Lipitor and arthritis

Just had to comment on these side effects I'm reading about Lipitor and other Statin drugs. I don't take anything and I never will after finding this site. Guess what, I have had high cholesterol since I was in my early 20's. When I say high... it ranged from 240 - 260...remember when 250 was OK? Well folks, it's 30 years later, my cholesterol is just about the same range, and Oh My GOD...I'm still here without any drugs.!!! They lowered the range so they could pass out the pills!!! Greed, greed, greed. Do you wonder why our Healthcare system is out of control? Well, when you keep feeding people medications that are presenting the side effects they do, making them sicker, they just keep testing and testing and testing for other things. Let's do blood work, MRI's, CAT Scans, Spect Scans, Pet Scans...Scan away...and guess what...all comes back OK...hmmmm why not look at the drugs you're prescribing. We need to see "all the side effects" listed. Not just some. They're misdiagnosing, Alzheimers, Fibromyalgia, MS, Lupus, Dementia, Arthritis, and on and on when it's been the drugs causing the diseases!
Ween off everything and anything you can...take your chances...when God wants you, he's going to come and get you no matter what you're doing...right or wrong!

Not a new, but seemingly common side effect, i just recently noted could be from Lipitor.......all over achey dead weight feeling, difficult to motivate and move without great fatigue an achiness....totally out of character & even herbal energy, once helpful was completely non effective. Also have arthritis and a knee replacement...knee ok but rest of body next to completely seized up, including hands, hip, sacro iliac, foot, and extreme neck stiffness and pain. Being a retired nurse i should have noted side effects, but attributed to another BP pill which was stopped... Of course absolutely no change and now tripping to chiropractor and acupuncture hoping to get this body going again, especially with much needed walking, post knee replacement. Also i had gained wt, maybe 10-15lbs in 6 months, but when lipitor ws recently doubled, i gained even more in a 3 wk period, and my midrift is cellulite lumpy looking, unlike ever b4, with my normally preferred very active lifestyle, that is now difficult with probs occurring. The chiropractor alerted me to the potential Lipitor side effects, but i know my cardiologist would not agree with this theory.....so afraid to mention, unless there is some conclusive test to be done. Otherwise they say everybody always wants to complain or blame probs on meds, if nothing else suits the situation. I have discontinued the Lipitor, just for 2 days so far and pray i will feel back to myself asap. Now of course i am torn with the lack of prevention of atherochlorosis and future bypass surgery as in father's family.... Feel like damned if i do and damned if i don't.....so definitely empathize with most. Thanks for commoradery and hoping i am not just becoming a cuckoo hypochondriac.

Well I have been on Lipitor 80mg for years (family history of high cholesterol) although no hearts attacks/strokes ever been attributed to the h/chol....without sounding like I'm a hypo I have 3 disk out in my lower back & years ago suffered intense back as a result...the pain which seems to be now all over is horrid ...I have been thinking that it was perhaps arthritis & old age (59yrs).....several months ago I mentioned it to doctor he said Lipitor could cause side effects but he'd keep an eye on it....well this morning after googling "Lipitor" iv'e made a decision & that is to get rid of this medication...everything I'm reading sounds just like what I have been experiencing...thanks for the input I think I have come to realize that it is the medication that is causing all my problems.

CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE COMPLAINT FILED. I copped the worse of everything and almost croaked with statins. 20 months since stopping the poison, I'm still not right but vastly improved. Medsafe in New Zealand twice posted to prescribes ".. . . warn the patient of muscle pain and if muscle pain or weakness occurs cease the medicine immediately ... "they also warned prescribes "20% of adverse reactions being reported included mental disorder including violence and anger .... "Apart from all my pain, I suffered severe mental disorder and violence to others. I repeatedly presented painful muscle cramps to the doctor, who repeatedly told me age, arthritis, salt in diet etc. I went to my doctor frightened at the nasty way I was treating my wife of 30+ years, telling him it was so bad one of us was going to have to move out until the problem was sorted. he was sympathetic and told me none of his patients had said this to him before, probably true, but Medsafe had. Today in writing I hand delivered a written complaint of criminal negligence to our police and the New Zealand medical council, the doctor ignored clear written instructions putting my life at risk and those around me with my violence and dangerous driving, heres hoping others may be saved. There is a new report out from JACC journal of American cardiology stating the wonderful strengthing and healing power of fish oil, google it. We personally know of about 20 customers, friends and family who have been poisoned, a couple have indicated they will consider following and laying criminal negligence charges.Saturday afternoons are visiting days for prisons in New Zealand if the after hours doctors are closed. I'll post when I hear from the police. This very dangerous practice has to be stopped for the sake of humanity.

I started feeling much better very quickly after being off Lipitor now 7 months. However, the symptoms I had using the RX has cause significant problems. I fell so many times with my weak joints and muscles, that I had severe problems. I now need to have knee replacement surgery after falling so many times injuring my knees and weakened muscles to support myself. I am getting cortisone shots in that knee, as well as physical therapy. My MRI shows a torn meniscus, stretch PCL very thin, cartlidge loss and debris, still swollen with csyt after all these months. With no meds, and lack of being able to exercise, I now have hig-chol back. On and on it goes.... a real catch 22. Take care of yourself, watch out for symptoms. I ignored sx's thinking it was stress but after reading adverse reactions, it fit me to the T.
My original posting re: Lipitor is Forestseaski on Jan. 2, 2009

C.

