Lipitor and medication

Whilst taking Lipitor...Life wasn't worth living.....it felt like electric shocks zapping the muscles in my back and shoulder. I just couldnt live with the pain in my muscles and joints. Doctor changed me to Ezetrol to lower my cholesterol which only gave minimal pain in my shoulder and joints and this time even my fingers. I tried CQ10 but it never really stopped the pain. I read on the internet that TUMERIC (spice) helps clense the liver, and is a powerful antioxidant and anti inflammatory....AND IT WORKED for me....NOW I WONT MISS TAKING IT FOR FEAR OF PAIN RETURNING.
I take 1 teaspoon morning and 1 teaspoon evening in small amount of water to swallow {it tastes disgusting} Now I buy empty gel capsules from chemist size "000" and fill them with Tumeric, so taking 2 capsules morning and 2 capsules evening is more bearable.....I would recommend this to anyone, but first check with your chemist or healthfood store that it is safe for you.

Pfizer and the rest of the pharmaceutical companies rule this country, and it seems to me, control our doctors as well. I am a young woman, athletic, a health-nut, my eating habits have always been excellent; HOWEVER, my body naturally produces an "excess" amount of cholesterol. My total cholesterol ranges from 215 to 250. It tends to fluctuate. High cholesterol is the only “contributing factor” I have of the multitude of abominable factors (the main one being STRESS). From what I have read, it seems to me that the "acceptable" total number, according to the AMA, has been gradually lowered over the years. In the 1990s it was acceptable to have a total number no higher than 250. Now, the number needs to be below 200. I smell a rat. This rat is the drug companies aiming to get as many healthy, young people on these statin drugs. It is actually quite sinister, in my opinion.

Before I became aware of this nonsense, I too, was prescribed Lipitor. I took Lipitor for about 4 years - 20 mg. During my fourth year I experienced muscle spasms, and on one occasion experienced thigh numbness in a very small narrow area that lasted for 24 hours. I told my doctor about this and he gave me a grocery list of the possible causes as to why this was happening, of course, not one of the reasons he rattled off was Lipitor. I took myself off of the drug and changed doctors. I now go to a holistic/Integrative medicine specialist (you know, the ones that are very knowledgeable about the natural approach, but lack the support of health insurance companies. For some reason we still live in era of 1692 as the health insurance companies are fearful of these so-called “voodoo/witch” doctors; therefore, refuse to carry them). My new doctor has been most helpful, and has alleviated much stress for me by relaying the TRUE realities of cholesterol that this society has built up into such a monster. I am now working on lowering my cholesterol naturally by NOT changing my eating habits as though they were poor to begin with, but adding foods that combat cholesterol. My spasms have subsided, but I do get an occasional twitch here and there. I am hoping it will go away altogether over time.

I would suggest that you all look into alternative medicine. Mainstream doctors are too busy, too entrenched in conventional medicine that is dictated by drug companies who are getting filthy rich at the expense of our health!

I've been taking Lipitor for over two years. I have been to 3 doctors about the rash on the bottom of my feet and ankles. If they knew what is was, they didn't tell me. They all gave my oral steroids and ointment. It comes back as soon as I stop. By reading this site, it has to be the Lipitor. Damn it!!! I have spent a fortune and been scared and miserable just because idiot doctors never asked about my medication. I literally feel sick to my stomach as I type this.

I have been taking Liptor for a couple of years with no drastic side effects but last spring i suddenly developed a blister like rash on the soles of my feet and on the inside arch. I presumed it was from the heat as I come from a warm climate.my doctor put it down to a bacterial infection. i medicated with creams all summer . there were times that it got better but never cleared completely. looking forward to the cold winter in the hope that it would go away. no such luck. i began to suspect that maybe it could be an allergic reaction to medication. now reading about all these side effects i wonder if Liptor is causing it. Has anyone else had this problem. its driving me crazy

I am a 54 year old woman with a family history of heart disease and premature death. Even though my cholestrol levels fall within the normal range, because of my family history I was prescribed a low dose of lipitor just over two weeks ago. After only 1 week I began experiencing tingling all over my body, from tips of toes to my scalp. I also felt nauseous, irritable and tired. I persisted for another week on lipitor thinking I may need to just ride it out. However tingling has worsened so I stopped the medication two days ago after being on it for just over two weeks. I still have the tingling, however it has only been two days since I stopped the medication so am hoping there is no long term damage.
Carolyn

