Anyone have muscle twitching as side effect from Tricor? Other side effects? What about any side effects when you stopped Tricor? Please help! Doc thinks husband may have ALS...I think it is the Tricor!!! Please help.

My husband had bad side effects too

I had muscle twitching and "pinging"(best I can describe it)as well as numbness and loss of muscle strength using Lipitor. I believe that Tricor has the very same side-effects. It is VERY possible that the symptoms you describe could be from Tricor.
ps. If you stop the Tricor, there should be some improvement after a week or two - but It may take a few months to get a lot better(assuming that this is the culprit).

[This message has been edited by gorgon (edited 10-09-2002).]

Hi! Husband stopped Tricor 3 weeks ago and is improving, but not totally. This medicine is terrible. Read my other posting that tells our story and what the doctor has said to get an idea of how terrible it is. I feel that my husband has been a gunea pig...test mouse if you will...as are many others. What the hell is going on here? How can people be put on meds and not be told the serious complications by there docs? This IS the USA right? Huh, no one knows about what meds can do to you unles you have lived it. Please read our story to see what I mean. I am so disgusted. I wrote the FDA yesterday, but I do not even have faith in them anymore. I uess people have to die from the meds first before action is taken, like with Baycol. Sorry...just really upset right now. Take care, God Bless, Amy

Amy..try to keep the faith, I was on Lipitor for almost 4 month and thought I was dying, sometimes wished I would. Never had so much pain, stomach upsets and GI problems in my entire life. I finally tossed the crap in the pail and switched drs. Needless to say I went through a battery of tests, but all was ok, but just as I was starting to feel better, after 3 months, they shoved me on Baycol...OH JOY! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

I was on that about 5 months and felt like I had arthritis all over my body, but the dr. said, and I quote "It was the best thing since sliced bread". Gee, I never had any problems with bread? After argueing with him for almost another month I tossed them in the pail, 4 months later they took Baycol off the market. I
thought it was just me, as I am so drug sensative, but after I got a computer and found sites like this, I knew it wasn't in my head. It took almost a year for all the lousy side effects to go away, still have a few hanging around but nothing like before. My numbers aren't too great, but I totally refuse to take these things, trying desperately to bring numbers down with diet and exercise. I know plenty of folks who can take them NO problem, but then there are those of us who just can't handle them. Hang in there, and tell hubby there is light at the end of this tunnel. My hubby also went through alot being on these things too, so now he won't take them either. U will be in my prayers for a speedy recovery and some good news, I know what your going through. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif JJ

Thank you. I greatly greatly appreciate all of your thoughts and kind words. Amy

Some food for thought, attributed to the late, great Thomas Edison:

"The physician of tomorrow will be the nutritionist of today."

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Originally posted by ARIZONA73:
Some food for thought, attributed to the late, great Thomas Edison:

"The physician of tomorrow will be the nutritionist of today."

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

I have high trygs anyone has any input on this? I am taking trycor 160mg.

Definitely go with a low carb diet, especially for trigs. I went low carb a few months ago, although my trigs weren't bad, my other numbers sucked, and I can't take statins, and won't! My numbers came down fairly well, especially my trigs. and blood sugar. Although they were ok, I wanted them lower. Good luck, and keep us posted. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif JJ

Originally posted by JJ:
Definitely go with a low carb diet, especially for trigs. I went low carb a few months ago, although my trigs weren't bad, my other numbers sucked, and I can't take statins, and won't! My numbers came down fairly well, especially my trigs. and blood sugar. Although they were ok, I wanted them lower. Good luck, and keep us posted. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif JJ


I am on a low carb. my trigs are at 300. Total cholstrol is 260. I want to take some Garlic,Vit E, and other antioxids. I work hard, and play hard. tricor is not a statin. or is it? All I can tell you is that they help me alot for the past 4 months but I dont want to take'em for the rest of my life. I haven't had any side effects. keep posted.

I believe Tricor is a fibrate, which is suppose to be good for trigs. They tried hubby on it but he is like me, has lousy side effects with these drugs. His were in the 400's, cardiologist told him to take Omega 3 fish oil capsules, twice daily at 1,000 mg. a piece. He also recommended extra 800 mcgs. of Folic Acid, which with a multi having 400 mcgs. gives ya a 1200.
I take a garlic pill each night after supper, and have been eating oatmeal for fiber in the a.m. I hope things go well with the next test, just keep those carbs. low and ask about the Omega 3. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif JJ

I have taken Tricor and Lipitor for three years and have had no problems. Sorry to hear that you are. Guess I am lucky...so far...

I guess I was lucky and did not suffer adverse effects from the Tricor (it is a fibrate rather than a statin). At this stage, weight loss and diet change keep my triglycerides down below 60 mg/dL. They once were well in excess of 400.

As for the fish oil, I do use that religiously. I take 3 2-g capsules daily. I think the minimum therapeutic dose is 3g/day. I am not totally sure on that one though.

