Lipitor and legs

2 genetic mutations in the gene that encodes for the transporter protein responsible for moving anti cholesterol statin drugs into the liver to be detoxified. have been identified. This gene is "SLCO1B1" (also referred to in the scientific lit as "OATP1B1"). Drugs must be "detoxified" by organs within the body and then eliminated, otherwise the drug stays in the blood stream, building up to toxic levels. With either of the 2 mutations, statins have been found to be (from various studies) anywhere from 122% to 400% ABOVE NORMAL plasma statin levels. How many people have either of these mutations? (Population genetic studies were done in Finland on Caucasian pop--so all the #'s refer to Caucasian population) 25 % to 38% of ALL Caucasian possess one of these 2 mutations. Thus, for however many yrs someone with one of these mutations has taken a statin, the level of the statin in their blood stream conceiveably could have been 400% ABOVE normal statin levels. ALll those pharmacologic effects of statins--decreased coenzyme q10, depressed manufacture of dolichols, depressed manufacture of selnproteins and thus glutathione, interrupted production of GTPases and glycoprotein function, decreased brain cholesterol levels--neuron synapses and new growth of neurons depend upon brain choelsterol--are intensified unrelentingly for the length of time the drug is taken.

I am a generally active and fairly healthy 77 yr old who had been taking 10 mg of Lipitor for over 12 years with no obvious adverse effects. Recently I started having pain in my right leg, severe enough to wake me at night. This was followed by a significant weakness in both legs, and for a while, accompanied by a lightheartedness. The doctor had me take a series of lumbar and leg x-rays which didn't show much of significance. He wrote a prescription for physical therapy, which I did not follow.
I did internet research on my own which made me aware that Lipitor could be the cause, in spite of the fact that I had tolerating the drug for so many years. I told the Doctor of my suspicions and we agree to stop the Lipitor for at least 6 weeks to see. A few days later, all my symptoms were gone. So be cautious, adverse effects from Lipitor can occur anytime.

After several attempts to lower my cholesterol, my doctor has settled on 40 mg of Lipitor, but, after reading these comments, I'm going to self-medicate and work my way off the drug completely. My main complaint is the fatigue and brain fog others have experienced. I do have a shoulder that has developed pain and weakness, and my legs don't seem to be as strong as they used to be, but it's the fatigue and memory/cognitive slowness that concern me the most. Also, like others, I assumed it was normal aging (I'm 58 and have been on statins for about eight years). I'll report my results after getting this stuff out of my system. Good luck to everyone going through this...we're not crazy after all, huh?

I have been taking Lipitor for about 6 years suddenly developed a rash on my shoulders and chest. My doctor diagnosed SCABIES!!so I treated myself for that then the rash progressed so I had a biopsy done and after 3 months of agony my slin specialist had taken me off Lipitor as theh test showed a reaction to a drug. I am still itchy prickly and burning on arms legs and hands and cannot tolerate cortisone cream so am on tablets for a week..can anyone relate to this condition? My scalp is also very dry and scaly.

I have used Lipitor and/or other satins for many years. I had to get off a generic a year ago and went back to Lipitor. I believe it caused my tinnitus and muscle and nerve issues all over my body. I recently stopped taking it and now 4 weeks later I am getting some relief. I did find something that has really lowered my triglycerides and my cholesterol. It is a brand new diet supplement that contains a new source of omega 3 and antioxidants. contact me and I will give more info on this wonderful all natural wellness product. It really helped me.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

Well here is an update from my last post of April 23, 2009.

I am now free from all the headaches, chest pain vertigo almost gone, legs are great, breathing is 100%. So I am still off of Lipitor, and I will stay off.
I have done a tremendous amount of looking online about these satin drugs, and as far as I am concern they are poison for me. Maybe they are good for some I don't know, but not me.
Thank you God for listing to my friends in New York about this stuff, I will not be a guinia pig for any drug company anymore.
God Bless,
L. B., Maine

Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do you have to stop it slowly? I have been taking Lipitor for 5 years now and I have been trying to find out what is causing my leg weakness. I mentioned it to my doctor who said it si just a fact of getting older. The problem is getting worse and I noticed it started about 3 months after taking the Lipitor and has steadily gotten worse. I am 49 years old a little over weight {which I am working on}. I also noticed my asthma which I haven't delt with since a small child has come back. This may or may not have to do with the Lipitor but the pain in my knees and legs I believe do. It really hurts in the joints of my legs and sometimes in my shoulder area.

