Statins

Hi. My mum is a very fit 78 yr old. She has been on a very low dose of simvastatins for 17 years. She had minor aches and pains but still fit enough to walk 5 or 6 miles a day, mow her garden and dig vegetable patch. She has stopped taking the stations and is now in extreme pain... Cannot raise her arms, walks only one mile a day and feels tired. She is going to as for a blood test but has anyone heard of side effects of coming off stations? Will this pass? Any suggestions re help? This could be PMR ..... Any advice really appreciated. ## Hello, Clare! How is you mother doing? It's difficult to say what may be causing the problem, it could be PMR, or something else. Has she consulted her doctor, yet? At her age, you really shouldn't just let this go, it needs to be checked out.

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When on statins, CPK level increases. How to solve this and keep the level healthy ? ## CPK levels indicate that muscle tissue is dying. Unless you are a serious athlete competing in marathons or cross fit competitions, you should not have an elevated CPK level. Let me repeat this, high CPK levels indicate that your muscles are dying. Muscle death is the last thing that someone should have if they want to remain healthy. Statins can lead to high CPK levels and muscle death. If this occurs, the statin should be discontinued. You cannot BOTH stay on statins and stop the muscle death. You need to discuss with your doctor about getting off the statins asap. As far as 'keeping your cholesterol healthy', that high cholesterol levels lead to heart disease is a highly debated hypothesis...

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on simvastatin, would like to try Livalo. Since I have no side effects from simvastatin, would I be allergic to Livalo, or is the formulary the same only that it is obsorbed through the kidney? Would I be more likely to be ok changing to Livalo? ## Hello, Roz! How are you? What you're talking about wouldn't be an allergy, but yes, you could experience side effects from a different one. Why do you want to switch, if your current medication is working for you? What has your doctor suggested?

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I was on a Statin for the past 5 years and have suffered with migraines for the past 15 years. For many reasons I decided to take myself off the Statin 2 years ago. I attributed my decrease in migraines by changing jobs and reducing stress. My doctor recently convinced me to start back on a Statin. I've been on it for the past month and have noticed for the past week I've had constant migraine pain. So I've decided to live with the POSSIBLE risk of heart disease rather than the debilitating pain from daily migraines. ## Hello, Even! How are you? I'm sorry about the problem you had. First, I'd like to clear up a misconception, if you have high cholesterol, it isn't just heart disease that you're at risk of, you're actually at risk of a full heart attack, b...

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Why have I had to stop taking statins while being treated for a chest infection with this drug? ## You might have to stop taking it, or lower your dosage, so be sure to follow your doctor's instructions on the matter. Taking them together could result in elevated levels of the statin building up in your body, which increases the risk of several health issues, including liver damage, according to NIH reports. The FDA lists the typical side effects of this antibiotic as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, non-allergic skin rash, and diarrhea. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I just want ted to find out if Tripolene is safe to use when on Statins for Cholesterol? ## Hello, Kerry! How are you? Which statin? I'm sorry, but I need to know which one, in order to check for you. Can you please post back and clarify? Thank you! Tripolene is listed as containing the active ingredient Amitriptyline and the FDA lists its typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, dry mouth and weight changes.

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My father is taking both of these tablets and has no energy he says his head feels very "wooly" He has allsorts of tests, to no avail Please help! ## Hello, Momo! How are you? What dosage is he taking of the Citalopram? With the symptoms you've described, I think it is the most likely culprit, since it's known to cause such side effects. As listed by the FDA, he may also experience nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weight changes. How long has he been taking it?

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Statins are known to cause memory loss. I've read that losartan can cause the same side effects as statin drugs. Is memory loss one of the side effects losartan can cause? ## No, it is not a statin, it is actually classified as an angiotensin 2 receptor antagonist, but yes it can cause memory impairment as a side effect, though it is very rare for it to do so. The FDA lists the typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, increased urination, and hypotension. Is the patient on any other medications? ## yes, patient is on amlodipine. He has none of the 'normal' side effects you mentioned. He is always tired. When I looked up side effects for his meds, both said extreme fatigue was a possible side effect. He is cold frequently when no one else is. Is...

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Put on statins in 2009 (first Zocor, then Lipitor). In June 2012 had severe episode of heart palpitations and chest tightness (ended up in ER). Had EKG, chest x-ray, blood tests -- all normal. But chest tightness, lightheadedness and fatigue symptoms continued for days. After cardiologist visit (including stress test) found no problems with heart, returned to regular doctor for more blood work. Found nothing... Then based on my own online research I found my symptoms matched up with Lipitor side effects. Stopped Lipitor first week of July... chest tightness and fatigue symptoms are now gone but lightheadedness continues. After more online research, I have begun taking CoQ10 and Milk Thistle this week. No improvement yet. Anyone with similar experiences? How long does it take for the bod...

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Is Telmisartan in the same range as statins? ## No, Telmisartan is an ARB that is most commonly used to treat high blood pressure and certain cardiac conditions, it's not effective at lowering cholesterol like the statin drugs. Learn more Telmisartan details here. What condition do you need to treat?

