Lipitor and memory loss

i have never taken lipitor and i never will but here's a warning for everyone- there is actually a company that sells reports for stock investors and they are advising people to invest in the company that makes the one of the only drugs used in the management of ALS. they predict that the ALS patient population (code for customers) will grow as a result of all the people on lipitor.

ok, aside from the fact that it made me sick to my stomach that wall street views the potential suffering and death of ALS victims as a business opportunity (what else is new?), this is a pretty good indication that there is a link. it will probably take years for "science" to conclusively state the connection and for the FDA to take lipitor off the market

in the meantime, save your own life. if you're not taking it, don't start. if you are, stop NOW! cholesterol is not the enemy

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?

I've been on lipitor and other generic forms of it for the last 8 years since the age of 26. I started on 10mg then 20mg and later 40mg. About 4 years ago I started with severe stomach cramps. The pain is so bad that I have to go home in the middle of the day, I can't walk or sit straight the pain is that bad and NOTHING helps. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would probably put this at a 7 or 8. I would also be nauseous and be really tired. I have had countless opinions and tests done and doctors keep telling me it is an "enigma" and there's nothing wrong with me. We've treated it through coeliac diet, exercise, lots of water, but it never helped. About a week ago I stopped drinking my meds by pure chance. I have not had one incidence of stomach ache. My doctor tells me that it's not possible for the lipitor to be the cause. I am sure he's wrong. Has anyone had a similar experience?

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 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.

memory loss, headaches, tias/mimi strokes, kidney stones, blood clot,vertigo, disorientation, muscle spasms, shaking, trembling could not control , dry eyes, stiffness in neck, back pain, twitching of all muscles , blackout when really sick, cant hold arms up, thought I had Parkinson, ms or Muscular dystrophy, motor skills are no longer great, arms and leg muscles bad, cannot write much at all, no strength in fingers or toes.
chronic fatigue and fibromyalga diagnosed not so sure after reading all these side effects.

I WORK WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL SOFTWARE DESIGN AND BILLING SOFTWARE. 1 MONTH AFTER I STARTED LIPITOR I STARTED TO FORGET THINGS LIKE CODES THAT I WORK WITH EVERY DAY AND BY THE SECOND MONTH I ALMOST LOST MY JOB WITH AN EVER INCREASING NUMBER OF MENTAL BLUNDERS AND VERY SERIOUS AND YET SILLY MISTAKES. ON MY WIFE'S (NOT MY DOCTOR WHO STILL DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM) ADVICE I QUIT TAKING IT. 6 MONTHS LATER I AM FINE AND THANKS TO THE PATIENCE OF MY BOSS I KEPT MY JOB. BUT I DEFINITELY HAD A MEMORY LOSS THAT WAS ALMOST DEBILITATING. IT IS ONLY AN OPINION, BUT I THINK BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF USERS ARE OLDER THE MEMORY PROBLEMS ARE CHALKED UP TO OLD AGE AND NOT THE DRUG. IF I WERE NOT IN A DEMANDING MENTAL JOB I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED IT.

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!

I was given 40mg Lipitor for elevated cholesterol. I took it until I started having muscle weakness .I am a retired nurse of twenty five years, and knew this symptom was not correct. So I stopped taking the medication and told my doctor of this.He did not protest in any way.My symptoms now include;two torn ligaments, sob,mental deficits, muscle wasting, night sweats, weakness,h/a's, and more. I have not taken Lipitor for two years now. Damage is done.My doctor said it should be out of my system by now. Is this a cover up?

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

I am a 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

Statin Drugs cause congestive heart failure, muscle wasting, memory loss, cancer, damage to the liver and kidneys and generally disrupt the quality of life of anyone who takes it. I know because my elderly mother was prescribed 20 mgs lipitor after her stroke in 2006. She suffers from everything I listed except for the cancer. The doctors did all the tests to rule out other causes but her problems are worsening to the point where she can barely walk. The doctors still don't want to stop the lipitor and won't even require that she take Coq10. How criminal is that? According to Therapeutics Initiative, statins provide only a 4% absolute benefit from having a major coronary event for people in the secondary prevention group like my mother but you have to take the statin for 5 years in order to get that lousy 4% benefit.
Add in the nasty side effects over the 5 years and I am sure that the side effects would cancel out all those benefits.
Lipitor is a scam drug that ruins the lives of the patients who take it.

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

Found this on a web site listed at the end.
Very scary!!! COQ10 is a must when taking any statin drugs your body needs it for your
muscles. Other statin drugs may be better.

