Statin drugs

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Ann - 14 Jun 2006 20:31 GMT

Anybody wih adverse reactions to the statin drugs? I was on lovastatin
for two years with no trouble. Came off it for seven months while
doctors tried to figure out where my hepatitis came from. Went back on
it five weeks ago and am in awful pain in back, hips, flanks, wrists,
shoulders, and middle of upper back. I don't know if it's the statin or
a strange flair from RA. My PCP is non-comittal and I don't have an
appt. until next month with the gastro doc.

Ann

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Lee O. - 15 Jun 2006 00:26 GMT

Hi Ann,

I was on Lipitor for a time and then Zocor. This was from 10 years ago
to 7 years ago. Got off due to financial considerations (no insurance).
Now, with Medicare D, I can afford meds again and my PCP put me on
Lovastatin. Both times I have noticed that they made me quite lethargic.
Not depressed or sad, just not really up. Feel kinda blah! But the
cholesterol is coming down steadily with no other side effects.

HTH

Cheers Lee O.

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janers - 15 Jun 2006 00:31 GMT

Statins are known to have a side effect of muscle pain and liver damage.
You might want to ask your doctor to try a different brand. That sometimes
helps.

Or a drug called zetia which is absorbed in the intestines and does not have
that type of side effect

janers

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Vlad - 15 Jun 2006 16:25 GMT

> Anybody wih adverse reactions to the statin drugs? I was on lovastatin
> for two years with no trouble. Came off it for seven months while
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Ann

Statins may also reverse plaque build up in artery walls so that in a
number of years you could be plaque free which may keep your plumbing
from blocking up.

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Nann Bell - 17 Jun 2006 04:03 GMT

My sister had major muscle aches from the statins and had to get off them.
She's on Zetia and her PCP has upped her thyroid meds some in hopes that it
will help with the cholesterol. Unfortunately, it isn't controlling it as
well as the statins. We seem to have a familiel problem in our generation -
all 3 of us developed cholesterol problems at roughly the same age despite
having reasonably decent diets. My bro and I are doing well on Lipitor, but
our sister just can't tolerate those statins.

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Ann - 17 Jun 2006 14:44 GMT

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm not sure it's the statin since I had
been on it previously with no problem. I'm doing a test right now of
not taking it and see if the symptom go away. I was also taken off my
Plaquenil for several months and just went back on that and so happy to
take it again. I doubt that Plaquenil would cause this kind of muscle
aches though.

Ann

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Lee O. - 17 Jun 2006 17:36 GMT

<snip>

>I doubt that Plaquenil would cause this
> kind of muscle aches though.

>Ann

Ann,

The following quote is from The PDR Pocket Guide to Prescription Drugs.

"All people on long-term therapy with this drug (Plaquenil) should have
a physical examination periodically, including testing of knee and ankle
reflexes, to detect any evidence of muscular weakness."

HTH

Cheers Lee O.

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Ann - 17 Jun 2006 18:25 GMT

Hmmm!! Thanks Lee, this gives me something else to think about. I had
better try to fit in an appt with the Rheumy sometime soon.

Ann

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ritpg@hotmail.com - 22 Jun 2006 18:41 GMT

> Thanks everyone for the input. I'm not sure it's the statin since I had
> been on it previously with no problem. I'm doing a test right now of
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Ann

Don't rule out the statin med you are on. I was on Zocor for 3 years
when I was switched to Lipitor for greater effect. I immediately
developed severe muscular pain and have not been able to tolerate
statins of any kind (I've tried them all) since. My CPK, which anyone
taking statin meds should have checked at least as frequently as liver
function, has gone as high as 600. I am now taking both Zetia and a
drastically reduced dosage of Lipitor since Zetia alone is not even
close to what I need. My CPK is typically in the 350 to 400 range
which means I have moderate muscle pain when not exercising and enough
pain to keep me awake at night when I excercise. I've been approached
by lawyers regarding a class action suit against (I believe) the
producer of Leschol which I have also tried. While I'm not so naive as
to think I'd ever get anything out of such a suit, I'm getting tempted
to join one just to put pressure on the pharmaceutical companies to
produce a product that works for us who can't tolerate the statin meds
(even if it means the laywer get rich in the process).

For those of you whose cholesterol is not so high (<=200), you may want
to consider red yeast rice, a natural statin used by the Chinese for
many years. I used it up until April '06 when I had a mild MI and was
forced to switch to my current meds. RYR kept my chol. down from ca.
260 (whithout any meds) to ca. 220 which I now realize was not low
enough (if you believe all the hype about high chol.).

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