Lipitor and liptor

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.

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.

This is an update. I have experienced "some" problems trying to get Doctors to believe that my muscle problems are Lipitor related. I was sent this by a nurse. It is not the full page.

"2005 Mosby's Nursing Drug Reference (pg.155)

atorvastatin
Lipitor

Uses: As an adjunct in primary hypercholesterolemia

Interactiions:
*Risk of possible rhabdomyolysis; azole antifungaals,
cycloSPORINE, erythromycin, niacin, gemfibrozil, clofibrate".

Guess what? I have been using an azole antifungal intermittently for the entire time I was on Lipitor. It is not a medication I "take". It is used topically for a fungal nail which refuses to clear up. You may have been using it for athletes foot.
Now one pharmacist says a topical application cannot cause this interaction and another pharmacist says it is almost certain that the azole antifungal gets into the blood stream and will interact with the Lipitor. I have to laugh.
Next week I start Physical Therapy on my left elbow.

15 years ago, at the age of 35, I had a major heart attack. After testing, the doctors decided I needed a quadruple bi-pass operation, followed by Lipitor, among other things. I was taking 20mg (the doctor ordered 40mg), but due to financial reasons I took only half. Everything was just great for 15 years. During a routine annual physical this year, my doctor noticed that my liver enzymes were off the chart high. He immediately had me discontinue the Liptor, but stay on all of my other medications. One month later, my liver enzymes were normal, and so was everything else; however, my cholesterol had climbed to 204, and I eat no meat, eggs, or other dairy products. They say my liver damage is permanent. Having had 4 lumbar surgeries and 1 cervical surgery to fuse disks in my spine, I have always attributed my back and other muscle pains to that. Now that I have been of the Lipitor for 3 months, I have not noticed in decrease in pain in these areas.

I wrote the message below on March 9th, 2008, but I think it might be useful if I repeat it.

Please educate yourself.

Are you really sure that it`s high cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

All statins have similar side effects!!
_________________________

It`s very disturbing to read all these stories. I really feel for you.

My experience comes from seeing what happened to people close to me.

They all took statins.

I started to look for information on statins, and other medications in 2004 and it continues to this day although two of my relatives are dead.

I have nothing to do with the health or pharmaceutical industry.

I saw the suffering and it made me very angry.

I am an ordinary lady in her sixties who live in Sweden.

The situation is almost the same here as in the U.S.

There is very little discussion about risks/benefits with this kind of medicatications - or others.

I think it`s a good idea to turn to the Internet and books to get other views about the cholesterol issue.

Is it really true that it`s the cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

Are you sure?

Please visit:

*******

******

*****

Also search articles etc on "Stopped our statins" and on the names of the different authors below.

Also read:

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

The Truth about the Drug Companies (Marcia Agnell)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel M. Kauffman)

There are many more.

Please look on the Internet for more information about each book.

It´s good to have some other information than the one given by doctors because most of them have been "educated" by the pharmaceutical companies themselves - and why should they talk about risks, side effects etc. They are interested in profits.

Finally - here are some side effects that I have seen:

pains in legs, hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, cracking noise in ribs, muscle weakness, loss of hair, head ache, burning, tingling sensations in hands and feet, numbness, difficulties to swallow, loss of taste, ringing noise in ears, cramps, insomnia, irritation, depression, difficulty with short-term memory and then advancing into more serious problems.

These side effects - for 3 different people - all over 65 - did not come at once.

All of them had taken statins for years (Zocor)

It doesn´t matter which product -all statins have similar side effects.

Search for "Stopped our statins" on Google. It´s a very informative site and under "print articles" there are som articles that you can take along to your doctor for discussion.

I particularly like the one from Weston Price Foundation
and explains the different statin studies and side effects. .

My relatives also had some other medications which makes it even easier for doctors (and patients) to say that it`s just old age.

I am happy for those who get problems right away because then there maybe a chance for the patient and the doctor to see that there is a connection.

You really have to look out for yourself and the people around you!

Good Luck.

I too am taking Lipitor and have been for a couple of years now.
On Nov.19th I was given the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.
Now I read the side effects and they are they same!

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

72 year old male,been on 10mg lipitor over 5 years,last month developed pain in both shoulders that spread down my armsalmost to my elbows,then pain started traveling from shoulders across the top of my back to the top of my spine.started insomnia over a year ago ,but never connected it to lipitor.Have stopped taking liptor last week ,the pain has lessened slightly,will stay off lipitor for a month to evaluate any improvement.
Lou3161

Male age 50. Used Lipitor 20mg for 10 months, having previuosly taken Lescol and Zetia. I am suffering very serious side effects including: slurred speach, loss of muscle mass and strength in right arm and hand, sore right foot, muscle tremors, severe cramps in legs and abdomen. I stopped Liptor 6 weeks ago. Cramps have stopped but little improvement in other conditions.

My Mum took liptor for 2 weeks it almost killed her. Her muscles degenerated and her liver almost gave up. 2 years afterwards she is still suffering.

She has found relief by taking each day a teaspoon of a good quality powdered form of MSM, also powdered Noni.

She has also done a cleanse using 3 teaspoons of powder activated charcoal for 5 days. She also did a colon cleanse by taking one tablespoon for seven days of calcium bentonite clay and also pascalite bentonite clay.

