Lipitor and cholesterol

June 27/09
I am 65 yrs , very active. Play hockey, baseball, slopitch, and jog.
Started on Lipitor 10gm about 5 years ago. About 6 months later increased to 20gm. about 1 years later increased to 40 gm. Did not really notice any side effects. During that time cholesterol dropped from approx in Aug2005 to 8.01: ; Jan06 to 6.37:; Apr06 to 5.3 ; May09 @ 4.2. No problems noticed while on 40s for about 2 years.
June09 doctor increased to 80 gm !? Started to notice muscle cramps and pain . Also started to notice some stomach upsets.Thought I had strained a hamstring muscle from hard running acceleration but not sure now after reading some of the comments. Three days ago , although I always stretch for 1/2 to 3/4 an hour before every baseball which I play 4 times a week, I had very severe muscle cramps suddenly above my calf muscle just below the knee as I started to run to 1st base. I played the rest of the game but in pain and could not run hard . Could not sprint on my toes as I always did , so had to run about half speed but flat footed on the bases but painful,as we had only 9 players. Had hot shower Thursday night after game, massaged calf area with Wintercrest ointment. Got up this morning Friday , muscle sore but can walk on my toes. Tonight @ midnight slight soreness but most of the pain gone. I was thinking that I might have strained a calf muscle playing baseball but noway! I think it has to do with the doubling of the Lipitor from 40 to 80!!!! Will cut back back to 40 gm on my own till I see the doctor.
Will go to see my Doctor ASAP!!!

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

MAY 29th, i had a heart cath done. while on the table i had 5-7 sec MI.
was put in MICU, rest of that day and night. moved to heart ward, was put on 24 hour telemetry for 2 days. was started on LIPITOR. had never taken it prior to then.
as of April 8th, i had made a radical diet change, from a lacto/ovo vegetarian, to a "south beach"/modified Atkins NO CARB DIET.
in the period from apr 8th to may 29th, i had dropped 16 pound. i have a bad back, and with the added pounds i packed on, made walking a choir.
with the weight loss, i was walking a lot better. THEN May 29th, LIPITOR was added ............and within 2 weeks, i was having leg weakness, when standing i would feel like my legs couldn't hold me up, walking was now harder then when i had the extra 16 pounds.
sooooo....as of June 14th, I STOPPED TAKING IT!!!!! within days i felt more energetic, and could work a few hours a day. had an appointment with cardiologist June 19th, told him of problems, and that i had stopped taking lipitor. he agreed with me, said to stay on the diet, exercise more, and give it another 6 weeks and then we will check progress.
he did not prescribe any replacement for the LIPITOR. but i have been herbal and homeopathic savvy for a long time so i will continue the OMEGA-3 fish oil, 4 capsules a day, and 4 GARLIC a day.
i mihgt have to add some MILK THISTLE for the liver, if the LIPITOR did any damage.
my diet change if anyone is interested is, chicken, turkey, fish for meats, no hamburgers, or steaks or pork ribs. i STILL do a ton of
VEGGIES, mostly COMPLEX CARBS, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, cukes, zukes, summer squash, and have found a wonderful substitute for PASTA, and its SPAGHETTI SQUASH. split it, microwave 10 min, let stand for 5 min, then take a fork and strip out the meat of the squash, cover with PASTA SAUCE as you would make for PASTA. awesome.

I've been taking Lipitor 40 mg. for over a year. A few months after, I started to notice my ankles were swelling a little bit. I attributed it to the warmer summer weather in Florida. It continued through the winter along with pins & needles on my soles and heels, and my doctor said it wasn't caused by Lipitor. After a 10 hr. flight to Europe in May, my ankles & feet were extremely swollen and painful. It hurt to just touch my ankles and feet. Even my toes were swollen. Bought compression stockings but it did not help. Walking on cobblestones was unbearable. I took my last Lipitor pill on May 30th.
Ankle pain is gone and the swelling has reduced a little but the pins & needles feeling is still here. Ankles look good in the a.m. but as the day progresses, the swelling increases. I don't know what to think! My only choice, I feel, is to wait it out and hope the swelling & tingling goes away. Anyone else with these side effects?

Three and a half years ago i suffered a heart attack, i had three stents put in and was put on Aspirin 75mg, Cardicor, 1.25mg, Tritace 5mg and Lipitor 80mg. I was fairly fit at the time, didn't drink or smoke and ate properly.

