I wonder if anyone can please help?
I had a heart attack last January, and I am on Clobidogrel, Losartan and Rosuvastatin.
I have severe osteoarthritis of the knees and hips, and the pain has become much worse and spread to my back since being on these meds.
After much googling, I am led to believe that heart meds are not good for arthritis.
I also have osteoporosis.
Is there anyone else out there with the same problem?
Firstly forget googling. Google does not know you or have insight into your condition. I have no experience on you condition but I will bet your GP has and that is who you should speak with in the first instance
Good luck and I hope you get a remedy soon
Thank you for your reply, have already spoken with GP, who referred me to cardiologist, who I spoke to earlier today. He said he does not think the pain has anything to do with meds, but to try process of elimination with statins then Clobidogrel, to see if it is either of them causing the pain, but not to stop BP med.
Will just have to see if it works, meanwhile I am supposed to be having an injection my hip, although it is not known whether the pain is coming from my hip or my sacrum.
I'm in a right old mess!!
Yes the pain was horrendous. However I agree with girlreid about Google. I had trial and error with various statins and found I can’t take any. Pain much less. However I’m sure if I could exercise like I used to pre heart attack the pain would be even less. Alas I’m not able to. Vitamin D tablets are also helping. It’s trial and error I’m afraid under GP guidance. Take care.
Thank you for your reply, hope you are soon better, take care.
I have the same problem arthritis has got a lot more painful after drugs were changed no answer that I can see only more pain meds
The statin could be making it worse although the one you have is usually the go to one when others have been tried. Have you by any chance cut down your exercise since your heart attack? Keeping moving really does help arthritis
I do try to keep moving but can no longer do Yoga as before.
Do as much exercise as I can.
Just a thought because people do tend to slow down after a heart attack
Yes, and age is not on my side, I am 74,although I have always been very active and not overweight.
A mere youngster- I'm 72. Age doesn't come into it. I've been severely disabled on strong opiates for 30 years but I still garden although i Need a wheelchair outdoors. I still slowed right down after my heart attack and two years on am only just getting back what mobility I had. Most of my problems were the medication. I had to have all but one changed. Even now my arthritis is restricting me more and more. My GP stopped my statins for 3 months but it made no difference. I guess it's just my body wearing out but I won't accept it.
Hi ChristineK I had a mini stroke 4 years ago and I was on clopidigrel, Losartan and a statin and I suffered chronic joint pain some days couldn’t get upstairs or walk very well. I thought it was clopidigrel but doctor said not. Stopped statins it did help but since then I have been on every other statin since, all with terrible effects. Also on various BP meds all with terrible side effects. At the moment on spironolactone with clopidigrel and take benecol. Have a bit up and down with BP but so far I feel better. I do find as soon as they up any BP meds to next level say 25mg to 50mg always have more side effects. I even Had problems on the lowest statins and still had the joint problems. I would ask doctor to stop statins and see how it goes.
Hi Blue-Anglia, you are spot on, as yesterday I spoke to cardiologist and at his suggestion I have stopped statins for two weeks to see if they are the culprit
It's going to be a process of elimination.
It takes 3 months to get the statins completely out of your system. MY GP reckoned I would feel no difference just stopping for a few weeks and insisted on 3 months. It didn't help.
I was at GP this morning and since using benecol for last 9 months cholesterol has dropped down from 8.9 to 6 which she was happy about and so am I to get rid of severe joint pains.
Hi Blue Anglia,
That's really good news! I may try using Benecol myself, although I do like butter and have been having Lurpak Light for years.
When I had my cholesterol checked in July it was 4.5 and since HA I have only been taking 2.5 Rosuvastatin, so I guess that is pretty good.
It has just occurred to me that when you say you have been using Benecol, do you actually mean the spread or the yogurt drinks?
It’s the small yogurt drinks I take. Nothing else.
Thanks, I will try them, take care
Hi Christine. I have found that cardiologists are very good at denying that any pains and non-chest problems are anything to do with heart meds!
Will you be coming off the Clopidogrel in January? Most people are only on it for 6 or 12 months. I had problems when I was put on it after having a stent last November, but the doc was happy to switch me to Ticagrelor (a similar anti-coagulant), which didn't have the same side-effects.
Similarly, it might be possible to try alternatives to the Losartan and Rosuvastatin. I'm on Candesartan and Atorvastatin, but there may be a good reason why the doc put you on yours. We all have different reactions to each medicine, so worth asking the cardiologist if you can try switching one at a time to narrow down the culprit.
Best of luck 
Hi Ali, unfortunately I will have to take a blood thinners for life, because I cannot tolerate aspirin, I was on ticagrelor at first, but could not tolerate that, so was put on Clobidogrel, which is for life.
I have now been told by the cardiologist to come off statins for two weeks, and then Clobidogrel, to narrow it down, but he says I must not stop taking losartan.
I think I will have a word with my GP later on about changing over to another BP med.
The only trouble is, I have already been on Ramipril, but had to change to losartan because it gave me a dry cough, and affected my Asthma!
Unfortunately I am not very good at tolerating drugs, but will hopefully get there in the end.
Yes same as o.arthitus and heart condition...it's hard balancing it all and also physcitica..double whammy if knee pain...
Hi Citygirl,
UPDATE:
Since posting this four years ago, I have had both hips and my left knee replaced (All within the last two and a half years), so thankfully, I am pain free in those parts of my body. However, I have osteoarthritis in my hands and left wrist. I have also recently found out that the MINOCA I was diagnosed with after HA, is in fact Microvascular Angina.
Medication Changes for Heart Patients
Alternative anti inflammatory medication and heart
Heart medication and Lovothyroxine 
