Lipitor and dizziness

Dizziness, back ache, severe hip and shoulder pain, transient global amnesia, after discontinued taking of Lipitor, speech problems, loss of words.

It appears to be, not quite all the facts in yet, but my cardiologist put me on a Lipitor hiatis to see if some of my arrhythmia issues, dizziness and light headedness may be associated with Lipitor.
After just 4 days, I am feeling pretty good! Could be placebo? I don't think so.
After being taken from work in an ambulance to the hospital and experiencing 48 hours worth of testing for a possible coronary, I asked my doctor to examine the possibility of Lipitor causing the symptoms.
I do not have a family history of heart disease. I eat well and am a moderate exerciser. When I was bumped up from 20 mg. to 40 mg. around 6 months ago, my symptoms started.
I have to decide now how much of an elevated cholesterol level I am willing to "live" with. My cardiologist said if it turns out to be the Lipitor, we'll try Zocor and maybe get a higher cholesterol level on my labs, but that's okay. How low does the low need to be??

Taking Lipitor for about 8 months. A pattern of vomiting attacks every two to four weeks emerged. Usually dizziness and clammy cold sweats precede the attack. Feel perfectly fine again immediately after that vomiting session. Can happen on full or empty stomach. Also usually feel less active and less inclined to initiate tasks at all times, don't seem to be able to think as clearly as I used to. Male aged 67 and generally fit and active. Stopping Lipitor today.

Cholesterol slightly elevated Dr. recommended 10mg dosage. Began experiencing neck and shoulder pain, dizziness, nausea, foot stiffness and leg numbness up to the lower thigh. Voluntarily stopped the medication after four months. All noticed side effects disappeared except for the foot stiffness and leg numbness. It has been 2 1/2 years and these remaining side effects are constant. Not optimistic for recovery. Anyone else with similar symptoms?

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

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.

The reason is when you stop taking the Lipitor, and your symptoms don't go away is this: Lipitor cause hearing loss, which is what causes the Tinnitus! I have been having severe tinnitus for months now, seen all kinds of Dr.s who didn't have a clue. And I finally went to the House Ear Clinic, and they told me what it was, but they didn't know how I got it. I got Tinnitus a few months after my Dr. upped my dose. It's taken me this long to put the puzzle together. The Physician's Desk Reference lists hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness as side effects of Lipitor. I am appalled that not one Dr. asked me what kind of medication I was taking!

I have been on lipitor since Oct 2008, 10 mg. Off and on, I am very dizzy. The backs of my calves start to weaken and I start drinking Smart Water, because I think I"m dehydrated. The Smart Water does help, but today, the dizziness is lasting all day. I probably have tinnitus. My right ear occasionally has a loud ringing and today a little pain and feels as though it has water in it. I am going to call Life Extensions and speak to their health advisors and try something naturpathic. I am soooo scared, because I have 50% blockage in my carotid arteries. Any advice out there?

I am a 51 y/o white female that has been on Lipitor for 2 years. I am 5' 1" and when I had to go on it my cholesterol was 267 I weighed 112 lbs. I was shocked.... my doctor told me weight had nothing to do with cholesterol. She kept a close watch on me and my cholesterol came down...... and then my ex-husband of 17 years and I re-connected and got back together and I moved so I had to get another primary care physician. I took all my meds to her, she also kept a close watch on everything. At this time my cholesterol is down to 109 and I asked if I could stop taking it, as I take quite a lot of meds, due to different things and if I could stop anything it would be great, but she said it I stopped it, my cholesterol would go right back up. So since I am not experiencing any side effects I'm okay with continuing it.

I surely hate to hear what you all are experiencing with your Lipitor..... could your doc try another cholesterol medication?

