skin? I am nervous.

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.

I have been on Zocor for one year. I am a former athlete used to dealing with pain associated with playing and training at a high level. Since using Zocor, my energy level has decreased significantly, very tired, before, during and after workouts. Muscle pain specifically in my neck, back and legs has significantly increased without cause. I have a constant feeling of a stabbing pain in my abdomen, accompanied with nausea, bloating and abdominal gas. After seeing some of the posts on this site, has there been a lot of reporting of abdominal pain? Bloating? Gas?
I too, have had trouble sleeping, accompanied by unexplained itching, and now after seeing these posts probably some mild depression. I believe I've had some short term memory loss - but then I can't really remember - LOL. Is the drug worth it? Physicians all seem to downplay the side effects, justifying the desired lower cholesterol, as more important than the side effects.........is it?
At 46 years old and formerly a competitive athlete at an elite level, I'm wondering if feeling better by NOT taking the drug is better than feeling worse and taking it. My training regimen was very intense prior to starting Zocor - NOW - it seems as if I can't keep up any longer. Any response to these problems would be greatly appreciated.

I am 43 year old male and had a stroke Dec 2007. I am having most of the problems with the statin as everyone else here. The muscle pain is not to bad yet but the fuzzy feeling in my head for the first few hours in the morning are terrible. I started taking it earlier in the evening so the affects aren't as bad but still don't feel like myself. I am headed to the doctor to see about changing to something else. I will post again when I return.

I am 39 years old. My cholesterol levels have been between 250 and 370 since my mid-twenties. I started on Lipitor and noticed after a few years that my loss of memory, muscle pain, fatigue and difficulty sleeping were just plain annoying. I quit talking in August of 2007. Since then I have changed my diet to a vegan diet where I have zero cholesterol intake. After 9 months my cholesterol levels are still 270. My body produces it anyway. The only time I saw my cholesterol levels drop (on Lipitor) was when I was doing Atkins (high fat, protein) and my levels were in the 170s. I was prescribed Zocor this spring by another doctor, however still found myself unwilling to take it. While only taking a diuretic blood pressure medicine, I began experiencing some chest pain, headaches, shortness of breath, numbness in the face and hands and got scared. I began taking the Zocor on Friday 4/25/08 - I haven't had a good night's sleep since. By Tuesday night I broke out with a rash on my arms and hands (itchy). I thought it was hives. By Friday 5/2/08 my head was in a fog - I couldn't remember what happened on Monday, it feels like it was 6 months ago. I stopped talking last night Fri. 5/2/08 and this morning the rash was gone and I slept fairly well. I believe in choosing the lesser of two evils; however, with the obvious effects of this drug I wonder what it does to the inside of my body where it isn't so obvious. As young as I am, I really worry about the long term effects of this medication, and others like it, that would make heart disease seem like a piece of cake.

Hello: Posting about simvastatin. I have been off of the medication for about six weeks. Initially the symptoms led me to hop on an ambulance gurney and visit my local ER due to dizziness, lots of palpitations, and the feeling that I was going to drop on the sidewalk. I followed the ER with two days on the heart unit, and have pretty much have had just about every test but a brain scan (or at least it has seemed that way). My symptoms progressed to intense burning in my torso, pronounced in the shoulder blade areas, upper chest, and into my forearms. A week after stopping the statin much of the intense burning was gone. I still have pain and discomfort, but I have not been "white knuckling" to get through the nights like I had been, which is a relief. I read somewhere that someone described the muscle pain as feeling like he had been repeatedly punched with a bag of oranges. I can relate to that feeling, and recently I have felt the symptoms in my thighs as well.

Pain management takes up my days (although I have continued to work). I have begun massage therapy, and I am going to attempt acupuncture next week. I am trying to sort out what supplements may be the best and which ones won't interact with each other or other medications that I take. I am taking CoQ10, Omega 3 capsules, a multivitamin, and a B complex.

Anyone with similar symptoms or comments, please jump in. We are in similar boats, as they say. I have gotten the impression that some people out there (not on this site) don't see this as real. For those people, unless someone is bleeding profusely from an artery, they remain non-supportive or non-believers....

