Lipitor and medications

Just had to comment on these side effects I'm reading about Lipitor and other Statin drugs. I don't take anything and I never will after finding this site. Guess what, I have had high cholesterol since I was in my early 20's. When I say high... it ranged from 240 - 260...remember when 250 was OK? Well folks, it's 30 years later, my cholesterol is just about the same range, and Oh My GOD...I'm still here without any drugs.!!! They lowered the range so they could pass out the pills!!! Greed, greed, greed. Do you wonder why our Healthcare system is out of control? Well, when you keep feeding people medications that are presenting the side effects they do, making them sicker, they just keep testing and testing and testing for other things. Let's do blood work, MRI's, CAT Scans, Spect Scans, Pet Scans...Scan away...and guess what...all comes back OK...hmmmm why not look at the drugs you're prescribing. We need to see "all the side effects" listed. Not just some. They're misdiagnosing, Alzheimers, Fibromyalgia, MS, Lupus, Dementia, Arthritis, and on and on when it's been the drugs causing the diseases!
Ween off everything and anything you can...take your chances...when God wants you, he's going to come and get you no matter what you're doing...right or wrong!

42 and taking Lipitor 40mg for 6 months. No other issues. 20 lbs overweight but also work out 4 times per week and feel to be in good shape. Lower back pain in middle of night that last until I get up out of bed and it started about a month after taking the Lipitor. If I get up, it goes away. Was so bad that I went and bought a sleep number bed thinking it was my old spring bed. Did not get better. Tried not taking the Lipitor for one night and the pain stopped. Took it again the next and it was back. Going to doctor to ask what is up?

I have been on Lipitor for almost 5 years. I started with a low dose of 10mg for 3 years but my cholesterol did not come down significantly enough so the dose was increased to 20mgs two years ago. I have noticed my hair thinning almost immediately after being put on Lipitor but when the dose was increased the hair started falling out where now it is noticeable, at the front along the hairline, on top and at temples. It has become another problem, at this point, like having high cholesterol. It seems to be happening now at an accelerated rate and my scalp is visible from my hairline 3 inches back. Styling is now impossible without coming the hair all the way forward from the crown, what's left of it. I had no idea hair loss was a symptom of Lipitor until I thought about when it started and the fact I take no other medications. There is no history of this type of hair loss in my family. The Lipitor brought my cholesterol level down to preferred levels but if I stay on it much longer I will be bald on the top and sides of my head. I'm worried it won't grow back.

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.

I read with interest several of the posts here. I have been on Lipitor for about 5 years. I have been experiencing leg pain, back pain, neck, and hand pain for likely 4 of the last 5 years. I have arthritis, I thought. Two weeks ago I ran out of Lipitor. I read several other forums where Vitamin C and Omega 3 were suggested as a possibles to replacing the Lipitor along with generous amounts of water. I said, What the hell, I will give that a try. Within days of stopping the Lipitor, most all the pain has subsided to the extent that I have not had to take any other Pain management medications at all. I was prescribed Perocet for the pain I have been experiencing. Two weeks ago, I had a tough time opening a bottle of soda, or even a relish or pickle jar. Today I can! Coincidence, I think not!!

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. ******

I was 50 and the doctor prescribed lipitor 10mg since my cholesterol had doubled in the past twelve months to 300. I took it for four months and began to have pain in one leg just below the knee. I had talked to a woman about 65 years old once who was walking on the sides of her feet and I had asked her what medical problem she had. She explained that her Lipitor had caused this terrible pain. You would think that I would have refused to take this drug. You see the doctor had already prescribed a very large dose of fish oil per day and the cholesterol had not fallen. However, I began taking it. About two weeks before my enzyme checkup I began to notice the pain in the leg just below my knee and I stopped taking the Lipitor. I expected the pain to subside, but it did not. My cholesterol level had risen and my doctor asked me if I was still taking the Lipitor. I explained that I had been of it for about two weeks. The doctor insisted that the pain probably wasn't associated with the Lipitor. The reason being my enzyme level was within the range of acceptable. I began taking it again. The doctor wanted to have another test within four weeks to check enzyme levels again. This time the enzyme levels were borderline high. So the doc recommended stopping the Lipitor for a while and then another enzyme level check. You see, my body was telling me something. The only new factor in my medications other than blood pressure was the Lipitor. It has been about three weeks since I stopped the Lipitor, yet I am continuing with even more pain in tops of feet and above one knee a know seems to have appeared. It is sore and feels like it is bruised. I am not a doctor, but I had done some investigating Lipitor on the internet and read that in some patients the Lipitor actually causes small to large fissures in the arteries of the heart. Also, the muscles begin to attack themselves, thus the pain and atrophy. I am going to start taking flax oil. One cardiologist reported that he two cases a week of heart attacks due to Lipitor. He was enraged that Lipitor is still being prescribed and manufactured. I just hope it doesn't take years to regain my original self without pain. I am an active person who likes to work outside, garden, snow-ski, and anything else I want to do. I am trying to search for a detox program for Lipitor overdose, not that I have overdosed. According to my body's signals, I have overdosed on a toxic drug. I pray that returning to normal won't take as long as I have heard some people say it has taken them. Please try some other alternative to Lipitor and the other debilitating statin drugs. I will have to start an exercise program, even though I have put it off for years. I hope my laziness about my physical fitness hasn't crippled me for life. I am 20 lbs overweight and never took it seriously. I hope others will discontinue to take this life-threatening and debilitating drug!!!!!!!!!!1