She also cleanse her liver by drinking the juice of one organic lemon each morning one hour before food for seven days.

She drinks Naked\Odwalla carrot juice to help cleanse the blood and Naked\Odwalla Green Machine\Green Superfood, helps with pain and gives energy.

She also uses white willow and ashgawandha for pain and swelling.

I have been using Lipitor (only 10mg) since Jan 06 and have started to feel pins and needles all over my body. My face, hands, legs and feet. My right legs goes weak and both my feet are numb. As I type right now my hands are numb. I asume it's the lipitor but worry it's something more serious. My GP said it's possibly side effects from Lipitor but suggested the benefits out weigh the side effects. However he suggested an alternative prescription to be taken immediately. He also stated that if I came off the Liptor now and waited awhile before taking the new drug it would be three months before it kicked in so he wants me to start the new drug immediately. I have stopped taking Lipitor since Thurs last 18th May and will not take the alternative until I get the results of blood tests. I'm worried that because I'm on a small dose and it's only 4 1/2 months since I started taking the Lipitor that it may not be side effects at all. Any positive comments would be appreciated.

I have inherited high cholesterol and have been on Lipitor for over a year,first 10,then 20 now 40 mg. For the past year I have gone from exercising 4 to 5x's a week to feeling like Im 80 (Im 43) chronic shoulder pain,neck pain,hip pain and leg pain. I have been to pt,neurologist,orthapedic dr. and even had an mri. No diagnosis. Today my chiropracter asked what meds I was on and was really concerned that my problem could be the liptor. Has anyone had success with flaxseed oil and omega 3 for lowering cholesterol?? I was reluctant to take this drug to begin with but with my family history of heart disease, I went along with it.

After being on liptor for about six weeks I began to feel very depressed and unmotivated and weepy. I had pain in my shoulder and back and left arm and forearm and couldn't sleep at night. I had tingling in both hands. All in all I was miserable. My doctor has since taken me off-only a couple of days off-but already all of the above symptoms have disappeared. I am trying to control my high cholestrol with diet and exercise only. It was only slightly high!

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 started taking Liptor, maybe 2-3 months ago. I too have experienced the muscle problem in my knee and elbow. I also have the tired feeling. What I am wondering about is, I have been having a aching feeling in stomach. Has anyone else had this type of a symptom' while they were taking Liptor. I just went to see my doctor the other day; and he took me off of Liptor. I have decided, just to go to Weight Watchers; and reduce my cholesterol natrually. You figure medicnes are chemicals. For every chemical there is a reaction. If I had know the side effects of this drug, I never would have taken it. I glad to have this web sight. I feels good to be able to ask these questions. MMcG

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

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

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

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

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

If you guys think you had a rough time with Lipitor read this.

I sufferered a heat attack at the age of 45 without knowing I had high Cholesterol. They put me on 80mg of Lipitor for about 8 years. About 2 years ago I was suffering so much body pain they tested me for Rhumatoid and although the tests were negitive off they sent me to the Rhumatoid Doctor who said I had classic Rhumatoid. They put me on Prednazone and Methotrexate which is about the worst drugs of all.

After 2 years my live function fails so they reduce my metho and increase the pred BUT KEEP ME ON LIPITOR ???????

I took myself off Lipitor and within 4 weeks my Liver tests go back to normal BUT THEY WANT ME TO STAY ON LIPITOR ????

I said NO WAY so I started to also reduce the Pred and the Metho. I'm now down to 1 mg of pred and 5mg of Metho and NO LIPTOR.

Results so far are as follows:

Body pains have continued to reduce
Skin has started to clear up
Sleep is better
Mental upsets have reduced to almost nothing
plus plus plus

Now I don't think I have Rhumatoid and if I'm correct then there needs to be a full enquiry into the side effects if Lipitor and the doctors who diagnosed me. If I have Rhumatoide then time will tell.

Good luck everyone
Bob

After taking liptor for six weeks my blood test showed Kidney disfunction. The doctor prescribed a twenty four hour urine test. Could this disfunction, which I never had before be attributed to first use of Liptor?

I have been on lipitor for five weeks and I've been trying to figure out during this time why I feel achey,sore mucles,stiffness in my joints(feet and hands especially)back ache, just a general overall achey condition. I've had every blood test run to see if I have any signs of arthritis and I don't. People including doctors have told me I probably have Fibromyalgia, so I've been looking for how to treat that, then I read all the side effects of liptor. I am stopping the lipitor today and hope this pain will all go away. I've been extremely healthy all my life (57)until this. STOP TAKING

Hi there:

I came down with an upper respiratory infection which caused me to have a tight feeling in my arms and legs for a couple of weeks. About two weeks later I started Lipitor, only 10mg. It seems to have made the weakness in my legs and arms worse. In addition, my upper legs and arms are sometimes weak. I can barely walk for more than an hour or two a day at times/ This happens especially after exercise. Exercise makes me feel good but I pay for it after. I went off Lipitor for a week and the fatigue went away. But now I'm back on it and those symptoms are worse again. My doc thinks that the symptoms are not from Liptor but fatigue from the URI. However, I am thinking the Lipitor made the muscle fatigue worse.

leg twitches when at rest. I am liptor 10 for four months. There are a sudden onset (1 week). I dont know for sure what is wrong. Anyone with similar symptoms, I would be really interested in hearing from you.

Thanks