Lipitor and cramps

I am a 70 year old woman, I have been on 20mg Lipitor for high cholesterol, 200 total and 25mg of Spironolactone for a not so high blood pressure, for 3 1/2 yrs. Oh, my God, the Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic that is very dangerous and has many uses I didn't know about or the terrible side effects, it causes breast cancer. It's also used to treat women who have an over growth of hairiness, or on a higher dose to treat hair loss and I've gone bald on the top of my head! Plus all of the good foods we're supposed to eat for high cholesterol, fruit & veggies one isn't to eat on this drug, because of lot's of potassium, what a huge contradiction. And muscle pains, and rashes, (eczema, atopic dermatitis) that I've suffered from both.
Anyway, Lipitor, had know idea about the side effects until I looked it up on the internet and read these posts on here.
I stopped taking Lipitor last week and Spironolactone 2 days ago.
I had cholesterol test last week too and saw my dr. Wednesday. He said it was okay that I stopped the Lipitor, but not the other one, why not the other one worse then Lipitor and why am I on this strong drug, geez.
The pain and burning started in my hip for no reason, then my ankles with eczema which started soon after Lipitor, then my fingers, numbness, can't pick things up, tingling, burning. Then my feet, yes, just like all of you I have these same problems. This is not just coincidental, this is from the drug Lipitor. I get severe joint cramps in my legs, feet and fingers.
For now on before I take any drug I've prescribed I will thoroughly check for side effects and not take it if they're seriously impairing like Lipitor. I feel like a cripple and older then I should feel, I almost just felt like why live anymore if this is how it's going to be.
Since I've stopped Lipitor I feel a little better, I read that it causes permanent muscle and nerve damage though, oh I hope not, I can barely walk anymore or get up out of my chair. This is all drug induced toxicity of my system. Thanks so much everyone who posted for sharing and enlightening all of us who are suffering from this drug and others.
It should be banned along with Baycol, (a statin) which was banned a few months ago because of these same side effects. With the studies that it only helps maybe to prevent heart attack, well I'd rather be able to walk again and hopefully all this will go away, the rash, etc.

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?

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

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.

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 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 must be living in a vacuum without knowing it. I have been on Lipitor for a few years now. I do slur words on occasion... the cramps are occasionally unbearable. I get cramps in my rib cage, legs, feet and have to watch myself making move like reaching for something that requires anything other than a normal move or twist.. or I get a cramp. I also get cramps in my hands, muscles knotting up with horrible pain... I have to watch how grasp things my fingers.... occasional just cutting a steak holding the knife or fork and applying pressure... I had a discussion with a complete stranger today who said he had similar side effects with Lipitor... I thought it was old age (I'm 62).... and not very physically active. I looked it up on the internet and found this very informative site.

I have just started taking Lipitor this week and starting searching the internet about side effects. This site has really helped me. I am already having light cramps in my legs and my diabetes has already done nerve damage to my feet so I sure don't need any drug doing it. I also had nausea the first two or three days.

And now that I think about it I have also had headaches off and on for the last few days and I never have headaches. A rash has broken out on my shoulder and I never would have connected it to Lipitor if not for the information I read here.

I am calling my doctor Monday. I got myself into this mess by not eating right, I can get myself out by eating right. Already take CQ10 and fish oil, glad to know that was a good decision.

Thanks

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.

question that I have is that has there been any report for side effect sexual for either male or female? If so what was suggested?

