High Cholesterol Support Group

I hesistate to comment as I've done quite well with it so far. The most common side effect that patients notice are the muscles aches, but something that requires close monitoring is following your liver enzymes (and hence important to follow up as directed by your physician).

Bad muscles aches on top of chronic pain, so I stopped. I've been taking Slo-Niacin with no problems. I heard this will lower 30%.

I'm glad to hear you have one that works. I recall my father took that one for some time but had some of the "flushing" side effects.

Yes, I was very tickled that I had no flushing!

Just to add a quick note
Niaspan causes less flushing and unlike slo-niacin has been studied and proven to lower LDL cholesterol..
Dr O.

Since where all different and Our Bodys react different to things worse then Others treatment so on and so forth ... But Lipitor and Niaspan i had Bad experiance's with

I had severe muscle spasms in my legs from Lipitor. I was on it for an entire year. It lowere the Cholesterol, but I was in pain all the time. Also felt like there was water running down the back of my legs. (Probably Nerve Endings) The doctors swore it wasn't the Lipitor, but the Nurses were telling me to get off of it.
Zocor caused my hair to fall out in clumps. The doctors told me, it was worth the benefits of the drug. I don't think so.
I tried Zetia, but I have Diverticulitis, so they never should have put me on that one.
I gave up, and I'm just waiting as my Cholesterol of 398 clogs my arteries. (I am 5'6" and 115 lbs.)

Sorry to hear you had that reaction. I have been on Lipitor (now 40 mg)for over 3 years and have had great success. My cholesterol is very low and my cardiologist pleased. I think your reaction is somewhat extreme and would encourage others with high cholesterol to consider this drug.

Cholesterol lowering medications, (lipitor, mevacor, crestor), are a members of the statin family of drugs. They disrupt the communication between the receptors in the bloodstream, which measure the amount of cholesterol present, and the liver, where cholesterol is produced. (Yes, if you have altered your diet, without cheating!- and your cholesterol is still high, you are overproducing your own cholesterol).
The liver, there fore is unnaturally taxed by these drugs, and should be checked each time your cholesterol levels are checked. Once you have been on the medication for a while, the liver panel can be done less frequently. However, if there is a problem, it is severe: it is a drug-induced hepatitis, and it is irreversible. You should be taken off the drug at once, and permanently.
The other side effect of these drugs involves the kidneys. If you are experiencing muscle aches, contact your doctor immediately, and have a blood test for your CPK level. These are proteins that are released from your muscles naturally every day. However, these drugs can cause an excess of CPKs to be released into your bloodstream. Muscle pain and weakness are the noticeable symptoms.
As the CPK level rises, the kidneys are unable to \"clean\" these proteins from the bloodstream, and a condition called rhabdomyolysis results. If left unchecked, the kidneys will shut down. I was hospitalized for two weeks with rhabdo, and it is no picnic. So, take the drugs, they work well, but take the precautions seriously.

Hi,
Sorry to hear that the lipitor didn't work for you. I have been on every cholesterol lowering drug since 1975, (my father had a fatal heart attack, my mom had my bloodwork done, and my cholesterol was in the 500's. I was nine at the time). I am now 41, and have been on everything.
Just out of curiosity, when you were having the muscle pains, did they ever check your CPK level?
Lee