I truly think my rheumatoid arthritis was the result of taking lipitor. Didn't have any symptoms before taking Lipitor but while on it woke up one day and could barely walk. Doctor immediately took me off of it and I saw significant improvement but still have the disease and its painful effects

Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do you have to stop it slowly? I have been taking Lipitor for 5 years now and I have been trying to find out what is causing my leg weakness. I mentioned it to my doctor who said it si just a fact of getting older. The problem is getting worse and I noticed it started about 3 months after taking the Lipitor and has steadily gotten worse. I am 49 years old a little over weight {which I am working on}. I also noticed my asthma which I haven't delt with since a small child has come back. This may or may not have to do with the Lipitor but the pain in my knees and legs I believe do. It really hurts in the joints of my legs and sometimes in my shoulder area.

I to was put on Lipitor 20mg. took it about 1 month and had such pain in my leg muscles I couldn't hardly walk . I went to my doctor he said go off it and I should start Zocor in . A month the pain was worse I couldn't even walk around the mall . I couldn't sleep at night the pain was terrible. Once again I told the doctor he said stop it and we will wait 6 weeks and start Crestor. In six weeks the pain should be gone. It didn't go away I could hardly walk at my job teaching at a Pre School. The pain unreal.I have type 2 diabetes under control for years. Still is.I was told I had arthritis. But now they tell me I have spinal stenosis. I'm on paxil for the depression they said I had and. I feel as bad now as I did 4 years ago when I was on statins. I can hardly walk, my life is pain in my muscles that never leaves and now my back. I was active and watched my weight and walked 3 miles a day. Since taking these meds. I can no longer work, go shopping or go anyplace I have to walk . I have gained a lot of weight . I have something wrong with my knee .I have tried to explain this to 3 doctors and no one listens to me. My health turned for the worse when I started taking Lipitor in 2005. I don't think I'll ever get my life back I am only 58 years old and can't work to support myself.I can't even hold my 1 month old grandson and walk or lift him from his bed. Reading all your messages . I know my health going down like this is from the statin drugs I took . When I sit , I can't walk when I stand Then .I gotta sit in 5 to 10 minutes.And the pain in my knee has progressed. No doctor wants to hear my story and believe me. Thank God I found this web site and read this for my self now I know I'm not crazy. How can I get myself better ? Will I live the rest of my life in pain, and not able to function.Every time I see a doctor they give me another pill to take. I want to just throw them all away .There must to be an answer to this.

I read with interest several of the posts here. I have been on Lipitor for about 5 years. I have been experiencing leg pain, back pain, neck, and hand pain for likely 4 of the last 5 years. I have arthritis, I thought. Two weeks ago I ran out of Lipitor. I read several other forums where Vitamin C and Omega 3 were suggested as a possibles to replacing the Lipitor along with generous amounts of water. I said, What the hell, I will give that a try. Within days of stopping the Lipitor, most all the pain has subsided to the extent that I have not had to take any other Pain management medications at all. I was prescribed Perocet for the pain I have been experiencing. Two weeks ago, I had a tough time opening a bottle of soda, or even a relish or pickle jar. Today I can! Coincidence, I think not!!

Wow! I must be the latest in a long line of Lipitor users and apparently pain sufferers. I have been on Lipitor for over a year. I am 56 years old, active and healthy (thank God). Around November 2008, I noticed a "twinge" in my left hip while sleeping. This has gotten progressively worse over the months and I thought it was due to arthritis (which runs in my family). But after reading these blogs, I am not so sure. If anyone has anything definitive regarding this, ie: tests, studies, etc., I would really appreciate a point in the right direction for more information. I was thinking (until today) that I was headed for hip surgery or something equally drastic. Now that I have a clue that it may be the Lipitor, I want to investigate further and then, if necessary, change to another medication that won't break me down like this. My heart goes out to anyone that has suffered through hip pain. It is a miserable, painful condition that saps your energy and your desire to even move sometimes. I appreciate any help you can offer. God bless all of you. - L. B. ******

January 26, 2009
I stopped taking 20mg of Lipitor for the following reasons: arm and muscle pain, wrist pain, neck and shoulder pain, knee pain, foot pain, arm weakness when raising my arms, mental fuzziness. I
Withdrawal symptoms : headache, eye ache, increased neck pain.
My goal is to see if the dosage symptoms decrease within two weeks and maybe I will try 10mg of Lipitor and see if that amount produces the same symptoms. My doctor directed me to a Rheumatologist as recent blood work showed inflammation in the arthritis panel. I am waiting to see if being off Lipitor for two weeks might reduce my arthritis symptoms .
I had a stint put in March 2008 and I am on Plavix (75mg), Lisinopril (10mg) and Lipitor (20mg).

I'm a 47 male and took Crestor for a year. I experienced muscle tremors, constant fatigue and muscle soreness. Not just a little sore but as if someone had hit me so hard as to leave a muscle bruise in both arms. One night my left arm and leg began to tremor and it was as if they were too heavy to move.

What I noticed was that all of my little aches and pains became severe aches.

I experienced blistering on my hands, a common side-effect of your liver rejecting the medication but my doctor didn't pickup on the symptom. Instead, he gave me a steroid-based topical cream that actually eliminated the blisters but they would return within weeks.

I experienced lapses in my memory and I started to forget words. I would forget the names of things and I found myself substituting the word 'thingy' when I could remember what something was called (like a phone).

I visited the hospital 4 times and my doctor countless time. Each time my doctor treated the current symptom and not the person as a whole.

It became too much to bare when I started having chest pains that felt like something was crushing my chest. At this point I started to do some research and found forums like this one.

During my time of the worse pain, I felt like I was actually dying. I started to get my effects in order and finalized my estate.

I stopped my Crestor about a year ago, after about 3-6 months my muscles began to feel better. After a year, I am finally starting to feel like my old self again (not that I was all that well before).

