Lipitor and muscle pain?

 Category: Lipitor

Questions and Answers

Does Lipitor cause muscle pain?

I have been on Lipitor for about 2 years. About 2 months ago I developed muscle pain, worse in my legs in my legs but also in my
trunk. I was taking the tablets at bedtime and the pain arrived about half an hour later, enough to keep me awake or to wake me up if i had got to sleep. I started taking neurofen and codeine at bedtime just to get off to sleep, but was woken with pain after about 3 hours. Then two weeks ago I stopped taking the Lipitor and the problem disappeared. Is this a familiar story to anyone else?
I am wondering whether to stay off them altogether or to start taking half doses.

YES,SEE:
Lipitor, a statin drug widely used to lower cholesterol, has been implicated in a number of cases involving muscle pain and muscle tissue degeneration. Understanding the effect that Lipitor has on the body may provide answers for those concerned about the side effects associated with this medication. It may also lead the way to alternative cholesterol treatments.

The active ingredient in Lipitor is atorvastatin, a drug that inhibits the production of an enzyme that the body uses to make cholesterol. The intention is good, but there are problems inherent in reducing the production of cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol plays a vital role for every cell in the body. Without enough of it, the body cannot repair and replace cell membranes, and they will degenerate and die.

Muscle tissue, like every other kind of tissue, needs a certain amount of cholesterol in order to stay healthy and function properly. The use of Lipitor may actually restrict cholesterol too much, causing muscle aches and pain due to tissue degeneration. Much about the full effect of statin drugs on the body remains unknown; however, it is clear that they should be used with caution, and only when other avenues have been exhausted.

Unicity International, a leader in the field of nutrition, believes that a better solution to the problem of high cholesterol is a natural one. They offer an all-natural product proven to lower cholesterol without harmful side effects. Bios Life 2 is a liquid fiber supplement that removes excess cholesterol without interfering with the body's cholesterol producing mechanisms. The addition of antioxidant vitamins C and E, and a highly absorbable form of chromium, makes this formula the most complete natural cholesterol-lowering supplement on the market today.

How long can one see results of muscle pain once they discontinue taking Lipitor.?

You mean, how long does it take for the muscle pain caused by Lipitor to go away after you stop taking it?

Approx a week. For me about three weeks.

But I have a hint for you.... you don't need that if you will eat a breakfast designed to reduce your cholesterol.

Mine was over 230... I was not happy. Neither was my doc..

And I had muscle pain. then I read a study done on a very small amount of Canadian patients======(less than 150, about 4 years ago...... one set ate this breakfast, the other nothing in particular.

The ones who ate the breakfast lowered their cholesterol 30 point is 6 months.

So I tried it. Mine is now 180. I no longer take Lipitor, and my doc now eats this breakfast !!!!!!!!!!!! I told him about the study

Steel cut oats, cooked as directed. Get them at Trader Joe's. Also called Scottish oats. (Plain oatmeal is not the same. Cherrios is a joke.)
Walnuts
ground flax seed meal
brown sugar
blue berries
nonfat milk.

Drop your weight, do a little exercise, and hon, you'll be fine. Get that BMI in a proper range and your arteries will love you.

Worked. I promise

does Lipitor causes calf muscle pain? if so which is vitamin supplement to ease the discomfort?

Numerous adverse side effect reports have implicated Lipitor as a possible cause for severe neuromuscular degeneration. Some people who have been using Lipitor for two years or more report symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis or ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease - in which they are losing neuromuscular control of their bodies. no vitamin supplement can stop the pain as long as you continue using the medication.

The supplement "red rice yeast" will take down cholesterol levels with no side effects. Vitamin C is still one of the best vitamins to take on a daily basis To help prevent heart attacks.

Muscle pain from Lipitor?

Would like to know the recommendations (Natural if possible) to solve cholesterol problem without taking statin drugs.My age is 68

Statin drugs are notorious for causing severe leg pain just one of their side effects. You can change drugs and you'll find out they carrry severe side effects but then again they lower cholesterol. Its a chance we take when we take any type of drugs.

Natural remedies: Onion juice 1 glass per day., mud pack smoothed over the abdomen increasing productivity of intestines and kidneys. Coriander water. Soy products. Exercise. Oat bran. Just some of the one I have tried and they do work, it just involves alot of time and patience rather than popping 1 or 2 pills in your mouth. I myself would rather go the natural remedy to prevent the dangerous side effects of cholesterol medication.

is there a statin that does not cause muscle pain?

I took myself off Lipitor after 18 months as I developed muscle pain severe enough to wake me in the night.
Do all statins have this side effect or are there some that don't?

