Tendon problems after getting off?

[Cat Mom2]

Since I have been off of the statin I was on, I have had real problems in one joint after another. Grabbing pain in my right ankle that would about throw me down, wrist problems, hip problems, elbo, fingers, pain that moved from joint to joint. It landed in my right shoulder mid April and has been there ever since and it is a crippeling pain that has left my right arm useless at times. I finally got tired of it and went had a X-ray, it showed nothing and I refused to take anymore Rx pills until I found out what it is.. Tendinosis. Since I never had any joint pain in my entire life until I started on the statin drug and that pain has come on with a vengance since I got off ot it, I credit it to the statin. I only had it in my knees while I was on it and it was there for the whole time I was on it but it was crippeling pain at times exactly like what is in my shoulder. Never a hint of joint pain in my whole life until I introduced statin drugs into my body. The MRI answered the question of exactly what the cause of all that pain is, I do not think I am alone with this statin induced tendinosis/tendon problem. Is there any end to the damage this drug will do? I have been off of this drug just a few weeks away from a whole year ago!

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Cat Mom2,

Are you taking both CoQ10 and some form of carnitine?

My husband's been off statins for 3 years... memory issues persist and when muscles are injured, they take forever to heal. Some rebound from statins once the drug is stopped, but for others, it play havoc with so many bodily functions. He injured his shoulder last summer and it took almost a year to heal. We both have been going to a chiropractor and have 1/2 therapy two to four times a month. Hubby for 1 and 1/2 years and me since Dec '06. If one's body is out of alignment, I think it inhibits our body's recovery.

We recently added serrapeptase to our supplement regime. Serrapeptase is supposed to be more effective than EDTA chelation, but without any side effects. Also helps numerous inflammation conditions.
*http://www.serrapeptase.info/

Fran

[Cat Mom2]

I am taking all the supplements reccomended here.

I have had to miss work on account of this shoulder and it is on my own dime since it happened at home... But they are still paying through my medical insurance. Human Resources asked me how I hurt it and I told her I didn't and I told her it is my belief that the statin drugs did this to me and told her to research it on the internet if she thinks I am carzy! Can you just imagine how much this stuff is costing medical insurers? I am HOPING that this is the last big blow this stuff will do to me and once it is gone, that will be the end of all these mysterious sudden joint problems.. But, no oe should have to suffer through something like this from something that is suppose to "help" them...

I will try some of the stuff you suggested when I get back.. I am going to be gone for about 3 weeks without internet access so anyone responding, don't get discouraged when I don't respond right away.

[tomt43402]

Hi everyone...I'm new to the forum, but have been reading it since March 2007, when I found it...I've been on Lipitor for about four years and have had muscle and joint problems the whole time...the doctor increased the dose to 80 mg about a year ago and in March of this year I had a major muscle attack in my right upper arm...I stopped the liptor myself on April 6 and the pain stopped after about 2 weeks...then I took it again for just three days and the pain returned...the doctor insists that it is an injury...but I haven't injured any thing!...so I quite it myself and now I do not have the Muscle pain, but I still have tendon soreness and tendon pain if I use any of the areas that seem to be affected...it all over, elbows, knee, thumb...very much like catmom2 decribes...I started taking CoQ10, L-Carnatine, Vitamin C and fish oil and that has helped greatly...I've read the Spacedoc's book from cover to cover and I sure glad I found this web site or I would still be in unbearable pain...thanks to everyone who posts and supports...we all need each other...I'm hoping in a few months the tendon pain will stop and except for the one heart stent that I have, I will be normal again...especially thanks to this new knowledge....

[sos_group_owner]

Hello Tom T,

Thank you for your excellent feedback. Yours is a classic case of your doctor ignoring your concerns over muscle pain. All of the statin commercials on TV and in the DPI's (drug package inserts) advise us to tell our doctor about any muscle pain, but when we tell them, they ignore us. The system is broken. You've listened to your body, done your research and taken action. Good for you!

