Niacin and muscle pain
Common Questions and Answers about Niacin and muscle pain
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In unusual cases this can case rapid and severe damage to the muscles, a condition called rhabdomyolysis which is where the muscle tissue actually dissolves (as is always mentioned in the statin ads.) As the levels fall you can suffer muscle pain and/or cramping. If the levels fall to less than 60% of the norm it can cause death in lab animals. Most doctors who also practice complementary and alternative medicine recommend supplementing with CoQ10.
Recently, I stopped taking all statin medications due to severe muscle pain and weakness getting worse. I am concerned about my cholesterol levels and triglycerides. I am on a strict diet, but high cholesterol and triglycerides are genetic. Is it safe for me to take Centrum Cardio Vitamins (with plant phytols) to help lower my cholesterol? Also, does buffered niacin (or non-flushing niacin) work equally as well as regular niacin in helping to lower cholesterol?
Fenofibrate in combination with a Statin drug can cause severe Rhabdomyolysis. I know because I have gone through it. My muscle pain got so severe that I couldn't even move my arms and I wound up in the ER with kidney (also a muscle) pain so severe, I was climbing the walls.
Since my July 1000 reading, I stopped the statin and niacin for two weeks and was going on a 2 week vacation overseas. I returned on a sunday and had a stiff /sore neck for 2 days prior to coming come and a full body massage hours before leaving, and an uncomfortable 16 hour direct flight home...my cpk on drawing 3 days after my return, was 3888. Aldolase was 26. Only symptoms was the syiff neck...liitle better, but still there. Repeat cpk a day later was 3400. Normal thyroid tests.
(forum) suggested using, in addition to Fish oil for tri-glycerides, niacin. And he said statin users should take CO-enzyme Q 300 mg. But I do not know if these are general recomendations based on research or if they fit my own profile, which is
Triglycerides 89 (lowest they have been)
HDL 51 (has fluctuated between 50 and 68))
LDL 86 (lowest yet)
CK protein 290 (where normal is 40-180).---> I HAVE NO MUSCLE PAIN
ALT 29.
said CO-Q 10 300 mg is good if taking statins, but I have NO Pain. I do not see any research that says this has any merit. He also said Niacin helps trigs, but my trigs seem fine, Would one normally want to try Niacin if fish oil regimen gives these results?
MOST TROUBLING QUESTION
Asthma Dr. said I should go from Lipitor 5 mg to Crestor (dosage not yet mentioned) after 1 more blood test. Long time ago, cardiologist said no need to change when another MD suggested.
if you can try the slo release formula and make sure you take with food.. I use and research a lot of alternate treatments.. Niacin has the propensity to flare up causing those exacerbated feelings also your scalp may feel like its on fire too.. You should be ok and if it doesn't go away seek medical treatment ..
I hope that the niacin works for your husband, It did not help my husband with his cholestrol. They tried them all on him and he had muscle pain, then they tried the niacin and that did not work. His cholestrol is the genetic kind and he has cad also so he needs to lower his cholestrol. He did have success with welchol for a few years, the downside to that one is you have to take 6 pills a day.then that one didn't work anymore so now they just put him on a new one called trilipix.
I quit taking it, and within 2 weeks they were gone, despite an allergist not finding it. I tried Vytorin, had muscle and joint pain. But in the past few years, taking simvistatin and a few others, it has been a mood/anger issue. My wife complains, telling me I'm pain to live with, I argue all the time, go off at the slightest thing. And I have to admit, I can feel it too. In doing things around the house, if I run into a difficult task, I get aggravated and frustrated very quick.
I have been taking 40-100 mg of Viagra 3 times a week the past 4 weeks and last time I took it, my penis swelled up a lil bigger than normal and for the past 3 days I have had a sharp pain in my penis head. I also took a supplement by muscletech called nanox9 a few hours before when I went to the gym. It says its a nitric oxide amplifier. It has 30 mg niacin. 1500 mg argunine. 1600mg beta- alanine. 100mg choline bitatrate and a few other ingredients.
There is also niacin (look for non flush niacin) and L-carnitine. And of course look at your diet. You can check out what to eat and avoid on this article from Authority Nutrition: A Paleo Diet Meal Plan and Menu That Can Save Your Life.
After a bad diet, hypothyroidism is the second most common cause of elevated cholesterol. Genetics is under 1% of cases. It's worth trying out some natural methods first. Statins have a list of side effects a mile long.
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jogging the brain a little, I finally remembered what first alerted me to statin issues.
It was a little 70 year old with a pacemaker. He was on one of the first statins, and a patient of mine for about 3 years.
He suffered debilitating muscle pain and neuropathy, irritablility and mental issues. I don't know if he had impotence as well as I never asked him. He had been a well known attorney, but his care following his heart incident. had much to do with him never making a full recovery.
Having Chromium and Niacin listed as separate ingredients would not be the same as Chromium Picolinate. Separately, (Niacin would be niacin and Chromium would be Chromium plus one of the chelators).
It can get very confusing, but with all of that said, per the National Institute of Health "...given the limited data on chromium absorption in humans, it is not clear which forms are best to take.
On a side note, a study was done to measure the side effect rate in 19,000 people, half on a statin and half on a placebo. It was interesting to find that the rate of muscle and joint pain reported was identical by both groups.
I personally have been on 40 mg of Simvastatin for years without any side effects, but everyone responds differently.
If you are taking any statins, niacin, or fibrate medications to lower cholesterol and you get symptoms of muscle weakness or pain you need to 1. stop taking them and 2. go to your doctor to see if the medication is truly the cause of your problem, or if its something more serious.
However, it is also important to note that as people age, they naturally loose muscle mass even with regular exercise. Only a doctor can determine what is causing the problem!
We have been on simvastatin for (wife for 1+ years, me for 2+ years) and stopped about 5-6 months ago - wife still having pains in the butt some dizziness and leg pain, but getting better - I am having butt pain and leg pains, swollen left knee, (but joint pain seems OK on stairs), recovery seems slower than my wife's. But both of us have just been diagnosed with right enlarged renal cysts which were not there before taking simvastatin.
t have enough self control to lose any weight. I had muscle pain and memory loss with statins, flushing and finally facial swelling with niacin supplements. The memory loss was so bad, I sold my veterinary practice and retired BEFORE the lawsuit. I ran for exercise until I wore out my left knee, now I walk.
Again, these labs are before any medication.
When the injury is the result of switching from the crystalline to the sustained release form, the injury may present acutely within days or a few weeks with a prodromal period of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, that is followed by jaundice and pruritus. Early during the injury serum aminotransferase levels are very high and then usually fall rapidly with discontinuation or dose lowering. The clinical phenotype resembles acute hepatic necrosis, suggesting a direct toxic effect.
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