Re: Good reference to hand my doctor?

[Guest guest]

Hi

Your side effect symptoms sound so familiar. After stopping 40 mg Zocor, my muscle pain etc just got worse and worse and the muscles degenerated. I've been off for over eight months now and still get the occasional pain but basically it took a little over six months before I actually felt OK again. Others vary from a few days to a few weeks or three months. My doctor - as do so many others - said it must be arthritis, etc. but I insisted on seeing a neuromuscular specialist privately. He agreed that it certainly looked like statin damage but was surprised that it had lasted so long (four months at that time). He referred me to another specialist who I only got to see in June - just as I was beginning to improve. He agreed verbally that it was due to statins but I have just read his letter to my GP and he doesn't mention statins at all. I haven't been able to find anything at all on the Internet. So, sorry I can't help - but believe me the symptoms can last for six months. There is also a doctor on the ish island where I live who had syptoms for six months also. Jane

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I have been reading the posts here for a few weeks and decided its

time to write. I stopped Lipitor on May 20th after taking it almost 4

years. I had looked up " Lipitor Horrible Side Effects " on the

internet and came across so much interesting info that was the

complete opposite of what the docs said. It has been the last two

weeks that I have noticed the biggest difference. I am now able to

work in yard without wearing out and being in so much pain I could

hardly get up. It seemed like someone took the energy out of my

muscles. July 30, 2000 I had a quad bypass at just 51 years old. I

had complained to 3 different doctors about the pain in my throat, jaw

and sinus when I would quickly walk, run, mow the lawn etc. for about

4 years. They all told be it was asthma. They gave me inhalers which

did nothing and I told them so. None of them took note that my dad

had bypass at 70 years as well as two uncles. I personally didn't

think much about it because I was still a young guy. I didn't have

high blood pressure or high cholesterol. I did smoke and I was about

30 lbs overweight. I really didn't eat a lot of junk food or fast

foods. I walked and hiked, did all of my own yard work like normal

folks do. I worked hard at my job in the printing business and people

enjoyed working with me and being friends. All of a sudden I

couldn't mow my lawn one day without loosing my breath. I had to stop

and rest two times. I thought how strange. Must be a high pollen day.

I used my inhaler which as usual gave me no help. I went to a play in

Ashland the next day and could barely get up the hill. I was huffin

and puffing so bad. On Monday I was at work and I could barely

carry a 25 lb carton across the room. I put it down drove to my docs

office and told them what was going on. Did EKG and nothing showed

up. I had to demand to see a cardiologist. Two weeks later I did a

tread mill. They said I was 70 percent blocked. They sent me back to

my regular doc and he said go on a diet and stop smoking. I said that

doens't take care of the problem at hand. I want to go back to the

cardiologist. At that time had HMO and everything was under referral.

Back at cardiologist we talked and decided to do a angiograme. Well

that showed 95% blockage in 4 arteries. This was on Thursday and they

put me on lipitor 20 mg and toprolxl 50mg. They did bypass on Monday.

Everyone told me how much better I would feel. I never felt bad but

I guess I expected to have all sorts of energy and good optomistic

outlook etc. I seemed to slowly go down hill from there. I mended

well and heart is strong. I felt old. I could not read and

comprehend more than one page in a book. Doc said this would pass.

Not unusual for bypass patients. I was grumpy all of the time which

was quite opposite of my normal behavior. I couldn't remember things

from the day before. Like what we had for dinner or a movie we saw.

My wife would tell me things and I would tell her she never told me.

It seemed in my mind that I was missing out on a lot of fun stuff. Or

not remembering it. I would get very frustrated at work and get up

and leave for the day, eventually quitting my job. I would go out and

work in the yard and come back in and feel like my muscles weighed 100

lbs each only after 10 minutes or so. I would loose strength rapidly.

I told my wife I guess I am getting too old for this stuff. Walking

was another subject because my legs would hurt and lower back would

ache. Arms hurt all of the time. Docs said tests showed liver

functions good and I did have some rheumatoid arthritis. Fingers in

right had numb and left thumb. I was told carpel tunnel. I refused

surgery because a year after heart surgey I had sinus surgery then a

year after that a knee surgery. Even the bottom of my feet hurt when I

got up in the morning. My body just seemed stiff all of the time if I

sat for even 5 minutes. I would walk around and it would work out but

in the mean time it would just plain hurt. I would on occassion swell

up in the face and hands and they did a thallius stress test.

