Almost 1 Year-Still Pursuing Complete Recovery From Statin Side Effects - High Cholesterol Message Board

Imacarbuff · 09-22-2006, 08:51 PM

It has been almost one year since statin side effects caused so much muscle pain. Once I stopped the statins the improvement began after only a few weeks. I continue to take Co Q10 (100mg) and other supplements. I had hoped by now that I would be 100% back to where I was before the statins turned against me (I took them for more than 8 years).
Does anyone else who has "recovered" have this problem- I do pretty good most of the time. But, if I do something out of the ordinary, like wash and wax my car...I'm OK while doing it-but for the next week I feel like I've been run over by a bus and it's mostly in my back. My legs have improved more than my back and they only slightly ache. After a few weeks...I'll be back to being "OK" until I do something else outside of my normal daily routine.
I'm 54, not overweight at all and use to restore cars. Before the statin side effects took hold, washing and waxing a car was nothing-just like walking out to get the mail. How long before I can expect to get to 100%....or is this it considering it has been almost one year?

On a brighter note, the heartburn/reflux that also came on as the statins were revolting, is under control. I even got off of the purple pill.

janeslk · 09-23-2006, 08:37 AM

You seem to be experiencing what my husband is going through. He is also 54 and was on Lipitor for at least eight years. He stopped taking it 15 months ago. The pain in his hip and legs is gone for the most part, but will flare up again when he tries to exercise. He feels good enough to jog for a few miles, but the next day he is in pain again. He has always been an athlete so this is very frustrating for him.

We own a restaurant so he is constantly on his feet for hours a day. When he comes home he works in the yard and always has a yard project underway. This type of work does not seem to cause pain, but the minute he tries jogging the pain is back. He tells me, however, that this returning pain is only 25 percent of what he suffered constantly while on Lipitor and this pain does go away in a few days.

I don't think he will ever be 100 percent, but he no longer uses a TENS unit as a fashion accessory, doesn't need a pain aid at night and his temper has levelled off. I told him I felt as if I was living with a loaded gun the last few years he was on Lipitor. Anything would unleash his temper.

He has massage therapy on his legs and back every few weeks and that seems to help as well. He also uses our home sauna almost daily.

Jane

NHone · 09-23-2006, 11:24 AM

A COq10 expert suggested 600 mg as a dose to help improve the effects of cholesterol lowering...and then 300 mg as maintainence.

HubbleRules · 09-24-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imacarbuff

It has been almost one year since statin side effects caused so much muscle pain. Once I stopped the statins the improvement began after only a few weeks. I continue to take Co Q10 (100mg) and other supplements. I had hoped by now that I would be 100% back to where I was before the statins turned against me (I took them for more than 8 years).

Imacarbuff,

It took me almost one and a half years for my muscle pains to completely disappear once I stopped taking my medicines. I had been on Lipitor for about 7 years, and when my doctor added Tricor to the mix, I had serious muscle aches within months... I stopped both, and didn't notice ANY improvement for several months.

My advice is continue the CoQ10, and be patient. It takes time for your body to get back to normal. I know it's discouraging, because at the one year point I was also wondering if I'd ever fully recover. But I did - 100%.

I have no muscle pains today - but I still take CoQ10 (60mg/day of Q-Gel). I have also just recently started on Crestor (had been off all cholesterol meds for 2 1/2 years), and I will take the CoQ10 as long as I'm on it.

As far as back pain after washing/waxing the car goes, that's pretty normal for me when I do the same thing - but it's just that I bend over a lot when I wash the car, and it strains the back muscles.

Have you ever had your back examined by a doctor to make sure you don't have any structural problems?

Best of luck.

HubbleRules

Imacarbuff · 09-24-2006, 04:09 PM

Thanks all for responding. It is hard to be patient after almost a year-but it does help me to hear that perhaps that is not an abnormal amount of time to recover from statin related problems.
My back issues only started with the statin problem. It is hard to describe-but it is not like a back "strain" type discomfort. It more in the "meaty" portions of the middle back. Could relate to the whole mitachondria issue I've read ad bee told about I guess. The COQ10 will continue!