But now i'm suffering, i've been to the hospital and my GP, but are told there is nothing wrong, my hear tis good. So why am i suffering with light headedness, pains through my body, back, neck, chest, stomach. So much so i thought i had gall stones or kidney stones. My right knee can't be touched, it is so sore. Chest heaviness, eyesight getting worse, slurred speech, depression i could go on.

I've said this to my doctor, he just brushes it off and says i'm on them for life, ....apparently standard treatment for anyone who's had a heart attack. I walk 5 miles a day, eat 5 or more fruit and veg, don't smoke or drink, do all what i'm meant to. My cholesterol is really low, but so is the HDL too. I was never recommended CoQ10 or a vitamin B complex.

It was my mother who told me to research the side effects of all the meds i'm on. I agree, we all want to live a long and healthy life, but at what cost. I am now of the opinion that doctor's are so use to thinking they are near god like, they have forgotten that we are individuals, that we know our own bodies. I'm sick of the fact that the large pharmaceutical companies send out there sales reps to doctor's surgeries and that is what is deciding what the patients end up taking and not the patient's problem.

DOCTOR'S WAKE UP TREAT THE CAUSE NOT THE SYMPTOMS!!!!!!!

I've been on lipitor and other generic forms of it for the last 8 years since the age of 26. I started on 10mg then 20mg and later 40mg. About 4 years ago I started with severe stomach cramps. The pain is so bad that I have to go home in the middle of the day, I can't walk or sit straight the pain is that bad and NOTHING helps. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would probably put this at a 7 or 8. I would also be nauseous and be really tired. I have had countless opinions and tests done and doctors keep telling me it is an "enigma" and there's nothing wrong with me. We've treated it through coeliac diet, exercise, lots of water, but it never helped. About a week ago I stopped drinking my meds by pure chance. I have not had one incidence of stomach ache. My doctor tells me that it's not possible for the lipitor to be the cause. I am sure he's wrong. Has anyone had a similar experience?

Was on Lipitor 2 years ago and had to come off because of side effects - sever muscle pain.. Prescribed Niaspan instead .. 2 months ago my cholesterol rose to 7.1 and my doc put me straight back on Lipitor - 10mg.. Feeling lousy - neck pain, leg pain, dizziness, fatigue ... head feels fuzzy all the time and get sudden twinges in my chest.. Had stress test done last week and all ok.. Also have severe digestive problems. Going to wait until 2 full months done and going to get bloods done again

Well it has been 10 days since I stopped taking Lipitor. I am now sleeping 7 to 9 hrs straight - headaches gone - not as moody as I used to be - better concentration at work and huge improvement in short term memory. I forgot to metion that my doctor put me on 40mg hence it didn't take long for the side effects to start. I saw my Doctor and explained that I was off the Lipitor and told him why. He is keeping an eye on me and I will keep you all updated.
cheers from Down Under.
Goose

I have been taking 40mg lipitor for over 9 years now.

I have had back issues since an injury to one disc (L4?), and had microdiscectomy in 2001? Took about two years to actually get close to normal.

The last few years, I have had multiple issues with shoulder pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, lower back pain, Upper rump muscle pain , and now both hips are killing me (the shoulder, upper rump muscles and hips are by far the worst). And I am now so weak in my lower back muscles, that it feels like I will (and do) pull out my back.

I have seen NO many doctors I can't even name them all. I have had operations, multiple injections (cortisone) taken pain meds, etc. Nothing has helped and in the last year and a half, I have gotten steadily worse. To the point where I can't really do much of any activity. Sleeping at night is painful. Can't lie on left shoulder, and can't lie on either hip for more than a few minutes. If I fall asleep on my side, the pain wakes me up. When I try to walk, 80% of the time, I end up with a pain in my upper right rump (sacroiliac area), that I MUST sit down to get the intense pain to go away, which it does. But comes right back when I walk again.

I have had x-rays, MRIs etc, and never reveals all that much. Disc issues, yes. NOt much else.

Recently, I have begun to get a nasty clicking (catching) on my left jaw (joint?). Not really painful, but something definitely wrong. My dentist sent me to his Chiro. I went and liked him right away. I had gone to another chiro for years and I believe in them. But this one is the best I have seen.