Statin affect people differently, but there is NO DOUBT that these drugs can have adverse effects on people. Listen to the commercial for Lipitor, "contact your doctor if you have muscle fatigue or weakness"......

Hi, I am a 45 year old male with high cholesterol. prescribed 20mg. of Lipitor to control it. Am having a strange twitching muscle in my right calf since I started the meds. Forearms hurt, trouble sleeping, twitching in my sleep, apparently, tiredness. I'm worried about going off it. My dad died of a heart attack. Would it hurt to try going off it for about 3 months?

No hearing loss in family history. Doctor put my father on 80 mg Lipitor, 1-1/2 years latter he started having trouble hearing. I was taking 40 mg Lipitor after 2 years my left ear went bad, 9 months latter my right ear went bad the same exact way. The ears went bad with a tinny sound to all when the hearing came back the 3 kHz area was very low. I have just put this together the recently. This is not a coincidence, I am sure Lipitor caused this. I also think this caused me to go through Hell from hard bump break outs on my body, had me spend thousands hunting for a parasite that was not there. It was not a rash, small bumps with a hard center.

I am a 65 year old female taking 20mlg of lipitor for almost 10 years. All of a sudden I started having severe pain, shaking and weakness in the calf muscle. The pain is unbearable. Doctors after doctors including a cardiologist, rhoumatologist and internist don't know the reason. I have stopped lipitor for 3 days. I cry and pray to god to help me everyday. I cannot exercise which is my passion for many years. I am hoping the lipitor is the reason and not something else. I have to wait and see. But I suspect it is.
SR
I do have nausea, depression and low back pain and arthritis and frequent headaches.

Just checking in again. Wrote about my dad,(Feb. 08 and May 1st) 77 yo white male, had been on Lipitor 7 years. After my mom passed away I got involved with his health. Read so much about the side effect of Lipitor - finally convinced him to GET OFF LIPITOR ASAP- he has been off since Feb. 4, 2008 and is getting back to where he should be. About 85-90% better than he was last year. It is a shame that my he and my mom were not able to do things last summer because he felt so bad. (He had muscle aches, spasms in his wrists, joint aches, bad nightmares, tossing and turning. Although he was also being treated for arthritis, his blood and xray showed none!) PLEASE take the first step and get off this drug - call your pharmacist if you are not sure, tell them your side effects. It will take awhile to get back to your old self - but my dad is proof that it will get better. Weput him on Fish oil supplements and CoQ10 - all natural - not medication and over the counter.
Have also taken him for acupuncture for his arthritis and he is seeing great improvement with this in only 6 visits AND NO DRUGS, he was surprised by the results. Please consider an alternative to drugs and medications.

I commenced Lipitor 14 years ago at age 47. At that time I was a regular tennis player, walker and generally fit for my age. No problem with Lipitor for the first couple of years until I began to experience hip and low back pain. My GP diagnosed arthritis. Gradually became worse and I started to gather injuries (over stretched ligament in right knee which refused to heal, plantar fasciitis twice) My back pain became far worse, I persevered with tennis believing that exercise would help. I began to "trip" on the carpet and going up stairs (foot drop). I was sent for a CT scan in 2002 which showed spondylolisthesis and root canal stenosisss. On advice from doctor I stopped tennis. Referred to a neurosurgeon who after several months carried out a laminectomy in July 03. Cleared to recommence exercise in December 03 which is when my nightmare commenced. I developed bursitis in one hip, stopped walking until it settled, then excruciating pain in feet, and then bursitis in the other hip and continuing foot pain. I developed rib/back pain, again diagnosed as arthritis even though I felt the pain was muscular. I had one session of aqua aerobics and woke the next morning with plantar fasciitis which continued for 3 months even with doctor, physio and acupuncture treatment. I was then referred to a Spots Medicine Dr who ordered bone scans/x-rays which revealed a stress fracture in my foot. In 2006 I began to notice that my right arm had a tense feeling all the time, I had a loss of dexterity in my right hand which assumed a claw like appearance and my normally neat handwriting became practically illegible. My physio recommended I see a Rheumatologist who said I had "no more arthritis than I would see in any 62 yo", he sent me to a Neurologist who after 5 mins diagnosed Parkinson's Disease. Within 7 weeks of commencing the PD medication I was experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome every night. The neurologist said that my condition had "progressed" and increased the medication - twice. I was then getting RLS DAY AND NIGHT and getting no relief OR SLEEP!!! Finally after 12 months misery my GP suggested that I try coming off Lipitor to see if that was causing my body pain. Within 6 days I felt better, my muscles became less stiff and relax. I went back to my Neurologist who refused to accept my claims, he insists I still have atypical PD (because I do not have tremors). I told him the cure is worse than the complaint and against his advice I weaned myself off PD medication and Lipitor. It was hard going but I NO LONGER SUFFER FROM RLS AND MY DEXTERITY IS SLOWLY IMPROVING. I still have dexterity problems with my right fingers but the tense feeling in my right arm has gone and my "claw" hand is starting to relax My muscles feel bruised all the time. I am still taking my blood pressure tablets and 150mg of Co-Q10 a day. I have been off Lipitor 9 months. It has been a painful journed for the last 8 years and a nightmare for 12 months. My GP has marked my records as "allergy to statins" but says she just doesn't know if I have Parkinson's. I know that I will never take this awful drug again. My cholesterol has skyrocketed but I will have to try and lower it naturally and take the risk. I constantly feel like I have worked too long and hard in the garden, all my muscles are so sore. I really need to know if this damage is permanent and if this drug has caused Parkinson's Disease itself or just PD like symptoms. I guess I will just have to wait and see. I don't think doctor's believe us when we say Lipitor is doing damage to thousands of people. They love it!! When we are aging we are not surprised to get diagnosed with arthritis and this is why we take this medication unwittingly for so long.