The only one of my meds that is giving me any problem is TOPAMAX........ that we are using as a Migraine preventative! HORRORS!!! Today is pretty good day. But my cognitive abilities are in the trash... I say the wrong word when I mean something else...... I search my mind looking for a memory...... I am also on disability since 2002 because of the Migraines....... I have has them since 1978, but they got progressively worse over the years until I was sick more days per week, sometimes more than 7-10 days at the time, having to be in the hospital being rehydrated and on IV pain meds.......... and as awful as the TOPAMAX is.....it has been reduced the migraines to approx 2 per month and they do not last nearly as long.

So sorry, I got waaay off topic, but I know that it is not the Lipitor that is giving me the side effects as it the last med I had to go on and I had no new side effects....... but that TOPAMAX is kicking my behind.

I am a 46 y/o male whom took lipitor 20mg for about 10 days. It was the first medication taken for me aside from occasional antibiotics. Within a week I began to develop severe nausea, weakness, postural dizziness and worst of all, chest pain at rest! I took my last dose last Saturday 8/9/08. Because of the chest pain, I went to the ER on 8/10/08 and discharged the next day after I ruled out for an MI and a negative exercise stress test. My chest pain recurred on 8/12. This AM awoke with nausea, dizziness and chest pain again. I'm going to have an adenosine stress test this PM. I consulted a pharmacologist yesterday about the metabolism of Lipitor and she told me indeed these side effects are not uncommon and in my case, Lipitor will not be eliminated from my body until probably this Sunday or early next week. Anyone experience what I'm feeling?

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.

My mother started on Lipator about a year ago, she's been having shakes that last about 30 seconds in her legs and one arm. The shakes come and go and she can go a month without them but they seem to have gotten worst. She also has a hard time walking 4 out of days a week, she feels like her legs aren't under her. She is always tired and has restless leg,sometimes at night. She has respiratory problem that also seems to have gotten worst in the past year.
She is seeing a nuro but a cat scan, eeg and blood have all come back ok. Do you thing these are common problems with Lipator?

Visited new physician, blood test showed recent spike in LDL level (+60 points). Test was non fasting, and not repeated. At follow-up visit, doc directed me to take Lipitor, and when I expressed concern about taking drug before trying diet and other tactics for lowering LDL, doctor brooked no discussion. I specifically expressed concern regarding dizziness, as I had had very severe neurological problems after taking a high level of an OTC at a doc direction for an unrelated problem. My concern was dismissed out of hand (I've never seen it in 20 years.) No return visit was scheduled at this time to check on efficacy. (A medical student was in the exam room, I never spoke with the doc alone, and the doc left the room and I never saw her again.

Without other immediate options for medical care, I filled the prescription for 20 mg of Lipitor. At about the second week, I began to experience severe neurological problems (dizziness, sense of no orientation of my body in space, trouble keeping upright, etc.) I received a card for a cardiology appointment shortly after the visit, and decided to hang on until the visit. The cardio doc said to me, "why are you here?" I told her that the appt. had been scheduled by the other doc's office, but told her what I knew. She took bp - told me it was fine (actually, it was prehypertensive), and then told me my high LDL was genetic, and I'd have to be on drugs for the rest of my life (56). Did not ask for family history, and ignored recent severe leg infection as a possible cause for the spike in LDL.

Having been offered no alternative, I decided to stop Lipitor on my own after 19 days on it. (I decided I would rather drop dead than feel as I did.) Not much improvement immediately. It took 30 days off it to have a day on which I felt well. I am into my second week since then, and have an occasional bad spell, but I am hopeful I'll have a full recovery from the neurological problems. I've been on my own low fat diet for the LDL, but don't know what effect that is having, and have no intention to visit a doctor to find out.

Interestingly, the FDA's Medwatch only allows reporting of severe side effects, and I didn't stay on Lipitor long enough to meet the definition (become disabled).

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.

