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November 07, 2003 Print this article

Bad News About Statin Drugs
===========================

CategoriesControl tactics
Health through Nutrition
Practical Health

The following article form the "Center for Medical Consumers"
summaries the real Cholesterol sham that is being imposed on the
unsuspecting. I have highlighted the key points to assist all to
get the gist of this issue and ramp up on these concerns.
Naturally, pharma and their medical cronies will not discuss these
openly due their funding dependencies.

Chris Gupta

..."Dr. Ravnskov managed to push the envelope further by making a
case for high cholesterol as a protective against cancer. He
showed slides listing published studies that found higher rates of
infectious disease among hospitalized people with low cholesterol
levels. Also, several studies found higher cancer rates in people
with low cholesterol levels...

"Anyone who questions cholesterol usually finds his funding cut
off," said Paul Rosch, MD, who started his talk with a reminder
that half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal
cholesterol levels. "Stress has more deleterious effects on the
heart than cholesterol," said Dr. Rosch,

...hundreds of people wrote in to say they, too, had experienced
severe memory loss while on Lipitor. "Patients are reluctant to
report amnesia, or they attribute the symptoms to old age or early
Alzheimer's," explained Dr. Graveline. "And doctors are reluctant
to see that the drug they prescribed was the cause." Still, the
official word on Lipitor is that memory loss is not a statin side
effect. "Thousands of cases of memory dysfunction have been
reported to the FDA's Medwatch program," he said, "but after two
years, the agency still hasn't acted. And most practicing
physicians are unaware of the problem." Lipitor is not the only
statin linked to this side effect, observed Dr. Graveline...

..."In drug trials, the pharmaceutical companies often divide
similar adverse effects into six or seven different categories to
keep the scarier side effects under 1%."...

...statin drugs deplete the body of an important anti-oxidant
(CQ10) with muscle wasting and heart failure as a result.

..."It has been pretty well documented from biopsies that the
severity of heart failure correlates with the people who have the
lowest levels of Q10."...

..."People are eating a diet high in grain and inappropriate
fats, instead of the natural animal fats, such as lard, tallow,
chicken fat, goose fat, and the natural vegetable fats, such as
olive, palm, and coconut oils, that we used to have in our diets,"
and contrary to the current "propaganda," she explained that these
fats and oils are essential components to a healthful diet. These
so-called good fats provide the major fuel for the heart, kidneys,
and skeletal muscles, said Dr. Enig, who said the inappropriate
fats are the highly processed polyunsaturated fats, such as
soybean, canola, and corn oils, which are promoted ironically as
heart protective."...

CHOLESTEROL SKEPTICS AND THE BAD NEWS ABOUT STATIN DRUGS

By Maryann Napoli (June 2003)

The cholesterol skeptics were there. So were the physicians who
challenge the safety and necessity of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
And then there were the lipid researchers whose findings totally
contradict the prevailing dietary advice to the public: Avoid
saturated fats, limit cholesterol, and use more polyunsaturated
oils. Their presentations were met with enthusiastic approval at a
conference held last spring in Arlington, Virginia. But then
again, the attendees were not the usual people who show up at a
conference billed as "Heart Disease in the 21st Century: Beyond
the Lipid Hypothesis." They were practicing physicians,
biochemists, farmers, greenmarket activists, researchers, cooks,
parents of young children, and people who have been told their
cholesterol is too high. The general message was: Fats are
extremely important to good health...the right kinds of fat, that
is.

Cholesterol was the dominant topic of the two-day event, as well
as the subject of the opening lecture provocatively entitled,
"High Cholesterol Protects Against Disease." Uffe Ravnskov, MD,
PhD, a Danish physician who has published many critical papers
about the purported association between cholesterol and
cardiovascular disease, led off with a slide showing the results
of all the major clinical trials that attempted to prove that
lowering cholesterol in healthy but high-risk people would reduce
their death rate from heart disease. "The reduced rates of
cardiovascular mortality were small for men and non-existent for
women," said Dr. Ravnskov, who is the author of The Cholesterol
Myths, a paperback that refutes the theory that cholesterol in our
food and in our blood causes heart disease.

These cholesterol trials also looked at total mortality, that is,
the deaths from all causes, and found little difference between
the study participants who tried to lower their cholesterol and
those who did not. In other words, some clinical trials showed
that the heart disease death rates were, in fact, lower among men
who had reduced their cholesterol levels. But this benefit was
offset by a higher rate of deaths from other causes.

Given these unimpressive research results, why is high cholesterol
so firmly imbedded in our consciousness as a sure-fire sign of a
future heart attack? Dr. Ravnskov said that it all started with
the landmark Framingham Heart Study, which began following healthy
people in the early 1950s to see who had a heart attack and what
distinguished them from the people who did not. High cholesterol
was one risk factor--but it was only one of more than 240 others.
"They public health officials, cardiologists, etc. have confused
a statistical association with causation," he observed. "It's as
if they saw a house burning and determined that the bigger the
fire, the more fireman are present, and then concluded that
firemen cause burning houses."

When studies failed to prove that lowering cholesterol made any
lifesaving difference, researchers forged ahead with more
multi-million dollar clinical trials. Not until the statin drugs
(Lipitor, Mevacor, Zocor, Lescol, Crestor, Advicor) came along did
cholesterol-lowering finally prove to be lifesaving to high-risk
but healthy people. Whether this benefit might actually be due to
the anti-inflammatory effects of statins has been the topic of
controversy ever since.

As with several of the speakers who would follow him, Dr. Ravnskov
is unimpressed with the reduction in heart disease mortality shown
for the statin drugs "When you look at the CARE trial Cholesterol
And Recurrent Events, Pravachol did show a small benefit--after
five years 5.7% had died from heart disease in the untreated
control group, compared to only 4.6% in the treatment group, but
this benefit was not dose related." he said, referring to the
expectation that the more a person lowers his or her cholesterol,
the less likely a heart-related death. Also, the people taking
Pravachol had a few more deaths from other causes. Dr. Ravnskov
managed to push the envelope further by making a case for high
cholesterol as a protective against cancer. He showed slides
listing published studies that found higher rates of infectious
disease among hospitalized people with low cholesterol levels.
Also, several studies found higher cancer rates in people with low
cholesterol levels.

Women told to take statin drugs should be aware of this risk found
in the CARE trial: There were 12 cases of breast cancer in the
women taking Pravachol, compared with only one case in the
untreated (control) group. Statin drug proponents dismissed this
worrisome finding as a fluke, said Dr. Ravnskov, because the
control group would be expected to have had more than one case of
breast cancer.

"Anyone who questions cholesterol usually finds his funding cut
off," said Paul Rosch, MD, who started his talk with a reminder
that half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal
cholesterol levels. "Stress has more deleterious effects on the
heart than cholesterol," said Dr. Rosch, who is a clinical
professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College
and president of the American Institute of Stress. He put a
different spin on the oft-quoted studies of immigrants with low
rates of heart disease that change for the worse years after they
emigrated to the U.S. The shift to a Western diet is usually
identified as the culprit, but Dr. Rosch suggests that the stress
of adapting to a new culture is harder on the heart. For example,
a study of Japanese male immigrants found a lower rate of heart
attack among those who consumed a Western diet but retained a
Japanese lifestyle, compared to those who continued to eat only
traditional Japanese foods but lived a Western lifestyle.

Statin Drugs & Memory Loss

Duane Graveline, MD, MPH, a retired family doctor and former NASA
scientist/astronaut, recounted his own hair-raising experience
taking the popular statin drug Lipitor for only six weeks. Soon
after he went for a walk, Dr. Graveline was found wandering,
confused, and reluctant to enter his own home because he didn't
recognize it or remember his wife's name. Six hours later--after
being examined by a neurologist and undergoing an MRI--he came to
his senses. Transient global amnesia (TGA) was diagnosed. Neither
he nor his physician suspected Lipitor, so Dr. Graveline was
restarted on one-half the previous dose. Again, at six weeks, the
TGA returned. This time, he regressed to his teen-age years with
no memory for his time in college, medical school, or the recent
past. "Many decades of my life were obliterated," he said. "The
diagnosis was TGA: cause unknown."

To verify his growing suspicion that Lipitor might be the cause,
Dr. Graveline wrote to Joe and Teresa Graedon, the husband and
wife team that writes the syndicated column called The People's
Pharmacy, which specializes in warning the public about drug side
effects. The Graedons asked for permission to print his letter in
their column, and once it appeared, hundreds of people wrote in to
say they, too, had experienced severe memory loss while on
Lipitor. "Patients are reluctant to report amnesia, or they
attribute the symptoms to old age or early Alzheimer's," explained
Dr. Graveline. "And doctors are reluctant to see that the drug
they prescribed was the cause." Still, the official word on
Lipitor is that memory loss is not a statin side effect.
"Thousands of cases of memory dysfunction have been reported to
the FDA's Medwatch program," he said, "but after two years, the
agency still hasn't acted. And most practicing physicians are
unaware of the problem." Lipitor is not the only statin linked to
this side effect, observed Dr. Graveline.

A reporter pointed out to that FDA-required trials do not report
memory loss in people taking statins. An explanation was offered
by Joel M. Kauffman, PhD, research professor of chemistry and
biochemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
"In drug trials, the pharmaceutical companies often divide similar
adverse effects into six or seven different categories to keep the
scarier side effects under 1%." To illustrate his point, Dr.
Kauffman said that amnesia could be divided into confusion, memory
loss, senility, and cognitive impairment. There is general
acknowledgment, however, that muscle pain, weakness, fatigue,
peripheral neuropathy, and rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal
muscle disease, are statin side effects, though they are thought
to be rare.

With a little distance from his harrowing TGA experience, Dr.
Graveline said that he began to question why he took Lipitor in
the first place. "I had come to think of cholesterol as my
personal enemy--my cholesterol levels had climbed over the years
despite a fat-restricted diet, but no one mentions the proper
function of cholesterol in the body," he continued. "We doctors
march to the low-fat, low-cholesterol band." He soon learned that
cholesterol plays a critical role in the maintenance and healthy
functioning of cell activity in the body.

Coenzyme Q10

Several speakers expressed the opinion that the statin drugs'
ability to reduce cardiovascular mortality has nothing to do with
cholesterol reduction, but instead can be attributed to their
anti-inflammatory effects. (A viewpoint that has been appearing in
medical journals over the last few years.) Furthermore, the
physicians who addressed the conference were united in their
concern that the statin drugs deplete the body of an important
anti-oxidant with muscle wasting and heart failure as a result.
Peter Langsjoen, MD, of Tyler, Texas, said that he left his
invasive cardiology practice at the University of Texas Health
Center to specialize in "congestive heart failure, primary and
statin-induced diastolic dysfunction and other diseases of the
heart muscle." For over 20 years, he has been using coenzyme Q10
to treat a broad range of cardiovascular diseases. Q10, as he
called it, can be purchased over the counter as a dietary
supplement in health food stores and pharmacies.

