Lipitor and fingers

memory loss, headaches, tias/mimi strokes, kidney stones, blood clot,vertigo, disorientation, muscle spasms, shaking, trembling could not control , dry eyes, stiffness in neck, back pain, twitching of all muscles , blackout when really sick, cant hold arms up, thought I had Parkinson, ms or Muscular dystrophy, motor skills are no longer great, arms and leg muscles bad, cannot write much at all, no strength in fingers or toes.
chronic fatigue and fibromyalga diagnosed not so sure after reading all these side effects.

I am a 35 yr old male and have been taking lipitor about 7 yrs. I have a genetically high cholesterol and it has been up to 275. On lipitor its around 175. Over the years I have been on this drug I went from being a normal weight and active to pretty much lethargic and sedentary due to lack of energy and gained ~50 lbs. I couldn't sleep. I got random nausea and fogginess in my brain to the point I could not remember how to perform my job. I usually had minor aches and was bloated. the past year everything has gotten much worse. For a year now, I have been getting large rashes on my body that itch severely and no medications have worked to alleviate them. I found out recently from my doctor that I have a genetic marker in my cholesterol that makes me 3 times as likely to have a heart attack. Its a portion of the cholesterol, i think its called LDL-b or something like that. Anyways, My doctor prescribed zetia to help with my cholesterol since the lipitor wasn't doing it alon. I begin feeling very sick when taking the zetia and after a week or two stopped it. The problems didn't end. As long as I remained on the lipitor, the problems seemed to continue. Its like the zetia released a dam of problems. I stopped the lipitor 4 days ago and have noticed that I feel energy coming back to me and the rash is starting to go away, but I ache severely all over. My shoulders, forearms, and legs are so sore and painful that I can't do anything about this except sleep so I don't feel the pain. I am also very weak feeling and I notice stiffness in my fingers and my grip is very weak compared to how it normally is. I have nausea and stomach cramps and constipation. I feel miserable. I notice its worse in the morning and gets a little better towards the afternoon. I typically took my lipitor in the morning. I do not know if there is a relationship here. Please advise on any help you can provide.

KMJ
07-30-08

Since taking (November 2006) and quitting (Febuary 2008) Lipitor I have had a series of muscle/joint problems. This is an update and recap.
Summer 2007 I had left knee problems which surprised the physical therapists because it did not respond well to ultra sound, nor did the pain increase with mobility. I was surprised when I developed similar but lesser problems in my right knee. Autumn 2007 I was diagnosed with tennis elbow on the left arm. Late 2007 my left shoulder becomes a problem. Within days of quitting Lipitor in early 2008 I had extreme pain in my right thumb along the bone, then the middle of my hand then between my first and second fingers. Pain has also been across my wrist and up both sides of my right arm. I am wondering if I will be diagnosed with carpal tunnel - but surely this does not start with extreme pain along the bone in the right thumb!
I am feeling much better than when I was taking Lipitor, but wonder if I dodged the bullet.

he cortisone worked!). My left knee feels "normal" again, not perfect but nearly like it used to be. Within a couple of days of quitting I had severe pain in my right thumb along the bone, then in the middle of my right hand, then between the first and second fingers in my right hand. I currently have minor pain in my right wrist (this is new) on the pinkie side and minor pain in my left shoulder where the arm joins (this has been intermittent for a couple of months). I am feeling much better - but would not be at all surprised if pain appears in another part of my body before this is all history!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Have been taking Lipitor for about 11 years. Fairly recently increased dosage from 10mg to 20mg. For about the past week have begun to experience tingling, numbness and general ache in legs, arms, sometimes cheeks and fingers. Spoke to doctor who seems stumped by these symptoms. Will be doing blood tests to test thyroid, anemia, B-12 levels etc.etc.etc. Given what I have read here I can't help but think I know what the problem is. I should mention I had quadruple bypass 12 years ago so the doctor doesn't want any spike in cholesterol levels.

