topic Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects in Wellness

Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

AngelPuppy1 — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 11:17:03 GMT

Just wondering if any of you have had negative side affects from taking these prescription medications? If so, what med was it and what side affects?

I have been taking the generic form of Lipitor for just a few months and am now experiencing a lot of pain in my arm, hand and leg and it seems to be now going in my other arm and leg. I know that muscle pain is a symptom which could occur with these meds.

I am going to contact my doctor about this but wanted to see what your experiences have been.

I was very hesitatnat about taking these meds to begin with and posted about this before. I researched them and hemmed and hawed and decided to take it. Now I am thinking maybe it was not a good idea.

Thanks for your input.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

I am still oxox — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 11:34:05 GMT

My hubby takes Lipator and never had an issue, he did take another statin before that gave him issues

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Krimpette — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 11:37:59 GMT

I cannot take Lipitor because of the leg aches I experienced. I now take Pravastatin.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

proudlyfromNJ — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 11:50:23 GMT

Atorvastatin here. No problems. But....everyone is different. What will give one person pain will not give another pain.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

SilleeMee — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:33:12 GMT

I was prescribed Lovastatin when my LDL was high. At first I had constipation then that went away but it caused my A1C to go up to a pre-diabetic range. I'm no longer taking that drug. I have successfully achieved normal levels of cholesterol and A1C through diet, exercise and taking the supplement berberine. It's the berberine that has really made a difference for me. I'm 63 and all of my numbers are normal. I am Rx-drug-free and I am very grateful for that.

NIH publication:

"Berberine--a novel approach to cholesterol lowering"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15926873

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

PamfromCT — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:01:03 GMT

Yes, my DH had bad side effects from Statin drugs. The solution came from our PCP, internal medicine doctor. He highly recommended “Cholestoff Complete,” an over-the-counter medication. It has to be the “Complete” version.

Our cardiologist had never heard of this and was skeptical, but was open to DH trying it, all the while checking on DH’s blood work with frequent testing. Guess what? It worked so well that our cardiologist was amazed. If you can believe this, he has told DH he now recommends “Cholestoff Complete” to his patients.

Should you you decide to go this route, you should not try anything without your doctor agreeing and monitoring your trial. Side effects from statin meds are now well known. Some people have no problems, but others suffer from side effects that they should not have to live with.

Best of luck to you. I am sorry for the side effects you are experiencing.

Pam

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

KatieB — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:09:26 GMT

@AngelPuppy1 I take the generic form of Zocor and have never had any side effects. I don't know what drug my cousin took for his high cholesterol but it affected his muscles so much that he had to stop taking the medication... Don't know what he took though...

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Eileen in Virginia — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:48:13 GMT

DH had extremely painful leg cramps when he was on Lipitor. His doctor took him off it and his cholesterol has tested within acceptable levels, so he hasn’t been on cholesterol meds since then.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Shelbelle — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:13:34 GMT

I take Cholest Wise from Puritans Pride for the last 14 years, the formula is very compolete, much more so than the one mentioned from Nature Made.

It contains the plant sterols, as well as odorless garlic, niacin, pantethine and fish oil.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Drlinda — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:21:19 GMT

Took Crestor for 6 months and developed leg numbness. Switched to Andrew Lessmans natural supplement and no problems.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

godi — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:56:45 GMT

Lipitor gave me horrible leg pain. Especially at night. My doctor said just keep taking you’ll get used to it. One day I was WALKING to a store from my car and my right calf muscle tore in half to my Achilles Tendon. Talk about pain, this was a doozy. The ER doctor said my MRI my calf looked like someone cut a roast in half. I was in a wheelchair for 6 months, crutches and physical therapy for a year. Never again will I take a statin for cholesterol. I am not telling anyone not to do what your doctor says this is my opinion only. Good luck @AngelPuppy1

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

hckynut — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:19:43 GMT

@AngelPuppy1

In my 72 Cardiac Rehab Classes, just about every patient was on a Statin prescription. Different names/different doses, but similar results.