I am a 58 year old white female taking 10 mg Lipitor for a couple years along with hydrochlorthiazide for high blood pressure and Effexor for depression. On Sunday night I was awakened by sharp intractable pain in my right thigh. Neither aspirin nor Tylenol reduced the pain at all. As Monday progressed my thigh, above and below my knee began to swell and throb, reduce my range of motion, and continue to cause increasing pain. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I finally could bear no weight on that leg. It was warm, swollen, and tender to the touch. Nothing made it better. I was alternately hot and chilled. I went to the ER where they did xrays and tried four times to tap what they thought must be an effusion. But there was no fluid in the joint space and the joint looked good on xray. They gave me an orthopedic referral, pain medication, and crutches. I now think I suffered extreme and sudden toxic side effects to the Lipitor I stopped taking on Monday because I could not hold anything down - another side effect of the Motrin. My range of motion in the right knee is much improved but the swelling and discomfort is decreased but not gone. I hope that it will improve over time. I had originally thought I was suffering from overuse of the muscles but I had not done anything unusual beyond my usual yoga, walking, strength training.

I'm the 70 year old woman who posted my severe side effects from Lipitor, a few weeks ago and that I had stopped taking it.

Well good news, I now feel 99% better. I can walk again up the stairs and get out of my car without any problems. My atopic dermatitis, eczema has almost completely cleared up, all this happened after taking Lipitor for 4 years. This is just amazing to me and I thank God I discovered the culprit before it went on any further. Wow all this due to unnecessary prescribing of a drug.

Plus I had gone to a foot doctor about the pain and rash in my feet and ankle, he didn't ask me what drugs I was taking at all and that should have been the first obvious question. The foot doctor said it was eczema and inflammation only, no mention of it being drug induced. Another doctor said it was not my hip, but my knee, again, inflammation.
Good news, I now have no inflammation, swelling and pain is all gone! I feel like a new, regular, normal human being again :D

So this is a warning and a good proof to all of you with muscle & joint problems after being prescribed Statins/Lipitor. Stop taking it as a test and see if you get better. It's now been 1 1/2 months since I stopped taking it, I'm 99% better :D I can walk up the stairs and get out of my car without a problem now. My atopic dermatitis is 99% gone :D This is after I had been on 20mg Lipitor for four years when it started.

If I hadn't realized this and done my own research thru the marvelous internet I'm sure I would have been told I needed knee or hip surgery. Then of course prescribed even more dangerous unnecessary drugs.
It's a vicious cycle, doctors prescribing more and more drugs to combat the side effects they don't contribute to other problems. I'm glad I did, I won't take any ore drugs without doing my own research for now on.

I read that to much homocysteine in the blood my be responsible for heart disease, not cholesterol and to lower this naturally, the same way as high cholesterol with the correct foods, mainly greens and supplements of minerals and B complex. I read it here, always great articles of truths,
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/05/Does-High-Cholesterol-REALLY-Cause-Heart-Disease.aspx.

THE BEST OF BETTER HEALTH TO ALL OF YOU. MY ADVICE? STAY AWAY FROM DOCTORS, GO ONLY WHEN YOU MUST. TAKE DRUGS ONLY IF YOU MUST AND NO OTHER NATURAL REMEDY AND AS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH ONLY. OTHERWISE TRY ALL NATURAL OLD FASHIONED REMEDIES FOR AILMENTS FIRST AND FOREMOST. BEST TO YOU ALL :D

I started taking Lipitor in April 2009 and my Dr prescribed 10 mg per day. As I usually have negative reactions to medications I compromised & agreed to take it every other day. I am a healthy 56 year old woman and the only medication I take is hormone replacement therapy. I am also in pretty good shape physically. At the end of July I herniated two disc's in my lower back, the L6 & L7, after a day of normal yard work. I could not move for two days and experienced the worst pain of my life. At the time I did not make any connection between Lipitor and this event. The recovery was slow and painful. In Sept I also began to experience sharp pains in my thigh. I read the side effects again regarding Lipitor and determined that this drug is most likely the cause. I decided to stop taking the drug and after three to four weeks the thigh muscle pain disappeared and my back pain significant decreased. Just to make sure I was not imaging the whole thing I took Lipitor twice in the past week and my back pain symptoms returned and I experienced the muscle pain in my thigh again. I was so bad it woke me up. After reading more about Lipitor and the effect it is having on my quality of life I am done with this drug. Although it did reduce my cholesterol I will find another way to control the LDL's & HDL's.