As a retired Healthcare Professional, like you I almost died from a statin overdose. If you’re a U.S. resident or Canadian resident, I would encourage patients/consumers to send their complaint/statin adverse reaction report to the web sites listed below. Also, if your physician is unresponsive to your negative experience from any statin, inform him/her that you refuse to continue with this drug, and have sent an adverse reaction complaint to the FDA/Canadian equivalent. Provide both your doctor and pharmacy with a copy of the completed FDA Form 3500, if you’re a U.S. resident, so they (medical community) know you're serious (see my recent postings of July 20 and July 25, 2008). In addition, I would bring to the attention of your physician the following clinical experience of Dr Peter H. Langsjoen, MD, FAAC, a Blue Ribbon Cardiologist: “Over the past five years, statins have become more potent, are being prescribed in higher doses, and are being used with reckless abandon in the elderly and in patients with "normal" cholesterol levels. We are in the midst of a CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) epidemic in the US with a dramatic increase over the past decade. Are we causing this epidemic through our zealous use of statins? In large part I think the answer is yes. We are now in a position to witness the unfolding of the greatest medical tragedy of all time - never before in history has the medical establishment knowingly (Merck & Co., Inc. has two 1990 patents combining CoQ10 with statins to prevent CoQ10 depletion and attendant side effects) created a life threatening nutrient deficiency in millions of otherwise healthy people, only to then sit back with arrogance and horrific irresponsibility and watch to see what happens - as I see two to three new statin cardiomyopathies per week in my practice, I cannot help but view my once great profession with a mixture of sorrow and contempt.” Finally, I hope you find, as I did the following newsletters/medical information helpful:
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=189

http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=234

http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=370
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S.A.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html
CANADA
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/compli-conform/gui-44_consumer_complaint-plainte_consommateur-eng.pdf
Contact Name: Drug Compliance Verification and Investigation Unit
Tel: (613) 952-9906
Fax: (613) 954-0941
E-Mail: DCVIU_UVCEM@hc-sc.gc.ca

I started using lipitor from my doctor, it lowered my cholesterol all around but I started to have lower back pains. At first I thought it might be prostate cancer, but after having to MRI's done they found no cancer, thank god. But I went to an orthopedic surgeon to see what the problem was. He looked at the mri's and saw lower dics hitting my nerve endings. He also thought that it might be muscle problems so he gave me 3 epidurals and that helped for a while took away about 50% of my pain, but I still have the pain, It is hard for me to get comfortable when I sit or even when I am sleeping. I don't want to think that it is the lipitor that is doing it to me but after talking with others I feel it is time to talk to my doctor about it. My doctor said that lipitor is the safest one that will do very little harm to my liver. I am not a doctor so I would not know.. My cholesterol level was 246 at one time now it is 175. I am now facing possible spine fusion to help correct my disc problem. But will also ask doctor to prescribe something else.

Alan

I took it for one month only. In the first week I was extremely fatigued but ignored it. Then I got stiffness in my fingers. I started getting cramps in my feet and legs. I stopped the medication after exactly one month. It has been one month since I stooped taking it. But my symptoms have not gone away. My arms and legs are still stiff. I develop severe pain in my left arms. There is a terrible tingling sensation in my body when I sleep. I am going to see a neurologist next week. I hope there is no permanent nerve damage. I have started taking Lyrica 50 mg in the mean time to get rid of this tingling sensation.

My 44 year old, otherwise very healthy husband has been taking Lipitor (10mg) for several years. Currently been showing ALS-like symptoms. Left foot dragging, muscle cramps, twitches, etc. We are headed to Duke University to find out of he has ALS. He is off of Lipitor for 3 weeks now, taking CoQ10 and lots of vitamin C. If anyone else has had these symptoms and they've been rectified, could you share how long it took and how soon you began to feel the initial improvement? Thanks KCC>

One Jan. 2 of 2008 I had a stroke where the whole left side of my body was completely paralized. My speech was slurred and my son called the ambulance to take me to the hospital. I am 52 years old and am a Pastor. When the ambulance arrived and the paramedics began working on me to take me to the hospital I began to pray. I asked the Lord to heal my body. I asked him to take all my symptoms away and clear out my arteries if there was any blockage. By the time I arrived at the hospital I was completely back to normal. I give God all the glory. After the MRI the doctor acknowledged that I indeed did have a stroke and there shows damage on the right side of my brain but they just couldn't get over the fact that I had no residual disability. Now to the statin. Even though after all the tests they found out all my arteries were indeed clear with no blockages anywhere and all the tests on my heart were good I do have high cholesterol of about 260 of the bad stuff (this runs in my family). Before I left the hospital the doctor prescribed me to take 1 baby asprin a day and the generic version of Lipitor.

I know this sounds weird but that night I took only one capsule of that statin drug and by the next afternoon I began having pain in my legs and they got all wobbly and hard to walk. I had asked the doctor if there were any side effects of these statins and she told me that they were safer than asprin and that they should be sold over the counter without having to even obtain a prescription. She did mention that there were some very rare side effects (that only happen to 1 in 10,000 people) of it attacking peoples muscles but told me that if that happened I could just stop taking the medicine and the muscle pain would go away.

