Simvastatin and simvastatin

My hair kept coming out by the handfuls. I've lost at least 8 inches since I started simvastatin! I mentioned this to the endocrinologist and he said he didn't know, but he prescribed it. I am furious, hair is a woman's crowning glory.

I am so glad I found this site. I have been having hideous headaches and just today thought perhaps it's the Simvastatin that I started this summer. I had an occasion this summer where I lost the vision in one eye (half way up). The doctor said that is called "window blind" vision loss. So after doppler and MRI he said I had to absolutely take 81 mg of aspirin a day (baby aspirin) and started me on cholesterol lowering meds. I didn't want to take the cholesterol lowering meds so at first I resisted completely. However, in the past month I have started to take them. Every night I would wake up with a headache and my neck and shoulders were hurting also. I kept thinking that I was going to have a stroke. The pain was so bad I would vomit but the area of the headache was not where I would get migraines. The pain was more in the back of my head and my neck and shoulders. I decided to do some reading on the internet and found that headaches is a major symptom of simvastatin. I will do my own experiment now and stay off of it for 10 days. I will then start it again and see if the symptoms return. My doppler said I had mild build up of plaque...at 57 I would imagine most people of mild build up of plaque. I don't want a stroke or heart attack but I can't live with these headaches and the lack of sleep.

In people close to me I have seen the following side effects:

All statins have similar side effects. They can come at once or after many years.

Pain in neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, legs, feet

Pains that keep moving to different parts of the body and could be unbearable -like nerve pains.

Head ache

Burning, tingling sensations in the different body parts mentiond above and numbness

Weakness in hands which caused the person to drop things

Hair loss, difficulties to swallow, ringing noise in the ears, loss of taste, memory problems - particularly with short term memory, difficulties to find words and to remember what just had been read, impotens, extreme sensitivity in the skin (abdomen).

Please "educate" yourself.

Read books and look for information in many different places. Remember to find out who is behind a certain webb-adress. Could it be a pharmaceutical company.

Unfortunately I am not allowed to write webb-adresses here - but Google the titles of the books/writers below and you will find some webb-adresses.

The Great Cholesterol Con (Anthony Colpo)

--------------------"--------------- (Malcolm McKendrick) - this is another book

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel F. Kauffman)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

Lipitor - thief of memory (Duane Graveline)
Duane G. has an interesting site

The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell)

Google "Stopped our statins" and you will find this webb-site.

Under print articles to the left you will find an interesting article from Weston Price Foundation.

It takes time to look for information and then read it, but often it`s quite essential to do that and to make up your own mind.

It`s your body and you know best how you feel.

Remember it`s a lot of money involved and that`s why news about serious side effects quite often are delayed.

The cholesterol issue - that high cholesterol should cause heart attacks etc - is very controversial. But it`s only the pharmaceutical companies who have the money to "brainwash" by advertisements, ghostwriters etc.

I hope my suggestions can make you more interested in the medications that you are taking.

Finally - a very interesting book about a certain kind of antibiotics - Bitter Pills by Stephen Fried.

English is not my native language but I was forced to read a lot of English books because of the suffering of my relatives, but without the Internet I would not have found them.

Remember new drugs are not necessarily better than old, but always more unsafe. They are also more expensive and that`s why they are so highly promoted.

Have been on Simvastatin since May 2007. Have experienced debilitating headaches every day for the first three months, neck and shoulder pain, lower back pain, tiredness to the point of having to stop what I am doing and go to bed and am wondering now whether any other female taking Simvastatin has experienced a burning sensation when passing very hot water and extremely uncomfortable and painful sex.

headache ;nausea ;pains;depression;bad dreams;dizzy head;forgetful;

hi there i have been on simvastatin about a year now and have felt so ill since taking them i am now due to have several blood test to see what they can find " as i suffer with nausea, pains in my legs and body /and terrible depression and i cant remember me feeling like this before i started taking these tablets i really don't feel like me no more / and i can easily sit down and cry because off feeling like i do / now i have been told to take double dose because my cholesterol is higher / i have spoke to others of these tablets and they have had same reaction so i have decided on my own thoughts to stop i will tell my doctor.and i am hoping i will get back to my old self i will try and keep my cholesterol in control and i think its well worth a try than to have all these side affects B.

