Lipitor and ldl

I am 39 years old and work for an interventional cardiology medical device company in Tokyo, and so know the importance of controling one's cholesterol, keeping the LDL's low and the HDL's high. About two years ago, my doctor put me on 10 mg of Lipitor. Several months later I herniated a disc in my neck between C6&C7. From that point onward, I attributed all of my neck and back pain, and newly acquired total body muscle and joint pain, to the herniated disc, it made the most sense. Over the last seven months, I have really worked on my diet and began to exercise more (even though quite painful) and was able to lower my cholesterol. This resulted in my doctor lowering my Lipitor prescription from 10 mg to 5 mg. I noticed a slight alleviation of the pain I felt in my hip joints and calves. About two weeks ago I took myself off Lipitor completely and found further improvements in my total body muscle and joint pain. It's still there but greatly imporved. In retrospect, I now believe the Lipitor may have been the culprit (or at least a contributing factor) to my herniated disc due to muscle degeneration in the neck, and all of the subsequent muscle pain, especially in my hips and calves. I fully understand I am not going to die from calf-pain, but may from heart disease. However, I have found my quality of life has improved tremendously over the last few weeks. Less irritability, better sleep, less pain, clearer head. I feel like I have lost two years of my life on Lipitor via personal suffering and lack of ability to do much of anything with my wife and two young daughters. We all need to take charge of our own health and therefore I encourage anyone who feels completely different after taking Lipitor to engage your physician, and make sure its the right option for you. If damage has been done to my musculature I hope I can reverse it. It is evident to me that some serious clinical studies should be done to investigate Lipitor's effect on muscle degredation and hope others will consider carefully whether or not do go on this drug. If you do, monitor yourself closely.

I am 20 year old female and have a bad family history of high cholesterol, iv been taking 40mg/day of lipitor for nearly 2 months.

I was put on Lipitor 10mg 2 weeks ago after my bloodwork from my yearly physical came back that my cholesterol went up again. Levels are HDL 61 LDL 176. After the first week I called my MD to advise that I was having chest pain and muscle pain in my legs and forearm. He said to cut the dose in half which I did last Thursday. Yesterday all of a sudden I had heart flutters the entire day! I am a 43 female who goes to the gym 3 times a week doing 30 minutes of cardio and weights. I eat right and overall I am in great shape except having high cholesterol. My blood pressure is great, had a stress test and echo last year both negative for any problems. I called my doctor today and advise that I was still having fluttering in my chest and that I am stopping the Lipitor. What good is being on a medicine that helps with one problem but then causes others that you may need more medication for???
I have been feeling like crap ever since being put on Lipitor and I believe that it is the medication that is giving me the problems. Last year my MD put me on Zocor and I stopped that after having the muscle pains. I am now hoping that things will get back to normal and I plan on telling my doctor that these "statin' medicines are not for me and there has to be something else.

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

I posted several months ago on this string and wanted to update. I had bloodwork done for the 1st time since I quit the 20mg of Lipitor in August. LDL went from 123 to 210. Total Chol went from 191 to 285. HOWEVER all shooting pains I had been experiencing in legs, feet, and chst are GONE! Went back to my Dr. today, told her that same result and my serious objection to taking any kind of statin and she prescribed CRESTOR while telling me it was more potent than Lipitor! WTF!!!

I refuse this course, am drinking 30 - 40 ozs. of water each day now like I should have been, doubled my CoQ10 to 200mg/day, finally getting back into the gym to lose weight and get the HDL up from the level of 36 it is now. also started to drink the new yogurt type "shot" of Promise for cholesterol that provides 2 grams of plant sterols per day.

I will not take statins ever. I WILL find a natural way to keep my Chol under control. I've also been convinced that you don't have to be at or under the 200mlg of total chol to be healthy. Look at your C Reactive Protein and Homosiytes (sp?) If they are in range you should be good.

I know Lipitor was the cause of my rupturing each of my Achiller tendons a year apart while playing tennis in my late 40's Muscle pain soon followed.