Anyway, one of the FIRST things he suggested, was that it was POSSIBLE that the Lipitor is causing all of my problems. Put me on COQ10, and doing multiple adjustments and treatments. I will be seeing my regular doctor 5/26, and my chiro wants me to see if he will take me off lipitor and put me on Niaspan instead.

I guess my question is: Can Lipitor be fine with me for so long, and then in such a short period of time, turn me into a compete wreck from the pain and wasting away of my body/muscles? I've told doctors for over a year now that there is SOME connection as to all these issues and pain. One Doctor, of course, gave me the "you are getting old" bull. Yes, I am 56 yrs old. But I understand the process of getting old, vs the complete failing of ones body.

Also, IF it is the Lipitor, can it possible all go away? Or should I expect some damage forever?

One more thing, the last ortho I went to the other day for a second opinion, wants me to do a EMG, to see if there is muscle damage. I was not planning on doing it, but wonder now, should I? He was not doing it because of lipitor, as he never even talked about that to me. I had shoulder operation and have not had the results I feel I should have had.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

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.

What a rotten drug. The past seven months have been hell for me. I am 42 years of age and put on this crap last November. I have suffered from bad headaches, leg cramps, Insomnia, Plantar Fasciitis, mood swings and the list goes on. After seeing this site and all your responses I believe the best thing to do is get of the crap. I will write in 2 weeks to give an update.
cheers from Down Under

The risk of side effect of cholesterol lowering medication double and increase the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis if taken with these drugs. Fibrates(another type of cholesterol drug)
erythromycin(an antibiotic) ,Anti fungal medication
Niacin vit B3 at high dose( prescription doses) and cyclosporine ( an anti -rejection drug for patient who have had an organ donation) .these are from the book Australian S. C. she is liver doctor as well as extra research about cholesterol drug.her book title is Cholesterol the real truth
(are the drug you take making you sick).

took lipitor and erythromycin and now have neuropathy

I have been on Lipitor for five weeks. I can't believe how awful I feel. I ache all over. I my arms and elbows are sore; I have had pins and needles in my hands; charley horse like spasms in my calves (mostly at night); sharp knife like pains in my upper thighs; even my teeth hurt. I am a 46 year old female – I can’t believe this. I have made an appointment with my doctor as I have to get off this drug. I have experienced some blurred vision and hearing impairment too. If I hadn’t of found this website – I truly would have thought I was a bit crazy….
I have never had any symptoms like this before and never thought of myself as an old lady - but that is what I feel like. It is unbelievable.
.

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.

I am 20 year old female and have a bad family history of high cholesterol, iv been taking 40mg/day of lipitor for nearly 2 months.

My husband, a 55 year old diabetic who is currently on dialysis was initially prescribed 20 mg Lipitor about 5 years ago. He began experiencing leg pains, but continued to take the drug. In May 2007 in suffered a minor stroke (clot). Upon release from the hospital, the neurologist prescribed an 80 mg dose claiming studies showed those who have had a stroke benefit from the higher dosage. He recovered from the stroke and was able to return to work in August 2007. On December 31, 2007 he suffered another stroke, however this time it was a full blown cerebral hemorrhage. After he suffered this stroke, I searched Lipitor on the web and to my surprise found an article that stated the higher dosage of Lipitor could cause brain bleeds in people who have suffered a prior stroke. I truly believe this high dosage of Lipitor was the cause, however the neurologist and his regular doctor say no. Of course they would say that, since they are the ones who put him on it in the first place. They blame it on the fact that he has other health issues, however he has been on dialysis since the beginning of 2004 and was able to work and function normally. Needless to say, when he was released from the hospital, Lipitor was no longer one of his prescribed medications. They wanted to prescribe a low dose statin of a different brand, but his cholesterol levels have been excellent without them and I won't let him take another statin. The damage is done, he has difficulty walking, has lost his balance and was forced to go on permanent disbility. He was an active volunteer fire fighter for 35+ years and the fact that he can no longer do all the things he use to do depresses him.