Despite having a brush with the big C last year (I finished chemotherapy in January) I have been very fit and healthy during my 61 years! A few weeks ago I started having palpitations, hence a visit to the doctor revealed high blood pressure and cholesterol reading of 9.9!!! Shock, horror. He informed me that it was genetic and prescribed Simvastatin 400mg and Bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mg daily.
Not being satisfied with the enclosed leaflets I have looked up more info. on the net. Should I have done this!!! After reading some of the posting on the site I am feeling a bit apprehensive. Last night I had a terrible night couldn't sleep for the pains in my legs and a bit nausea this morning.
But I need to be sensible, I really don't have any choice but to take these drugs just hoping that I won't have to stay on them for the rest of my life and I don't get any of the side effects that some of you have suffered. I also wonder if the chemotherapy could have caused by raised cholesterol?
Hope to keep you posted and would welcome any comments!

I'm a 54 year old female prescribed 10 mg zocor(simvastatin) for slightly elevated cholesterol. Took it for 7 months before I clued in to the cause of my many symptoms. Muscle and joint pain, head fog, blurry vision, weight gain, stomach upset, fatigue, etc... The muscle and joint pain were excruciating at times --especially in my left hip...which had gotten so bad I needed a walking stick for support. I felt so darn old wondering if I would even feel normal again.
After reading many postings I decided to stop my zocor(simvastatin) 6 weeks ago and am very happy to report an improvement in many of my complaints...although far from where I want to be.
I am curious as to the withdrawal effects others may have experienced. The first week coming off I had stomach aches and I had awful headaches which thankfully did stop. The stomach aches and touchy digestive system still plague me though. Am I the only one experiencing this?....

My doctor prescribed 40 MG Simvastatin to be taken 1 on Thursday and 1 on Sunday.That doesn't seem like much but I have only taken them 3 times and the pains in my knees are much worse also my feet hurt, my neck is a little sore, I have bad cramps a few minutes after I eat and even during the night....I also have had 2 nights of very strange dreaming.
Several years ago I was on Lipitor and after a year I could hardly walk with my knees so I told the doctor I was not taking that any more..he put me on Zetia and I did well on it and the pain in my knees lessened a lot ,until my insurance co. decided not to pay for Zetia anymore, I told the doctor and he put me on Simvastatin. I am not going to take any more of it and will discuss it with the doctor next week,.

recently was prescribed simvastatin. Pharmacist advised that 50% of people will experience severe muscle & joint pain and burning in the muscles. I can see by reading the site that this is true. Must try since cholesteral and bp are high and dr thinks at 51 I had two mini strokes (tia's). If I experience the severe pain that is discussed i will stop taking. Thank you for all the info! This site is awesome.

Anyone Else?? Trying to figure out what is causing the following.
Bruising like feeling at the sides of my pelvic bones...Tail bone pain when sitting...Low back ache. Started 20mg Simvastatin Feb 2008.
Michele

I am a 52Yr old male and was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes 2 1/2 yrs ago ....The doctor prescribed me simvastin a few month later 20mg once a day all had been fine till about 6 months ago when I developed tinnitus and started feeling very tired...My concentration started to lapse especially when driving as i found i couldn't remember driving down a stretches of the road etc ie passing speed cameras etc ...my memory also seems to have slowed down and i have problems recalling recent conversations or things i have done etc...just recently i have been getting severe itching on the soles of my feet almost becoming painful i have pains /aches all over and now especially have pain in my left arm right knee and fingers...when i get up in the mornings i feel like i have run a marathon the day before as i ache especially my neck and shoulders...needless to say i have now stopped taking the tablets after reading this forum and i am seeing my doctor next week initially i put all this down to getting older ...
Steve

hi im 62 woman been on simvastatin for over 3 years and i have acute pain in my right side upper stomach also pain in my thumbs (diagnosed as gout but blood test showed it wasn't)bad taste in the mouth and visit the loo about 6 times a day recently lost a loved one but my mind feels numb and im depressed most days (NOT LIKE I USED TO BE)after reading this sites letters im off the simvastatin for good as i now know whats wrong with me THANKS.......................

I am an active 60 year old.After being checked for diabetes I was told I was borderline and chose to try by changing my diet. Three months later at my next visit UI was told I was improved but my cholesterol was far too high and prescribed 40mg Simvastatin.Between then and the nest three monthly check I had numerous symptoms. My calfs throbbed, my shoulder ached and my sex drive decreased and I was always tired. The most frightening thing of all though was my concentration. I would be riding my motorbike or driving the car and suddenly snap to and realize my mind had been wondering and my concentration gone. (Ive had numerous near accidents.)
IU read on this site about "memory loss" and wondered if this was what was happening to me. My last three month visit was last week, my cholesterol is almost normal so I am stopping the pills and seeing what happens.
Steveb

