I am 59 years old. I had been on Zocor and Niacin in the form of Niaspan ( 1500 mg ) for about two or three years . I have peripheral neuropathy and muscle aches and weakness. I complained to my cardiologist, who took me off the Zocor for about a month. I could not see much change in my condition. He then put me on Lipitor (20mg) and continued the 1500 mg of niacin daily. I still have the neuropathy ( a neurologist could find no reason for it) and the muscle pain seems to be getting worse. I have soreness in calves, abdominal area along ribcage and in my shoulders and neck. I get tired quickly and take a long time to get over it. Muscle soreness increases with exertion and takes days to get to a bearable level without Tylenol. My family physician just took me off both Lipitor and Niacin for at least a month to see if condition improves.I had two stents placed almost six years ago, with no further problems and total cholestral of 117 now - with no change in diet. It was 247 before starting drug therapy. Cardiologist said my last two echo/stress tests were the best I have had in six years.I hate to quit taking medications, but will not take them if side effects are caused by them.

Has anyone else been taking both Lipitor and Niacin? Have you had similar side effects? If so, how long did it take for condition to improve after stopping medications? Will 30 days be long enough? Will it help to quite either the Lipitor or Niacin, but not both?
Thanks for your help.

Tony,

What were your blood lipid numbers before starting the drugs? After?

Unless they were extraordinarily high or unresponsive, it's unwise to mix statins with therapeutic dosing of niacin. Frequent liver enzyme testing is wise if you go the two drug route. Combining the two seems to enhance the side effects synergistically (or ANTI-synergystically:D:D!)

You might find this post interesting:
Hello. I'm wondering if my peripheral neuropathy, finally diagnosed this fall, could be related to taking large doses of slow release niacin for cholesterol control. The neuropathy arose (coincidentally?) after I began taking increased doses of the niacin (1500 mg/day)per my doctor after small doses had no effect on the cholesterol. I've had the emg/nerver conduction tests that are positive for peripheral neuropathy but the blood and urine tests that have turned up nothing. The timing of the neruopathy sure seems to coincide with the niacin commencement. The neurologist here is at a dead end and is suggesting a referral to Mayo. I stopped taking the niacin at the end of October after taking it for about 2 years. The neuropathy became noticeable about 1.5 years ago. I had tests in July 1997, but the report was apparently inconclusive except for a new MRI finding at L5-L6 to go with a previous bulge at L4-L5 from 10 years ago. The thought at that time from my family doctor was that I could see a neurosurgeon as a result of the new back finding, but I didn't like the sound of that. The symptoms continued and grew and I wound up re-testing this fall, except for the MRI. The new EMG/nerve conduction tests now are positive for neuropathy and the neurologist says that last year's MRI would not have explained the symptoms. Though no longer taking the niacin, the neuropathy remains, although with a slight decrease over the last month in the tingling in my hands and face, and a decrease in the twinging pains that were in my toes and the balls of my feet, and also a decrease in the sensation from time to time of having feet that hurt from "walking on rocks." Any thoughts or suggestions? Perhaps I'm just grasping at that straw becauase it is convenient. Thanks for your help.


Since you did a trial with no statin for a month and continued niacin and neuropathy, I'd say now try the opposite route: take the statin and no niacin for a while. There's no substitute for personal observation.

Total cholestral was 247. I don't remember the breakdown, but HDL was about 37 at the time. Now total is 117, HDL is only 41, LDL ???, Triglycerides were 47.
I'll try just Lipitor for a while and see if that helps.
Thanks for your time.

If you have experienced the neuropathy for an extended period of time while taking these drugs it's very possible the nerve damage is permanent . If you had stopped at the first sign of the neuropathy then it might have resolved itself . I have the same problem after taking the lipitor and zocor for 2-3 years , it has destroyed my feet and no cause has been found , but I'm 99% sure that the statins caused it because this started within 6 months after starting this stupid medication and of course the stupid doctor said it couldn't be the meds, we all know better now. I hope you find an answer and maybe you can share it with the board , i'm still looking after being off statins for 2-3 years now , i'll take my chances without that poison .

Tony,

An off the wall thought: You aren't diabetic or pre-diabetic are you?

I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic. All tests concerning diabetes have come up negative.
Right now, I am concerned with the muscle soreness more than anything. I have been off the Lipitor and Niacin for two to three weeks and I feel that I am improving, although extrremely slowly. I will probably try to restart the niacin, but stay off the Lipitor for a while. As has been other peoples experiences, the doctors do not "think" the statins caused the neuropathy. It started after taking them, so I feel there is a connection. Thanks for all of your replies.

I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic. All tests concerning diabetes have come up negative.
Right now, I am concerned with the muscle soreness more than anything. I have been off the Lipitor and Niacin for two to three weeks and I feel that I am improving, although extrremely slowly. I will probably try to restart the niacin, but stay off the Lipitor for a while. As has been other peoples experiences, the doctors do not "think" the statins caused the neuropathy. It started after taking them, so I feel there is a connection. Thanks for all of your replies.
It amazes me after all this they can sit there and state this stuff doesn't cause neuropthy after all the evidence , if they had to put up with it 24 hours a day like a lot of us do they might whistle a different tune . I never had any health problems like this until shortly after I started taking statins , I have zero doubt that statins caused the permanent nerve damage in both feet . It can take months to get this stuff out of your system so be patient . I hope your's will resolve on it's own , mine did not because I was a good patient and took the stuff 2-3 years before i figured out what was going and by that time it was too late .

Vipergg, i also took lipitor for three or four yrs like a good little patient. I complained about the muscle pain and all the other side effects, but my drs wounldnt listen. It finally caused liver problems and i ended up i the er. That's when i was taken off the lipitor. I am a diabetic also and was told i had neuropathy. I think it came from the meds.

I don't think i have it anymore. Don't quote me on that though.

Tony,

Make sure you take about 100 mg. CoQ10 daily. See if that doesn't help with your "healing."

Not pre diabetic. Neurologist found nothing to indicate a cause for neuropathy. Now I want to see how long it takes to have muscle soreness feel substantially better.