This is the 2nd time I've been on Lipitor, 3 months this time but no more.Both my calf muscle are so sore, I'm walking like someone twice my age up & down my staircase. Walking down is a lot worst & when the calf muscle is in a relaxed position it is very sore to press against. Also I've had neck aches, elbow & shoulder pain & now my fingers are also in pain.
I don't now if all this is related but the pain in my calf muscle is the last straw. I've spoken to my Dr & he's a bit perplexed. He tells me I have to be on Lipitor for the rest of my life. NOT!!**##
I'll stop taking Lipitor & I'll see if I improve & get my 40 year old body back.
True Lipitor reduces cholesterol, but is it worth it!
My cholesterol level was only a bit high, so i think I'll just go back to dieting.

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

I'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 a 43 year-old female, and have been on Lipitor for quite sometime now, at least 6 years. My doctor told me to watch for muscle pain as a side effect. After being on it for a year with no muscle pain, I was told my chances of developing a side effect at that point was very slim. About 2 years ago I developed severe foot pain which was diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, I went through PT and was put in a brace. Eventually I stopped the PT, not that the pain was gone, but I didn't feel that it was doing any good. I have not been without pain for the past 2 years. Since I am 15 pounds over what "they" consider my ideal weight, the foot pain has been blamed on that. I now have pain in the sides of both my feet and in the past 2 month its progressed to the the inside of my foot just below my ankle. I get pains which I can only describe as what feels like nerves snapping when I'm standing or walking. It is so much worse when I rest for awhile and then stand up. I feel like my walking days are limited. In addition to the foot pain, about 7 months ago I developed pain in my left hip. The first time I noticed it I thought I had bruised it in some way, but that also has gotten progressively worse. And about a month ago I've developed pain in my left elbow. Libido? What Libido???? I never considered any of these symptoms to be related to Lipitor until my husband recently mentioned that one of his co-workers was taken off Lipitor by his doctor after being on it for years because of joint pain that he developed.
As luck would have it, I only have one pill left--my prescription needs to be refilled, but I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor instead. I hesitate doing so, for the same reason that I've haven't gone to the Doctor about any of it after having had gone through PT---I don't think I'm going to be told anything other than I should lose the extra 15 pounds I'm carrying. But after reading all these postings, I can't help but think my problems are very likely related to the 6 years or so that I have been on Lipitor and I don't want to be on it any longer.

I am 60 years old female & have been taking Lipitor for about 4 years. I recently went off the drug for 3 months, & in that time much of the muscle pain I was experiencing began to lesson. I have pain in both arms from the below up to my shoulder. Hip pain & leg cramps. I have trouble sleeping & absolutely no sex drive. Of course, my Cholesterol went sky high, over 300. I have only been back on 80 mgs for a month and a half, & all of the aches and pains are back ten fold. I feel a hundred years old.I have to make a big decision...die of high Cholesterol, or live a life of constant pain and sleep deprivation. This is really bad. I f I had to run or crawl to save my life, I'd never make it.

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

I sit here in extreme pain. From my neck down to my left fingers, it feels like I had a charley-horse while sleeping and wasn;'t able to work it out. This is the 3rd day of this pain and it is constant. Heat, Ice, Ibuprofen, nothing even dulls the pain and it is near impossible to find a way to sit or lay that makes a dent in the pain.

I found this site by searching for neck pain and I am floored. I just started taking Lipitor last month (against my better judgement since I am not a fan of loading on drugs).

If this pain is because of the Lipitor, I am truly pissed. How could anyone prescribe something like this with these possible side-effects is beyond me.

I hope to god that the side effect wane since I have now stopped taking this.

I make my living working on computers, and now I can barely sit here and type this because I am in excrutiating pain.

Thank you all for this site, I hope we all get relief someday.

