Guest guest Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 I'm a new member to this group & have found so many interesting comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I was prescribed Lipitor just 2 weeks ago. My cholesterol reading was 229, Triglycerides 102, HDL 47 & LDL 162. The high LDL was the deciding factor for my doctor to prescribe Lipitor. I'm 67 years old, weigh 125 lbs, usually exercise at a fitness center between 3 & 5 days a week for at least 45 minutes each time. I also go to Weight Watchers to keep my weight between 122-125. I told my dr I didn't want to take Lipitor or any other drug in that 'category' after hearing & reading about the side effects. He, of course, 'poo-pood' every one of my arguements & convinced me I couldn't live without taking this med., as well as a blood pressure med, Atenolol. I left his office in tears over feeling forced to put this " poison " in my body after swearing I'd never agree to it....with prescriptions in hand! I took the first Lipitor (20 mg) that next night & the bp med the following morning. Right away I felt like I weighed 500 lbs and had absolutely no energy all day long & was so depressed! Then I tried to reason with myself: " Do you want to have a stroke & perhaps lose the use of parts of your body and/or mind, & maybe be unable to speak??? " & so on! And I continued the meds. On the 11th day, I had so much pain in both hips that it was actually painful to just lean over the sink to brush my teeth! And my energy level was nil! On the 14th day I woke with the same hip pain, but now my neck & shoulders & right arm to my elbow ached! I got up in tears over the fear, frustration & pain! I could barely make the bed! It hurts to sit for long, to bend at all, & to roll over during the night. I'm an avid scrapbooker & I can't even sit for very long to do that anymore! After an hour or so, the ache in my neck, shoulders & arm eased, but I decided I was done with Lipitor and any other such " medicine! " I called the dr, still in tears & when the nurse called back, the dr had said I should stop taking the Lipitor (no problem!!!) and wants to see me next week. I asked if he was going to do a blood workup to see if there was any particular problem/damage & she said " No, he just wants to see you as a followup. " Well, I've decided to cancel the appt. since I know the routine; he'll do all he can to convince me how 'good' this med or something like it is for me & I'll be fighting back by telling him " NO! " So why go & stress myself? Again this morning I woke with the hip pain and the aching in my neck, shoulder & upper arm. I'm going in & out of emotions such as fear at not taking 'something' to control my cholesterol, and fear of living the rest of my life in this pain. My bloodwork also showed " Potassium, Serum " as high- 5.6, 'should be 3.5-5.2.' I questioned my dr about this. He said it wasn't important since I have no kidney problems. THEN I read on the pharmacy info-sheet " Lipitor may cause muscle damage. Untreated, this can lead to kidney damage! " I'm thinking... " I have this high potassium level which he said has something to do with my kidneys; I'm taking Lipitor which can cause a problem leading to kidney damage! " Just shoot me!!!! Well, I apologize for being so long-winded about my situation! I have friends telling me it took about 2 weeks to get these side effects....it may take that long for it to all get out of my system. Meanwhile, I'm so interested in learning what can I take that's safe and effective. I'm not much of a 'pill taker;' I buy vitamins, take them for a couple weeks & I'm over it! Most vitamins upset my stomach, as does calcium, etc. And the pills are SO huge!!! But I do want to take care of my cholesterol situation, as well as my blood pressure which I'm sure has been kinda high the past several days from this pain & worry! Thank you SO much for any help or encouragement you can give me! -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 ---! > Thank you SO much for any help or encouragement you can give me! > -- > Hi . STOP worrying about your cholesterol! The evidence is strong that people our age live longer with high cholesterol than low. I stopped Lipitor 5 yrs ago and still suffer. Hopefully you stopped in time. The blood pressure med will make you tired and listless, sort of like instant aging, don't take it unless you really need it. You didn't say what your BP is. Now go have a nice bacon+egg sandwich and be well Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 You started Atenolol and Lipitor at the same time? I am someone who stopped Lipitor and Crestor 5 years ago, I am now 66, my last Cholesterol test my ratio HDL to LDL improved and my Triglycerides dropped a bit. Eat well, lots of fruit and veg, smaller steaks now, well I'm older, regular alcohol mainly wine. As for Atenolol I couldn't take it either, it gave me wild hallucinating dreams, I take Accuretic for my high BP. --- bwscrapper38 <bwScrapper@...