I have had Type 1 Diabetes for many years (54) without any complications of the disease - until I had a mild stroke. Which didn't affect me. Now my doctor makes me take Lipitor. From the very start of taking 10mg Lipitor per day, I got muscle cramps and leg twitches whilst in bed; muscle weaknesses; I even got Plantar Fasciitis and now I limp slightly in that foot. Before I took Lipitor I used to sleep like a baby. Lipitor has made me from a relatively healthy person despite having Diabetes to what feels like an old lady at aged 55. I know it is Lipitor as when I stop taking the drug all unpleasant side effects mentioned above cease. The trouble is my doctor won't give my Insulin without Lipitor and I need Insulin to live, of course. So I am forced to take Lipitor. I find that exercise such as a good long walk during the daytime helps; without it (eg in bad weather when I cannot get outside) the effects of Lipitor are much worse. My cholesterol readings and blood pressure are always good (even before the stroke) so why should I have to be almost crippled by Lipitor?

My mother, who is in her early 70's, is diabetic and had high cholesterol. She had been taking Lipitor and the doctor increased her dosage. She was experiencing muscle pain for some time, especially when she woke in the morning. The muscle pain worsened and her muscles became very weak. She had been complaining to her doctor for some time. It took a chiropractor to suggest it was the Lipitor. Her doctor finally ordered blood work and her enzyme levels were at 9500. She was immediately hospitalized, tests run and IV's given to flush the Lipitor from her system. She was expected to slowly recover. After weeks, her levels dropped to 6500 then began to rise. Her doctor now says her muscle damage is permanent and plans to give her prednisone to stop the inflammation. This muscle damage is a terrible "side effect" for a drug that was supposed to help her. She can hardly get up or down from a sitting or lying position, can hardly walk and her lifestyle has been severely curtailed. She is also exhausted all the time.

I am 51 and very athletic and in admiral shape. 3 months ago, I began on Lipitor for cholesterol control. I just tore a calf muscle. Coincidence? I'm going off Lipitor until I know for sure. At the time of the muscle tear, myself and my muscles were warmed up. I didn't do anything harsh to provoke a tear. That's what scares me. It just went rip.

I was put on Lipitor 10mg 2 weeks ago after my bloodwork from my yearly physical came back that my cholesterol went up again. Levels are HDL 61 LDL 176. After the first week I called my MD to advise that I was having chest pain and muscle pain in my legs and forearm. He said to cut the dose in half which I did last Thursday. Yesterday all of a sudden I had heart flutters the entire day! I am a 43 female who goes to the gym 3 times a week doing 30 minutes of cardio and weights. I eat right and overall I am in great shape except having high cholesterol. My blood pressure is great, had a stress test and echo last year both negative for any problems. I called my doctor today and advise that I was still having fluttering in my chest and that I am stopping the Lipitor. What good is being on a medicine that helps with one problem but then causes others that you may need more medication for???
I have been feeling like crap ever since being put on Lipitor and I believe that it is the medication that is giving me the problems. Last year my MD put me on Zocor and I stopped that after having the muscle pains. I am now hoping that things will get back to normal and I plan on telling my doctor that these "statin' medicines are not for me and there has to be something else.

I started Lipitor 2 months ago, today is April 23, 2009.
1 month ago I started with Vertigo, doctors have tried many things to get rid of it but can't.
! week ago I started having trouble breathing, talking very short walks, problems still with vertigo, pain (headaches) on my left side, and I never have had headaches, pain in my neck left of the c-7 vertebrae.
Now 2 days ago I have problems swallowing food in the center of my chest, it really hurts, so now I am on an ice cream diet to figure things out.
I went to my doctor yesterday due to all my problems, which are all new in the past 7 weeks, and she did an x-ray, and blood work thinking I had a blood clot in my lungs.
At 6:30 pm last night 4-22-2009 she called me to go to the emergency room and have a cat scan done, and the results were I am loaded with lip-nodes in my chest and arm pits, and it look like cancer, so I have an appointment today at 2:00 pm to see what the plan of attack is.
God Bless,
L. G.
Biddeford, Maine

******

64 old male on the drug 10mg for several years, depression, cramps, back pain, foot pain. After talking with a retired Heart Surgeon he convinced me to stop taking Lipitor. Now I see I never should have taken the drug and it tells me how stupid I was not to research it more. The side affects from stopping have caused me some concern and I hope they will be gone in time.

Apr 2009
I am a male 58 yrs old recently had a leg & knee operation, experiencing very bad lower back pain along with cramps on affected leg which is on a cast.

I started taking Lipitor about a year ago.

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 get these painful cramps in both legs the back of my legs above my
calf muscles. They always come after midnight when I am asleep. i
get up and I have to walk 30 minutes or more until they stop,and for
two days my legs are sore.

