[SherylJ]

I have been taking just 10 mg Lipitor/day for about four months. I am having more and more difficulty walking or standing in one place for any length of time due to extreme pain and weakness in lower back and quads. I am convinced this is from the Lipitor, though I know my cardiologist doesn't want me to come off the med. Has anyone else weaned themselves from Lipitor and improved muscle weakness? Any suggestions are appreciated.

Sheryl

[AnnT2]

If I am not mistaken, muscle pain is a serious side effect some people suffer from Lipitor. I would contact the doctor right away, but since we cannot always count on doctors being infallible, be your own best friend and look up Lipitor and its side effects.

I recently read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a clinical study taking place where patients take a statin such as Lipitor and are compared to another group that take supplements of Omega fish oils and red rice pills, watch their fat intake, and exercise. Of course, we already knew about diet and exercise, but in the past, I thought these two elements did not really help some people. Tentative results show the latter group does better so maybe it is the supplements that do the trick.

Try this site - http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15989157.htm.

Ann

[TheatreChick93]

I had terrible muscle aches when I was on Lipitor. It was just awful. And the tests for the enzyme came back negative. Luckily, I have a compassionate primary care dr who understands that even if the test is negative, it doesn't mean that I don't have the muscle pain.

She took me off it. Unfortunately all the statins seem to have the same effect. I am now taking Zetia, which doesn't give me muscle aches. It also doesn't do squat for lowering my cholesterol either...

At this point (I'm 37) I'd rather take my chance with the cholesterol and be able to move.

Just my 2 cents!

Good Luck!

[olsen]

you could access the web site developed and maintained by Dr. Duane Graveline MD (he is a western trained MD)--he started the site for individuals who feel adverse side effects from statins are occurring. Be aware he is biased against this class of drugs esp. for the muscular and neuromuscular adverse effects(as am I). his web site is "spacedoc.net"--(he is also a former astronaut.)

another piece of info: red yeast rice IS a statin--albeit a less potent one. Merck first isolated the active ingredient, mevacolin, from red yeast rice, a chinese herb that had been used in china for "blood problems". Mevacolin was patented under the name "Mevacor" (could not patent red yeast rice). Mevacolin is the same ingredient found in red yeast rice, (as well as a few other substances)-so in essence it is trul.y the first statin....
madelyn

[SherylJ]

Thank you all for your responses. As of today, I'm off Lipitor!
Sheryl

[ol'cs]

In my opinion, a person should not even take a statin, unless they absolutely CANNOT control their lipid numbers by diet and excercise. That would mean that their high numbers are probably from a genetic component, and unless they are REALLY bad, still steer clear of statins.
Our legs get weak from sitting more than standing and walking during our waking hours, a half an hour on my feet usually puts me in bed, and after I get up ,it's like learning to walk all over again with the ensuing pain, until I get medicated and can stand for awhile without falling. In the meantime , i know to sit down untill I "get my bearings". There are many things that make walking worse to the advanced PWP, if you feel it is the statins, then you are probably right no matter what any doctor says.
Unfortunately, one of the only "pleasurable" things we get to do in our pent up parkie life is eat; but you don't want to eat yourself to death from a heart attack either, so munch those non-salted foods; and learn to love the carrot and the celery edibles. You've only got two choices, so choose wisely.cs

[olsen]

hello Sheryl, I am in hopes you read the info under "stopping statins" on dr. graveline's web site--he suggests "weaning" youself off the drug by decreasing the dosage daily over a period of time. there is also some preliminary data suggesting a "rebound effect " of an increase in platelet stickiness (and thus a heightened tendency to clot formation) that peaks about day 14 after stopping the statin (are you taking Plavix already or even a baby aspirin? if you are, either will decrease platelet stickiness. plavix is a prescription only drug--)
anecdotal information--my husband and 2 friend's husbands stopped Lipitor "cold turkey" ~2 yrs ago, and none appeared to suffer any effects from doing so, though my husband takes a baby aspirin every day--i am unaware if the other men did.
again, the data showing rebound stickiness are preliminary--not acknowledged by mainstream medicine at present as being of any clinical consequence--this info i found "after the fact"--my husband and friends had already stopped their lipitor cold turkey, and did so without problems.

cs--any thoughts on this? madelyn

[Jomar]

I quit taking Lipitor early 05. I spaced {every other day} out the last month of them just to wean on my own. The pharmacist said there is no problem with going off {other than cholesterol levels raise} and it will take approx a month to clear out of the body systems.

How high were your numbers before the Lipitor?

A naturopath gave me some time release Niacin to try and I found some other supplements. {but I didn't follow thru with them during the summer very well at all}

some links I liked-
http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/
http://www.drugintel.com/drugs/stati...neuropathy.htm
http://www.medicalconsumers.org/page..._skeptics.html