I am 54, I was diagnosed with diabetes type l in 2003. I started showing high cholesterol levels about 2 years ago. When it reached 280 I was prescribed Lipitor 10 mg at first after no improvement it was increased to 20mg. I was very much against this. I have problems with muscle pain, and dizziness.
I checked into an alternative from a doctor who is an MD but prefers natural solutions if possible. I stopped the Lipitor without the knowledge of my primary physician and started taking fish oil 3600mg daily in the evening.
9 weeks later both my cholesterol and triglycerides were normal. I told him about the fish oil, but he wanted me to continue the Lipitor, because diabetics should be on some type of statin medication to help protect the heart. I have visited a couple of sites and haven't anyone talking about liver function problems. I have had an ultra sound for my liver which showed some problems, I am still waiting on some of the tests to return. I also have an appointment to schedule a liver biopsy. When reading my first lab results his first words were." Your results are uncommonly abnormal, stop taking the Lipitor, I am going down and get an ultra sound set up for you." "You might be thinking it could be the diabetes causing this. My diabetes is completely under control, and haven't tested high sugar levels since first diagnosed. I don't drink or smoke. I would like to know if others have had problems with liver function tests being abnormal. Please everyone remember my doctors first response to the abnormal tests stop the Lipitor immediately, it wasn't let's run some other tests to see the cause, because you need the Lipitor as protection for your heart. This medication works in the liver which we only have one of, and it is an extremely vital organ for maintaining health on several levels.

I have been on 40mg/day of Lipitor for 5-6 months and this is how I feel: totally drained - no energy at all - horrible lower back pain - I've been in physical therapy for the past 6 weeks. My neck muscles, back muscles and hip muscles were in constant spasms. Right after beginning Lipitor I woke up with vertigo and still have the dizziness. I was convinced that I must have some horrible disease and was dying at age 47. I stopped taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago and starting taking fish oil, vitamin c, coq10, b vitamin, daily vitamin - the muscle spasms are a little better - still have lower back pain, brain fog, some dizziness. I am so tired all the time - it's so difficult to work a full time job right now. Has anyone else had these same symptoms? Does anyone know how soon I should start to feel better?

I have been posted before about my father symptom due to Lipitor, he has been stopped Lipitor nearly one year's ago and doctor put him on Ezetrol another name for zetia in Australia, he had the same side effect with that despite CPK normal and no doctors believed his problem is due to Lipitor or zetia. thanks to this side it help us a lot after one year's that he couldn't walk , getting up from chair, stoop posture, low energy he is now improving not completely but 20 % which is a lot I took him to many many doctors but it is shame for doctors that prescribing medication but don't know about the side effect. now he is taking half ezetrol5mg but nutritionist gave him therapy to lower cholesterol with food (Apple cider vinegar one spoon in water before meal 2 a day,lecithin,coq10,fish oil 4tab,oat bran,and milk thistle or st mary thistle liver tonic to detox the liver from Lipitor toxin) it is really helped him apple cider vinegar not only normalizes cholesterol but also gives energy as well so his weakness is improved 20%and also milk thistle really helped him, dizziness is getting lesser now he has hope that he is going to improve which is he did .seeing nutritionist helped him a lot rather than doctors. i will post his complete improvement .I hope for every one to get better soon

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!

I am almost 54, a female. Twice since October I have tried to take Lipitor, but couldn't make it past the fifth dose. By day five (both times) I developed flu-like symptoms, the worst of which was severe nausea and vomiting every ten minutes, muscle aches and pain (including lower back), extreme weakness, dizziness, shakiness, feverish feeling, and "fuzzy" head. The last episode - just two days ago - made me realize it was more than likely the Lipitor. The first episode happened while I also had a staff infection in my eye, and although I quit taking the Lipitor just in case, I attributed my ailments to the eye infection, and totally forgot about the possible Lipitor connection after that. At that time I also had extreme head pain, and now I'm not sure which was the cause, the infection or the Lipitor. I was bed ridden for five days that time.

This time I was away on a business trip and had to spend two extra days in bed at a hotel because I could hardly walk. As soon as I got sick I quit taking the drug. I had to take prescribed suppositories to stop the vomiting because I couldn't even keep water down. The nausea was so severe I had to keep a trash can next to the bed. I drove three excruciating hours to get home tonight, and still feel very sick with the flue symptoms and aching legs. I promised myself that the first thing I would do when I got home was check the internet for Lipitor side effects, and I'm sure glad I did. I had no idea what the drug is capable of doing.