> wrote: > I'm a new member to this group & have found so many > interesting > comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I > was prescribed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 Hi , I met a guy in his 60s 2 months ago who had had 4 heart attacks, 2 of them while he was taking Lipitor AND he is still taking Lipitor along with a high dose of Coq10. I think that if it wasn't for the Coq10 his memory would not have been as good as it was when I saw him. As for the rest of him...well, he can hardly walk and was using a cane, he no longer has a voice and whispers, he looks 20 years older than he actually is, could barely keep up a conversation with me and I don't think he can drive anymore. He probably takes all the other drugs (blood thinner, HBP meds, congestive heart failure meds, etc.) that go along with having a heart attack but the bottom line is that one will never get well if one continues to take drugs that only manage a health problem but never heal it. phine. P.S. I think that if you take atenolol long enough, it can cause you to have a stroke or heart attack. Better look up all the side effects and force your doctor to talk to you about side effects. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/blood-pressure-medication-increase-heart-attack-r\ isk.html > > I'm a new member to this group & have found so many interesting > comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I was prescribed > Lipitor just 2 weeks ago. My cholesterol reading was 229, > Triglycerides 102, HDL 47 & LDL 162. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 I agree with Art. There really is no evidence that cholesterol is the Cause of heart disease. Half the cardiac events are people with normal cholesterol values. WE have been lowering cholesterol now for 35 years with no impressionable changes in heart disease. What does that tell ya? This whole cholesterol thing started when the general public accepted the idea that fat and cholesterol clog your arteries like bacon grease in your sink pipes. Sounds convincing, but we are people with complex metabolic systems, not house plumbing. So when the world accepted this thinking, a whole new market was born, and fear of death would become the driving sales opportunity. Bobby > > ---! > > Thank you SO much for any help or encouragement you can give me! > > -- > > > Hi . STOP worrying about your cholesterol! The evidence is > strong that people our age live longer with high cholesterol than low. > I stopped Lipitor 5 yrs ago and still suffer. Hopefully you stopped in > time. The blood pressure med will make you tired and listless, sort of > like instant aging, don't take it unless you really need it. You > didn't say what your BP is. Now go have a nice bacon+egg sandwich and > be well > Art > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 , I see nothing wrong with your cholesterol numbers, although the LDL is high. There are ways to deal with that without taking Lipitor. Better ways. Less expensive. And no risks to your health. My veiw is that lipitor induces huge health problems, and is nothing more than a snake oil sold for pure profit. Its obvious in your post that you fear a heart atack and thats why you took the lipitor. But that is exactly what they are playing on to sell people this junk. FEAR of a cardiac event. > > I'm a new member to this group & have found so many interesting > comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I was prescribed > Lipitor just 2 weeks ago. My cholesterol reading was 229, > Triglycerides 102, HDL 47 & LDL 162. The high LDL was the deciding > factor for my doctor to prescribe Lipitor. I'm 67 years old, weigh > 125 lbs, usually exercise at a fitness center between 3 & 5 days a > week for at least 45 minutes each time. I also go to Weight Watchers > to keep my weight between 122-125. I told my dr I didn't want to > take Lipitor or any other drug in that 'category' after hearing & > reading about the side effects. He, of course, 'poo-pood' every one > of my arguements & convinced me I couldn't live without taking this > med., as well as a blood pressure med, Atenolol. I left his office in > tears over feeling forced to put this " poison " in my body after > swearing I'd never agree to it....with prescriptions in hand! I took > the first Lipitor (20 mg) that next night & the bp med the following > morning. Right away I felt like I weighed 500 lbs and had absolutely > no energy all day long & was so depressed! Then I tried to reason > with myself: " Do you want to have a stroke & perhaps lose the use of > parts of your body and/or mind, & maybe be unable to speak??? " & so > on! And I continued the meds. On the 11th day, I had so much pain in > both hips that it was actually painful to just lean over the sink to > brush my teeth! And my energy level was nil! On the 14th day I woke > with the same hip pain, but now my neck & shoulders & right