Dr. Langsjoen said that the research on the importance of Q10 ties
in nicely with the underlying philosophy of this conference
because increased levels of this "vitaminlike" substance can be
found in traditional foods with high fat content like organ meats,
seafood, and red meat. "I call Q10 vitaminlike because it has
properties of a vitamin," explained Dr. Langsjoen, "but since we
synthesize it, as well as get it in our diet, it's not truly a
vitamin." All statin drugs decrease both the blood levels and
cellular concentrations of Q10, observed Dr. Langsjoen, the higher
the dose, the greater the decrease in Q10. "As we get older, our
Q10 levels fall, but we really don't know why--could be the diet,"
he said. "People who make it to 90 tend to have high Q10 levels,
though. Most of the Q10 research has been focused on heart
failure, said Dr. Langsjoen because the heart uses a huge amount
of Q10. "It has been pretty well documented from biopsies that the
severity of heart failure correlates with the people who have the
lowest levels of Q10."

What's more, there is a serious gap in information regarding the
role of statins in treating heart failure. "All the major statin
trials excluded patients with class III and IV advanced heart
failure, so we have no safety data in these patients with heart
failure, though statins are prescribed to them with reckless
abandon." Dr. Langsjoen is not alone in this concern which was
expressed over a year ago by Australian physicians who asked,
"Statins and Chronic Heart Failure: do we need a large-scale
outcome trial?" in the Journal of the American College of
Cardiology.

Most medications destined to cause an adverse effect will do so
early on, according to Dr. Langsjoen, who found this not to be the
case with statins. "You don't realize you're in trouble until two
or three years later, and it's hard to relate it to a drug you
started a few years ago.

Dietary Fats and Oils

The story of how statin drugs became a multi-billion-dollar
industry may have started with the identification of cholesterol
as the chief culprit in heart disease, but in time the public
learned that the low-fat diet would prevent heart attacks in
people without symptoms of heart disease--an idea that the
sponsors of this conference believe has produced numerous health
problems. Mary Enig, PhD, an expert in lipid chemistry, spoke of
the misinformation perpetuated upon the public by the
government-sponsored "pyramid diet," which was introduced over 20
years ago and marked the beginning of the promotion of the low-fat
diet. Along with the "use sparingly" advice, fats, oils, and sugar
are at the very tip of the Food Guide Pyramid symbol that appears
on food labels.

Dr. Enig believes that the rise of obesity is related to type of
foods Americans have been encouraged to eat by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, the food industry, and consumer groups. "People
are eating a diet high in grain and inappropriate fats, instead
of the natural animal fats, such as lard, tallow, chicken fat,
goose fat, and the natural vegetable fats, such as olive, palm,
and coconut oils, that we used to have in our diets," and contrary
to the current "propaganda," she explained that these fats and
oils are essential components to a healthful diet. These so-called
good fats provide the major fuel for the heart, kidneys, and
skeletal muscles, said Dr. Enig, who said the inappropriate fats
are the highly processed polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean,
canola, and corn oils, which are promoted ironically as heart
protective.

"Before the advent of modern vegetable oils, mankind consumed
small accounts of fresh, undamaged polyunsaturated fatty acids
found naturally as a component of his food," according to Dr.
Enig. "Consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids is much higher
today because vegetable oils are used widely as cooking oils and
in salad dressings, baked goods, and snack foods. Polyunsaturated
oils should never be heated--yet during the extraction process
these oils are subjected to very high temperatures that encourage
rancidity and the formation of many harmful breakdown products."
An example of the harmful breakdown product, she explained, is
something called trans fatty acids, which are now generally
recognized by mainstream medicine as harmful to the heart. Dr.
Enig said that trans fatty acids do not appear on the nutrition
labeling of food products, but they should. Trans fatty acids are
abundant in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are
usually listed in the ingredients section of the food label, and
are found in only small amounts in animal fats.

Dr. Enig is a leading spokesperson for the Weston A. Price
Foundation, which sponsored this conference. The foundation is
named for a dentist who, beginning in the 1930s, studied the
dentition of healthy isolated people untouched by Western
civilization. He found that they inevitably had great bone
structure and beautiful straight teeth.

Primitive diets were nutrient dense, with four times the calcium
and mineral and ten times the level of fat-soluble vitamins,
compared to the modern American diet. Dr. Price continued to study
these isolated people as Western foods were introduced. The white
flour, sugar, devitalized oils, etc., gradually displaced the
traditional foods, such as organ meats, fish eggs, and butter from
pasture-fed cows. Changes in diet led to rampant tooth decay;
narrowing of the face that brought on a susceptibility to sinus
infections; narrowing of the pelvis that led to childbirth
difficulties; and behavioral problems. Sally Fallon, president of
the tax-exempt foundation, told the conference that its goal is to
disseminate the research of this "nutrition pioneer. According to
the information packet supplied to the conference attendees, the
Weston A. Price Foundation takes no food industry funding.

For More Information:

-Lots of free information about the traditional foods championed
by the Weston A. Price Foundation can be found on its Web site (www.westonaprice.org).
Tapes of this and past conferences can be purchased via this Web
site. Those without Internet access can call (202) 333-HEAL to
learn the cost of receiving printed material from the Foundation.

-Visit the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics at
www.thincs.org. Most of the conference speakers belong to this
Network. The 51 members are listed along with their publications.

--- A study of elderly French women living in a nursing home
showed that those with the highest cholesterol levels lived the
longest (The Lancet, 4/22/89). The death rate was more than five
times higher for women with very low cholesterol. Several other
studies have shown similar results. Ironically, Dr. Ravnskov noted
that in his practice it was usually the elderly women who were
most worried about their cholesterol levels.

Maryann Napoli is the associate director of the Center for Medical
Consumers in New York City.

For more information see: BEYOND THE LIPID HYPOTHESIS - Exposing
the Fallacy that Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Cause Heart Disease

• - - - -

A C T I O N A L E R T   

( September 2006 )

Some people commenting on this article are asking what can be done
to end the tragedy of people getting sicker and sicker with the
use of statin drugs, and many are ready to join a class action
against the drug makers.

Here is another action anyone in the U.S. can do, as suggested by
Duane "Space Doc" Graveline, who has collected much information
about statin drugs on his website and has written a book: Statin
Drug Side Effects

The action: Write to the members of the Senate Finance Committee
explaining that statin drugs such as Lipitor do not help the U.S
economy at all. You can put some of your own experiences in that
letter, but for a general outline, here is a sample text to
download. You should of course suitably amend it, leave out parts
you don't care about and add in what you yourself think is of
importance, before sending it off to your Senator or Senators.

For a listing of the members of the Senate Finance Committee, go
to this site.

• - - - -

See also :

Drumming up More Business

What's a little cholesterol amongst friends?

Statin Drugs & Coenzyme Q10 Depletion

Statin Drugs & Breast Cancer

Statin Drugs & Memory Loss

Cod Liver Oil - Number One Superfood

Cholesterol Does Not Cause Coronary Heart Disease

Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

STATIN DRUGS Side Effects

Cholesterol drug warning issued

Statins And Our Immune System

An Open Challenge To The Ridiculous Dietary Allowance (RDA)

Frequently Asked Questions About Statins

WHO-US Adverse Reaction Reports For Statins - When Where What?

LOW DOSE STATINS?

The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Class Action - Statins Increases Heart Disease By 10% In Women

Statins May Cause Nerve Damage

Relentless Statin Junk Science Continues

Muscle Side Effects Of Statins

Yet Another Study Shows Low Cholesterol Increases Risk Of Early
Death!

Lawsuits Filed Over Lipitor Side Effects

Statins and Vitamin D Deficiency - Another Blow

Management Of Statin Damage

American Heart Association's Cholesterol Con - Statins

Statins and Parkinson's

-----------------------------------------------------------------

posted by Chris Gupta on Friday November 7 2003
updated on Sunday February 24 2008

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Readers' Comments
-----------------

I have been taking Statin Lipitor for the last 4 years, and zocor
for 10 years earlier,I can now confirm that I am experiecing a
loss of memory, and I thought it was due to age ( I am 62 years of
age) I do not eat any meat or chicken and I exercise regulary.
after reading your articls I am sure it is the side efect of
Statin.
Regards
Ahmad Fakih

Posted by: Mr Ahmad Fakih on December 8, 2003 06:10 PM

I TOOK THE LIPITOR FOR 3 MONTHS MY FACE AND NECK STARTEDTO HAVE
FIRE SHOOTING THOUGH IT AND THE REST OF MY BODY LEFT MY FACE AND
NECK NUMBY LIKE FEELING A HEAVYNESS AND AROUND MY EYES THAT MY
VISON IN DISTANCE IS NOT GOOD SEEING RED DOTS IN THE CENTER OF THE
HEADLIGHTS AND LAMPOST I HAVE NERVE DAMAGE ON BOTH SIDES OF MY
BODY THEY TOOK TEST OF MY HEAD AND FOUND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. SO
THEY RULE OUT A STROKE.MY DOCTOR SAID LIPITOR DONT DO THAT BUT MY
NEUROLOGIST SAYS IT DOES, SO HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUT OF
YOUR BODY. AND WILL I EVER RETURN BACK TO NORMAL THANK YOU ANN

Posted by: ANN on January 11, 2004 12:17 AM

I took Crestor for 15 months and started having memory loss,
numbness and tingling, and severe weakness. My MD stopped it and
all my symptoms resolved in about a week. Unfortunately, my
cholesterol level was still high 6 months later, so my MD started
me on Pravachol 20 mg. I wish I had told him to take a hike!!
Within 6 weeks I noticed a decrease in memory function -
forgetfulness, feeling

Posted by: Mary Schie on February 5, 2004 11:08 PM

My Mom has taken Statin drugs for 12 years. She has gradually lost
her ability to walk. She has herniated in her neck and lower back
causing what has been diagnosed as spinal stenosis. In the absense
of any kind of pain I have my suspicions that her deteriotating
condition might be caused by statin drugs. What do you think?

Posted by: joe greco on February 9, 2004 12:55 AM

I have taken Simvastatin for
6 months. I experienced severe
muscle stiffness and muscle
pain. I stopped taking the
the medicine one week ago
and I got my normal me back!