I am a 52 year old female and my bad cholesterol is fine but my good cholesterol is low. I have been taking Lipitor now for a few years and have numb hands and feet to the elbows and knees. My feet are extremely sensitive, worse at night and now I'm getting sharp pains that feel like a bug just bit me. My tongue is also always numb and I do get migraines.I have insane stomach issues and food intolerance. I also take medication for high blood pressure, acid reflux, & thyroid. I have now been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes but control that with diet so far. Until four years ago I had nothing wrong with me. I am slim and healthy. I had a lump in my thyroid which was removed and there was a trace of cancer. Then like dominos all the other conditions lined up. I have had MRIs and all the tests and doctors insist that I am not a severe enough diabetic to have neuropathy. I can hardly wear shoes now and it hurts when I wear runners while I walk and exercise. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? I hate that my health has become so much a part of my daily life. Does anyone have neuropathy as a result of Lipitor and am I even taking the the right medication since I don't have high cholesterol?

Well I have been on Lipitor 80mg for years (family history of high cholesterol) although no hearts attacks/strokes ever been attributed to the h/chol....without sounding like I'm a hypo I have 3 disk out in my lower back & years ago suffered intense back as a result...the pain which seems to be now all over is horrid ...I have been thinking that it was perhaps arthritis & old age (59yrs).....several months ago I mentioned it to doctor he said Lipitor could cause side effects but he'd keep an eye on it....well this morning after googling "Lipitor" iv'e made a decision & that is to get rid of this medication...everything I'm reading sounds just like what I have been experiencing...thanks for the input I think I have come to realize that it is the medication that is causing all my problems.

I have been on LIPITOR for years 10mg. at least 8years my doctor told me as long as my blood tests were normal "I had nothing too worry about" through the years I had so many health problems,along with so many tests I thought this pain was normal.My pain was gradually getting worse I started to think this pain has to be because of my age.I'm 67yrs old. Last week I had an appointment with one of many Drs. I mentioned that I felt more pain than usual when I told him I was taking Lipitor he was concerned I was told this medication I should stop but it was up to me if I wanted too or not. I had an appointment with another doctor the same day to found out the results of all my blood tests. I was pleased that all my blood were within normal range but there was the blood test for muscle enzyme,CPK was mildly elevated. I was told that Lipitor could make that test elevated. I had another test that that day and was called and was told that that blood test was elevated a little more.I have been off Lipitor for one week now and never going back to taking Lipitor again. I'm so glad I found out about Lipitor and the damage it could do to your health. I'm also grateful for finding this sight by accident. I hope one day I will feel better also I'm not going back to the Dr. that started me on Lipitor and wanted me to stay on it!

I am a 61 year old mail. Two years ago I suffered chest pain resulting in the fitting of two stents was placed on Lipitor and had the usual liver function test which proved normal. Initially I was put on a low dose but as my cholesterol level did not improve eventually I was placed on 80mg which is the highest dose and this did lower my cholesterol level to a satisfactory level. A few months ago I had severe unexplained back pain which I thought might be due to the statin and when I stopped taking it, very quickly the pain went. I have restarted the medication for about 6 weeks now and in the last few days have had intense pain in my lower legs, hips and lumbar region. I have decided now to stop taking the drug and will be seeing my doctor shortly. Although I am taking other medication (amlodipine, perindopril and bisoprolol) for blood pressure I feel quite sure that my intolerable pain is due to the statin.

Cholesterol slightly elevated Dr. recommended 10mg dosage. Began experiencing neck and shoulder pain, dizziness, nausea, foot stiffness and leg numbness up to the lower thigh. Voluntarily stopped the medication after four months. All noticed side effects disappeared except for the foot stiffness and leg numbness. It has been 2 1/2 years and these remaining side effects are constant. Not optimistic for recovery. Anyone else with similar symptoms?

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.

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.

What a rotten drug. The past seven months have been hell for me. I am 42 years of age and put on this crap last November. I have suffered from bad headaches, leg cramps, Insomnia, Plantar Fasciitis, mood swings and the list goes on. After seeing this site and all your responses I believe the best thing to do is get of the crap. I will write in 2 weeks to give an update.
cheers from Down Under

The risk of side effect of cholesterol lowering medication double and increase the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis if taken with these drugs. Fibrates(another type of cholesterol drug)
erythromycin(an antibiotic) ,Anti fungal medication
Niacin vit B3 at high dose( prescription doses) and cyclosporine ( an anti -rejection drug for patient who have had an organ donation) .these are from the book Australian S. C. she is liver doctor as well as extra research about cholesterol drug.her book title is Cholesterol the real truth
(are the drug you take making you sick).

took lipitor and erythromycin and now have neuropathy

I have been on Lipitor for five weeks. I can't believe how awful I feel. I ache all over. I my arms and elbows are sore; I have had pins and needles in my hands; charley horse like spasms in my calves (mostly at night); sharp knife like pains in my upper thighs; even my teeth hurt. I am a 46 year old female – I can’t believe this. I have made an appointment with my doctor as I have to get off this drug. I have experienced some blurred vision and hearing impairment too. If I hadn’t of found this website – I truly would have thought I was a bit crazy….
I have never had any symptoms like this before and never thought of myself as an old lady - but that is what I feel like. It is unbelievable.
.