I have been taking simvastatin since June 28, 2008. I am 44 years old and have always been majorly active with my 17 year old daughter. Recently I have become chronically fatigued so much as to want to go back to bed within 2-3 hours after I get up in the morning, (definitely not me). I have felt spaced out,depressed to the point of wanting to cry all the time, have severe back, hip, knee, leg, and hand pain. I go to pain management for my back and hip problems (past surgery), but the usual pain has been intensified over the last 2 months and I wasn't sure why, until i decided to check out the Simvastatin to see if it has made me put on a few pounds, and boy have my eyes been opened!!!!!!!!! I AM STOPPING THE MEDICATION IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all who have spoken up, I wish I would of checked on this sooner!!!!! I'm calling my Dr. first thing in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!

By exhausted in Canton

I was prescribed Simvastatin four days ago, against my wishes, as I had heard about the side effects of muscle pain and numbness in the joints and feet. However, what I had not expected were the terrible nightmarish dreams that followed. On the fourth night I stopped taking Simvastin as I was literally too afraid to go to sleep.
I then slept fitfully but did not experience the vivid and disturbing dreams of the previous three nights.
I shall ask my doctor for alternative medication. If she cannot offer me anything other than statins, I shall stick to Benecol and research further!

Jacqui M.

I have been taking Simvastatin 20 mg. for about two and 1/2 months now. It really lowered my Cholesterol but I have been extremely fatigued and now I am getting really dizzy when standing up and having some nausea.

I have been on Simvastatin for about 5 weeks now... I have never been a person who had headaches... but I have a headache almost every day. yesterday, my stomach was upset all day as well.

I was taking Lovastatin until the VA told me that it was not on their formulary any longer and I had to take Simvastatin. Within a couple months my feet started burning and a numbness began creeping up my legs. I began falling, staggering and lost the ability to walk without two canes. I thought I was in the early stages of MS or ALS and feared I was dying. My fiance' did research on the internet (Spacedoc.com) and discovered that the symptoms I was suffering from were the result of Statin Poisoning (don't take my word...look it up) I took myself off the Simvastatin at the doctors request and began taking 4 1000mg of Omega 3 Fish Oil, 2 50mg CoQ10, 1 50mg L Carnitine, a multi vitamin, and 1 81mg coated aspirin per day. I still have numbness in my legs and some burning in my feet one and one half years later. My Neurologist has told me (and written a letter to the effect) that I am permanently disabled...that this will never go away. Statins (all Statins) are poison...don't take them....the pharmacutical companies only push them to make MONEY they don't care about you or your health. If you need more information contact me anytime and I'll be happy to share any research I have. ******

My father is 73 and has been taking this drug now for a few years. In the last year he has been suffering from severe hallucinations , particularly at night. The other evening he walked out of the house and went wandering around the village because he saw people in the house. Has anybody else had similar experiences taking this drug? Clive

I am a 47year old male.I,ve been on simvastatin for about 10 weeks now and have been experiencing mild short term memory loss for a few weeks. I put this down to the onset of old age?. I,ve also been getting spurious pains to elbow and finger joints? could these problems be associated with the medication?.

I am a 58 year old who was on 10mg for about 10 years with no apparent side effects.My GP retired and the new Doctor said my dosage was low and quadrupled it to 40mg. Since I had been on the drug for so long on the low dose, with no problems I did not relate subsequent problems to this med. Initially I had digestive problems, bordering on diarrhea, which I took as age related. I had occasional but severe lower leg pains. I had periodic night sweats and I gained 25 pounds - going to 165 from the 140 I'd been since high school. I had some vision problems as well and began to develop severe memory and reasoning issues to the point where I believed the I was developing Alzheimers. From net reading, I saw that this statin could cause the digestive problems I'd mentioned - so I stopped it. In the interim my GP gave me every test in the book to find out the weight gain and the night sweats. He found nothing and was about to send me to specialists - which I declined. When I finally read that simvastatin could cause the mental issues, the weight gain, the leg pains etc,, I took myself off the med. My weight problem has now resolved no more leg pains, or intestinal issues. From my reading I understand ths some of the memory and mental issues may be permanent - though they no longer progress. When I met with my GP and told hom that I had stopped the med and about these side effects, that I had discovered on the web - he looked at me like I had two heads and gave them no credence.It amazes me that he had no comment. I had brought it up to him in case any of his other patients has similar problems - as information that could help in his practice which has many elderly clients. As an aside, I had mentioned these effects to a trusted friend - who in tern had mentioned them to his practitioner, who is one of the most highly respected doctors in Canada. This doctor's comment was that' you must have read this somewhere as the manufacturer takes pains to conceal these effects". Wonderful, eh?

