muscle spasms

[granzanz]

my husband started the zocor a month ago, he had been on pravachol for about 5 years. within the last three weeks he has been having the worst muscle spasms of his abd muscles. looks like a contraction and a big knot develops causing severe pain, and it's not "just gas". the chest pains got him to the hosp. and he had an essentially clean heart cath. his ck was elevated and he was very anemic, blood iron was "rock bottom". ofcourse the one dr called a gastric dr and the heart dr and they want to scope him top to bottom. i think it's the zocor. but he was given a new script for zocor, his cholesterol was elevated along with the kidney functions. I am sure I read somewhere that the statins can cause anemia, the drs "never heard of that". I thought our family dr would agree with me about the zocor, well he wants to get the scopes and find out where he is bleeding, and paid no attention to my concerns about the statin reaction. .. I presented it to him this way, an elevated ck, low renal functions and horrific muscle pains and severe anemia... HELLO sound familair... how do I convience the dr I am correct, and since he stopped taking zocor he still is having some chest pain, and muscle spasms but nothiong like when he was on it... I am so glad I found this forum to get some feedback...

[Allen1]

Hi there granzanz,

I just read a very similar problem posted by "poopsy" at: (remove the *)
*http://allnurses.com/forums/f8/statins-side-effects-347726.html

I can confirm that anaemia is a problem that I personally had, but I only found out about it after over 6 months since a major operation. I was going downhill in the stamina stakes very quickly and the Drs knew I was slightly anaemic but I was not made aware it till I went to see why I was still getting exhausted so quick, when the operation that I had should have sorted that problem out. I was given iron tablets and it did seem to improve things for a while but the whole stamina problem continued to be a major problem, who would have guessed that statins could rob you of your strength and ability to think.

Muscle spasms are a big problem as you know from reading your post, it was zocor that also did it for me but a lot of the spasms and aches has dwindled 18 months after stopping them. You need to look at Ray Holders posts about L-Carnitine and Q-10 as they do help to sort out the problems.

I hope your husbands symptoms clear up quickly, they do for some or after a while become less severe unless you over tax yourself.

All the best,

Allen.

[Darrell]

See "anemia" in Section 6.2 on page 7 of the patient prescribing information:
*www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zocor/zocor_pi.pdf

[cjbrooksjc]

If your hubby continues on the Zocor there is a good chance he will experience worse and a broader range of cramping. I had debilitating cramping first in my abs, then ribcage, then back for months and was sent to phys therapy for treatment (Very painful). Personally, I would stop the Zocor immediately; that's his decision, of course. It is suspected that Statins CAN cause permanent mitochondrial damage. If he won't or can't stop taking Zocor, at least get him a good CoQ10 supplement.

Brooks