my latest labs, doc still pushing statins

[Guest guest]

Hello, I am a type 2 diabetic female, age 57, diagnosed over 13 years ago.

When, in 1999 my total cholesterol went over 200, my doc said I had to get my

numbers down because being a diabetic is a risk for CVD.

I took the 10 mg of Zocor that was prescribed and within 3 months I started

having pains in my arms and shoulders, which was blamed on my part-time,

repetitive bakery job. I was prescribed what was the start of many drugs,

including anti-imflammatories, pain meds and Lidocaine patches, even Cymbalta,

and the first of 4 rounds of physical therapy. I worked for another 4 years at

this job, in almost constant pain. Also, I almost always got worse during the

P/T. During one round of P/T, which was for tennis elbow, I developed biceptial

tendonitis from the strengthening portion of the P/T with weights and resistance

bands. I didn't have tendonitis in my biceps before the P/T. I was also having

pain in my legs when climbing stairs or rising from a chair. In 2004, I quit

the job, but I didn't get better. I was taking the Zocor and then simvastatin

all along.

When I started to listen to the Lipitor ads on TV, I thought, I do have

" unexplained muscle pain and weakness, " and also tendonitis in multiple joints

of my body. I then did a web search for statins and muscle pain and found this

group.

I asked my doc if I could try stopping the statin to see if I felt better. He

said yes and the bicepital tendon pain I had for 3 months after the P/T was

finished started to subside. Finally a solution, it was from the statins. At

one point, through all of this when I was 50, a rheumatologist told me that I

should expect to experience pain now that I was 50. What a statement! I was

insulted.

At the lowest level of my total cholesterol at 167, I felt the worst in my life.

I was also having periods of brain fog. I have added more good oils and nuts to

my diet, which is fairly low in processed carbs because of the diabetes. My

total was around 197 and my HDL went up and trigs down and my ratio was good.

It took almost 4 years to be close to pain free. Of course, all along my doc

has been checking my lipid panels and as they have slowly risen, he started

saying he wants me to start a statin again. I told him I really don't want to

go through all of that again. I asked if I could try an older drug which maybe

wouldn't be as strong. I agreed to try 20 mg of pravastatin until my next labs

in January. My latest lipid levels are:

Total--221, Ratio 3.9, (range < or = 5.0) Trigs--113, HDL--56, LDL--142, which

is the result that my doc wants under 70.

The lab sheet says that the recommended level for LDL is less than 100 for

patients with CHD or diabetes and under 70 for diabetics WITH known heart

disease. I have never been diagnosed with any heart disease. I think LDL lower

than 70 for me is too low.

I read the news articles that said the most muscle destruction seemed to be

associated with Zocor and simvastin.

Have any members here taken pravastatin with extreme muscle problems? The dose

I was prescribed is 20 mg. Any advice or experiences from those who took

pravastatin or Pravachol appreciated. Thanks. Sorry for the length of this

post.

Connie