I am generally classed as an active, happy and positive person, loving life.... but the last 4 months have been a blinking nightmare....
It seems we all pretty much have the same symptoms, horrid shoulder pain, muscle soreness, spasms, feet and generally feeling like "what the??" is where we are all at..horrid thoughts of MS? Motor Neurons, Parkinsons, etc. all sorts of possible sinister problems.
I too have stopped taking Lipitor only a week ago (and I only started back in October 2008 after "arguing with my doctor for many years not wanting to take it...and i didn't even know about the horror side effects, i just thought it was totally unnatural to strip the body of something almost totally,).. within 2 months I started showing signs of chronic neck C5/6/7 and left shoulder. Maybe I had injured myself once before and suffered pinched nerves, but the pain eventually went, but this is not normal or should I say usual...... I have constant buzzing of left thumb/forefinger and hand and my right leg. NEVER NEVER have I suffered from this type of symptom before in my entire 50 years... Even some days when the spasms are at their worst I get an itchy nose and tingling lips. The scariest symptom of a white flash in my left eye convinced me...So fed up with it and after stumbling on all the negative comments and side effects with this drug I made to decision to take control of my own life. It is too uncanny....As I said, it's only a week now free of Lipitor, I have increased my Vitamin C intake and making sure I take a Mega Multivitamin daily too. There is some interesting reading in various websites of Vitamin C vs Statins...

BUT it would really be nice to read any comments of people who have recovered from these rotten symptoms and what sort of time frame it took to get over them. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for us all. Some indication of Recovery period is probably our greatest "want to know"... and also...when will i be able to enjoy cycling again. Thank you to everyone for the input and may our strength be returned, not only physically but spiritually as well. :-)

I am 62 years old and I was taking Lipitor 10 mg for the last 5 years in New York. When I moved to California the new doctor switched to Lipitor 20mg and I started to have strange side effects. After a pause of two days, I restarted and the symptoms were worse: my muscle in the upper arms, and my calves were hurting and week, my back ached, my head was empty nad I felt dizzy all the time.
I stopped two days ago and today I had blood in my urine. What's happening? should I go on any medication at all to lower my cholesterol? My new test was: 179 Cholesterol
HDL 71
LDL 95
I am too scared to start any other drugs like Crstor or Niaspan as I was recommended.
Please advise,

My husband has been taking Lipitor for a year. Several weeks after he started taking it he had muscle aches and when he went for a follow-up we discussed this concern and the neurologist said that it was ok and would go away. He had a stroke several years before and had some damage and he was tired. He complained about him getting weaker and his muscles hurting, he has left shoulder and arm pain. His chest hurts on the right side and doctors told him that he has inflammation between the muscle and chest wall but it has not cleared up after many months and meds. He is so weak now and is dropping things. He has some muscle twitching. I think it is from the Lipitor because the symptoms started after he was put on this drug. Doctor says that it is very unlikely..Has anyone else had these problems while taking Lipitor???

I have stopped taking Lipitor after 3 yrs. I was told I had a mini-stroke because of my slurred speech 6 mo. ago. Since then I have had a battery of tests and my neurologist told me "I don't think you had a stroke." I saw the words "Motor Neuron Disease" (I looked it on the web because I never heard of it before) on the script for my EMG. I blame it all on Lipitor and the wasting of the nerves and the muscles. I sound as if I am drunk. No one can understand me . I am taking speech therapy but it doesn't seem to help.

My second trip to this forum. A couple years ago, I developed plantar's fasciitis in both heels and had to give up basketball (at 54), and it took about nine months to recover from that. I had been on Lipitor 10 mg, and, while I can't say there was a cause-effect relationship, I had no problems of this kind before then.

Well, I continued on the Lipitor, and this past fall got horrible impingement pain in one shoulder that evolved to a frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). Tonight I did a quick google search on this and it led me back to this site. Again, I cannot PROVE anything, but I've NEVER had any trouble with joints and just have to wonder.

I read on one link that Frozen Shoulder is on the rise, and wonder if Statin use is possibly behind it. I'm at the point that I may go off these drugs and go hard core Atkins diet again, the only thing that got the excess 30 pounds I'm carrying off, and also gave me "textbook" numbers on my lipid profile.

I'm starting to think this drug is possibly the problem. It's not worth it to take a debilitating and crippling substance just to be able to eat whatever I want.

