Lipitor and joint pain

Joint pain in fingers, joint pain in knuckles, wrist weakness after a week on 10 mg daily dose of Zetia. Amazing reduction in bad cholesterol and triglycerides when used with daily maximum 80 mg dose. Zetia was discontinued because of these painful side effects. 68 year old male.

1 minor heart attack 5 stents placed over past 6 years thru 4 angio episodes. each hospitalization plavix and statins prescribed each time the side effects started within 2-3 weeks, some times sooner . same crap as most...serious leg fatigue, joint pain, skin is tender to touch. But my FAVORITES are the chest/heart pain that mimic heart attack 'feelings' and the 3AM sweat and anxiety/panic attacks.......3 different statins all the same results symptoms
so intense that i have been admitted 3 times for heart cath, ALL false alarms
S-O-O-O DOC what the hell is going on????? ANSWER: must be reflux, must be stress, must be ANYTHING BUT THE STATINS!!!! each time i quit the statins soon after rehospitalization and each time the symptoms went away......last episode was Friday July 31st. i was really bad....constant chest pain and pressure, legs so fatigued that 1 flight of stairs felt like 10 ...shortness of breath...body aches like you feel when first getting the flu etc. etc you guys all know the crap
they rushed me in to the Cath Lab....nothing wrong...must be stress!! must be reflux!!! bullshit. I quit the Lipitor that day
Today is Tuesday.....I am WAY BETTER each time the same thing, on the statins ...feel like crap, get off the statins and feel almost normal within a week
I will NEVER take a statin again
I am lucky that I have been recovering quickly

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

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

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

January 26, 2009
I stopped taking 20mg of Lipitor for the following reasons: arm and muscle pain, wrist pain, neck and shoulder pain, knee pain, foot pain, arm weakness when raising my arms, mental fuzziness. I
Withdrawal symptoms : headache, eye ache, increased neck pain.
My goal is to see if the dosage symptoms decrease within two weeks and maybe I will try 10mg of Lipitor and see if that amount produces the same symptoms. My doctor directed me to a Rheumatologist as recent blood work showed inflammation in the arthritis panel. I am waiting to see if being off Lipitor for two weeks might reduce my arthritis symptoms .
I had a stint put in March 2008 and I am on Plavix (75mg), Lisinopril (10mg) and Lipitor (20mg).

Hello I'm a 41 year old female, and I took Lipitor 20 mgs for 6 months about two years ago. When I called my doctor's office to complain about side effects they told me it couldn't be the Lipitor because I had been taking it for a month already, and would have had problems before that. I eventually took myself off of the drug 5 months later. Here are some of the side effects I experienced:
Itchy fingertips, increased blood pressure, 30lb weight gain, shaky hand writing, acne, poor driving skills, poor memory, hair loss, "frozen joints", IBS, incontinence, low grade fever, itchy feet, numb toes, numb hands, foggy brain, joint pain, muscle pain, foot pain, plantar pain, dizzy, jaw pain, back and neck pain, week ankles and wrists, nasal allergies, skin rashes, migraines, heartburn, Increase in Astham, heart palpitations, knee pain, difficulty standing up from sitting position, difficulty climbing stairs, water retention alternating in feet, hands, arms and legs, almost constant taste of bile in my mouth.
These are only the ones I can remember. Two years down the road everything but the muscle and joint pain and weakness is gone. even those have improved a lot. I stopped taking the Lipitor and lost all 30lbs I had gained on it, without dieting, in a months time. I still have two toes on each foot that are partially numb. I have trouble climbing stairs, and getting up from a sitting position. I can do both, but I move slowly while doing them. The pain in my muscles and joints drives me crazy, but I'm grateful that the rest of the symptoms have cleared up. My doctor never believed me about my symptoms, and neither does my new doctor really. Went to the emergency room for asthma that was not responding to my inhaler, and they were about to let me go home when I mentioned to the doctor that I had been on Lipitor. Suddenly a huge battery of tests were ordered including a CT scan and a stress test. When I asked the doctor why he said that they just wanted to be sure that it wasn't something other than asthma. Why did they do that after hearing about the Lipitor? Do they know something? Are there doctors who believe that statins are killing and seriously injuring people? I'm so angry. Even as I sit here typing I know when I stand up I will have massive amounts of pain that I will have to "walk off". My quadriceps have not recovered, and remain ridiculously weak.
If I can stop one other person from going through this I will be happy. Thanks everyone for taking the time to list your symptoms. It makes me feel better to know that someone believes me, and knows what I am going through.