arm to my > elbow ached! I got up in tears over the fear, frustration & pain! I > could barely make the bed! It hurts to sit for long, to bend at all, > & to roll over during the night. I'm an avid scrapbooker & I can't > even sit for very long to do that anymore! After an hour or so, the > ache in my neck, shoulders & arm eased, but I decided I was done with > Lipitor and any other such " medicine! " I called the dr, still in > tears & when the nurse called back, the dr had said I should stop > taking the Lipitor (no problem!!!) and wants to see me next week. I > asked if he was going to do a blood workup to see if there was any > particular problem/damage & she said " No, he just wants to see you as > a followup. " Well, I've decided to cancel the appt. since I know the > routine; he'll do all he can to convince me how 'good' this med or > something like it is for me & I'll be fighting back by telling > him " NO! " So why go & stress myself? Again this morning I woke with > the hip pain and the aching in my neck, shoulder & upper arm. I'm > going in & out of emotions such as fear at not taking 'something' to > control my cholesterol, and fear of living the rest of my life in > this pain. My bloodwork also showed " Potassium, Serum " as high- > 5.6, 'should be 3.5-5.2.' I questioned my dr about this. He said it > wasn't important since I have no kidney problems. THEN I read on the > pharmacy info-sheet " Lipitor may cause muscle damage. Untreated, this > can lead to kidney damage! " I'm thinking... " I have this high > potassium level which he said has something to do with my kidneys; > I'm taking Lipitor which can cause a problem leading to kidney > damage! " Just shoot me!!!! > Well, I apologize for being so long-winded about my situation! I have > friends telling me it took about 2 weeks to get these side > effects....it may take that long for it to all get out of my system. > Meanwhile, I'm so interested in learning what can I take that's safe > and effective. I'm not much of a 'pill taker;' I buy vitamins, take > them for a couple weeks & I'm over it! Most vitamins upset my > stomach, as does calcium, etc. And the pills are SO huge!!! But I do > want to take care of my cholesterol situation, as well as my blood > pressure which I'm sure has been kinda high the past several days > from this pain & worry! > Thank you SO much for any help or encouragement you can give me! > -- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 , I see nothing wrong with your cholesterol numbers, although the LDL is high. There are ways to deal with that without taking Lipitor. Better ways. Less expensive. And no risks to your health. My veiw is that lipitor induces huge health problems, and is nothing more than a snake oil sold for pure profit. Its obvious in your post that you fear a heart atack and thats why you took the lipitor. But that is exactly what they are playing on to sell people this junk. FEAR of a cardiac event. > > I'm a new member to this group & have found so many interesting > comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I was prescribed > Lipitor just 2 weeks ago. My cholesterol reading was 229, > Triglycerides 102, HDL 47 & LDL 162. The high LDL was the deciding > factor for my doctor to prescribe Lipitor. I'm 67 years old, weigh > 125 lbs, usually exercise at a fitness center between 3 & 5 days a > week for at least 45 minutes each time. I also go to Weight Watchers > to keep my weight between 122-125. I told my dr I didn't want to > take Lipitor or any other drug in that 'category' after hearing & > reading about the side effects. He, of course, 'poo-pood' every one > of my arguements & convinced me I couldn't live without taking this > med., as well as a blood pressure med, Atenolol. I left his office in > tears over feeling forced to put this " poison " in my body after > swearing I'd never agree to it....with prescriptions in hand! I took > the first Lipitor (20 mg) that next night & the bp med the following > morning. Right away I felt like I weighed 500 lbs and had absolutely > no energy all day long & was so depressed! Then I tried to reason > with myself: " Do you want to have a stroke & perhaps lose the use of > parts of your body and/or mind, & maybe be unable to speak??? " & so > on! And I continued the meds. On the 11th day, I had so much pain in > both hips that it was actually painful to just lean over the sink to > brush my teeth! And my energy level was nil! On the 14th day I woke > with the same hip pain, but now my neck & shoulders & right arm to my > elbow ached! I got up in tears over the fear, frustration & pain! I > could barely make the bed! It hurts to sit for long, to bend at all, > & to roll over during the night. I'm an avid scrapbooker & I can't > even sit for very long to do that anymore! After an hour or so, the > ache in my neck, shoulders & arm eased, but I decided I was done with > Lipitor and any other such " medicine! " I called the dr, still