Reaction to Crestor

[Esmeralda]

After 7 days of 5mg Crestor, I began having slight symptoms of a reaction to Crestor. At the time, I didn't realize what what going on. A muscle in the back of my leg would feel stiff, then another muscle or ligament would feel inflamed. My right thigh and knee began to swell over a period of 4 days. I could no longer get up from a sitting position and walk; I had to wait a few seconds for my right leg to stop hurting. The heating pad reduced the pain temporarily but did nothing for the swelling. On the 18th day and 1 hour and 15 minutes after my dose of Crestor, I had excruciating pain in my leg. I could barely walk. I could barely walk to my car; to make matters worse, the pain was in my driving leg. I called my doctor who was able to see me right away. At the time, I didn't know that the thigh was swollen. The doctor ran a complete blood count, checking for rheumatoid arthritis, infection, lupus, CPK for muscle deterioration, gout. He also did an x-ray on my knee. Test results were negative, including muscle deterioration. But there was a lot of inflammation. I suggested that it could be the Crestor, but my symptoms did not act like a reaction to Crestor. I stayed off the Crestor, and my symptoms decreased. It has been 14 days since my last dose of Crestor. I can go up and down stairs without pain and without taking each step one at a time. I can sleep without having a pillow under my knee. I can roll over without causing pain in the leg. I can get up from a sitting position and immediatley walk. I still have some stiffness in the back of my knee; the inflammation persists in either the muscle or ligament or both on the interior knee. The swelling has gone down in the knee and thigh, but not to the degree that I think it should. In fact, I have more swelling than pain; that puzzles me. I continue to take the Naproxsyn two times a day for the inflammation. I check in with the doctor each week to update him on my progress. He has not suggested resuming the Crestor. I have a feeling that this healing process is going to take time.

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Esmeralda & Welcome to the Forum,

Re: CK or CPK with negative results.
CK/CPK is not a foolproof test. Some need a muscle biopsy to disclose muscle damage from statins.

When a muscle is swollen, heat may feel good, but it can also increase the swelling. You need to alternate ice and heat and not for long periods of time. Ice reduces inflammation. Heat increases circulation.

Fran

[Ray Holder]

You may get benefit from a little carnitine, because as well as being needed to take fuel into a muscle, it is also used to take waste products out again, if they are not removed, inflammation occurs, I believe it is called lactic acidosis.

[Esmeralda]

Thanks. I will look into that.

[harley2ride]

I had only slightly elevated CPK, and I still got extensive muscle damage (myopathic and Neurologic). And it has not improved in two years after stopping crestor, even with coq10, lcarnatine, fishoil, vitamin e, and magnesium, and a few other things that I tried. All I have been able to do is hold my own and not get worse, and ease the constant cramping and spasms. Is there anyone out there who has actually gotten better?

[Esmeralda]

Do the CoQ10 and L-Carnatine help the tendons and ligaments?

[Darrell]

Tendons and ligaments are connective tissues that, for instance, connect muscle to bone. I doubt they need the energy that a skeletal muscle does, so I doubt they directly benefit as much from Q10 and L-Carnitine if at all. On the other hand, when I first started seeing doctors about my leg pains it was determined pretty quickly that my leg muscles were very tight and my range of knee motion was somewhat reduced. To me that suggests that the tendons were probably getting stretched a bit from time to time in addition to being affected by other secondary effects such as blood flow problems caused by leg muscle problems. [Leg muscle condition and motion affects venous blood flow up and out of the leg.] What I'm saying in too many words is that your muscle problems may be causing some or all of your tendon problems. Q10 will probably help your muscle problems and L-Carnitine may too.

[Esmeralda]

My knee was feeling better and I was walking better. Considerably less swelling around the knee and thigh. The CoQ10 and L-Carnatine seemed to be doing the job. Checked in with the doctor. Persistent soft tissue swelling and continued inflammation of the tendons and ligaments. At least he admitted that I couldn't take the statin drugs. We discussed some naturopathic alternatives, but first he wants to get the current problems cleared up. He was unsure of the CoQ10 and L-Carnatine but told me to continue to take them. I don't think he is completely sure of this reaction. He told me to try the treadmill but to go slowly. I tried the treadmill for 1 and 1/2 miles at 3 mph; guess that was too much because now I have increased swelling around the knee and the thigh. I don't understand the swelling in the thigh, but I guess that is just part of it.

[Esmeralda]

I have had a phenomenal day. I awakened this morning with the feeling that my arms were better (very sore from pushing myself up from a sitting position). Tonight I discovered that I didn't have to use my arms to push myself up. My leg doesn't feel like it weighs 20 pounds more than the other one. I have been taking CoQ10, Super B Complex (for my Crestor-damaged hair), and megadosing on Vitamins C and E. I don't know what tomorrow holds in store for me, but at least for tonight I have a wide range of movement without pain or discomfort.

[Darrell]

Consider going easy on the exercise for now. Damaged muscle may not be able to clear waste products as fast as normal muscle, thus the "exercise intolerance". I found some stretching exercises to be useful, but strengthening exercises and feats of endurance were initially counterproductive. Think of yourself as being in physical rehabilitation (because you are): you need to regain strength slowly and steadily, not all at once.

"I have had a phenomenal day."
That's great. Sounds like the day I started L-Carnitine.