Knee pain

[ACORN]

I was diagnosed as a diabetic about a year ago with an A1C of 11.3. As of 6 mos. ago I have brought it down to 5.6. For the last 8 mos. or so the doctor put me on Lipitor(generic) because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. I have since been experiencing severe knee pain.
I went to a gun show yesterday and then cut my grass when I got home. I hurt to the point I could barely walk up the stairs to get back into the house.
A customer of mine tells me this is common with Lipitor.
I have a doctors appointment next month and plan on discussing this with him, but I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues?

 

[Bullseye 2620]

Joint pain is a serious side effect of Lipitor.

You cannot afford to wait a month to see your doctor. Call him and insist on an appointment now, today.

Ask him if he can switch you to the generic for Crestor, rosuvastatin. It seems that this statin produces many fewer side effects in people.

Really, this could be serious. Call and see your doc today.

By the way, great work on your blood sugar levels.

 

[kwselke]

From the Lipitor site: LIPITOR(R) (atorvastatin calcium) Side Effects | Safety Info

"In clinical studies, patients reported the following common side effects while taking LIPITOR:

Diarrhea
Upset stomach
Muscle and joint pain
Alterations in some laboratory blood tests"

You should contact your doctor today.

 

[Maddog 521]

A lower dose will probably eliminate your knee pain. Get to your Dr. ASAP.

 

[URIT]

I ditched Lipitor after I developed some side-effects to the drug. Statins are not all they're cracked up to be. I stopped taking them and adjusted my diet to less daily net carbs by avoiding sugary and starchy food and beverage products. Even my doctor was amazed at the positive adjustment that dietary change did to my health markers.

 

[Kurusu]

I was diagnosed as a diabetic about a year ago with an A1C of 11.3. As of 6 mos. ago I have brought it down to 5.6. For the last 8 mos. or so the doctor put me on Lipitor(generic) because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. I have since been experiencing severe knee pain.
I went to a gun show yesterday and then cut my grass when I got home. I hurt to the point I could barely walk up the stairs to get back into the house.
A customer of mine tells me this is common with Lipitor.
I have a doctors appointment next month and plan on discussing this with him, but I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues?

How old are you?

The reason I ask is because statins are for high colestherol level and have nothing to do with sugar levels.

I'm on Rosuvastatin now and I didn't develop any joint pain. Took another statin a few years back and my elbows started to hurt (great for a shooter) so I ditch it.

 

[oneounceload]

Amazing what happens when your food doesn't come with any warning or nutritional labels on it - meaning it is all fresh and unprocessed. Cut out the white death - rice, sugar, flour; cut out the alcohol; get up and MOVE (10,000 steps a day) and it is amazing what can happen. I managed to get off of my triglycerides meds; went from 299 to 199 to 85 over 6 months (normal is 120 or less)

ALWAYS follow your doc's advice, but also realize most of the time, treatments start out as trial and error to see how they work for you, so ALWAYS let them know if something is amiss.

 

[swsig]

I agree with the advice to go back to your doctor asap. I took generic Lipitor (atorvastatin) for over 15 years without a single problem. A little over a year ago, my shoulders and wrists began to hurt tremendously, and I began to have some bad leg cramps. My knees did not hurt, but that's only because they're steel and plastic. My cardiologist said my problems could have been due to the particular generic version of Lipitor I had been taking, as some brands can cause joint and muscle problems, while others don't. I told him I'd be willing to pay for real Lipitor, but he suggested that I switch to generic Crestor (rosuvastatin). I did so a year ago, and within three weeks, all of the pain in my shoulders and left wrist disappeared, as did the leg cramps. I do still have some residual pain in my right wrist. Of course I shoot about 10,000 rounds a year, mostly .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, so that might explain the right wrist. (Ya think?) The rosuvastatin is also doing a great job on my cholesterol, keeping it around 130, with my LDL around 70. I'm happy, my joints are happy, and my cardiologist is happy. Go see your doctor about a change in your prescription, and I hope you'll end up happy, too.