Posted by: Anders Erlandsson on February 14, 2004 09:09 AM

I took Crestor for three months and stopped about 2 weeks ago
because of muscle pain and weakness. The weakness seems about the
same, but the pain has subsided. How long do you think it will be
until my muscle strength returns? I have trouble going up stairs
or walking very far, when I never did before. My grip is weak
also.
Thanks,
Glen

Posted by: Glen on March 30, 2004 04:53 PM

i hear some news that statin can cause hepatoma is this true

Posted by: soad f ali on April 6, 2004 06:33 PM

I just got a script for lipitor and after reading this article I
am terrified of it...what to do?? total Cholest.2777 LDL188????
Help??

Posted by: jojo on April 13, 2004 11:11 PM

my wife is starting Lipitor and I am afraid of the severe side
effects????

Posted by: Bob on April 13, 2004 11:14 PM

I HAVE BEEN ON STATIN DUGS FOR YEARS.MY PROBLEM IS MORE MY
TRYGLICERIDES BUT I DO HAVE HIGH CHOLESTERAL.I HAVE HAD 2 VERY BAD
ATTACKS OF PANCREATITIS 1 THAT PUT ME ON LIFE SUPPORT FOR ALMOST A
MONTH,I AM VERY FEARFUL IN REGARDS TO STATIN DRUGS.I DO HAVE
SEVERE BODY PAIN,HOWEVER THE DOCTORS SAY THAT IT IS FIBROMERALGIA
REALLY WHAT IS IT? iVE BEEN ON MEVACO,PRAVACOL ZOCOR,LIPITOR AND
NOW CRESTOR WHAT CAN I EXPECT NEXT?

Posted by: ANDERSONP1 on April 21, 2004 01:20 AM

I have been on Zocor for approximately a year. When I started
taking Neurontin 7 weeks ago for peripheral neuropathy, I became
dysfunctional from either just the Neurontin or combined with
Zocor. In reading the examples I have gone off both. Anyone that
has any info, please reply. Thanks

Posted by: Elizabeth Gokey on April 28, 2004 07:57 PM

Dr. put me on lipitor today due to my high protein and says I am
at high risk for heart attack or stoke. I am diabetic, totally
under control, my colestrol is 139 -great. I have lost 35 pounds
since October and feel great. I am concerned about the side
effects.
Comments?????

Posted by: PSims on May 13, 2004 01:39 AM

I am a 55 year old white female that was on Lipitor for about 18
months.Within 2 months of starting the drug I started having many
problems with muscle cramps , pain at night that kept me from
sleeping more that 30 minutes at a time as I would have to wake up
to move,I could not walk more than a few yards without stopping,
stairs killed me, I could see myself heading for a wheelchair!
When I reported this to my doctor he asked me if I wanted to go on
disibility and said the meds would not cause this even though the
published side effects included muscle pain. The other disturbing
effect I had was the change in my hair..I had extremly curly thick
course hair before the Lipitor and the my hair went totally
straight, fine and thin.I refused the disibility as I really enjoy
me work as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Then I started to
find information regarding the side effects of this drug ie.
muscle pain etc so I stopped taking it. I have been off it now for
about 4 months some of the pain is gone I still get bad cramps in
my calfs and toes if I walk more than a block. I am sleeping
better I can now usually get 4-5 hours of sleep before waking,
however my hair is still a mess. Has anyone else experienced hair
straightening with Lipitor and do the mucsle cramps ever end?

Posted by: on May 24, 2004 02:15 PM

After having been on Lipitor for about 1 year I got occasional
swollen eyelids, redness around the eyes (looked like an owl), dry
red spots on my face and neck. I looked up side effects of Lipitor
and found that the above mentioned problems could be side effects.
I have stopped taking Lipitor, and after 2 weeks my skin turned to
normal and it has remained normal. I heard from someone else on a
Statin drug that she also had swollen eyelids for a short while.

My doctor refused to recognize that these were side effects of
Lipitor and almost got angry with me. I am now trying to find
another doctor.

Posted by: inger bussanich on July 3, 2004 07:35 AM

Taking Zocor for 2 years and
muscles ache / neck sore / left hand convulsing / headaches /
lower back pain /
right knee burning on inside /
shoulder muscles sore.

Posted by: on July 4, 2004 11:42 PM

I have been on Lipitor for almost 3 yrs. B/c I am 65, I have been
blaming age for my recent lack of memory. I have also developed
severe leg cramps and bad knees. To go from walking like a normal
person to almost being afraid of falling is very very scarey. As
of today, I am off the Lipitor. My drug of choice will be vitamin
C!

Posted by: Maureen Conway on July 7, 2004 08:40 PM

I have had Zocor for the last 7.5 year. At the time I started to
take it, I got half of my thyroid to be removed, and I take
Thysroid since. Given this and given that Zocor (0.4) keeps my
cholesterol in normal level, should I continue to take Zocor?

Thank you.

Posted by: alex on July 14, 2004 10:08 PM

Would like comments the useing of Zocor and Neuroton. I take both
and feel like shit. Thank you.

Posted by: David on July 21, 2004 07:16 PM

Prescribed Lipitor about three months ago after angioplasty. No
prior cholesterol problem. Took in the evening as recommended. I
started to notice total numbness in my right hand at night - woke
me up and tingling in my right foot. Also, from time to time sharp
sudden flashes of pain in the back of my head. I have decided to
stop taking it and have not had any further numberness in my hand.
Someone needs to really examine these side effects!

Posted by: Mark on August 20, 2004 06:02 AM

I have taken Zetia for about 3 months and my legs have been
cramping in the night. I took Lipitor for many years and began to
loose my memory. I thought it was age - 61.

Posted by: barbara on September 3, 2004 03:39 PM

I just wanted to say hi to the owner of a great site. I found a
lot of interesting
stuff here. Thanks..

Posted by: Susanne Marie on October 1, 2004 07:56 AM

I have been on lipitor for the 4 years. Had a 3-bypass 3 years
ago. I have no muscular pains or any other pains.I take Bezalip
400mg.ret. to gether with the lipitor. I have an elevated Cretanin
and protein in the urine.Is this an effect of the Bezalip or
lipitor,or both?

Posted by: a.loupo on October 1, 2004 02:25 PM

Had minor heart problem. Hospital prescribed a combination of
drugs, including Cordarone and Lipitor. After one year on
medication started to suffer muscle loss and control of left
foot/leg. Questioned Dr. on medication. No response. Another year
on and almost unable to walk even short distances and maintain
balance whilst standing. Another Dr. now suspects I have MND. I
diced all prescribed medication 3 months ago and started taking a
mix of Vitamin E, C, B12 and codliver oil as well as doing simple
physical exercises. Have noticed minor improvement in left leg
(muscle recovery calve +10%), walking and balance. No problems
heart or breathing. Am 67. Would like some feedback.

Posted by: John on October 3, 2004 05:20 AM

I have had serious lower leg pain and back pain that has begunm
radiating. I have been on statins for 7 years and have recently
stopped them and found that the pain has been reduced but not
eliminated. Vascular surgeons, orthopedists have been able to find
nothing. I am currently scheduled to see a neurologist. Can this
pain be the residual effect of 7 years of statins, particularly
Lipitor?

Ray Gilliam

Posted by: Ray Gilliam on October 13, 2004 12:43 AM

I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE AND TO KNOW I AM NOT ALONE. I AM
VERY ANGRY THAT THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THESE DRUGS ONLY LISTED MUSCLE
OR LIVER PROBLEMS, NOT NERVE DAMAGE. I HAVE BEEN ON
MEVACOR,LIPITOR AND ZOCOR OVER MANY YEARS. I SUSPECTED PROBLEMS
WERE CAUSING LEG PAIN AND LIMITING MY WALKING ABILITY ABOUT 2
YEARS AGO BUT DOCTORS SAID NOT LISTED AS SIDE EFFECT, SO AFTER MY
CHOLESTROL LEVEL ELEVATED THEY INSISTED I GO BACK ON. WHAT A
MISTAKE. NOW I AM NUMB FROM THE TOES TO KNEES. HAVE HORRIBLE PAINS
ALL OVER MY BODY, CAN BARELY SLEEP OR WALK. AM NOW ON NEURONTIN
AND TRAMADOL FOR PAIN. EVEN STARTED TO LOSE SIGHT IN ONE AREA OF
EYE WITHOUT ANY APPARENT REASON . WOULD LOVE TO SEE A CLASS ACTION
LAW SUIT STARTED . I WOULD BE FIRST IN LINE . ANY LAWYERS OUT
THERE INTERESTED?????

Posted by: MEG. on October 26, 2004 08:46 PM

Just discovered this site but I have posted my story elsewhere. My
problem was sciatica, a mild version in 2002 after being bumped up
to 20mg Lipitor from 10mg. After about 5 months I was totally
recovered, could walk normally, no funny gait. After another few
months my GP talked me into trying Crestor. Bad idea, within 5
weeks I had a massive sciatica attack, on 2 crutches for 3 weeks
with intense pain. Of course I stopped the drug. 15 months later I
still have numbness in my left foot. Make sure your doctors and
cardiologists file adverse drugreaction reports.

Posted by: stephen ottridge on November 1, 2004 04:00 AM

The problem with doctors filing adverse reaction reports is that
there is no way to really prove that the statin drug is the
culprit.If is usually many doctors later and sometimes years later
that the connection is suspected. What we need is a test to prove
what is happening. you were fortunate in making the connection as
quickly as you did and not being left with more permanent
problems.

Posted by: MEG. on November 1, 2004 08:27 PM

Started taking 10 mg of lipitor. My chlosteral dropped but now my
blood pressure is off the charts. Has anybody else had this
experience?

Posted by: Gordon on November 3, 2004 03:47 AM

Interest in effectiveness and side effects of first hand
experiences with Welchol.When
did you first take it?

Posted by: on November 8, 2004 08:03 PM

My husband started taking Zocor and began having severe muscle
pain and the doctor took him off of that and put him on Pravachol
and Zetia and it took it for several months without problems and
then he started having muscle pain, severe fatigue (this was not
normal for him he was a workacholic, but not anymore). I took him
off it and then we went back to the heart doctor and he put him on
Tricor (this is not a statin) and within two weeks it was
bothering him. He has stopped all of it and is still having
problems. He spends most of his time in bed, weak, muscle pain and
his knees hurt bad. How long does it take to get over?