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 am a 51 y/o white female that has been on Lipitor for 2 years. I am 5' 1" and when I had to go on it my cholesterol was 267 I weighed 112 lbs. I was shocked.... my doctor told me weight had nothing to do with cholesterol. She kept a close watch on me and my cholesterol came down...... and then my ex-husband of 17 years and I re-connected and got back together and I moved so I had to get another primary care physician. I took all my meds to her, she also kept a close watch on everything. At this time my cholesterol is down to 109 and I asked if I could stop taking it, as I take quite a lot of meds, due to different things and if I could stop anything it would be great, but she said it I stopped it, my cholesterol would go right back up. So since I am not experiencing any side effects I'm okay with continuing it.

I surely hate to hear what you all are experiencing with your Lipitor..... could your doc try another cholesterol medication?

The only one of my meds that is giving me any problem is TOPAMAX........ that we are using as a Migraine preventative! HORRORS!!! Today is pretty good day. But my cognitive abilities are in the trash... I say the wrong word when I mean something else...... I search my mind looking for a memory...... I am also on disability since 2002 because of the Migraines....... I have has them since 1978, but they got progressively worse over the years until I was sick more days per week, sometimes more than 7-10 days at the time, having to be in the hospital being rehydrated and on IV pain meds.......... and as awful as the TOPAMAX is.....it has been reduced the migraines to approx 2 per month and they do not last nearly as long.

So sorry, I got waaay off topic, but I know that it is not the Lipitor that is giving me the side effects as it the last med I had to go on and I had no new side effects....... but that TOPAMAX is kicking my behind.

I am a 51 year old male. November 2007 jaw pain sent me to the hospital where they found a 99% block in my right coronary artery, yep 4 stent's. Three month late the same this time 2 stent's and two weeks later 2 more. I now have 8 stent's. My DR. put me on several meds including Zocor. The zocor made me very tired and headaches. He change it to Lipitor 10mg. I have been on it for 7 months and a few day's ago I have notice pain in both knee's and hip. I once again find it hard to concentrate, feel sluggish and have headache's. I NEVER have headache's. Stopped taken the Lipitor, hope the pain goes away. It a shame that the medical field is so quick to put us ALL on drug's, how about herb's instead. I'm going to look into a natural way to lower my cholesterol.

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 was prescribed Simvastatin 40mg four weeks ago and had horrendous side effects almost immediately eg deep depression, diarrhea, bad stomach aches and night cramps in my legs. Last week my doctor prescribed Lipitor 10mg and I feel no better in fact probably worse. The worst side effect for me is the stomach aches and constant diarrhea and complete lack of appetite. There can be absolutely nothing in my stomach any more. Does anyone else have these symptoms? After reading peoples experiences on here I feel I should stop taking this medication immediately!

Karen

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

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

CK

I ran across this site today and THANK GOD that I found it!! My mother wasn't initially given Lipitor because the first statin that her doctor prescribed made her very nauseous. He switched to 40mg of Lipitor about 2 weeks ago and she still gets extremely nauseous and have begun coughing and experiencing cold like symptoms. Her vision is EXTREMELY blurred; so much that she can't perform her job, and her previously prescribed eyeglasses are useless. She had been experiencing pain in her legs during walks that never seemed to get better. We NEVER associated it with Lipitor or the other statin until I decided to dig a little deeper.