in > tears & when the nurse called back, the dr had said I should stop > taking the Lipitor (no problem!!!) and wants to see me next week. I > asked if he was going to do a blood workup to see if there was any > particular problem/damage & she said " No, he just wants to see you as > a followup. " Well, I've decided to cancel the appt. since I know the > routine; he'll do all he can to convince me how 'good' this med or > something like it is for me & I'll be fighting back by telling > him " NO! " So why go & stress myself? Again this morning I woke with > the hip pain and the aching in my neck, shoulder & upper arm. I'm > going in & out of emotions such as fear at not taking 'something' to > control my cholesterol, and fear of living the rest of my life in > this pain. My bloodwork also showed " Potassium, Serum " as high- > 5.6, 'should be 3.5-5.2.' I questioned my dr about this. He said it > wasn't important since I have no kidney problems. THEN I read on the > pharmacy info-sheet " Lipitor may cause muscle damage. Untreated, this > can lead to kidney damage! " I'm thinking... " I have this high > potassium level which he said has something to do with my kidneys; > I'm taking Lipitor which can cause a problem leading to kidney > damage! " Just shoot me!!!! > Well, I apologize for being so long-winded about my situation! I have > friends telling me it took about 2 weeks to get these side > effects....it may take that long for it to all get out of my system. > Meanwhile, I'm so interested in learning what can I take that's safe > and effective. I'm not much of a 'pill taker;' I buy vitamins, take > them for a couple weeks & I'm over it! Most vitamins upset my > stomach, as does calcium, etc. And the pills are SO huge!!! But I do > want to take care of my cholesterol situation, as well as my blood > pressure which I'm sure has been kinda high the past several days > from this pain & worry! > Thank you SO much for any help or encouragement you can give me! > -- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 My 87 yo mother was on Atenolol for about a year and a half. She went from being really active to feeling tired and wanting to sit all the time. She had no energy to do much of anything and she felt dizzy. She knew that it was caused by the drug. It was the only drug that she was taking to lower her HBP. Then in April 2006 she got a stroke. It was then that someone told me that her stroke was probably caused by the atenolol (beta blocker) but of course her doctor denied it. As you can see from my previous posts, atenolol was dangerous and her doctor should not have given it to her in the first place. Have you done your own research on how you can naturally bring your BP down without taking a drug? I guess > it's safe for me to continue with the Atenolol unless I find it's > causing problems for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 I read in UK national news paper article some time ago that out of a 100,000 new diabetes patients per year 8,500 will have been caused by Attenolol.That's a lot of people who probably did not know and were not told what they were letting them selves in for including me. Hence the NHS policy of removing BP patients off it and on to something else probably just as bad long term but we don't know it yet.But I still see people on here prescribed Attenolol as though their doctors are not aware of the problems, though this has been known for years or dismiss them as irrelevant,worrying! And to cap it all Attenolol is useless for prolonging your life by lowering BP. So we put up with all that for nothing. Les > > > Yes, I was prescribed both Atenolol and Lipitor at the same time. I > think my problems were caused by the Lipitor which I stopped taking > just a few days ago. My blood pressure is "high" every time I go to a > doctor ("white-coat syndrome???")....around 145/85....sometimes > higher, sometimes lower. I check it regularly at home & it averages > about 130/75....sometimes much lower, rarely higher. But the dr > said "even if it's only high when you're nervous or stressed, it's > high, it stresses your heart & it warrants medication." So here I am! > Before the Atenolol when I exercised, my pulse rate would max out at > 138-150 beats per minute; now it's around 90. Dr said that's > good. ???? Stress test a couple weeks ago was "very good." I guess > it's safe for me to continue with the Atenolol unless I find it's > causing problems for me. > > > > > > I'm a new member to this group & have found so many > > > interesting > > > comments regarding Lipitor and its side effects. I > > > was prescribed > > -- Steve - dudescholar4@... Take World's Smallest Political Quiz at http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html "If a thousand old beliefs were ruined on our march to truth we must still march on." --Stopford ------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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