Lipitor and tendonitis?

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

Lipitor and tendonitis?

Postby markbnh1 » Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:07 pm

Hello,
I just discovered this board after some research into recent strange symtpoms I have experienced. About a month ago I started to have severe pain in various joints. First it was my right knee....and I figured I must of strained it somehow without knowing. This went away after a couple of days, then it was my left elbow, then my left wrist, then my left knee, etc ect ect. They all last a day or two then disappear for a while. I asked my doctor about it and of course he said that NONE of my medications could cause this problem. I have been on 40 mg of Lipitor since a heart stent was put in 2 years ago.

This appears to be more in the tendons than the actual joint. I know Lipitor is known for muscle pains, but how common is this type of tendonitis as a side effect? Anyone else have similar symptoms?

I stopped the Lipitor 5 days ago and picked up some CQ-10 and fish oil capules today. Time will tell I guess, but I'm sure my doctor will NOT be happy on my next visit in January.

Mark
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Postby cjbrooksjc » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:10 pm

mark: I took Lipitor then Zocor for about 3 1/2 yrs; all the time marking up the growing symptoms to age-related phenomena. The pain in my muscles was not a 'pain' but rather a growing ache akin to over-exertion, ague, or flu-like symptoms. The worst 'pain' was in my joints: elbows, knees, shoulders, and hips and that WAS indeed PAIN. I won't bore you with the details of my problems, but I would; if I were you, certainly suspect the statins have done their work on you, and only time will tell if you get off without permanent reminders.

Best wishes for a full recovery,

Brooks
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Postby markbnh1 » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:51 pm

Brooks,
Thanks for the kind words. I guess I've become a convert of the "no statin" community already. I look forward to reading and contributing as I move along this new pathway. I'm hoping I can undo any damage that may have been done during the past 2 years. Might be shopping for a new doctor in January. hahaha

Mark
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Postby Cat Mom2 » Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:29 pm

I had the knee joint pain within weeks of starting statins that lasted the entire time I was on them. Once off, it started moving from joint to joint, each day brought a problem in another joint. In April it landed in my right shoulder where it has been ever since. MRI shows tendonitis. They keep asking me what I have done to hurt it and I keep responding "I took statin drugs"... I NEVER had even a hint of any joint pain until I took that poison, now I live with it every day.

I came back to add something later. I didn't mention what else that MRI found. Keep in mind thought, that I never had any sign of anykind of joint pain until I took lipitor and NO problems with that shoulder EVER! Suddenly, overnight I got all that pain... MRI showed not only tendonitis but arthritis, burcitis and a bone spur, all at once where there was never a problem...
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tendon complications and satins

Postby eml256 » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:20 am

OH--we may have been right all along...how interesting.

Public release date: 28-Feb-2008


Tendon complications, though rare, linked to statins
Statins, the most effective treatment for lowering cholesterol, are widely used and have been demonstrated to be safe in large clinical trials. Although side effects are usually mild, more severe side effects, especially musculoskeletal complications, have been reported. Tendon impairment has been reported anecdotally but has not been included in large-scale studies. A new study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritiscare) found that, although rare, tendon complications are linked to the use of statins.

Led by Catherine Noblet, of Rouen University Hospital in Rouen Cedex, France, researchers identified 96 cases of tendon complications from the French Pharmacovigilance database between 1990 and 2005 that were attributed to statins. Tendon conditions included tendonitis and tendon rupture. Patient data retrieved from computer database were as follows: medical history, other medications they were taking (especially those known to increase statin concentrations), information about the onset, pattern and severity of their condition, and the dosage and type of statin they took.

The results showed that of the 4,597 side effects associated with statins, about two percent were attributed to tendon complications. Symptoms usually occurred within 8 months of beginning statin therapy. Most patients had tendonitis, but some also suffered ruptured tendons. The most common tendon affected was the Achilles tendon, with pain, swelling, warmth, and stiffness as the most common symptoms. Seventeen of the patients had symptoms severe enough to warrant hospitalization. The researchers were able to link the tendon problems to statin use based on the fact that the symptoms appeared after the statins were started, they improved when the statins were stopped and they recurred in all of the patients who restarted the therapy.

The authors note that tendon complications due to statins may be largely unreported; no cases were reported during the large therapeutic trials that included more than 30,000 patients, but this may have been due to controlling for factors that predisposed patients to tendon conditions. In this study, an increasing number of patients with complications was seen with the increasing number of prescriptions between 1990 and 2005. They also note that although the prevalence of tendon problems in connection with statins is low, all types of statins could potentially cause tendon problems, which occurred at the recommended dosages.

“Our study suggests that regular tendinous clinical examination may be required in statin-treated patients, particularly during the first year following statin therapy initiation,” the authors state. They also suggest that it is worth considering interrupting statin therapy before strenuous physical activity such as marathon running.