I am a 62 yr. old female and in good health. In January 2007, my doctor ordered a cholesterol test and the results indicated a number of 237..."bad" cholesterol was not horrible, "good" cholesterol was very good. The doctor put me on 20mg of Lipitor without any hesitation... After a week or so, I started having horrible leg and muscle pain, so when I went back in 3 months (cholesterol 181), I told him I couldn't take this med, so he put me on Zocor. Really bad joint pain with this one, so I went back again in 3 months(cholesterol about the same) and told him again that this one had similar side effects and diarrhea. He then put me on Crestor...took this med, but was so lethargic and in a fog, my family told me to get off of that one. Went BACK to the Dr. in 3 mos., told him I couldn't take this one...he put me on prescription strength fish oil (6 per day) saying that this one should not have side effects. Other than some gastric/intestinal rumblings and some diarrhea, it was ok, but when I had my cholesterol checked it had gone up HIGHER than when I started this whole ordeal, so he put me on Welchol...saying that this one was not absorbed in the blood...blah,blah, blah... Still had the gastic/intestinal issues, SO when I went back 3 mos. later in March 2008 (cholesterol 200)and having already stopped this one myself, I told him I was NOT going to take any more meds for this "issue," and I would manage it with diet and exercise. I told him that this was supposed to be the best time in my life, and I was tired of feeling so poorly. He blatantly told me that if I did stop taking the cholesterol "you'll probably have 10 good years and 10 "crappy" years, and he was visibly angry about MY personal health decision. I had at one point during that the 1 year + mentioned to him about the information that I had been reading online...he pooh-poohed the whole "internet" thing, indicating that he had better information (I"M THE DOCTOR" syndrome!). Needless to say, I don't trust him, BIG PHARMA, or anyone else who says that these statin drugs are NOT harmful...My husband has since stopped taking Lipitor, due to our children and me noticing lapses in his memory. These drug companies and doctors are totally ignoring the side effects and health issues of the unsuspecting public. Hopefully, the truth will emerge, but how long it takes...who knows??????? I am glad I'm not on them anymore...I feel GOOD, and I know that whatever aches and pains I have ARE from aging and not drugs!!

Get off the Lipitor, me and me husband, both had the severe joint pain. The pain moved from one joint to the next. It would be in the shoulder, then the next day or so, it would move to our feet, then to the hand and wrist. It would swell , so bad, that it felt like, that part of the body was going to burst !!! My husband was on LIPITOR for 1 1/2 years, before it hit him. Doctors thought it was gout, and my husband was walking on a walker ,at 49 years old, and never being unhealthy. I was on LIPITOR for only one month, after a stint was put in my heart. Believe me, it is not the stint , it is the LIPITOR. I knew what it was when it got in my joints, so I went off it right away. It still takes about 2 weeks to get it out of your system. I now know of other people, who are on LIPITOR, that have severe muscle cramps. If this is happening to you, then you can not take anything with STATINS , in it. If you are allergic to STATINS, it can cause another muscle disorder , that can destroy your muscle tissue.