Numerous adverse side effect reports have implicated Lipitor as a possible cause for severe neuromuscular degeneration. Some people who have been using Lipitor for two years or more report symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis or ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease - in which they are losing neuromuscular control of their bodies.

For instance, in an article entitled "Life After Lipitor" that appeared in the newspaper Tahoe World on January 27, 2004, Tahoe City (California) resident Doug Peterson began having serious neuromuscular problems after taking Lipitor for two years. He began losing muscular coordination and slurring words when he spoke. Then he lost balance, followed by loss of fine motor skills - he had difficulty writing. He went from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what could be happening. Finally one doctor suggested that he stop taking Lipitor, and the downward health spiral stopped and his health is now slowly improving.

These adverse effects have begun appearing in peer-reviewed medical journals, and numerous people have reported similar symptoms at public adverse effect reporting websites such as medications.com. People have reported "trouble swallowing, trouble talking and enunciating words, feeling fatigued all the time, neck aches," "motor neuropathy which mimics ALS," "Blinding headaches, nausea, vertigo, disorientation, memory loss, extremely dry eyes, pain and stiffness in my neck and calf muscles, abominal pain," and "Muscle pain, weakness, spasms, buzzing in right leg. Can't hold arms or head up in vertical position for 2 minutes without extreme pain and weakness."

How could Lipitor potentially cause this kind of harm to so many different parts of the body? Lipitor is a "statin" drug which inhibits the production of cholesterol in order to lower LDL cholesterol counts. By limiting the production of cholesterol, Lipitor may be indirectly causing membrane degeneration in neural and muscle tissue.

The problem is this: cholesterol is essential in your body for many functions. It forms part of what is called the cell membrane - the outer layer of every cell in your body. It helps transport and pack the major components of the cell membrane, called "phospholipids," that are made from essential fatty acids (EFAs). Without sufficient cholesterol we would die, because our tissues are constantly being repaired and replaced with new cells.

Our body produces several thousand milligrams of cholesterol per day to carry out these essential functions, and each day the excess of cholesterol is supposed to be naturally recycled. If your body doesn't have enough new cholesterol each day, you cannot repair and replace your cell membranes and they will eventually degenerate.

The continual recycling of cholesterol happens naturally when you have sufficient ascorbate, another name for vitamin C. Excess cholesterol is naturally converted to bile acid and then excreted. But if you don't consume enough vitamin C (about 2000-3000 milligrams per day for an adult), cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream. It is here that doctors make a critical error: instead of telling you to take more vitamin C, they prescribe Lipitor.
If Lipitor and other similar statin drugs are in fact indirectly causing neural and muscular degeneration, this is a very serious matter indeed.

There are twenty million people in the U.S. on Lipitor alone, and probably millions more on other statin drugs (Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, Altocor, Lescol, Crestor, etc.). Are they all going to become victims of cell membrane degeneration and nervous system problems? There are few long-term studies that bear out the safety of these drugs, and side effects such as "muscle pain or weakness" are just classified as a reason for some to stop the medication rather than an indication of something very wrong with the drug.

What is most horrifying about this problem is that cholesterol balance can be achieved without drugs, simply and safely by taking 2000-3000 milligrams of vitamin C per day for an adult. Unfortunately, vitamin C was misclassified as a micronutrient in the 1930s and 1940s, rather than an essential nutrient involved in dozens of body processes. Our health authorities recommend that we take only 60 milligrams per day, barely enough to prevent scurvy.

It is my hope that people on Lipitor and other statins learn that they do not need to take these potentially harmful drugs.

For more information about the connection between vitamin C and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, see the article Natural Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease, or visit the research website of Dr. M.
******

My husband is 46 years old. He has been taking Lipitor for over 8 years. He has had several of the side effects mentioned. He has had memory loss, pain in his feet and joints. He also has had problems sleeping.

In the past two months he has developed a rash. It first started on his left leg. He went to his doctor and told him of his problem. The doctor told him to just try an over the counter medicine for rashes. He tried this and it did not help. The rash is now all over his body. He has been going to a skin specialist for the last three weeks.

The doctor took him off of the Lipitor and the rash has started to clear up. It is going to leave black spots all over his body. Has anyone else out there had any of these side effects?