I have been on Lipitor for about 4 years. Now I have an arthritic right knee and the left knee has a little bit of arthritis. My arthritis started getting really bad in both legs my left leg was just as bad as my right leg. Muscle pain was tremendous and getting up and down stairs. furniture, and the car. Then the day before Memorial Day I could hardly move, I thought I was losing both my legs. I could only walk a little bit. No energy. I too had blurred vision with this drug but the doctor said that it probably was just my diabetes. I hurt from the shoulders all the way down to the ankles..It felt like every muscle group was involved. Earlier this year the doctor put my Lipitor up to 40 mg from 20 mg even through my ldl was only 93. My last ldl was 67. The doctors say your cholesterol cannot go to low but I am wondering with all the side affedts I had. I took myself off Lipitor on Memorial Day this year and I feel better. The pain is gone except for the arithritic pain but it is not as bad as what it was on Lipitor. Soo I am done with statins I will lose weight and exercise.

I am a male of 67 years old. I took Lipitor for a year, and after a few months of taking it, I felt muscle pains in my arms and shoulders, as well as my back. I felt weak and could hardly put my socks on by myself. I told my family doctor that I thought the problem was caused by LIpitor. He said it couldn't be possible, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he sent me to a rheumatologist, who gave me an initial diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. I went back for a checkup, and although the sed rate was normal, the C-reactive protein was elevated. He felt his diagnosis was an accurate one. He prescribed prednisone for me. I had some doubts about it, since I am diabetic, and was concerned about the elevated blood sugar it might cause. Well, it did elevate my blood sugar, and I weaned myself off it within three months. My blood sugar went back to normal, and while the prednisone helped the symptoms of muscle pain and aches, after I stopped it, the pain returned with a vengeance.

About a year passed after discontinuing the prednisone, and I felt worse and worse. Any time I engaged in physical activity, such as yard work, I was almost incapacitated for two or three days. I felt weaker and weaker, and by now, my activity is about ten per cent of what it was three or four years ago. I am unable to do anything physical without paying a heavy price.

I would tell the doctor that I felt the problem was caused by the Lipitor. He would dismiss my comments, saying that the pain should have gone away after discontinuing Lipitor. He sent me back to the rheumatologist with results of recent blood tests. Both the sed rate and C-reactive protein were normal. The rheumatologist touched my back and other areas, which caused me to jump. He said it might be fibromyalgia. I told him again that I thought it was caused by the Lipitor. He said the same thing my GP had said: if it had been the Lipitor, the pain would have gone away when I stopped taking it. I know the Lipitor caused the pain, because I tried red yeast rice for a couple months. The pain increased to almost unbearable, so I discontinued the red yeast rice. If I were not susceptible to the pain from the Lipitor, would the red yeast rice have increased the pain?

So here I am with a fuzzy diagnosis from the rheumatologist, and no clue from my family doctor (that he will verbalize, at any rate). My life has gone steadily downhill. I used to be a strong, active person, but now I can do very little, and my strength is a shadow of what it formerly was. What can I do?

I was prescribed lipitor, took ONE pill before I went to bed and woke up in the morning with severe pain in my right shoulder. I searched for lipitor and found so many side effects I have not taken another lipitor and will not. The pain moved to my left shoulder quite soon. Now it doesn't really hurt but there is a lump above my left shoulder blade, I was pushing on it and lifting my arm up and down hoping it might losen it up but the lump grew bigger. I quite often feel numb and week on my left side, kinda scary like I'm having a stroke. This has been going on for awhile so I don't think I'm stroking out or I would be gone by now. I do have high blood pressure, I think this ONE little lipitor pill made it worse as it's higher than it used to be. Maybe from stress as this shoulder problem and numbness upsets me from time to time. I also developed arthritis in two of my fingers, I have been taking FLAMMAGEN 1500 from the health food store and it has helped my fingers considerably, thank goodness. I'm not mentioning it to my M.D. as he was so excited about putting me on this stuff, poor guy is brainwashed. It really is a sin that our M.D.s are used in this way by big money pharmaceutical companies.

Just checking in again. Wrote about my dad,(Feb. 08 and May 1st) 77 yo white male, had been on Lipitor 7 years. After my mom passed away I got involved with his health. Read so much about the side effect of Lipitor - finally convinced him to GET OFF LIPITOR ASAS- he has been off since Feb. 4, 2008 and is slowly getting back to where he should be. About 85-90% better than he was 6 months ago. It is a shame that my he and my mom were bot able to do things last summer because he felt so bad. (He had muscle aches, spasms in his wrists, joint aches, bad nightmares, tossing and turning. Although he was also being treated for arthritis, his blood and xray showed none!) PLEASE take the first step and get off this drug - call your pharmacist if you are not sure, tell them your side effects.
It will take awhile to get back to your old self - but my dad is proof that it will get better.

I first reported the effects Lipitor had on my dad, white male age 77 in February 2008. He had been on Lipitor for about 7 years. Side effects of pain in hands, joints, muscles, tingling at wrist area, nightmares, tossing and turning. After much convincing, I took him off Lipitor Feb. 4th. It has only been 3 months, but he has done so well, not all the way free of hurt, but getting there. When arthritis doctor tested him, his tests showed no arthritis (possible cause for pain). Finally got his cholesterol checked last week and it is normal, we did put him on CoQ10 to help restore some things Lipitor takes out of your system. I am begging you all to find an alternative means to treat your cholesterol ( Fish oil tablets - with a total daily allowance of 1000 EPA and DHA combined) is a start. It took dad about 6 years of Lipitor before it really starting showing up, and luckily we got him off of it or he would be sitting in a chair in so much pain that he couldn't do anything.