I am a 43 year old male in good health that decided to get off lipitor about 3 days ago due to the advice of my physician. I have been on it for 3 years at 20 mg daily. I am an avid runner completing 3 marathons in the last 4years, but lately haven't been able to run more than a mile or so without feeling tightness in my abs, legs, hips, and most recently my hands and elbows have mild to moderate pain. I've been noticing this over the past few months or so. I always thought it was due to over training, but I am convinced these are not normal muscle soreness/strain and I am eager to share my results as to how I feel in a few weeks/months. Today, which is day 3 without the drug, I have INCREASED pain in my hand, and an overall fatigue feeling. Has anyone else noticed this upon stopping the drug? God help all of us. This can't be doing mankind any good other than making the drug companies rich, and unfortunately, most physicians believe that these statins are wonder drugs, and prescribe them like candy.

I am a 54 year old male who started taking Lipitor about 4 years ago. It seemed OK at first, but over the next several years I began to have increasing amounts of joint pain after exercise. Nor muscle pain, joint pain. And it seemed to be a result of exercise. By the time I stopped it, I was hurting after everything, not just exercise. I felt better within the first two weeks, but it took about 4 months for me to be able to exercise vigorously again. Over the years I seemed to have forgotten how much vitality I used to have. I am a physician, and because of the long lag time until I felt better, I wondered whether improvement might have related to other factors, so after about 5 months I decided to restart Lipitor. It surprised me that after just one dose, I got back all of the joint pain and fatigue when I was at my worst on Lipitor. I was really hurting. Needless to say, I didn't take any more.

Coincidentally, a physician friend of mine who had statin induced polyneuropathy had a similar experience. After his symptoms went away he found that after only one dose the entire polyneuropathy came back.

Stopping and restarting the drug is a way to test the correlation between the drug and the side effect. For such a large spectrum of side effects to recur after only a single dose, it argues that the problems that my friend and I had was due to some sort of immune memory response. I have not seen this in the medical literature.

I am off it now for about 8 months and am able to comfortably play singles tennis and jog - much more energy (and I took 200 mg of CoQ10 a day with the Lipitor).

I am 53 years old and was almost 4 years on Lipitor and started experiencing periphial neuropathology that was horrible! I had a keen neurologist who took me off after doing several tests for Lyme, Lupus, MS, etc. She said she sees more and more of my symptoms 3 to 8 years plus on Lipitor. I went off Lipitor on June 1st (my birthday), so have been off for more than a month. All of the zapping and tingling has subsided in my hands, feet, face, arms, and head. I still have neuropathology in my hands, some muscle weakness in my arms, and numbness in my toes which are all slowly diminishing. My neurologist says she expects full recovery in 4-6 months. Take B complex vitamins. I take Shaklee's twice a day.This greatly helps in the repair of the nerve damage from Lipitor. My neurologist also recommended me taking FBCx, ******(1-2 with every meal containing fat, the website explains dosage), and 1 tablespoon of omega 3 fish oils in the form of flax or fish to reduce cholesterol. There are other things I take like garlic, cinnamon extract, green tea extract. If you type in "lower cholesterol with supplements" online you will find other things like red rice yeast as well. Good luck!

I'm a 46 years old male normally good shape,I was put on Lipitor due to high cholesterol and family history of heart problems.I've been on lipitor for four years , 2years on 10mg, 1 years on 40mg and 1 year on 80 mg.
The last 6 months I have been experiencing severe archiles tendonitis to the point where I can hardly walk. I am extremely disatisfied with this drug and have read a lot of complaints regarding this drug.

Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Please reply to this post.

