Lipitor and depression

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.

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 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.

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

I am wondering if the plantar foot pain that my husband is suffering for 6 months could be from lipitor that he is taking for several years now. Has anyone have this problem?

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.

I was prescribed Simvastatin 40mg four weeks ago and had horrendous side effects almost immediately eg deep depression, diarrhea, bad stomach aches and night cramps in my legs. Last week my doctor prescribed Lipitor 10mg and I feel no better in fact probably worse. The worst side effect for me is the stomach aches and constant diarrhea and complete lack of appetite. There can be absolutely nothing in my stomach any more. Does anyone else have these symptoms? After reading peoples experiences on here I feel I should stop taking this medication immediately!

Karen

I took Lipitor for 2 years with all the pain in my shoulder, hand and arm as well as fuzzy memory. I had a friend over for Lunch an have no memory of anything that happened including his arriving and leaving on his Harley and we all know how loud they are. I ended up in the hospital with all kins of tests including an MRI all of which I have no memory of to this date. My hospital bills are still coming in as well as all the Doctors that saw me. I just received my Divorce and then this happened , I was out of work for a week , the Doctors thought I had had a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm.I also had all the foot pain making it impossible to stand up , leg cramps, sleeplessness, sheer exhaustion, depression, headache and nausea. The Doctor at the Hospital took me off of the Lipitor and said to take a 325mg. aspirin daily . This happened on March 23, 2008 . I am felling better but I still pain in my shoulder , neck , stomach , and feet and legs but is nothing like it was. Here I am left with a few thousand dollars of Doctor and Hospital bills. Why can`t something be done about all of this we are all going thru? I called the FDA to report it and got no where. Did I really expect anything to happen ! I hope someone gets something done for us . I would be one of the first to sign up to take Lipitor off the market and get what is due us.

I wrote the message below on March 9th, 2008, but I think it might be useful if I repeat it.

Please educate yourself.

Are you really sure that it`s high cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

All statins have similar side effects!!
_________________________

It`s very disturbing to read all these stories. I really feel for you.

My experience comes from seeing what happened to people close to me.

They all took statins.

I started to look for information on statins, and other medications in 2004 and it continues to this day although two of my relatives are dead.

I have nothing to do with the health or pharmaceutical industry.

I saw the suffering and it made me very angry.

I am an ordinary lady in her sixties who live in Sweden.

The situation is almost the same here as in the U.S.

There is very little discussion about risks/benefits with this kind of medicatications - or others.

I think it`s a good idea to turn to the Internet and books to get other views about the cholesterol issue.

Is it really true that it`s the cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

Are you sure?

Please visit:

*******

******

*****

Also search articles etc on "Stopped our statins" and on the names of the different authors below.

Also read:

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

The Truth about the Drug Companies (Marcia Agnell)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel M. Kauffman)

There are many more.

Please look on the Internet for more information about each book.

It´s good to have some other information than the one given by doctors because most of them have been "educated" by the pharmaceutical companies themselves - and why should they talk about risks, side effects etc. They are interested in profits.

Finally - here are some side effects that I have seen:

pains in legs, hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, cracking noise in ribs, muscle weakness, loss of hair, head ache, burning, tingling sensations in hands and feet, numbness, difficulties to swallow, loss of taste, ringing noise in ears, cramps, insomnia, irritation, depression, difficulty with short-term memory and then advancing into more serious problems.

These side effects - for 3 different people - all over 65 - did not come at once.

All of them had taken statins for years (Zocor)

It doesn´t matter which product -all statins have similar side effects.

Search for "Stopped our statins" on Google. It´s a very informative site and under "print articles" there are som articles that you can take along to your doctor for discussion.

I particularly like the one from Weston Price Foundation
and explains the different statin studies and side effects. .

My relatives also had some other medications which makes it even easier for doctors (and patients) to say that it`s just old age.

I am happy for those who get problems right away because then there maybe a chance for the patient and the doctor to see that there is a connection.

You really have to look out for yourself and the people around you!

Good Luck.

I am sitting hear reading these replays and crying because I am suffering the same symptoms. I have been on lipitor for over 5 years and have had repeated bouts of leg pains, head fogginess, dizziness, pain in thigh, hip, and back. I recently started having pains so bad i could not walk. The really sad part is that I am a nurse and should have known it was the lipitor. I had x-rays, ct scans, etc all negative. And today a light finally went off when I said maybe its a side effect from lipitor. And sure enough, looking at the stories here validates my late conclusion. I did not take dosage of lipitor today and will try some more natural remedies. I have scheduled to see my doctor on Wednesday to discuss this issue. Unfortunately I can barely walk without the usages of crutches. Sitting can be just horrible, i wake up in middle of night tossing and turning trying to find a position that the pain will stop in. I cry like a baby at times because of pain and maybe a little depression. This is horrible. Lipitor is an awesome drug in lowering your cholesterol but the side effects are just unbearable. I will continue to update.

