Foot Pain and Statin Drugs

by Nellie
(Ontario, Canada)

Seven years ago my husband who has always been ideal weight had double by pass surgery. I started to think that if he had blocked arteries at his weight, I had better have my cholesterol checked. It was extremely hight so I started taking Zocor. Shortly after starting on the drug, I experienced severe cramps from the bottom of my left foot and going up to my hip. I work on my feet 14 hours a day so this was not acceptable. I went to my doctor and he put me on Lipitor. I kept getting muscle cramps in the calf of both legs. I talked to the pharmacist at work and he suggested asking the doctor to switch me to Crestor.

Right from the beginning of the statin drugs, I have had severe pain in both feet, so bad that the lightest touch made me jump out of my skin. My husband dropped a small couch on my foot one night and I almost cried. He said "it can't be that bad". For seven years, I've been beating myself up for being overweight and trying to hide the fact that I am in constant foot pain.

Last Sunday I ran out of my Crestor and wasn't working until Tuesday so I decided I wasn't going to go down town just for my script. The next day I woke up and had very little pain in my feet. Tuesday I woke up and thought I had died and went to heaven because there was absolutely no pain in my feet.

I made the mistake of eating beans on Thursday however and Friday morning the foot pain was severe again. I realized then that it was gout which I blame on the statins. Today I went and bought some apple cider vinegar and honey and started to make the drink you describe above (I don't know why because I hadn't read about this yet). I also started researching the statins and I am now convinced that this is the source of my problem. I'm excited to see what happens but I am so ticked off that I beat myself up for 7 years about my weight and there was an answer so easy to find.

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May 31, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		statins and gout
by: Anonymous

I was placed on statins 2 years ago 6 months later I suffered my first gout attack .and its every 1-3 months now.I didn't have a clue why.I stopped drinking ,stopped eating seafood.stopped eating red meat,tomatoes etc ,to no avail. The gout appears in my ankles knees and elbows,I also have tendonitis in both Achilles tendons.I stopped taking the statins for 2 1/2weeks.because I ran out,I went back to the doctor to get another script I have been taking them for three days now ,I woke up this morning and my ankle us up like a balloon.I have noticed my memory isn't what it used to be.
Maybe it's a coincidence due to the time line,but nothing else makes sence
I wont be taking these again that's for sure
May 14, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Gout after only 5 atrovastatin tablets
by: Richard

Hi all, After a medical with my Doctor we both agreed that I may benefit from a 10mg statin tablet on a daily basis due to a chlorestrol UK reading of 6.9
Woke up in the early hours this morning after taking my sixth tablet always at night to severe pain in my right big toe.I have never had gout, I’m 60 in a few weeks time and it’s one of the worst pains I’ve ever had. I’ve limped round all day in some pain, phoned my doctor and he has prescribed me gout tablets
I’ve had a good search on google and I’ve decided I am going to stop for a week and see if there is an improvement, then I will start again and see if the same happens, if it does I would rather try to reduce chlorestrol levels by natural methods, diet, lifestyle,etc. I will let you all know what happens.
Mar 10, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Never a mistake to eat beans
by: Bernard Preston

According to the Mayo clinic beans are definitely okay for those suffering from gout.

It wasn't a mistake; only you mistakenly thought it was the beans.

In fact by getting more of your protein from legumes instead of red meat it can only help your gout.

Dr B
Jul 30, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Statins causes gout
by: Anonymous

After stopping Lipitor because I was always tied I was told my cholesterol was too high so started back on. I ran out of coq10 and bang huge gout for 2 weeks.
Where is the FDA - the evidence is overwhelming. Statins cause gout and doctors are now on notice!!!!
May 23, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I suspect Statins of causing severe Gout attacks.
by: Essam

I had myocardial infarction and a Total LAD occlusion on 10 April 2017, today is 23 May 2017. I was admitted to the hospital for 2 days during which I took Ator for the first time. And for the first time in my life I had a severe attack of gout in my right big toe joints, horrible. I stopped Ator. The pain was gone. I took Crestor after that and the horrible pain was back. I am now searching the web on google with 2 words Crestor and Gout. I was surprised to share that big number of sufferers exactly like me. I am now on 3 drugs only 1- Allopurinol 200 mg which could never treat gout. 2- Plavix 3- Crestor. Sure one of them is the culprit. I suspect Crestor. I will stop it today and I will see.
Aug 11, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Gout, Statins and pain.
by: Ole Martin

I have been on statins for more than 10 years. My doctor increased the dose of Lipitor to 40 mg after a stent operation. Gout started to be a problem a few years ago. But after increasing the Lipitor dose, I got muscle pain, all over. I tried to dut out the medication for a while, but did not get totally rid of the pain. When I started it cam back again. Then I reac an article regarding statins in a medical magazine where I read that statins can lower the production of the coenzyme Q10. I tried the stuff, and was thinking that in whorst case it will cause expensive urine, nothing else, and after 3 days my muscle pain was almost gone. It did not help the gout, but now I can walk with almost no muscle pain and hope that the excersise will help me get rid of it all.
Apr 08, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Lipitor curing gout?
by: Don

