High Cholesterol - Zocor

[edkal]

Originally Posted by CASSIEBEL;2***362

I was on Zocor for several years (about 5 or 6) with no side effects at all. Then I started getting leg cramps. I stopped the Zocor and they went away.
Trouble is my cholesterol went from 171 to 283. My Doc then had me try a low dose of Crestor. after 1 month my cholesterol went back down to 170.

The leg cramps have come back now and I'm really upset. I believe in Cholesrol lowering meds. I believe they are life savers and I don't want to stop the Crestor. Diet and exercise don't help me much.

Does anyone know what the long term effects of leg cramps are? If they aren't life threating I will live with them and continue with Crestor.

I appreciate any feed back on this matter.

\

You are now reading true side effects of leg pain that first started in my shoulders and then to my arms, thighs, and calfs. Was at first diagnosed with PMR and put on Prednisone ( NASTYSTEROIDS ) was on it for over two years with mild relief, but still pain. I put up with the pain and steriods looking for relief,which never came. In time it became so severe that I could not stan up straight and walk for hours until I could walk in a up straight positon. The pain now started from both my buttocks, thighs, calves, lots of pain. X RAYS showed no Sciatica. Now despeate, I went to my V A Dr. and he thought my muscles were the problem because he knew on my problem of Statin side effects, and prescribed a muclle relaxer as the first attactand after two weeks of this med. I can get up in the AM - stand up straight walking. I do some mild streching of the legs in the AM which really gets me going.

I almost gave up all hope of being what I call normal, and feel like I have new life again.

The Statins, was on all of them, in the past 40 years caught up with me and nearlly destroyed me and my life. Just two weeks ago I started Zetia and to date tolerate them. Down the road my blood test will show how well it lowers my Chlo, which was 330 two weeks ago. I have a history of high Chlo. now for over 45 years and still here, so I gues I must be doing somethig right.

Note ---- With Lipitor and all before that nevr had reading below 220 but once !!!

Hope this helps.

[Gooney]

Well,first let me say beware of "...Boston..."-ian type plants or "ringers" from drug companies issuing what amounts to publicity releases on these or any boards claiming that any type of medicine is wonderful for all people. As you can see in this thread they typically resort to name calling in an attempt to broadly paint all who experience problems (and have nothing to gain by making them public) as irrelevant.

My own experience with 10 mg Lipitor numbed and froze my legs and arms to the point I could barely unwrap my fingers from any position they were placed in - such as around the steering wheel. This was after 9 months. I sat at my desk staring into space 8 hours a day unable to concentrate on or think of anything. Fortunately I first realized this problem could be caused by statins after reading it on the internet. (When I went back to the doctor he said he was taking it and had no problems when it was first noticed and not yet as devastating as it ended up).

After reading about the effects on the net and stopping on my own, most symptoms were greatly relieved after 3 or 4 weeks. A year later I seemed normal.

Changed docs after swearing never again for statins. New doc (4 years later) finally got me to retry statins. He pointed out there were two kinds - natural based and synthetic which were each processed in a different part of the liver. So he said Lescol was synthetic and persuaded me to try 20 mg. No problems after six months and lower but not acceptable chol levels. Tried 40 mg. Slightly better but not good enough. Then Lescol XL 80 mg. Still no problems 18 months later and chol levels all OK now. I'm confused since I did read on the net Lescol is not synthetic but it's not causing a problem so I'm not pursuing that matter.

I still worry, started taking COQ10 for the heck of it. So far so good with LDL at 98. Trying Niacin 2x 500mg daily to see if it helps HDL which is on lower edge of OK.

[NHone]

If you read information on studies on Lescol and the others of that class, they had absolutely no effect what-so-ever on any thing but the numbers. They were considered an absolute waste of time and money. Even though I hate statins, they do contain an anti-inflammatory portion, that is most likely what is causing (the very small amount) of help in very selected groups. It is now know that statins are causing lipid accumulation in the muscle fiber (cells). THis is not good. Statin therapy is now know to induce ultrastructural damage in skeletal muscle in patients without myalgia (pain). These tests were done through muscle biopsy. (Journal of Pathology, 2006) Why hasn't this been shown before? Because they never tested damage at the cellular level, and statins were doing exactly what they were supposed to do, lower cholesterol.(whether right or wrong). You would also be amazed at the choleserol medications that were to go in for final FDA approval, but were pulled at the last minute. (Avasimibe and Pactimibe) Pfizer was the company with Avasimibe. When it was pulled, they said they were disappointed but they were counting on their new star...the medication that raised HDL. We know that star elploded also. In a way the people that have pain from statins are fortunate. My mother did not, and the doctors would never equate the severe weakness with statins. Be VERY scared if you are taking channel blockers with statins...they are KNOWN to raise serum concentrations of statins anywhere from 2.5 to 10 times. (and that is at a lower does than most people take calcium channel blockers). Gooney I think you would appreciate reading about Dr. Dave Graveline, a NASA doctor. He had very similar problems to yours. He has now written several books on cholesterol lowering. (the dangers).

[flowergirl2day]

QUOTE]Be VERY scared if you are taking channel blockers with statins...they are KNOWN to raise serum concentrations of statins anywhere from 2.5 to 10 times. (and that is at a lower does than most people take calcium channel blockers). [/QUOTE]


Hi,

how do I find out more about this to take to my doctor? I am on 7 meds total, including CCBs. Something's got to give. I am sick enough from all of the side effects and drug interactions and certainly don't need to add to my drug induced existing problems!


Thanks,
Overmedicated Flowergirl

[NHone]

You can find this information if you look up adverse effects of Diltiazem and statins, or diltiazem and statins, or potentially fatal interactions between diltiazem and statins. Diltiazem is a generic of a certain calcium channel blockers. If you doctor has access to Lexi-comp online, he can look it up here under interactions. Its funny that when i was looking this u for you I found another report in Medscape. It seems that Atorvastatin significantly enhanced the oral exposure of diltiazem in rats (2007). This i didn't know, and i couldn't find any previous reports of this. But then again...no one ever checked!! Diltiazem works on the same pathway that grapefruit juice does. CYP 450 3A4.