Let me begin by telling you that I am a nurse with 28 years experience. My father is 76 years old with a history of cardiac problems. He has been on Lipitor for 8 years. In the past two months he has developed muscle pain that had gotten to the point he could hardly walk. His doctor diagnosed him with "arthritis." His joints did not hurt and I questioned his diagnosis. What he has is fibromyalgia. Muscle dysfunction caused by Lipitor. We have taken him off of the drug and he is improving. In place of Lipitor he now takes 2000 milligrams of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is a natural way to control cholesterol. In my opinion I suggest anyone taking symvistatin in any form should stop immediately. It is a very dangerous drug. If you think this is what you have please request your physician order the following two tests.....CPK and serum myogluten levels. Cholesterol is very important to muscle function and that is why it is produced by the body. Zocor, Lipitor, ( symvistatin) inhibits the production thus lowering the level. Let me add that prior to this condition onset my dad was riding his bike 3 plus miles a day and could out walk me any day of the week. This drug has disabled him. We are hoping for a full recovery but that is yet to be seen.
Thank you ******

I took Lipitor for about 2 years- 5 mg.
Leg cramps-soreness throughout my muscles- very sore buttocks-
my legs are shaky- if I use them too much; (as in walking 3 miles)
I am (was ) an avid body builder that could squat with 100 lbs- and now ( I am a health conscious -non drinking- NO other medication 104 lb slim female) have quivering legs if I stand for too long. I even had a muscle biopsy- and it cam back negative- I have not had a statin for 6 months- but I still have cramps- and abnormal liver values- and I have NO other conditions-I have been scanned from head to toe - open MRI- closed MRI -but the muscle stiffness- soreness- especially legs- continues-
does anyone know how long it lasts? I have also been tested for liver cancer- thank God-negative.
I really feel that Lipitor did this- has anyone else gone from fit as a fiddle to a quivering -achy person- I have gone through 5 doctors- internal - gastrointestinal - neurologist- hematologist and all is negative- just high liver values and muscle pain. Thank you so much.Maxine

I had a cholesterol of 237 and my doc wanted me take Lipitor. So i did for a month and a half. About a month into it, I started noticing that my mind was becoming foggy. So I started to take it at night. But then I noticed after a month that my right leg tingled for 2 days and I had muscle aches in in my shoulder and that my fingers started to feel weak, like I was losing my strength. I called my doctor and told him I cannot take this drug.

He pointed me to a Doctor Caldwell Esselstyn's website. It seems he reversed heart disease on a VEGAN diet. (Fruits, vegetables, grains and beans...NO MEAT, NO FISH, NO CHICKEN, NO DAIRY, NO EGGS... and so reluctantly I tried it. Even after 2 months, i noticed my body changing for the GOOD. I started losing 5 pounds every 3 weeks and my circulation was better, any aches and pains I had disappeared, my arthritis vanished. It is miraculous. Yes the diet is dull, but your taste buds adapt and all the food you used to love, suddenly tastes too salty, too sweet, too oily...I cant even tell you how much my body has improved in such a short time. I also previously had 2 blood pressure pills. Now I am down to one.

For anyone serious about improving their health. TRY A VEGAN DIET for just 3 months. I'm not kidding.

I am a 52 year old male from South Florida. Two years ago my Dr prescribed Lipitor. I started to feel weakness in my legs after mowing the lawn but I dismissed it as just being worn out from the summer heat and humidity. About six months ago the little toe on my left foot became numb and it spread to my other toes. I get continuous spasms in my left big toe and now the toes on my right foot are becoming numb. When I sleep at night I am continuously being woken with leg cramps in my feet, calfs and thighs. My feet feel heavy, my legs feel weak. There are times that I just lose my balance. I have a physical job and when I get home I don't want to do anything. I am going to see a neurologist on 3/31 to see what he thinks. My biggest fear is that I now have permanent damage. I have not read any articles about individuals having a full recovery after stopping the medication.

Hello,
I am following up with my father's case that I wrote about in January,(jb4boys). He is 77 and I took him off of Lipitor on my own on Feb. 4,2008. We have yet to tell his primary physician, but have told the arthritis specialist I took him to 3 weeks ago. The tingling going up his arms has stopped and he is sleeping better, hands still hurt, but are getting better. I have started him on fish oils- omega 3. Am told that the Omega 3 DHA and EPA totals need to be over 1000, and actual fish (sardine, anchovy, etc.). Bloodwork from arthritis doctor showed no arthritis, but x-rays did show swelling in hands and feet. He was on Lipitor for 7 years, so it will take a while for him to get rid of this drug in his system. Have heard that Lipitor attacks the muscles, joints and then the heart. I can honestly say that I have not heard of 1 person with a positive comment about this drug. Find another way to control your cholesterol, there are many natural supplements that have been proven to help - with no side effects. Have also heard that wellness doctors and acupuncture is another natural way to lower your diabetes, cholesterol, hbp - all natural.
Good luck and keep in touch with how you are progressing.