I have been on 10 MG of Lipitor for almost 3 years. Since I began taking it I have had recurring issues with an anxious feelings, my lower GI is constantly churning and I feel like I am stressed out. I have a low stress job, a stable happy family life and yet I feel nervous all the time. I sleep for 3-4 hours and then wake up and am unable to get back to sleep. I have been forced to take a nap ever day after lunch just to get through the day. Additionally, I developed tremors in my hands and was diagnosed with something called Benign Essential Tremor and put on another medication to control the shaking.

Yesterday I decided I had enough of this and went to see my cardiologist to discuss the symptoms. I stopped taking the Lipitor on my own 2 days before. The doctor told me that none of my symptoms were related to Lipitor! I replied that I was convinced that they were all in fact caused by this drug. He suggested I stop taking the statin for 2 weeks and see if the symptoms stop. I am now on day 4 without lipitor and am already feeling less anxious.

I went to the Nuerologist 2 weeks ago and got her to discontinue the anti-tremor medication. I am going to get all this crap out of my system and hopefully get my life back.

At about the time i started to take Lipitor (10 mg) two years ago, I started to experience severe neck pain which I attributed to spending 8 hours bending over y laptop. I went through physiotherapy, and the therapist recommended a cylindrical pillow which proved o be quite effective. However, my biceps tended to be sore when I woke up. Last week I suffered excruciating pain in the right hip joint. My doctor appeared to finally link my problems to Lipitor advised that i stop taking Lipitor immediately. The hip pain subsided within a couple of days, but a vague feeling of fatigue and dizziness persist.

My cholesterol was 360 combined when my doctor put me on lipitor and I am only 25 years old. I had all sorts of side effects but dizziness was the worst. I went to ER because of it and doctor in the ER told me how lipitor does not cause dizziness. We all sure don't agree with that right?! The worst is that my cholesterol did not reduce much at all. After researching more about cholesterol I started taking red yeast rice and took that for 6 months and my cholesterol dropped down to 230. It is very important to take good red yeast rice because if you get cheap brand it won't do you any good. I got the brand called "NOW" ( u can get it online) and I wanted to share my experience with everyone else because I was able to reduce my cholesterol down to normal levels so fast without any side effects ! Now I am 30 and my cholesterol is 213 and just to mention it did not go back up once it reduced when I was 25 and i stopped taking red yeast rice after only 8 months. I also did not change my eating habits. I am thinking I should take it again for few months to get my cholesterol down to 170 range but I am not worried about it too much since It already so much lower than when I was 25 and it's not going back up. Another thing I thought was so great... When I went back to my primary doctor to have my cholesterol checked out after taking red yeast rice, when she saw how much my cholesterol dropped down in only 8 months she asked me to write down the name of the stuff I used so she can have her father use it too because Lipitor didn't reduce his cholesterol down significantly either !! I hope you guys will give it a chance for at least 6 months. My father is taking it now and he can't believe how much his cholesterol is reducing.

Hi . I am a 69yr old male. My doctor has recently increased my Lipitor from 20 to 40mg. My cholesterol reading was 3.6 which he considered to high after a quad bypass. I am suffering painful cramps down the front of both lower legs as well as cramps down the back of my lower right leg. I plan to revert to 20mg to see if the cramps stop. I am not sure if I should stop completely.

I am a 52 year old male.8 years ago I had a heart attack.2 stents were put in.I have been on lipitor for the past 8 years.I was on 80 mg. for years,cholesterol got so low the Doctor reduced it to 40 mg.I lived with minor soreness,thinking it was age,arthritis,and a side effect of my very physical job.3 weeks ago joint pain started getting worse! Knee, hips,and especially the shoulders.It got to the point I could hardly crawl out of bed.Feb.20 called the doctor and he told me to stop the lipitor immediately! Today Feb. 24 pain is way less already.I wonder now about long term damage to muscles and joints! I am supposed to call him at the end of the week,very curious about what the conversation will be like. I do not plan to go back on the lipitor especially after reading this web-site.Thanks

I am a 65-year-old female. I was given Lipitor 10mg in Feb 07, which I appeared to tolerate, with the effect of reducing my high familial cholesterol. Because of a genetic enzyme problem, I am careful about my diet; having been a vegetarian for decades. I don’t smoke, and rarely have wine. By May that year my GP increased the dose to 20mg., but days later I was sent to A + E with cardiac concerns. The hospital adamant it had nothing to do with Lipitor.

