LIPITOR - My enemy!

[goforarnie]

I was on Lipitor for more than 5 years (80 mg). I am 56 years old with CAD. During this time span, I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel in both hands (trigger release) and a pinched nerve in my shoulder. My fingers were going numb and I could hardly use my hands. This was in conjunction with the SEVERE leg, groin, back and chest wall cramps that I was experiencing. I ended up in the Hospital Emergency room when my lower arm muscles 'drew up' and the pain would not go away. After many tests and blood work, it was determined that my CPK's were more than double what they wee supposed to be. They told me to stop the Lipitor and sent me home after a few hours. Amazingly the problems that I had with my shoulder, hands, and arms went away after about 8 months after I stopped taking the Lipitor. I still have severe muscle cramping in my chest wall and all around my side, back, groin, abdomen as well as leg cramps. I get a cramp every time I turn sideways to look at something or even try to put on a seat belt. I am afraid this will not go away. I am ready to tell my Dr. to go ahead and do a muscle biopsy to prove to him that I am not going out of my mind!!! If there is a place to follow-up on any legal issues, I would like to know where that is.

[Ray Holder]

If you have a high CK reading you are almost certain to need L carnitine supplementation, please see my earlier postings on this subject, also Darrell's. In my own experience, carnitine is capable of providing rapid reduction of CK and clear up a host of muscle problems

Ray.

[Cat Mom2]

I have been off Lipitor since July, that makes 5 months now and I am having just as many problems now as I was when I was on it. The horriable pain I had in my knee joints have now moved down to my ankles making it extreemly difficult to walk and I now have a pain in my back that is my constant companion. I am certian now that this stuff does permenant damage and continues to spread it's poision long after you get off of it. Things they don't tell you anywhere on the rx print outs, on their web sight or you ever hear mentioned anywhere!

[Dee]

I also have cramps in my side when turning, reaching, or even laughing. I have been off Pravachol for 2 1/2 years and the cramps are better, but still a problem.

As for legal issues, see this site, the Lipitor Litagation link is on the left:

[http://www.krumlaw.com/]

[vipergg22]

[quote="Cat Mom2"]I have been off Lipitor since July, that makes 5 months now and I am having just as many problems now as I was when I was on it. The horriable pain I had in my knee joints have now moved down to my ankles making it extreemly difficult to walk and I now have a pain in my back that is my constant companion. I am certian now that this stuff does permenant damage and continues to spread it's poision long after you get off of it. Things they don't tell you anywhere on the rx print outs, on their web sight or you ever hear mentioned anywhere![/quote]

Won't even try to argue with you there . Back in the 98-2001 timeframe I was on this wonder drug . Within a month i started getting numbness and tingling on both feet . Of course the brainwashed doctor said it couldn't be the drugs . Went to a neurologist and they found no reason . Had mri to rule out spinal problems . I myself finally started searching around on the internet and boy did that open my eyes seeing all these people having the same problems . I had a number of other side effects when taking this stuff like severe digestive problems where almost anything would runn right thru me and I had better be near a bathroom within a hour after eating , couldn't even comfortably go out for dinner and not worry about this .I can eat anything i want now . I would go to bed at night without too many aches and wakeup in the morning and my knee joints hurt so bad I could barely crawl to the bathroom . Believe it affected my hearing , it definetly affected my mood and made me much more irritable. Everything except the neuropathy has pretty much resolved itself after stopping statins . While my levels are still somewhat high (according to what the pharm companies would have you believe) at 220 , after 4 years of not taking any statins i'm still here without problems except the neuropathy which has not resolved itself due to the permanent nerve damage it has done . My running days are over (I'm 49 ) due to the PN . Don't wish neuropathy on anyone , its there 24 hours a day . I think this whole cholesterol idea is way off track in its hypothesis after doing a lot of studying on the idea . Even in the event in the future I have problems I would never touch another statin . I have told my wife as much already and she agrees with me as she has seen what it has done . I used to play organized basketball 2 nights a week until I started those now I can't even run . Think twice about ever starting these and ask yourself is it worth it , some people won't have problems but a lot more people do have problems than are being reported because doctors blow it off as muscle aches and pains or part of getting old or don't want to deal with it when it is these so called wonder drugs .

[tex62]

CatMom2,

Have you been tested for gout? When my husband was taking Zocor and Tricor, he developed a horrible case of gout. His knee pain was so bad he could hardly walk. An MRI revealed a torn cartilage for which he had arthroscopic knee surgery to correct. The surgeon made pictures from inside the knee. It showed sharp pointed shards that had literally torn the cartilage. In addition to repairing the cartilage, he had to scrape the gout crystals from the knee. Gout can be in the knee, ankles, or anywhere in the body.

See Dr. Graveline’s article about gout: http://www.spacedoc.net/statins_gout.htm

Pfizer’s web site also lists gout as a side effect of Lipitor:
[http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/download/uspi_lipitor.pdf]