ATORVASTATIN and severe muscle pain
Posted , 40 users are following.
Hello. I was taking Lipitor (atorvastatin) for 3 months before I started to get SEVERE muscle pain in my right arm to the point where suddenly, I could not left my arm or hold a cup without having severe pain. I stopped taking the statin. I've been off it now for 8 days. The severe pain seems to come and go (the pain itself has never really disappeared, it just seems to start off small in one area, mostly my shoulders, then get worse before it calms down again....only to reappear in the other arm!) I've read that COg10 helps, so I have just started taking 400mg over the last three days. I thought I turned the corner yesterday, only to wake up in the middle of the night with the severe shoulder/arm pain again. Any thoughts from othere who experienced this, and how long it took for you to recover after stopping the statin? I am 60 and was very active before this taking this -- now, i can't even pick up a golf club without pain. I am trying to stay positive with hopes that eventually, the pain will go away and my muscles will start to repair themselves -- but, I'm a little scared after reading some things on the internet, of course.
3 likes, 150 replies
RhonDaWg58 mark49283
Posted
I started taking LIPITOR 8 months ago after I got a stent due to an artery that was 90% blocked. My cholesterol has never been high so I didn’t think I needed this med. My cardiologist wanted me to take it for 1 year only, so I agreed. For months I have had some
common side effects. Mostly Tiredness. I started having SEVERE pain in pretty much every joint & muscle, shooting pains in my hands & feet, I can’t hold anything for more than a minute, a rash on the back of my neck from ear to ear, all the symptoms of a bad cold without the virus or fever. Major urine decrease, about 1/4 of the usual amount, which is a sign of possible kidney failure!! It even caused my asthma that has been in remission for 15+ years to come back. Since my cardiologist prescribed this med, he was the one I talked to. He said that Lipitor didn’t cause it, that by law they have to have a list is of possible side effects & that ALL prescription drugs list the same things only because it’s a law. I looked at him with such a WTF?!? squint??
All I could say was BULL!!
I felt FINE before I started Lipitor!! Needless to say he is no longer my cardiologist. I feel better since I got rid of the Lipitor, Dr. Suh & Plavix too!!
BEEN DONE!!
Finding this group is such a BLESSING!
It’s been 5 daze since I stopped taking LIPITOR. My Urine is back to normal today. The cold symptoms are lessening. A lot of pain in my shoulders & neck, both my arms, elbows, forearms & every knuckle. The bottom of my feet hurt. My hips hurt. My back hurts, my front hurts.
sabella mark49283
Posted
Hi, I was taking simistatin for several years, it did lower my cholesterol a lot and I lost weight. I had a couple episodes of mild chest pains and a couple of visits to the emergency room and after a couple of tests my GP told me I had a blockage and needed a stent implanted or I could have a heart attack and die!! I went to another facility to have dye put through my veins to see where the blockage was, there was no blockage and I was fine. BUT somewhere in the middle of all this some doctor changed my simistatin to atorvastatin and no one warned me of the possible muscle pain that you folks are talking about. The pain and weakness started in my left arm moved down my back stayed in my glutes for a while and now is in my thighs and knees. My arm is so weak I can barely hold a coffee cup or a book it is so painful and my arm is so weak! The worst part is it is EXTREMELY painful to get up out of a chair or get out of my car or try to sleep comfortably. My legs become very stiff and it is difficult and very painful to walk - I have to grab the corner of my desk to pull myself up from my desk and it is still EXTREMELY painful to do so. One doctor put me on the COQ10 with what turned out to be a steroid for a week and the pain disappeared immediately but the minute I stopped taking the drugs the pain came back worse than ever. It has been a year and a half and it all seems to be getting more painful. My doctor is on leave till October. I can barely walk, certainly can't hike or kayak or canoe, or ride my bike (it would be real funny trying to get out of a kayak with all this pain). I'm 71, I did have a mild heart attack a year ago, does anyone know how to get rid of this pain??? Will there be any permanent damage to my painful left arm? It feels like blood isn't getting to my fingers, they turn slightly dark sometimes till I shake my arm. Would exercise on say a rowing machine rebuild the muscle strength and get rid of the pain? My leg muscles feel like beef jerky - very stiff and can't be bent.. This getting old is no fun!!
