Lipitor reaction?

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
JaneBerm

JaneBerm

VR.org Supporter
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
101
Location
Pompano Beach, FL
I've been on Lipitor since my AVR five weeks ago and I'm now experiencing extreme muscle aches. My PT suggested that the muscle pain could well be a reaction to the Lipitor. Has anyone else had this experience?

Before surgery I wasn't taking any statins, my total cholesterol was less than 200, and my arteries were all clear. My surgeon wants me to continue taking a statin as a preventative measure to keep my cholesterol low and prolong the life expectancy of my bovine tissue valve.

Any input would be appreciated.

Jane
 
Same here. At first I thought it was just working out too much, but now I believe that the Lipitor might be the culprit. My PCP is out of town, but I shall try to make an appt. as soon as he returns.
 
I have developed the same problem. Never had muscle aches like this. Doc took some blood to rule out R arthritis. I do not take lipitor.
 
JaneBerm said:
I've been on Lipitor since my AVR five weeks ago and I'm now experiencing extreme muscle aches. My PT suggested that the muscle pain could well be a reaction to the Lipitor. Has anyone else had this experience?

Before surgery I wasn't taking any statins, my total cholesterol was less than 200, and my arteries were all clear. My surgeon wants me to continue taking a statin as a preventative measure to keep my cholesterol low and prolong the life expectancy of my bovine tissue valve.

Any input would be appreciated.

Jane
Click to expand...

I just opened a magazine and the ad was for Lipitor...it states:

Possible side effects of Lipitor:
Muscle problems that can lead to kidney problems, including kidney failure....

Sympotoms of muscle problems include...unexplained muscle weakness or pain, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired


I've have also never heard that taking this drug can help prolong the life of a tissue valve. I'm interested in this because I also have a tissue valve...is anyone else on here taking Lipitor to help prolong the life of your valve?

Kim
 
Hi Jane,

I take simvastatin...I am fine with it and it is working.
I like to comment on the elevation of cholesterol level...I was border line before surgery, and my cholesterol shooted up to 333 after surgery?!!!
 
I know I'm not a doctor, but it just seems to me that if your arteries are clear and your cholesterol was already under 200 before taking Lipitor, call me crazy, but I really think that is "overkill".
 
There have been several large studies paid for by statin manufacturers to prove that they would prolong the useful life of tissue valves. All concluded that statins absolutely did not affect the lifespan of a tissue valve. Not even a little. According to those studies, your cardiologist isn't keeping up with his reading, and is exposing you to a powerful drug for no benefit.

The results of those studies have been posted several times. You can search for them using the search feature on the blue bar above.

Muscle aches can be a sign of a severe reaction to statins. If it were me, I would get off them as soon as I could tell my doctor I was doing so.

Here is one about calcification and statins. I'm concerned the big one Phyllis posted may be over a year old and fallen off the server:

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?p=316460&highlight=statins#post316460


Best wishes,
 
I agree with adrienna. I think doctors in today's world are prescribing statins way too much! They do it for "heart health". I think that alone is scary! If your arteries are clear, cholesterol is good, then why a medication. The least amount of medicines one takes i think the better!! Lipitor gave my mother in law Parkinsons. And that is a known fact!! Her doctor even admitted it which was noble of him i think as they tend to not bring up all the side effects one can get on medicines. from day one she didn't feel good on it! I am a nurse who daily sees all the medicines that people gradually go on and then you turn around and they can add up to 10-15!! Not good!! Don't get me wrong. Medicines can be fabulous in helping certain conditions especially is needed short term to get your body back on track.....My opinion
 
My husband, mother in law, friend's mom, all had muscle aches after starting Lipitor. They all quit it and the aches went away. My cardio wanted to put me on it, but I told him I wanted to try "natural methods" first, like, metamucil, and fish oil daily. My cholesteral no. has gone down 50 pts.
But, it's still over 200, and I'm sure he will still talk to me about taking a statin.
I am resisting,
Gail
 
I treid 2 different statins. I had a bad reaction to both. The 2nd time it was so bad I could hardly stand up from pain in my abdomen. I quit taking it and it still took a couple days before I returned to normal. So I just tell my Doc, no more statins, I will take my chances with my cholesteral at 193.
 
Here is more information form the 1,800-patient SEAS study (funded by statin manufacturers), which showed unequivocally that aortic stenosis and replacement valve life is not affected by cholesterol or by the use of statins:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/STS/12639

http://www.cardiosmart.org/News/Default.aspx?id=1510

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115715.php

Interestingly, the speculative papers written before and during the study, saying how this was going to prove that statins worked for this purpose are all still out there, many kept fresh and renewed by - whom? Well, perhaps someone who has a stake in keeping the confusion going...

