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SEVERE leg pain and Statins

BarbaraGale
2 Recommendations

Yesterday I came home from a 2 mile walk with serious leg pain. (I used to run!) I used to take Lipitor, now Crestor, and I think these statins are killing me. I was taking Red Yeast Rice with COQ10 on the suggestion of a friend, to ameliorate the pain, but it is worsening. I am going off the red yeast rice today. I am on statins for life (4 stents) but am thinking of calling cardio to reduce amount. Does anyone else have this severe response? Can anyone suggest how to reduce these symptoms? Thank you.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Heart failure Surgery Lipitor Vicodin Niacin Angina Crestor Peripheral neuropathy Stent Vytorin Zocor Xanax Heart disease Zetia Simvastatin Pain ALS Heart attack Pacemaker Congestive heart failure Pravachol

35 replies

BarbaraGale

I really have to post these suggestions I found while researching leg cramps:
Drink 1/4 cup dill pickle juice and the cramps are instantly gone. Football teams use this. Drink another shot if needed.
Take regular sewing thread and cut into a length long enough to tie around your ankle, but let it be slightly loose. I'm not sure how it works, but the thread will knot up instead of your muscles.
For leg cramps at night place unrapped bar of dry soap (Ivory or Dove were specified) under the covers near you legs and leave it there. Most everyone will think your crazy for trying this, but it works... And if nothing else it smells nice.
My grandmother was told by my great-great grandmother to take your shoes, turn them upside down and place them under your bed (generally with the toes facing out) It seems odd but works...
Eat a Banana...yellow mustard... when you get a leg cramp

myra

Ladies,

I know what you mean about the pain from the statins. I have not had any problems, but my husband was put on Lipitor and had terrible muscle pains. His best friend also had the same problem with Lipitor. His friend was switched to another statin and is doing OK. However my husband is not taking anything, which worries me to death. He is going for lab tests in June and I am very worried about the results, especially since he gave up on all statins.

Myra

BarbaraGale

Hi lidia. I am going to do what I said above, but you may have something thee. it may just take a little longer that some. Thanks for the support. Hmm, support hose, now there's an option I hadn't thought of!

grace5

Hi Barbara, sorry to hear you're still having cramps, I was back to almost normal within a couple of weeks, my husband took much longer but he'd been taking statins for 8 years, I hope you find the cause and the solution soon, that pain is horrible, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
Lidia xx

BarbaraGale

Army wife, this was discussed with my doctor. I agree with you and would NEVER take myself off a drug without my md's knowledge. NEVER.

armywife7283

Im not supposed to give medical advise on here but I will tell you ladies if you take yourself off your medication or you take something else you could be at risk for another heart event. Stopping something without the knowledge and suppervision of your doc could have serious consequences. Im worried for you ladies. I know I had stopped my nitro one time thinkign it was making me worse....I ended up in the hopsital for about 2 days...becareful and consult your doc before you do anything. That scare and watching my patients do the same thing has taught me a lesson the hard way.

BarbaraGale

Well, I went off statins but no change . I had a terrible time walking two blocks on Saturday due to immediate cramping. I guess I'll look elesewhere for a solution. Thinking of going to rehab to learn how to stretch since there is supposedly no medical reason for this. I still think it's the meds but WHICH ONE is overwhelming. I must do more research.

SusieQ12

Hi Barbara Gale, COQ 10 isn't a statin but red rice yeast is. Sorry, if I confused you. Good luck!

BarbaraGale

Thanks. I have my labs, too, Kathe, and was thinking about going over the numbers for different reasons (mytirs). Now I have another reason.
Yup, Caol, me too, but I insisted on going off crestor for a while.

KatheM

I have the worst problems with severe muscle pain and statin use. I am so over being the test subject for yet another 'flavor' of a statin drug.

Does anyone else get really high serum creatine kinase numbers when they are having that horrible statin muscle pain?

I pulled all my medical lab reports for the last 5 years and was shocked to see such high CK numbers. I didn't realize what that those numbers meant at the time & the Doctor's never told me either. I also didn't know what damage that could cause to your kidneys.

-Kathy

CarolSue

PS, Barb:
I have 5 stents and am told I will be permanently on this regimen. Hope this info helps...

CarolSue

Dear Barb,
I spent about 2 years going through all the statins which always ended up with leg pain and severe fatigue. I am now off everything but 1/2 Zetia and Niacin(prescribed by my doctor, not the kind from the vitamin section). It is working and helping lower my numbers, and no more leg pain, and less fatigue. Ask your doc about this and see what he says. My doc is a recognized expert in the field of statins... and I am so grateful for his knowledge.
Carol Sue

BarbaraGale

Oh Lidia, I am so happy to meet you. I'm not a morning person either, although my husband wakes me up on his way to work. With my coffee, so I suppose it's the least I can do to say have a nice day ;)
I am removing my Red Yeast pills from my pill box.

grace5

Hi Barbara! I didn't get up early, I'm not a 'morning' person. But I do live in England, it was 10.34 am, my time! ;-)
I hope you'll progress like I did, it took a while but within weeks I was pretty much back to my old self, fingers crossed for you!
Lidia xx

myra

Dear RAvictom,

I was so surprised to see that you live in Amherst. We are almost neighbors. My husband and I live in Vermilion Township. Both my parents had heart disease and are both dead. However, my Dad did not die from his angina. He died as a result of ALS. I have coronary artery spasms and also have a mitral valve prolapse and heart murmur, as a result of the MVP. We will have to keep in touch, especially since we are practically neighbors.

Myra

BarbaraGale

Gracie, you're up early! Thank you for the clarification. I take COQ10 with red yeast rice. I will get red of the red yeast rice forthwith. Thanks for the head's up.

grace5

Hi Barbara!
CQ10 is not a statin, (I think red rice yeast is what Suzy was referring to, it has the same side-effects as statins). I take CQ10 and I think it helps to speed up the reversal of the damage caused by statins, that, of course is purely in my opinion!
I hope you feel better soon, it takes a while but my pains subsided almost daily.
Lidia xx

BarbaraGale

Hi, and thanks everyone for your responses!
I went off Crestor on 4/17, after conversation with md. BUT, I put myself on COQ10. Now I see (per SusieQ and others) that it is a statin also, so I'm going off that, too. The pain has lightened, but I am still having trouble. Oy!

wondering48

I am typing this reply in regards to my girlfriend who has had a heart attack , has had stents inserted into arteries & is prone to congestive heart failure and goes through horrific leg pains upon waking up in the morning. I have personally taken lipator, crestor although have never had heart trouble myself. Is their any other medicines you might know of that she can take with her condition like I take that does not cause such extreme agony? thanks .
richie who loves and cares for "Wondering 48"

SURARAZEL73

TODAY I WAS OFFICIALLY TAKEN OFF OF THE STATINS!
MY PHYSICIAN DECIDED WE WOULD GO TO PLAN B, CHANGE OF DIET. TOMORROW I WILL BEGIN MEDIFAST ,A PROGRAM WHICH SEEMS TO LOWER MY GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL DRAMATICALLY.
LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO STAYING WITH THE PROGRAM.

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