Checking in again. Been off the lipitor 3 weeks now. It feels good to feel better. I feel my old self coming back. I laugh sometimes. HOORAH!!! Pain in my legs 50% gone. Hips still troubling. Legs are still weak. I don't know if its from not using them much over the past 8 mo. or the poison lipitor. Still sapping life forces from my body. My life is a wreck . I can tell life is starting to get better. The only thing different, is off the lipitor. Lets get this stuff off the market. It is debilitating, painful, causes depression, to the point you are thought of as lazy, unmotivated. The pain and ache is all you can muster to deal with on a day to day basis. it is indescribable agony. I want to kick something. For the months that I have lost of happiness. Something has got to be done. There was a move awhile back to sell this stuff over the counter. What will they think of next. I am just thankful that I am feeling better. moonman

I am 60years and a stroke survivor of ten years.
About 9 years ago started on Lipitor 20mg until about 18months ago prescribed 80mg.
Looking back I have symptoms for quite some time, and thought it must have been from tthe strokes.3 weeks ago had a CPK blood test showed my level was about 300 over recommended ratio. Have been nauseas, light headed as though I am going to fall (even when I turn my head in bed) bloated, very hungry, put on weight,stiffness, sore or aching muscles. Have been on Luvox for depression since the strokes chest pain, back pain, shoulder pain foggy vision again, aching under armpit and groin areas, irritable,and always seem tired and the list goes on, even my speech seems to be worse at times
Have had two weeks of Lipitor and started to feel better, but had to try them again for this week. See doctor Friday and I wish to say never again do I want to take another lipitor. I live in Australia and would like to find more info. Any advice would be appreciated.

Have been on Lipitor for a year. I'm fighting fatigue and depression, difficulty sleeping and slight dizziness, a generalized backache, and a sensitivity to touch. After finding this website, I'm going to try going without it. I hate having no energy, I used to be very active and am now too tired to do anything. I hope statins do not turn out to be the hormone replacement scandal of the 2000s.

My doctor increased my Lipitor from 10 mg to 40 mg after my physical in January. My cholesterol was only 182 and my LDL was good. I am now being checked for rhabdomyolysis - a rare but serious complication from the muscle pain and weakness caused by the Lipitor. I never had these problems while taking 10 mg and I have no idea why he increased my dosage so much. I am miserable with neck, shoulder, and back pain and have been for a month. I thought I had hurt myself at the gym and have even been seeing a chiropractor for the pain. My urine is very dark, indicating possible kidney damage and I am so tired I can hardly make it through the day. My depression has worsened despite doubling the dose of my anti-depressant and I have no motivation to do anything. I am looking for an alternative to statin therapy, as I am a 38yo insulin-dependant diabetic and am at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Any suggestions out there on alternatives?

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>

Male 58 years old. Heart Attack and 5 bypass on Jan 23,2008. I was put on Lipitor 80mg. and have had a few muscle pains which I blamed on recovery from the surgery. But, after seven weeks, I began to be exhausted and have jaw pain. Then old injuries to my back and shoulder became very painful. I started to hurt all over in joints and have nerve firing both sciatic and on my groin. my inner right elbow hurt. Then depression came on . My wife suggested I check my medication. I found this site and others and decided to stop the Lipitor . The side effects were 95 % better within 46 hours after stopping the Lipitor. Now, 72 hours later, I only have a little tenderness in the backs of my thumbs. But, even that is greatly reduced.

I am a 55 year old male. I have been on 40mg of Lipitor for 2 years after having a stent put into my heart. About 6 years ago I was on 20mg ov Lescol for a year but I stopped taking it because my knees became very weak and I could not walk up stairs without holding on. I am now experiencing severe lower back pain down into my left buttock, leg muscle and knee weakness, and I also have mild depression or a lack of motivation may be a better term. I am going to stop taking the statins and see if I have any improvement. Several years ago, when I stopped taking Lescol, my knee weakness and pain did not improve. Through research on the internet I discovered that some symptoms do not improve by stopping the medication. My goal now is to ensure it does not get any worse.