About eight years ago I felt heaviness in my chest along with some pain/discomfort when doing hard physical labor and occasionally in the hot-tub. Following my doctor’s advice and an angiogram, a stint was placed and medication administered – Lipitor and plavix I also went through a 6-month program for cardiac recovery including dietary changes and a proper exercise program. About six month following that I gradually just stopped taking my Lipitor and plavix and returned to my old eating routine and other life-style. I don’t smoke (never did) and don’t drink or otherwise indulge in any recreational drugs. I’ve never been hypertensive with blood pressures typically at 115/68. I maintain a trim and healthy appearing body just naturally or genetically. I eat lots of red meat, not a lot of vegetables, drink gallons of orange juice, and eat much more junk-food than I should. About six years after that (near heart attack) event I was given a “stress test” by my physician… I was then 61 and tested at the level of a 38 year old! Two years after that I had a significant heart attack out in the middle of nowhere! It took almost 6 hours to get me to an emergency room in Spokane, Washington (that’s a story of its own). That was on a Thursday – I was back to work full-time the following Monday (four days later). This time around with more drugs than I could swallow in one gulp! Lipitor, Plavix, Coumadin, aspirin, and carvedilol. The combination or amount was more than I could tolerate and I was weaned off all but the Lipitor and aspirin within a year. My heart has returned to nearly full-function and I have no physician imposed restrictions. All that said, I’ve been gradually developing muscle soreness (pain, actually) in my fore-arms and legs. I’ve been growing more lethargic and tired with each passing month. I’m now 65 and feel that the Lipitor is inhibiting my health… I want to get off it and be “normal” again. Or is it just being sixty five? Can I just quit taking the drug? Leaving only aspirin for blood thinning and the hope of a better diet for cholesterol control.

Went off simvastatin in March, all pain went away within a couple of months, but muscle weakness in legs remained. In October, found out my cholesterol is sky high, over 325. So Dr. wanted to try Crestor 5 mg. Within 1 week, I had overwhelming fatigue, could hardly stay awake during the day and the weakness in my legs was getting worse. So I just went off Crestor. Frustrating!!

I am asking a question on behalf of my brother. He had a stent inserted about 5 years ago due to blockage in one artery. The doctor put him on 20mg Lipitor and Plavix. Ever since then he has been getting Afib. Twice he has had to go to the hospital to get his heart back in rythm and other times he's able to get it back on his own. He has cut back to 10mg Lipitor and takes 100 mg COQ10. Has anyone else had Afib with Lipitor? He seems to think it's the stent causing it and I'm convinced it's the Lipitor. By the way, his cholesterol was not high, only his triglycerides. Thanks for any input.

I'm a 38 y/o woman. For 7 yrs I knew my cholesterol has been high. I refused to take cholesterol medication and decided to diet and exercise but that didn't work. I've had 2 children in the past 3 yrs. In May of this year I started having chest pains and palpitations. I had blood tests done. I was given Inderal and also prescribed Zocor 20mg for my cholesterol. It was 243 with and LDL of 178. I took Zocor for a week. I felt so awful. I was weak, I lost my appetite. I was constantly tired. I couldn't even carry my 10 month old son, yet alone care for him. I informed my physician and she changed it to Lipitor 20mg. I thought I was doing fine. I checked my levels again after a month. My cholesterol was 113 and LDL 58. I trusted the doctor knew what she was doing. At the same time I also was taking Omega 3's. I asked my doc to lower the dosage to 10mg. From the time I was taking Zocor and the start of Lipitor. I was feeling tingling and numbness in my arms, hands, fingers, toes, feet and legs. I also was having muscle pain. I asked my doctor about that. She mentioned because of my heart palpitations, it could be symptoms of anxiety and panic. I had feeling of pins and needles throughout my body, not knowing when it would occur. I had muscle pain in my arms and legs and neck pain. I went online to see the side effects of Lipitor and came across this website. I decided to do an experiment. I stopped taking Lipitor 9 days ago. I was on statins for almost 4 months. I don't have the feeling of tingling and numbness, but I still have pins and needles and muscle pain. I have to say, I feel so much better. I hope to get better. I 'd really like to know, how long does the medication stay in your system? What are the effects of getting off it so suddenly. I'd love to feel myself again.

I had 95% occlusion of the major artery in my heart July 2007 with no symptoms except slight shoulder pain on 3 occasions. They did a cath and inserted 2 stents. Started with Lipitor 10 mg. and my LDL dropped from 75 to 112. The MD wanted to double the dose, but I refused because of intermittent nocturnal nausea. MD switched me to another statin and I had immediate muscle involvement and severe nausea at night. She wanted me to try another statin drug and I refused. After a 2 month period of no statins, she put me back on Lipitor 10 mg. daily. I decided to cut the pill in half and take it twice a week, then move to every other day and gradually go to 10 mg. daily. Immediately, the nocturnal nausea started again. Last night I awoke at 2 a.m. with nausea, sweating, sore muscles around my rib cage. Still no sleep at 4:30 a.m., so I got up and tried to eat something. This has been the pattern every night since I went on Lipitor.