I am 27 years old, male, and have had type 1 diabetes since I was 8.

My doctor prescribed Zocor repeatedly in 2007(for high blood pressure) and I was reluctant to taking it because I have no respect for any of the miracle drug companies and feel that they are only looking to make money, not help anyone with their health problems. I finally started taking Zocor (generic) in Nov 2007, then started getting some strange side effects that my doctor never mentioned when I asked him.

My side effects were, but not limited to, muscle pain in the legs and back. I noticed sharp pains in my knee like arthritis and Charlie horses in the calf during time at sleep. I noticed these after about 1 week of taking the drug and lasted through till the end. I stopped taking the drug in Dec 2007 and been off it since. I have yet to talk to my doctor about it, but I talked to his nurse and she recognized the symptoms. I reached my conclusion long before speaking to her however.

Now 2 months have passed since I stopped taking the drug and the pains in my back and legs have disappeared. The arthritis type feeling in the knee has gone away. I have more flexibility and none of the pain that I felt while taking the drug. I am astounded that the clinical trial for this drug doesn't note the muscle pain; at least the notes from trials I found on the internet didn't note it as a side effect.

I can't really say I have anything new to report. I had been taking Lovastatin for maybe a couple of years, first 20 mgs, then 40. I don't remember having any problem with that. Then about 4 months ago my Dr. switched me to Zocor, 80 mgs because my cholesterol was 240. First I started having numbness in my feet and legs, cramps in my feet and Charlie horses at night in my legs. I mentioned it to my Dr. but he just seemed to feel it's part of the aging process and not to worry. Then my knee started hurting so bad I couldn't bend it and could hardly get up and down the stairs. I went in and they said I had arthritis and gave me Nabumetone and Vicodin which I didn't want to take because of the side effects. I finally gave in because the pain was getting worse. I was supposed to take two pills bit I only took one and I only took the Vicodin if I just couldn't stand it any longer. I took the drug for about 3 weeks and I wasn't getting any better. In fact my other leg started hurting, and my elbow and two or three times my lower jaw felt numb and I thought, Oh my God, I'm having a stroke. Anyway by some miracle I found this web site and see that many others are suffering the same symptoms that I'm having. What is wrong with the doctors? I am trusting my Dr. with my life. I'm sure he's heard similar complaints before about these drugs, but he acts like it's no big deal. I told him I don't want to take this anymore and he said well sometimes people do get some muscle pain but you can take a over the counter medication, not sure of the name, CO-2, something like that.
I'm wondering what's happened to the Dr's integrity? Why do they keep pushing these drugs when they know they are harmful? I guess I have to look for another Dr. My Dr. is with Kaiser. I guess they all pedal the same poison. So sad that we are controlled by the drug companies for profit. They are killing us. Look what happened with the HRT drugs. Meanwhile I'm afraid to quit this drug cold turkey since I was on such a high dose so I'm cutting the pills in half, 40 mgs, and then in about 2 weeks I will go to 20 and hopefully by then I will have selected something natural and safe. I am 67 years old. Before this I was active and I used to walk my dog a mile everyday. I can no longer do that. Right now my leg hurts so bad I don't want to take another pill but I'm scared if I quit cold turkey something terrible will happen. It's a holiday...

I started taking Zocor for raised cholesterol at 10 mg. I had none of the usual muscle pain side effects. I was then switched to 20 mg Zocor.

I now wake up in the morning depressed! There is NO reason for my depression or anxiety. I actually think it started at the 10 mg dosage.

Anyone find DEPRESSION and ANXIETY as a legitimate Zocor side effect?
Debbie

I am just out of hospital after 7 days from Rhabdomyolysis brought on by dehydration after playing tennis on a very hot day. There was the possibilty that my heart and kidneys suffered damage. When i think back I was waking up in the morning with lower back pain but I attributed that to being a weekend athlete that had really stepped up my activity. My wife also swears that my memory is terrible and when i stop to think about it (what was I thinking about again????) she is right. The hospital doctor took me off simvastatin and the pain while in the hospital and my first night home was gone. I was being treated as a diabetic but once in the hospital my blood sugars were all normal and my metformin was stopped. I was told that what happened could have killed me not to mention heart and liver damage. Watch that muscle pain carefully!!