Posted by: Faye on November 9, 2004 12:04 AM

FAYE...I WISH THERE WERE A DEFINITE ANSWER. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
IF A PERSON HAS BEEN TAKING THESE MEDS FOR A SHORT TIME, THEY SEEM
TO GET OVER PROBLEMS WITHIN A FEW DAYS TO WEEKS. HOWEVER THOSE WHO
HAVE TAKEN THEM FOR A LONG TIME HAVE VARYING RESULTS. SOME TAKE
MONTHS AND OTHERS SEEM TO HAVE PERMANENT PROBLEMS. YOUR HUSBAND
MAY NEED A PAIN KILLER IN ORDER TO COPE WITH EACH DAY. I HAVE BEEN
ON TRAMADOL, I TAKE 10MG.ALONG WITH 2 TYLENOL EACH MORNING.
NEUROLOGIST HAS NOW GIVEN ME NEURONTIN 2 TIMES DAILY. WANTS ME TO
GET OFF TRAMADOL. SO FAR I HAVE FOUND THIS IMPOSSIBLE . SOMETIMES
I NEED ADDITIONAL PAIN KILLER IN THE EVENING AND WHEN THE WEATHER
IS BAD. I WISH YOUR HUSBAND AND YOU LUCK IN FINDING AN ANSWER.YOU
NEED A SYMPATHETIC DOCTOR WHO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT STATIN CAN CAUSE
THESE PROBLEMS.

Posted by: MEG. on November 9, 2004 01:29 PM

AS I SAID IN A PRIOR E MAIL, I WISH SOME ATTORNEY WOULD START A
CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR US VICTIMS. I AGREE, SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE. FUNNY THING IS THAT I ALWAYS REFUSE TO TAKE MEDS THAT
ARE NOT ON THE MARKET FOR A LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE FEN
FEN DISASTER AND OTHERS BEFORE, SO I GOT SNOOKERED INTO THIS
ONE..CONSTANT BLOOD TESTS FOR LIVER PROBLEMS .WHAT A JOKE, BUT
UNFORTUNEATLY ITS ON US. I AM FURIOUS.

Posted by: MEG. on November 10, 2004 08:52 PM

I was diagnosed with high cholestrol in Nov 2003. My DR put me on
Crestor.
In May I had an emergency double by-pass and the Heart DR put me
on Zucor 80 mg.
With in 1 month I could not walk and ended up in ER.
I had an alergic reaction to Zucor. It almost killed me.
Now I am not allowed to take a Statin drug.
Let it be a warning to everyone

Posted by: Martha on November 12, 2004 12:44 AM

The view that excess levels of saturated animal fat do not
contribute to coronary artery disease may be popular with those
who are unwilling to give up their steaks and cheeseburgers, but
it flies in the face of everything we have learned about diet and
heart diseasre in the last fifty or sixty years. Vegetarians and
vegans have a much lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than
meat eaters; man is not a true carnivore and was not designed to
metabolize or ingest high levels of saturated animal fat; animals
raised for food in intensive farming today are grain finished, not
grass fed, and given growth promoting hormones which increase the
fat content of their tissues by as much as fifty percent over what
it was a hundred years ago; and the processing of refined white
flour has reduced the vitamin E content of breads and everything
else made from flour by as much as 90 % - vitamin E is protective
against some forms of heart disease because of its role in
preventing blood clots and bringing oxygen to the heart.

Posted by: Charles B. Edelman on November 19, 2004 10:59 AM

I have been on Zetia for a year and have had severe muscle cramps
that go up into the hip. I have been on a lot of medication they
all have caused muscle cramps. I am going off.

Posted by: Carol Fairchild on November 24, 2004 03:17 PM

I took 40 mg zocor for twenty days starting November 10th. I took
it at bedtime as my doctor advised. The first night had foot
cramps and the next night I had foot and leg cramps. A strange
thing happened during the day, as well. I have a buzzing, tingling
in my legs after walking for any period of time. Almost a numbness
or pins/needles feeling. By the 20th day, I stopped the Zocor as
the cramps/pains were too much. I was having cramps in my biceps
and chest as well as legs and feet. Also, I have had daily bouts
of heartburn. Coincidentally, I had wheezing and lung congestion
starting at about the same time I started the Zocor. I have "mild"
asthma and had not had an asthma attack in three years prior to
this incident. I have been off Zocor for nearly two weeks now. I
told my doctor when I stopped it and he ordered a Creatinine
Kinease test but that was all. I still do not know the results of
that lab. Although I have very few muscle cramps now, I still have
the tingling in my legs and arms following exercise, I continue to
have heartburn, and I still have a wheeze (treating with
Azmacort). I am terribly concerned that I will have peripherial
neuropathy for the remainder of my days. Has anyone signed on with
the class action suit against Zocor? I am really angry that this
could happen to me! I had been taking CoQ10 enzyme (300 mg daily)
and vitamins as a hedge against the Zocor side effects (I have a
PhD not MD and should have known better). Thanks for listening.

Posted by: Suzanne on December 4, 2004 01:55 PM

I am 43 man, and have been on Zoror 20MG for 12 years. My
cholesterol went from 320 to 200, and my HDL went from 32 to 50. I
have had terrible muscle pain and weakness in my legs for the last
5 years!!!My legs and arms look really skinny. I am sure this is
from the Zocor. My CPK is normal, but the latest research for
Myopathy( muscle pain and weakness)is a muscle biopsy. ALL of you
on this message board could find out if your problem is due to the
STATINS by this test. Remember, some of you are getting older and
have back problems and stenosis, which can also cause all these
broblems in the legs and muscle pain.

Posted by: Steve Wallitt on December 8, 2004 09:34 PM

Has anyone had any personal usage of ezetrol for cholesterol with
out any other drug.In relation to HELLP syndrome and liver damage
?

Thankyou

Posted by: Tony on December 10, 2004 01:12 AM

Everyone seems to be complaining of muscle pain and weakness. The
authority on this issue as it relates to statins is Dr. Paul
Phillips. The real question is whether people should keep taking
their statins with these muscle and weakness problems. If the CPK
test is normal, you can still have myopathy from the statins. This
would indicate that the muscles are fine, but would show RAGGED
RED FIBERS with a muscle biopsy. As long as the CPK remains good,
there is no real risk of other serious complications. Nerve
problems in the legs almost always originate from disk broblems in
the back. Pinched nerves and stenosys can lead to weakness and
pain in the legs, and muscle and bone loss.

Posted by: Steve Wallitt on December 10, 2004 03:23 AM

For more testimonials go to: http://www.internetwks.com/pauling/

Posted by: Chris Gupta on December 14, 2004 06:02 PM

I am a 35 year old male, in good shape. My cholestoral was 246. I
tried changing my diet for two weeks and lowered it to 225. I
started taking Crestor for about 1 month, my cholestoral dropped
to 132 but for the last week I have been experiencing a stiff neck
(I thought I slept funny), my arms are sore and my lower back in
beginning to ache. I am going off the stuff for 5 days to see if
there is a change. I have read earlier information and there
appears to be significant muscle issues. Anyone else experience
side effects after only one month ?

Posted by: Joe on December 20, 2004 10:44 PM

It takes about 4 to 5 weeks for the statins to really be taking
effect on your body, so your situation is entirely possible, dare
I say probable if you are sensitive to statins.

Posted by: stephen ottridge on December 25, 2004 11:20 PM

I started Zocor and within 2 days I had unbelievable pain
(burnng)in the stomach all a round to the back, headaches,
bloating, vomiting.

Is this the Zocor?

Posted by: Teresa Rachal on December 27, 2004 03:51 PM

Everyone who gets these side effects urge your doctor to report
them. We must build the database. Only 1 in 1000 adverse reactions
get reported. Listen to this radio interview, about 15 minutes.
http://www.cknw.com/audiovault/audiovault.cfm

Thursday 30th Dec at 5pm. Starts at about 5.35pm so you can scroll
about halfway along when Windows Media starts.

The Dr being interviewed in this radio interview is Dr Bob Rangno
who is part of the Therapeutics Initiative group at the University
of British Columbia. CKNW is the largest radio station in British
Columbia. Hear what he has to say about the drug industry, its
marketing of drugs, statins particularly Lipitor.

Posted by: stephen ottridge on January 1, 2005 03:32 PM

I have been taking zocor for high cholesterol for several years,
but never associated certain pains I have been living with for
some time. My doctor increased my dosage from 40mg to 60mg and I
have felt and increase in pain. Specifically my lower back hip
area. It also is very painful to bend down and I am often very
tired. When I try to go to sleep, I am tossing and turning on a
regular basis. Sleep is a challenge could this be the zocor?.

Posted by: Willie Johnson on January 4, 2005 12:52 PM

I enjoy the comments posted here but have a thought to share. 99%
of these postings are from people with statin issues, but people
who have these issues may only represent 1% of people benefitting
from, and/or taking these medications. Best to keep things in
context. Plus that, if you all stop these meds, my Merck stock is
going to go further in the crapper. Thank you,

Posted by: Matt Scott on January 10, 2005 04:41 PM

Has anyone read anyone done any studies if there is a connection
between statin drugs (like melvacor, lipator etc) and lymphoma. My
husband had been on various statin drugs for high cholesterol for
the past 10 years. Two years ago he was diagnosed with B cell
Lymphoma. His onocologyst recommened that he get off the statin
drugs. We did 6 months of outpatient chemo and after that he got a
clean bill of health and went back to work. His cholesterol
increased again and got back on the statin drugs. Six months later
his systoms came back and now we are fighting this all over, but
the chemo treatments now require hospitalization. If anyone knows
or has read any connection between the two please write. I am
going to recomment this web site to everyone I know that is on the
statin drugs.

Posted by: katie rains on January 25, 2005 05:56 AM

Kenneth see the July 14, 2004 08:32 PM response above.

Posted by: Chris Gupta on January 26, 2005 07:05 PM

i have taken most of the statin drugs over the years they all do
the same thing , muscle weakness, acks and pains. i was put on 10
mg of zeta for 3 mo , had colesterol checked and it had
gone up, went from 142 to 214.
i watched what i ate, exercized daily , even lost
a little weight . zetia did not do anything for me.
rosemary.

Posted by: rosemary lee on January 28, 2005 07:30 PM

My father-in-law took Lipitor for at least a year before noticing
numbness in his feet and legs. Now he is unable to walk without a
walker and his muscles have completly deteriated. He is no longer
able to feed himself or take care of his every day needs. This
drug is obviously the cause of everyones problems and something
must be done.

Posted by: lori on February 7, 2005 03:02 PM

I HAD A QUAD. BYPASS IN JUNE OF 2002. STARTED TAKING ZOCOR. AFTER
ABOUT 18 MONTHS STARTED GETTING DRAWING IN MY LEGS AND TERRIBLE
PAINS. DR. SWITCHED ME TO PRAVACHOL.
ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO STARTED GETTING TINGLING LIKE FEELINGS AND PINS
AND NEEDLES IN MY FEET AND TOES. I FINALLY STOPPED TAKING THE
PRAVACHOL ON JAN. 19 TINGLING STILL THERE BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT
THIS IS FROM THE CHOLESTEROL DRUG. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE TINGLING
LIKE THIS? AND HAS IT GONE AWAY AFTER YOU STOPPED TAKING THE MEDS.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW I HOPE THERE ISNT NERVE DAMAGE. I READ ANOTHER
ARTICLE RECENTLY WHICH SAID IF YOU GET NERVE DAMAGE IT CAN BE
PERMANENT.