I never took another one of those pills but for about 3 or 4 weeks having muscle pains and cramps in different parts of my body. It was like something was moving around and attacking different muscle groups. I noticed one day that the muscle in my left arm was sore and very weak and it was like I didn't have as much muscle as before. Then the next day it was doing the same thing in my other arm.

Fortunately after those weeks all the symptoms have went away and I feel fine. The funny thing is I had felt great before taking that statin pill and only took that one. It was like poison.

Now since that happened to me I have been talking to many family and friends that are either currently taking or were taking statin drugs and every single one of them have had terrible muscle, memory, emotional problems since beginning the drug.

My uncle had surgery (not heart or artery related) about 8 months ago. I noticed that he was in very bad shape not being able to get around because of severe muscle pain and weakness. He was crippled. I was driving him one day and he was talking about all his pain and weakness in back and legs and shortness of breath then it hit me, statins? So I asked him if he was taking statins. He set and thought for a few seconds and said he had started taking them right after his surgery 8 months before and his muscle pains and weakness started right about that time.

I encouraged him to stop taking them for a few weeks and see what happens. Within 2 weeks he was much better and not about 8 weeks he is pretty much totally back to normal. He thanks me all the time. He said it must have been the Lord that prompted me to warn him about the statins.

I still have a cousin my age that has severe back pain and muscle spasms in his back that started about the same time he started taking statin drugs. He is no longer able to golf like he used to. I'm trying to get him to stop but the doctor has him convinced that the statins aren't causing the problems and that he must keep taking them.

I'm on a quest now to warn as many people as I can about these dangerous drugs. The truth is we are ultimately responsible for what we put in our mouth and if it hurts us we need to not swollow it whether it is the wrong kinds of food or bad drugs.

I am a very active 54 years old. I work out with weights and also do a little yoga to keep flexible. On May of 2007 my Dr. started me on Simvastatin to lower my cholesterol and the liver enzyme test one month later showed everything to be fine. I had noticed that my left shoulder and upper arm was sore and sometimes would hurt so bad that I would wake at night. I figured I had worked out to much or slept wrong. After a few week of pain that didn’t seem to go away I started taking Advil 3 times a day. I couldn’t lift my left arm up over my head or scratch my back, I also found that I was forgetting things and work was hard to keep up with. I took the month of July off from work and only did the necessary stuff I had to do (self-employed) In the end of August my family and I took a week’s vacation and by the end of the week I was aching all over my body. My feet was in so much pain, I needed to massage them before getting out of bed in the morning, my arm and even my thigh muscles hurt. I couldn’t understand WHY, the only thing could be the medication… I stopped and saw the DR. when I got back. He sent me for x-rays of my feet, but everything was fine. So he put me on 40 mg of Lipitor instead. I did tell him, that when my body felt less sore I would start the Lipitor medication. Well it wasn’t until late November that I thought I better start, but only after 7 days of taking the Lipitor I felt excruciating pain all over. I was hurting in my arms (triceps) had feet cramps and could hardly walk. I called the DR. and told him I will not take this medication any more. It’s been 3 months since I stopped (almost 6 if not counting the one week in November) I’m slowly getting better with my normal work out, but I still do not have flexibility of my left arm and I occasionally have cramps in my feet. I have no doubt that the STATINS medication is very bad for you.

I'm a woman, about to turn 50.....and have been experimenting with the statins for about two months(not by choice either). I tried Zocor and had a stop that after 10 days because of massive hair loss. Once stopped....the hair loss stopped immediately. Just a ill more than a month later I started on Lipitor. All seemed to be going ok. NO hair loss. BUT.......mannnnn I don't sleep hardly at all. I'm tired beyond all belief......and its that bone deep OMG I'm sooooo exhausted type tired. I often times don't eat an evening meal after work because I seriously don't think I cant stand long enough to make anything. My legs feel as though they cannot move another inch. I have horrible cramps in my fingers.....the calf of both legs and now in my rib area. Ive had horrible horrible blurred vision.....my attention span is about as long as a gnat!!!!! I seem to have an all over bone deep body ache. It gets to the point that if MOVING A MUSCLE would save my life........Id have to die sitting still....I cant do it. The every day you wake up in the morning headache is way beyond OLD. I also notice I'm nauseous and or have a gut ache almost all the time. Its effectively killing my appetite so maybe I'll lose weight, but damn..is this the way to do it?