Although it is not known how statins may produce tendon injury, there are several theories. It may be that blocking cholesterol synthesis reduces the cholesterol content of tendon cell membranes, making them unstable, or that statins either reduce the levels of proteins involved in maintaining tendon cells or destroy vascular smooth muscle cells.

The authors suggest that although statins are effective, physicians should be aware that their side effects may include tendon complications. “We also suggest that patients who are at risk of developing statin-associated tendon manifestations and who require statins be routinely questioned about symptoms consistent with tendon involvement,” they state, adding that postmarketing surveillance appears to be a major tool for early detection of safety problems with a new drug.

Contact: Amy Molnar
###
Article: “Tendinous Disorders Attributed to Statins: A Study on Ninety-Six Spontaneous Reports in the Period 1990-2005 and Review of the Literature,” Isabelle Marie, Hélène Delafenêtre, Nathalie Massy, Christian Thuillez, Catherine Noblet, the Network of the French Pharmacovigilance Centers, Arthritis Care & Research, March 2008.
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Postby Brian C. » Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:08 am

"Statins, the most effective treatment for lowering cholesterol, are widely used and have been demonstrated to be safe in large clinical trials."

Every time I read that shibboleth I want to reach for a gun.


Brian.
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statin drugs

Postby gotts1936 » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:23 pm

Brian, I do not know how many statin drug users have developed permanent muscle and tendon disabilities, but I know my leg muscles have wasted away and my leg muscle tendons have been dislocated to the extent that when I walk it feels like my leg muscles do not work in tandum as they should. In fact, I have still, after being off Lovastatin for ten months, leg muscle distortion. My legs look deformed.
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Postby Brian C. » Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:28 am

gotts, there is no getting around the fact that we have been administered an incapacitating agent which was too wayward in effect to interest the military.
Whether in ignorance or by deliberate plan the outcome is the same.

"Safe" in context means simply "the suckers will find it impossible to pin the blame as a basis for class action".

Greed rules. The World is the psychopath's playground.

Brian.
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Postby Ray Holder » Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:15 am

gotts1936
I hope you have tried L carnitine for your leg muscle wastage, it probably requires a fairly large daily dose,

Ray
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statin drugs

Postby gotts1936 » Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:17 pm

Ray, thanks for your response. Yes, I have tried L-Carnitine, but only for a couple of days each time. After two days of taking L-Carnitine my legs hurt more. Maybe that was a sign that the L-Carnitine was working. I just don't know, but based on your response I am going to give it another try.
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Postby Allen1 » Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:48 pm

gotts,

my leg problems are bad enough but they are no where near as bad as yours. I also had stronger sensations and symptoms for a short while when I started using L-Carnitine, but I think after a week or so they dwindled and don't feel so bad. I am pleased Ray and Adec suggested using L-Carnitine and Q10 as there is most certainly a difference when they are used.

The statin problems are more bearable with the help of L-Carnitine etc but what we have seems to be here to stay and even with the suppliments some days can be pretty rough.

I am pleased to see you are going to give it another go, maybe a lower dose to start off with for a week or so till you get used to the L-Carnitine then build the dose size to what works for you, this was Rays advice to me and it worked in my case (everyone is different though).

Good luck gotts and give it a bit of time to see the results :)
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statin drugs

Postby gotts1936 » Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:04 pm

Allen, thanks for you feed back. I have been taking COQ10 200mg a day.
I will start taking COQ10 200mg twice a day with 500mg 0f L-Carnitine.
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Postby Cat Mom2 » Sun May 11, 2008 7:10 pm

Did anyone catch this "The results showed that of the 4,597 side effects associated with statins".....? OF THE 4597 SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH STATINS!

My main tendon problems did not start until I got of of them! I had the heel and knee tendon problems but it started attacking EVERY joint after I quit the stuff!

Wonder if Dr. Golomb has seen that?
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Re: Lipitor and tendonitis?

Postby vipergg22 » Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:54 pm

[quote="markbnh1"]Hello,
I just discovered this board after some research into recent strange symtpoms I have experienced. About a month ago I started to have severe pain in various joints. First it was my right knee....and I figured I must of strained it somehow without knowing. This went away after a couple of days, then it was my left elbow, then my left wrist, then my left knee, etc ect ect. They all last a day or two then disappear for a while. I asked my doctor about it and of course he said that NONE of my medications could cause this problem. I have been on 40 mg of Lipitor since a heart stent was put in 2 years ago.

BS my muscles and tendons have never been the same since taking statins years ago at this point . I would wake up in the morning with things killing me when I went to bed and everything was fine .
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Postby catspajamas » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:13 pm

statins will do that...and dr's don't admit or don't know they will do that....My rehab therapists said he isn't as strong as he was since he started statins...and this is a young man who should be strong in his profession........
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