just another update on my other 2 postings. Things have really hotted up here, lets just say the doctors surgery will get a nasty surprise in the post!! I urge anyone who has been conned into taking this drug to make a stand, sooner or later the medical community is going to have to listen. Websites like this are a godsend, but....POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!! Give them what for, they can't brush this under the carpet for much longer and they have no right to make anyone take this drug. My doctor behaved as if nothing had happened, I nearly pegged it and they treated me like a nutcase! The most annoying thing is that I already have Crohn's Disease so I should never have been put on it, but they completely disregarded that fact, something they have been aware of for many years...NO EXCUSE at all. There is a definate cover up, have you seen the news this week??? More people are to be started on simvastatin because the government wants to save money on heart operations!!! They are either incredibly stupid (no surprises there), or have been completety sucked into the statin hype. There is going to be a massive strain on the NHS because of all the other health problems this drug causes, I saw 3 different specialists because of my sudden ill health, do they really think it will save them money??? Any one from the Government reading this?? get your bloody finger out and do something! Apart from not saving money, what cost to all that have been put on it??? what about their health? and by the way, I am the patient but I HAD to ask the doctor for a test for muscle wastage even though he knew this had been occurring, non admition of guilt then? National Health? NO National Joke and we are on the recieving end. I am not a lab monkey and don't want to be a test subject for these poxy drug companies and neither should anyone else, get RID of these awful drugs!

Has anyone had mouth numbness or metallic taste in mouth? My mouth feels chalky.

I am a hill walker. My name is Steve and I am 58 years old. I have been recently diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes. Fair enough. I have been given dispersible aspirin, metformin to lower blood sugars, ramipril to reduce blood pressure and SIMVASTATIN to reduce cholesterol. This drug (Simvastatin) made me so Ill that I couldn't walk up my drive without feeling as if I was going to pass out. I also suffered tummy pains, felt very sick and my heart was thumping and banging like a base drum. Every joint in my body ached so badly that I thought my walking days were over for good. I stopped taking it four days ago and already feel better. My doctor has given me a replacement medicine called PRAVASTATIN but I am frightened to take it, fearing that it may create the same or similar problems. Has anyone got any comments or experienced problems with Pravastatin? I would appreciate any feedback that you might be able to give, positive or negative.
Regards,
Steve.

I am 43 yr old woman and have been on simvastatin on and off for the past 3yrs, it's only since coming across this website that I have actually managed to find a connection between this awful drug and a whole heap of medical problems. The most recent course made me so ill that I thought I had an incurable illness that no one could diagnose, at times I have been in so much pain I thought I was going to die. It started with severe knee pain, I have a little arthritis in the knee but doctors were baffled at why it would hurt so much as x-rays on knees and hips were ok. I ended up having an operation to cut a ligament, that was over a year ago and had been in crippling pain ever-since. Also; foggy head, headaches everyday lasting all day, pain in jaw, shoulders, neck, swollen throat, incredible limb swelling, numbness all down right side, kidney problems, weakness in muscles, aching hips and legs, itching, insomnia, to name a few. I complained to my doctor when I was prescribed 50mg of this poison because as soon as I took it, I immediately felt ill and collapsed from terrible weakness, couldn't even lift a feather. They reduced it to 20mg, and I blindly kept taking it, in the meantime, my leg function was worsening, my back was killing me, I couldn't sleep because of the unbelievable burning in my shoulders, hip, neck and legs, everything hurt so much. I have been in tears from the pain and frustration of not knowing what was happening to me, painkillers, even high potency prescriptions just didn't work. I was a healthy gym-going person with a slightly high cholesterol reading, and suddenly, I was almost crippled, unable to function or look after my family, couldn't even handle simple chores that I had done a thousand times before, couldn't think, speak well, do crosswords, it was unbelievable. I have had ECG's, heart stress tests, been to and fro to doctors, hospitals, specialists, even seen an osteopath with these pains, they must have thought I was a hypochondriac! Finally, I insisted on an MRI on my thigh as it had changed shape as there was a lot of muscle wasting in both my right arm and thigh, and so much pain. A lump had also appeared and was really worrying me. The doctor tried to fob me off and said it was a fat lump, I argued that if it was fat it wouldn't hurt so damn much, so the result of the MRI is that I have a tumor which is getting bigger. If I find out that this is a result of the medication, the gates of hell will open.
I took myself off this lethal stuff immediately as soon as I realized there was a connection between it and my debilitating condition, though it's too late to save my 12 yr relationship, that went down the tubes because I just couldn't function well, oh, and my job. and any chance of working after being ill for so long.
I have been off it just a few days but already I feel almost human again. I know it'll be a while before I can see a marked difference and do some of the things I used to be able to do like walk the dog!! but I am furious with my doctor's and have written a letter of complaint, and have told them that I would rather take my chances with god and be a happy person than ever trust them again. I am in no doubt whatsoever that this drug has ruined the last 3 years of my life and probably caused irreversible damage to my leg muscles. Why take a pill because the doctor said so??NEVER AGAIN from now on everything will be checked via websites like this, I am so disgusted that instead of helping me, my own doctor just prescribed other medications I need not have had because of this pill when all he had to do was take me off it. I find it hard to believe that they don't know of these side effects, or pretend not to, how can they not make the connection?? Absolutely furious. I am in worse health now than I ever was, there should be a serious health warning before this is given to anyone, and the first port of call for any complaints should be the doctors who prescribe them instead of offering alternative solutions. This is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Started to take Simvastatin, 40mg/day, 3 mts ago. Since a month got muscle pain in left arm, dizziness, skin being dry and more. I quit taking them on April 17th and the day after pain was gone and other symptoms as well. I know it seem weird but feel better now.