I asked her if her doctor had told her to take CoQ10 whilst taking these statins and he's NEVER mentioned it!! As of today, my mother will no longer be taking these "medications". Reading these posts has been eye opening, to say the least. Thanks!!

For the last 2 yrs I had a horrendous cough that plagued me night & day. My Dr. didn't know what was causing the cough, couldn't give me any cough medicine to alleviate the condition. In addition to coughing, I would lose my voice. I went to an ENT specialist. She found me to have pre-polyps on my vocal chords, diagnosed me with 'vocal chord dysfunction' & told me surgery would be useless as the pre-polyps would reappear. This last June, I had a bout with bronchitis, severe enough to seek medical aid from the Emergency room Dr.'s. While there, the Dr. treating me asked about my cough. After listening to my list of aggravations, he asked if my Primary Dr. had told me that 'coughing' is a side effect of Lipitor. NO! I hadn't been told that!! --But, I QUIT taking Lipitor that day, haven't taken it since & though I still cough, somewhat, it's NOTHING compared to what I'd been suffering--for two years!!..

I am a 35 yr old male and have been taking lipitor about 7 yrs. I have a genetically high cholesterol and it has been up to 275. On lipitor its around 175. Over the years I have been on this drug I went from being a normal weight and active to pretty much lethargic and sedentary due to lack of energy and gained ~50 lbs. I couldn't sleep. I got random nausea and fogginess in my brain to the point I could not remember how to perform my job. I usually had minor aches and was bloated. the past year everything has gotten much worse. For a year now, I have been getting large rashes on my body that itch severely and no medications have worked to alleviate them. I found out recently from my doctor that I have a genetic marker in my cholesterol that makes me 3 times as likely to have a heart attack. Its a portion of the cholesterol, i think its called LDL-b or something like that. Anyways, My doctor prescribed zetia to help with my cholesterol since the lipitor wasn't doing it alon. I begin feeling very sick when taking the zetia and after a week or two stopped it. The problems didn't end. As long as I remained on the lipitor, the problems seemed to continue. Its like the zetia released a dam of problems. I stopped the lipitor 4 days ago and have noticed that I feel energy coming back to me and the rash is starting to go away, but I ache severely all over. My shoulders, forearms, and legs are so sore and painful that I can't do anything about this except sleep so I don't feel the pain. I am also very weak feeling and I notice stiffness in my fingers and my grip is very weak compared to how it normally is. I have nausea and stomach cramps and constipation. I feel miserable. I notice its worse in the morning and gets a little better towards the afternoon. I typically took my lipitor in the morning. I do not know if there is a relationship here. Please advise on any help you can provide.

KMJ
07-30-08

On lipitor for 1 1/2 years.... starting taking yoga a month ago. Had ache in knee and leg which then went to toe on other leg. Thought it was overstretching from yoga. Pain moved to hips and lower back. All very painful but worst was yet to come. Pain moved to neck and shoulders. Could not move head. Excruciating SOBBING pain. I was in so much pain for weekend. Everyone wanted me to go to emergency room but I wanted to stick it out til Monday.

PS... went on web. Saw this is lipitor side effect. never would have expected that after 1 1/2 yrs on a 10 mg dose.

Went to pain management doctor ... got Soma (muscle relaxant), an oral steroid and Percoset. Relief was almost instant.

Called my cardiologist. He says it is the Lipitor.

No more statins for me.
And back to yoga.

I am a 42 male, I have always been healthy and felt healthy as long I can remember, I never went to the doctor. So this year, 3 months ago to be exact, I decided to do “the right thing”, start taking a physical at least once every years, who know something might be wrong with me and I don’t know it.

Anyway, after I took the physical and some blood tests, my doctors office calls me and they told me that the sugar was a little high (124) and that I am at risk for Diabetes, so they started me on a diabetes medication. Although my Cholesterol wasn’t high, they suggested starting Lipitor (20 ML) just in case because I am at risk and I don’t want to take chances.