WHY wont the doctors believe that this damn drug is responsible?

I am glad to find this sight! Here is my story. Started on 10mg. Withing 2 weeks had the sudden onset of horrible knee pain in BOTH knees at the same moment. Could hardly walk and don't try to squat down, the pain was unbearable. Had this the rest of the time I was on the stuff, 5 to 6 years. Within weeks of quitting, it went away and hasn't bothered me since. I noticed a odd swelling around my ankle but didn't think much of it at that time. Increased a few years later to 20mg. Indigestion, acid reflux that woke me up hourly with a mouthful of acid/vomit, gas, leg and feet cramps, the swelling on my feet started spreading and became painful, burned and itched (nothing I did would stop it, no doctors could tell me what it was or how to stop it.. saw 4 different doctors just for this), loss of libido, vertigo. I didn't realize it until I quit the drug but it began stealing my energy and my legs started becoming real heavy. But wait, it gets a lot better!! 40mg really did a horrible number on me. I was always so tired that I could hardly get out of bed. All the previous effects I mentioned got a lot worse and some new ones were added. I started stumbling, could hardly walk, couldn't remember words and when I did, I couldn't say them, it came out as gibberish, the memory went, I was so confused that I couldn't hardly do my job. Writing became chicken scratch. It was like I had aged 40 years overnight and I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I was terrified I was going to loose my job and I knew whatever it was, within a year, I would be on disability and not able to take care of myself. I had quit driving because I hit a pedestrian while looking right at her, I just couldn't connect her, my car and what would happen. I would pass up the places I was going or not even be able to find a place I had been numerous times, I ran stop signs and red lights constantly. I was horrified, terrified and scared to death because I have always taken care of others and am very independent. I saw a TV ad that brought this into light that it could be the Lipitor and came right home and typed in memory loss/Lipitor and BINGO! I immediately got off of it and within the second day, the head fog went away. Every day, I would realize another problem had went away and within a few weeks, I was back to normal again, with NO sign of knee problems anymore. Only then did I realize how much of my energy/life this stuff had stolen from me.. That is time I will never get back! Everyone at work kept asking me what I was on with all this energy and how much ,my job performance improved. This lasted for about 3 months, then the attacks started. Every morning, I would wake up with something attacking a different joint. Horrible, crippling pain that left that joint useless for several days. It always hit while I was sleeping so I never knew what I would find when I woke up in the mornings. Wrists, ankles, elbow's, hips, back.... every joint, none was spared. Then it settled in my shoulder. The pain was so bad I could not use my right arm for about 3 months. MRI showed tendinitis, arthritis, bursitis and a bone spur. Now, I ask you... How does a person with no prior history of joint pain anywhere, wake up one morning and have all this at one time? It is going on a year now that I have suffered with this. There was NO straining, NO injury, NO impact to bring all this on. Shots in that joint only last ONE week and now, it is moving to the other shoulder. Before Lipitor, the only health issues I had was HIGH CHOLESTEROL! I want to also add that in my last colonoscopy, I had 5 pre cancerous polyps when I have never even had a polyp before. I was so stunned that I really thought my doctor had mislabeled the bottles she sent off with my name on them and I kept asking WHY? WHY? WHY? What happened? What changed? How could someone with no polyup history suddenly has 5 and they were all precancerous and in only 5 years since the last one? Pfizer will have to answer for all this one day (and nothing we can say will smear their name like they are doing all by themselves) and I hope they have to pay all of us for the way they have changed our lives and reimburse all those insurance companies that have paid the medical bills for the problems THEY created. I am betting they already have a way set up to avoid doing that (they know it is coming, you can bet on that!). That big tobacco scam has nothing on big pharmacy! They have the doctors so brainwashed that the doctors brush your complaints off and just write you another prescription. They are making complete idiots out of the doctors and permanent patients out of us. Only when the patients start using the doctors for giving them this poison and a few doctors have to pay, will they quit believing the ones who profit from the prescriptions they write. They need to be held accountable too!

