Dingy-dangy-doggone-heck-to-fooey!

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MrsBee
MrsBee Member Posts: 124
edited June 2014 in Life After Breast Cancer
I am getting so freakin' tired of having health issues!!!!!!!

I've been on a statin drug for about a month now. Over the weekend, I started developing pain in my right leg. Didn't have any swelling, redness, fever in it, or any other outward signs that it might be a clot. Figured it was from being on my feet for most of last week as school started. The pain would travel to my knee and hip joint and back down to my Achilles tendon. Of course, it had to be sharp pains so I'd yell "Ow!" when it would hit. I sucked it up and went ahead and taught today. Did okay, except for having the ankle pain when I suddenly stood up and tried to walk across the teacher's lounge during conference period and then limped around for awhile after.

Was doing fine until I got home and then I've developed sharp, stabbing pains behind my right knee. Took some Tylenol and tried to go to bed. Kept hurting. I finally got up and read the sheet that came with the statin. Turns out I should notify the doctor immediately if I have muscle pain. Crap.

So at 11:30, I called her office and left a message for the physician-on-call to call me back. I spoke with one of my doctor's associates and she told me that it sounds like muscle spasms based on my description. However, she did say that someone who has had cancer does have a risk of blood clot. Crap again. She advised me to take 2 regular aspirin and drink a lot of water tonight to flush the statin out (as I'd already taken tonight's dose). I'm to keep my leg elevated as much as I can. If it gets worse, I'm to have DH take me to the emergency room (and probably be there the rest of the night). If, heaven forbid, I develop shortness of breath, especially with pain when I try to inhale, we are to call 911. Can I say "triple crap"?

I'm so tired of this effing disease and all the "fun" stuff that goes along with it.

So I've taken the day off to go see my doctor and possibly have tests run to see just what's causing this pain.

I don't want to be me anymore. Can I get someone to take my place, and I'll go be one of these kittens romping in my den instead?

And I say again, "CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited September 2007
    Mrs. Bee, I know you are frustrated. However, it may comfort you that I know of *several* people who had to go off statin drugs because of severe muscle issues. It's good you didn't ignore it. This is a much more common complication than you are made to believe.

    Good luck with your visits and know we feel for you.

    Tina
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  • DebNC
    DebNC Member Posts: 90
    edited September 2007

    Thanks for the warning! I'm on a statin drug and have been getting pain in my foot(top area). I'll check with my doctor right away. Take care, and I hope you'll be a-okay! -Deb

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  • wallan
    wallan Member Posts: 1,275
    edited September 2007
    HUGS to you...

    I can empathize with your frustration. I hope you resolve the issue.

    Why are you on a statin again?
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  • myrenewal
    myrenewal Member Posts: 203
    edited September 2007
    Mrs. Bee - when I was put on statins several years ago I had the same issues - terrible sharp shooting pains in hands, arms and back which also caused me to cry out. Stopped them for a few days and pain stopped. Restarted them - same thing happened. I went off them and have refused to go back on them. Every doctor I see tries to put me back on them and tell me they have never heard of that side effect, yet it is very clearly documented in the literature. But the pain was severe enough and came fast enough that I KNOW it was the statins. I just don't think it a very common side effect.

    Just my experience and opinion.
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  • Mary-Lou
    Mary-Lou Member Posts: 2,230
    edited September 2007
    This is what I found on the subject.

    Common side effects of the statins

    The most common side effects of the statins are gastrointestinal - nausea, gas, upset stomach. Less common are headache, dizziness, rash, and sleep disturbances (sleep disturbances appear to be more common with atorvastatin and simvastatin.)

    Statins cause elevations in liver enzymes in 1 of 100 patients. Blood tests should be checked after a few weeks of treatment.

    Statins cause a muscle disorder producing muscle weakness, and occasionally pain, in 1 of 1000 patients. If muscle destruction is widespread, kidney failure and death can result.

    An exaggerated and potentially fatal form of this muscle disorder is the reason cerivastatin (Baycol) was removed from the market.

    Rosuvastatin was also seen to cause the severe form of muscle disorder, but only with the 80 mg dose (doses up to only 40 mg are approved.)

    Rosuvastatin also was reported to cause a poorly-explained kidney disorder in some patients with the 80 mg (unapproved) dose.

    Drugs that interact with statins

    Grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of most statins. If statin levels go up too much, muscle damage can occur.

    Certain antibiotics and cyclosporin can increase the effect of statins, and increase the risk of muscle damage.

    Taking statins with gemfibrozil (a different kind of lipid lowering agent) can increase the risk of muscle damage.

    Atorvastatin and simvastatin can increase the effect of Coumadin, and can increase blood levels of digoxin.
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  • MrsBee
    MrsBee Member Posts: 124
    edited September 2007
    After examining me, my doctor sent me to have an ultrasound of my leg veins (don't remember what this is called . . . doppler thingamadoodle, I think). It turned out to show no sign of a clot. I have a muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory to take.

    We don't think it was the statin (simvastatin) causing this now, as the pain came on a month after starting it. I was on my feet a great deal last week with the first week of school and what little time I did sit, I was perched on the edge of a barstool that kind of "cut" across the back of my upper thigh.

    My internist asked when I was seeing my onc next, and I told her next week. She was thinking of ordering a bone scan. She said to talk to my onc about it and go with her decision as to whether to check for a bone problem or not. My gut says this isn't bone pain. I had bone pain from Neulasta and Aranesp during chemo, and this definitely feels like it's in my muscle. Besides, when they "scanned" me today, they weren't even looking in the area where I hurt - the back of my calf. Apparently, the major veins in the leg are on the inside of the leg.

    And I'm on statins due to high cholesterol plus being diabetic. Both those, and hypertension, put me at greater risk for heart disease.
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