A month into it, I started having some back pain, but never suspected medication. I was exercising at least 4 times a week, some cardio and free weights, so I thought, I might have made the wrong move while exercising or maybe sleeping without knowing it ( although I never recall such a thing). Usually it takes a few days for the pain to go away when I did the wrong move, but this pain wouldn’t go away. A month after that (last month), a sharp pain started on my right wrist (shooting pain), that goes up my right arm until my shoulder blade and upper right back. The pain was so sharp and wouldn’t let go, all day, all night and every minute in between. Also, I experienced some numbness on some of my right fingers (especially the thumb and index). I never suspected the medication. Of course the doctors wanted me to take all sorts of tests and MRIs etc..you name it. They also wanted me to go on pain pills (strong ones), I never did, and I used Advil instead, which did not help much. This pain ruined my two week vacations to France (I didn’t not want to forgo the airplane ticket and the hotel, they were already paid for).
I started “googling” the web for “sharp back pain”, just to get some clues, which led me to side effect sites, which led me to this site. I decided to stop all medications immediately 3 days ago, the pain went away, I still have s slight numbness on my thumb, although it is much better, I will keep you posted. Thanks to all the people who shared their story with us, I know that everyone of us could be a different case, what worked for me doesn’t necessarily work for someone else, I know that many here are frustrated about these side effects and whether they are permanent or not, I wish I have the answers. One thing is sure, Lipitor could be poison for some people, I felt going down fast for the last 3 months with no way to stop it, glad I found this site.

Because of a “Global economy” - I suspect ingredients (even for Brand names) are coming from China or being manufactured in India with poor to non-existent quality control standards, and is the primary reason for the majority of Adverse Reactions to the Statins in general. Please take time to submit your complaint directly to the FDA, and hope they investigate and take action (see bottom of page for web sites to submit complaint).

My own recent experience with statins: After 3-weeks of being on generic Simvastatin 80mg for elevated LDL, I experienced significant fatigue, shortness of breath with tightness around my chest and a bout of Gout in my left foot. I would encourage patients/consumers to directly send their complaint to the web sites listed at the very bottom, if you are either a U.S. (FDA Form 3500) or Canadian resident. Also, if your physician is unresponsive to your negative experience with Statins (generic or Brand Name), inform him/her that you refuse to continue with this drug, and that you have sent an adverse reaction complaint to the FDA/Canadian equivalent. Provide both your doctor and pharmacy with a copy of the FDA Form 3500 if you’re a U.S. resident, so they know you're serious. Lastly, I'm back to feeling normal, after I "demanded" my physician switch me to generic Pravastatin 40mg (2 tabs a day - 80mg), manufactured by Teva Pharmaceutical - corporate HQ Israel with manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. By the way, a 90-day supply of this quality-controlled drug is available at Walmart Pharmacy for $10. I hope this helps, especially seniors on a fixed income.

U.S.A.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html

CANADA
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/compli-conform/gui-44_consumer_complaint-plainte_consommateur-eng.pdf
Contact Name: Drug Compliance Verification and Investigation Unit Tel: (613) 952-9906 Fax: (613) 954-0941 E-Mail: DCVIU_UVCEM@hc-sc.gc.ca

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

Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Please reply to this post.

Thank You

I think all of you folks with side affects are are blaming your ills on Lipitor rather than putting the blame where it belongs: on your own mental health. I am a 65 YO male and I have been on Lipitor for more than six years now. I have no side affects, I work out four days per week with cardio and weights and feel that Lipitor should be added to the public water supply. My total cholesterol has gone from the high two hundreds to under one-forty on a single daily dose of 10mg. All of you hypochondriacs get a grip.

I Take loads of medications & have always tolerated all side effects but Lipitor has floored me. I have only been on it for a month but have ceased last night after waking up vomiting. I spent a day where I had so little energy I hardly moved & was almost suicidally depressed. I have no sex drive, such an itchy scalp that my colleagues were worried I had fleas !. No appetite, flu like symptoms & muscular aches that were unbearable. I still feel woozy headed but can feel some normality returning, my doctor will not be happy as I have scarily high cholesterol that needed urgent treatment, but I am afraid that I have to find an alternative as my reactions to this drug actually made my life unlivable.

