Anyone taking a statin?

[JESW]

My dr. put me on Simvastatin (Zocor) last week as I have been trying to lower my cholesterol alone and it's still a little high.

Did you have any reaction to the statin? I have been feeling lousy the last couple of days - not lousy enough to stay in bed - just "blah". I did look up the side effects and they list the ones I have been feeling. I tend to have a sensitive stomach so I am never sure if it's just *me* or the meds. I was wondering how long it would take before I didn't feel so...yuck. Today seems to be better.

Any experience?

Jill

 

[Christine]

Not me personally, but my dad did. He finally just stopped taking them.

 

[pumba]

I started out with zocor four years ago and then this past year was changed to the generic simvastin. I had no problems ......hubby did and he now takes them in the morning after breakfast and he has no problems. He also gave it a chance to get used to the drug. I take a higher dosage then he does and like I said no problems....

 

[Scutapipig]

I had no issue with it, but sometimes it just takes a week or two to adjust to a medication if you're not having severe side effects.

I was able to lower my cholesterol from 230 down to 128, so well worth the med while I adjusted my diet and started using flax seeds every day on my cereal.

 

[kufan98]

I was on Zocor, and it didn't agree with me either. Mostly it caused a lot of muscle pain, but I am very sensative to medication. I'm now on Pravachol, and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Frantasmic]

If you aren't feeling better in about a week, call your doctor. The worst and most serious side-effects are all over flu-like muscle pain. If you feel that, you should call your doctor pronto.

Otherwise, it just takes a while to get your meds in line.

When are you taking your medication? My doc told me to take mine at night, just before bedtime, because that is when the liver produces the most cholesterol on its own and the medication would be most effective then.

If you are taking it in the morning, start taking it at night and perhaps some of the symptoms will be more tolerable since you are sleeping through them.

P.S. Pay attention to the 'DON'T EAT GRAPEFRUIT WHILE TAKING A STATIN." Something in grapefruit magnifies the effects of statins in your body.

 

[Buckalew11]

My mother was taking a statin and had horrible pain (I guess muscle?), She's 69yo so she was thinking it was just "old age aches and pains". She wouldn't have to take a prescription pain pill to go out on the tennis court to even play tennis!
She was at the doctor a few months ago and mentioned this and he immediately took her off the statin drug. They tested and there was some sort of link between the drug, the pain and her liver.

After this happened to her, DH, who started a statin last January wondered if this had anything to do with with his pain. He runs, bikes or swims everyday and does marathons, triathlons etc. and I think he was thinking he was just over doing the training or something. Turns out, he was also having the serious reaction one can have to stains with his liver.

I actually know more people who have had trouble with Lipetor (etc.) than not. It is sorta ironic because my doctor thinks it is a miracle drug that will someday help more than just high cholestrol. I'm thinking I'll pass on it.

Good luck but if your symptoms worsen, don't hesitate to have this checked out.

 

[The Mayor]

I take 20mg of Lipitor daily with no side effects...my doctor wanted to increase it but I lowered my cholesterol further with diet and exercise.

 

[minkydog]

I've been on simvastatin (Zocor) for about 6wks now and I haven't had any side effects.

 

[mrsmom]

My dh just started this last week and has complained of muscle aches , i am going to tell him to call the dr.
Kim

 

[jann1033]

i take lovistatin ( been on it a few months) and the only problem i have is sometimes i get light headed from it(?). i always feel "fluish" due to other health problems so don't think that has changed any but it did lower my cholesterol to where i should be( not that high to start with but diabetic so preventative measure due to risk of heart disease) so now it's 163

 

[tulsanurse1]

For those of you taking a statin and suffering from muscle aches, its imparitive that you immediately contact your physician.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

I take the generic Zocor also. When I first started taking Zocor, it really bothered my stomach but I've started taking it at night right before I go to bed and I don't have any problems anymore. Sometimes my legs ache but I'm not really sure that it is medication related.

It has really helped my cholesterol also. Don't give up on it yet but do tell your doctor if your tolerance doesn't improve. You will be going back in 3 mos. for a liver function test won't you, you should have a good idea of your tolerance by then.

 

[blue_river]

I was on Lipitor for two years and had some pretty bad side effects but they came on slowly. After the two years, I had lost 18 pounds WITHOUT dieting and my muscles were so bad some days that I couldn't walk without pain.

My doctor wants to put me back on it - another one. I'm not that trusting this time around and haven't been back to see him. I'm avoiding him for as long as I can.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I was on LIpitor and it made my muscles twitch. It was awful. I stopped it myself for two weeks to see what happened and 99% of the twitching stoped. I told my doctor and he put me on Zocor. So far no twitching.

 

[DVC-Don]

I've been on Lipitor for 5+ years now without any problems. Prior to that I was on Baycor for a year and wound up in the hospital. A week later it was pulled off the market.

 

[JESW]

Thanks for the replies! I have been on for a full week now and today wasn't so bad. I will certainly contact my dr. if I feel worse or have any muscle pain - mostly it's been in my stomach. I am closely monitored by my dr. and will be seeing him again shortly.

Jill

 

[Simba's Mom]

DH has been on Crestor for several years (practically since it came out) with no problem. Before that, he was on Lipitor for a few years (practically since that came out it seems). He only switched because the Dr. thought Crestor was better for his situation. He's been on cholesterol lowering medications of some sort for over 15 years.