Posted by: ken cohn on February 9, 2005 10:59 PM

I have been on Simvastatin for three months and I have become a
virtual cripple my legs,knees and skeletal muscle ache to the
point that I can no longer walk mor than a few feet or stand in
place for any period of time. My knees have so much pain and
sometimes go out right from under me. The pains in my legs and
cramps in my calves keep me up at night. I have stopped the drug
in the last four days but feel no change in my condition. Will I
have permanent damage to me legs I wwork in construction and I
need to be able to walk...

Posted by: on February 14, 2005 02:06 AM

I took Lipitor for only 8 days and had muscle cramps and tingling
in my face and arms. I stopped the medication and the muscle
cramps stopped however, I continue to have the tinging in my face
and arms. Any one know how long it takes to get back to normal?

Posted by: Lin;da on February 14, 2005 12:54 PM

I have been on Lipitor for several years and sometimes get
stabbing needle pains in my chest. When they twice radiated to my
left arm down to my fingers, I went in for an EKG. Both times it
was declared not to be a heart problem. Then second incidence was
shortly after doubling my perscription of Lipiterror (sic). I have
stopped taking it but I am left with about 1/4 strength in my left
arm. I also have swollen eyelids (upper and lower bags), and
pin-head red spots of blood sub-surface in my skin. Is all this
likely from Lipitor? I have stopped it forever.

Posted by: Greg on February 27, 2005 08:22 PM

I started 10 mg Lipitor last fall in order to reduce cholesterol
(at 265). I am 52, exercise regularly (weights, stairmaster, 15
miles of walking per week, etc.) Within 6 weeks, cholesterol was
at 191 - good. The doctor precribed Zetia to supplement the effect
which I started the beginning of January. Last Friday both legs,
the left leg in particular became weak and sore. I saw the doctor
who said that I could stop the medicine if concerned. By today
(Monday), both legs are VERY weak and sore, walking at all is now
difficult. It seems that it is at the worst when I first get out
of bed. This morning I had blood drawn for the muscle degeneration
panel and am seeing the doctor with my quickly worsening
condition. Lowered cognizence/memory has been a concern of mine
for the last few months as well. As of today, I have stopped
taking the medicines. I hope this is reversible!

Posted by: John on February 28, 2005 07:45 PM

Cholesterol Control..The Niacin Solution by William Parsons,M.D.,
Jr. is very informative concerning cholesterol.. THe above article
on this page about the large doses of Vit. C and L-Lysine would
help many people. Statins can be very dangerous. Lovastatin has
caused my arm muscles to ache. I will be switching to 2-4 grams
Niacin but it is dangerous unless your Dr. knows something abut
Niacin. Happy Healing to all.

Posted by: K Deen on March 1, 2005 02:14 AM

I took Lipitor for about 5 or 6 years and it kept my cholesterol
low. I took 20mg for the first few years and then cut down to 10mg
the last year and a half. However, this last year I began to get
some pain in my chest (muscular

Posted by: Mark Sherry on March 2, 2005 02:54 PM

A follow up to my posting on the 28th: Upon his request, after
describing my quickly degenerating condition, I went to my GP who
had originally precribed the Lipitor and who had seen me the
previous Friday. By late afternoon when I saw him I could barely
stand up and was beginning to experience sharp pains - he looked
terified.

He had me go see a neurologist (who stayed late just to see me) to
undergo some tests. The neurologist spent over an hour checking my
condition, including attaching electrodes to my legs, applying
voltages and checking the "shocked" velocities of my reflexes. He
also put a probe into the muscle tissue to "listen" to an audio
version (!) of the electrical impulses during relaxation and
tension. His ultimate conclusion : statin side effects and pretty
severe. However, he wanted to make final determination using the
muscular CPK blood test, not to be available until yesterday. He
called me yesterday and confirmed elevated enzyme levels in the
blood that represent muscle damage. By this time he was sure of
statin as the cause. The doctor also said that recovery (after
cessation of taking Lipitor and Zetia, of course) would be gradual
over several weeks. Today I feel better than Monday, but I am
still sore and slow.

Posted by: John on March 2, 2005 07:31 PM

In 2003 I took 20mg. of Zocor for 3-4 months. I had muscle pain
after a moderate work out. My doctor said not to worry as my liver
tests were fine. Two weeks later I was hospialized for nearly two
months for acute anuric renal failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis
caused by the zocor. I was unable to move and in severe pain. I
was on dialysis daily for several weeks and then three times per
week for several months. I was diagnosed with ESRD ( end stage
renal failure) My CPK level was @ ONE MILLION per my medical
records. My doctor said it is a miracle I am alive. I am now off
dialysis but continue to have muscle pain, weakness, fatigue and
anxiety. I now have 50% kidney function after nearly two years
which my doctor said he had never seen before after being so long
ESRD and then at about 30% function for more than a year. If you
experience muscle pain while taking zocor and your doctor says not
to worry, DO WORRY! Stop taking zocor immediately. The doctors
could not believe how fast my symptoms came on but did conclude my
illness was caused by the zocor. I will live with this for the
rest of my life. Now I want to warn others. I had been taken off
Liptor after only a few days because of cramping muscles and then
one month later put on zocor. I expressed concern about taking
zocor but I was told by my doctor it would be best for me and to
trust him . I no longer have this doctor caring for me but there
was no legal recourse per three different attorneys reviewed my
case. I am working with legal counsel regarding the potential
zocor claim. I wish I would have never taken a statin drug.

Patti

Posted by: Patti Santrizos on March 3, 2005 05:26 AM

Has anyone reported any connection between statin drugs and
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis? I have been diagnosed with HP after
taking Lipitor about 5 years. I have shortness of breath and lung
damage. I strongly suspect it is caused from taking Lipitor. I am
discontinuing taking it.

Posted by: Ronald Johnson on March 7, 2005 06:20 PM

I just surfed in this interesting place. The competition is
incredible but with a little luck and good connections you can get
to the top. Good luck my friend

Posted by: Roberto Paul on March 10, 2005 08:36 AM

Obviously the PCT must give the gps a good bonus for prescribing
simvador and not simvastatin What happened to patient choices?

Posted by: debbie wallace on March 11, 2005 08:26 PM

I am a 40 year old male. I suffered a heart attack in Oct. of
2004. I had a 99 % blockage of a descending artery and was given
an angioplasty and stint implacement. I was also placed on Zocor
along with a slew of other drugs while in the hospital. When I
left the hospital I was prescribed Crestor. Within 1 week I began
to experiance SEVERE leg and chest muscle pain. I was walking and
my legs just froze up once. The pains scared me and I went to the
hospital thinking I was having another heart attack. The doctors
admitted me immediatly and did another heart catherization and
found no blockages and my stint was fine. I was then told to get
off the crestor and for two weeks. I began to feel better but my
cholesterol increased. My new doctor then prescribed flovastatin
and told me that this drug was much more mild than crestor. I
began to feel the same way again along with bloating and lack of
energy. I finally told my doctor that I was no longer taking ANY
statins. My condition has not gotten worse however it has not
improved a whole lot either. I am still having muscel pains chest
pain and tiredness. I have been tested for everything! Most
recently MS and Hepetitis(since my liver enzymes were 4 and 5
times too high!). I am now trying a natural way to heal these
problems and I just wondered if anyone out there had similar chest
muscel pains and dizziness and how long they had to endure this
pain! Sometimes it is so bad I cannot sleep very well and have
zero energy. Anyone who is reading this please DO NOT TAKE
STATINS.

Posted by: Ron on March 19, 2005 06:41 PM

My husband has been on Lipitor 10 and 20mg doses, even 40 for
about 4 months. He is now suffering from joint pain in his hips,
arms, shoulders and legs. He has lost muscle tone and feels weak,
his energy level is almost nil. He stopped taking it almost two
weeks ago and is now more energetic but when tested this past
Monday his cholesterol has gone UP! It is even higher than when he
first began taking the drug. He watches his diet yet it continues
to rise. Has anyone else had these problems and is this normal?

Posted by: Tammy on March 24, 2005 03:42 PM

What about vytorin(zetia plus zocor) has anyone had side-effects.
I have had side effects from statins in various degrees. Zetia has
caused sinusitis, but no other problems when I was on that alone.
not effective in overall cholesterol lowering for me. Runner and
the stains definitely hurt muscles and jts.

Posted by: Jerry on March 27, 2005 09:12 PM

I was on Lipator for 5 years and was diagnosed with infiltrates in
my lungs. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and even had open lung
biopsy which the results were sent to Mayo and Baylor medical. No
one could find any reason for the infiltrates. I was then referred
to UT Southwestern Medical after 9 months of testing. The
Pulmonologist from UTSW immediately took me off of Lipator and my
lungs have started clearing after 30 days and are continuting to
clear after 5 months. I should be off of oxygen by Summer. Lipator
was definitely not the drug for me.

Posted by: Delores Maxwell on March 28, 2005 10:17 PM

I just surfed in this interesting place. The competition is
incredible but with a little luck and good connections you can get
to the top. Good luck my friend.

Posted by: Katrin Love on April 26, 2005 01:03 PM

Hi all and thanks for the wonderful information. I have been
placed on Vytorin for cholesterol of 278 just 5 weeks ago. I began
experiencing severe mid back pain right thru to my chest and
stomach and severe pain in my right shoulder behind the shoulder
blade, just unbearable. Not thinking it could be the vytorin, I
started preparing for my death, as I felt as if my time was coming
to an end with no explaination for my symptoms. After speaking
with my mother, she asked if I had been taking any new meds. I
told her I started taking vytorin 5 weeks ago, and she told me to
stop taking it right away. Since then I found this web site and I
am grateful to those of you who have posted your stories. I am not
sure if I have any permanent damage after only 5 weeks of taking
the vytorin, but I will start taking a more natural alternative as
posted here. Thanks to all.

Posted by: Karen V on May 9, 2005 04:06 AM

I have been taking vytorin on and off for about 8-9 months, now. I
have experienced right shoulder pain so bad that I can hardly
raise my right arm to put on the steering wheel of my car. I have
done the on and off thing just to see if Vytorin is the actual
cause of the pain. Folks it sure is!! Vytorin did bring my
cholesterol levels down consideerably, but the pain is unbearable.
I plan to seek a more natural way to bring my cholesterol levels
down. I have never been over weight and have always excersized and
eaten right. There has to be a better way!!! Oh, by-the-way I am a
registered nurse.