after using Lipitor for 5 years,after my doctor ignoring my muscle pain complaints for over a year one night my neck muscles started to convulse
like a dog coming out of a lake
this immediately led to a severe bout of vertigo,could not move my head with out fainting for 3 to five hours
doctor diagnosed it as rheumatoid arthritis what a joke
the next day i could not get out of bed, my leg and arm muscles failed me
after about a week in bed i was able to get around on crutches and after 10 days could get around but in pain
doctors treated me like a leper of old,HIGH BLOOD TURBIDITY LEVELS
no one would commit to a diagnosis publically EVEN AFTER MEDICARE INQUIRED
they spent 50 k trying to prove it was not lipitor,THEY FAILED
after 3 months of memory loss,hallucinations weakness in all muscles
there was small improvement,NOT SO MUCH DEPRESSION,NOT DEAD TIRED ALL THE TIME,STILL NEEDED EXCESSIVE SLEEP TIME
thank god that some doctors i know came down with it so i was able to find out what it was LIPITOR
NOW A YEAR AND A HALF LATER I AM RECOVERING
MAY PHIZER ROT IN HELL, ONLY CURE IS TO GET OFF THE POISON
AND HOLD OFF ON EXERCISE UNTIL YOUR BODY DEMANDS IT

This will not be a report on side effects because I have never taken this kind of medication (similar side effects with all lipid lowering drugs).

I don't work in the health field.. I am just an ordinary women I my sixties who is discussed at what I see around me and the stories that are told here.

The pharmaceutical companies and the brain-washed medical staff has really managed to convince the public, all over the world, that they need to lower their cholesterol levels.

Are you sure that they are right?

I am not convinced after reading lots of different books (please see suggestions in message November 3rd, 2007).

I have also visited many different sites on the Internet with other opinions.

Lipitor - and others - are the most prescribed medications in the world.

Many users are ignored when they want to discuss benefit/risk or side effects. The situation is the same if you live in the U.S. or in Sweden, where I live.

I think it`s time that people educate themselves and make up their own mind about this issue.

Also search for "Stopped our statins".

There are some very good article under "print articles". You can take them along to your doctor.

There is one that I particularly recommend - it`s from the Weston Price Foundation, Dangers of Statin Drugs.

In it you will find information about side effects - such as:
muscle pain and weakness, neuropathy, heart failure, dizziness, cognitive impairment, cancer, pancreatic rot, depression etc.

There is also a lot of information about different studies.

Hope I have encouraged you to learn more about this issues.

It`s the pharmaceutical companies that have the money - that`s why you seldom hear about different views.

Good luck!

60 year old female - 115 lbs. Got a cholesterol test result which was way off - 3 times as high as all other tests. Rather than retesting to make sure results were accurate I was given a prescription for 80 mg of Lipitor. Felt terrible - cut my dosage in half 6 weeks later - and stopped altogether about a month after..was experiencing major muscle pain and lethargy/depression. 4 months later got a sudden rotator cuff tear in left shoulder - not from doing anything unusual at all. Had this shoulder repaired - and THEN had to have 2 more surgeries to fix a MAJOR tear on my right shoulder - all within a year of taking this Lipitor. Had not experienced any problems before taking medication.

I am a 48 y/o Caucasian male and am writing to describe the terrible effects Lipitor had on my health. These side effects gradually worsened over years of use. I did not associate my symptoms with Lipitor use until I depleted my supply for about a week...until my mail order prescription was renewed. I began feeling better after just a few days, but the symptoms recurred when I resumed its use. I questioned this link and discontinued its use after a few weeks to determine if the symptoms would subside, and they did. I then conducted another trial, taking Lipitor for a few weeks. The symptoms appeared once again, so I have stopped taking Lipitor and will not use it again.

My symptoms have been well documented over the years by my physician, who did not indicate a relationship between Lipitor and these side effects. Accordingly, you might understand my surprise when I started reading about Lipitor's significant side effects in recent published news articles.

I have suffered from dizziness, confusion, depression, memory loss, painful joints and muscles and severe prostate pain, and I could not determine a cause for these for years. I have been free of all these symptoms since I stopped taking Lipitor about 6 months ago, except for a few recusing leg pains.

You can't imagine the money I have spent on doctors trying to determine the cause of my ailments, confusion and depression, not to mention money lost due to resulting poor work performance.

As far as I am concerned, Lipitor should be totally discontinued. If it isn't, then the side effects, of which there appear to be many, should be fully documented and disclosed to everyone to whom this medication is prescribed.

My mother (75) was on Lipitor for ten years (1994-2004) until I took her off cold turkey. She was off Lipitor for three years until her new doctor put her back on in March of '07 without my knowing. I am having her taken off the DRUG immediately, it is Oct. '07.

