Has Anyone Experienced Muscle Pain In Their Back?

A message board to discuss personal experiences of Lipitor and its effects.

Has Anyone Experienced Muscle Pain In Their Back?

Postby Ali » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:26 pm

Hi,

I'm new here so hello everyone.

I'm a female, soon to be 65. Three months ago my doctor put me on Lipitor 20Mg daily. I know it's a small dose but in the past six weeks or so I have been experiencing searing, burning pain in my back on my left side just below my scapula or wing bone. I've tried prescription doses of Ibupropin also aspirin, Tylenol, Advil. It's been so intense that I have tried putting heat on it to alleviate the pain but to no avail.

I recently heard on TV that medicines containing statins, such as Lipitor, can cause muscle inflamation but what from what I read on here and other sites it's pain in the leg muscles or arms. Has anyone experienced bad muscle pain in their backs on one side or the other and could Lipitor be causing it?

This morning I decided to go off this med for a few weeks to see if it's the culprit because I can't take the pain anymore as I must work.

I welcome any comments.
Ali
 
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Back muscle pain

Postby Ray Holder » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:45 pm

I can see no reason why back muscle pain should not occur from the same cause as leg muscle pain, probably due to a reduction of carnitine to carry the waste products from energy production.

You should try some L carnitine capsules, and take some first thing in the morning, say 500 mg a day for starters, and move up to 1000 mg/day if needed, but don't raise the dose too much without giving time to see if your bowels can cope, it possibly needs 2 to 3 grams a day to cause problems.

If carnitine isn't sufficient on its own, you may need some Coenzyme Q10 in addition. You will find several postings by Darrel and myself if you want more information.

Hope this will help

Ray
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Postby Ali » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:23 pm

Thanks Ray. I'll look into these alternatives for bringing my cholesterol down.

One thing I've already done is stopped eating red meats and watching fats in my diet. Eating more whole grains and such.

A couple of weeks off Lipitor may give me the answer as to whether the back pain is from that or not.
Ali
 
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Postby Darrell » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:51 pm

Ali, L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 are not alternatives to bring cholesterol down -- they're supplements that treat the damage that cholesterol-lowering meds like statins have done to some of us.

I stopped my statin 23 months ago and still have leg muscle side effects in one leg. L-Carnitine is the only thing I know that prevents/treats my leg muscle aches very effectively without sedating me.
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Reply for Ali

Postby sos_group_owner » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:12 pm

Hi Ali and Welcome to the Forum,

20 mg of Lipitor is NOT low dose. Just 5 mg caused Dr Graveline to experience his 2nd bout of TGA (transient global amnesia). His first TGA experience was due to just 10 mg.

My husband took 10 mg, then 20 mg of Lipitor over the course of 5 years. Before that, 3 years on Zocor. He also experienced several bouts of TGA and still experiences short term memory loss 2+ years post statins.

Fran
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Back muscle pain

Postby Ray Holder » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:00 am

Ali

If you have stopped eating red meat you have deprived yourself of the best food source of carnitine

If you need extra carnitine because of the damage from statiins, you need a lot more than you can even get from food, so if you have little in your food you have probably run your body's supply right down and that is making your pain worse.

Ray
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Postby Ali » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:43 am

Thanks this is all very helpful information and I appreciate your inputs.
Ali
 
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Postby Kathy » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:48 pm

Ali,
My husband was on Lipitor several years ago and he developed polymyalgia rheumatica which later turned into temporal arteritis. When I was checking the polymyalgia rheumatica forum the other day I noted the following:

"Polymyalgia rheumatica is a syndrome characterized by severe pain and stiffness in the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdles, low back, hips and thighs. It is thought that polymyalgia rheumatica is a result of blood vessels becoming inflamed."

I would have my Sed rate and C-Reactive Protein checked for inflammation.
Kathy
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Postby bunnylady » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:17 pm

Yes- on days I forget to take my supplements, especially 400 mg CoQ10 and 1000 mg L carnitine I wakeup with searing hot pain across my back exactly where you described- it travels up my neck and causes terrible neck and head pain also- I take 100 mg Imitrex and my supplements and prednisone to relieve myself of that pain
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Lipitor

Postby Susan » Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:24 pm

This drug just about killed me. Years after being on it for a couple of months of muscle pain EVERYWHERE, I am starting to recover but have been left with an autoimmunine disease that I need to take injections to allow me to function. There is something on the market (we buy it online) called Cholox. Completely natural and no side effects. My husband's cholesterol went from 235 to 180 in six months. PLEASE stay away from Lipitor. Even if you are not aware of the side effects, this will do damage to your heart. You should always be on CoQ10 if you MUST take a statin. My NEW internist will not even prescribe it anymore.
Susan
 
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Re: Lipitor (reply for Susan)

Postby sos_group_owner » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:56 pm

Hi Susan,

Re: Cholox - "My husband's cholesterol went from 235 to 180 in six months. "
Could you share the individual aspects of TC for 235 and 180?

Fran

TC - 235
LDL
HDL
Triglycerides

TC - 180
LDL
HDL
Triglycerides
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