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.

My mother, who is in her early 70's, is diabetic and had high cholesterol. She had been taking Lipitor and the doctor increased her dosage. She was experiencing muscle pain for some time, especially when she woke in the morning. The muscle pain worsened and her muscles became very weak. She had been complaining to her doctor for some time. It took a chiropractor to suggest it was the Lipitor. Her doctor finally ordered blood work and her enzyme levels were at 9500. She was immediately hospitalized, tests run and IV's given to flush the Lipitor from her system. She was expected to slowly recover. After weeks, her levels dropped to 6500 then began to rise. Her doctor now says her muscle damage is permanent and plans to give her prednisone to stop the inflammation. This muscle damage is a terrible "side effect" for a drug that was supposed to help her. She can hardly get up or down from a sitting or lying position, can hardly walk and her lifestyle has been severely curtailed. She is also exhausted all the time.

I am 43yrs old took lipitor for 2 months.I started having weak muscles,felt like i had worked out all the time.I started gaining weight,which i have always been pretty slim, my feet hurt so bad just to get out of bed is very painful. My legs are weak just to pull myself from sitting position i have to have help.My doctor rechecked my blood the lipitor made my protein,cq-10 very low.I have been off of it for 1 month feeling little relief .Taking cq-10 small improvement i would rather have high cholesterol than feel the pain, by the way i am female i also had stomach pains and heartburn which i have never had this medicine needs to be removed i am very upset for what it has done to me.

I get these painful cramps in both legs the back of my legs above my
calf muscles. They always come after midnight when I am asleep. i
get up and I have to walk 30 minutes or more until they stop,and for
two days my legs are sore.

Hi . I am a 69yr old male. My doctor has recently increased my Lipitor from 20 to 40mg. My cholesterol reading was 3.6 which he considered to high after a quad bypass. I am suffering painful cramps down the front of both lower legs as well as cramps down the back of my lower right leg. I plan to revert to 20mg to see if the cramps stop. I am not sure if I should stop completely.

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 68yr old female with neuropathy in both feet and it feels like it is traveling up my legs slowly. My fingers are very sensitive and sometimes they itch uncontrollably. My fingernails are brittle and hair loss has subsided since I cut my dosage of lipitor from 60 mg to 40mg. I was also on lisinopril - and quit it about 3 months ago. I have been reduced to a sitting zombie - not able to sleep at night and able to sit for 3 hours every day unable to move - am I doomed to this life because of lipitor?

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).

I have atherosclerosis and had a triple bypass in 1996 - since then I have been taking lipitor - first started out at 40 mg and just recently started taking 80 mg. I can relate to the leg cramps - both my right and left calf are pretty knotted up, and my calf muscles twitch somewhat when I get in bed - and then just prior to waking up I usually get a cramp in one or both legs. I have really had no other side effects - I excercise regularly on the elliptical machine. I feel like maybe drinking more water might alleviate the cramps - I'm going to religiously try to keep hydrated this year. Even so, I do feel like the cramping is a result of the medicine.

I took Lipitor for about 6 months. Right after I began taking it, my legs, especially my right leg began hurting. I got off the drug at 6 months because my legs hurt so badly I could not sleep at night. I just had X-rays of my right knee done, and I have almost no cartridge left on my right knee cap. I now may have to have knee replacement therapy. My doctor that put me on the lipitor said that it was not the lipitor that caused. I think it is very odd the pain began when I started the drug.

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've been on 10 mg of Lipitor for approx 2yrs. A few months back I began experiencing severe constant right hip pain. A could walk through it, but had many sleepless nights due to the unrelenting deep pain. I had difficulty lifting my right leg without support from my arms. I'm 54 and otherwise in pretty good health. I stopped taking the Lipitor about 2 weeks ago and while I still have some pain it has decreased about 75%. I can sleep at night and am even pain free some of the time. If anyone has had a similar experience would appreciate knowing and if the pain eventually subsides and any suggestions to support the healing process.

I have just started taking Lipitor this week and starting searching the internet about side effects. This site has really helped me. I am already having light cramps in my legs and my diabetes has already done nerve damage to my feet so I sure don't need any drug doing it. I also had nausea the first two or three days.

And now that I think about it I have also had headaches off and on for the last few days and I never have headaches. A rash has broken out on my shoulder and I never would have connected it to Lipitor if not for the information I read here.