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.

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

I had hot flashes while taking Lipitor and now am experienceing them with Zocor. Anyone else experienceing the hot flashes.

I am 52 years old. I started taking 40mg of Zocor when I was 47. After 3 months the muscle pain and weakness became so bad that I could not function. My Dr. told me to stop the Zocor and within 3 days that pain and weakness was gone. Within 4 months it started coming back. First it was once a month for about a week. Then twice a month and the last year it has been constant. I have also developed major depression and memory loss. It has ruined my life.

April 2007--I live with my elderly parents and am on the
constant lookout for side effects. We nearly lost my
father a few years ago because of a severe, gradual aller-
gic reaction to Hydrolazine. My mother was on Lipitor and
became so weak that she fell and was not able to get up
by herself along with extreme fatigue & muscle pain. A
couple months ago my dad's doctor put him on Zocor and this
past week I began to notice a gradual deteriation of my
father's health that included shortness of breath, muscle
pain & weakness, which also affects bladder control, memory
loss, depression & a flushed face. Some people notice an almost immediate change, but with my father it has been a gradual and subtle build up of side effects. He is now off of Zocor, and, we are praying his vitality will return &
his quality of life begin to improve.

Serious, serious muscle pain. Horrible headaches. Stomach pains. Never again. I'll walk ten thousand miles before I feel like this again.

Everyone who is experiencing muscle weakness or muscle pain should discuss this immediately with their doctor.
It may be the beginning of "rhabdomyolysis" a serious life-threatening side effect of Zocor.
Toxic-mediated rhabdomyolysis may result from prescription and nonprescription medications, including Zocor.
Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers with leakage of potentially toxic cellular contents into the systemic circulation.
A Guest Nurse

I started taking Vytorin 10 months ago. This medication is a
mix of zocar and some other medication. I began to feel
muscle pain immediately but dismissed it because I started a
new job and was on my feet. Everyday my legs hurt and
everyday I just thought it was because I was up on my feet
more than usual. I stopped working after 6 months but my
legs have continued to hurt. I decided to get on line to see if
anyone else was experiencing this sort of problems with this
med. Boy, have I been enlightened. I have an appt. with my
doctor. I just hope this muscle pain will not be permanent.

MY WIFE HAS BEEN TAKING ZOCOR FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS, SHE NOW SUFFERS FROM BACK PAIN ,JOINT PAIN ,MUSCLE PAIN,GENERAL STIFFNESS ,BACK MUSCLE TWITCHING,STOMACH PAINS AND FATIGUE. IN THE LAST YEAR ITS GOT SO BAD THAT IT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED HER LIFESTYLE(MINE TOO...I NOW KNOW WHERE THE HOOVER IS KEPT!!!!!!!)
DEXA SCAN MRI SCAN NEUROLOGIST ORTHOPEDEIC SURGEON
NONE COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG!! WHILE ALL THESE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT HER G.P. CONTINUES TO PRESCRIBE ZOCOR!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION FROM THIS MOMENT SHE WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER ONE

Extreme fatigue and muscle pain always.

How long does it take for zocor to get out of your syste? I've been having blured vision muscle spasms, muscle pain and weakness, I've been off Zocor for two weeks and haven't seen a big difference

I'm 59 and started taking 20mgs Zocor one year ago, I have experienced a moderate amount of leg & muscle pain. I have tolorated these side effects because I feel the side effects of medications used in a heart attack would be much worse! (If You Even Pull Through It!).

I have suffered from Fibromyalgia for over 12 years so muscle pain, fatigue and memory loss is a way of life. It concerns me that some of the increased pain and fatigue could be related to Zocor. I have been on it approx on year. The new thing I am experiencing is knots, cysts, tumors what ever they are are showing up all over my body. I have one in the muscle of my left shoulder and have experienced extreme pain with limited use. Has anyone else experience this happening to them? Taking Zocor is the only thing that I have done differently in the last year. Going to the Doctor about all of this in 3 days. Thanks Debbie

My mother was prescribed zocor a month ago and 2 weeks ago she started having terrible abdominal cramps and muscle weakness. I had to take to ER and doctors could not find anything wrong bec all tests came back OK. A week later she went back to the ER because the muscle pain was so bad she could hardly walk. She took herself off the medication. Now she's getting blisters and nodules on her legs and torso. Is this going to get better?