I don't know if I can take this any more.

CK

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

I have been on Lipitor for about 4 years. Now I have an arthritic right knee and the left knee has a little bit of arthritis. My arthritis started getting really bad in both legs my left leg was just as bad as my right leg. Muscle pain was tremendous and getting up and down stairs. furniture, and the car. Then the day before Memorial Day I could hardly move, I thought I was losing both my legs. I could only walk a little bit. No energy. I too had blurred vision with this drug but the doctor said that it probably was just my diabetes. I hurt from the shoulders all the way down to the ankles..It felt like every muscle group was involved. Earlier this year the doctor put my Lipitor up to 40 mg from 20 mg even through my ldl was only 93. My last ldl was 67. The doctors say your cholesterol cannot go to low but I am wondering with all the side affedts I had. I took myself off Lipitor on Memorial Day this year and I feel better. The pain is gone except for the arithritic pain but it is not as bad as what it was on Lipitor. Soo I am done with statins I will lose weight and exercise.

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

Alan

I'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

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

I have been on Lipitor for some time now. I was not aware of any side-effects but my LDL was too high and interview with a Cardiologist told me to increase my Lipitor dose of 10 mgms, to 80mgms ( yes 80) He told me that he was party to research that showed 80 mgms could be taken without harm. After discussion with my GP we decided not to follow the Specialists advice and increased to 20mg. My LDL is now normal but I am having changes in my leg muscles, which, after reading your letters has me wondering. The Cardiologist and I have sacked each other. He would do well to read some of these letters.

I have had extreme charlie horselike pain in my calves and behind my knee. I have stopped taking lipitor about a week ago, so far no improvement. I was told by my doctor I could go off of statins for a month and see how I do. I am hoping I can get rid of the leg pain soon, it is chronic right now.

36 year old female; have been on Lipitor 10mg for about 3 weeks now. Have been experiencing chest pain with fast heart beat. Feels like I can't get a breath all the way. Can anyone help out? I'm scared. It feels like I can't breath in all the way and I'm scared to stop the Lipitor since my cholesterol is 264 now. Thanks.

I'm a 66 year old nurse taking Lipitor 10 mg for approximately 4 years. I have not had any problems until last when I suffered a severe anxiety attack and went to the ER. This has never happened to me before. All tests were negative. I was given Xanax which relieved the anxiety at that time , but I 'm continuing to experience a lot of anxiety. I came across some info that low cholesterol levels can be related to anxiety. My total cholesterol
is 130 and the LDL is 71. I have no cardiac conditions other than hypertension. I stopped taking Lipitor a couple of days ago, but so far I have not had any change in condition. Dr ordered Zoloft for the anxiety but I had bad reactions after taking 2 pills.-severe nervousness, anxiety , and restlessness. I'm hoping I feel better when the cholesterol levels go up.

My new doctor put me on Lipitor and after taking it 5 days I developed a redness and swelling under my left eye. I also felt out of it and went from feeling really good to barely being able to do anythng. I quit taking it immediately and by the next day or so I was my old self. My doctor does not listen to me when I try to explain that I have strange physical reactions to most meds. He wants me to change my medicines, but it took me too long to find the ones I can tolerate. My LDL is not good but I'm exercising (walking) daily for 35-45 minutes and drinking more water, eating oatmeal at breakfast, cutting out all sugar, eating lots of fresh veggies and fruits and I feel better than I've ever felt.

