Lipitor and Possible Effects in My Knee

[dandean]

I'm just about at wits end, and I want to know if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms.

I've always been physically active, and have run more than a dozen marathons and many more triathlons. Last year, at the recommendation of my physician, I was put on 10mg Lipitor daily. Although I used to have unbelievably low counts, I guess it's crept up over the years to the point where it really needs to be controlled.

I started noticing pain - and I mean actually, physical pain - in my right knee several weeks after starting on Lipitor. I thought it was because I was just getting older, and all that running was beginning to catch up with me. I saw an orthopedic specialist who x-rayed the joint and saw nothing. He told me to lay off the running and wait for the pain to go away.

Well, I've laid off the running for months and it's no better now than when I first visited the doctor. I switched over to using a stationary bike to reduce the impact on the knee joint, but the pain persists. If my doctor is correct, and there's nothing physically wrong with the joint (he showed me the x-rays and noted that everything appeared to be physically fine), then my only other suspect is Lipitor.

Have you or anyone you know experienced a similar case? If I stopped Lipitor, are the effects reversible? How long would it take to see a change?

I'm pretty much grasping for straws here, because I'm not sure where to continue my search for answers. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[cjbrooksjc]

dandean: Joint pain is one of the primary warning signals of statin poisoning. I had pain in my joints (knees and hips) so bad I walked like a 95-year-old (I was previously a very athletic 61-yr-old). Now, a bit over a year after dropping the statin Rx (Lipitor/Zocor) from my daily regimen, I am about 60% back to my past, vigorous self. The statin poisoning effect is much like a cascading auto-immune disease: other parts of your body and/or nervous system will ultimately become compromised. Recovery: You may recover, most people do, but it takes time, and I mean months/years. FWIW -I use something called Joint Relief from Iceland Health (they're on the web), and it seems to help a lot. Read more threads on this forum (you've a lot to learn now), and my strong advise, based on personal experience, is: STOP TAKING STATINS!

Regards,

Brooks

[Darrell]

I was 50 years old and in relatively good health when my "knee problem" appeared without apparent cause.

My statin side effects (from Zocor) began with knee problems in one knee and progressed from there. Within a month I could hardly walk and was suffering flu-like fatigue. Things started turning around shortly after I stopped my statin. Shortly as in days. I later tried Zetia and had a relapse of symptoms within days. It seems cholesterol is my friend, not my enemy.

By the way, it wasn't really my knee. It was problems with some of my major leg muscles manifesting themselves first as a minor knee hyper-extension and later going downhill from there. That only became apparent as the problems intensified.

As far as I'm concerned, statins are poison. If they're causing your problem too, you'd better quit sooner than later if you want maximum recovery. And consider taking some Coenzyme Q10 too.

[cjbrooksjc]

dandean: Darell is correct. some improvement is immediately noticeable when you stop the drugs (statins). We all experience these initial results differently. What I referred to is recognizable, consistent improvement - something approaching near total recovery - without relapse. Sorry if I caused you undue concern, but my final advice remains the same: STOP NOW!

Brooks

[dandean]

Thank you all for your posts. I think that, in some way, I had already decided that the Lipitor has been at the root of my problems, and that I needed to solicit some advice from others who have been down this road already.

I'll speak with my doctor next week and ask for her advice, but in the meantime I'm quitting the Lipitor. High cholesterol numbers are manageable by careful diet and exercise, and although it runs in my family, i think it's time to revisit those methods for NATURALLY lowering my blood cholestorol.

Thanks again for your posts. I'll let you how I feel in a few weeks!

[cjbrooksjc]

dandean: We'll be interested in hearing of your progress. Be aware that Drs' consistently deny the evidence of statin poisoning. Trust your body.


Brooks

[Cat Mom2]

The second week of 10 mg of Lipitor, I had sudden knee pain in both knees at the same time that hit me without warning. No history of any prior knee problem. It was extreem pain, not anything easy to live with. After buying a whole box full of assorted arthritis medicine, I tried Aleve and that helped keep it liveable. I suffered with this the entire time I was on Lipitor and it just as suddenly went away within a week of getting off the stuff....

[dandean]

Update on my progress: It's hard to believe how much better my knee is feeling! I mean, I wasn't entirely certain that stopping the Lipitor would really result in such a dramatic and rapid improvement.

I've been able to resume running and various other strengthening exercises for my joints and muscles without ANY negative side effects. It's as if the old me has re-emerged.

Put me down as a true believer that statins are poison. The sooner more people realize that, the better off they'll be.

[cjbrooksjc]

dandean: Good to hear! Congratulations!

Brooks

[Cat Mom2]

Just be careful! After about 3 months off of it, something started attacking all my other joints. It attacked joint after joint until it landed in my shoulder and SUDDENLY, without any prior warning, pain, history, or problem, I have tendonitis, arthritis, bruciteis and a bone spur in that one shoulder. (I was on that poison for over 5 years)

[bucho]

I had a right knee problem too. Like Cat Mom2, my knee seemed to be a delayed reaction to the statin. Also my elbow joints would "freeze up" during inactivity (such as sleeping). When I woke up they would resist movement, then "pop" loose, as if cement had dried in the joint. Also all my finger joints became swollen and quite sore. These joint problems took a long time to heal, but today, nearly 2 years off the statin, they are all cleared up except a slight knee pain that I just ignore. And that's getting better.

Your experience with muscles and joints sounds classic, or at least a lot like mine. See my entry today under "THINCS Attacked" in the Statins topic.

Good luck.

[vipergg22]

When I was taking this garbage I would go to bed at night and knees were perfectly fine and I would wake up in the morning and at least one would be hurting so bad I could barely walk to the bathroom . This wonderful side effect completely stopped shortly after quitting statins qalong with a host of other problems, unfortunetly I was left with one permanent severe problem of peripheral neuropathy in both feet which has not resolved itself and slowly continues to get worse . I am only 50 and I don't wish this affliction on anyone.