Hello: Posting about simvastatin. I have been off of the medication for about six weeks. Initially the symptoms led me to hop on an ambulance gurney and visit my local ER due to dizziness, lots of palpitations, and the feeling that I was going to drop on the sidewalk. I followed the ER with two days on the heart unit, and have pretty much have had just about every test but a brain scan (or at least it has seemed that way).

My symptoms progressed to intense burning in my torso, pronounced in the shoulder blade areas, upper chest, and into my forearms. A week after stopping the statin much of the intense burning was gone.

I still have pain and discomfort, but I have not been "white knuckling" to get through the nights like I had been, which is a relief. I read somewhere that someone described the muscle pain as feeling like he had been repeatedly punched with a bag of oranges. I can relate to that feeling, and recently I have felt the symptoms in my thighs as well.

Pain management takes up my days (although I have continued to work). I have begun massage therapy, and I am going to attempt acupuncture next week. I am trying to sort out what supplements may be the best and which ones won't interact with each other or other medications that I take. I am taking CoQ10, Omega 3 capsules, a multivitamin, and a B complex.

Anyone with similar symptoms or comments, please jump in. We are in similar boats, as they say. I have gotten the impression that some people out there (not on this site) don't see this as real. For those people, unless someone is bleeding profusely from an artery, they remain non-supportive or non-believers....

Has anyone had hair loss? I have been on Simvastatin for 30 days adn I noticed hair loss.

I started on it in June 2007, by December, I had gained 20 lbs, was out of breath most days and was weak all over. Had general sore muscles and felt out of strength. Been off now 5 days, strength is returning and am feeling much better. No weight loss yet but at least I feel much better. Sleeping was not affected one way or the other.

i am 42, have been on simvastatin for 2.5 years, for the last 6 months, have been having really bad leg pains, outer thigh, feels like its burning, tummy troubles, but now i have looked at this site, i feel it must be the statins.am on some many other tablets, and i am always tired but thought this was the beta blockers......

I've been on Simvastatin for about 4 years but have been suffering pains in my arms as well as very tender soles of my feet.

My husband started taking Simvastatin about 6 weeks ago. Since taking it he has been experiencing sexual problems. Is this related to the drug? It has never been an issue before.

i started taking simvastatin about 6 months ago and i am getting double vision and pins and needles in my hands i also am getting cramp in my legs and backache

I'm 56 and just started Simvastatin. I have started having chest pain every night now. I never had this before! What is up with this>? Anyone else develop chest pain from it? I'm going to stop taking it because it doesn't feel right to get chest pain from a pill!

My husband just started taking Simvastatin for cholesterol a couple of weeks ago. Has begun having sleep problems, tosses and turns and wakes up consistently about 5 hours after taking his 20mg dosage before bedtime....Any others out there?

about three months after taking simvastatin I had a bad attack of vertigo and have been suffering with dizziness & feeling off balance, also panic attacks have ocurred, I did not experience this before taking this drug. This has now been going on for 4 months. has anybody else experienced this.

Stomach cramps, night sweats which stopped when I forgot to take them on a long weekend away.

my husband has been on simvastatin 20mg for 2wks and has trouble sleeping since taking them has anyone else had these simptons