Apparently, I don't have any new. I will tell you that I have been taking Lipitor for about 2 years (40 Mg). At first, I had no problems. Later (about 6 months) I started experiencing "tingling" at the tpsof my fingers in one hand almost constantly (now constantly) and occasionally in the other. A month or so later, I started having pain in my left shoulder which kept me awake at night, because it was worse when I was horizontal than vertical, therefore hard to explain. It didn't feel muscular, it felt as if the bone itself was giving pain. I finally went to an Orthepedic Doctor who diagnosed me with arthritis and prescribed therapy, which is essentially exercises to built the muscles of the shoulder. Since I understood if you build on side of your body, you should build the other, I did the same exercises for the right shoulder, which I had NO problem with. Well, after about 3 weeks of this "therapy" my situation got worse in the left and showed up in the right to the same extent as in the left. So, of course, I quit the therapy. Did quitting the therapy help .... no!, not at all.
I now have an appointment with my family doctor and am going to demand that I be taken off Lipitor and prescribed a non statin solution. You see, I have 2 small blockages and since I now cannot exercise without pain, I need something. I also have had hip pain for years, and this too was diagnosed as arthritis. I was on20 mg of Zocor for about 5 years prior to my Lipitor. I wonder if this hip pain will dissipate if I change eds. I will keep this site informed.

I was on Lipitor for about 3 years without any problems, then early last fall my right hand started to lose strength. By October I was convinced that arthritis was taking over. However, ads on tv about Lipitor started to pop up more often and the side effects stuck in my mind. I was having my cardiologist appointment in November and would mention it. By the time of my appointment I had absolutely no strength left in my right hand at all. I couldn't do anything with that hand and I am right handed. Very debilitating.
I told my cardiologist about my hand and my concerns about the possibility that Lipitor might have something to do with this. She had "never heard of weakness in hands" before as being a symptom of a Lipitor problem, but we decided that I would have my blood drawn again, then go off Lipitor for 4 weeks, check back in with her at that point. I had my blood drawn, and immediately stopped Lipitor. Within 5 days the strength started returning to my hand. 2 weeks later my hand was completely fine. 2 1/2 months later my hand is fine and I have started in the last 2 weeks a Statin. So far so good. Lipitor absolutely caused my hand situation.

I initially took Lipitor and stopped because of the side effects (muscle pain). My cholesterol went higher and my doctor. put me on Lipitor again and added Zetia. I took both of them since 9/06. Slowly, I started getting muscle pains in my left elbow,arm, shoulder, neck, hands, face, etc. My doctor told me it was arthritis and I tried several natural products to no avail. In the mean time, I continued to research for something natural to lower my cholesterol. I decided to try Pantethine while I was using the Lipitor/Zetia. I was surprised my blood tests showed that my cholesterol was lower due to Pantethine. Last week, I decided to stop the Zetia and when I saw this website and so many people and their side effects, I stopped Lipitor a few days ago and increased the Pantethine I am taking. Hopefully, in time, the pain will ease or stop.

I hope this information will be some help for other people.

In general, most doctors,nurses, health care people, etc need courses for natural/alternative products . . . . . . instead of surgery and dangerous drugs.

What a wonderful site.. thanks for all of you and your stories. I too was a Lipitor user ... 20mgs/day for at least 6 years. I didn't notice any problems until last summer. I couldn't grip a golf club so I didn't play all summer. My doc told me it was arthritis. Strange, no history and never had any problems til then. As the months went on, things got worse. Burning in my upper left arm muscle, so intense it would cause me to have to sit down. Heart racing, pain in back, shoulder and jaw, I thought I was having a heart attack. Started reading about Lipitor and told doctor I wanted off. Of course he said no way and he did an MRI thinking it was skeletal. He sent me to a neurologist, who immediately told me I have statin myopathy. Cause...Lipitor!!! Amazing he admits this, also told me his own doc prescribed it for him and he will not take it because he sees too many patients with these side effects. I am liking him and his honesty. I have been off Lipitor for 2 weeks now. Hands are much better but muscle weakness and burning and sometimes tremors persist but I am optimistic that this may take time but I will recover.

I am 44 year old male and have been on Lipitor for about 2 years the last dose of which was increased to 40mg. I am active, go to gym regularly but I have found especially over the last 6 months that I get stiffness all over my body if I am immobile in a single position for a while - in any part of my body - that verges on painful. I cannot sit with my legs folded, or on my haunches without getting very stiff. Even getting out of a chair will leave me with stiff ankles or even sore feet and a lower back that need to be walked out to be better. At night my hands hurt from being still. I also have tinnitus which comes and goes. Because of my doing so much weight training and exercise I cannot understand why I feel like how I imagine a much older person might feel in terms of stiffness and body aches. I am going to get a blood test for liver and cholesterol tomorrow as a result of reading these reports because they may explain my aches and then I am going to stop at once and advise my doctor of what I have done and see if this makes a difference. I also feel that I have a lower libido. This cannot be arthritis either because that pain does not come and go, it tends to stay in one place. There might also be other symptoms that I have not realized - if this is related to Lipitor. I will report back to this forum.

Shortly after starting the lipitor I developed hand pain mostly my fingers and especially my thumbs. I stopped the Lipitor and the pain in my hands and finger went away except for my thumbs. I have a trigger thumb which I can bend with a great deal of pain on my right hand and my left hand has now developed a trigger thumb as well. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this type of side effect as my doctor feels it is just coincidence and that I have developed arthritis. I have not had any arthritic pain in my hands until now.

I have fibromyalgia so when I complained to my doctor about the increased and almost unbearable pain after being on Lipitor it was not taken seriously, also blood tests showed up negative for any problems. Finally after being sent to a arthritis specialist he took me off the drug. He also told me that half of the patients that he see that are on Lipitor have serious side effects even though blood works shows nothing. More than a year off the drug I still have chronic and debilitating tendonitis in both arms and bursitis in both hips- which doctors tell me is highly unusual.

