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
lee12629 mark49283
Posted
I totally understand about the statins,my husband had a heart attack over 10 yrs ago. He still works but has neuropathy in his feet so bad,he feels nothing in the bottom of his feet. He also has developed type 2 diabetes,which what I've read can be linked with statins. I also had a bad experience,muscle wasting and neuropathy,I quit and symptoms went away. one question,are they having him take Co enzyme Q10 with the statin?,if not please read up on it on the net. Many feel it's necessary to do so when taking a Statin. My husband isn't. Time I have a talk with him. Good luck.
lee12629 mark49283
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my last message was for Loxie,not Mark.
william01069 mark49283
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I have been taking 10 mg/day of statins for 22 years first Zocor and then Crestor and finally its generic, rosavastatin. I've always had sudden painful cramps in my legs and feet. Doc said it was normal and not to worry. The worst was 6 weeks ago and it has caused much soft tissue damage and a burning (nerve) pain in my right foot and ankle. Three weeks ago my doctor took me off statins but the cramps and extremely sore foot continue. I've doubled my dose of CoQ10 to 200 mg/day and I've been taking Ca/Mg/Zn [1000 mg Ca/400mg Mg/25 mg Zn] for years. My am wondering when my foot will heal and how long does it take for my body to recover from the statin usage?
pj87179 mark49283
Posted
Hi
I don't know if anyone is still following this. I posted before about my experience with statins. The dr took me off of them and I am still having side affects, some days are better than others, another dr in the office saw me and wants me to go back in statins, to try a different one since my LDL is so high. The thought of doing that and possibly going through that pain and inability to care for myself, I just cant do it. She said I might respond t it differently than the previous one, I cant take that chance. She said there is a new one out that isnt suppose to cause the muscle ache but the insurance company will only approve it if you have tried two other statins first and have a bad reaction to them . Thats crazy. of course now my dr and rheumatologist who both agreed my issues were from the statins, are now saying I have Fibromyalgia . They do not believe the side affects of the statins could last this long . I am going to try Keto to get my LDL down, my sister is doing Keto and her LDL dropped from 178 to 106 since April. I am scared, I dont want to die prematurely but I also cant do that pain again. I pray Keto works for me.
william01069 pj87179
Posted
I had a follow-up with my doc this week which was three weeks from the day that my doc concurred with my concerns that rosavastatin (generic Crestor) was the culprit in a foot injury following a bad statin-induced cramp. My labs were good which is due to an Atkins style diet low in carbs. However, my doc was walking back his prior concurrence that the foot injury was caused by a statin-induced cramp. That bothered me as I told him that I never had any muscle cramps prior to taking statins. I asked him to put in my file, "patient refuses additional statin treatment" and he did as I received a copy of his notes a few days later. He also suggested increasing my intake of CoQ10 which I already doubled and drinking tonic water which contains quinine which helps to stop muscle cramping.
From the blogs I have read on this site, some have reported being free and clear of cramps and side effects within a six month window. I took them 22 years and I hope my liver can process out any residuals. I am still having some cramps but they are gradually becoming less frequent. As for the foot, there is still some swelling but an NSAID helps greatly with stiffness and soreness. There's gradual improvement daily and it's not as painful in walking or exercising as the week before where it actually felt like burning pain.
Statins have generated billions of dollars for pharmaceutical companies and it wouldn't surprise me if doctors invest in those companies. My former GP (now retired) was the company doctor for Merck and my first statin naturally was Zocor which was Merck's entry into the statin craze.