 

[H Richard]

I take Rosuvastatin (generic for Crestor), does this one also have the same side effects?

I am currently seeing a Dr and getting a MRI for knee pain. (Long standing knee pain).

 

[mdhillbilly1]

My A1C was at 9 when I first found out I was diabetic and went to 10 after taking Lipitor. I was also having severe pain in my knees and it caused me to gain weight. I started taking Lipitor after being on it less than 90 days my sugar went to 600. The Doctor was trying everything blaming me for earring too much. I explained to him that I thought it was the new medication. He would not listen too me, until I stopped the LIPITOR on my own. Our sugar came down slowly and I had to reduce my sugar medication on my own. Our entire family has issues with taking Lipitor and other Statin drugs. Our family can only take FENOFIBRATE that works wonderful with no side effects.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

I take Rosuvastatin (generic for Crestor), does this one also have the same side effects?

I am currently seeing a Dr and getting a MRI for knee pain. (Long standing knee pain).

Any statin can produce muscle or joint pain. This is a potentially very serious side effect because it is the first step in developing something called rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly with the products of that breakdown collecting in the bloodstream. Symptoms may include muscle pains, weakness, vomiting, and confusion. There may be tea-colored urine or an irregular heartbeat. Some of the muscle breakdown products, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure.

"Rhabdo" can be caused by many things, and statins are one of those things for certain people. Everyone is different biochemically, which is why most people tolerate statins well, but some don't. My understanding is that rosuvastatin (Crestor) is less likely to produce this kind of side effect than other statins, but any statin can produce muscle pain/weakness/joint pain and that symptom must be considered serious and definitive medical treatment instituted immediately. If your doctor is a jerk and won't re-evaluate his prescription decision, get to an emergency room and tell the doctors there that you think your symptoms are related to your statin intake, and you are concerned that you are showing the initial signs of rhabdomyolosis. I assure you that will gt their attention.

 

[ACORN]

I am 62. As I originally posted the statin was prescribed because of the increased risk of stroke and/or heart attack. I'm figuring because I cut back on carbs and increased on protein (meat) and therefore higher cholesterol. I am not on name brand Lipitor but atorvastatin calcium. I had some knee pain before the statins but it was nothing compared to this. Getting old stinks! And I am not just talking about the smell of all the Ben-gay, Bio Freeze, and Absorbine Jr. I've been using.
Thanks to all.

 

[Targets Guy]

Don't forget about gout as a poss problem with that knee.

 

[orthoman]

I was diagnosed as a diabetic about a year ago with an A1C of 11.3. As of 6 mos. ago I have brought it down to 5.6. For the last 8 mos. or so the doctor put me on Lipitor(generic) because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. I have since been experiencing severe knee pain.
I went to a gun show yesterday and then cut my grass when I got home. I hurt to the point I could barely walk up the stairs to get back into the house.
A customer of mine tells me this is common with Lipitor.
I have a doctors appointment next month and plan on discussing this with him, but I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues?

many my clients report similar issues (I fit Orthotics needed by many Diabetics)

 

[twotwo6]

Definitely talk to your doctor ASAP as these symptoms can be indicative of a pretty scary (but rare) side effect called rhabdomyolysis.

Another point about statins you should be aware of is that statin drugs can lower CoQ10 levels (studies show that CoQ10 levels can drop by up to 40% due to statin drug use).

Low CoQ10 levels can be a concern because CoQ10 helps promote healthy heart function. This is because CoQ10 plays an important role in the production of the energy used by the cells in our body.

Some studies even suggest that supplementing with CoQ10 can help with statin-caused muscle pain.

 

[vytoland]

LIPITOR® (atorvastatin calcium) is a prescription medicine that lowers cholesterol in the blood. It lowers the LDL-C ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides in your blood.....

you need a different medication to control A1C.........