Since my 1st heart attack in 2003 I have been on Lipitor or it's generic, Atorvastatin, 20mg. per night.During those years I have had no noticeable side effects that have effected my type of active life. Many of the others had severe problems on different meds, mostly muscle related.

Everyone is different

hckynut(john)

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

wagirl — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:25:45 GMT

I have tried so many of the statins in the last 40 some years, all worked well for a few months and then the joint pain and muscles aches kicked in hard. The last one I took , 2005 ish? was Crestor, which worked the best of any of them; however----I developed huge hard knots on the back of each achille tendon that no one knew what or how they happened, they really altered my quality of life--went thru p/t and no change so I had surgery to remove them in 2006 and then 2007. Had to stop the meds because I was back to the side effects----then on a fluke in 2008---somehow I ended up on a web site about Crstor and , what do you know-----one of the LEAST common side effect, that ONLY 45,000 people complained about--was the very issue with my a-tendons. So I had un- needed surgery, when it prob would have resolved itself by stopping those meds !!! No one even thought about checking the meds I was on as this side effect was so low down on the chain that it was not even mentioned on the list of possible side effects. So please be careful and really check on these kind of things. Wish I had--I do now!!!!!!!!

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

wonderfulworld — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:32:40 GMT

I have not had any side effects but I have been reading about and heard from a friend who suffered memory loss and confusion when on statin. He is in his 50's. It cleared up when he stopped taking it.

The problem is that since statins are taken primarily by older folks...the link is difficult to determine. Age or the med?

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

bohogypsy — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:38:00 GMT

While it is true that everyone is different, what works for one causes problems for others. It's like that with many medications. After 20 years of trying almost every statin out there, suffering severe muscle pains, and not seeing much difference in my numbers, Dr now has me on Repatha. Cholesterol has come down to 105, and my LDL is 37. I have never had numbers like that before. And no side effects so far. I've been on it for 3 months now.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Trinity11 — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 15:29:42 GMT

@bohogypsy wrote:
While it is true that everyone is different, what works for one causes problems for others. It's like that with many medications. After 20 years of trying almost every statin out there, suffering severe muscle pains, and not seeing much difference in my numbers, Dr now has me on Repatha. Cholesterol has come down to 105, and my LDL is 37. I have never had numbers like that before. And no side effects so far. I've been on it for 3 months now.

That sounds really wonderful @bohogypsy . I have a lot of side effects from Lipitor. My Type 1 diabetes is a lot more difficult to control because it raises my blood sugar and I do have muscle pain. Repatha was suggested to me but the co-pay was over $1000.00 a month! If it isn't too intrusive to ask but do you need to pay that exorbitant amount?

As far as statins are concerned, I have reviewed all the information and it seems like for myself the studies have convinced me that I will live longer on a statin than without. I have had two heart attacks and wish I had listened and taken them a very long time ago. Nothing has ever really worked...plant based diet, niacin or over the counter meds to ever bring me to the levels Lipitor has. I was told I have familial cholesterol problems.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

Mombo1 — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 17:04:15 GMT

I take Atorvastatin as well. It does give me joint pain, but I just deal with it. I decided to take myself off the statin for 6 months just to see if it made a difference....well it did. The joint pain decreased, but my cholesterol (LDL) went up 100 points. Obviously it was not worth experimenting with the medication. I am back on my usual dose and living with a little discomfort.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

blackhole99 — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 17:11:27 GMT

I have been taking a statin for 18 years without side effects or any ill effects to my kidney, liver, etc. If you are having side effects, I would ask the doc to try another statin until you find one that works for you.

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

twinkies — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 17:20:32 GMT

Cholesterol drugs can cause long term bad effects such as muscle weakness and inability to walk . You need to take Co Q10 with these statins as our bodies do not manufacture Co Q10 as we age . All muscles require Co q 10 to make energy . And the heart is a muscle . Statins suck even more Co q 10 from the body . Take a supplement.

cathy from ma

Re: Cholesterol Meds - Side Affects

LoveMyBaby — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 01:25:13 GMT

Been on a couple, last one doc prescribed Lipitor (insurance covered the generic-which is Atorvastatin,) but had muscle aches with it, and had to get off it.