Her experiences have been more mental than physical. Depression, irritableness, MEMORY loss, can't put words to thoughts very well and as a result she has been diagnosed with dimentia. Her condition worsened in the 6 months she has been back on the DRUG which made me check into her drug formula at the adult family home she is staying in.

The doctor informed me that there is a price to pay fo everythiing, even aspirin. She feels the positives of preventing a heart attack outweighs the side effects. This is a quality of life question -- should a person be asked to suffer through these numerous side effects jsut to saty alive; and where is it proven that Lipitor has prevented ANY heart attacks?

I look forward to having a mother that is more lucid and more pleasant to be around; AND more emotionally stable!

My father 64 years old has been on Lipitor for over 2 years. In the past few months he has been very quiet, finding it hard to talk and he knows what he wants to say but some words are hard to say. Severe fatique, he moves much slower, difficulty reading and to understand what he's reading. Finds it hard to write and draw and when he is sleeping he has awful twitching. Is this because of Lipitor? we are waiting for an MRI and EEG the doctor seems to feel it might be dementia or Alzheimer's and maybe so but that all doesn't add up.
Does anyone else feel like this?
Is there hope, we have taken him off Lipitor 2 days ago.
Does anyone have a good result to hear?
How do check to see if Lipitor is the problem where does that show up?

I take 10mg Lipitor every day, I broke out with dark red itchyskin eruptions on ankle,stomach, and hip thin skin over eruption when it peels off there a large open ulcer like sore, takes many weeks to completely heal! Been to a dermatologist wanted to do biopsy on sores to see what it is, I have been taking lipitor for about 3 years. Never had out breaks like this before going on lipitor. Went off lipitor for about a month outbreaks stopped! Went back on lipitor outbreaks started again, anyone else had similar eruptions?

I am totally shocked at what I have learned about Lipitor. My physician prescribed 10mg for me over 4 years ago. No major problems until recently. Severe neck/shoulder pain for about 3 months. Dr said it was a pulled muscle. Gave me Skelaxin. No help. Went to Chiropractor--yanked, cracked, beat, etc--no help. In the past 2 weeks or so I have developed pain in my hips, back and legs. Blamed it on being 52 years old. As I read some of the experiences on here I could relate to each one. I also have gained about 30 pounds in the past 4 years, short term memory is terrible. NO ENERGY> 3 years ago-Dr started me on Wellbutrin for depression, then added Zoloft. I am to the point now I want to get off of all this and see how I could really feel. Not sure about withdrawals. Any comments on stopping the meds?

My husband had been on lipitor for several years. He thought his symptoms of headache, severe muscle aches, depression were related to just getting older. He is 55 years old. He was beginning to feel like this was the way he was going to have to live the rest of his life. He use to be the life of the party but had got to the point that all he wanted to do was sit in the recliner and rest or sleep. He had even become uninterested in sex. This was one of the main reasons for the depression because he was always very sexual active. It was very depressing that he didn't even want to have sex. He also developed peronies (spelling?) but never even occurred to either one of us that it may be related. His last visit to the doctor (about 3 weeks ago) he mentioned these problems and the doctor told him that he had had several of the similar complaints and they all took lipitor. He told him to stop taking it. He says the improvement in just 3 weeks is amazing. The muscle pain and other symptoms are getting better. He told me that he honestly did not know how much longer he could go on feeling the way he did. We never even thought about researching this drug until the doctor told him to stop taking it. I don't know if the peronies is related but if it is I don't think it is reversable. His doctor is scheduling an appointment with a urologist.

I have been taking Lipitor for about 5 years now and have had numerous things happen to me. Just trying to find out if they relate to the Lipitor or not. Have developed extreme fatigue and depression over the years. Always seems like I am in a fog. Have tried numerous anti-depressants trying to conquer this. Nothing seems to work and the problems continue. I was thinking that I just have to live with it and then I thought about the Lipitor. Has anybody experienced any of these symptoms too? I am on 20mg.

Have been treated for depression for 7 years, was starting to get better. Lipidor 10mg a day started 1 month ago because of marginaly high cholesterol. Wild mood swings... mostly down. Am more often suicidal now than I was 7 years ago. Have stopped Lipidor and after reading this site I am praying that the other side effects don't show up as well.

after 3 yrs of low dose lipitor, mild fatigue, muscle pain but not alarming, in Jan dose was doubled and in March a serious attack of asthma,(never before in 60 yrs) happened, also depression, fatigue, and muscle pain. After much complications due to the steriod treatment, started recovery but pain, fatigue and depression continued. Finally stopped Lipitor and after only 2 wks feeling so much better.