I'm 66 yrs old white female and I have been taking lipitor for 3 months now and I take 5 mg a day. While I take 5 mg a day lipitor, I had a problem with my memory, my Husband noticed it. I decided to call the
drug store to talk to the pharmacist to see if I could cut my dosage into a
half of pill and he said it would be ok. I was taking the half of lipitor for two wks and my memory started to inprove quite a bit. my memory was still not
completely back to normal. had problems grasping what I watched on a history channel, I couldn't recall what the topic was about. I did have a cholesterol test taken and my Doctor said my cholesterol went from 268 down to 180, my LDL drop from 185 down to 75. My doctor ask me how I was doin on my lipitor and I told him about cutting my pill into a quarter and also I was taking coQ10 , my Doctor was amazed about my test turning out really good. I found out that any Statin drug depletes the body of coQ10. my primaryDr told me to continue taking coQ10 with the quarter pill of lipitor.I'm doing great on a quarter pill. I would like everyone to know that if they ask their dr

I want people to know my story. I am an RN of 23 years currently 44 years old. I was on Lipitor for 5 years started at 39. It did it job with lowering the blood levels etc.

Ten months ago I developed numbness, tingling and burning pain in my entire lower legs. I could not stand in one place it made the pain worse. I work ten hour shifts and I am on my feet the whole shift. I remember coming home and I could not stand the pain in both legs. Feet both would go numb. No back or disc problems. They ruled out diabetes. I had developed a perpheral neuropathy. Neuroton does help take the pain away folks. I would take 300mg at night at needed. I had the restless leg at night. My MD did not think much of all this ran the blood tests and that was about it. I kept mentioning it. Mind you my 47 year old MD also takes Lipitor.

Next fatigue exhausting I can't get out of bed fatigue. I have missed more days at my job in the 20 years I have been employed there. I knew something was wrong as I was so exahusted. I could hardly finish me shift. I got short of breath at the end of me shift.

I took MYSELF off the lipitor. Things got better a little. Four weeks later I still have the severe calf pain, fatigue still missing work, . Now more lab tests are orderd.

Ask your MD to do CPK levels on you this tells you if you have muscle injury or damage.Ok I have been off Lipitor for 4 weeks and my CPK level that I asked to be drawn is 1,225 normal high is 190. I have muscle injury and damage. I hope it is reversible. No wonder why I could not get out of bed.

Ask for those CPK levels. I think any prudent MD should check CPK levels along with the liver enzymes periodically.

I still have more lab test pending. I am on steroids prednisone for 10 days. I hope I can make it to work soon -they are shooting up all my vacation time with this.

This drug caused me a lot of pain , emotional distress, time lost from work.......... stress period. With my RN knowledge I have thought of possibly looking more legally into a Pfizer lawsuit. However; I live in Kalamazoo a lawyer my take my case but I would bet not many MD's in this town who their drug reps bankroll in free lunches and lavish gifts may not back me.

Educate yourself from my story and don't have to suffer atleast 10 months maybe 12 by now. I missed social and family events........... I was always in bed and could not get up just to shower and get ready for work.

Any questions email me. Vicky RN

Heart attack 15 years ago, bypass 5 years ago. Have been taking 40 to 80 mg lipitor per day for about a year after being switched from zocor due to high triglicerides (400+), high LDL & diabetes. Also taking zetia & niacin since March. Results, over last 5 months fatigue and short term memory impairment have become debilitating, affecting home & work. For awhile I thought it was all in my mind.
Stopped lipitor about a week ago and have noticed less fatigue & way better short term memory.
Lesson: Pay attention to what your body is telling you.

For past 3 weeks been having shoulder and neck pain, can't sleep at night and more hurtful. Taking Aleve for pain.
On Lipitor 10 mg a day. Started taking it 5 months ago.
Also can't lose weight, now I think it the lipitor that keeping me from losing on my diet program. I lose 2 lbs and gain it back next day, which seem like fluid retainment. I taking and blood pressure fluid reducer pill. I am going off lipitor as of today and see what happen. Cannot live this way, with the constant daily pain and if it is the lipitor I will soon know giving it time to be off it. On last check up, my ldl was under 100 so why in world am I on it. I might be changing doctors.
What I like to know is where do you find a doctor that not a pill pusher for the rx companies now a day. Grandma live to be 89 and on insuline twice a day, no meter testing. I am on insulin, meter testing, and now lipitor. Tired of being a testing human animal for rx companies, that take the drug off the market after a few years of damage. Age 66 years old, female.

I began taking Liptor on March 12, 2005, which is the day I had my heart attack. I have taken myself off of it on Nov. 3, 2005. Even during my cardiac rehab I had pain down my right leg and right foot. The nurse said is was from the surgery of going into the groin and putting two stents in my heart. However, on two occassions I've had chest pain and had to be hospitalized and the leg and foot was still bothering me. Now both my feet hurt very badly that I find it difficult to even walk around in a grocery store. I've went to a new cardiologist they did blood work and my LDL was 107 and my HDL was 47, making my total choleserol of 195. At one time, the total cholesterol guideline was s up with that?

