Heart Disease Health Center

Medicines That May Cause Arm or Leg Problems

Some medicines may cause limb problems as a side effect. Often your doctor can prescribe a different medicine. There may also be certain ways to take a medicine that will decrease the risk of problems.

Certain medicines increase your risk of getting a blood clot, such as:

• Birth control pills (oral contraceptives). The risk is higher in women who also smoke.
• Hormone replacement therapy.

Some medicines and other substances can cause muscle cramps as a side effect, such as:

• Alcohol.
• Antipsychotic medicines, such as chlorpromazine or haloperidol (Haldol).
• Antinausea medicines, such as prochlorperazine or promethazine.
• Beta2-agonists, such as terbutaline or albuterol.
• Blood pressure medicines, such as nifedipine (Procardia), amlodipine (Norvasc), or nicardipine (Cardene).
• Cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as simvastatin (Zocor) or atorvastatin (Lipitor).
• Estrogens.
• Lithium.
• Water pills (diuretics), such as chlorthalidone (Thalitone), bumetanide (Bumex) or furosemide (Lasix).

Muscle cramps may also occur when you stop using some medicines, such as steroids or opiates.

Call the doctor who prescribed the medicine before taking another dose. The medicine may need to be stopped, changed, or the dose adjusted. An appointment may not be necessary.

If you are taking any medicine not prescribed by a doctor, stop taking the medicine. Talk to your doctor if you think you need to continue taking the medicine.