Re: Link Between The 2

[Guest guest]

My blood pressure tended to be on the lower side of normal; now after

the rhabdomyolysis reactions to Pravachol and Lipitor. My blood

pressure went down dramatically after quitting the drugs. I suspect

the kidneys having a hard time dealing with all of that myoglobulin

from the muscle destruction has something to do with the BP going up.

I know I lost a lot of weight from the edema in a short time after

discontinuing the drug Pravachol. Still, on days when the edema is

worse my BP is also up.

I never had this kind of problem with my BP before I took the statin

drugs. I guess I am one of those who unfortunately got sicker from

the medicine i took then from the high cholesterol/triglyceride

numbers.

wolfindmist

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>

> Jun 30 (Reuters Health) - High cholesterol is common among people

> with high blood pressure, but the cholesterol problem often gets

> scant attention, according to a new study.

> I got this bit from a HeartLine article that I get each month. It

> went on about more ppl should be using Chol lowering meds. Do you

all

> have a combo of the 2, BP and Chol? I do. Please and Thanx, Bogie

[Guest guest]

I almost forgot...

After I started the Lipitor I returned my doctor complaing of edema,

my feet had swollen so bad that I could not walk on them, and I could

not make a fist with my hands. MY BP had gone up. My muscles were

painful.

Doc gave me Maxide (Trimaterene HCL) a diuretic that can lower bP.

That darn stuff worked for a short while but delayed my getting the

rhabdomyolysis detected. I would have soon been hollering more to my

Doc about the edema had I not had the magic diuretic pill to relieve

(mask) some of the fluid retention from the rhabdo.

Is a higher BP (hypertension) listed as a seen/noted side effect of

the Lipitor or Pravachol? I think it is but I can't remember.

Wolfindmist

> My blood pressure tended to be on the lower side of normal; now

after

> the rhabdomyolysis reactions to Pravachol and Lipitor. My blood

> pressure went down dramatically after quitting the drugs.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I have had the same experience. I was put on Pravachol in Aug.

2001. After 2-3 months my problems began with swelling in the legs

and high BP, which I had never had before. I was put on lasix for

the fluid and Altace for BP. My legs remainded swollen, and still

are even though I took my last Pravachol on 4-19-04. My doc sent me

for heart failure tests last Nov. because he was convinced I had it.

My tests came back normal. Then he sent me this spring to be tested

for circulation in my legs, still trying to figure out the swelling

problem. It was that 2nd cardiologist who picked up on the Pravachol

and told me to get off it for 2 weeks and see if I was better. He

also did a CK test which was normal. Well I was no better in 2

weeks, but I have not AND WILL NOT go back on any statin.

Just because of this statin, I have had to have expensive heart and

leg testing, at the expense of my insurance company and out of my

own pocket. What a joke! My chol. was never even all that high, just

a tad over 200. I now walk with a cane and need a wheelchair in

order to go anywhere and am only 46. I also cannot hold a job

anymore. At one point I asked the doc for a handicap sticker,

because of all the trouble I was having walking. His answer? Walking

is good for you, you need to do more of it, not less. I have an

appointment with this doc next Mon. Boy, do I have a few things to

tell him!

[Guest guest]

This does sound like Dee has experienced the same problems with the

pravachol/edema/ hypertension that I am having. I am only 41 years

old and I feel more like I am in my 70's right now. I haven't had to

resort to a cane or wheelchair/scooter, but it is a struggle to walk

anywhere (even just a few feet) when the swelling gets real bad. I

have been to the doctor twice this week because of the swelling, and

just had a bunch of xrays and bloodtests.

My doctor has told me more verbally about the muscle and other

damages I have suffered from the statin medicines then what he has

actually written into my record I believe. I don't know if he will

believe me if I tell him that since stopping the pravachol medicine

at the end of March, that I am still not fully recovered from having

the two severe problems in less than a year and that I am worried

about permanet injuries from all I have went through because of the

rhabdomyolysis from the lipitor and then the pravachol.

BTW for anyone out there who is thinking of quitting their statin

drugs because of obvious severe edema and profound weakness, get in

quickly to see a physician is probably wise move to help avoid as

many secondary complications as possible. And most importantly, don't

stop drinking water because you are so bloated and swollen. I made a

mistake and restricted my fluid intake because of my belief

that " since since I obviously had too much fluids swelling my body I

should drink less to relieve it " . I wished my doctor had told me the

day he stopped the medicines that I needed to have adequate fluid

intake to help deal with the edema/and the freed myoglobulins from

the pravachol reaction.

I lost 31 pounds in just a few days after being taken off the

Pravachol; and it was very scary to go through all

that was happening then. At times I am still scared by the changes in

my health since going on the statins; and that I still have some

lingering problems months later. I just hope it doesn't end up

getting as bad as Dee's. Dee my thoughts are with you.

BTW I do feel angry about what has happened to me. And I worry about

the same things happening to others down the road. I wish I could

educate my doctor about just how bad this drug has been to others. I

have already spoken with my long time pharmacist (who told me he felt

really bad about what has happened to me with these drugs). I have

sent in my report about my complications to the FDA. I do hope they

never make statins available over the counter, as I feel statin

useage carrys too much risk for folks to be able to buy them over the

counter. Statin drugs are obviously dangerous drugs for some people,

and I have to wonder how rare such problems are when I have had

rhabdomyolysis with two different drugs, and there are so many out

there having problems with the statin drugs.

I really think this list is going to get bigger as word gets out to

more statin users who have had serious problems about this list.

JMO

Wolfindmist

> Hi, I have had the same experience. I was put on Pravachol in Aug.

> 2001. After 2-3 months my problems began with swelling in the legs

> and high BP, which I had never had before. I was put on lasix for

> the fluid and Altace for BP. My legs remainded swollen, and still

> are even though I took my last Pravachol on 4-19-04. My doc sent me

> for heart failure tests last Nov. because he was convinced I had

it.

> My tests came back normal. Then he sent me this spring to be tested

> for circulation in my legs, still trying to figure out the swelling

> problem. It was that 2nd cardiologist who picked up on the

Pravachol

> and told me to get off it