Everything is open and working. They did ultra sound on my legs.

everything was fine there. Test hormones, thyroid on and on. They

said the usual, loose weight and exercise more. I belong to 24 hour

fitness and I would talk with trainers and they could not figure out

why I would poop out so fast. I was walking 4 days a week and with the

pain I would keep going. I felt like the doctors didn't believe me. I

was getting depressed. Gaining weight. Eating the wrong types of

foods. My dad at 80 who had a bypass 10 years before, was walking 3

to 5 miles a day depending on the route he took, still doing his own

yard work and maintenance around the house. He built a new fence

along the back of his property. He told me for his age he has very

little pain. I would do the same and it would do me in. Maintenance

around our home was going down hill. Cars not being washed often.

Walks shortened. I stopped camping and hiking. I could not stoop down

to weed the garden much less pound stakes in the ground for the tent.

I was putting off my favorite things to do because of pain and

stiffness in my body. Last yearly physical in April cholesterol went

up about 20 points. Doc raised my lipitor to 40 mg. In a week I was

worse off in much pain. I could barely get out of a chair or out of my

truck. I went to lunch with a friend and she said what the heck is the

matter with you. I said I think it is the arthritis getting worse.

Then, I started doing research. I decided to stop taking Lipitor.

I discussed it with my wife and showed her some of the info I found.

She did some research as well. She agreed lets give it a try for a

month. Started on 10MG Policosanol. Take my Omegas plus my vitamins.

I am back to improving my diet. Walking more and doing my weights.

My mood has improved according to my wife. I am enjoying being back

in the garden working. It looks good after doing the minimum for a

couple of years. I am able to sit and read now. I enjoy my

grandchildren more. Pain has lessened each day. I can get up and

down a ladder now without major pain in my legs. I still have

numbness in my hands but it is getting better. I haven't told my

doctor yet that I stopped Lipitor. I have an appt for blood work

again in a couple of weeks. I want to see how that comes out before I

say anything. Regardless, I am not going to take statins any longer. I

have many blessings in my life, two beautiful grand children a

beautiful wife and wonderful son and daughter in law. I live in the

beautiful Rogue Valley. There is plentiful camping, boating, fishing

etc. I want to enjoy them. When you can't think straight, remember

much, have great pains in your body and weakness, One begins to wonder

if they are crazy. Thank you so much Ed for this site and the people

here with their information. Each day I learn something new. I am

sorry this is so long. Dan

> Hi, I'm a new member but grateful for this site!

> Took 10 mg lipitor for 7 weeks and thought for sure my enzyme tests

> would show

> something terrible. Had stiff neck, shoulder pain, couldn't put my

> left arm behind my

> back, unusual sleepiness at night, prickles in limbs. Liver enzymes

> were normal but I

> phoned and told my doctor I had to get off the lipitor. My doctor

> told me to just stop cold

> and that the symptoms would go away in a few days if it was due to

> the lipitor. Does

> anyone have a good, medical reference/study I can share with my

> doctor to show that the

> symptoms can linger and still be from the lipitor? I do have energy

> back but I'm still

> feeling the aches after 5 weeks off lipitor.

> Thanks for being here! ciberhyker

[Guest guest]

Hey Dan...you told your story very well...happy to hear you are liking

your life better!

Jan

Cold Water Farm

Maine

coldwaterfarm

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much Jan. It is nice to know that we are not alone in all

of this. I felt like I was a crazy person half of the time. I would

go to the docs and get no help. My last doctor said, " what do you

want me to do about it. There is nothing I can do " He screamed this

at me and then told me to loose 40 lbs and stay away from sugar. Threw

a diet at me of 1000 calories a day and 10%fat. I guess that was the

cure all. MMMMMMKay. I went and found a new doctor who is a

little better but still very careful with what he says to me or might

agree with. We have to take care of ourselves. Have a good

weekend. Dano

> Hey Dan...you told your story very well...happy to hear you are

liking

> your life better!

>

> Jan

> Cold Water Farm

> Maine

>

>

> coldwaterfarm