I quit Lipitor (40mg) five weeks ago. I believe I was on a trajectory to disabilty within a year.
The unbelievable left elbow pain has gone (maybe the cortisone worked!). My left knee feels "normal" again, not perfect but nearly like it used to be. Within a couple of days of quitting I had severe pain in my right thumb along the bone, then in the middle of my right hand, then between the first and second fingers in my right hand. I currently have minor pain in my right wrist (this is new) on the pinkie side and minor pain in my left shoulder where the arm joins (this has been intermittent for a couple of months). I am feeling much better - but would not be at all surprised if pain appears in another part of my body before this is all history! There is also plenty of joint clicking going on.
I believe I first reported pain to the assistant doctor to the heart surgeon two weeks after I had the stent put in and was put on Lipitor. I was also on various other medications. I had tingling on the ends of my fingers and toes at random - hard to describe but it was as if a fairly sharp object (like a ball point pen, say) was being pressed progressively harder from the end of the finger/toe and towards the rest of that finger/toe: and as the pressure increased it would suddenly become painful. It was not a tingling/numb sensation but more a tingling which increased sufficiently that it hurt.
I am only being so specific because when I described these "symptoms" the doctor shrugged. If anyone has had similar - and I have seen tingling mentioned here - please make contact with me as I do want to report my experience back into the medical community but find, an exact description difficult. Things never needed to have got so bad if this was the first warning.
I since asked my family doctor if my knee problem was Lipitor related and she thought not: I was referred to Physical Therapy. I also told the physical therapists (who thought my knee should recover much sooner, and were surprised that I had zero mobility pain) that I also had serious elbow pain.
The orthopedic surgeon I saw did not connect the elbow problem to Lipitor.
The heart surgeon (stent insert) could perhaps be the only person who I did not tell of the pains - I don't remember - but I may be so grateful to be alive - that he may be someone to whom I did not voice a complaint!
On the positive - five weeks later I am feeling significantly better.

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

Male, 52. Since being on Lipitor over the last 4 years (3 have been at 20 mg/day) I noticed that I become very 'emotional' during movies and when reading. It's like someone turned on the 'flood gates' for even movies like Transformers and Gost Rider (trash kiddie films). I haven't stopped taking the product because I haven't felt any other of the listed side effects.

Has anyone else had this type of effect????

My Saga began years ago when I had high cholesterol at 25 years old.
At 39 my doctor started me on Lipitor and I didn't stay on it.(no reason)
Now at 45(200 LDL) and at the urging of my father I have been on Lipitor for 24 days. He is on crestor. My father had open heart surgery at 41 and a second bypass at 55. He takes about 30 nitros a day at age 74. His brother died at 55 and father at 56, both heart attacks. So you see his concern for me, though being a female does help me.
Anyway at the time of my physical a swollen lymph node was found
on my neck. It has been there for over a month now and we have done
CT scans, mammograms & blood work . I will have a biopsy in 2 weeks on my neck. Everything has come back normal, however the pain in my
stomach started two weeks into the Lipitor. Also difficulty swallowing
like a chest infection. I lost five pounds not being able to eat much and constantly would get so bloated eating just soup. I went back to my doctor she sent me for a CT scan because lymph node issue too. Scary.
I had a biopsy on one breast as well because we are doing all these test for the lymph node swelling.
Well I have been popping Ibuprofen 600mg at a time to stop what feels like liver pain. I had hepatitis A so I know what that feels like. The pain was all over my top abdomen. I am starting to worry even more thinking I may have lymphoma. I start getting pain running down the inside of my right leg and the calf also. I spent 10 years in the Army reserve and was always fairly in shape so this was so out of the blue. I decided to go to and internal doctor because I was getting nothing from the family doctor and we still have the lymph node issue (swollen) He immediately said
stop taking the Lipitor after hearing my symptons. I still have to have a
biopsy on my neck but I am convinced Lipitor caused all the pain in my
stomach and fatigue. My doctor seems to think so too. Don't stay with a doctor that isn't aware of a drugs side effects. Definitely shop around. I hope to post again when my symptons disappear and my lymph node comes back negative.!

53 y old male,took lipitor in april 2007 20mg i have had problem in past with disc in neck and tendinitis in elbow but nothing for 10 years by aug i had very bad wrist and thunp pain even holding a pizza box so off to Dr said tendinitis use a thumb brace and phy therapy nothing after 2 months so i am going to different orthopaedic dr.Than 4 weeks ago woke op oct 3 pain in lower back i said ok use some ice went to work and it would be gone in 3 days by oct20 could not take pain in back and siatic nerve server pain down to foot gave pain pills and nothing went to spine specialist said hernaited disk L-4 L-5 and spinal stenosis from disc touching nerves in channel so he wants to operate i ask can lipitor cause this he said nojust look at the MRI but what causes the iflamantion to cause problems in wrist and servere pain in lower back and leg was it lipitor.The pain was so servere the best pain meds could not take the pain awayseep fir 2 hrs than walk around house for 1hrs at o330 in morning caused it hurt so much.@ weeks wastes so i went to chiro dr and after 2weeks i am more liveable and can sleep better .I will go to pain mangerment ti get a shot or operate,its called Discectomy,hope all theres dr know they might be fighting affects of lipitor.We all must get educated and give this info out to ithers