Posted by: sheila canatrell on May 11, 2005 08:26 PM

I am using a wheel chair. Eight months ago I easily walked 2-3
miles a day in about 45 minutes. This drastic change was induced
by statin drugs and Zetia. I have major heart problems and HAD to
take the drugs. The main statin drug is Pravastatin 80mg daily. My
AST levels went to 4 times normal about 60 days after the
cardiologist started me on Zetia. My myoglobin levels are
elevated. I cannot stand unless I push myself up and fight to
maintain my balance. I have fallen over 100 times in the last few
months. My primary care MD discontinued the statins until the find
out what is happening to me. I will never take statins again nor
Zetia. I am trying the vitamin C mega dose to see how much it will
lower my cholesterol levels. I doubt very much if I will ever
regain my ability to walk normally. I have appts. scheduled with a
Neurologist and a Rheumantologist. Think twice before you take
statins. I am now on a plant-based diet. No animal products ...
Good Luck to All.

Posted by: Rob on May 12, 2005 04:27 PM

DURING THE PAST TWO MONTHS, I HAVE SWITCHED TO A DIET CONSISTING
OF SOY PRODUCTS, FISH,VEGGIES,FRUITS ,DAILY SERVING OF OATMEAL
WITH 1/4TPS.OF CINNAMON, FAT FREE YOGURTAND CHEESES, AND LIMITED
CARBS. 1-2 SLICES WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, POTATO OR PASTA ONCE WEEKLY.
I AM BASICALLY A ",COUCH POTATO"ESPECALLY NOW WITH MY LIMITED
ABILITY TO WALK. BUT....... HAVE NOW LOST 25 LBS.AND LOWERED MY
TRIGLYS.& CHOLESTROL IN HALF. GUESS IF I HAD TAKEN THIS PROBLEMS
SERIOUSLY ENOUGH BEFORE I WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED THOSE DARN PILLS
TO BEGIN WITH. I MANAGE TO PUSH MYSELF TO WALK AS MUCH AS I CAN
AND DO SOME SITTING EXERCISES. ITS BEEN MONTHS SINCE THE ONSET OF
MY PROBLEMS AND I KNOW IT WILL NOT IMPROVE MUCH MORE.

Posted by: MEG on May 15, 2005 02:54 PM

I am 41 years old, healthy, athletic, and fit (have exercised
daily for 20 years - weights, running, biking...). I have been on
various statins for 13 years, Lipitor for the last seven years. In
January 2004 my doctor added Zetia to the Lipitor. I immediately
experienced muscle and joint pain. Six months later it got very
bad - CPK level = 1000. I also experienced memory problems and
cognitive impairment (making it difficult to function at work). I
have been off all medications for 3 months now. I feel a little
better, but not much. Is the damage permanent?

Posted by: Ron P on May 16, 2005 12:12 AM

I cant believe whats happened to me. I have been on cholestrol
medication..I dont remember when i started taking them, but now i
can barely walk, i use a walker..my heart is so broken i can
barely get dressed i am depressed I want to know know if i will
ever regain the use of my legs, even my ablity to use the bath
room is almost gone. if u have any ideal how long this condition
will last please tell me what i need to do.

Posted by: norma on May 18, 2005 03:47 AM

Three years ago I had a heart event and in line with my mother and
younger sister it was discovered that we all had inherited
hypercholesterolaemia (FH) I was put on simvastatins which just
upset my hole digestive system, could not eat drink and just
wanted to be sick. My G.P put me on Pravastatin and at my regular
6months blood test I mentioned aches across my chest and light
muscles pain, they were said not to be related to statins. After
l8month my Liver enzymes were raised and by the 2nd 6month test
they were even higher. I was put on the Benzfibrate family of
drugs, within 2months the muscles aches were bad, however by the
third month my whole back, hips and legs lost all strength and I
could hardly move. My G.P. did all the tests after taking me off
Fibrate and said I did not have the muscles disease - however my
muscles pains disappeared leaving a sore place down the hip and
leg where it first all started.
I have now been prescribed Crestor (or Rosestatin
new to our market August 2004) Obviously I am wondering wether to
try this low does as the G.P. are aware of the Liver problems, but
the question is can you live with raised liver enzymes? I also
feel after reading this site that I had memorey lost and very
heavy exhausted days. My Mother who has been in Lipostat after
10years had muscles pains - dry skin and unexplained aches all
over her body. My sister has decided not to take them, but like
the rest of the family despite a good diet, exercise Omer-3 our
cholesterol still remains high without statin. I hope that the
trial studies being carried out on plant extract Stanol will help
all of us!

Posted by: Gladys on May 24, 2005 10:42 PM

My brother has taken Lipator for 1 year. I am reading these
comments and I am afraid...

Posted by: Jack on June 1, 2005 03:08 PM

I am 32 and went from advicor to crestor. My neck is killing me
and it is giving me Gas and sometime greasy bowl issues. Not so
fun at work in the middle of a meeting.

Posted by: Tony on June 23, 2005 10:05 PM

Wow, I am glad I found this site. I have been on vytorin for about
4 months, and recently have had lower back pain and a burning
right calf. My doctor thought my calf was burning due to my back.
I think he was right, because I am taking muscle relaxers and the
burning is gone. I also have had muscle tremors all over my body,
and can’t even do a sit up without my abs tremoring real bad. Also
I can not hold my hand steady. If I try to make a muscle it
tremors. I thought it has to be Parkinson’s or MS. It is even hard
to use a computer, because I have to concentrate on what I am
doing. For the last couple of weeks the digits have not been
working right at all. But now that I see that other people are
going threw the same thing that I am, I feel confident that I am
not going to die from this. I feel like crap though, and hope this
goes away. Thank you everybody for the stories, because I have
been pretty scared of my health, I am only 33 years, and have two
small children that I would like to be there for.

Posted by: brian on July 20, 2005 10:05 PM

I am a 37 year-old male.

At age 35, my cholesterol suddenly began to rise. Total was 270
with a high LDL. My doctor started me on Zocor and within weeks I
began getting head colds on a regular basis (normally, I get about
two a year, but after startig Zocor, I got one every 4 or 5
weeks). Because I kept going back to the doctor for these colds,
they took the standard temperature/blood pressure. Over a
four-month period while on Zocor (5mg daily), I saw my blood
pressure - which had always been low to normal - suddenly creep
upward. When it finally reached 150/100, I stopped the Zocor.
Within a month, the blood pressure was dropping and the colds went
away.

My blood pressure returned to normal, and when I finally went back
to the doctor about 7 months (and no colds) later, we decided to
try Lipitor. Within 10 DAYS, my blood pressure was 140/100. I went
to the doctor for treatment for poison ivy, and he confirmed the
hypertension (138/100 at his office)

I have stopped taking any cholesterol medication. I refuse to
trade one potential defect for another.

Posted by: Patrick J on July 22, 2005 11:29 AM

HAVE ANYONE OF YOU HAD AND TROUBLE WITH THE MED.
MEVACOR FOR HIGH CHOLESTROL? I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT I HAD A
FIBROID TUMOR THE SIZE OF A ORANGE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE COULD
BE A CONNECTION. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEED BACK.

Posted by: SHERRY on August 10, 2005 10:52 AM

Hi, I am an old case(1990) of RCA blockage (97%).Till this
year(2005) I was treated with 50-75mg of ASA(Ecosprin). Three
months ago I had an angiograph and thellium stress tests.Both
showed improvement from simillar tests done 15years ago! As such I
did not heed the recomendation to have a RCA bye-pass.However,I
was put onto Stain tablets (Atorvastatin-10). Lately I have
started to experience back and leg muscular aches.This I found
unussual since I am very active physically and have never suffered
such symptoms. Since there was no change in my lifestyle, I
suspected the new medication that I had been taking for the past 3
months.Today I found this site through Google and after having
read all the letters, decieded to stop taking statins for some
time and see what happens.Luckily my cholesterol and blood
pressure have always been within limits, so no risks are
involved.Will post results on this site after a couple of weeks.

Posted by: Pritam Singh on August 14, 2005 08:58 AM

For Karen Smolar. It usually takes about 4 or 5 weeks on a statin
before the drug is operating "normally". This is probably why you
had problems after 4 weeks on Lipitor.

Posted by: stephen ottridge on September 5, 2005 09:22 PM

Wow! I have been reading this site for over a hour and cannot
believe how many of the symptoms I have that I have read about
here. Started on Lipator 3 years ago after an MI then was switched
to Vytorin a few weeks ago because my LDL was 90 and too high
according to my dr. I am a 55 year old female-have experienced
intestinal disorders and heartburn, shoulder and hand joint pain,
loss of memory since I have been on Lipator. The intestinal
disorders started after I began taking the Vytorin. Never thought
that the drugs were the culprit, but sure do now! Who has a
surefire natural way to lower the LDL as mine was very high.
Thanks.

Posted by: marian on September 8, 2005 10:23 PM

I am presently in such pain its hard to type. Began lipitor 5
years ago. Three mo. ago developed hip pain. now all leg muscles,
shoulders and hips really painfull. have very hard time . now i am
getting attacks of severe tiredness in my leg muscles can hardley
walk across room. damn the people who do this to us!

Posted by: rick on September 14, 2005 06:32 PM

test

Posted by: Cathy on August 28, 2006 05:59 AM

I have high cholesteral and last year was put on Zocor. In 12 days
I started getting extreme weakness in my arms and discontinued the
drug. I started seeing a new doctor and he was concerned about my
cholesteral. He prescribed Crestor 10 mg. I told him that I was on
Remicade and 2000mg a day of Napralan. All hard on your liver. I
took 1 10 mg dose of Crestor at bedtime and woke up the next
morning with severe cramps and contractures in my legs. I was
short of breath, had mild chest pain. The muscles in both arms
were extremely sore, even to touch. I later that day noticed that
I had broken blood vessels across the top of both thighs. I of
course stopped the drug and now 3 days later I feel much better
but my calves are still cramping and I am still very tired. I will
never, ever take a statin drug again!Has anyone had this happen
after a single dose?

Posted by: susan on September 1, 2006 04:51 PM

I was put on Zetia on a Tuesday and woke up on Friday with a
terrible ache in my chest muscle. I had not done anything physical
to cause the pain. I kept taking the Zetia until the following
week.....when I stopped it on my own. I stayed off the drug for
about three weeks....the pain lessened, but did not go away
totally. I tried taking the drub again and within just a few days
the pain started to increase again. After stopping the drug again,
it took a few months before the pain left completely. I am scared
to take any other statin if that was the reaction to Zetia which
is supposed to be mild!!!!