My tale seems a little unusual. I had a heart attack just over one year ago. I had a stent put in and was put on lipitor 80mg as well as Brilinta, metoprolol, and asperin. I am alos taking 500mg per day of allopurinol as Voltaren (when required) for gout which I have suffered from for about 20 years. Even though I have been taking allopurinol for about 3 years I would still get regular gout attacks mainly in knees and sometimes feet(at least every few months) and achey most mornings.. Soon after I was put on Lipitor I complained that I was experienceing a lot of joint and muscle pain. This problem was made worse because I was no longer allowed to use any NSAIDs. When they checked my cholesterol it was very low so they reduced my Lipitor to 20mg daily. Since then, my joint pains, including my gout have completely disappeared. I have not had even a small gout attack for over a year. Coincidence? I dont know. I hate being on any medication especially Statins after doing a lot of research on them, but I am also reluctant to come off in case gout reapears..
Sep 08, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Crestor and gout
by: Philip

Hi I suffer with gout,I am a 53 year old male.I have been having gout attacks on and off for about two years now, recently my doctor put me on Allpurinol when I was free of a gout attack, but he also said I had raised cholesterol at 6,1. I am not overweight I exercise and have a physical job and I also watch my foods and purine intake and also avoid draught beers. I took Crestor statins for about 2 weeks then suddenly developed really bad pain in my big toe and it swelled up, far more severe than any gout attack I have ever experienced. I took colchicine it did nothing. I was in severe pain,hardly able to walk,severe shooting pains up my leg and into my feet. What was going on? So I went back to my doctors and he said it was gout again come off the alpurinol but didn't mention stopping the statins. He put me on a strong NSAIDs anti inflammatory , this took 5 days before I got any kind of relief, but for two days I forgot to take the statin. These 2 days the pain decreased significantly. Now I am thinking was it the statin that caused this attack and once I finish the NSAIDs I am going to stop them as don't want this to happen ever again. I cope with my gout by drinking apple cider vinegar drinking cherry juice and lots of water daily. Colchicine works but when on statins it is useless.
Aug 30, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Lipitor, gout and tendonitis
by: Anonymous

I am 36, have a family history of cholesterol issues so I started taking Atorvastatin aka Lipitor. I had a gout attack many months later. I never considered they were linked, so I changed my diet (again). I had severe attacks of gout pain after taking Aspirin and drinking Gatorade. I couldn't believe every possible trigger for gout was true for me (I didn't even drink alcohol and I had stopped eating red meat). I was unable to walk for nearly a week on multiple occasions, was started on gout medicine just to function. After another 6 months or so I ended up with severe pain in my Achilles' tendons and then subsequent tendonitis in both arms. So thankful now that I can pinpoint these as side effects from statins! How aggravating! I was so distracted by pain and missed work I actually changed jobs because of these events when I just needed to stop taking this medication.
I would be very willing to participate in a class action lawsuit. How many people are unknowingly suffering from this drug?
Nov 19, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Lipitor caused a Gout attack.
by: Robert

I had my first Gout attack two years ago. I changed my diet and haven't had one since. Three days after starting Lipitor (generic) I had lower stomach pain (minor) and a severe attack of Gout! I can't walk whatsoever on my one foot. I stopped taking Lipitor after four days. The stomach pain is gone. But the Gout remains, now into the second week. My first attack lasted 3 weeks so I hope this will subside as well. Please tell me what good is this Lipitor if what it causes is worse pain than what it is going to help. I will try to deal with this on diet only....as I did successfully for two years with my Gout. Now I read that Statin drugs are the culprits if you are prone to Gout. No more Statins I can assure you! I am really suffering.
Jun 01, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Lipitor caused my gout
by: BR

I took Lipitor for 1.5 years. During that period I experienced bouts of burning sensation below my big right toe. All of a sudden one day, I decided to stop taking Lipitor. Then the burning stopped too. So to make sure it is caused by Lipitor, I started back on that. Sure enough the burning resumed. I knew at that time That Lipitor was responsible for my pain without any doubt and said goodbye to Lipitor. Unfortunately, permanant damage has been already done and I am still suffering ( It is about 17 years since I stopped Lipitor)from inflammation of that area though the burning sensation in that area stopped. If there is a class action law suit I would like to join.
Mar 23, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Lipitor caused my gout & memory problems.
by: Kevin O

I started on 10mg Lipitor about 6 years back when my total cholesterol was about 6.5. After 1 year my doc recommended I go to 20 mg as my total was 5.5. I had my first gout attack about 4 years back but could never figure out what was causing it as I was not over indulging in purine rich foods or alcohol. Gout attacks increased till a month ago when I read about Lipitor causing memory problems ans stopped taking it. I am now gout free and my mind is as sharp as a tack. I believe that the makers of Lipitor must have known of its side effects. I would like to join any class action lawsuit against them. I am a professional engineer having spent much of my career in research.
Feb 24, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Crestor
by: Anti-crestor

Gosh!!! I am a long distance runner and my feet were sore last year. I took voltaren to combat these pains. After an ultra marathon (90 kms) last year I couldn't walk. I was diagnosed with three stress fractures. I was treated for these.

This week I found out from the chemist that one should take vitamins with crestor otherwise it gives pains in one feet!!!
Jul 22, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Statins
by: Anonymous

I've Been On Lip**** For 2 Months, And Have Had Bottom Foot AGONY For 7 Weeks---Out The Door They Go For 5 Days---And The Chest Rash That Drug Gave My Wife, Even The HOSPITAL Couldn't Believe---Luckily An I/M Antistamine "Cured " Her, (Which I Cannot Use) STATINS---BEWARE OF THEM !!!

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