I will try to see my doctor tomorrow and discuss an alternative way to lower my cholesterol, which is only marginally elevated - in fact, if it weren't for my type-2 diabetes (which I keep under control through diet), my cholesterol would be normal.

Good luck to all of you who have more serious, long-term effects of this drug. I consider myself lucky to have gotten ill at the onset of taking Lipitor so hopefully I will avoid more dire consequences later. I will now go to bed before I fall over.

RBS

I am a 34 year old female who was accidentally given Lipitor by my pharmacist instead of my regular Rx. I unknowingly took Lipitor for almost a month and had terrible side effects. I experienced dizziness, nausea, lower back pain, forgetfulness, clumsiness, hot flashes, and night sweats. Thought I was prematurely going through menopause. All I can say is Lipitor is a horrible drug and I have no idea what long term effects it will have on my health since I did not have high cholesterol. I stopped taking Lipitor 4 days ago when I realized I was taking the wrong drug. I'm still having some dizziness and bad lower back pain.

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.

After taking lipitor for 2 months my body ached so bad I had to quit taking it. My doc was actually ticked off and gave me the whole "life saving drug"
speech. He then talked me into trying vytorin, another statin. Upset stomach, dizziness, extreme back muscle pain and a constant feeling of
pressure over my heart were the result of my second and last statin experiance. After only 3 days without the drug, I feel 80% better and expect
I will continue to improve. This stuff, in my opinon, is poison. If the goal is to lower quality of life, make people feel terrible, this is the stuff that'll do it.

I originally went on 10mg of lipitor a day in January,2007, experienced leg pain,muscle ache and weakness,so after 3 weeks went off the drug on my own.In June 2007 after talking to different Dr's I went back on Lipitor,10mg, figuring that I had not really given the drug a chance as sometimes side effects do subside after a while.I saw my Dr on July 3rd & my cholesterol had gone down to 170 in about 3 weeks.I told him about my symptoms, which were the same as before & he told me to let him know if they got worse.By August 30th 2007 I just could not tolerate the pain and achiness all over my body,I was not sleeping well as every time I turned in my bed I woke up from the pain ( We even got a new mattress fguring maybe that was contributing to the joint pain) My joints became swollen & red,I could not lift up my arms,they were so sore and weak,my neck was so stiff that it was hard to drive and have to turn my head,I had a constant headache and what seemed to me like a"fuzzy brain"I am 63 years old and have never experienced anything like this,I am an active woman with a great deal of energy and people who know me could not believe what was happening, instead of scooting ahead of everyone I was barely keeping up.I found myself not wanting to eat as my stomach was constantly bloated & in pain & I was gaining weight too.
I went off Lipitor on September 1st and the withdrawal sypmtoms have been horrendous, I went to see my Dr yesterday & he put me on an anti inflamatory drug ,I have taken 2 dosages & am already feeling an improvement.This web site really helped as I felt I was not alone suffering from the side effects of Lipitor.Many people I have talked to have experienced the same symptoms but were attributing them to aging.

Been on 20 mg. Lipitor for 4 years. It brought my total cholesterol down from 290 to 190. Tolerated it well for awhile, then I started dragging. Last year, started having ringing in ears, dizziness and fatigue. Had MRI, MRA, heart CT scan, blood work, etc. and they could find nothing wrong. I have suspected Liptitor for awhile, but doctor was so proud that my cholesterol was going down, he wanted to increase dosage to 40 mg., I tried it for a week and felt worse. He told me to reduce it back to 20 mg. But now, I feel so bad with extreme debilitating fatigue and nausea. The ringing in my ears is driving me crazy. I have talked to several people who told me they felt the same way on Lipitor and when they got off, the felt so much better. I hate to give up the progress of getting my cholesterol down, but at what price? I just hope it gets out of my system real quick. Will try to keep cholesterol down by eating more healthy foods (I love red meat and fried chicken).