Thank You

I took Lipitor for about 2 years- 5 mg.
Leg cramps-soreness throughout my muscles- very sore buttocks-
my legs are shaky- if I use them too much; (as in walking 3 miles)
I am (was ) an avid body builder that could squat with 100 lbs- and now ( I am a health conscious -non drinking- NO other medication 104 lb slim female) have quivering legs if I stand for too long. I even had a muscle biopsy- and it cam back negative- I have not had a statin for 6 months- but I still have cramps- and abnormal liver values- and I have NO other conditions-I have been scanned from head to toe - open MRI- closed MRI -but the muscle stiffness- soreness- especially legs- continues-
does anyone know how long it lasts? I have also been tested for liver cancer- thank God-negative.
I really feel that Lipitor did this- has anyone else gone from fit as a fiddle to a quivering -achy person- I have gone through 5 doctors- internal - gastrointestinal - neurologist- hematologist and all is negative- just high liver values and muscle pain. Thank you so much.Maxine

I just found this site after my Dr. took me off of Lipitor. I cried as I read all of the posts that described my symptoms perfectly. Constant muscle pain, extreme "brain fog", joint pain, fatige- all given the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. I am 56 years old but walk like a much older person due to muscle pain. I experience sharp, sudden pains in my thumbs and often cannot use my thumbs to grasp a cup or fork. Thank goodness I had a doctor that listened when I told him my pain was worse and I could no longer lift my right arm in order to brush my hair or put on a necklace. He immediately said he suspected Lipitor. He took me off it for a month, but wants me to go back on it at a lower dose (from 80 to 40). I have been off for 1 week and my "brain fog" seems a bit better. I feel more like my old self and my patience with my students (I am a school librarian) has returned. I had been so irritable with them lately and didn't know why. After reading the testimonies on this site, I will not go back on Lipitor at any dose. Thank you to everyone who took the time to post. I no longer feel like I'm a "complainer".
Good fortune to all of us who have been so unfortunate to have trusted our health to Lipitor!

My husband has been taking Lipitor 20mg for 1 week. He immediately became fatigued (this is a 44 year old man who has NEVER used an alarm clock in his life and now, sleeps through the alarm clock for 45 minutes until I shake him to wake up), experienced joint pain in 1 of his knees and the sme side ankle. Needless to say, he will not be taking this medication anymore. I also reported this to the FDA because I read the following online:
U.S. patients can report side effects to the FDA themselves -- by logging onto the MedWatch Web site ( http://www.fda.gov/medwatch). But few know about this option.
The FDA needs to know how bad this drug is for people. I hope more people read everything that is written here to save themselves or loved ones from the pain and suffering caused by Lipitor.

Michelle

Thank you all for making me feel as if I'm not alone. I thought this was the way I was supposed to feel. 6 years ago I experienced a sudden heart attack with no symptoms at 42. A new doctor put me on Lipitor about 2 1/2 years ago as a precaution. The heart attack was genetic as I was about an 80% vegetarian and walked about 8 miles a day. My mother had her first heart attack at the same age. I always had weight problems as a kid, but slimmed down as an adult. After the Lipitor, I have gone from a 32 waist to a 42, joint pain, sleep problems, lack of concentration and the constant feeling as if I have been run over by a Mack truck. You all are giving me the confidence to go with my instincts and stop taking this med. along with switching to a doctor who will listen to me and not tell me to get a personal trainer of which I cannot afford. By the way, I still walk my 4-6 miles a day even in the snow and rain. For me, it's always been my best form of exercise. Again, thank you all for not making me feel alone.

I am 56 year old New Zealander, had stent inserted 1 year ago.
Was first put on Lipex, after 6 months on that would have welcomed departure. Came off it voluntarily and problems went away.
NZ is too mean to provide Lipitor with out a fight, so after much cajoling my doctor finally got permission to provide me with it.

At first it was fine, but slowly the same symptoms as with Lipex returned.
I have every single symptom I have read about here.
Joint pain, short term memory loss, nausea, swollen ankles and by association I am getting pretty depressed.

I had to come off beta blockers for similar reasons.

Finally this week I have developed kidney pain and have decided that that is it.
Lipids are out for the duration, I am told that half an onion a day will reduce your cholesterol naturally, so that is where I am going.

Thank you all for providing me with proof that these drugs do not work for all of us.