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 have had Type 1 Diabetes for many years (54) without any complications of the disease - until I had a mild stroke. Which didn't affect me. Now my doctor makes me take Lipitor. From the very start of taking 10mg Lipitor per day, I got muscle cramps and leg twitches whilst in bed; muscle weaknesses; I even got Plantar Fasciitis and now I limp slightly in that foot. Before I took Lipitor I used to sleep like a baby. Lipitor has made me from a relatively healthy person despite having Diabetes to what feels like an old lady at aged 55. I know it is Lipitor as when I stop taking the drug all unpleasant side effects mentioned above cease. The trouble is my doctor won't give my Insulin without Lipitor and I need Insulin to live, of course. So I am forced to take Lipitor. I find that exercise such as a good long walk during the daytime helps; without it (eg in bad weather when I cannot get outside) the effects of Lipitor are much worse. My cholesterol readings and blood pressure are always good (even before the stroke) so why should I have to be almost crippled by Lipitor?

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.

I am 62 years old and I was taking Lipitor 10 mg for the last 5 years in New York. When I moved to California the new doctor switched to Lipitor 20mg and I started to have strange side effects. After a pause of two days, I restarted and the symptoms were worse: my muscle in the upper arms, and my calves were hurting and week, my back ached, my head was empty nad I felt dizzy all the time.
I stopped two days ago and today I had blood in my urine. What's happening? should I go on any medication at all to lower my cholesterol? My new test was: 179 Cholesterol
HDL 71
LDL 95
I am too scared to start any other drugs like Crstor or Niaspan as I was recommended.
Please advise,

I have been on 10 MG of Lipitor for almost 3 years. Since I began taking it I have had recurring issues with an anxious feelings, my lower GI is constantly churning and I feel like I am stressed out. I have a low stress job, a stable happy family life and yet I feel nervous all the time. I sleep for 3-4 hours and then wake up and am unable to get back to sleep. I have been forced to take a nap ever day after lunch just to get through the day. Additionally, I developed tremors in my hands and was diagnosed with something called Benign Essential Tremor and put on another medication to control the shaking.

Yesterday I decided I had enough of this and went to see my cardiologist to discuss the symptoms. I stopped taking the Lipitor on my own 2 days before. The doctor told me that none of my symptoms were related to Lipitor! I replied that I was convinced that they were all in fact caused by this drug. He suggested I stop taking the statin for 2 weeks and see if the symptoms stop. I am now on day 4 without lipitor and am already feeling less anxious.

I went to the Nuerologist 2 weeks ago and got her to discontinue the anti-tremor medication. I am going to get all this crap out of my system and hopefully get my life back.

My cholesterol was 360 combined when my doctor put me on lipitor and I am only 25 years old. I had all sorts of side effects but dizziness was the worst. I went to ER because of it and doctor in the ER told me how lipitor does not cause dizziness. We all sure don't agree with that right?! The worst is that my cholesterol did not reduce much at all. After researching more about cholesterol I started taking red yeast rice and took that for 6 months and my cholesterol dropped down to 230. It is very important to take good red yeast rice because if you get cheap brand it won't do you any good. I got the brand called "NOW" ( u can get it online) and I wanted to share my experience with everyone else because I was able to reduce my cholesterol down to normal levels so fast without any side effects ! Now I am 30 and my cholesterol is 213 and just to mention it did not go back up once it reduced when I was 25 and i stopped taking red yeast rice after only 8 months. I also did not change my eating habits. I am thinking I should take it again for few months to get my cholesterol down to 170 range but I am not worried about it too much since It already so much lower than when I was 25 and it's not going back up. Another thing I thought was so great... When I went back to my primary doctor to have my cholesterol checked out after taking red yeast rice, when she saw how much my cholesterol dropped down in only 8 months she asked me to write down the name of the stuff I used so she can have her father use it too because Lipitor didn't reduce his cholesterol down significantly either !! I hope you guys will give it a chance for at least 6 months. My father is taking it now and he can't believe how much his cholesterol is reducing.

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 a 65-year-old female. I was given Lipitor 10mg in Feb 07, which I appeared to tolerate, with the effect of reducing my high familial cholesterol. Because of a genetic enzyme problem, I am careful about my diet; having been a vegetarian for decades. I don’t smoke, and rarely have wine. By May that year my GP increased the dose to 20mg., but days later I was sent to A + E with cardiac concerns. The hospital adamant it had nothing to do with Lipitor.

