People who must deal with ongoing back pain are always looking for causes. Back pain can be so elusive that even doctors are unable to identify the specific problem. You can be subjected to many medical tests and still not get definitive answers. All you know is your back hurts either all the time or intermittently, and you’re tired of the pain.
One of the sources of back pain that is just now coming under scrutiny is prescription medicine. Drugs like Lipitor are popular cholesterol lowering drugs with long lists of side effects. One of those side effects is muscle weakening. Muscle weakening in the back can cause severe and ongoing back pain. So the next conclusion is Lipitor back pain is a possible medical diagnosis.
Lipitor is a drug that is called a statin. Statins work by blocking the production of enzymes produced by the liver. These enzymes are what make cholesterol which blocks arteries. Cholesterol, as everyone knows, can clog arteries leading to strokes, heart attacks or heart disease.
In all fairness, the company that manufacturers Lipitor claims there is no such thing as Lipitor back pain. The company says it’s impossible to make a direct connection, because so many other factors can be causing the back pain. Yet there are thousands of people who say their back and hips did not hurt until they began taking Lipitor regularly. So it’s quite possible that further research will validate these claims. What is known and listed as a side effect is the muscle weakening, so it really makes sense the muscle problems eventually lead to back problems.
Lipitor is a drug that doctors normally don’t prescribe unless all other sincere efforts have been made to lower cholesterol. These include losing weight and increasing the amount of exercise. People who develop Lipitor back pain have a tough choice to make. They can continue to take the drug and use back pain therapies to control the pain. Or they can stop taking Lipitor and risk rising cholesterol levels. This can be a real dilemma unless the back pain becomes unbearable.
If you believe you have Lipitor back pain, you can try the same pain reduction measures used for any back pain. These include regular exercise, ice or cold packs and over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs. You should also talk to your doctor, because new drugs are introduced to the medication market every day. There may be alternatives to Lipitor though statins are the common wonder solutions for preventing cholesterol. Your doctor should be aware of any side effects you may have that are related to drugs he or she has prescribed. Lipitor back pain has become severe in some cases to the point where muscles weakened so much the vertebra slipped.
If you believe you have Lipitor back pain, begin a program of back exercises to strengthen the muscles. In most cases, this will probably reduce the pain and limit any further muscle weakening due to the medication.