Posted by: sylvia on September 3, 2006 03:48 PM

I took Triglide for high triglycerides. Shortly developed numbness
in my feet and legs. Came off of it. Few months later, gave it
another try for a couple of months. Same symptoms showed up. Then,
was given Vytorin. Took for 3 days and had my first vertigo
attack. I wanted to die. After 3 months, took one more Vytorin
just to see. Woke up this morning with the room spinning. Never
again. Still have bouts with numbness and tingling in arms, legs
and sometimes face. Will be having MRI and Neuro Conductance tests
next week. I will not take statins ever again. Will hit the road
running. Watch diet and lose a few pounds. Take a daily aspirin,
Omega 3, balanced diet. If I die, then I die. But I will not be
driven to death by a pharmaceutical company.

Posted by: harry on September 13, 2006 09:59 PM

Thank you for this article, most informative, and happy to find
someone that has been able to relate this information, something i
have been trying to do with everyone i meet. I am printing this
out and taking it along with me.

Posted by: Beth Untermyer on October 2, 2006 01:09 PM

I have been taking Lipitor for over a year with no side effects. I
exercise regularly. I wish someone would post an alternative to
Lipitor.

Posted by: kate on October 10, 2006 08:38 PM

Im totally amazed to see all the side effects im suffering on this
web site.Ive been on crestor 20mg and tricor 145mg for about 6mts
now.Just before starting these meds i was walking everyday to
regain strength for my low back problems.Soon after starting
takeing these meds i noticed i was more tired than usual and got
alot of calf cramps,and could not walk as far or as long as
before.The meds droped my total cholesterol from 250 to 190 and
bad from 190 to 90.So i still continued the meds thinking i would
grow stronger and the meds would keep away a heart attack.Well now
im stopping the meds as of tonight 10/20/2006,and i will see if i
improve over the next 3mts.I wish i had never started the
statins,but my DR scared me into them and now physically im in the
worse shape of my life.Ive had vision problems in my right
eye,severe jump out or bed calve cramps,and its not easy to jump
out of bed after 2 back surgerys,my arms over the last month or so
have been going totally numb and feel cold while im sleeping,the
arms never did this before.and im finding myself frustrated
sometimes searching for words when speaking.Thanks to the ones who
run this site,youve provided me with the answers ive been looking
for.May God bless all who come here in the name of Jesus.

Posted by: Richard on October 20, 2006 03:29 AM

have been on simvastatin lipex and now on lipitor each time i get
a swollen tongue any one else suffer from this problem

Posted by: judith on November 1, 2006 01:20 PM

I am a white male, 48 years old, and started on Pravachol 20mg
regularly early in 2000.
My cholesterol was around 260 and with the drug, I was able to
keep it down to 190.
I exercise 5 days a week playing squash, badminton or running.
A couple of years ago I heard about the side effects, but mostly
pointing to memory loss that I never had.
Instinctly about 7 months ago, I decided myself to give a break on
Pravachol, just to let my body work for a time drugfree.
Today, thinking about to start to take it again, I just wondered
to check on the net about the latest news on side effects and got
to this site through Google, after visitng several others listed.
After spending more than half an our reading the posts, I realized
that I had many of other minors side effects mentioned in these
last 6 years.
But most surprising is the fact that, I am recalling now that I
have not had them in the last months. Wow! It would never cross my
mind to link them to Pravachol, as I had only the memory loss in
mind as a major side effect.
To mention: I would wake up in the midle of the night with the
right arm totally numb and with pain; about 4 years ago I had a
disk hernia in my neck cervical 7, making me have a hard time to
find a right pillow to sleep, not mentioning at hotels when I
travel; and many tennis elbow crisis. The last but not the least
to mention, I noticed that my graying hair got back a

Posted by: Luis A.B.Passarelli on November 25, 2006 09:35 PM

I was taking zucor for almost 1 month now till experience a very
excruciating pain on my right knee. The thing is there is no
inflammation nor soreness on my knee. I thought I am being
paralyzed and suspected the drug that I am being slowly poisoned.
My wife told me to drink a lot of water to flushed out on my
system. After 2 days of drinking water the pain gone.

Posted by: greg natorilla on November 27, 2006 04:01 PM

Took statins for three months, suffered terrible leg cramps;
memory loss, felt I could sleep for a week... and guess what...
had my first heart touble arythmia.. and have nove been diagnosed
with chronic fetigue syndrome... hell two years ago I was going to
the gym 3 times a week for 2hr work outs... sorry folks .. once
taken there is no repair no going back... throw them in the
rubbish

Posted by: Terence on December 4, 2006 05:57 AM

I took statins for a number of years after a heart attack. From
the start I could not walk beyond 150 yards without having severe
pain across my shoulders mid way down, if I tried to walk through
this pain I would just grind to a halt. My GP said it was angina,
having now come off theses statins the pain has gone. I can now
walk for miles. Rob. UK.

Posted by: Rob on November 20, 2007 10:55 AM

After 2 months on Lipitor I was getting muscle cramps in muscles
that had never cramped before as well as legs and feet which had
occasionally cramped in the past. I stopped the lipitor and the
cramps stopped. Supposedly this is a side effect that is not
common. True? This is an interesting site but someone needs to
take out the multiple identical except for name and date posts
about taking Crestor having memory loss, being switched to
Pravachol, and wishing she had told the doctor to take a hike, or
are these really all by the same person who keeps forgetting trhat
she already posted and futhermore, forgets her own name?

Posted by: Louise Sherman on December 12, 2007 11:30 PM

Doctor put me on Lipitor for a 18-months, then due to the
beginning of Liver problems, took me off that and put me on
Crestor for another three months and no change.Then he put me on a
fruit and vegetable diet for a month, lost 30 pounds alone in that
month, went off everything and lost a total of 60 to 70 pounds and
my colestoral problem is in the low side and yes I do have damage
from taking those statins like I can't do much walking, my lungs
hurt,and can't get a deep breath of air. Would like to find
something to help my lung problem and I will.But for all of you
just try the fruit and vegetable diet and you will be amazed at
how you feel, try it for a month,by not eating any protein for a
month at a time does not hurt you.Then go back to how you were
eating and see the difference.

Posted by: Karen B. on December 27, 2007 05:59 PM

I have been taking various cholesterol medicines for years and now
am on crestor. I have noticed definite hearing loss in the last 3
months or so and have been on crestor for about 6 months. Anyone
else with hearing loss, not sure if it is just getting older, but
I am only 51.

Posted by: vjfelton on December 29, 2007 11:35 AM

Was on Zocor for @ 8 years, then switched to Vytorin about two
years ago. No muscle aches, but developed hard skin on hands and
feet, with major cracking, difficult to walk. Saw three
dermatologists, a podiatrist, and my general MD. Was treated with
antifungals (proved negative) every cortisone ointment you can
think of including urea to no avail. Finally just stopped using
everything and greased my feet with vaseline several times a day.
Then the article about the uselessness of Vytorin came out and I
said the heck with it, and stopped taking it. Guess what? My feet
are almost clear. Could my body have been depleted of necessary
fats? I'll probably never know, but am grateful its going away.

Posted by: Jean Heagy on January 30, 2008 02:47 PM

I started taking Zocor after my first heart attack. I only took it
for a short time. my insurance co. stopped covering it so my doc
switched me to Lipitor. I had muscle aches and weakness so he
switched me to Lescol. I did not have the muscle pain but still
have weakness. There has been short term memory loss with all of
these drugs. I recently had my second heart attack even though
I've been on these meds for 5 1/2 years. My cholesterol has never
been higher than 137 total. First heart attack 117 total. I am not
over weight 143 lbs. Those that attribute memory loss to old age
or senility etc. are full of it! I am only 37 yrs. old!

Posted by: Gary on January 31, 2008 10:36 AM

i have been taking liptor for over 10 years always i have limited
nek movement shoulder pain hard to get out bed because of the
tighness. i am 67 years old my weight is 198 and i work out weight
lifting do not lift heavy weights. i am concern about the musel
and neck pain thank you

Posted by: harvey silverman on February 2, 2008 08:10 AM

I had an MI in 1998 and was put on Lipitor until Nov.07 when it
was changed to Crestor. I cannot believe what I am reading here.
My symtoms started with chest and arm pain right away with the
Lipitor and I thought I was having another MI.Not the case. Then I
started noticing my memory was going. Next it was severe pain in
my back and legs. Now I can barely walk up a flight of stairs. I
was 40 when I had my MI and I am 49 now. I have no energy
whatsoever and I have such dizzy spells I can barely walk. I have
now considered taking myself of the crestor. I will be the first
in line to go after these drug companies!!! I work with drug
companies and I now no how they operate. I have an appt. with a
neurologist in a month. I cannot wait to hear what they have to
say.

Posted by: Diane on February 11, 2008 01:58 PM

complained about side effects, stopped taking simvastatin. 2 weeks
later had a clot in brain. told ist coincidence. put on another
statin. cant remember yesterday. don't care about tomorrow. cant
have conversations. only alive because of commitment to mother. if
i can help you, please contact me. best wishes. graham

Posted by: graham jamieson on May 6, 2008 10:41 AM

Off statins 18 days and horrendous symptoms reducing daily. Still
numbness in hands and feet, but not 24/7 anymore.Muscles still
hurt, especially at night but improved somewhat. Memory still not
returned, not sure if it will. Now EVERYONE prick your ears up, as
you know muscle damage/wastage is a serious side effect!!! I have
had a dragging feeling inside my vaginal walls for sometime -
obviously 7 months of morning diarrehia, does not do a lot for
ones internal organs. Well I went to get it checked out yesterday,
and I have a Rectal/Bladder prolapse - it is hanging out down
below. The DR said to me there is no muscle at all for these
organs to adhere to as the wastage is so severe. Some might say
this often happens later in life - WELL I had a complete
hysterctomy in late 2001 and everything was tightened up then. In
Xmas 2005 I had some cosmetic surgery on my labia and the Surgeon
said everything was perfect internally. I started statins in
September 2005 and this proves how they have destroyed my muscle
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO MY HEART MUSCLE?? I have to have surgery in
a few days when they are going to try and put all this right, I am
going to ask the surgeon to do a muscle biopsy at the same
time.Would love to hear your comments on this. Pamela SP England.

Posted by: pamela sp on May 19, 2008 04:31 AM

I took Zocor for only 21 days and had tremendous pain in my legs.
After 8 months it is much better but not completely gone. While I
was on the Zocor I was prescribed a course of Azithromycin (Z
Pack) I found an article on the web that said this increased the
risk of statin side effects. My leg muscles were cramping and I
found a good deal of relief from Tonic water. The tonic must
contain quinine to be effective. Good Luck to everyone in trying
to get better.