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Weird, moving muscle aches like I got with statins. I ran out of jardiance for a week and they improved. Now 3 days of back on and miserable. I am female, 68 and I want to be able to walk my dog and ride my snowboard! ## Unfortunately, that can be a side effect of Jardiance, along with nausea, dizziness, headache, and ketoacidosis according to FDA reports. Ref: Jardiance Information How long have you been taking it? Side effects typically hit their peak strength around 4 to 5 weeks of taking one steady dose of a new medication, then begin to taper off, until they eventually go away. However, if your symptoms are severe, you should consult your doctor as it might not be the right medication to help you.

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Can I take ibuprofen while taking statins? Lipator, plavix, lsinopril and atenolol Please advise ## Hello, Gary! How are you? If you have high blood pressure or a cardiac condition, then you may not be able to take Ibuprofen. NSAIDs can sometimes cause blood pressure elevations and fluid retention. What has your doctor advised you to take? Have you tried just taking Acetaminophen? That's usually safe to take, unless your doctor says otherwise.

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My doctor has tried me on several statins and I can't take them. She is trying me on Nexletol. I guess I would like to know others experiences with this drug. How bad were the side effects? How long do they last? I am 67. I tore the tendons in one foot that have healed. Will this effect that? Just general experiences that you might have had. ## Another one I can't take. I stopped after a week because it was making my asthma worse. I had to go back to my rescue inhaler. A day or two after stopping the Nexletol, my asthma improved. ## I am very sorry to hear about what you went through. It likely wasn't a good choice for you, anyway, due to the fact that you've already torn tendons. Nexetol does come with an FDA warning about it increasing the risk of tendon injury, or rup...

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I have been taking Crestor 10 mg for 5 months but on various Statins for 2O years. A few days ago my skin started to feel like I had a sunburn in my face, behind my neck, buttocks and legs, plus a bit of a sore throat. It is not anxiety because I popped a prescribed Klonopin and I felt calm but still burning skin I am convinced this is the Crestor. My doc thinks I am crazy Has anyone heard of this. I stopped taking it 2 days ago and so far no change, but I realize it is too soon to tell ## Oh yes, the FDA does list that as being a possible side effect, along with itching, tingling, feeling like your skin is crawling, and prickling sensations. One of the medications I take for my blood pressure can cause odd tingling sensations on the scalp, usually only when I'm out in the sun and i...

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I've been taking clopidogrel, amlodipine and statins for years now. Over the last year or so I have developed inflammation of the duodenum, confirmed by endoscopy. The consultant wrote "duodenitis caused by clopidogrel" on his summary of findings. However, since then doctors have declined to go down the route of trying alternatives to clopidogrel, and deny it being the cause. I'm not sure why the resistance to this diagnosis? If my diet was so poor, wouldn't I be getting inflammation in other areas too? Why just the duodenum? My diet seems to have very little effect on the condition. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Are the doctors just trying to avoid expensive alternatives, or do they genuinely believe clopidogrel is not the cause? Has anyone suffered the same si...

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Cerivastatin

Cerivastatin (INN,[1] brand names: Baycol, Lipobay) is a synthetic member of the class of statins used to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. It was marketed by the pharmaceutical company Bayer A.G. in the late 1990s, competing with Pfizer's highly successful atorvastatin (Lipitor). Cerivastatin was voluntarily withdrawn from the market worldwide in 2001, due to reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis. During postmarketing surveillance, 52 deaths were reported in pat...

Pitavastatin Calcium

Pitavastatin (usually as a calcium salt) is a member of the blood cholesterol lowering medication class of statins.[1] Like other statins, it is an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme that catalyses the first step of cholesterol synthesis. It was patented in 1987 and approved for medical use in 2003.[2] It is available in Japan, South Korea and in India.[3] In the US, it received FDA approval in 2009.[4] Kowa Pharmaceutica...

Pitavastatin

Pitavastatin (usually as a calcium salt) is a member of the blood cholesterol lowering medication class of statins.[1] Like other statins, it is an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme that catalyses the first step of cholesterol synthesis. It was patented in 1987 and approved for medical use in 2003.[2] It is available in Japan, South Korea and in India.[3] In the US, it received FDA approval in 2009.[4] Kowa Pharmaceutica...

Pitavastatin Magnesium

Pitavastatin (usually as a calcium salt) is a member of the blood cholesterol lowering medication class of statins.[1] Like other statins, it is an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme that catalyses the first step of cholesterol synthesis. It was patented in 1987 and approved for medical use in 2003.[2] It is available in Japan, South Korea and in India.[3] In the US, it received FDA approval in 2009.[4] Kowa Pharmaceutica...

Drug Index

Cerivastatin (INN,[1] brand names: Baycol, Lipobay) is a synthetic member of the class of statins used to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. It was marketed by the pharmaceutical company Bayer A.G. in the late 1990s, competing with Pfizer's highly successful atorvastatin (Lipitor). Cerivastatin was voluntarily withdrawn from the market worldwide in 2001, due to reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis. During postmarketing surveillance, 52 deaths were reported in pat...