After reading the write up in the Daily Mail, I have now stopped taking my statin. Mine caused sleeplessness, headaches etc. The Lancet are now saying that statins only benefit men under a certain age and have no benefits at all for women. I am now looking to lower my cholesterol with diet i.e. porridge, almonds, fruit and veg, red wine, garlic and exercise. Also try to grill meats and if you have to use the fryingpan, use a spray oil or olive oil.
I think Doctors are gradually waking up to the fact that statins are being pushed by the big drug companies as they make them milllions each year yet it is being proven that statins do not stop heart attacks and strokes.
Good Luck

If a med can cause general muscle pain/weakness could it cause that pain in the heart too?

Say a med like Lipitor?

The myositis that meds like Lipitor sometimes cause does not affect heart muscle, but there are some rare diseases like infection with Toxoplasma that will attack both skeletal and cardiac muscle.

Skeletal and cardiac muscle are both striated, so they are more like each other than they are like smooth muscle, but there are differences between them. Only a few diseases attack them both.

Mom's leg pain (muscle or blood vessel);Stain use, read on:?

My Mom's been taking Lipitor approx. 2 + ?
yrs; she's now been hurting in her left leg, down below knees; she's not sure if it's muscle or blood vessel that's hurting ,pretty bad & frequently. My sister are her care-givers (as they live near her); I help with her sometimes, as much as I can. They have to take her to Doc every wk. or two - for her
diabetes too low/ and / or too high. She's been complaining about the leg pain off & on for past several weeks. Do u think her pain could be in muscle due to rare side effect of
the Lipitor (that disease/ ailment that starts with an R , i think, --the one that causes muscle-breakdown and then kidney damage!
I don't know if she nor sis already informed Doc of her pain in leg. my question: would Mom be running a fever if she does have
that rare side effect? / thus far, my sisters &Bro.-- do not live with Mom&Dad,but go by&give her insulin&meds.,&other chores
Is theRare sideEffect diagnosed by blood Tests(by her Doc)? any help/comment.

If she's been taking the Lipitor for more than 2 years without incident, than it most likely isn't from the Lipitor. However, her doctor will make the decision to take her off of it or not. The leg pain could be caused by Neuropathy, which is common in diabetics, especially since it seems like your mom's diabetes isn't really under control (here sugar isn't stable). The most important thing is for your mom to get to her doctor ASAP! (p.s. the "R" disease from the statins is called Rhabdomyolysis)

Was on Lipitor 20 mg tabs for 90 days= muscle problems, loss of period (amenorrhea) . . .any info on this?

Having many, many adverse reactions to taking this medication. I have tried repeatedly to contact the Dr and keep getting voice mail so no appt made yet or contact with them yet - just playing phone tag. So I quit taking it two days ago due to concern caused by my loss of periods for several months (I have been abstinant for at least a year-so not pregnant), severe dry skin, eczema, Seborrheic dermatitis(bad dandruff), graying hair, severe dry mouth, insomnia, loss of appetite, muscle pain, weakness, cramps all over, fatigue, stiffness, cramping - especially in lower legs, stiff neck, mood reactions and dry mouth also. I am a 38 yr old female born 02-11-1968, I was healthy other than a very high herditary LDL level and 50 pounds over my ideal weight and hypothyroidism (on synthroid and at good TSH levels though) when put on this drug several months ago and doubt the benefits can be worth how awful life has become while on this medication. Anyone have any info or input on this at all?

Stop taking that drug immediately until you are able to consult with a doctor. Statin drugs have a rare, but life threatening side effect that has those as initial symptoms (muscle cramping etc.)

alterntives to lipitor?

My mother had to quit taking lipitor due to muscle pain. What are some natural alternatives to lipitor?

Hi!

Try using RED YEAST RICE, it helps lower cholesterol and works like other statin drugs and doesn't have severe side effects
Caution: it does lower the COQ10 levels in are body , so the best way to take it is with a COQ10 supplement

Go to a natural health store and try talking to them, or better yet a NUTRITIONIST, they will be able to recommend the right dosage.

It works and is not harsh on the body

All the best :)

Do muscles ache more after working out if I take lipitor?

I worked out for the 1st time in 4 months and for the last 3 days
I have been in exruciating pain in my triceps. I can't even lift
my arms to comb my hair, eat food, etc. I take lipitor every night
for my cholesterol. Would this have any effect on the intensity
of my muscle pain or is it because I was just not used to working
out? Will this pain go away because it is very debilitating

No this is not from the combination of both. You didn't mention how long you have been on the lipitor but call your doc and report this to him/her as severe muscle pain is a major side effect of cholesterol meds.