Absolute risk reduction symptoms and conditions

Do cholesterol lowering drugs do any good? Thats a good question considering the debilitating side effects everyone here is complaining about.
Advertisements in the USA claim "30% reduction" in heart attack and strokes, but does that mean that everyone that takes the drug reduces their individual risk by 30%. Not exactly. The advertisements boast what is called relative risk reduction. The absolute risk reduction is what counts and is less than 1% on most statins. So how did lipitor do on prevention of events? Here is the bottom line: If you are a middle aged male, 100 MEN will have to take lipitor for 3.3 years to prevent one MAN from a heart attack or stroke. WOW! You have to treat 100 guys for over 3 years in order for one guy to benefit.

My dr. put me on Lipitor. I took it for 4 months. At the 4 month mark, I was SO depressed, I couldn't function. Crying constantly, no concentration..almost like I was in a trance most of the time. I had problems finding the correct words to use, was paranoid about everything and everyone. I actually thought I must be in the early stages of Alzheimer. Honestly..I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had an actual "pain" in my heart and pins and needles feelings in my fingers and hand on the right side. My forearm became terribly "achy". I went back to the dr. and she said.."oh, I think you're depressed!" Gave me a prescription for celexa (anti-depressant, and sent me on my way. I went home..decided that I WAS NOT going to take an anti-depressant and began to do a little research on the lipitor. Amazingly..I couldn't believe the info that I found with people who had the same symptoms as me! I stopped taking it immediately and within 2 days..my depression and paranoia went away. However I am left with such weakness and pain in my rt. forearm and bicep as well as both shoulders. I went back to the dr. and explained what I had done (guess I shouldn't have mentioned about what i had read on the internet) Because she wouldn't believe that the lipitor would cause that and also said that I had been off of it long enough now(4 months at that point), that any pain that i was experiencing would be all gone! She wouldn't believe me and made me feel like I was crazy!! So..now not sure what to do. Will the pain go away, I wonder? Is there a way to "detoxify" one's self to rid us of all the bad stuff or is the muscle damage permanent and does it keep on going and just keep destroying the muscles, even though we've stopped taking the stupid stuff?? I wish someone could come up with an answer, because I don't know who to go to ask. I can't believe how weak my arms have become since taking it. Will it ever improve I wonder?

I have posted here before. I have been off the lipitor for almost a week, now. I am still feeling dizzy and wobbly. Does anyone know how much longer I should have this side effect? Also I was reading that elevated cholesterol levels and MI's and strokes can be caused by elevated homocysteine levels.Anyone been tested for this in your blood?

I am a male 45 years and used simivastin another statin for three and a half years. Over this time i had severe muscle pain at time then about 4 months ago the muscle pain in my legs came on with a vengeance. It started in both thighs then calfs got very tight sore ankles feet and eventually got in to my arms. A deep achey sort of a pain and an irritability that casesa feeling like a toxin in my inside elbows that makes me want to stretch all the time. I feel very weak compared to my former self. I tried many things to alleviate the pain but nothing really took the pain away or even decreased it much. sometimes i would lay and groan in agony. I especially noticed that draghts and weather changes made me feel worse????. I stopped taking the simivastin 6 weeks ago. I have not had a lot of improvement but must admit thet i have been trying to push my self over this and probably done more damage. My ck levels are normal but my liver enzyme is increased a little. I started also to take q10 and L- carnitine along with magnesium. I might be improving a little each day but nothing definite. I saw a rheumatologist who has no diagnosis and isn't to committal on whether the statin is to blame. He put me on celebrex which has finally given me some relief. Can anyone relate to the worsening of symptoms with cooler changes in weather? and is there anything else i could do to hasten recovery? Thank you to all contributors on this board although it is the first time i have contributed this board has been a scores of help to me.