By mid 2008 I told my GP of dizzy spells, and loss of balance, also swallowing difficulties, but after liver function tests I was reassured it couldn’t possibly be Lipitor.

Early October 08, saw me in hospital with a ‘stroke’, although the CAT scan and MRI were puzzling. I was sent home with no help or guidance after the Consultant insisted Lipitor was not a problem, and I should not reduce it, as it was already a very low dose. Unable to walk to the end of my street, my calf muscles feeling as though I’d run a marathon, and experiencing cardiac stress. Severe neck and shoulder pains, and confusion with words. Frequent muscle spasms in my feet, legs and hands, etc. etc. No energy for anything, and so difficult coping - living alone. End of Dec. a friend from out of town visited, and was alarmed, as she’d researched a web site for her brother, who was using a walking frame. I was astounded at the reports from users of Lipitor, so many suffering in the same way. Although my GP had arranged more laboratory tests for me, I was not prepared to wait.

On 6th January 2009, (almost 2 years later) I reduced my dosage to 10mg., and within days was experiencing improvement in many areas. By 17th January, I reduced to 5mg., (maybe a little hasty) and by 24th stopped it. By 28th my GP could see for himself, the considerable improvement generally, with a lower blood pressure reading.

By then, I could complete half, of what used to be my regular walking regime. To date, I am able to cover more than that, and hope I will eventually be able to cover the full distance. I’m hoping there will be no lasting damage, but am so thankful that my friend found this website. Its scary to think I had no quality of life, and doubt I would have survived more Lipitor. So I’m taking my chances with high cholesterol, and a near normal life.

M.

New Zealand

Wow! I must be the latest in a long line of Lipitor users and apparently pain sufferers. I have been on Lipitor for over a year. I am 56 years old, active and healthy (thank God). Around November 2008, I noticed a "twinge" in my left hip while sleeping. This has gotten progressively worse over the months and I thought it was due to arthritis (which runs in my family). But after reading these blogs, I am not so sure. If anyone has anything definitive regarding this, ie: tests, studies, etc., I would really appreciate a point in the right direction for more information. I was thinking (until today) that I was headed for hip surgery or something equally drastic. Now that I have a clue that it may be the Lipitor, I want to investigate further and then, if necessary, change to another medication that won't break me down like this. My heart goes out to anyone that has suffered through hip pain. It is a miserable, painful condition that saps your energy and your desire to even move sometimes. I appreciate any help you can offer. God bless all of you. - L. B. ******

UPDATE: It has been 1 year ago that I stopped taking the poison referred to as Lipitor! The good news is I am feeling better. I have lost 25 lbs in the past year by following a low carb - high protein diet. I am practicing some yoga and trying to walk as much as possible. I have more good days than bad but the bad can still be debilitating. My neck pain is managed by a once a month visit to the Chiropractor who uses the pro-adjuster for treatment. Also I have upper body massage 1-2 per month. I simply refuse to let this get me down! Attitude is helpful! When I am having a bad day, the leg tremors return. I must say in the past 6 months, I have only had this happen 3 times. And for that I am grateful. I am trying to analyze the triggers for the leg tremors. So far I believe they are related to stress and exhaustion. When I push myself and do too much. Still not taking any drugs and my cholesterol is 220. I have accepted this and will live a quality life for as long as God allows! For everyone who is having lingering side effects from this horrible drug, hang in there! I have seen improvement but I don't think my muscle structure will ever be as it was so I am trying to accept the bad days and move ahead and really enjoy the good days!!!! God bless you all! Kookoo

The reason is when you stop taking the Lipitor, and your symptoms don't go away is this: Lipitor cause hearing loss, which is what causes the Tinnitus! I have been having severe tinnitus for months now, seen all kinds of Dr.s who didn't have a clue. And I finally went to the House Ear Clinic, and they told me what it was, but they didn't know how I got it. I got Tinnitus a few months after my Dr. upped my dose. It's taken me this long to put the puzzle together. The Physician's Desk Reference lists hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness as side effects of Lipitor. I am appalled that not one Dr. asked me what kind of medication I was taking!

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.

I'm a 47 male and took Crestor for a year. I experienced muscle tremors, constant fatigue and muscle soreness. Not just a little sore but as if someone had hit me so hard as to leave a muscle bruise in both arms. One night my left arm and leg began to tremor and it was as if they were too heavy to move.

What I noticed was that all of my little aches and pains became severe aches.

I experienced blistering on my hands, a common side-effect of your liver rejecting the medication but my doctor didn't pickup on the symptom. Instead, he gave me a steroid-based topical cream that actually eliminated the blisters but they would return within weeks.