43 yr. woman on second try with Zocor. The first time was 6 years ago, and I thought the muscle and hip pain was a side effect from another medication that I was taking. Recently, I've been taking Zocor for 6 weeks and the muscle pain and deep bone aches along with the severe fatigue have been unrelenting. It's not worth such a change in my quality of life and I'll be researching for other alternatives. PS. When I first told my doctor about the symptoms, he said it wasn't the Zocor and that is was in my head. I found that depression is also a side effect of statins. Hmm, my research has consistently directed me to information that tells me it's not in my head. Needless to say, I'm frustrated.

after 12 months of taking 10mg/day of simvastatin i am experiencing extereme deep muscle pain in my right thigh. It is so severe that I feel i could pass out. It is like a severe prolonged cramp and nothing relieves it. I have to endure the pain un til it subsided (from 30 secs to many minutes). I am convinced that this medication is the cause. I stopped taking the tablet yestrerday. I hope the symptoms will go. Only time will tell.

Glad that i found this page today... now a Zocor death story (i am from Hungary, Europe btw). My mother died in Dec 2004, cause of death was Zocor induced rhabdomyolisis (muscle breadown) of course the doctors are not willing to write down the connection . She was 61, and had been taking Zocor for cca 3 years, the reason was relatively higher blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels... so her cardiologist put him on 20mg. Her physical condition was excellent, an energetic woman, was on a healthy diet for several years, exercising regularly (10 km running 3x week) , apperance looked like someone in the age of 47-52, everything predestined her to live until age 80 (just like my grandmother who died 5 months before that....)

Two weeks before her death she started drinking fresh grapefruit juice (one small glass only, as GPs advise this during winter time, everyone knows that ...) . First she had muscle pain in the arms, which progressed further in 3 days (GP said it is rheumatic cause) . Then after 1-2 days she was hardly able to move her legs / arms. At the hospital she was examined for all kinds of other possible causes (trombose etc), then it was finally discovered the ultimate and very serious side effect of statins (muscle breadown) was the cause. CK levels were around 180.000 (!) (doctors didnt believe first) , then the treatment started but it progressed so quickly, in 5 days she died. As the autopsy reported, the cause was complete liver function stop caused by muscle breadown and internal bleedings.

As my father later told me, she had the usual side effects for a year now (dizziness / memory loss / muscle pain / sleeping problems) , but of course cardiologist denied all of these being related to Zocor .

I hope one day this killer drug will be withdrawn and a lawsuit will happen...

PLEASE everyone make sure that if you experience serious muscle pains and you are on Zocor - there is a connection and this might be fatal, ACT quickly. Brown urine tells that muscle is breaking down, and tell your doctor that a blood test for CK level is the first to do...

thats it :(

any comments to ******

I started Zocar 3 years ago. Since then I have had (on a 1-10 pain scale) pain in my upper hamstrings (deep muscle pain in the lower buttocks or upper hamstrings). The pain is throbbing at a 1-2 level all the time. Sometimes it goes up to a 6-7. Overtime it had slowly exhausted me. I have gained wait due to less activity. I have visited multiply doctors with no diagnosis. I just found out about the side effects of Zocar. I am getting off. I had an MRI and multiple blood test yesterday. I will update this site in 30 -60 days to see if I have improvement in reduction of muscle pain.

I am 48 yrs old, invery good health, very active in sports, I run 3 times a week, exercise, and eat healthy. I have been on Zorcor for 2years now. I have been experiencing muscle pain in between my left shoulder and elbow for about 6 months now. I have gone to my doctor and he has treated it as bercitus. He percribed physical theropy treatment... a month has gone by and no changes. So I tried a chiropractor, it's been 2 weeks and no changes... so that promted me to check the internet for possible side effects and I came across this website....and I can't believe all the emails I'm reading on the side effects other people are experiencing! I also am experiencing other side effects that I thought were not related and now I believe they are, AFTER READING THIS! Beside the muscle pain in my upper arm , I am experiencing:::: hair loss, leg cramps, memory loss, ability to communicate, pronounce words, forgetting, depression, blurred vision, hot flashes(thought that was because of menopause! and could very well be!) I take 40 mg a day, it the evening. IS IT OK TO JUST STOP TAKING THIS DRUG SINCE I'VE BEEN ON IT FOR OVER 2 YEARS?