As you've discovered, statins can make us 'exercise intolerant'. My husband stopped all statins 3 years ago (following 8 years of statins). He injured his shoulder summer of '06 and it took almost 1 year of therapy and supplements for it to finally heal. Both the drug companies and our doctors claim muscle pain will subside once the drug is stopped (or that it's not the problem). This just in NOT true.

Fran

[poohhel]

Fran: That is the understatement of the year thus far... I have been off Vytorin since March so my doctors think (or won't admit) that I could still be having this pain because of statins. They each believe it is this or that and have me going from one test to another ... wonder what they will do when we run out of the options to explain all this pain, yet not place the blame in the right place-- duh it's statins dummy.... Arg! I am so frustrated!

[SusieO]

I get so sick and tired of hearing that statement "well you no longer take Lipitor so the pain is not coming from that" it makes me want to be sick to my stomach! :x

As far as what will happen when they run out of tests; my Neurologist told me that my diagnosis is an unspecified case of neuromuscular something or the other (the words are not in my mind right now). It simply was that he had no idea what was wrong and has given up. He said when I want some pain meds I should return to him, but until that time I was released from his care.

[Cat Mom2]

I had to get my doctors approval to go back to work, then go see the company doctors and get their approval to return to work. Human Resources wanted to know HOW I hurt my shoulder and I told her I know exactly what happened to it, it was STATIN drugs. I told her of all the problems I had while taking the stuff and the problems since getting off and told her I know she thinks that sounds crazy but have someone research it on the internet before they actually call me crazy. I asked her if she had any idea how much these drugs were costing the company due to the undisclosed side effects that we all end up seeing doctors for in our HMO's and PPO's they provide for us.

I found in my log where I made a note ob Feb. 7th that my shoulder was bothering me and even waking me up from a sound sleep so I have been suffering with this thing for 6 months now.. I started keeping a log at the beginning of the year on all of this... I only wish I had done that from the first dose of that stuff!

[Cat Mom2]

In researching this tendonitis thing I made another starteling discovery. Within weeks of starting statin drugs, I suddenly, without warning or any prior history, started having really bad pain in my knees that hit both knees at the same time on the same day. As long as my legs were streight, the pain was not there but in bending them to sit or squat, it was extreemly painful. Squatting was so painful that I just couldn't do it, period!

I tried all the drugs on the market until I found one that helped with the pain and I took that every day for YEARS, the entire time I was on statins. Soon as I got off of statins, the pain in my knees dissapeared.

Anyway, in researching this tendonitis in my shoulder, I found this!

"What are the symptoms of patellar tendonitis?
Patellar tendonitis usually causes pain directly over the patellar tendon. Your doctor should be able to recreate your symptoms by placing pressure directly on the inflamed tendon. The other common symptom of patellar tendonitis is pain with activities, especially jumping or kneeling. Less common, but not unusual, is swelling around the tendon itself. "

In case you don't get it this patellar tendonitis is tendonitis in the knees...

[bunnylady]

Hi, I was on Lipitor for 14 monnths, went off of it, almost was better then rechallenged with Crestor for 3 days and my whole system went nuts so I have had ALL the pains cat woman has had- my knees were to bad so fast that I was in a grocery store and couldn't walk to the check out stand- I was almost shaking- they brought me a cart to hold onto
then at Disneyland (i know i know) my knees collapsed out from under me on the Jungle ride- so I went on Prednisone as my shoulders were hurting to- have been on Prednisone 6 months- know I need to get off but now I HAVE TENDONITIS in my right foot- its a hot burning unbearable pain- I did nothing to the foot to injure it- doctor couldn't believe it- I didn't bring up statins with the foot doctor but I know that's what it is- she wants to operate- should I?

[Cat Mom2]

Just about a week ago, my left shoulder started hurting exactly like my right one and I am certain that I did NOTHING to cause this in my left shoulder! How am I going to function with this tendonoitis in both shoulders, much less hold on to my job?

bunnylady, I wouldn't let them do any surgery on me unless they were 100% sure they could identify and fix the problem. Funny you should mention a burning pain in your foot. I have had that for the last month in the arch of my right foot off and on.. I just kept thinking I needed to get some arch supports...