I have never taken any statins. Hardly any other medications either, but I have seen the consequences in people near me, particularly a close friend who died on May 1st, 2007 after several years of suffering from pain all over, weakness, ringing in his ears, loss of taste, difficulty to swallow, loss of memory and concentration and so on.

As he had several medications it was heard to know which caused a particular symptom.

I am sure the doctors doesn´t have a clue either and they know nothing of what statin treatment can do in the long run.

My advice to everyone is to search on the Internet - that`s how I discovered this site and many others.

Also read as many books as possible.

Here are some:

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

Lipitor - thief of memory (Duane Graveline)

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

Also search for - stopped our statins.

I am so glad my English is good enough to share this advice.

I live in Sweden and I do my best to tell as many as possible about this site because there is no such thing here and more and more people are put on this kind of medication without having a single clue what could happen to them.

Hey you all......the lipitor saga continues. I posted #23428 on Sept 6th. On Sept 13th I picked a 30 pound piece of fabric up at work and there was a big POP in my left arm. Distal Biceps Tendon rupture.....TORE it off the Bone. I have been weightlifting for 20 years and never had an injury such as this. I am used to lifting much heavier weights with no problem. Had surgery to reattach 9/18...7 weeks post op and still in brace. Will take a year to fully heal. Both my doctor and Ortho said they have never heard of tendon rupture caused by statin drugs...but I am convinced that it was directly related to lipitor damage/side effects. I did have my doctor shaking in his shoes, I told him with conviction that I would never again take a statin drug and I held him responsible. Would like to hear from anyone who may have had tendon issues while taking this drug. I hope we all get better soon!
Peace
Brian

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

I have been taking Lipitor for about two years. Just recently I have experienced muscle pain on the sides of my arms from the shoulders down and muscle pain in my legs. This is so uncomfortable that it wakes me up during the night. I can barely get out of bed in the morning and feel as if I've been run over by a bread truck. My doctor prescribed the drug as a preventative for high cholesteral because I have diabetes. However, my cholesteral has never been above 200.

I saw my physician several days ago because the muscle pain was increasing and I was feeling almost septic. He mentioned Lipitor might be causing this and wrote me prescriptions for a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory. I also had a blood test to determine whether Lipitor was adversely affecting my body. The test came back negative. He told me to stay on the Lipitor and the other two medications for two weeks. After being on the new meds for a couple of days, I still felt terrible. I have stopped taking the Lipitor and the other prescriptions. I will see in a week or so if I'm feeling better. I couldn't feel worse, and, I don't think my cholesterol is out of control.

This incident makes one pause and take note that physicians are not omnipotent, and also to remember to take responsibility for our health care.

I am not sure my symptoms are related to Lipitor, but it is the only med i was taking and when i finally suspected the connection 3 wk ago, i stopped taking it.

It occured to me that i was complaining of muscle and joint weakness in conversations with others, but related it to my age (53) and lack of exercise. Then i had a few episodes of sudden brief cramping in my back muscles -- totally unexplained by anything else -- and a couple episodes of dizziness, or true vertigo, while sitting and typing at my computer (i am a medical transcriptionist). Those got my attention. Come to find out my mother and brother also had identical muscle problems and switched their cholesterol medications away from Lipitor.

There are numerous other little things, running into walls and furniture, numbness in my feet or hands, yes, the cognitive things i've read here too, etc. Again, don't know if it is the medication, but after doing some reading of other's experiences, i do plan to do my best to improve my health withOUT the use of medication.

I have been on 10 mg Lipitor for about 2 years. I have experience some muscle pain, but have developed terrible hemmroids and irritated bowel. I am going to stop Lipitor today and see if my condition improves.