By mid 2008 I told my GP of dizzy spells, and loss of balance, also swallowing difficulties, but after liver function tests I was reassured it couldn’t possibly be Lipitor.

Early October 08, saw me in hospital with a ‘stroke’, although the CAT scan and MRI were puzzling. I was sent home with no help or guidance after the Consultant insisted Lipitor was not a problem, and I should not reduce it, as it was already a very low dose. Unable to walk to the end of my street, my calf muscles feeling as though I’d run a marathon, and experiencing cardiac stress. Severe neck and shoulder pains, and confusion with words. Frequent muscle spasms in my feet, legs and hands, etc. etc. No energy for anything, and so difficult coping - living alone. End of Dec. a friend from out of town visited, and was alarmed, as she’d researched a web site for her brother, who was using a walking frame. I was astounded at the reports from users of Lipitor, so many suffering in the same way. Although my GP had arranged more laboratory tests for me, I was not prepared to wait.

On 6th January 2009, (almost 2 years later) I reduced my dosage to 10mg., and within days was experiencing improvement in many areas. By 17th January, I reduced to 5mg., (maybe a little hasty) and by 24th stopped it. By 28th my GP could see for himself, the considerable improvement generally, with a lower blood pressure reading.

By then, I could complete half, of what used to be my regular walking regime. To date, I am able to cover more than that, and hope I will eventually be able to cover the full distance. I’m hoping there will be no lasting damage, but am so thankful that my friend found this website. Its scary to think I had no quality of life, and doubt I would have survived more Lipitor. So I’m taking my chances with high cholesterol, and a near normal life.

M.

New Zealand

I am 68yr old female with neuropathy in both feet and it feels like it is traveling up my legs slowly. My fingers are very sensitive and sometimes they itch uncontrollably. My fingernails are brittle and hair loss has subsided since I cut my dosage of lipitor from 60 mg to 40mg. I was also on lisinopril - and quit it about 3 months ago. I have been reduced to a sitting zombie - not able to sleep at night and able to sit for 3 hours every day unable to move - am I doomed to this life because of lipitor?

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. ******

UPDATE: It has been 1 year ago that I stopped taking the poison referred to as Lipitor! The good news is I am feeling better. I have lost 25 lbs in the past year by following a low carb - high protein diet. I am practicing some yoga and trying to walk as much as possible. I have more good days than bad but the bad can still be debilitating. My neck pain is managed by a once a month visit to the Chiropractor who uses the pro-adjuster for treatment. Also I have upper body massage 1-2 per month. I simply refuse to let this get me down! Attitude is helpful! When I am having a bad day, the leg tremors return. I must say in the past 6 months, I have only had this happen 3 times. And for that I am grateful. I am trying to analyze the triggers for the leg tremors. So far I believe they are related to stress and exhaustion. When I push myself and do too much. Still not taking any drugs and my cholesterol is 220. I have accepted this and will live a quality life for as long as God allows! For everyone who is having lingering side effects from this horrible drug, hang in there! I have seen improvement but I don't think my muscle structure will ever be as it was so I am trying to accept the bad days and move ahead and really enjoy the good days!!!! God bless you all! Kookoo

An update to my husband's experience after taking Lipitor 10 mgm/day for 4 yrs. He developed Parkinson's disease and stopped taking Lipitor at that time--summer 04. He is taking anti Parkinson's drugs as well as many vitamins and suplements in an attempt to correct some of the damage done by Lipitor. He is fairly stable. My niece's husband who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the same time as my husband and had been taking Lipitor also, continued on Lipitor for another 1 1/2 yrs. He had a progressive neurodegenerative disease course and died 2 yrs ago. 3 other individuals with whom I am acquainted who have been diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases have not stopped their Lipitor--one individual's diagnosis has progressed from Parkinson's to Parkinson's with Lewy Body dementia to Multiple Systems Atrophy. this is the same progression my niece's husband experienced. The other 2 individuals are currently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Husband started taking 1200 mgm of coenzyme Q10/day upon diagnosis of Parkinosn's. This amt has been shown to be beneficial to those with early stage Parkinson's--irregardless of their statin status. Seem all parkinson's patients have abnormally low levels of CoQ10 in their blood--and statins DEPLETE CoQ10. What a set up!!!!!