I am 55 years old, and was put on Lipitor 1 month ago for over the top, sky HIGH cholesterol. Having a high risk background of heart disease in my genes, the Dr. recommended it to bring down Cholesterol #'s to a manageable, SAFE level.Diet alone over the past 2 years has not done it.

After ONLY 2 weeks of daily taking 10 mg daily, I was awakened from a sound sleep in the middle of the night with legs cramps so severe that I could NOT work them out, lie still, or get comfortable.When I did finally fall asleep again, I woke up with muscles so tender and sore in my calves, that I had difficulty walking around !

Week # 4 ~ tightening in left shoulder, back of neck, and left upper arm. It feels like I am bruised, and hurts to turn my neck.

I am beginning to wonder if this medication is safe ? I read that its side effects were much less than others to lower the cholesterol.

I am at a loss and do not what to do, neither does the Dr !

I am John-in-Napa who wrote in on Sept. 25 about the problems I was having with Lipitor. I took myself off the drug and saw my doctor on Oct. 8th. I no longer have any of the side effects I described, no rib pain, neck, shoulder pain, lig cramps. foot pain etc. I feel like a new man again. My doctor was totally fine with my decision and even said her mother-in-law was on it and had severe pain in localized areas that really affected her badly. She also said others have complained about similar symptoms and refused to take the drug. Honestly, I haven't felt this good in a couple of years-Hope this helps others to take control of what they are told to put into their bodies and get back to feeling human again-Thnks for listening !!

Have been on Lipitor for almost a year and muscle aches and pains have increased in the past two months to a debilitating stage. The muscles in my arms, shoulders and back hurt constantly. My hands are aching and I've also experienced cramps in the feet and toes. Last week cramps started in the leg calves. I can barely climb any stairs. There has also been some weight gain since I began taking lipitor.

I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and when I finished describing the symptons he immediately said it was most likely the Lipitor.
He also shared that he had two friends who are doctors, one a runner, who had these same symptons as a result of Lipitor. He told me to stop taking it for two weeks and see if it is better. I will stop taking this permanently and try to lower the cholesterol with exercise and Vitamin C.

I have been taking lipitor for the last 2 and a half years of 40 mg. Since taking the drug, I am having cramps on my legs. First I thought it was more of not drinking enough water but lately it is not the case. I drink more than 8 glasses of water including green tea. LAtely I am having severe cramps with lipitor. The only drug I take and I try to avoid any other drugs for any pains. I am 43 years and run 15 to 20 miles weekly.

I am abit worried that it might be Lipitor for the cause.

Thank you. nithy

I started taking Lipitor on April 10th and have been waking in the middle of the night with severe calf and thigh cramps. Although I do have a herniated disk between l4 and l5 at first thought it flared up. Then I started to wonder about this drug and my high blood pressure medicine. Looking up side effects it seems that Lipitor may be the cause.

I live on a tiny island in the Caribbean so the Dr. will not be back till tuesday but I think it is worth not taking it until I chat with him.

I was taking Lipitor (can't remember how long and what mg) and started feeling like I was continously in a fog and having memory problems. These were so bad that my GP sent me to a Neurologist for MRI and CT scans with results showing nothing wrong. I decided that this started after I went on the Lipitor and took myself off of it. The "fog has lifted" but I still have some memory problems. I am now taking Zetia and have started having muscle pains and cramps. I'm going to give up on cholesterol lowering medications. If I can't lower it with diet and exercise I'll just take my chances with the high cholesterol!

I have taken statins for over 10 years. I suffered muscle aches and cramps but put it down to my age (56) However recently I noticed weakness in my chest when weight training.
It was then I realised that my left Pectoral Muscle had all but disappeared, leaving just flabby skin. The right side is still firm.
A visit to the doctor and subsequent blood tests showed abnormal levels of harmful Enzymes. I was taken off statins immediately but would like to know if the muscle damage is permanent or will it recover over time.