I AM A 53 YEAR OLD WOMAN, I STARTED LIPITOR IN JUNE 2007, AS OF NOW I HAVE AS FOLLOWS.
HORRIBLE WRIST PAIN,
LOWER THUMB PAIN,
KNEE PAIN,
FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN,
SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN,
SCIATIC PAIN,
HEADACHES,
BLURRED VISION,
MEMORY LOSS,
PALM OF HAND PAIN,
TINGLY FEELING IN HEAD, SOMETIMES GOES INTO MY EYE.
I AM ON 20MG OF LIPITOR AND I AM NOT TAKING THEM AFTER THIS DAY, I HAD TRIED THEM IN THE PAST BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WAS ON ZETIA SO WAS NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED WHAT, NOW I KNOW, IS THERE ANY BAD WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS IF YOU QUIT COLD TURKEY?

Have been taking Lipitop 40mg for about 2 and half years and then switchwd to 20mg for about 1 year. One morning I woke-up with a swollen tonque and from there it continued- swollen face, lip, eyes, fingers, foot etc. Spoken to doctors and initially nobody even mentioned it might be Lipitor, went for allegy tests on soya, wheat, gluten etc, but after a few months they suggest I leave Lipitor. Has been 1 month now and still getting side- effects. Don't know how long it takes to leave your body or what treatments I can do/take to help now.

I am 53 year old male . Had been taking Lipitor 20mg daily for 6 years for heart related problem wthout any side effects for 6 years. In late December my doctor upped my Lipitor dosage to 40mg daily. a few days ago I had pain in index finger of left hand. Gradually this pain pread to all my fingers. Now I have pain in my toes and foot. Hoping that this is side effect of increase in Lipitor rather than anything more serious. Going to doctor tomorrow to get professional opinion.

I will say that since taking Lipitor I have fallen 3 times , have a stsggery fell when I walk ,legs feel weak,hand and fingers are tingley ,have no engery,depressed, and angery . That a doctor I trusted with my life and health care could hurt me so bad.A year ago I wouild never beleive I would be in such a shape as I am too day.I now am going to a neurologist to see (?) what wrong with me. I know what I beleive it's 80 mgs of Lipitor for 2 months of my life that really messed me up.My girlfriend has me on the prayer list at her church.Thanks pray everyone gets better.

At night when I go to bed parts of my body jerks. Sometimes both shoulders, sometimes a foot or a muscle and other parts of the body. Also, my fingers lock. Plus, my hands aren't steady and my legs feel weak. I'm 72 and have been on Lipitor for about five years. I don;t if I should stop taking it and what I should try. I take 500 mg of Vit. C and omega 3.

Like Bill, I am searching for an answer as to how to relieve the pain that still continues after being off Lipitor for 7 months. I now have pain in arms as well as hips and legs and even my fingers. are swollen, stiff and painfulI. I got a long acting cortisone shot today and hopefully it will help for awhile. I was on for 3 years and cpk was elevated slightly so doctor finally listened to my complaints and took me off. Has anyone finally gotten relief over a period of time. I would like to hope so.

I've been on Lipitor for two weeks and have developed pain in my joints, aching muscles, barely able to walk from the pain in my feet and ankles. I have been awakened the last two nights with pain in my chest, pain in my left shoulder and aching in my left arm. These symptoms were not present prior to taking Lipitor. My fingers have begun to ache and I have developed swollen joints in my hands. Since I began taking Lipitor I have been chilled and feel very cold -- something highly unusual for me since I have always felt very warm, even in cold weather.

My husband recently began taking this drug after heart surgery and complains of severe pain in his legs. Initially, I thought these symptoms were due to surgery -- not so sure. Is there a proven effective alternative, that is safe?

I've been on Lipitor for two weeks and have developed pain in my joints, aching muscles, barely able to walk from the pain in my feet and ankles. I have been awakened the last two nights with pain in my chest, pain in my left shoulder and aching in my left arm. These symptoms were not present prior to taking Lipitor. My fingers have begun to ache and I have developed swollen joints in my hands. Since I began taking Lipitor I have been chilled and feel very cold -- something highly unusual for me since I haved always felt very warm, even in cold weather.