The cardiologists need to listen to their patients and not worry about how much money they are going to make from the drug companies for prescribing all these drugs. Yes, they are fine in the beginning, but down the road all they are bad for you. I am going to find a better way to reduce my cholesterol naturally.

I'm a 48 yr male. I've been on lipitor since march 2005. My total cholesterol last month was 110, LDL 56, HDL 39. I had previously been on zocor for since june of 2004. my total before starting on statins was 250 with a high LDL of 185.

For the past couple of weeks i am starting to have right shoulder and arm pain. I am wonder if this is due to Lipitor. I am going to make an appt with another doctor. The doctor I'm seeing now will not take me off the statin due to the fact high cholesterol runs in my family. I feel that I am taking a more aggressive approach to this problem by eating a low fat high fiber diet with walking exercise 4-5 times a week.

I have written before about my disatrous experiences with statins especially Lipitor. Through the years, doctors have insisted I take them and I, like a good patient, never questioned that side effects to them were causing my problems. (knee pain, imbalance, muscle stiffness, etc.) I stopped Lipitor in Sept., 2004, and of course my cholesterol numbers spiked. I found a protocol suggested by LARRYHOR on a forum and, in desperation, tried it and it worked beautidully. In fact, my doctor said to keep doing whatever I was doing. My total cholesterol went from 293 to 226, HDL from 71 to 84, LDL from 188 to 112 and triglycerides from 166 to 152. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL was 4.1 and was brought down to 2.7. With this protocol it is necessary to take 8 pills a day but that didn't bother me if it worked and it did. My thanks to ****** for leading me to this. I have read and researched enough about the statins to really scare me. In fact, my husband, who is also a long time user has just been told his liver enzymes are higher and he has to stop Lipitor temporarily and have additional tests. He has had a quadruple by-pass, a stent and a pacemaker so the doctors have scared him into continuing Lipitor until now. I don't think doctors have stressed muscle pain, weakness and siffness enough or maybe they are unaware that all these symptoms can be caused by statin medication and not age, as I was told. As proof, my muscle pain, stiffness and knee pain are gone. Some of the other symptoms are long lasting or maybe permanent. At least, I have no pain.

Started Lipitor a week ago due to my bad LDL of 308 (oops). Within three days my legs, feet, and face (especially on my right side) began to swell so bad around my ankles and feet, I could barely walk. Called the doctor. He told me to drink Gatorade - but not to excess. Is he kidding?? This is the same guy that said I didn't have a thyroid problem last week either but my endo diagnosed me as hypothyroid. I may be playing Russian Rollette, but I'm stopping the Lipitor (or any other cholestrol drug for that matter). I smoke, eat junk food, and don't exercise anymore. But after even this tiny scare, I'm changing my ways. Will probably have to take something for the thyroid for awhile, but it can't be as bad as this crap. I know...more Gatorade...

WANT TO STOP USING CHOLESTEROL DRUGS?

DRAMATIC RESULTS!! Cholesterol Can Be Lowered
Without Drugs ..See Results Below

Doc told me to go on Statin Drug to lower my cholesterol. I refused knowing just some of the many dangerous side effects possible. After a thorough investigation I developed a regimen that gave me the following dramatic results.
......................Before......After......
Total Cholesterol.208.........146...........
LDL....................140..........85...........
HDL.....................45..........41...........
Triglycerides.......120.........100...........

This was accomplished with just 2 nutrients and 1 vitamin. I will gladly share my 2 page protocol with you Free of Charge with no strings attached. Just e-mail me at...

LARRYHOR@OPTONLINE.NET

Here is your opportunity to kick the drug habit

my side affects from statins (Lipitor) have been muscle pain in my legs and back. I also get aches in my knees and elbow joints. When I stop taking Lipitor, the aches dimish. After 4 weeks they are almost gone. If i go back on lipitor, even as little as 5mg, the side affects gradually reappear. i also take Zetia, it seems to have no side effects. the good news is my total cholesterol has dropped from 160 to 104 and my LDL is now 46. I also drink and eat a lot of soy products and take 1000mg of niacine a day. Before Lipitor, I used Pravacol and had similar side effects. I will know in another 4-8 weeks if the light headedness i have had for the last 4 years goes away.

