Side effects from statins ?

[dinney]

Truly pray that someone will respond to my thread as I am about to go totally nuts. OK, I suffer from anxiety, mostly about my health and over the years have had many, many tests all were o.k. Well, my Dr. has me on cholestrial medication, changed me to a new one about 2 weeks ago, vytorin, this week I began having severe headaches, vision problems (seeing flashing lights, etc.). Went to my opthamoligist and he checked my eyes VERY good, asked if I had medication change and told him from lipitor to vytorin and he said "ah ha". That statins are very hard on the system, told me to visit with dr. Well I have been on a statin drug for several years BUT I have also felt like crap, NO energy, dizziness off and on, vision problems, muscle weakness, flu symptoms. Have just tried to deal with it (dr. is SICK of me and my complaints) BUt I DO want to feel good again, I am not making all of this up. Am on zanex for anxiety which helps for awhile but right now I am thinking I am dying, making mental plans for when I'm gone I feel that bad. Can medication such as this build up in your system and RUIN your life ? Please, please someone talk to me ...

[quiteone]

I am just comming off Vytorin myself. I had terrible side effects. mucle weakness, pain, etc. I thought i was dying...
its been more than a week now comming off vytorin and after a full blood test/chest x-ray and determining no damage, i feel much, much better.
the dr. did confirm it was the statins. she is looking at possibly just giving Zetia. I told her, i need sometime to recover from this nightmare.

[dinney]

Thanks SO much for responding, I have been about to go crazy wondering if my eye dr. knew what he was talking about with how badly the statins effect some people. Now I am wondering if all the years of being on lipitor didn't play a major role in the horrible way I felt too. Know I probably need something to control my cholestrial but just want to quit them all together and get it out of my system and see if I don't feel better. Not familiar with what your Dr. is thinking of putting you on. Were you totally exhausted, any dizziness, just total lack of motivation to do anything ,muscle weakness that you hadn't had before ? God bless you for responding to me, appreciate it so much. My Dr. just thinks all the side effects are "in my head"...depressing when you need someone to really listen/understand what you deal with on a daily basis...Sorry to go on so long but would like hearing from you again..side effects, etc.

[NHone]

Hi, I am kind of in a rush right now and will respond with more later. But yes, your problems could easily have been caused by lipitor. Also switching to the vytorin will NOT solve that problem. The statin study at UCSD has found that 98% of the people on Lipitor have muscle problems. Liver test are NOT an accurate measurement of muscle involvement. This has been documented by doing muscle biopsies. I think you might want to talk to the people at the statin study. Search (UCSD statin study). Talk to Marvin. I will post more for u later. In the mean time..if you are not taking Coq10 you should immediately start.

[dinney]

Thanks for all the info, truly appreciate your time and any further info you may be able to share later.