My husband recently began taking this drug after heart surgery and complains of severe pain in his legs. Initially, I thought these symptoms were due to surgery -- not so sure. Is there a proven effective alternative, that is safe?

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

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

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

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

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

I'm 44 and my cardiologist placed me on 40mg of Lipitor last year. I have been pretty diligent about taking the prescribed dosage. But in the last 6 months or so, I had been dealing with severe muscle spasms, extreme muscular twitching, neck pain, arm pain, and muscle cramps in my arms and fingers. At first I thought I had a pinched nerve in my neck or ALS because of the muscular twitching. Then I had to deal with the HUGE memory lapses. I thought I was going crazy. I recently stopped taking the Lipitor because I kept forgetting to get my re-fill and voila... no more cramping, very little twitching and my arm and neck pain is improving. The memory issue hads gotten better and I notice that I have more energy.

I hate that I din't read this forum sooner. This stuff needs to be taken off the market. I would like to take the Res Q 1250, but you have to give your first born to pay for it. Any other suggestions?

Mish

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

i have been on lipator for 6 yrs had two heart attacks in the past operation and am now suffering from all the symptons i have been crippled with pain in my hands feet and arms my fingers are like pins and needles all the timei cant sleep during the nighti am so forgetful even my family have noticed in the last five months my doctor said i have capol tunnel syndrome in my hands and i need an operation in my hands i have stopped taking lipator for the past 4 days now so we will see i am so confused

pain in both hands, especially all fingers

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

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

Took Lipitor for five weeks - in that period of time I suffered two migraines, three vaginal infections, rashes on face/fingers/buttocks, dry itchy eyes. My doctor advised me to stop and have lab work done. Lab work was normal and doctor insisted I start the Lipitor again. It's been five days and the headaches, rashes, and vaginal infection have all returned. I'm 43 years old. Anyone else with these symptoms?

I'm 62. I started using Lipitor April 2004.

About a month ago ... it felt like I was losing my ability to walk and climb stairs. Left leg was worse than right. Muscle and joint pain in lower back, arms and legs. Even my toes and fingers ached! Sounds strange, but the skin on my thighs became loose and flabby. My fingernails became very dry and brittle. It even was uncomfortable for me to sit for any length of time unless my feet were up.

I saw a Lipitor ad on TV last week that warned of unusual weakness. I searched the internet for more info, found the NIH site, and I stopped the Lipitor on Dec. 20. I started doing some leg exercises and feel improvement.

I'll notify my doctor of my decision to stop at my next checkup in early January.

I am amazed at what i am reading , I have been taking lipitor for 5 years and i have noticed leg/joint pain increasing each year that goes by. I just was takuen off of it by my dr for 2 weeks, at first my leg felt better, but now it is killing me, this is my left one in particuliar. I also have the same symtoms in my fingers and elbows and armpit area. I walk with a limp, and it feels like my knee is out of joint?? I am praying my knee will come back, and plan on going to the doctors tomorrow. I know in my heart that it is this lipitor that i have been taking and am so happy that i found this web site. thankyou all from the bottom of my heart, and good luck to all who suffer thses same symtoms.

I have been taking Lipitor for approxomately 6 months. Initially on a 10 mg dose, then on a 20mg dose for the last 3 months. My doctor has now suggested a 40mg for the next 6 months as my cholesterol levels haven't come down enough. HOWEVER, in the last 4 weeks, I have been experiencing fairly bad joint pains in my fingers and an arthritic like deformity to the pinkie finger on my right hand. I have seen a hand surgeon about this and he diagnosed OESTEO ARTHRITIS (an unusal, but not unheard of condition for someone my age - 42). Is it possible that this has been caused by using Lipitor? I have never had problems like this before and I am very alarmed at the rapidity of its onset.