My labs showed 165 for total cholesterol, 86 for LDL, 62 for HDL, and my A1C had dropped from 6.4 to 5.7. As you may be aware, statins do raise your glucose levels and mine were steadily increasing into the Type II range over the years. Were you aware that the body uses cholesterol to construct the sheaths that protect muscle fibers as well as the neurons (myelin sheaths) which are nerve cells that create the neural (electrical) pathways that control brain function and muscle function among other things. Cholesterol is also used to fuel the brain.
lee12629 william01069
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Have you had your potassium level checked? Something that really helped my muscle cramps was taking a magnesium supplement. Calcium also helped me.
lee12629 mark49283
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can i ask you how long you were on the statin,your side affects and how long you've ben off? I was on only 10 mg,for a year all seemed okay,than I experienced numerous side affects which my doctor and I agreed could be statin induced. My doctor took me off of it,I had muscle weakness,cramping,numbness,tingling in my arms hands and legs and feet. Also nerve pain etc. I felt 20 years older and it greatly reduced my quality of life. After about 4 months off the drug I felt quite a bit better,but in all honesty it took me about 3 years to be back to normal. I don't plan on going on any other type of statin.
william01069 lee12629
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I was prescribed Zocor 22 years ago and continued until Crestor became available and its generic, rosavastatin. I complained to my doctor all during that time of severe muscle cramps waking me up during sleep, but he said I would be on them the rest of my life and not to worry.
I've been off statins three weeks now and seeing some improvement but still getting cramps. Seven weeks ago, I had a very bad cramp in my right foot that resulted in swelling and burning pain for 6 weeks. This week the pain has subsided much. My notes on this are reported in this blog. I am off statins and controlling cholesterol with diet and exercise. My recent labs have showed that the plan is working but I will follow-up with the doc every six months for a year and then yearly thereafter.
lee12629 william01069
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thanks,in sure I've posted on here more then once,i just didn't have the time to go back and re read everything.
don52249 mark49283
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Wow, so glad I found this group. Lost some weight and developed shoulder and leg muscle pain. Doctor said 20% of his patients develop this condition while on statin. I had been on 40 mg Atorvastatin for a few years., He told me condition should resolve in 1 week, or they would check for other issues. It's been 6 days and a bit better but no where near to gone. Reading these posts make me feel better that it will heal eventually and not to freak out. Thank you. I will be following closely.
william01069 don52249
Posted
Interesting you brought up shoulder pain. I have been off statins almost two months now, the shoulder pains that I felt for years and considered to be wear and tear due to bursitis in the rota cuff have subsided greatly. I still exercise care when pull-starting a gas blower, weed eater, lawnmower, or a chainsaw. I have also noticed that my hearing has improved as well as sense of smell. Since my follow-up visit with my doctor in September, my weight is steadily dropping 2 to 3 pounds per month. I would love to get down to what I weighed in college but that may take a bit more time.
Even though most of the leg cramps subsided during the first few weeks after statin cessation, I still get occasional involuntary leg cramps. I think that is due to the fact that involuntary muscle cramps (statin-induced) force the muscles into a cramp position. So if I voluntarily stretch my legs or feet, I have to be careful as those muscles often slide into that "learned" cramp position.
The major cramp in my right foot that occurred 3 months ago and the resulting soft tissue damage is almost healed. The soreness on the bottom of the foot which felt like plantar fasciitis is gone. There is still soreness and periodic swelling just below the left side of the right foot ankle knuckle which I believe is nerve related as there are three nerve branches near there. The right side of my ankle (outside) is pain free.
pj87179 mark49283
Posted
It has been three years since I took atorvastatin. The pain was excruciating and the limitations on my body were extremely frustrating and exhausting. I was only on it for 6 weeks or so and the damage it did seems unreal. In that time I have improved but I am not 100 % I still hurt and at times have movement limitations. My strength was really impacted, I am so weak. When this first started my Dr. said it was from the statins and took me off them. I wasn't showing improvement so he sent me to a rheumatologist, who agreed the statins did this to me. However over time he then said I had fibromyalgia, that is rare for someone to still exhibit these side effects after this long from the statins, once you are removed from them. Honestly I don't believe in coincidences and not a big believer in fibromyalgia. I have no doubt it is still the statins, that they permanently did this to me. I will say though I started doing intermittent fasting and cut back on processed foods and my body does not hurt as bad as it did. I still don't have the strength i once did but the pain isn't as bad. I find it hard to believe there is no action we can take for the damage this "medicine" has done to us. I hope you all are doing better