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 took lipitor for almost two years (42). Started having a pain in my upper thigh as if someone was turning a screw driver into my leg. The pain progressed into my right hip that felt like someone was trying to "unscrew" my hip out of the socket. The pain progressed down my leg - i.e. sciatica pain. The pain got so bad that I could not sleep at night and if I did fall asleep the pain would be so bad I would wake up crying.
I went to my regular doctor and an orthopedic doctor. Had xrays, ct, and mri's. Blood work for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, etc. No bad results. I asked my physician if the Lipitor could cause it - "no" was the answer. My prescription for lipitor ran out and I was off of it for three months. I noticed significant relief in the above mentioned symptoms but still did not relate it back to the lipitor until I had a new prescription refilled and within a week I was "crying" in pain again. I immediately stopped the lipitor and within a few more months all the pains were gone. It still took me a while to get "comfortable" in bed to sleep - the pain had obviously affected me psychologically as well and I was still afraid that I would wake up in pain.
I do sometimes feel the pain in my right hip if I sit for extended periods of time but nothing like the above. I am an RN. I have told the above story to several physicians at the hospital and they always react like they don't believe it.

Age: 47
Male-176lbs- 5' 9", overall excellent health.
Lipitor used over 2 years. Started with 10mg ended at 40mg to get desired results. 6 month blood work.
Side effects: Started at around 18-24 months. Felt like I had aged 10 years.
1.Felt like I has sand in my shoulder joints, could not throw a ball or raise arms above head.
2. Knee joints ache, could not squat down and get back up.
3. Extreme touch sensitivity to shin area above ankle. Difficulty sleeping.
4. Increased lack of ability to concentrate.
Stopped all Lipitor- Took around 6 weeks for joint pain to ease. 3 months back to normal.
Doctor tried Prevastatin- Same side effects as Lipitor.
Nice to have my life back.
Hope this helps- Brent

I'm aged 51 and have had high blood cholesterol for years, diagnosed in my mid thirties. Over the years I have tried changing diet but it didn't reduce tha bad cholesterol. Three years ago I decided maybe I better reduce the cholesterol as they say it clogs up you arteries etc. I went to the doctor and he put me on Lipitor and within a few months my levels were down to normal. I got joint pains in my hands, back, neck , legs and had sore heels after long walks. The doc then decided I'd go off the Lipitor to see if my levels stayed normal but they went back up. After a week the new pains had gone away. I came up with a plan to take 3 x 10mG a week rather than one each day and this worked with a lot less joint pain. The last test I had my levels are back up again so he put me back on 10mG a day and now three weeks later the pains have built back up and I don't like them. Desperate for a different solution I was listening to one of the Juice Plus promotions and something they said set me thinking. They said that having a high level of bad cholesterol doesn't always mean it will badly affect your arteries as it has to react with free radicals in your body to cause the damage. Their theory is that a diet rich in antioxidants will combat the free radicals and generally reduce the risk of disease which also includes any bad effects from high bad cholesterol. Now I'm wondering two things, how do I know if my high cholesterol is causing me any harm? is there a test I can get done to measure how it is or is not affecting me? Can anyone throw any more light on this?

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.

I am a 44 year old male. I was taking Lipitor for the past 2 years because my LDL cholesterol level had continually increased to a high of 315. My doctor felt it was best to have me take 10 mg of the drug once a day. After about 3 months I started to have really bad joint pain in my hips, lower back and gluts. I was misdiagnosed and I ended up received physical therapy and a few cortisone shots in my lower back. It still was not getting better so I began to analyze my body to try and figure why this was happening and looked up side effects from cholesterol so I stopped taking the Lipitor and sure enough the pain went away.

46 year old male, moderatly active (martial arts 4 hours a week, walk dog 1-6 miles a day on average) but have been gaining weight (in mid section, despite activity and restricted diet) since on lipitor. have numbness in left side, leg cramps, muscle weakness, headaches with blurred vision. memory loss, joint pain,

extreme muscular and joint pain in mid back and entire rib cage area. Been on the drug three years and the doctors never said it could be from the drug been off the drug four days and already starting to feel better....