Female 67. I have been taking Lipitor for about two years. I began to notice that I was getting out of breath and fatigued after short walks and usual chores. I began to have muscle pain and joint aches. All along I thought this was just part of the aging process. As the weeks progressed, the pain became severe and the fatigue and weakness was unbarrable. I was in bed much of the time. I told the Doc my symptoms, at which time he did the blood tests, which were normal. He said he thought it was depression. I happened to see a clip on the side effects of Statins, and the light went on! I stopped taking Lipitor, and in a week I felt remarkably better. I am hoping as the weeks go by, I continue to improve. I thought I was headed for a Nursing Home. I feel like I have my life back again.

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.

yesterday may 23rd i found myself at the emergency. I could no longer stand the pain and was terrified to see that i had lost 2 inches off my right thigh. I was desperate at this point and broke down in tears yet even at the hospital the staff didn't care...after waiting over four hours and being told it wasn't life treatening i left and returned home in tears. Nobody cares and I am so scared of finding myself in a wheelchair at 49 yrs old. I am already house bound and depression has set in for every doctor i talk to brush it off as if it's nothing. This is my life we are talking about I am a somebody and I do matter, we all do. Someone please help us I beg of you, someone has to still care about human beings instead of money!!!!! God bless you all

Have been taking Lipitor for 6 days. After the second day I began having depression spells that caused me to cry all the time (even when driving down the road) and have two fights with a family member almost to the point of disowning them. The only change in my life at this time is the Lipitor. I am a 62 year old female who is normally not bothered by stress or depression on a daily basis.

Severe leg pain, in calf and upper thigh. Unable to sleep, and then, into depression, as well as nightmares, and having physic delussions, as well as claustrophobia and fear of the dark.

Have been on Lipitor for 3 1/2 weeks. First I noticed lower back pain. Also depression. Today dizziness, headache & seemed I couldn't catch my breath. I called my Dr. & he said to get off of it for a few days & see if there is an improvement. But after reading all these comments, I will never get back on them. Glad we have this site. Never associated my back pain or the depression with Lipitor.

I took Lipitor for 6 weeks. After 5 days I was catapulted into a terrible depression. I reported it to the doctor who convinced me to continue with the lipitor although I decreased the dosage from 20mg to 10mg. After 5 weeks I developed severe leg muscle pain. Four days later I discontinued the drug. Five months later I am still disabled. I feel like I have no muscle control in my left leg and foot and have severe knee pain. I also feel like my knee joint is collapsing. My doctor refuses to believe that this is due to lipitor and has diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. Any hope that this is going to get better?

muscle cramps,dizziness,memory loss, fatigue, depression,
headaches,sleeplessness,weak,breathless,tired all the time.
weight gain,hairloss.
R.

Been on Lipitor since 2000. Low cholesterol, but:

Neck pain
Muscular pains in chest and down arms ('Oh God - heart attack! What? every day, all day heart attacks? no!)
Feel like something 'caught up' in side muscles - relieved by bending sideways or creating huge click from neck!
Dizziness (can't look up without falling over)
Depression
Oh, I cant go on....

Hello all. Sorry for everyones problems, but glad I am not alone. I've been on Lipitor for a couple years now, 10mg.
I have been going to my doctor for pretty much the same symptoms you are all describing. Memory loss, confusion, dizziness, anxiety attack, depression, can't concentrate on anything. I had blood work done. A CT Scan of the brain. Went to a neurologist. All tests came back fine. I know that there is something wrong with me.
Now I think I know what it is. No more lipitor for me.

Are these "memory" side effects permanent?

I wasprescibed Lipitor and took it for four days and got the usual leg pains and disorientation that many of you talk about.
From that point on my life has descended into hell. I had a month of daily migraines(which I had not previously suffered from). I have severe pain in my shoulders, arms, chest and back and sometimes feel as though my skin is on fire. I am 55 and feel 85 to 90. I can no longer pick things up that weigh more than 5 pounds, cannot walk more than a couple of blocks ( it feels as though my rib cage does not expand) and can only drive about a mile before the dizziness and muscle spasms start. The depression and tears at what feels like a never ending condition is sometimes more than I can bear. It is now 11 months since I am off Lipitor and I have yet to see any improvement. I don't know what is worse the pain or the complacency of the medical community and their disbelief of our suffering. At least this site tells me that I am not nuts but I am sorry that so many of us are suffering.

Have been experiencing a variety of side effects since taking lipitor they include: muscle pain and weakness, dizziness, depression, dry eyes and blurred vision. Have only just be advised by a doctor to go off the drug after using it for about 18 months. I'm 57 and my cholestrol is low since coming off the drugs a couple of weeks ago.