I am a South Florida female, now 61, who started taking 10 mg daily Lipitor in 2000, when aged 55, for high cholesterol. Lipitor worked. My cholesterol dropped from 270 to 207 and stayed there for 5 years.
Early 2006, I began feeling unsteady in the mornings so started taking Lipitor at bedtime, instead. Also began taking CoQ10 along with it.
Then I started feeling oddly foggy, mentally, but was under a lot of stress at home, so discounted it. I became clumsy, dropping things and stumbling. Had a bad fall in February and injured my left knee. As the left leg got better I realized I was also limping on the right leg. Soon I had to use a cane to get about and needed to use my arms to get up out of a chair. I was slurring my words. I sounded drunk and was tired all the time. I couldn't turn keys or door handles. Emotions were near the surface. I would burst into tears over a newspaper cartoon.
Before long I was so weak I could only stagger around my house by hanging onto the furniture. Still no pain whatsoever, (apart from horrible nightime cramps and spasms throughout my whole body) just increasing muscle weakness and being in a constant daze. I was having difficulty swallowing and often aspirated bits of food. I began worrying about having MS or ALS, or having had a stroke, so made an appt to see my doctor. Suddenly the possibility of it being the Lipitor dawned on me at last and I stopped taking it the first week of April 2006. (I now know I should really have eased myself off it in case of sticky platelet rebound.)
Within a week of stopping the Lipitor I felt so much better and brighter. By the time my doc's appt came around in May my mental fog was lifting and I was walking a bit better, but dragging my right foot. My right calf was wasting just as my right thumb muscle had. My doc diagnosed a dropped right foot and a claw hand and referred me to a neurologist. She also sent me for a brain tumor MRI, which was negative
I had for years been waking at 5am every morning to urinate. Within two weeks of stopping Lipitor I was sleeping through till 7am and having no problems during the day. Bladder muscles must be able to regain their strength quickly. I also noticed that the dry mouth that for years had plagued me was gone. Instead of constantly chewing gum and carrying bottled water I have regained a normal saliva flow, something I had completely forgotten ever having. The muscle cramps completely stopped, and also the awful nightmares.
Two months later I seemed to reach a plateau in improving, so decided to see the neurologist in July 2006. He dismissed my theory that it was Lipitor, saying he'd never such seen such side effects and sent me for two MRIs of my spine. The neurologist thinks it's probably ALS as he observed some muscle twitches and has referred me to a specialist in Miami. I haven't made an appointment as I am convinced it was the Lipitor and hope no permanent damage has been done and that I will eventually regain muscle mass and strength.
Lipitor is a poison derived from toxic mold -- red yeast rice. And though it may be safe for some, I believe there are many people suffering needlessly from taking it and the other statin drugs.
I was lucky enough to have a home pc and discover others are in the same boat, but what about all the old folk and working moms and dads taking Lipitor who don't have the time, ability or resources to research this? They are alone in their Lipitor fog, stumbling and slurring, many being diagnosed with dementia and neuropathies, having no idea that their medication is causing such horrible side effects.
Yes, my cholesterol shot up without Lipitor, but I am now on an organic, glutamine-free diet, mainly vegetables, fish and fruit, oatmeal every day, CoQ10, Omega 3 and lots of vitamin C and hoping to keep it somewhat under control.
Any other South Florida sufferers of similar statin-induced myopathy are welcome to e-mail me. Let's get the word out and some support groups going.

Stiff joints, cramps, lower back pain, depression, forgetfulness, and extreme fatigue. Thank God I've quit this stuff. I had a heart attack two years ago and would rather die limber and happy than stiff and despondent.

I used Lipitor for 10 months after previously using Lescol and Zetia. I have experienced severe muscled cramps, muscle tremors, loss of strength, slurred speach, tendonitis, and muscle wasting. I stopped Lipitor one month ago but have not yet seen much improvement in my symptoms.

I hove been taking lipitor for 1 month and have been having troublr sleeping and pain in my upper thighs and cramps in my legs. I fell like I am walking through hip high water when trying to walk on my tread mill. When I foun this web site I am reading about some of my own symptoms. I am going to stop taking this drug as of now. Thanks to you people and the news report I saw on TV. on 6/12/2006.

i was having pain in my legs and catching cramps in the middle of the night. I walk everyday and it was like having to make my legs move. I told my doctor and he gave me a blood test. Called me back and told me to stop taking the Lipitor immediately. I am now being tested weekly for the next four weeks to monitor my kidney enyzines .They have not told me exactly what was wrong yet but I must drink an excesive amount of water for the next four weeks and come off all medications except my diabetes pills until my blood levels are back to normal.