Best wishes,
 
tobagotwo said:
Here is more information form the 1,800-patient SEAS study (funded by statin manufacturers), which showed unequivocally that aortic stenosis and replacement valve life is not affected by cholesterol or by the use of statins:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/STS/12639

http://www.cardiosmart.org/News/Default.aspx?id=1510

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115715.php

Interestingly, the speculative papers written before and during the study, saying how this was going to prove that statins worked for this purpose are all still out there, many kept fresh and renewed by - whom? Well, perhaps someone who has a stake in keeping the confusion going...

Best wishes,
Click to expand...

this is not a new discussion. we have had it for some years and need to revisit the subject of statins, esp Lipitor, every now and again because some might not realize their muscle problems could be from statins.

I took them for years and became crippled - could hardly walk. Rich's wife has the same problem. I finally told my drs that 'I QUIT! and I will never use another one. On the other hand, from all we hear, everybody should be on statins. If you are able to take it, great, because it definitely does bring down the numbers, but in my case, I preferred to walk. better now, have trouble walking still but at my age some of it's arthritis, but not all.

I believe there will be quite a few others checking in on this thread, pro and con.

Blessins.........
 
As someone who's been on statins (various) for the last fifteen years, I can attest to the fact that without them some of us would be dead. Period.

That said, one of the first things your doctor should warn you about is muscle problems, a side-effect that requires immediate cessation. Statins can also affect the liver (because they act on insufficiencis in the receptors in your liver that get rid of LDL cholesterol) which is why you have to have your liver enzymes tested on a regular basis. These drugs are, like aspirin, some of the best inventions to come along in health care--but they're not for everyone. Were I one of those who can't tolerate them, I'd be having a tough time of it because my cholesterol is naturally so high (around 500). If yours is 200 or under, and your LDL levels aren't way over 100, you can probably take care of cholesterol problems through diet, exercise, and supplements or foods containing plant sterols or red yeast rice.
 
JaneBerm said:
suggested that the muscle pain could well be a reaction to the Lipitor.
Click to expand...

you didn't say what strength you've been prescribed. could be too high.

i 'had' high cholesterol, around 250. originally started with 80mg
simvistatin. liver function enzyme tests showed a negative reponse, so
lowered to 40mg, then to 20mg where i've been for several years now.

liver function tests now are all good, and cholesterol is in range.

your doctor can change the strength or try another statin, unless you
want to go with the natural remedies (that didn't work for me).
 
Hey Ann (henesylee) Did you get to watch the TV show The Doctors last friday?? www.thedoctorstv.com. They showed juice plus from Dr.Sears as a product for everyone with independent studies.Dr.Sears has been taking it for years. Great testimony for my product! As for Gail, I agree. trying "natural" methods should be tried first to get the arteries clean and cholesterol down. Alot has to do with the choices we choose on daily food we eat. Do we eat alot of processed and fast food?? Do we eat salmon,good quality fish oils (that don't have mercury in them). Do we eat alot of fresh fruits/vegetables,salads. Do we stay away from carbonated drinks and food with food dyes?? I know food choices are hard in todays world. But changing little choices daily CAN make a difference in "natural" healing! Nothing is 100% in todays world.Just do the best you can! Your smart food choices today can teach your family the food choices they will make tomorrow!
 
My GP took me off Lipitor right away and I'm waiting on the results of blood work that he ordered. I've been on a daily dose of 10 mg of Lipitor since my surgery on Feb. 24. My total cholesterol was 187 pre-op and my HDL was
46. I had a similiar problem with muscle pain when I tried to take Fosamax, but since then I've been able to take Actonal with no problems. Since I posted this thread, I've learned that this is a common reaction to Lipitor and that the "cotton" mouth I've had since surgery and been blaming on my pain meds may also actually be the result of the Lipitor.

My symptoms became evident last week (about 4 weeks post op) and escalated to the point where I could no longer do my PT and walking because of the muscle pain. My issues are also always complicated by the fact that I'm post polio and there is always a question as to whether or not that is the real issue.

I've been off the Lipitor for 2 days now, and I can't tell yet if I've noticed much of a difference. Last night I woke up after several hours in a lot of pain, and had to take pain medication in order to find a comfortable position and get back to sleep. My GP told me it may take up to a week before I start to feel better.
 
I was on Lipitor for a year after my valve repair even though my cholesterol was fine (a tad low, actually), but my cardio thought it was a good idea for me to be on it as my heart healed from the surgery. I didn't really have any side effects but my GP and cardio were good about testing my liver every three months.
 
Teresa said:
"which is why you have to have your liver enzymes tested on a regular basis" ????
Never had a test since I have been on Simvistatin-this is why I am looking for another GP
Click to expand...

Crikey! They need to test HDL, LDL, triglycerides AND liver enzymes. New GP is a necessity!!! (Even after fifteen years, if I don't get it done at least twice a year I get "naughty girl" reprimands from my internist and his PA; they really want the numbers every four months.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top