I am not sure my symptoms are related to Lipitor, but it is the only med i was taking and when i finally suspected the connection 3 wk ago, i stopped taking it.

It occured to me that i was complaining of muscle and joint weakness in conversations with others, but related it to my age (53) and lack of exercise. Then i had a few episodes of sudden brief cramping in my back muscles -- totally unexplained by anything else -- and a couple episodes of dizziness, or true vertigo, while sitting and typing at my computer (i am a medical transcriptionist). Those got my attention. Come to find out my mother and brother also had identical muscle problems and switched their cholesterol medications away from Lipitor.

There are numerous other little things, running into walls and furniture, numbness in my feet or hands, yes, the cognitive things i've read here too, etc. Again, don't know if it is the medication, but after doing some reading of other's experiences, i do plan to do my best to improve my health withOUT the use of medication.

I began taking Lipitor in early 2006 - I'm a 54 yo woman. During the summer I wasn't working & noticed weakness in my limbs to the point of sometimes having to struggle to stand up from lying down. After getting down on the floor, I had to push myself up on a piece of furniture. While visiting family out of town last week, I couldn't keep up with my 80 yo aunt. I knew something was wrong. I've also experienced dizziness, aching joints & tingling and numbness in the balls of my feet. I called my Dr. when I got home & left a message that I wanted to stop taking Lipitor. The nurse said the Dr. wasn't convinced the problems were caused by the drug but that I could try going off it for 6 weeks. A week later I'm pretty much back to normal. I'll NEVER take statins again. I'm eating lots of oatmeal & looking for other alternatives.

See my earlier post 26651. Male, age 61. Lipitor for 6 months with some side effects but Dr. did not associate them with Lipitor -- said I had an inner ear virus. Another month past and now more side effects. Blood test showed the drug really worked and cholesterol dropped over 100 points. Dr. said he wanted to keep me on it even though levels were now excellent. My symptoms were many, including the following: dizziness; head pain especially around sinus area; ringing in ears; difficulty speaking; memory loss; leg cramps; extreme nausea; eyes sensitive to light; extreme neck pain; grinding sound in neck; heavy headedness, etc. etc.

Went back to Dr. 3 weeks ago when he re-prescribed more Lipitor even though levels "were excellent". Told him about my problems and fact I felt I was being poisoned by Lipitor. He thought some of my problems could be from the drug and immediately took me off of it but also want me to have a brain MRI as precaution. MRI was normal -- been off the drug for nearly 3 weeks now and other that some neck pain, I am feeling nearly 100%. Will never take Lipitor or any other drug in it's class.

I have been having terrible headaches and heartburn which I have never experienced before. The dizziness is absolutey scary because it feels like I am going to fall over and no one will be there to help me.

Persistant muscle tremors, muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, neuropathy in both legs and hands, tinnitus, memory loss, inability to concentrate and make decisions, pain in back of neck and legs.

The symptoms started six months ago--two years after first starting to take Lipitor. I did report muscle pains to my doctor early on, but he just tested my liver and said I was fine. I went through two MRIs and extensive blood tests by a neurologist. Every week my symptoms continued to worsen. Finally, a friend mentioned another friend with similar symptoms who had linked it to Lipitor. I stopped use of Lipitor and within four days, all symptoms but the tremor and nerve damage was gone. I have no idea if the damage is permanent.

I consider Lipitor to be the worse health issue I have ever faced.

i have been on 40 mg lipitor for about 2 years. I am 44 years old and about 9 months ago, my right ear went deaf. No dizziness...no vertigo...it just went. Went to an ear specialist, hearing test showed i have lost hearing in right ear with no bone or ear drum damage. MRI showed no tumors or abcesses. Family doctor then took me off of lipitor about 2 weeks ago. Have detected no change. Any suggestions for trying to get my hearing back in my right ear??

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.