I took Lipitor for less than a month. Almost immediately, I was having problems sleeping. Before two weeks were up, I started having cramps in the bottoms of my feet. The last night that I took it, I was having cramp after cramp in both feet. I knew the only thing I was doing different was taking Lipitor. I have not taken it for a week or so now and I'm not having any more cramps in my feet, plus, I'm sleeping through the night again. I'm afraid to take anymore drugs like Lipitor. I think I'll just do what I can naturally.

Cramps in toes, calfs.. and sometimes stomach... red lumpy circle type rash on legs and arms.. and also elevated blood sugar that I can seem to get down.. no matter how much exercise.. and I am maxed out on oral meds for diabetes

I'm a female, 42 and have been taking lipitor for over 1 year, about 6 months ago my cholestrol went up and my doctor increased my does from 20 to 40 I have noticed that my feet are cramping alot, I've lost about 25 lbs in 2 months and my stool is changing colors, cramps in my sides, diarrea, head aches. Are these related? I'm thinking I should go off of them and bace to the other dose or is there something else out there? I have change from other meds because of the lack of sexual desire. I'm only 42 so I'm not wanting it to end yet. I also cant afford to lose any more weight 5'5 1/2 128lbs. Any suggestions?

I am a 54 year old male and have been on Lipitor 10mg for nearly five years. I had a heart attack and since then have also been taking warfarin and also Atenolol 25mg and Candestartin 8mg. I have experiences some hair loss and some back pain. My short term memory is getting poor and I have dad days when I have felt generally unwell. Fairly recently I have had cramps and muscle pain in my legs and arms. Recently I began to have fluid collect on my knees and my knees joints have become stiff and painful. I have had the fluid drained from them and had various tests and x-rays. Everything is negative - there is no sign of infection or athritis. Liver and kidney functions are normal and gout has been ruled out. I am going to ask my doctor to check for muscle damage although he has already said that there is evidence of wasting and prescribed excercises for my legs. Is this the lipitor? He has give me some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to take in the short term but these interfere with my Warfarin and I cannot take them for long. I have looked up the side effects of the other drugs and they do not seem to be so severe as those of Lipitor. I live in the UK where self help in medicine is not so prevalent as it is in the States and my Doctor will, no doubt, be sceptical when I tell him about this site. What can I take to replace this drug?

I'm a 44 year old male. I was on Lipitor for four years and recently started having severe cramps in my thighs and calf muscles, severe dirrhea, severe fatigue and bloody urine. I asked my doctor if it was the Lipitor, and he said it wasn't. Probably a virus he said because the Liver tests came back okay even though had some jaundice.

Like a fool, I continued with the prescription and the cramps got worse in my legs and feet. I ended up stopping the Lipitor on my own in February 2005, nearly a year later, as the symptoms had not gone away, and I developed muscle twitches and tremors. My doctor then sent me for more blood work that showed my muscle enzyme levels were over 350% above my normal range, and a subsequent EMG/NC&VT showed the muscles had been weakend on my left side! He then had me discontinue the Lipitor and all statins indefinitely.

As it turns out I am not the only one in my family with adverse reactions to statin drugs. My cousin and his father, both on my dad's side both have the same total cholesteral level I have at 268, and both are statin sensitve. My grandmother (same side) and her sister had very high cholesteral and both died from congestive heart failure at 87 and 92 respectively.

I went from a fairly active person to someone who became really old fast. I now have to push myself out of a chair like my 93 year old uncle did.

I am no longer taking any statin drugs and will control my cholesteral through diet and exercise. If I live to 92 like my great aunt did with no problems until she became that age, I should be so lucky.

John

cramps in both leg,hands, and more concerning there's alot of twitching between the lower leg muscles and the skin itself. Almost like the nerves are shorting out. Blurred vision and blind areas in the outer vision area.