I am 48 years old and I have been taking Tricor for about 4 years. About 2 years ago my doctor added 10 mg of Lipitor. My cholesterol went from 235 to 145, however during the past 2 months I have started to develop joint and muscle pain in both my arms. I went to the doctor and he told me it was tendonitis. I felt that having it in both arms at the same time was weird. I have always been very physically active and have not changed my routine. Last weekend I stopped taking the Lipitor and I felt a little better. I took it again this week and the pain is back. My doctor told me it is not the Lipitor. I am going to stop it for a week a see what happens.

I have been taking 20 mg. Lipitor for so many months now and continuously experiencing sore muscles and my wrist seems to have arthritis. I have told all these symptoms to my cardiologists and just told me it is not from lipitor. Iam a Veterinarian and I am not convinced with his response. The only good thing is that he is monitoring my blood chem and my cholesterol is within normal level. I am taking antioxidants (cod liver oil,Vit C and E,Mg,CoQ10,Chromium) and lots of olives and nuts. I am also taking those expensive drug- acid reflux and BP lowering drugs. I stopped using Lipitor for 7 days now and will go organic.

I am a 54 year old female that was put on Lipitor in 2004. I started feeling like I was crippled up from arthritis in my legs and hips about a year later. It came on so gradually, I never associated it with the Lipitor. I had an MRI and CT scan and nothing could be found. This past Spring, I went back to Dr. and saw different Dr. in practice. I told him I hadn't been able to walk well in a year and it felt like my legs were rubber and they ached all the time. I walk 2 hours a day and have for 10 years because I have 2 large dogs that need exercise. This was getting almost impossible to do. The Dr. asked me if I was taking Lipitor and I said yes and he told me to get off of the drug. I noticed a huge difference within 2 weeks of stopping Lipitor. I feel like a million dollars again and even the shape of my thighs has changed. Everyone is asking me if I've lost weight. Never again!!!! I'll try natural remedies or take my chances. What good is living longer if you can't even walk normally?

I am a 54 year old female that has been on Lipitor for several years. Last year I started developing muscle weakness in my legs and severe muscle pain. I went to Dr. and they said it sounded like arthritis in my hip. I had an MRI and hip was normal. My pain subsided after awhile to some degree but muscle weakness still there. About a month ago severe pain in muscle from groin to knee started. I went back to Dr. and she put me through some physical tests and stills says it's not my hip. She then looked at my chart and hit her head with her hand and said "You are on Lipitor". She is convinced that is why I'm having these problems. She told me to go off for a month and see if it improves. I am hoping it will and I will worry about the cholesterol later.

been on lipitor for 2 yrs having arthritis type symptoms in my hands and joints!! is this normal??body hurts like the dickens!!

I have only been on Lipitor a few short months and have been suffering pain and weakness in my feet and legs. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, itis so bad I can barely walk. I did not realize what the problem was until I started readingup on the side effects. I thought maybe I was developing arthritis. Additioanlly, I have suffered back and neck pain. As of today, I intend to discontinue using Lipitor and hopefully, get back to a pain free life.

high CK levels, muscle wasting, extreme brusing, after nearly one year off of the drug still have muscle spasms, leg cramps, and arthritis like symptoms attacking different joints intermittenly

I have been taking Lipitor for 3 years; I started having problems with my finger and thumb on my left hand. I passed it off as arthritis. Not being aware of the side effects of Lipitor. Then I started having numbness in my finger tips. My Dr said it could be a pinched nerve in my neck. However, tests are expensive with no insurance, so I bypassed the MRI. In the last 6 months I have been getting weaker in my legs, I can hardly walk a block without my legs starting to shake. Yesterday I was at work and went to walk down a flight of stairs and almost fell. I had to do a lot of walking and my knees started giving out on me. I was so embarrassed. I had to stop and rest, and let the rest go on. My husband saw a Lipitor commercial and heard the side effects one being Muscle weakness. I have stopped Lipitor affective today. I will be sending my Dr an e-mail immediately after this to let her know I am discontinuing Lipitor. I am afraid of what I have done to meself. I just hope I can get my health back.

I initially started taking Lipitor from my doctors prescription about two and a half years ago, after I was diagnosed with type two Diabetes. (as well as taking blood pressure medicine and a diabetes pill twice a day) I didn't really notice any side effects for a about a year and a half,(I now realize that I was starting to have them, but didn't know they were attributable to lipitor)until about 8 months ago when my doctor increased my liptor from 20mgs to 40mgs. She did this because the cholesterol limit had been lowered.

I immediately started to get more tired and fatigued. Lots of muscle aches and lethargy. I noticed more tingling (especially at night or upon waking)in my right arm and especially my fingers on both hands. As well as feeling of having arthritis. I previously had some tingling and shoulder pain in the past, but I had always attributed this to the fact that I am a cameraman and carry cameras on that shoulder. (I had memtioned some of my pains to my doctor 8 months ago and she sent me to get an x-ray for my neck and shoulder which ended up negative.) At this same visit 8 months ago, my doctor increased my Lipitor dosage and then I really had more noticeable problems with my right neck, arm, elbow and fingers. I could not sleep on my left side because my whole neck would tingle, and I was having severe pains in my right elbow like tennis elbow, I also developed a trigger finger (kind of a bad arthritis feeling)where I can barely close my right middle index finger. It hurts and throbs most of the time, and I can't close it normally without pain. And when I try to open it up, it kind of pops open like the knuckle is stuck...I am going to get it x-rayed. It was also very hard to concentrate, and my memory was getting worse.