Have been taking statins for 10+ years with side effects of dizziness, flu like symtoms and fatigue and attributed all to aging. Started Lipitor 3+ yrs. ago and symtoms got worse, now including knee pain, stiffness,loss of balance, difficulty walking and slurred speech. Have seen numerous doctors who act as though I'm just an hysterical female. They are right. These symtoms are enough to scare anyone. Have stopped Lipitor for two mos. and knee pain and most of stiffness is gone but not other symtoms. I'm 70 yrs. old and have been active despite side effects until last 3 yrs. Now find it difficult to walk and have fallen too many times. No more statins for me but feel they have done irreparable damage.

weakness in mylegs, dizziness and headaches, along with
nausea...after only 4 days of Lipitor...I am discontinuing
this medication; will advise the doctor who prescribed it
Monday, but will NOT go back on it even at a lower dose
was taking the 10 mg once a day.

I have been on Lipitor for about 4 weeks now and started having lower back pains, shoulder pains, headaches, dizziness, and a severe feeling of being cold. The purpose of my taking Lipitor was to reduce the tri's down since nothing else seems to help. But now the front of my legs also are steadily becoming numb in the middel sections only. Reading this website has started me towards my Doctor to see about another therapy.

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.

I haven't tried lipitor but I have tired mavacor and zocor which are also statin drugs. Recently I tried Naicin. I could never stay on any of these regimens because of muscle pain,
dizziness, and headaches.

Interested to know if anyone has used NOPAL as a means of reducing cholesterol. I have been successful in its use, in 3 months it has reduce my total cholesterol by 55 points and improved by HDL/LDL ratio. I've alos tried profibe which is a high fiber supplement.

Please respond to me at ******

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

My husband was also recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. He just turned 60, was active and healthy, but had according to the new guidelines high cholesterol. When he first started the "shuffle", muscle pain and weakness, sore joints, etc. his doctor's first thoughts were the symptoms might be caused by Lipitor. He was told to stop taking Lipitor for two weeks. His condition didn't improved and he was instructed to start taking the Lipitor again and his doctor referred him to a neurologist. After testing the neurologist diagnosed early Parkinson's. The neurologist also said that there is no test to determine if a patient has Parkinson's, i.e. blood test, and that the diagnosis is based on the physical condition of the patient. The neurologist gave my husband a prescription for the Parkinson's and when I picked it up I spoke to the pharmacist about the side effects of the Parkinson's and Lipitor medications. He said he would suggest my husband discontinue the use of Lipitor and try other ways to control his cholesterol. I found his comments very interesting and started researching Lipitor. After reading page after page of the same side effects I'm certain my husband's diagnosis is incorrect and all the symptoms are side effects of Lipitor. A week ago he took my advice and stopped taking the Lipitor. He said the dizziness is mostly gone and I think his walking and arm movements have improved, but he has a long way to go and hopefully, the side effects are reversible.

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?

Hi All!

Well, it's been just a tad over two weeks since taking myself off of the Lipitor that I was on for four months. I'm now experiencing mostly the "normal" aches and pains that I had before....such as the typical "I'm 52 so here comes the osteo arthritis" syndrome I've always heard about.

No more trembling, shaking, super bad weakness, dizziness and that totally random shooting pains here and there.

I can attest beyond reasonable doubt that those symptoms were from the side effects of Lipitor. I'm only hoping that I haven't suffered any permanent nerve damage due to this very dubious Statin drug.

geeDub

Hello,

Geedub here. I told you all that I'd keep in touch. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm having difficulty logging in with the password I was given. I've entered it correctly like 25 times and it still says I'm doing it wrong! I've sent emails about this error message to the moderator this last week...to no avail. No answers and no "login". Hmmmm? Oh, well.....I guess I'll just be a "numbered guest".

