pains in the feet from vytorin

[JOANIEGIRL]

After taking vytorin for about 3 weeks I developed pains in my feet and ankles..It felt like someone had taken a 2 x 4 board and whacked me across my feet and ankles. Also I could hardly walk from the car parking lot to the grocery store. I stopped the vytorin and finally after a month I noticed that I was walking normally again. Dr. was upset that I went off the vytorin so I tried them again with same results. Now I am taking fish oil supplements and 500 mg. of niacin once a day. Don't know yet whether my numbers will go down, but since I work in a hospital lab I will do my tests this week and see what the numbers are. By the way I had high HDL readings all my life, from 79 up to 104 and yet I had two 99%blockages in the LAD and had emergency open heart surgery about 16 months ago. Any comments?

[kimsuoil]

JOANIEGIRL, I also had terrible ankle and foot pains that I lived with for 10 months until I quit the Vytorin. Your high HDL didnt seem to protect you from heart disease. Makes you wonder if cholesterol has anything to do with it at all! As the Doc says, it is inflamation not the cholesterol.

[Pammy]

I was perscribed Vitorin to lower my cholestrol in March 06. After the 4th day I started feeling aches and pains I had never had before. I had not red the side effects of these meds as to not have pre-conceived ideas. However, Every night got worse. My right arm ached, my knees hurt and the bottoms of my feet felt like the bones were coming through. By the end of 2 weeks I could hardly walk and was living on Advil for the pain. You would just have to know me. I don't take any medication normally. It was like bad flu symptoms all the time. Even after stopping the medication, I still have pain. And I only took it 2 weeks. My elbows and knees have stopped swelling, but my feet hurt all the time. I am only 47 yrs. old. My feet feel like they have been frost bit. they are tender and sore allthe time. I have 3 toes on each foot that are still numb and tingle. Ihave a hard time going without shoes. I have never been so aware I had feet. Is this a permanent condition or is there something I can do to reverse this. If anyone can suggest something, I'd be very gratefull. I knew this was not all in my mind. There is some comfort in knowwing I'm not alone though. Thank You. Will wait for reply.

[Ray Holder]

Pammy

Get some Q10 and take it as soon as you can, possibly 200 mg daily, as it sounds as if you have a severe reaction to Statins and need to counter it urgently before it does more damage.

Ray

[Ray Holder]

Pammy

I dashed off my reply as it's near bedtime here, but I should have added Q10 in softgel form, since it needs to be taken with oil or fat. Also, as you have so much pain, it would probably be as well if you took some carnitine. The pain comes from the muscles' inability to get rid of by-products of energy production, and I believe it to be called lactic acidosis, carnitine is necessary for this function.

You will find details under Muscle Pains and statins--Severe muscle pain, with contributions from Darrell and myself, among others.

Hope you have success

Ray