marcia69427 mark49283
Posted
My Muscle pain was so severe that I insisted on physical therapy. I was scared that I would rupture a tendon or damage the rotator cuff. I had/have pain in both arms and shoulders. My therapist told me that I was right to ask, because waiting may have lead to frozen shoulder. Therapy has helped a lot, but the damage is real and very slow to heal. I could not push open a car door, could not raise my arms to wash my hair, and still have trouble dressing myself. Doctors are dismissive because they have swallowed the kool-aid. And the pain is not theirs to deal with. I met with a cardiologist who suggested a new injectable. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! When the drug companies say "may cause muscle pain", they don't tell you the severity of the pain. This was crippling.
marcia69427
Posted
RhonDaWg58 marcia69427
Posted
WoW!
It hit me at 8 months of taking it.
I am saddened, confused & very angry that this is even allowed for consumption!!!!
marcia69427 RhonDaWg58
Posted
I know, right? I, too, am angry. I JUST retired in January from a very physical job and had no issues before this "medicine". Was waiting for spring to get out and work in garden. Didn't happen. And although it hurts to move, sitting still is the worst thing to do.
wayne1962 marcia69427
Posted
Hi Marcia - 3 weeks??? My god! I was on it two years with all sorts of issues. It's taken 3 years to get my health back. Best of luck to you - you'll bounce back. I share the rage with you and RhonDa.
marcia69427 wayne1962
Posted
Thank you. I'm very angry and I absolutely refuse to let this pain take over my life. Alkaline water, Alleve and whatever else it takes.
marcia69427 wayne1962
Posted
I am pleased to share that I am very close to normal now. Physical therapy did wonders for me! I had to stretch the muscles that were immobilized by pain. And I wanted supervision. I wish everybody here could be as "almost" pain free as I am now. PLEASE insist your doctors listen to you. Best wishes to you all.
wayne1962 marcia69427
Posted
loxie marcia69427
Posted
I too had severe pain and after a couple of years of pushing to get my GP to refer me to someone who could help, I finally saw an ortho consultant who referred me for an MRI, which showed minor early onset arthritis in my neck but not enough to cause the pain I was in, mostly in my upper arms. So he referred me further for an ultrasound which showed that I had a severely ruptured bicep tendon in the right arm/shoulder and a minor tear in the left. Prior to taking statins I had no muscle problems, I used to swim a lot and had good upper arm definition without doing any strenuous activity that could have caused such a severe rupture - the only difference being I was on statins! My GP absolutely refuses to accept the damage was due to the statins and told me, and I quote - a little discomfort is normal and is better than a heart attack - I kid you not. He said that blaming statins for such problems was the 'nocebo effect' ie patients hear about the negatives and experience a more negative effect than is normal. Oh yes, take this poison for a few years and then tell me I'm imagining it..........
Powerwalker mark49283
Posted
Ferndell mark49283
Posted
I know exactly how you feel. In my case the pains were in the hips and thighs. I stopped the Lipitor and insisted that they give me Crestor (Rostuvastatin) but the manufacturer is Crestor. No pains since and that was 3 months ago.
loxie Ferndell
Posted
Glad to hear the Rosuvastatin causes you less problems than previously. My hubby was prescribed firstly simvastatin then atorvastatin some years back and was severely disabled when taking either. His doctor wouldnt offer any other option so he stopped taking them. His cholesterol was only slightly raised at around 5.9 - 6.0 at the time. He has always had high BP however and has been on a variety of BP meds, none of which effectively brought his BP down to a really safe level. Two weeks ago he had a heart attack and has been told he has multiple blockages and will need probably a quadruple bypass. He has been put back on atorvastatin very high dose and told he must take it because it will help soften the plaque to prevent it ripping the arteries. He's only been on it a week and he's almost bed bound again. Pain everywhere in all muscles, chronic fatigue (in excess of that caused by the weakened heart muscles) coupled with nausea and headaches. This stuff is total poison!! There must be a better way to reduce plaque than taking this awful damaging toxic statin. I would add that he is a non smoker, hardly ever drinks alcohol and is vegetarian. His ischaemic heart disease is hereditary.
Ferndell loxie
Posted
Sounds dreadful, I should have mentioned I have also been on CQ10 500 for about 12 years. Get them to try the Crestor, they don't like prescribing it because it is more expensive than the generic versions.