I recently went to see my doctor about all this fatigue and muscle aches. I asked her if my symptoms could be from the lipitor (because she once said to tell her if I develop any bruises or muscle aches) and she said they could and that some people won't take statin drugs because of the side effects and that people do a lot or research on the internet. Anyway, she was going to schedule a blood test for muscle enzymes that would possibly show muscle weakness from my prescriptions, but she looked into my mouth and said Aha! You have strep throat! And she totally blamed all my symptoms to strep throat and prescribed antibiotics. She even said that my finger could be a by-product of the strep throat. I never even had a sore throat! I took the antibiots for the 3 days and then I did my internet research and found this site and I couldn't believe my eyes that so many people were having the same type of symptoms and problems from taking Lipitor.

Well here I am 3 or so weeks later and I have stopped taking Lipitor! I have a ton more energy and am not tired all the time. I can also concentrate better and I also noticed my memory and attentiveness has gotten better since I stopped taking Lipitor on August 7th. I still have my trigger finger though, it hasn't gotten any better. But most of my muscle aches have gone away. I am going in soon to my doctor again and show her all this information from the web site.

I will probably try some of the natural remedies that I have read about on the website to lower my cholesterol and also mention these to my doctor.

I TOOK LIPIITOR ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO. I HAD THE CLASSIC SIDE EFFECTS WHICH ARE NOW ACKNOWLEDGED. MUSCLE WEAKNESS, JOINT PAIN, TIREDNESS, TREMBLING AT ANY TIME I PICKED UP EVEN A CUP OF COFFEE. I WENT THROUGH EVERY NEUROLOGICAL TEST, ARTHRITIS TEST, ALLERGY TEST, EVEN TESTING FOR BONE TUMORS AND OTHER CANCERS. I ONLY TOOK THIS MEDICATION ABOUT ONE YEAR BEFORE THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER I WAS SEEING DECIDED MAYBE THE LIPITOR WAS TO BLAME. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN OFF THE MEDICATION 7 OR MORE YEARS, I STILL HAVE ALL THESESYMPTOMS. AT TIMES IT IS WORSE THAN OTHERS, BUT NEVER GOES AWAY. IS THERE ANY HELP FOR US WHO ARE VICTIMS OF THESE "RARE BUT SERIOUS" SIDE EFFECTS WHICH LIPITOR IS NOW INCLUDING IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS?

My doctor took me off Lipitor a month ago after I described my pain symptoms and extreme fatigue to him. It seems that he had some severe pain after he started taking it, so he was very "in tune" to what I was saying. I am feeling somewhat better, but I'm still having some muscle weakness in left arm and joint pain and stiffness continues in my right thumb. I have some milder pain here and there but it isn't debilitating like it was when I was taking Lipitor. I also have not had any fatigue. I feel like I am getting better, but I am concerned about my cholesterol levels going up. I go back to him in 6 weeks for a check up so we will see what they are then. Meanwhile, he has referred me to a rheumatologist. My arthritis panel came back normal but he feels like I should see the specialist to make sure I am ok... I agree with everyone else - don't start taking Lipitor but if you do - watch for symptoms and then get off of it immediately!

Just thought I was getting old or something. After quin bypasses ,TMR and various angioplasties, taking 80 mg Lipitor,
2000mg Niaspan and max dose Zetia. Pain in my lower left back so intense, I cannot stand upright for the first hour after rising. Cannot get up from a kneeling position without support.
Just assumed it was arthritis or something.
Now not so sure, however my total cholesterol is down to 180 from 460 some years ago so maybe the pain beats the alternative?

I have been on Lipitor for about 3 years. I have constant pain in my upper, outer arm area. Also when I rub this area I feel lumps. I'm having knee problems which I know is somewhat related to arthritis but the pain changes. Some days when I get up from sitting any length of time I have to wait until the bend of my legs relaxes or whatever it does before I can walk. Thinking this might be the hamstring area. Still taking this drug but am seriously considering stopping. So glad I found this site and have emailed it to my friends who are also on this drug.

Now that I've read some of these comments, I see mine is not a new side effect. I had 400 cholesterol (bad) but 100 good. Body scan appeared that I had blockages. I'm 62 but have been very athletic all my life, walk/run about 30 miles a week (no pavement, just hills), life weights, work with a trainer, tons of lunges, bounding, etc. and just LOVE to work out. Dr. put me on 10 mg. Lipitor and I noticed my left hip hurt bad. Thought it was from too much bounding. Also noticed my arthritic fingers hurt more but thought whatever. Cholesterol dropped to 250 and he put me on 20 mg. They told me to stop and start taking something called WelChol (which I haven't yet started). The muscle pain diminished and rather than start Welchol, I resumed Lipitor because I thought it was just arthritis stuff. After about one month more of 20 mg. I'm virtually crippled now. It feels like my body is freezing up. No more Lipitor and I'm about to go have a serious chat with Dr. Can't live like this. I used to be so happy and joyous and now all I am is ouch.

This is lipitor AND pravochol use side effect....My feet hurt a lot and my 2nd toes on each foot (from big toe) is now headed in the opposite direction, leans TOWARD my big toe, a space then my next three toes....I have never had pretty toes but now!!!!The last time I had real bad swelling AND pain in one of my feet was in Jan 2003, went to Doctor, he said it was arthritis ( I was 59 at the time), my foot stayed swollen and painful UNTIL abt. 2 weeks after I stopped taking pravachol!!!!! I have not had any lingering pain or swelling since I have come off these drugs...

Female age 52 on Lipitor about 5 months. Will stop immediately after reading these posts. I have experienced shooting pains in my legs, especially while sitting. My fingers cramp and I wake up several times during the night because my hands and feet have gone to sleep. Tingling and shooting pains for 5-10 minutes until feeling is regained. Going down stairs is painful on knee and ankle joints and I must hold onto the railing.

I, too, was attributing all of this to early arthritis and aging, but I am going to cut out the Lipitor as of this evening and see how it goes.