I am a 57 yr. old active woman. I have been on Zocor for less than one year. My cholesterol levels went down right away and I had no side effects for several months. After a while I started having joint and muscle pain. I have also developed hypothyroidism and cataracts. I had to stop going to the gym because I could hardly lift the machines even without adding the weights! Because I stopped exercising my numbers have gone up the last two times. Well I got tired of hearing the doc. say that my liver and kidney functions are good and that my muscle test is negative. I know how I feel and I wan to thank you all for this site and for helping me realize that I am not crazy. My eyes were full of tears when I saw my own symptoms in some of your lines. I decided to find a holistic doctor who is working with me. First of all he said that my numbers were not that high and second he felt that the dosage I was taking (40 mg) was too hefty. I am happy to say that I stopped taking Zocor yesterday and I am hoping that with a very good diet, fresh veggie juices, supplements and walking on the treadmill 45 minutes every other day I will get my numbers down. It scares me to think that Zocor makes your muscles weak and your heart is a muscle. What was I thinking? Good luck to all of you. We can do this. All it takes is education and determination.
Blessings to all, Isa

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.

Anyone know of a good lawyer who will take a class action suit? I have permanent liver and muscle pain from zocor-- Thx

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.

I have been taking 20mg Zocor (simvastatin) for 14 mos post heart attack/stent placement(2) in L. ventricle. About 2 monts ago I developed severe muscle pain and weakness in right forearm/elbow, left elbow, dexterity problems in the hands from time to time. I have had for some time; a burning sensation in the right leg, foot cramps, fuzzy vision and other symptoms. I am also taking other drugs; atenolol, lisinopril, asprin and venlafaxine, so they all had their part.

My mother was on Zocor for about a year, she was experiencing a lot of muscle pain and blurry vision. Her doctor thought it might be the Zocor and suggested she get off of it. She has been off of it for about 1 1/2 months and the muscle pain is increasing. The pain is unbearable at times, described as a charlie horse that lasts up to 5 minutes at a time. Has anyone found any relief in anything? I've never seen my mother in so much pain. Please e-mail me if anyone has any suggestions. amanda.bitton@xo.com

44 yr old white male in excellent physical condition. Dx'd last yr w total chol of 290 and elevated liver enzyme, probable fatty liver disease. I was on Pravachol for 3 months and had problems w muscle aches. Also had problems w increased liver enzymes, so reduced dose from 20 to 10mg and went to every other day. Still had some side effects and was switched to ZOCOR.
Have been on zocor for 3 weeks in combination w ZETIA. Worst side effect for me is the lightheadedness (like being stumbly drunk) and malaise that others report. Some muscle pain in legs and arms (though not as bad as w Pravachol). Cannot sleep through the night, but am tired and worn out all day. Some increased level of depression, some sexual side effects. Have had pain "behind" my eyes. Some difficulty breathing.
Will be having blood work again in 1 week to see if probs still exist w liver.
Are the side effects worth the reduction in LDL? Worst part so far is that my chol has not been significantly reduced. It may be better to leave the drugs alone and concentrate on diet, excercise and try some herbal ("snake oils") remedies instead. I have an MBA in mktg and am married to a physician.. i wonder if these statin drugs are more of a well marketed product rather than a proven treatment protocol.

the drug-zocor and lipitor--if u are experiencing any muscle pain-weakness-it is a side effect and your doctor will take u off of it,(u can lose all your muscles-very seruois side effect,-if u feel like your moving in slow motion-with your bodyfeeling heavy that is side effect of liptor also your dr will take u off of it,,)try some garlic pills to get the cholestrol down--taking a diet pill will bring cholest,,down too=and alot of walking,,kswiss

I was on Zocor for 1.5 months. I developed muscle pain & weakness. My Doctor was on vacation when this first began occuring. By the time I was able to see the Doctor, I had developed Trigger thumb on my left hand accompanied by carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger in 3 fingers of my right hand and carpal tunnel syndrome in the right hand as well. I am in custom splints for my hands/wrists and can barely lift my arms to shoulder height. The extreme fatigue and muscle pain in my shoulders, neck, back,hips,legs and feet was significantly reduced when I was taken off Zocor. However, I still have significant problems with my arms and hands.