I am 70 years old and have been taking Lipitor for about 5 years. Over the years I would wake up in the night with cramps in my left calf. Eventually the cramps worked their way up to my mid thigh. This cramp was unbelievably painful and couldn't walk it off. I refuse to take any statins and my Dr. now has me on Endur-Acin 500. I will have my blood tested on March 3rd and see how it works.

In May of this year I went on Lipitor. My cardiologist quickly ramped me up to 40 mg. In June I had thyroid surgery and began taking Synthroid and calcium supplements. By summer I was getting dizzy spells, nausea, cold feet, and minor cramps in my legs. This went on for several weeks. I thought it was related to the surgery. A blood check by my thyroid specialist showed everything in good order. The dizziness, etc. persisted. I discovered this web site, read the postings and immediately took myself off the Lipitor. Two weeks later I began to feel significantly better. I told my cardiologist what I had done. He did not argue about my decision but suggested that at some future date, when I feel 100 percent, I return to the Lipitor. I don't think so. Diet, exercise and supplements will be my solution from here on. I'm very lucky to have caught this early.

Hi i havd a heart attack 10 years ago when i was 32, my cholesterol was 6.4 at the time. I have been taking atorastatin ever sinc. I started on 10mg and ever since experienced the usual side effects, a few cramps, pins and needles whenever i worked out but not muscle ache or tiredness. I am now on 40mg, this came about after i paid £500 to have special x rays done of my heart in March 2004. The tests showed i had a build up of cholesterol in 3 arterys and they work on a scale of 0 to 2000 as a measurement, my reading was 418. This told them that i had more cholesterol build up than i should have and they suggested the new perscription of 40mg. Because it was my first time on the new machine they could not tell me if it was getting worst or not so i will have it done again in a years time. the only real symptom i seem to have now from the extra dose of Atorastatin is that my urine smells a lot stronger than before and i still get the pins and needles when i go to the gym.
If you want to find out what shape your heart is in have one of these test done, it takes 5 minutes and gives you clear pictures of what shape your arteries are in, its called a CT heart Scan.
good Luck

Have been on Lipitor for about 1-1/2 years at the 10 MG level. I started having cramps in my calfs, stabbing pain about left hip, numbness in left toes, weak left leg muscle and was starting to get weak in my arms. Went off Lipitor about 10 days ago and hip pain has just about gone. Leg muscle is about 50% better but now numbness in toes has turned into a tingling feeling. My question is how long does it take to over come these side effects? Going to try more exercise and 2,000mg of vitamin C to keep cholestrel level low.

I am a 49 yr old physically fit female who began taking Lipitor around 2 yr ago. I began having leg pain/cramps and went off of them for two weeks or so. I have to admit I felt much better. I went back on them for fear of having heart problems with high cholesterol. Two weeks ago I started having severe pain in my left leg/hip area running all the way down like muscle strains. I can literally push on the muscle and it is so sore like someone has beat me. I can't lay on my left side anymore when sleeping. I think I am going to go off of it again and if the pain subsides, find other ways to lower the cholesterol. I am worried that this has caused some type of muscle degeneration. I am also experiencing numbness in my right hand more than ever. I am scared...

Extremely debilitating muscle aches and cramps - legs and now going into arms. I have a partially (66%) blocked Corotoid Artery in Neck so I am concerned that going off these drugs will impact on this. Any suggestions?
******

I was put on Lipitor because of a one time spike in my Trigliceride. It was only 10mg for three weeks. Within a week my ankles were stiff and my feet heavy. I had cramps/pain in the legs. Within a couple of weeks, I had pain in all my joints and muscles, especially my legs. It has now been a year, and I've have been told that if I don't stop the process, I may not make it. All of my muscles have atrophied to the point that I can hardly walk. My spine is no longer being supported my my muscles so I have three torn disks. No one will address that problem because the muscles are not strong enough to undergo even the most minor procedure. In addition, my hips have seperated as though I had been in an accident. The only accident was taking Lipitor. I am desperate to find some help. Time is running out. I am already on CoQ10 and Fish Oil. If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would greatly be appreciated. I have been to California with no help. Please, please, please. I will do whatever necessary to stop this horrific illness. It is beyond my imagination how they can get away with passing these drugs out like candy. Help, Dianne