I experienced lapses in my memory and I started to forget words. I would forget the names of things and I found myself substituting the word 'thingy' when I could remember what something was called (like a phone).

I visited the hospital 4 times and my doctor countless time. Each time my doctor treated the current symptom and not the person as a whole.

It became too much to bare when I started having chest pains that felt like something was crushing my chest. At this point I started to do some research and found forums like this one.

During my time of the worse pain, I felt like I was actually dying. I started to get my effects in order and finalized my estate.

I stopped my Crestor about a year ago, after about 3-6 months my muscles began to feel better. After a year, I am finally starting to feel like my old self again (not that I was all that well before).

Statin affect people differently, but there is NO DOUBT that these drugs can have adverse effects on people. Listen to the commercial for Lipitor, "contact your doctor if you have muscle fatigue or weakness"......

I was put on Lipitor 10 mg. last Spring about 8 mos. ago. I have never taken medications/drugs other than aspirin or Motrin or antihistamines. Since that time I have had a strange combination of unexplained symptoms arise throughout the months. These sx's included: Headaches, stiff neck and severe neck pain, acute shoulder pain, hip pains, joint pains, severe knee pain (tendon or Ligament problems?) and loss of movement, hair loss, jaw pain and some memory confusion. Initially, I had severe HA's for several months, but attributed them to stress, however, I had never experienced HA's as a common occurrence. Then we went away to our Maui house to get away from stress, HA's continued, along with leg and shoulder pains. At the same time, I started noticing several strands of hair falling out if lightly touched my hair to move it out of my face. The pains seemed to move around my body at different times, for no apparent reason. I am used to daily exercise, living in CO in the mountains @ high altitude, not usually having muscle soreness. Now, given my leg and knee pains have gotten so bad, I cannot hike and have difficulty climbing my stairs. Skiing is out. Snorkeling caused leg cramps. No explained reason for having muscle tenderness or soreness without my usual exercise at present time. When the pain leaves one area it tends to arise in a different part of my body. At the present time, my hair loss has subsided, as also my jaw pain and headaches. However, my leg pains and knee pains are so acute (for no apparent reason) it is impossible to exercise and difficult to walk that I looked up adverse reactions to Lipitor, finding all my sx's most probably might be attributed to this drug. Partially my fault for not looking up RX information prior, especially being a medical professional for many years. My husband kept throwing away the info when purchasing the RX. Too many unexplained symptoms, I decided to obtain the drug info. myself. I tended to make excuses for months, such as: I am getting older, under stress, must be an old injury, not exercising properly, need PT therapy etc.... I am dc/ing the drug immediately and have an appt. with my MD on 1/5/09 to discuss.

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.

feeling some relief to have validation to why i have been feeling this way.

i thought i was going the way of father (heart attack in his 40s) due to many symptoms over the past month similar to heart issues, except the leg cramps. i thought of my mother in-law, her diabetes, poor circulation.

i knew i had just had a thorough heart evaluation with my doctor last spring and everything was fine, except my hereditary cholesterol. frustrating. he had prescribed lipitor at that time. last week while driving to my office Christmas party i thought about driving straight to emergency.

food always seemed to help, as well lots of water. I think because i had liquids when eating, dehydration is what was being addressed.

on my own, i stopped lipitor (only prescribed medication i take) four days ago. no more nausea, no more light headiness (briefly early morning yesterday), no more weakness, leg pain decreased; these were my main symptoms.

I also experienced occasional foot cramps, general aches, heaviness in my esophagus immediately upon eating (thought of my mom with her hiatal hernia) indigestion maybe.

I had one episode a month ago (about the time all this started) where out of the blue i thought my legs were going to fall from under me, they became tingly like they were going to sleep, i was light headed as if i could faint. i had just finished a relaxing picnic by a natural stream, on a beautiful sunny day.

doctors who prescribe this medication should be more aware of these side affects. seems they are either not listening to their patients, or do not have the knowledge of these side affects, and in result, should not be allowed to prescribe.

My concern now is how long the discomfort in my legs will last, though they have improved. to make sure no serious damage has occurred,
i will see my cardiologist in two weeks to have blood work.

I would suggest to anyone who has not contacted their physician since stopping the statin, to do so. print a copy of this site and bring it with you!

T. - 47 years - trying to stay healthy!

I am a 50 year old woman and have been taking Lipitor for about the last 6 months. I have developed a severe case of eczema on my scalp as well as hair loss. Also I have been having pain in my hips. I never would have attributed my symptoms to Lipitor, but now I am thinking that maybe Lipitor is the cause of them. Also I read in some of the comments that it may be connected to memory loss. I have noticed I have a hard time remembering things too but never thought it could be related to taking Lipitor.