I am a 60 year old male. I have been on high dose Niacin for more than 12 years. 2 years ago I started taking the combination drug, Advicor. (Lipitor and Niacin) Up until this point, there were no side affects with the Niacin other than occasional flushing. Since starting on the Advicor I have noticed a gradual weakening of muscles, and occasional joint pain. I have recently increased my exercise, thinking this was part of the aging process. I have not worked out consistently for 2 years. I have not noticed much improvement in my conditioning in the past 3 weeks, and have in fact noticed my quadriceps feel as though there is a buildup of lactic acid. I also notice my heart rate does not climb very high before my perceived exertion is above 50%. I did a fitness evaluation today at the health club I go to. The trainer mentioned that he hears the same thing from a lot of people who are on Lipitor. He went on to say, there heart rate is usually 20 bpm lower when on the drug. I am going to be talking with my physician to see about getting off Advicor and going back to just the Niacin. I will increase my exercise and more closely watch my diet. I want to thank the folks who have posted.

777
I've been noticing that you as well as bobby are continuously replying to many of the posting. I stopped taking lipitor in December after having chest pains for 10 months which included being hospitalized for 2 days of testing. I'm still having the chest pain although I believe it's getting better. There was a week in the beginning of this month that I had no pain at all but now it's back. My question to you and bobby is you keep saying you still have some side affects for months but fail to list them. What are they and with your experience, why does Lipitor cause chest pain? What have you found out in your research? Is this drug causing damage to the interior lining of the arteries? Is this why many people are getting the pains from?

I was on LIPITOR for 5 weeks. Am fit 60 year old Nurse. I had pain in my heel like a spasm and also near my Hip. Tiredness, Lack of concentration blurred vision and a level of deafness. I stopped taking Lipitor 1 week ago and energy levels returned to normal already. No more spasm pain. However still have blurred vision and the deafness. Anyone know how long this may take to improve?
I am on Oroxine for low thyroid function and maybe this is a contributing factor.

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 was 50 and the doctor prescribed lipitor 10mg since my cholesterol had doubled in the past twelve months to 300. I took it for four months and began to have pain in one leg just below the knee. I had talked to a woman about 65 years old once who was walking on the sides of her feet and I had asked her what medical problem she had. She explained that her Lipitor had caused this terrible pain. You would think that I would have refused to take this drug. You see the doctor had already prescribed a very large dose of fish oil per day and the cholesterol had not fallen. However, I began taking it. About two weeks before my enzyme checkup I began to notice the pain in the leg just below my knee and I stopped taking the Lipitor. I expected the pain to subside, but it did not. My cholesterol level had risen and my doctor asked me if I was still taking the Lipitor. I explained that I had been of it for about two weeks. The doctor insisted that the pain probably wasn't associated with the Lipitor. The reason being my enzyme level was within the range of acceptable. I began taking it again. The doctor wanted to have another test within four weeks to check enzyme levels again. This time the enzyme levels were borderline high. So the doc recommended stopping the Lipitor for a while and then another enzyme level check. You see, my body was telling me something. The only new factor in my medications other than blood pressure was the Lipitor. It has been about three weeks since I stopped the Lipitor, yet I am continuing with even more pain in tops of feet and above one knee a know seems to have appeared. It is sore and feels like it is bruised. I am not a doctor, but I had done some investigating Lipitor on the internet and read that in some patients the Lipitor actually causes small to large fissures in the arteries of the heart. Also, the muscles begin to attack themselves, thus the pain and atrophy. I am going to start taking flax oil. One cardiologist reported that he two cases a week of heart attacks due to Lipitor. He was enraged that Lipitor is still being prescribed and manufactured. I just hope it doesn't take years to regain my original self without pain. I am an active person who likes to work outside, garden, snow-ski, and anything else I want to do. I am trying to search for a detox program for Lipitor overdose, not that I have overdosed. According to my body's signals, I have overdosed on a toxic drug. I pray that returning to normal won't take as long as I have heard some people say it has taken them. Please try some other alternative to Lipitor and the other debilitating statin drugs. I will have to start an exercise program, even though I have put it off for years. I hope my laziness about my physical fitness hasn't crippled me for life. I am 20 lbs overweight and never took it seriously. I hope others will discontinue to take this life-threatening and debilitating drug!!!!!!!!!!1

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 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?