The muscular system is an important component in your body that allows for flexible body movement. In some cases, you may develop trauma or inherit a disorder in which you are unable to move your muscles. You will experience muscle tenderness, muscle stiffness and perhaps even muscle weakness. There are specific drugs that impact the muscular system as well.
Lipitor
Lipitor is a medication used to reduce your blood cholesterol levels. Taking this medication can lead to skeletal muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis). According to Drugs.com, physical features of skeletal muscle breakdown include severe muscle pain or tenderness and muscle weakness. Your muscles contains myoglobin, and when your muscle breaks down, it releases myoglobin into your circulation. It then lodges into your kidneys, subsequently causing acute renal failure.
Other side effects of lipitor include a headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation and gas. More serious side effects include clay-colored stool, dark urine and loss of appetite.
Methocarbamol
Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant that alters your pain sensations. According to Drugs.com, its common side effects are blurry vision, trouble sleeping, nausea, itching, vomiting and a headache. Methocarbamol can also cause seizures, confusion, yellowing of the skin (jaundice) and a slow heart rate (bradycardia). Yellowing of the skin is a sign that your liver is damaged. A slow heartbeat alters the amount of blood that goes to the rest of your body.
Baclofen
Baclofen, like methacarbomol, is a muscle relaxant. Specifically, it treats the muscle stiffness (spasms) in such diseases as multiple sclerosis, a debilitating and deteriorating disease of your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). The National Library of Medicine says that its common side effects include drowsiness, weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Baclofen may also cause confusion, depression, hallucinations, double vision (diplopia) and trouble speaking (dysarthria).