November 23rd, 2004 - Tuesday

I have been reading all the postings about Lipitor.
It would appear the reactions from Lipitor has not
been good from all the postings. I have been taking
Zocor 40 mg. for over 5 years now. I have never
had one side effect from Zocor. In fact since being
on Zocor my HDL's have gone up and LDL's have
gone down and Trigs are maintained by diet. I have
a CBC done every 3 months for HDL, Trigs, LDL,
Liver Function and White Count (I don't have a Spleen)
and have always had good results. I have had a problem
getting my LDL's where they should be so had added
Zetia 10 mg. added daily with the Zocor 40 mg. and
the Zetia has corrected the LDL readings. I keep reading
what Lipitor has done to everyone. I am permanently
paralyzed and disabled and can not do the physical P.T.
that many have done when getting of Lipitor. Excercize
is not something I am able to do since I am bed bound and
have limited use sitting up in my electric wheel chair. It
would appear some people are going to have reactions to
different medications. I have always been very careful about
what px's I take. I am on 9 px's daily and Zocor and Zetia
have never had one negative effect on me in anyway. I would
feel after reading all about Lipitor and other Px's like it that
Zocor and Zetia are the only two I can speak of, and for me
they work great. The only thing I would impress on everyone
taking Zocor and Zetia is to when you have a CBC done to have
your doctor always have your Liver Function checked. In my
case I also have the White Count done. On these medications
it is always wise to read up about the medications before ever
taking. I am aware to always note if I was to have any muscel
pains or other side effects it can cause in some people. For my
Doctor who is a Cartiologist, I keep very good communication
with him and myself I keep up with the information about Zocor
and Zetia. After 5 plus years of taking Zocor I feel very blessed
to have a medication that gives the results it provides. I sure feel
for those of you that have had reactions. There are some antibiotics
I have had reactions to and know what it is like to have a reaction
to medications. It is a hit and miss when it comes to medication. I
for one read everything there is to find on any medication before I
put it in my system. Knowledge and self Management of your health
is something we must all do. The days of having your doctor give you
a PX for a medication and getting it filled at the Drug Store and never
asking any questions is long gone. The Pharmacy can surely answer
any reactions with other medications you are taking. I have found
through the years to have all the Medications your taking so when
you go to your doctor they know what your taking. I have 6 Specialist
and I keep them all updated on what each Doctor does and what the
medications I am taking. Any CBC Lab Test done I have sent to my
other Specialist who treat me. You would be amazed how much this
means to the other doctors and keeping everyone informed. As in any
medication, one can have a reaction even if it something you have taken
for years. The chemistry in the body can change at any time. In my case
I am very blessed to be able to take almost any medication to maintain
my life. I know many people who have many reactions to many medications
and for those I surely feel for you. Diet is very important and I stay on a
very basic homecooked meals. Never eating out due to the fact if I could
it is not safe with all the chemicals they put in processed foods. The saying
20 hands have touched your food and plate before it is served when you eat
out is very true. How many washed their hands before it arrived at your table?
So eating at home where everything is home made is the best. I use to be able
to use Bactrim antibiotic but now I can not. I found out I am not able to deal
with any antibiotic with Sulfur in it I can not handle. Cipro is the best in my
case for 2 of the 6 Chronic Illnesses I live with. You can always type in Google
any medication and read about everything about it. Just remember 100% of any
medication are going to have those who had a reaction from. No one is the same
and this is the hard part for any of us when needing to take medication to live.
I hope this has helped in someway and check into Zocor and Zetia. For me they
work great and I have told people about them for years. I have read about the other
medications like Zocor but if you take 40 mg. of Zocor and not 80 mg. you
should not have a problem unless your system reacts to it. The only danger I have
discovered with Zocor is those who took 80 mg. daily. Always remember to
always keep a list of any medications you are taking and always have the doctors
office make a copy so each doctor you go to even your dentist knows what your
taking and keep them updated to any changes. It is your body and you know it
better than anyone. It is also each of our respondsibility to manage our own
medical care because if you don't who will do it for you? You can not expect
all your doctors to do everything for you all the time. For many as I also remember
the days we would go to a doctor and get a shot and on your way. There were not
the medications we have today to help our medical. At the same time common
sense is only logical with taking any medication. ä

October 23, 2004 -- I started taking 10mg of Lipitor one week ago to lower my LDL. As the days went by I was not having good bowel movements. Reading that one of the side effects is constipation, I am convinced it is the Lipitor. The neuromuscular problems noted above really scare me. Should I get off of it?

