Zocor and zetia

I am a 58-year-old woman that changed from zetia to zocor about 6 months ago because of the price of zetia AND I had tolerated the zetia ok but my chol was still elevated. My initial dose of zocor was just 10 mg, even though I had a lot of aches and pains from the slighest exertion I really did not connect this to zocor. After my last checkup, the doctor wanted to up my dose to 20 mg daily because my chol was 228 (liver functions were all ok). I have been doing that for 6 days and my legs have become very achy, my left knee has swollen above my kneecap (which is very painful), and my lower back hurts. I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping and feel draggy all the time. I got on the net to research these symptoms when I found this site. I am going to go off this med and see if my condition improves! I will post an update as to the results.

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.

I now take zetia because the Lipitor I was origonally on caused the aching in my legs and back as well as my shoulders. Zetia does not cause this but my Cholesterol isnt as low as the Lipitor so my doctor wants to put me on Vytorum which is a combo of zocor and zetia. Hearing about the same symptoms from zocor makes me heitant.

This post is about my mom she was put on Vytorin which is a combination of Zorcor and Zetia. Her cholesterol was not all that high but her Dr wanted her to try it to see if it would come down. She was on it for one month and her cholesterol droped from 195 to 86 BUT she was having really bad headaches and her neck would be stiff her legs hurt and she had blurred vision in her left eye only and shooting pain in the left side temple. Before taking Vytorin she was in pretty good shape for a 71 year old but not she is so tired all the time, I am really worried about her overall health. Yesterday when I took her back to her Dr to find out why she was still having these problems he said the medician should already be out of her system since she quit taking it on Nov 17. I requested that he send her to the hospital for blood test since Vyortin had been known to make blood test abnormal. I also requested a CoQ10 Blood Test which should show any damage to the muscle tissue which can be a side effect of the Vytorin it breaks down muscle tissue in some cases. I really think MD's need training on these drugs before giving to patients. Also do anyone know how long it takes these meds to get out of the systems. Has anyone else had these problems. Thanks for any response and help. Sharon

I have been on Zocor for nearly four years. Was recently switched to Vytorin which is a combo Zocor/Zetia drug. I am on max doses and always have been...my cholestorol issues are genetic.

I have had extreme leg cramping, body aches, mood swings, night sweats, hot flashes, you name it including a possible early and forced slide into menopause (my latest battle). All of your side effects mentioned in each posting is a side effect that the docs don't tell you about and they will only treat you like you are crazy each time you call in and complain of a pain they can't find an answer to. I remember that docs thought I had lupus for goodness sakes and tried to give me MORE meds for that. I refused - I knew better!

I am only 33 and have been on statins since I was 18. With more info that comes out and the ability to learn about others' side effects, I have finally decided that I am going to stop all meds and try to find some other answer. Glyconutrients for one! No one should live this way and eventually you will rather a heart attack to these side effects. The longer you are on them, the worse they get. You will notice that if you stop taking them all that you will start to see side effects start to decrease after about two weeks.

Good luck and please, if anyone has any natural meds to suggest, with proven blood tests results, I would love to hear about them.

After taking 40 to 80 mg Zocor for over
a year I have been off it for 3 months.
The sude effects are slowly going away.
The worst is my inability to drink coke
or pepsi without tasting amonia.
I am going to try 10 mg of ZETIA a new
lowering drug that works in the gastrict
and has no known side effects.
I'll let you know how it works.

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.