45 year old male active all my life in soccer and hockey. Realized that my recoup time after events, while on Lipitor was taking longer. I attibuted the joint pain and musle soreness to dehydration, past injuries and getting older. Went to PCP last week for blood work. Enzymes were very high, good cholesteral, not enough, bad cholesterol, to much. Luck of the genetic draw! I Mentioned some nagging aches and pains while getting the work done. Got a call from the doctor telling me to stop taking the Lipitor. So I did. Two weeks ago I played some hockey, very low keyed. The next day I felt like I was hit by a truck. Have not taken the Lipitor since the call. Played hockey at a quick pace yesterday and today I feel great. Yes I'm sore, but I do not feel like I was hit by a truck like I did while taking Lipitor. I know my body. I've been athletic all my life. The recoup time was increasing. I did not a first consider Lipitor. Lipitor does have side effects that we are just learning about. I'm living proof. I'll be eating more "Oatmeal." Helps to alleviate the gas caused by Lipitor! And the body aches............

I am a 42 year old male. I was taking the smallest dose of Lipitor for 5 months. During the first month, I had no problems. Without realizing that they had anything to do with the Lipitor, over the course of the next 4 months I began experiencing joint pain, foot pain and groin pain. the groin pain was so severe that I was diagnosed with a hernia and almost had surgery. I finally realized that my side effects might have to do with the Lipitor, so I stopped taking it and within 48 hours my groin pain, which I had experienced for months, was nearly gone. Two weeks later, all side effects are gone.

I am a 55 yo caucasian male caucasian. Profession: Dentist. Was placed on Lipitor 20mg/day. After 2-3 months noticed that I bruised very easily; began feeling weak, tired; would develop severe muscle & joint pains after Karate & Weight training. Because of my genetics, lab values did not improve enough. The dose was increased to 40mg/day. Leg cramps, weakness, and muscle pains became totally incapacitating. Has to go to bed. Sleeping was difficult becasue of constant pain. Discontinued Lipitor: all symptoms abated.

Was then placed on Vitorin 10/20 one per day. After 4 to 6 weeks noticed severe muscle & joint pain. But there is no bruising like I had while taking the Lipitor. I altered the dose to one every other day, i.e., 1/2 the perscribed dosage, and symptoms have lessened. However, when I perform and intense Karate & weight work out session, 48 hour later I have severe muscle & joint pains which necessitate bed & rest for 24 to 36 hours.

My Cardiologist is skeptical of these effect being related to these cholesteral statins...but as a clinician of 30 years i KNOW there is a direct relationship.

Been on Lipitor for a little over one month. Feel very lethargic and wiped out. Not sleeping/odd dreams. Very tired upon waking. Pain in my back, went to urgent treatment center..blood pressure was 202/98 and had an abnormal EKG. Taken by ambulance to ER. Developed stomach pain that will not go away, acid reflux/indigestion, leg pain, flatulence, pain in my chest and a feeling that something is sitting in my chest, vaginal bleeding since October 22, dry mouth, sweating, joint pain and swelling. I was given birthcontrol pills to try to stop the flow. Hasn't worked yet. I took lthe last pill I had 2 days ago and feel better today than I have felt in a long time. I looked up the side effects of Lipitor and discovered that what I am experienceing seems to be directly as a result of this medicine which is the only new thing that I have added to my routine.