At any rate, I'm a little over a week without Lipitor now and doing much better with the numbness, bone pain, random shooting pains, blurred vision, and dizziness. I told my doctor, as a courtesy to him, that I've taken myself off of the statin drug. His nurse/secretary gal called me back and tried to "straighten me out" on how I need to be on it, and warned me of the dangers of my cholesterol. However, I reminded her that the LDLs were not that big of a problem. It's my LOW HDLs that are worrisome to me and everybody else. I also reminded them of their OWN LITERATURE they gave me with the medicine...that "lifestyle changes should be tried BEFORE administering the statin drugs". Besides, Niaspan I can take and it's what is helping me raise my HDLs.

So...I basically reminded them that I was just calling as a courtesy to them that I was off of it because of bad side effects, and would keep them informed of my progress. Anywho, she was trying to be difficult and "ms. smartypants" and my cardiologist was totally understanding about it stating that it was ultimately my decision to take the meds or not. And he sort of, basically agreed with where I was coming from.

So far so good.

-Geary

Severe leg,shoulder and arm pain and dizziness after seven days of taking lipitor lder

THIS message board is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I have been telling my wife and my doctors for almost 4 months now (after my life-saving stent procedure) since my heart attack.....that I have been experiencing weakness in muscles, arthritic-like pain, dizziness, sleeplessness, agitation, depression, anxiety, blurred vision and general shakiness.......ALL because of the new drugs I've been given. Lipitor was the FIRST one I suspected.

After stumbling across this site......looks like I'm right.....again. I hate that! :( But, I may've saved myself an awful lot worse grief by doing so in a relatively short time. Four months is nothing compared to some of you poor souls.

I just want to say thank you and I'm sorry at the same time. That nothwithstanding.......I'm QUITTING this STINKING STATIN drug immediately!!

-geeDub

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.

Well, this site explains alot. I took 10mg of lipitor and complained to my doctor of:chest pain, dizziness, alot of gas, and so much leg ache I cant sleep. My dam health care provider wont pay for the alternative drug either. Aghh!

I am 61. Had a stroke in 1993, and have been taking Lipitor (20) daily since. I did not initially have severe side effects, but did have some of the symptoms shown in these posts -- mostly dizziness and fatigue. I thought it was relative to the stroke. In the 12 months, I have had more symptoms. Tingling feet and hands. My feet feel "cold" all the time, warmth doesn't help. I have a chronic ache in my right, low back that gets worse when I work. My dizziness is more intense, and I think I'm losing strength in my hands. I have ringing / buzzing in my left ear. My skin is very sensitive, and I have bouts of severe itchiness. All of this information was given to my doctor, but he did not advise to stop taking Lipitor. I don't like taking drugs, but my concern is the side effects of not taking Lipitor, except the obvious one of controlling my cholesterol levels. Beyond that, are there any serious problem just stopping this drug?

Dealing with a dr.-confirmed sinus infection, I attributed the dizziness, reduced mental acuity, iffy physical dexterity, and a tremor in my hand when I brought food to my mouth to the medications I was taking for the infection. Yesterday, I developed a severe muscle cramp in my calf, and when I mentioned it to a friend, she pointed out that it might be the Lipitor. I came to this site for information, discovering many similar stories. So I decided to add my input. I took myself off it today and am looking into Cholesten LDL.

I have had severe pain in my right hip-joint area and difficulty sleeping on that side for several weeks now, and it is increasing in intensity. I have experienced the "fog" that many have discussed as well, leg and foot cramps are all too familiar as well as the dizziness periodically! I had noticed increased stiffness upon arising in the morning but attributed that to possible arthritus, hmmm, now makes me wonder. I also thought the increased hair loss (nothing creating baldness) that I found inconvenient, I feel like a shedding dog, was from aging! After reading so many comments about Lipitor, I am wondering if there is a link with this medication.

I do have one symptom I would like to inquire with others about...I had a bout with Hemoptysis (bleeding lungs) and recently nose bleeds, for no apparent reason other than minor activity. Also I have a feeling of being "Anxious" for no reason and it is not a normal feeling for me to experience even during duress circumstances. Are others experiencing similar reactions that may be related to taking Lipitor? Thanks. Tomball, Texas