Zocor and hot flashes

Hello Everyone,

I am 33, male, I have been doing sport actively for at least 10 years (swimming and running) and I have been leading a health-conscious diet. I have a hereditary high-cholesterol condition, a type which appears in adulthood (so they say). Since 2004 my blood tests have showed roughly the following results: HDL 1.1, CHL 6.2, LDL 4.1, TRI 4.38 (mmol/L).
I have been taking Zocor 40mg for about less than a month and recently I have been experiencing cramps in my left lower arm, fatigue, itching (this morning for example I was woken by the cramp in my left arm, not nice). I have just read all your posts and have decided to abort my Zocor treatment at once. I have bought Q10 capsules and vitamins and started to drink 4 liters (herb tea) a day. I hope the pain will soon abate because now I have a totally dysfunctional left arm (I can't grasp because of the pain).

I am going to write in a week's time about the de-Zocoring of my body. In the meantime, I wish a speedy recovery to everyone.

Peter

I started taking Zocor 6 months ago, switched from Crestor because of muscle weakness. About a month and a half ago started to get fuzzy head and could not sleep thru the night. I awoke up to five times a night and could not go back to sleep. I had tingle feeling on my head above the ears. Sometimes I had to get up from whatever I was doing and walk around and it felt like an “anxiety attack” with a feeling of tightness on the back of the neck. My knees are weak and I can feel them whenever I get up from a chair or getting out of the shower. A few times, I felt sharp pain on my right shoulder blade and my head hurts a lot. Cold and hot flashes mostly at night and sometimes in the morning after the shower and during the day together with the “anxiety attack”. Once in a while I would have warm flush feeling on my face. I also have a few pimples like tiny bumps on my head. I could not carry on my normal daily life for the last month and a half. I could not concentrate on anything except constantly feeling the fuzzy head/head heavy/pressure on my head. I also had a MRI on my head and brain to make sure there are no tumors inside and it came back negative. I just found this website a few days ago and I told my doctor that I am taking myself off of the Zocor for a while. I am feeling at least 50% better already after a few days. I am hoping the rest of the side effects would go away eventually. I feel for you all who have been taking this drug for many years.

Anyone have peripheral neuropathy on Zocor? I had shooting pains down both arms for a few days one month into taking Zocor. This stopped but is replaced with intense muscle pain in arms, hands, shoulders and back - and recently hot flashes. I stopped taking the Zocor 3 days ago AMA (against medical advice) as my doc said the neuropathy is not a side effect of Zocor.

I had hot flashes while taking Lipitor and now am experienceing them with Zocor. Anyone else experienceing the hot flashes.

I am 51, 5 years post-menopausal, with night sweats, high bp and a last recorded cholesterol level of 5.8
I have been on lisinapril for a couple of years for the high bp with no apparent adverse side effects. I no longer have daytime hot flashes but the sweats continue in the evenings and early mornings.
I have been taking simvastatin for some months now.
My biceps seem to ache after the slightest effort.
My optical prescription has changed.
My night sweats are absolutely horrendous if I take my tablet - I retire at about 11.30pm then spend the night from 2am dozing in between throwing covers off and on and searching for a cool, dry bit of mattress and pillow - I feel as if I haven't been to bed at all and have an itchy sweat rash at the back of my head and neck.
If I don't take it, I sleep until dawn (5.30am) then doze between sweats until I get up and take my lisinapril at 8am but the sweats are not nearly so frequent or severe and I can function during the day.
I am tempted to blame my sleepless nights on simvastatin but am I being fair?

So glad I found this site! I have been on zocor for several years and began having pains in my hips and had tension headaches. X-rays were taken and the dr. said I had arthritis in my neck and back, ok, I accepted that but what about my fingers, elbow, arm and shoulders? I know I have carpal tunnel in my right hand but getting on and off the toilet was very difficult with the pain. I could hardly move, my legs ached so bad. my memory was terrible, i thought old age! I am 55 years old! I have hot flashes, night sweats, don't sleep well, vision is getting blurry. I decided after reading everyones comments which sounded like I was writing them, to go off of zocor. Within 3 days I began feeling less achy. I do wear a brace on my hand for the carpal tunnel, which helps some but not totally. It has been a full week and i can move so much better. My hands and wrist are still sore but my arms and legs are feeling better. I just hope in weeks to come I feel alot better. We got back to the doctor the beginning of May so I am hoping he will agree with me for going off the medication. After all, it is my body!

I have been on Zocor for nearly four years. Was recently switched to Vytorin which is a combo Zocor/Zetia drug. I am on max doses and always have been...my cholestorol issues are genetic.

I have had extreme leg cramping, body aches, mood swings, night sweats, hot flashes, you name it including a possible early and forced slide into menopause (my latest battle). All of your side effects mentioned in each posting is a side effect that the docs don't tell you about and they will only treat you like you are crazy each time you call in and complain of a pain they can't find an answer to. I remember that docs thought I had lupus for goodness sakes and tried to give me MORE meds for that. I refused - I knew better!

I am only 33 and have been on statins since I was 18. With more info that comes out and the ability to learn about others' side effects, I have finally decided that I am going to stop all meds and try to find some other answer. Glyconutrients for one! No one should live this way and eventually you will rather a heart attack to these side effects. The longer you are on them, the worse they get. You will notice that if you stop taking them all that you will start to see side effects start to decrease after about two weeks.

Good luck and please, if anyone has any natural meds to suggest, with proven blood tests results, I would love to hear about them.

I am 48 yrs old, invery good health, very active in sports, I run 3 times a week, exercise, and eat healthy. I have been on Zorcor for 2years now. I have been experiencing muscle pain in between my left shoulder and elbow for about 6 months now. I have gone to my doctor and he has treated it as bercitus. He percribed physical theropy treatment... a month has gone by and no changes. So I tried a chiropractor, it's been 2 weeks and no changes... so that promted me to check the internet for possible side effects and I came across this website....and I can't believe all the emails I'm reading on the side effects other people are experiencing! I also am experiencing other side effects that I thought were not related and now I believe they are, AFTER READING THIS! Beside the muscle pain in my upper arm , I am experiencing:::: hair loss, leg cramps, memory loss, ability to communicate, pronounce words, forgetting, depression, blurred vision, hot flashes(thought that was because of menopause! and could very well be!) I take 40 mg a day, it the evening. IS IT OK TO JUST STOP TAKING THIS DRUG SINCE I'VE BEEN ON IT FOR OVER 2 YEARS?

Inherited high cholesterol. Recent blurred vision in left eye that started with a vitreal detachment but led to loss of vision prompted the eye specialist to contact my primary physician. After MRI, etc., determined vascular disease. Immediately place on Zocor 40 mg per day along with low dose aspirin. That was 2 months ago. I now have ankle swelling, heart palpatations, weight gain all in the middle, night sweats, hot flashes and awful dreams. Had a fasting cholesterol test done on Monday. Results - Satisfactory (whatever that may mean) since the doctor did not bother to quote the levels on the small postcard sent to me to give results. I WILL be telephoning his office first thing Monday morning!