I was on lipitor for around 3 years developed severe joint
pain very same week developed severe sleep apnea the joint pain went away when i stop using the lipitor but i,m still being treated for sleep apnea . I blame the lipitor

Larry

I was on Lipitor last year for about three months . After reporting to my physician that I was experiencing left facial numbness, left neck pain, numerous joint pain,locking of my
middle fingers, severe muscle pain in both calf areas, The lipitor, was discontinued and I was started on Vytorin. Needless to say My condition got worse. I could barely lift my arms, I had extreme pain in my left hip and it was painful and difficult to walk. I stopped taking the Vytorin. I had a MRI of
My cerviaal neck, with no gross finding, My lab tests were essentially normal except cholesterol level. My condition has improved except the lingering muscle pain in both upper arms and left hip pain. I will never take statin medication again. I also, stopped my Diovan two days ago, I am
feeling so much better. Plan to go natural remedy from now on.

I am searching for Lipitor side effect and came across this website. Now I am convinced that what I am feeling are resulting from Lipitor.
I am taking (20mg/day) Lipitor for only a few weeks and I have unexplained patch of rash at the base of my neck, extreme headache, neck pain (it feels as if the back muscles in my neck could not support my head), muscle spasm, cold feet and joint pain. I am 42, otherwise healthy male (except for high cholesterol, 300). I began experiencing these symptoms and decided to search to see if I can find the causes. I could not find any resonable/plausible causes. I came acrross this site. Now, I think I will stop taking Lipitor and take my chances with the high cholesterol. I rather live a short life without a lot of pain and complications than to suffer a long life of pain and bitterness.
Good luck everyone!

I just found this site when I was looking up side effects from Lipitor. I've been on 40mg for about 8 years or so - Zocor and Mevacor before that. Had by-pass surgery 18 months ago (I'm a 53 year old male). Lately my shoulders and sometimes my elbow ache although it's more annoying than anything. I work out every other day and have no problems with that and actually I'm in better shape then I've been in 25 years. In addition to the joint pain, I do seem to be more tired than I should be. My wife's on 20mg and has been experiencing slight balance problems, a writer's cramp sort of thing, as well as being tired. Since this is all relatively new to me it'll be a topic when I visit my doctor in a few weeks. Thank you all for your posts. I've learned alot today.

I have been on lipitor 40 for about 6 weeks. I am 50 and pretty fit - doc prescribed it because my cholesterol was 6.7 and I have family history of heart disease. The last 2 weeks I feel like I'm getting the flu. Joint pain and very tired. Have trouble motivating myself to exercise. Although I have had psoriasis for some time, it also seems to have become worse since taking the lipitor. I would rather try to reduce the cholestorol level naturally but doc said its in my genes. How do I work out if I am generally run down and stressed (which could be the case) or if I have genuine lipitor side effects? What will happen next?? It's pretty scary reading some of the posts on this page...

memory loss, horrible back pain, joints pain, muscular pain, neck pain. I have had surgeries to no avail, I just had 2 Epidurals to my Lumbar and Cervical region, numerous MRI's, x-rays, and it all came down to Lipitor...I went to a spinal surgeon 8 days ago, begging him to do spinal surgery as I have some collapsed discs, he could not figure out why I had so much pain in my right side when the pain should have been on my left side. He stated that he wouldn't do surgery as it could make the pain worse. He could not understand what was going on..as I was leaving in tears because the pain was so bad, and I couldn't find help, his nurse caught me at the elevator and told me the doctor wanted me to try going off Lipitor for 3 weeks to see if the pain got better. I have been off of Lipitor for 8 days and the pain has already subside so much that it is unbelievable. for the first time last night, I slept without my Vicodin and muscle spasm relaxers. I have gone through memory losses, balance problems. I have been to nuerosurgeons, Orthopedic specialists, Neurologists, I have had 8 surgeries for joint pain. I really believe that Pfizer ought to reimburse us for all of our pain and suffering, our testings done, our Epidurals, our medicines that we have been living on. for the last 8 months the pain was pure hell. I hope the food and drug administration and Pfizer is happy with themselves for not releasing the true story and the symptoms of Lipitor that can and are happening to people all over our country.