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!!

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.

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.

My mother is 74 and has been on Lipitor 5 mg for about 6 weeks now and has experienced her 1st TGA. She called me today to tell me that someone had come into her house and cooked a platter of bacon and moved a basket around. She couldn't find her purse and went outside and sure enough it was in her car, but the door was standing wide open and the purse was sitting on the seat. She remembers nothing! This evening she swore that our second child was born in a different house. This from a woman who can remember the tiniest minutia. This Lipitor is terrible stuff! She is now officially off of it. R.

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.

Just checking in again. Wrote about my dad,(Feb. 08 and May 1st) 77 yo white male, had been on Lipitor 7 years. After my mom passed away I got involved with his health. Read so much about the side effect of Lipitor - finally convinced him to GET OFF LIPITOR ASAP- he has been off since Feb. 4, 2008 and is getting back to where he should be. About 85-90% better than he was last year. It is a shame that my he and my mom were not able to do things last summer because he felt so bad. (He had muscle aches, spasms in his wrists, joint aches, bad nightmares, tossing and turning. Although he was also being treated for arthritis, his blood and xray showed none!) PLEASE take the first step and get off this drug - call your pharmacist if you are not sure, tell them your side effects. It will take awhile to get back to your old self - but my dad is proof that it will get better. Weput him on Fish oil supplements and CoQ10 - all natural - not medication and over the counter.
Have also taken him for acupuncture for his arthritis and he is seeing great improvement with this in only 6 visits AND NO DRUGS, he was surprised by the results. Please consider an alternative to drugs and medications.

I have extreme thumb spasms, often both thumbs at the same time. i had an episode a few weeks ago of a severe pain in my hip running down my leg. I was in bed all weekend as a result and needed a cortisone shot to help relieve the pain. I forgot a name right after they tell me and I am only 50 years old. I lose my balance and sometimes almost fall and have vertigo every now and then. I wonder if all these symptoms are from lipitor. I have been on it for at least 3 years.

I commenced Lipitor 14 years ago at age 47. At that time I was a regular tennis player, walker and generally fit for my age. No problem with Lipitor for the first couple of years until I began to experience hip and low back pain. My GP diagnosed arthritis. Gradually became worse and I started to gather injuries (over stretched ligament in right knee which refused to heal, plantar fasciitis twice) My back pain became far worse, I persevered with tennis believing that exercise would help. I began to "trip" on the carpet and going up stairs (foot drop). I was sent for a CT scan in 2002 which showed spondylolisthesis and root canal stenosisss. On advice from doctor I stopped tennis. Referred to a neurosurgeon who after several months carried out a laminectomy in July 03. Cleared to recommence exercise in December 03 which is when my nightmare commenced. I developed bursitis in one hip, stopped walking until it settled, then excruciating pain in feet, and then bursitis in the other hip and continuing foot pain. I developed rib/back pain, again diagnosed as arthritis even though I felt the pain was muscular. I had one session of aqua aerobics and woke the next morning with plantar fasciitis which continued for 3 months even with doctor, physio and acupuncture treatment. I was then referred to a Spots Medicine Dr who ordered bone scans/x-rays which revealed a stress fracture in my foot. In 2006 I began to notice that my right arm had a tense feeling all the time, I had a loss of dexterity in my right hand which assumed a claw like appearance and my normally neat handwriting became practically illegible. My physio recommended I see a Rheumatologist who said I had "no more arthritis than I would see in any 62 yo", he sent me to a Neurologist who after 5 mins diagnosed Parkinson's Disease. Within 7 weeks of commencing the PD medication I was experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome every night. The neurologist said that my condition had "progressed" and increased the medication - twice. I was then getting RLS DAY AND NIGHT and getting no relief OR SLEEP!!! Finally after 12 months misery my GP suggested that I try coming off Lipitor to see if that was causing my body pain. Within 6 days I felt better, my muscles became less stiff and relax. I went back to my Neurologist who refused to accept my claims, he insists I still have atypical PD (because I do not have tremors). I told him the cure is worse than the complaint and against his advice I weaned myself off PD medication and Lipitor. It was hard going but I NO LONGER SUFFER FROM RLS AND MY DEXTERITY IS SLOWLY IMPROVING. I still have dexterity problems with my right fingers but the tense feeling in my right arm has gone and my "claw" hand is starting to relax My muscles feel bruised all the time. I am still taking my blood pressure tablets and 150mg of Co-Q10 a day. I have been off Lipitor 9 months. It has been a painful journed for the last 8 years and a nightmare for 12 months. My GP has marked my records as "allergy to statins" but says she just doesn't know if I have Parkinson's. I know that I will never take this awful drug again. My cholesterol has skyrocketed but I will have to try and lower it naturally and take the risk. I constantly feel like I have worked too long and hard in the garden, all my muscles are so sore. I really need to know if this damage is permanent and if this drug has caused Parkinson's Disease itself or just PD like symptoms. I guess I will just have to wait and see. I don't think doctor's believe us when we say Lipitor is doing damage to thousands of people. They love it!! When we are aging we are not surprised to get diagnosed with arthritis and this is why we take this medication unwittingly for so long.