I am calling my doctor Monday. I got myself into this mess by not eating right, I can get myself out by eating right. Already take CQ10 and fish oil, glad to know that was a good decision.

Thanks

started 10 mg in 1998. was controlling everything ok. In 2004 developed weakness in both legs, started slurring words and eye trouble, went to several doctors then in April 2005 had to quit work as I was just to weak. That was at age 54. Finally a neurologist diagnosed me with Myasthenia gravis, and lambert eatons myasthenic syndrome. Had my thymus gland removed, which is supposed to put disease in remission, also had small cell lung cancer surgery at same time. improvement did not come and the drugs for myasthenia only made me sick. started having chest pains and doctors ,.found several blockages in my heart ,still do as to weak for surgery, cardiologist took me off of lipitor and I seem to have stabilized, still have trouble with short term memory, and vision, and really weak

I have been on lipitor about 4 yrs. I am a runner and keep tract of my times. I have been losing about 4% of my speed each year and have recently had a large amount of muscle fatigue. Today a ran a 940 pace and thought I was not going to make it home. Three years ago my average pace was 805. Could the 20mg dosage be causing this problem?

I am a 60 yr old woman, and have been on statins for several years, most recently 40 mg. I have been getting more and more side affects over the years that I kept attributing to age, overweight, lack of exercise. After reading so many of these postings, I stopped the statin in March. Some of the side affects i.e. the aches in my arms, hands went away fairly quickly. But my legs still ache so much and the muscles in them seem to be weak, I have a hard time standing up from a sitting position. Do any of you know if it sometimes takes this long for symptoms to go away or is it possible that they won't???

Hi
I started taking 10 mg. daily ofLipitor 8 yrs. ago and about a year later I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. There's no test for Fibro, just blood tests to elimate everything else ex: Lupus, RA etc. I've been suffering so much from muscle pain, all the tender points as in Fibro and also diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three doctors diagnosed me with Fibro. and chronic fatigue. I had most of the symptoms everyone else is complaining about also. The pain in my stomach muscles are just about gone too.

It reached a point three weeks ago when I was having sharp pains all over my body and muscle cramps and charlie horses at night and I could just about walk up the stairs my hips hurt so much that decided to stop Lipitor. I was so tired all the time and in constant pain.

My doctors said it couldn't be the Lipitor. The pain in most of the tender points are just about gone but I know it will take a while to get out of my system. I lost muscle strength over the years and hope to get that back. I'm 64 years old and know it will take awhile .

I went to my doctor Tuesday and told him I took myself off the Lipitor and that I now remember being diagnosed with Fibro shortly after going on Lipitor. He got so mad at me and said that Lipitor doesn't cause a disease. As I said there's no test for Fibro and it's not a disease it's a syndrome or condition where the brain sends pain signals to the tender point muscles but there's nothing actually wrong with the muscles. I told him that 6 years ago when I tried going off Lipitor for 3 months and joined a gym, Curves, I felt fine and thought I was in remission. Then when I started taking Lipitor again I couldn't do the exercise in Curves and had to stop going. It never dawned on me it was the Lipitor.

I now have a problem with my heart, one condition I might have been born with but the Arrthymia I don't know about. My heart beats too many beats and it beats 4 beats and the 5th beat is backwards. Now I'm on 25mg of Topricin (the generic) beta blocker to slow down the heart beats. I don't know if this is caused by the Lipitor or not. My cardiologist said that Lipitor can affect every muscle in your body and she suggested that I get a RX for a blood test to tell whether I have muscle damage. I went for the test Tuesday but haven't received the results yet.

I'm going to change doctors, I don't like my doctor's attitude with me over the Lipitor. These doctors think they're God. When I told him on Tuesday about the 3 months that I felt fine 6 years ago he said that there are other drugs besides statins to lower cholesterol. I don't want to go on any drugs and the non statin drugs can cause intestinal blockage, he got upset when I told him that too. I'm going to try to lower it with flaxseed and fiber and see if that works. I go to Weight Watchers and kept 17 lbs. off for 6 years now, I do try and eat healthy.

I can't believe it cost me almost 8 years of my life in pain. It's even hard for me to get down on the floor with my granchildren, I have to crawl to the couch or chair to lift myself up and I get tired so easily. I just hope I get back to normal.

I'm so glad I found this website and figured out what was wrong with me. I hope my writing helps someone else dignosed with Fibromyalgia and taking a statin.

Thanks for listening.
Marie