I TOOK LIPIITOR ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO. I HAD THE CLASSIC SIDE EFFECTS WHICH ARE NOW ACKNOWLEDGED. MUSCLE WEAKNESS, JOINT PAIN, TIREDNESS, TREMBLING AT ANY TIME I PICKED UP EVEN A CUP OF COFFEE. I WENT THROUGH EVERY NEUROLOGICAL TEST, ARTHRITIS TEST, ALLERGY TEST, EVEN TESTING FOR BONE TUMORS AND OTHER CANCERS. I ONLY TOOK THIS MEDICATION ABOUT ONE YEAR BEFORE THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER I WAS SEEING DECIDED MAYBE THE LIPITOR WAS TO BLAME. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN OFF THE MEDICATION 7 OR MORE YEARS, I STILL HAVE ALL THESESYMPTOMS. AT TIMES IT IS WORSE THAN OTHERS, BUT NEVER GOES AWAY. IS THERE ANY HELP FOR US WHO ARE VICTIMS OF THESE "RARE BUT SERIOUS" SIDE EFFECTS WHICH LIPITOR IS NOW INCLUDING IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS?

My doctor took me off Lipitor a month ago after I described my pain symptoms and extreme fatigue to him. It seems that he had some severe pain after he started taking it, so he was very "in tune" to what I was saying. I am feeling somewhat better, but I'm still having some muscle weakness in left arm and joint pain and stiffness continues in my right thumb. I have some milder pain here and there but it isn't debilitating like it was when I was taking Lipitor. I also have not had any fatigue. I feel like I am getting better, but I am concerned about my cholesterol levels going up. I go back to him in 6 weeks for a check up so we will see what they are then. Meanwhile, he has referred me to a rheumatologist. My arthritis panel came back normal but he feels like I should see the specialist to make sure I am ok... I agree with everyone else - don't start taking Lipitor but if you do - watch for symptoms and then get off of it immediately!

I had been taking lipitor for about 20 months; (80 mg for 12 mos. and 40 mg for 8 mos.)After recieving the first month of lipitor I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. Within a year I had cataplexic episodes and sleep paralsis along with acute joint pain. Within 10 days after stopping the drug almost all those side effects are completely gone. Anyone else?
Joseph ******

Been taking lipitor for 3 or 4 years. Symptoms I have been having in the last 6 mos or so include Light headedness, Joint pain, muscle weekness , soreness and stiffness , itching skinn and eyes

I was on 20 mg of Lipitor a day for seven months, whereupon I started to experience disabling and pronounced migratory joint pain all over my body. In addition, I had extreme fatigue and a flu-like malaise. All of the symptoms disappeared completely within a week of going off Lipitor.

Had been on lipitor for over ten yrs now being 44
side effects that it has caused over a long peroid of time muscle cramps nightly short term memory loss joint pain shoulder next and thighs loss of sex drive
stopped taking it about six weeks ago memory has inproved dramtically cramps have gone aching joint seem to be improving and sex drive slowly improving hand put all these side effects down to other causes as we do but now kmow better

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 am glad to hear that CBS is looking into Lipitor. My feeling is that the posts that you read on this board are just the tip of the iceberg. For every one post here there are probably, at least, 10,000 others with similar symptoms. At some point there has to be a class action suit against these drug companies

I posted #5174 back in April. At that time my lower back was killing me. After stopping Lipitor the worst of the back pain went away. Unfortunately, there still is a constant low-level of pain. I am afraid that the Lipitor has done permanent damage. Also, the tininitus is still in my left ear.

Aside from the constant low back pain and the tininitus the muscle aches, toe cramps, and joint pain have gone away.

Hair loss, joint pain, bloating, itchy rash, dry skin
weight gain.

Have been on Lipitor for nearly four years. Cardiologist told me to stop taking it today.

I'd like to know of side effects from stopping! Will hair grow back?

I'm female in my 70's with a recently installed pacemaker.