I have been on 20 mg Lipitor for years, and as I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, all my symptoms have been blamed on that. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and put on Lyrica because of the muscle aches and depression. My lower back, hurt in a car accident when I was 17 years old, had gotten so much worse that I had 12 steroid shots in my lower spine a couple of years ago. They didn't help my back at all, but my blood sugar went from normal to diabetic levels, and I am now on Byetta to try to lower it.
I am a 56 year old woman who was the math specialist in a school district until last December when I had to retire early. My back pain was so severe that I could no longer go from school to school carting materials. I could barely make it from the parking lot to my office. Mentally I was not ready to retire, but physically, I was (and am) a wreck. I have severe muscle pain in my shoulders, sometimes one or the other, but always present. I have tingling in my right hand, especially in my fingertips, and have trouble gripping and drop things easily. In the last few months the pain in my right thigh and calf has gotten unbearable. I thought at first it was sciatica, but I have had sciatica before, and this isn't the same, although there is tingling, burning , but the pins and needles is so deep in the muscles I have just sat and cried, or wanted to scream. I have wished I could just cut my leg off. And...I am on some pretty heavy duty pain killers for the RA: a small dose of prednisone plus Enbrel, Methotrexate, and Vicodin, and this pain is cutting right through all these meds. I get severe headaches, I went off Lipitor for 5 days and seemed a little better, but then went back on, and it came back.
Since I no longer work, I sleep longer, am exhausted ALL the time, have terrible mental fog, am clumsy, cannot stand for more than a minute or so without wanting to scream, cannot walk more than a few yards...just getting to the car is an ordeal. I tell people that I can only shop in shoe stores and furniture stores...the only stores with places to sit down.
I no longer cook or clean, cannot play with my granddaughter, even holding a book to read can be too much, and I love reading. I feel I am just dying bit by bit as I lose parts of myself.
My doctor is really into lowering cholesterol, and has put me on Zetia in the past few months...and it has been in this time that the pain in my leg has gotten unbearable. He wants my cholesterol to be between 50-60, and has said that the Zetia along with the Lipitor will do that. Is this normal or in any way reasonable??? I am having a full blood workup done tomorrow morning, and I want to go off the Lipitor starting the day after.
I came across this web site tonight while looking up Lipitor side effects, and I am shocked. I have so many of these symptoms, and there are so many I had no knowledge of at all. I knew about the muscle aches, but that's all. I hope someone can help me with what supplements and vitamins I should be taking. I started taking CoQ10 a month or so ago. What else should I be taking for my health? I know vitamin C and fish oil, but don't know how much or anything else. Right now I am just stunned with the thought that all of these problems that have left me unhappily retired, exhausted and in constant pain can all be caused from a drug I have been taking to help me be healthier.

If you take lipitor, you will be interested in this.

I have taken it upon myself to do my own studies into cholesterol and heart disease. I painstakingly studied various countries comparing rates of heart disease to cholesterol levels in each country.

From the Data, I can honestly say that I find no relationship between total serum cholesterol and heart disease. More surprising is the data showing higher cholesterol levels associated with less disease and longevity.

Just started today with 40 mg dose of Sortis (Swiss-branded Lipitor).
60-90 minutes later, I am very dizzy, sweating, funny taste in mouth.

I am done... no more. My cholesterol is normal, but recommended as complementary treatment with Glucophage, as I am very slightly diabetic.

I am still spaced out as I write this note. Called the MD to tell him that I the one dose is all that will enter my body.

I recently lost about 25 lbs and decided after about 8 years of 10 mg of lipitor, to go off of it, cold turkey. I consulted both my MD and my pharmacist about whether or not I should wean, and both declined.

I now feel that my sweats, hot flashes are out of control. I am so hot and tired. I feel as though I cannot do the daily functions that I am responsible for.

I truly had NO side effects that I know of ON the drug. I just figured I'd see how I do now that I lost some weight. I wonder if going OFF lipitor is dangerous?

If anyone knows, please reply!

Thank you!