As for folic acid for homocysteine, the minimum therapeutic dose, from what I remember, is 1000 ug. The suggestion of taking a supplement with a 800 ug table of folic acid is exactly what I do daily.

If you are concerned about the homocysteine, and associated link to heart disease, then I would also suggest taking an aspirin daily. Aspirin will greatly benefit the arterial inflammation/risk associated with higher C-reactive protein levels.



[This message has been edited by ubernier (edited 11-25-2002).]

I am a 40 yr old male, 5' 10 200lbs, pretty healthy but I smoke and have slightly elevated triglicerides and taking Tricor 160 mg tablets, I am on no other meds.

After taking this for about 9 months, I just got a call from my Doctor after result from my recent blood work. He told me to stop taking TRICOR - this was because of some unfavorable results from my liver test. (You do have to have you liver checked often when you are on Tricor)and NO alcohol!! :-(

I figured something was up, both my wife and I are(were) on Tricor. We both started getting pains in our left side near our bottom rib. Also I had problems with headaches and sometimes I would feel out of breath. One other side affect that I noticed is that sometimes feel like I am going to pass out, comes for a few moments and then gone for the rest of the day. Strange, my wife does not have this symptom.


Good thing my doctor is on the ball and caught this early.

So, how did this stuff work?
Okay at first it was remarkable. My triglicerides droped from 200 to 150 in the first couple months. Then I got a bit lazy - started going back to my normal diet routine and number climbed back up a little. According to Abbot Labs this stuff is supposed to increase your HDL's a bit. Mine are at the bottom and Tricor did not help at all. My HDL's are at like 37.


As soon as I started excercise again, results were again favorable, except for the HDL's still being low.


I really think that you simply need:
Diet, Excercize and a lot of water. This stuff is a waste of money.
Will post my wifes results from this med when we get them.
Regards;
John

HI: I, too, was on tricor for several months. I
thought I felt well, and the "numbers" are always
terrific, but I have stopped taking tricor as of
several weeks ago and am on the policosanol tablets
and the no-flush niacin along with garlic in hopes
that it will help. My Dr. was so excited over my
#'s before and does not know that I have taken myself
off of Tricor. Tricor is non-statin and still the
problems. I was on Lipitor for 2 yrs., great #'s,
and after test, told to stop immediately. Than they
tried it again after a couple of months and the same
thing all over again. Affecting the liver. The
liver does go back to normal after stopping the med.,
which is good. It really is best to be off of all of
them and try other alternatives. It may take time.
I purchased the above items on the net. Best of
luck to you and your wife. Dottie

I was on Tricor for about two years and it didn't do anything for me. My total cholestrol was about 300 and my trycyicerides were about 800. I didn't have any side effects from the Tricor, just no reusults. After a couple of years of this, I moved and my MD put me on Lipitor. It was the worst 6 weeks of my life. I wanted to put a gun to my head almost every day, the only thing that kept me from doing it was the thought of what it would do to my wife and kids. I went off the Lipitor because of a health insurance issue, and after about a week, I realized that I felt "normal" again. At this time my chol was still about 250 and tg about 400. In the mean time, I had a cardiac "event" and had a stint installed. I had a 98% blockage in one artery and 40% in two others. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a bottle of time release Niacin and started at 1000 mg, worked up to 2000 mg. My next blood test, the nurse called and was yelling at me what the hell was I doing...my chol was about 180 and my TG were about 150. I told her I had gone off the Lipitor and now I had proof that I needed to be on Niaspan. The MD's don't want to prescribe Niaspan for some reason, I've heard the "better than sliced bread" excuse myself. The only reason I would rather use Naispan than what they sell at Wal-Mart is that it's supposed to be safer on the liver. Supposedly, the generic time-release niacin they sell at drug stores is pretty hard on your liver, but if that's the only way you will get them to give you the "real thing", then so be it. My liver enzymes were a little high after taking the OTC stuff, never since I started the Niaspan.

My advice...don't take the statins unless it's a last resort. I take the Niaspan, aspirin, guglipoids, pyrithrone, and polycolsonol, among other things. I eat fast food no more than once a week (usually chicken). My "numbers" are good enough for me. I scuba dive, walk everywhere I don't have to drive, etc. I sit behind a desk for 8 hours a day and have a 3 hour commute, so I don't have a whole lot of time for exercise, so I think I'm doing the best I can.

Don't let the doctors take you for a ride. I learned a lot off this board and surfing the net...you have to find your own way.

What a great story! The only thing I would change
is the niacin. You might try the no flush niacin;
just in case. I have read that the time release
was harder on the liver. Do you have any flushing?
We have been taking the no flush niacin and have not
had any flushing at all. Sounds like you are
definitely making head way. Keep up the good work.
Do check on the niacin, though, so as not to
stir up the liver. Good luck!