Lipitor side effects

[bmarcus955]

I've been on Lipitor 10mg for about 4 years.  I've had episodes of burning type muscle pain in my legs and arms, some numbness and tingling along with general feeling of nausea and malaise.  My doctor feels this could be because of the Lipitor and I stopped taking it 4 days ago.  How long until I can expect to see improvement?  My liver enzymes were always within normal range and blood work shows no elevated white count or anemia.  Thanks.

[TerryH]

Fruit Pectin Cholesterol Cure

I was diagnosed in June '07 from a May blood test.  Doc said it was hereditary and there was no dietary fix to be had.  Prescribed Lipitor at $3./day for the rest of my life!  I numbly bought the pills but Googled the drug before taking.  There is a 5.6% rate of severe muscular degeneration!  I never took them out of the wrapper.
Further Googles turned up an array of natural treatments but only one had scientific studies attached to a great deal of anecdotal evidence - FRUIT PECTIN.  The study was on pigs and the grapefruit rinds cured them.

5 months later all 5 indicators read NORMAL!...whereas all 5 were badly out of whack back in May.

The Cure:  Buy liquid fruit pectin, same as for jam and jelly making.  I found Certo brand at the Superstore for $3. a box which lasts about 3 weeks.  Mix 1 teaspoon with juice.  I like veggy juice or orange.  Take once a day for the first week and then 3 times per day hence.

Note that since my condition is hereditary I did not attempt to alter my eating habits at all.  I am a fit and trim man and have modified my eating habits decades ago to maintain appropriate weight to height ratio.

Now that I am 'cured' I will drop my pectin intake to 1 teaspoon/day.  In Jan'08 I will be tested again to see in the lower maintenance dose is effective.

Good Luck to All,
Terry

PS:
Take responsibility for your own health by educating yourself.
Don't trust Doctors.  They are paid directly by drug companies.
Do not accept advice, carte blanche, from people without names.

[Barbarella]

At your age you still can try the natural stuff.  When I was your age my cholesterol was already in the 220 range, sometimes 240, and it kept creeping up.  BTW, I'm old enough to be your grandmother :)

I do not know if your numbness in your back is from the statins.  For example I had muscle pains way before I ever took statins.  Talk to your doctor and see what he says.

How long were you on the statins before your back got this numbness?  If you stopped over a month ago it should have gone away should it be from the statin.

A doctor told me one time that it takes decates for cholesterol to clog up your arteries.  I would give the natural stuff 6 months to one year, and see if it makes a difference as in lowers it to normal levels.

[Mikey24]

Hi everyone, Im a 24 yrs old male, cholesterol level around the 280" I begain taking Lovastatin to lower my cholesterol level while exercising, about a week and a half a part of my muscle on the mid right of my back is numb, I stop taking it right away, about over a month have passed and its still numb, maybe not as much but still the numb feeling is there. does anyone ever have this problem or know of this? please let me know, thank you.

and to Barbarella if you don't mind me asking, what is your age, you seem like a very strong minded person had having cholesterol level of 306. Giving that Im 24yrs old, do you think its a good idea for me to still go natural by exercising and eating right?

[Barbarella]

Natural medicine has not helped me at all with my cholesterol.  I tried it for one solid year.  Different products, you can get them in health food stores.  I eat healthy and exercise every day.  After one year my cholesterol only had dropped 20 points, from 306 to 286, LDL (bad cholesterol was 231)  With numbers that high the natural stuff usually does not help.  I finally caved in and took the 20mg Zocor my doctor put me on, that was 4 yrs ago, no side effects whatsoever, and my cholesterol is now nearly perfect.  Total 180 (got this number in only 6 weeks of taking Zocor, and remained the same give and take a little for the last 4 yrs), don't remember the rest, doctor said it was nearly perfect that is all what matters to me.  

Some people cannot tolerate statins, but you wont know until you try.  I was scared stiff of statins, and wasted a whole year on the natural stuff.  My doctor told me that it probably would not work, but I thought I knew better.  However, he gave me a year to try and told me at the same time that I was a walking time bomb.

In my case its not from eating the wrong food, its genetic.

[LadyHawk1]

Are there natural medicines that lower cholestorel?  If so what are they, and are they available to the public?
Please send any info to long_legged_indian***@****

[thewildwind]

Most medicines lowering cholesterol  have some side effects . I don't know if you tried medicine made from natural raw materials,with no chemicals, and it can lower cholestorel.Did you have a HDL test ? it could be the cause of high cholestorel.    A friend of mine have been taken this kind of medicine without side effect. If you want to try ,you can send a email.Address is cardiok@gmail.

[geppetto]

I also had a problem with Lipitor, but it was soon after I started taking the med.  It made me itch (not a good thing to do when taking blood thinners).  My doctor switched me to Vytorin and that allowed me to get my cholesterol down to humanoid levels.  At the time I had recently started a cocktail of meds due to a 3X bypass.  It is nice to know there are other meds that perform the same or similar functions.  Also, I would be careful mixing off the shelf / over the counter / vitamin store 'products' with prescription meds.  They don't always play well together.  As CCFheartMD-PB said, check with your doctor.  Best of luck.

[mtnz5]

Try taking co-enzmyne 10, it helps

[ssm320]

I began Enalapril last December and Lipitor in March.  I noticed a major lost of eyebrows in duplicated patches on each brow in early May--sometimes losing five eyebrows at a time with roots attached.  I stopped both drugs and my loss stopped.  I began Enalapril six weeks ago and did not see further eyebrow loss.  I then began Lipitor and in a few days noticed a loss of several more eyebrow hairs.  I stopped Lipitor, continued with the Enalapril and believe my eyebrow loss has stopped again.  But my eyebrows have not grown back.  Does it appear my problem is the Lipitor?  Do you think my eyebrows will regain their hair loss?

[Cleveland Clinic]

Within a week or so you should experience relief of your symptoms, if they are related to the lipitor.  It would be unusual for this to occur this late after starting the med, but certainly not impossible.  You should also have your doctor chesk CK enzymes in your blood.