Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do...

YES . . . .you can stop this dangerous drug "cold turkey".
I am a victim of Lipitor too. I stopped taking it 02-08 and I still have side effects, although it is getting better. My dr. tried to tell me I was getting "arthritis", etc. Even when I stopped taking this poison with all the side effects . . .my dr. wanted me to take another statins ! Needless to say, I fired my dr. and don't trust most drs. now, since I know that the drs. and the drug co's have a big SCAM on the anti-cholesterol drug . . . it is all about big $$.

I would not stop cold-turkey.

I would taper it out.

There is a suggestion at Duane Gravlines site (www.spacedoc.net)
or you can google "Stopped our statins". I think you will find a suggestion there, too (the same one).

Your asthma could very well be a side effect from your medication.

I know, for sure, I have seen quite a few comments about breathlessness.

I have never taken any statins - nor would I.
I saw side effects in people close to me and that was enough.

It made me look for information/books.

I don´t believe in the cholesterol hypotesis.
It doesn´t seem as if people live longer and with quality of life - many are crippled with pains and have problems with their memory

Go to www.thincs.org, www.ravnskov.nu.

Read more patient stories at www.askapatient.com and www.peoplespharmacy.com (search for statins).

Google "Wonder drug that stole my memory" - a story in the English news paper Daily Telegraph. It´s written by Christopher Hudson and it`s about his own experience with statins.

Below the article there are 140 comments.

Here are som books that might interest you:

The Great Cholesterol Con (Anthony Colpo)
Overdosed America (John Abramson)
The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell)
Lipitor - thief of memory (Duane Graveline) + two more books
Malignant Medical Myths (Joel F. Kauffman)

All statins have similar side effects.
They can come at once - or after many years - when they, not seldom, are diagnosed as something else (with more medications as a result) or the patient is told that it`s just old age.

Swedish . . . .since you have never taken statins, you have never experienced what the people that have taken this POISON . . . if so, I am sure you would think differently about doing "cold turkey".

If I knew then what I know now I would never have stopped cold turkey. All my symtoms worsened on ceasing before getting better, and new symptoms arose. Some people get away with stopping cold turkey. What happens when a drug addict or alcoholic suddenly stop? Make sure you take the correct supplements. Part of my cold turkey was sweats that soaked the bedding and the mattress, halucinations and pain beyond belief. I took the sh*% for almost 4 years and 17 months since ceasing I have a far improved life style but i am still reliant on pain killers. You're taking the right step and best for your recovery.

Old carpetcleaner . . .Everyone is different . . . .when I did "cold turkey", my side effects very slowly got better . . .of course, I never had some of the side effects that you had . . .but, about the same time taking this POISON.

I still think it`s wise not to stop cold-turkey and that goes for all kinds of medications.

We are all different.

Besides you may be taking other medications as well and it`s wise to be careful. Go to www.spacedoc.net and see Dr. Gravelines suggestion as how to stop.

Notice how the original poster commented on how the physician just brushed off the side effects as "your just getting older." Is this doctor ignorant? Or just plain stupid? I can't decide which. But I can tell you this. I hear that alot from statin victims about the doctor writing off the side effects to age, or blaming the patient.

I became ever more forgetful to take this, my night time medication. So I eased out of it.
I felt I quit cold turkey but that would be ignoring quite how many times "I forgot" to take this medication.
I am NOT a doctor but I would ease out of it, but at the same time be strict about avoiding saturated fats.
Life or cheese?
On the plus side, I did take a simply HUGE breath within a week of quitting. For me Lipitor affected muscles: and breathing is carried out by muscles.
Eventually, it would cause problems with that crucial muscle - the heart.

To ant (and others).....

You wrote: ".....I am NOT a doctor but I would ease out of it, but at the same time be strict about avoiding saturated fats.
Life or cheese?..."

Here in Sweden there is a very active grassroots movement advocating lots of natural fat - including cheese/milk etc. - .for overweigth and pre-diabetes, diabetes-2.

It`s acutally two doctors, with own experence, who started it - but, originally these ideas come from the U.S - the Low Carb - High Fat Diet.

If you want to know, in depth, what it`s all about - read Gary Taubes book "Good Calories - Bad Calories".

The pharmaceutical and food companies have scared us about fat for years and years - have you ever wondered why?

Although most of you don´t know Swedish you might want to visit www.kostdoktorn.se.

I agree my studies show quality clean fats are essential. Cholestrol is also essential, all animal life including humans start with cholestrum as the sole source of nutrient. My daughter is an international athlete, she is fit and slight. She eats large meals of carbs pasta etc. She cycles 200ks, swims 20ks and runs 50ks per week and burns all her carb fuel off, I don't do anything like that amount of exercise so I can't risk taking on to much "fuel".
Bobby might re-post the link where world health data WHO shows Australian aborigines with the highest rate of heart diseae and the lowest cholestrol and the Swiss with the lowest rate of heart disease have the highest cholestrol. It is also requently reported that of all those that die of sudden heart attack or stroke half have high cholestrol and half have low cholestrol. Also if cholestrol blocks "your pipes" why is it these blockages only occur around the arteries not in your fingers or toes where the blood pressure is at it's lowest. I'm not trying to convince anyone else but for me the whole cholestrol thing is a no brainer there is no logic whatsoever when you dig into it, little alone take a drug with such crippling adverse effects and a success factor of only 1%. One day it may all come to an end but I'm not holding my breath.

old carpetcleaner . . . .unfortunately, with the FDA, drs., and drug co's involved . . . .I see things getting worse before better one day, . . . atleast we know about the anti-cholesterol SCAM now. . . .what a shame that we learned the hard way.

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Stop taking Lipitor - if you haven't already! You'll probably need to taper off. All those horrible symptoms you describe are from Lipitor. Find yourself a new doctor - one who understands the relationship between the liver and production of bile and cholesterol - something needed by our bodies. I strongly recommend a massage technique called "Manual Lymphatic Drainage" to help you remove "junk" from our bodies. I guarantee you will feel better once you get the Lipitor out of your system!