Posted by: Cyd Cepiga on July 20, 2008 08:09 PM

I've tried four flavors of statins. The first caused severe muscle
ache and fatigue - I fealt like a 90 year old man, instead of a 33
year old man. Upon stopping treatment, the symptoms went away. The
second statin did the same thing, though the symptoms were less
severe and took longer to develop. The third statin I took did not
cause muscle pain, but I forgot things, became more or less an
airhead, became very mean and short tempered, and was very
lethargic and lazy. My wife asked me to stop taking it, so I did.
Within a month, I was back to my normal busy, productive, nice,
alert self. The fourth statin I took caused mild aches and pains,
also a feeling of being flustered. Then, one morning, I could not
even get out of bed I was so sore. This last statin put me out of
commission for an entire week.

What caused me to seek out possible permentant damage, is that my
hands still ache, even after being off it for 3 months. I am 36
now and have never had aching problems - ever (except sore muscles
after falling a few trees or something). Now, I can't even make
fists without pain. My God, is there not a single serious
investigation out there or lawsuit? This stuff is just crazy.

On another note, I'm dumpnig the family doc who prescribed these
and doesn't seem to take these side effects seriously.

I should probably add that my two father-in-laws have had similar
reactions, as had another fellow I know from church, and my
neighbor! Something just isn't right with this stuff. I'm
beginning to think it's such a cash cow, that producers don't
care.

Posted by: Scott from Michigan on September 17, 2008 10:53 AM

I have been taken Crestor 10mg for about 1 year - noticed sore
ankles and pain but did not connect. This site has highlighted me
to stop taking the drug and also file the results with the doctor.
I hope that the ankles improve soon - will let you know.

Posted by: Lawrence on September 27, 2008 08:57 PM

wow,i can't believe im reading all of this!!! i was on lipitor
40mg,for the past three years,while it did bring my levels down it
didnt bring down my triglicer?(cant spell it!)so ive now been on
crestor 20mg for two and a half months.i suffer from shapr
stabbing pains in my head,my neck is always sore,my
shoulders,hips,knees,calf,ankles and feet are always sore,im
dizzy,and i have trouble concentrating and focusing on things.i
mumble my words sometimes and i get missed beats,which when i
worked out they started around the same time i was put on
lipitor,but all of my symptoms have gotten worse since being on
crestor.i am due for my next blood test for my levels next
week.when i get the results,whether they have gone down or not i
am TELLING my dr that i am stoping the crestor and i don't want
anything else from the statin family!i am horrified.until i saw
all of these posts i thought all my symptoms were just me getting
old.im 36.when i was first put on lipitor my bad chol was 9.6,last
test they were 4.1.so im hoping my tri? levels is at least
halved,cos that would mean that they are in a healthy range now.im
going to start eating better and TRYING to exercise more.i was a
fit person before. i played netball for 17yrs and did weight
training,i cant even think about doing it now,im always tired and
i apear LAZY,to my family,although they have read some of these
posts and can't tell me enough they are sorry.god.i feel sorry for
myself and all of you.i know how you feel.its a sad sorry state of
affairs when you take medicine from your docter and it harms
you.my question is...will my symptoms go away after stopping this
medication.or am i stuck with this for life?my left side is so
weak. don't get me wrong,im gratefull that my levels have come
down but at what cost?i will let you know how i go.goodluck to you
all.god bless.x

Posted by: siobhann brown on November 8, 2008 12:41 AM

I have been taking Pravachol for almost 9 years. In the past year
I have had muscle pain,joint pain so bad somedays I cant get out
of bed,memory loss,chest pain,tired,and it goes on. Yesterday I
told my Dr. she said to take the pravachol 20mg 3 times a week and
the other 4 days take Co Q-10, 100 mg. I have read so many things
about statin drugs I am sitting here crying because I do not know
what to do. The dr.s I go to all think it's made up or get mad,but
still say stay on pravachol. I stopped taking it anyway, the
cramps, tiredness,and memory came back to normal,my pain went
away.My cholesterol was 182, I am 44 year old female, I smoke, and
occasionally drink. I am scared to take it, and scared not to.
Would somebody please tell me what I am taking,and if this is
right? I am not going to take anything,because I feel better when
I don't, untill I can find answers to my questions without dr.s
acting like I think I know more than they do and get mad or tell
me to take something I don't know what it is,or what it will do.
PLEASE HELP, Thank You, Karen.

Posted by: aren Wilson on December 5, 2008 10:38 AM

Why am I seeing dozens of the exact same letter, 'I took Crestor
for 15 months. . .' , with different names at the bottom ? The
dialogue is interesting, but the suspicion that form letters are
being sent is disturbing. Peter

Posted by: Peter H. Kirkpatrick on March 7, 2009 09:25 AM

read it

Posted by: kemal on March 30, 2009 05:25 AM

I don't have a problem in believing the frightening side effects
of Statin drugs but this site is not doing itself a favour. If
youscroll through it you will see nuerous samples of identical
postings submitted by different people at different times.

Lets clean this up and maybe we can get a believable message
across.

Response: Yes indeed you are correct this happened when the site
engine was updated and seems to be on other comments too. Thanks
for letting me know will clean as time permits

Chris Gupta

Posted by: Bud Greene on April 21, 2009 10:44 AM

I believe my husband's moderate-to-severe memory loss and
cognitive impairment are directly related to taking the statin,
"Lipitor" and his chronic exposure to electric clock radio on his
nightstand. Electric fields are known to lower melatonin. I give
my husband 20 mg melatonin with no B-6 every night. He no longer
has delusions or hallucinations and we both sleep through night
and have lots of energy. Check out my letters at following links:
JOANNE C. MUELLER LETTER TO DR. MARILYN ALBERT, ALZ. ADVISORY
BOARD (11 06) http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3038870/ WHY DID
THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY STOP INFORMING PUBLIC RE PREVENTABLE
HEALTH PROBLEMS? Prepared for "Obama Change Meetings" - 12-12-08
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/5385449/ Take care - Joanne
www.guineapigsrus.org jcmpelican@aol.com

Posted by: Joanne C. Mueller on June 2, 2009 08:10 PM

I took Lipitor for a couple of years. I began having severe muscle
spasms and told my MD that I was changing to lovastatin,
presumably a less powerful statin. Eventually, however, I began to
have severe spasms with it, too. Now I have quit it cold turkey
without consulting my doctor. I considered Zetia, on the theory
that it would not cause problems. Now after reading articles on
Zetia, I have concluded that I don't wish to take it either. And,
oh, yeah, I almost forgot: I also have memory problems that I had
not heretofore associated with the statins. Thanks for the
information.

Posted by: Richard Stumbo on July 21, 2009 07:20 PM

I was prescribed Simvastatin 40mg in 2003 following an Angioplasty
and Stent to unblock one of my cardiac arteries. It wasn't long
before I suffered aching muscles and joints in my arms, legs and
shoulders and tingling fingers and itchy eyes.This was attributed
to a Ck of 680 which was addressed by cutting the Simvastatin to
10mgs and introducing Ezetimibe. A month later the Ck was down to
175 (normal range 24-195)and the pains had substantially gone.
Since then I had a repeat occurence in 2006 when my doctor changed
the statin to Lipitor 20mgs even though the Ck was only just
higher than normal.As I passed my 60th birthday I started
commenting to my wife that I was having trouble remembering things
from one minute to the next long before I started researching the
downside of statin therapy and I also noticed that my hair, which
has been thick and bushy all my life was getting thinner. Both
these I put down to age until I tripped up on an uneven paving
slab and took the fall on my hands. A week later I developed
terrible aching again in both upper arms and across my lower back
and generally felt totally washed out. I asked my doctor if the
fall could have "shaken my whole body up?" because that's how it
felt and got a very non-commital answer and smile in response. My
current Ck is higher than the upper limit again but the doctor
said that the benefits of the statins far outway the side effects
and they dont panic until the Ck reaches more than ten times the
upper limit! After reading a lot of these entries I have decided
to cease taking statins and maybe ezetimibe as well. Thank you all
for posting your experiences.

Posted by: Richard Baker on August 10, 2009 05:07 PM

Just want to say i`m glad i found this site. I am from Uzbekistan
and know bad English, give please true I wrote the following
sentence: "Radioactivity azole feet similarly sleep to the hair as
a substance scarring writers including combed-up diseases, skin
mammals, delivery or all three." With love :-(, Querida.

Posted by: Querida on September 3, 2009 12:03 PM

I was taking a statin and developed pretty bad numbness , burning
and tingling in my finger tips , fingers and hands and asked my
cardiologist if it had anything to do with the drugs they were
prescribing. The answer was no and go see your family physician.
So I did and asked again if it had anything to do with my
prescriptions. They treated me with an anti-inflammatory and told
me that they would set me up an appointment with a neurologist
which they never did. Neuropathy can't be treated with a anti
inflammatory. It got so bad I couldn't hardly hold a glass , get
my mail , scratch my head or touch anything with out cringing. I
finally looked it up on the internet and I had all the symptoms of
neuropathy so I took myself off the drug. We have a student that
goes to a local college ( Pharmacy ) that lives here and their
taught in school to take them off the statin if neuropathy
appears. I don't understand why these doctors would outright lie
but I find their actions pretty undesirable. Once a doctor lies to
you then that person can't be trusted as a healthcare provider. If
their action cripples your just stuck with a disability under our
political program of socialism. As far as I know their still
prescribing the statin to me. I was on a low dosage ( 20mg ) and
it was one of the safer drugs. ( Simvastatin ). At least they
didn't try to increase my dosage. Sometimes food and vitamins can
bring down your cholesterol levels So if your being poisoned by a
stain my recommendation is to stop taking it. Toxicology is
dangerous and you can die from it and probably will if you don't
stop ingesting the poison.

Posted by: Richard Hellstrom on October 27, 2009 10:52 PM

Just want to let you know that the following message appears so
many times on different dates and by different people.
How can that be ? Is this site honest ?

I took Crestor for 15 months and started having memory loss,
numbness and tingling, and severe weakness. My MD stopped it and
all my symptoms resolved in about a week. Unfortunately, my
cholesterol level was still high 6 months later, so my MD started
me on Pravachol 20 mg. I wish I had told him to take a hike!!
Within 6 weeks I noticed a decrease in memory function -
forgetfulness, feeling

Response: Have removed the multiple entries this was due to a
glitch in software. CG

Posted by: harish sarin on February 17, 2010 01:11 PM

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