Like many others who take Zocor, I'm experiencing serious shoulder and arm muscle pain.Even when I take Oruvail 200mg, the pain is still there. The pain stays with you as long as you are on the drug. If you stop for a week and continue later, the side effects will disappear

I am having generalized body paon, severe muscle pain and muscle spasms. I have just bee nreferred to a neurologist. He has no idea what is wrong with me. He and my GP feel that I have been off the ZOCOR for over 3 months and that that shouldn't still be affecting my body!! I am scared, depressed, in pain and unable to work. Does any one have any suggestions? what would/did you do? What specialist helped? any? thank ou for any info.

I have taken all the medication for high cholesterol- the side effects are the same as everyone that I know have had- muscle pain- depression. anxiety, headaches etc etc. even went to see a foot specialist becasue i could hardly walk- after spending $265 for special inserts for my shoes and almost going crazy with the pain now tranferred to my hips , i decided that i was going to stop the cholesterol medications- it has been 2 weeks and i already feel good-
I am so mad at the so called specialists- not one of these doctors even suggeted that could have ben the zocor or liptor . what aprice to pay for lowering your cholesterol. I will continue to investigate and see if there are any other options besides suffering with all those side effects.

i just started zocor 1 week ago and now have severe muscle pain in my right shoulder running down my arm. i also am feeling muscle pain in various parts of my body but mainly in my shoulders and arms. tonight i decided to stop taking zocor. i cannot handle the pain. i work in a pharmacy and muscle pain is the number one complaint i here from the customers taking these types of medication.

I've been on Zocor for over two years. I have been getting muscle pain in almost every part of my body. I recently developed severe chest pains. I was sent for all kinds of tests with no results. My right thumb has become stiff and very painful, I can barely sleep at night. I told my doctor I suspected the Zocor. She disagreed but agreed to take me off for a while to see what happens. My chest pains have subsided, although my thumb is still painful and stiff.

Facial rashes, lowered sex drive, mild muscle pain, shortness of breath......is it really worth it. Will be looking into alternative treatments. Any suggestions?

Was on ZOCOR 20mg for about 2 years and suffered from leg cramps and malaise... lost interest in sex, etc. Dr. increased dosage to 40mg and noticed bad rash on forehead and scalp area that came and went unexplainably. Skin disease speacialist called it "acute dandruff". Changed to LIPITOR and head rash disappeared but left red and patchy areas where rash would normally have been. After 2 weeks on 10mg LIPITOR, noticed loss of strength in legs, pain in muscle from armpit to elbow area.. thought it was heart-related and scared me... pain became fairly constant... Also, had "white-outs" for minutes at a time while walking or excercising, feelings of irritability and depression. I am quitting taking ZOCOR and LIPITOR, plus, any similar drugs and will go as "natural" as I can to improve my Triglyceride and Cholestorol levels. The resultant side effects of these two drugs are more ominous than their benefits. It scares me that Doctors do not consider the drugs as a cause of your symptoms when you describe problems to them.. there seems to be no acknowledged connection to the drugs but yet I read on forums like this one similar effects that I experienced. People to people will always be the best source of information, I suppose. I would suggest to anyone taking Lipitor or Zocor and experiencing muscle pain, joint pain, malaise, depression, "white-outs", loss of memory, leg cramps, unusual headaches, any form of insomnia and possibly darkening of urine or yellowing of skin, eyes, etc., to quit taking these drugs immediately and tell your doctor about what you are experiencing. It could possibly save your life.

I have been on 20mgs for one week....Am terribly constipated and bloated....No muscle pain....