I was also taking 3 to 6 Ibuprophen daily, but stopped a few days ago, thinking that may be aggravating the problem, too. I will stay off of both medications and see if I improve. I take no other medications.

side effects....................thats a fine term. whats so side effect about my dad becoming a totally different person as soon as he started taking lipitor. the doctors keep switching him from medication to medication and they all have so called side effects. one does this one does that. when will the drug companies create something that actually heals instead of hurts in a different way. i for one will never take these so called medications. i like who i am as i am, not as a drug induced pawn for my doctors.

After taking lipitor 6 weeks, both of my upper arms down to my elbows began to ache 27/7. Some leg and back muscle pain also. My VA doctor took me off lipitor 8 weeks ago. The pain continues. I just started taking 3000 mg Vit. C daily to hopefully lower or eliminate muscle pains. Any one know of a cure for this awful muscle pain? My VA doctor doesn't have a clue what to do for it. ths.

I have taken lipator for a number of years,within the last 3 months I have had more pain in my left shoulder and arm than any pain I have ever had in my life,I was told I was told I had extensive degenertive disc desease in my neck and spine, I had a bone density test about 2 yrs ago and there was no sing of it.I was also given sinthroid abouth 4 months ago for my aches and pain in my joints and for fatigue,when I ask if the sinthorid could be iteracting with the lipator ,the doctor said it was possible,but didn't take me off of either one,I now have a frozen shoulder and am taking phyical therapy,I just at this moment thinK I will take myself off of both of these medications,Ihave a pretty big problem with my memory,I have gone from being a high energy,fun loving person to trying to figure out what to take or do for the pain.I sometimes feel like I am lost if I drive after dark.

i was having pain in my legs and catching cramps in the middle of the night. I walk everyday and it was like having to make my legs move. I told my doctor and he gave me a blood test. Called me back and told me to stop taking the Lipitor immediately. I am now being tested weekly for the next four weeks to monitor my kidney enyzines .They have not told me exactly what was wrong yet but I must drink an excesive amount of water for the next four weeks and come off all medications except my diabetes pills until my blood levels are back to normal.

Olsen: Isn't it ironic that 3 persons close to you all came down with the same symptoms. When I mentioned the possibility of my husband having Lipitor-induced Parkinson's Disease to my internist, he was adamant about it and said Lipitor had been on the market a long time and that my husband was probably going to get Parksinson's whether or not he took lipitor. After reading of so many instances in this site, I cannot agree with my doctor . I asked my husband's neurologist (who treats his Parkinson's with medication that doesn't help) if there were any data banks that accumulated information from people diagnosed with Parkinson's to see if there was a common thread that would link Parkinson's with anything in particular, and he said there wasn't anything like that. It seems that a questionnaire asking what medications they take, what type of work they did, what chemicals they had ever handled, etc. should be given to all Parkinson's patients to fill in data and sent to a Parkinson's Institute for evaluation. I hate to see my husband's quality of life taken away and wish there was something I could do to make things better. I've also had to become the designated driver.

My father is 70 yrs old and was on Lipitor for over 4 yrs. He started developing muscle pain and stiffness after being on this statin drug for about 3 and a half years. However being on this medication for such a long time the damage done was quite severe. He will never be "normal" again and he will propably be on the steroid prednisone for the rest of his life. He came off of Lipitor a year ago. He started noticing that he had tremors in his hands, twitches in his face, a stiff neck and these symptoms are only getting worse. It looks like he has developed Parkinson's Disease since coming off the Lipitor. Is it possible that the Lipitor induced the Parkinsons Disease? I am his daughter and I am trying to find some answers for him as it is really bothering him. Besides the tremors he has a very poor memory, he gets confused very easily and he will not go anyplace by himself. We first thought that it might be the start of Alzhiemers but after reading the symptoms of Parkinson's disease he symptoms sure do fit much better than with Alzhiemers. Any information you may have for me would be greatly appreciated. What medications or natural supplements would help these symptoms that he is experiencing.

I sometimes experience lightheadedness, coughing, constipation, mild body aches (chest area), and have this mild stabbing pain in my lower right leg. It's not really painful, just annoying. I just noticed it after taking these medications. However, I'm also taking Metaprolol and Lisinopril. So, it could be those meds as well.

I'm gonna have a talk with my doctor and discuss more natural alternatives. If you're deciding on going the natural route too I know a lot of doctors will not support it, what a surprise huh? I think doctors hate to admit there could be new and better ways to treat a problem. It like offensive to them because of what they learned in school for years.

November 23rd, 2004 - Tuesday

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