Amlodipine (norvasq) or Atorvastatin (lipitor) causing this problem?

sporti · 06-18-2006, 07:23 AM

Ive been taking these drugs for a few weeks now for reversible ischemia and im gettng muscular cramps in my calves at night and also it feels like a hundred red hot knives are stabbing my feet. Anyone had this? It has got to be from one of the pills but i dont know which? Seeing GP tomorrow but hope someone may have had these side effects. The amlodipine has certainly brought my blood pressure down and i am no longer breathless or get chest discomfort when i walk so im hoping it isnt this drug. Thanks..oh i should point out that i have no swelling and my feet arent red and inflammed.

Lenin · 06-18-2006, 10:13 AM

Just a stab:
Perhaps you have some ischemic compromise in your leg circulation that has not caused problems before but NOW that the calcium channel blocker has eased the workload on your heart and and lowered your BP that leg ischemia might be worsened to the point of pain.

I checked on a side-effects forum and leg, calf and foot pain from amlodipine is not at all uncoommon.

Sporti,
What I'd do if I were you is to stop the amlodipine for 2 weeks and note whether your legs feel better. If they do, then look to another drug, even another channel blocker like verapamil or nifedipine (both cheaper than Norvasc.

)
Make sure to take your daily aspirin and don't over exert yourself during this "test period." Maybe tell your doctor what you are doing...or not as you choose.

Fathersson · 06-18-2006, 10:39 AM

Your pain sounds very similar to what I experienced on lipitor (10mg) - legs cramped, constant burning pain in my calves. Stopping the lipitor got rid of that. I had a similar reaction on zocor. Now, I've been on crestor (10mg) for about 6 weeks, and so far it seems to agree with me much better. Actually my own family physician switched to crestor after leg pains on lipitor, and he has not had them since (over a year on crestor for him).

You might ask your doctor about trying another statin - people respond very differently to different statins, so, as in my case, some trial and error experimentation might be required to find one (and a dose) you can live with.

sporti · 06-19-2006, 02:08 PM

Thanks very much for your replies. I went to my GP this morning and she spoke to my cardiologist. I have been taken off the Lipitor whilst they wait for the result of a blood test the GP took which shows any muscle problems that this drug can cause. If the blood test is negative then it isnt the Lipitor it will be the amlodipine causing the problems. Im quite happy with that and i will wait for the results.

Fathersson · 06-19-2006, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sporti

Thanks very much for your replies. I went to my GP this morning and she spoke to my cardiologist. I have been taken off the Lipitor whilst they wait for the result of a blood test the GP took which shows any muscle problems that this drug can cause. If the blood test is negative then it isnt the Lipitor it will be the amlodipine causing the problems. Im quite happy with that and i will wait for the results.

Actually, likely no. Most people who report muscle pain or cramps from statins never show any liver enzyme abnormalities, nor elevated CK enzymes (elevated CK is a sign of the muscle waisting condition rhabdomyolosis, but true rhabdomyolosis is very rare with statins). I never had anything but completely normal blood workups when I had leg pain while on lipitor and zocor. The pain was real enough, that I know, and it only cleared up once I stopped taking the offending statin.

Knock wood, but it has also not returned for me since I began taking crestor, so hopefully I've found a statin I can live with (I also take 2x100mg CoQ10 capsules per day, but that did not stop the pain with lipitor or zocor, so I'm not convinced it really does anything).