I found your info by searching on the web and wanted to share my problems.

I was taking Pravachol for almost a year and had no problems. My physician wanted to get my LDL lower under new guidelines so he put me on 20mg of Lipitor in mid July 2004. In early September 2004, I noticed that the balls of my feet and toes felt like they were 'asleep' and my face was tingling. I asked my doctor about this and he sent me to a neurologist who did MRI's and MRA's and found nothing. They took my sugar readings and I came in at 130 after fasting 2 times. He says I have diabetes which is in the family. He's not too sure this is causing my symptoms so he's now sending me for a second opinion with another neurologist. I asked him if the change to lipitor could have precipitated theses symptoms(at my wife's urging). He said no.

I feel like I am a Zombie at times. He gave me 1800mg of neurontin for 10 days. This did absolutely nothing for me.

Everybody thinks I'm going Bonkers!!

I am a 49 years old and felt great until recently. Any help would be appreciated and if you would like more info let me know.

Thanks!!

Mike

I started 10mg Lipitor 18 months ago. I was 41, in very good physical shape (marathon runner), but had an elevated LDL that my doctor wanted to bring down because of my family history of heart disease.

In the past 18 months I have endured constant backaches, knee joint pains, calve pains, and constant headaches. Once I was hospitilized for severe dehydration that the doctors could not explain.

After reading all the posts here, I will stop the Lipitor for awhile and see if things improved.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone with a similar story.

******

Hi I have read the posts here with interest. I have been trying to get family and friends off of all meds! I firmly feel that doctors push pills too quickly when there are other methods to control cholesterol etc. My cholesterol was rather high a couple of years ago, and my doctor wanted to put me on lipitor. I asked for 6 months of dieting first and he agreed. When I ate less meat and more soy protein, no trans fat and less than 10 grams of saturated fat per day, my cholesterol lowered. My ldl was still high at 160 but my hdl was high at 60 and my tryglicerides lowered to 89, my doctor was so pleased that he said keep on doing what ever it is your doing! The real measurement is the ratio. My ratio is 4 (trying to get that lower now) a 4 is good and lower is much better. It's the hdl that makes the difference. I hope everyone can make the switch to a healhier approach to managing your cholesterol and bp. I am 53 by the way, and have never taken a bp or cholesterol med. Increase your soy intake and the #s will drop.
peace and love to all
christine

I'm 59, and eat a super-healthy diet, but my cholesterol has never been below 200. My doctor gave me an Rx for Zocor in March. Cholesterol 256, trig 223, HDL 45, LDL 167. I saw the horror stories here and elsewhere, decided to try alternatives first. Saw a post by Larryhor on another website and emailed him for his free protocol. After taking these supplements (plus a few I added myself after some research)for 16 weeks: cholesterol 188, trig 134, HDL 42, LDL 119. So my HDL went down 3 points, big deal! Everything's now in normal range, including HDL. I tore up the doctor's prescription. I don't know if it'll work for others, but it did for me.

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 started on 10mg of Lipitor a week ago. I have excellent cholesterol levels (total = 184; HDL = 77; LDL = 91), but because I am a diabetic (I have been for 35 years), my physician suggested that I begin taking the drug.
I feel like I am hooked up to a diazepam IV!!! I am totally zoned out and have very little energy...and I don't really care if I get any of my work done or (not good!) The other thing that is driving me crazy is that I am cold all the time. As I am typing this, it is 70 in the room and I have on a turtle neck sweater, two sweat shirts (one with a hood that is up), a pair of lined jeans, two pairs of socks, and down slippers...and I am STILL cold. Has anyone experienced this side effect? I don't think that this drug is for me...

NO NEED FOR CHOLESTEROL DRUGS.!!!!!! Try My Method.......

This really works. I'll gladly help you as I have helped myself for NO CHARGE. I use 1 vitamin and 2 nutrients. My cholesterol went down from 208 to 146. My LDL dropped from 140 to 85. I'll send you my 2 page protocol if you are interested. Just e-mail me at larryhor@optonline.net