I had TIA two years back, my neurologist put me on 80mg Lipitor (Lipiget in Pakistan). I have a whole list of problems since then: tingling in lower part of legs, memory loss, cold sweats, swelling in upper abdomen, lethargy, leg cramps and backache.
Seemeen

My husband had a day fuzzy thinking and memory loss That scared me more then I can explain. With years of Joint pains back pains, loss of patiences and sometimes showing signs of depression for unknown reasons. He has a lot weakness in his arms and legs,he is tired more then ever. I thought he was just being lazy. constant fatigue and the shakes real bad. His knees pop in and out sometimes.
He difficulty with short-term memory and when we tell him things he did or said he has a hard time believing it. Also through the night he has to 'go' more often then ever. I always wondered where it came from.
Lipitor has almost destroyed our life in ways that we hope to be able to overcome in time. This is the only medicine he took so it has to be the BLAME.

Can Statins Cause Chronic Low-Grade Myopathy?
Statins (hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase
inhibitors) are highly effective drugs for reducing serum
cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials have shown that they also reduce risk for
coronary heart disease events, coronary procedures, and
stroke by about one third (1). Millions of people in the
United States and worldwide are being treated with statins.
In clinical trials and in clinical practice, statins have proved
to be remarkably safe.
The one notable side effect of statin therapy is myopathy.
A small fraction of patients who are treated with
statins will develop severe myopathy (2). In the worst cases,
severe myoglobinuria, acute renal failure, and even death
can occur. The incidence of severe myopathy is low, perhaps
1 in 1000 patients (2). Predisposing factors for severe
myopathy appear to include advanced age, relatively low
body weight, female sex, certain medications, use of multiple
medications, multisystem disease, and acute illnesses
or major surgery (3). If statins were avoided or used in low
doses in these circumstances, it is likely that the incidence
of severe myopathy could be greatly reduced.
Less severe forms of myopathy undoubtedly occur. In
some patients, fatigue and muscle pain and weakness develop
with moderately high serum creatine kinase levels
but not acute renal failure. In these cases, the myopathy
resolves when statin therapy is discontinued.
Still more patients report various muscle symptoms—
fatigue, pain, and muscle weakness—but have normal creatine
kinase levels. These symptoms probably are unrelated
to statin therapy in many patients. In middle-aged and
older people, muscle, joint, and tendon symptoms are very
common. Naturally, if a patient takes a medication that is
believed to produce muscle problems, symptoms are often
attributed to the medication. On the other hand, the major
controlled clinical trials have not detected a higher prevalence
of muscle symptoms during statin therapy versus placebo
(1). This failure of detection has generally led clinical
trialists to conclude that statin-associated myopathy with
normal creatine kinase levels essentially does not exist or
that, if it does exist, it cannot be detected above the “background
noise” of muscle symptoms in the general clinicaltrial
population.
Many physicians in clinical practice nonetheless believe
that they can identify a subset of statin-treated patients
who have a unique set of statin-related muscle symptoms.
Some patients clearly relate the onset of muscle
symptoms to initiation of statin therapy. These symptoms
may abate after discontinuation of therapy, only to reappear
when statin therapy is restarted. The number of such
patients is not large, and thus it may have been impossible
to identify them in large clinical trials.
In this issue, Phillips and colleagues (4) report on a set
of studies in four patients who had muscle symptoms during
statin therapy that resolved during placebo use. Quantitatively
measured muscle weakness also resolved during
placebo use. Muscle biopsies were performed in three patients
during statin therapy and then during placebo use.
Several pathologic changes were seen on biopsy specimens
obtained during statin therapy: increased lipid content of
mitochondria, fibers that did not stain for cytochrome oxidase
activity, and ragged red fibers. The authors suggest
that these patients had statin-associated myopathy with
normal serum creatine kinase levels.
Despite the study’s small size, we cannot dismiss these
observations as random variation in muscle structure.
However, these highly suggestive results are clearly preliminary.
The number of patients was small, and all appropriate
controls were not used. Nonetheless, this study is novel
because it used quantitative measures of muscle strength
and muscle biopsy to address the question of myopathy
with normal creatine kinase levels during statin therapy.
To be confirmed, the current data would have to be
extended to many more patients in whom muscle symptoms
are closely correlated with statin use. Reproducibility
of symptoms during therapy and symptom resolution after
discontinuation of statin therapy would be necessary. A
definitive study would have to be carefully designed and
executed. It would need to be double-blinded and placebocontrolled
and include sufficient numbers of patients to
provide a valid statistical comparison. In addition, investigators
would have to carefully consider the appropriate
selection of patients. The development of a registry of candidate
patients at multiple sites could facilitate a multicenter
study.
Is a carefully controlled, sizable study of this type
worth the investment of time and effort? To date, no evidence
indicates that prolonged statin therapy leads to permanent
muscle damage or progressive myopathy in patients
with normal creatine kinase levels. Controlled
clinical trials attest to the general safety of statins, and
symptomatic side effects appear to be limited to a relatively
small proportion of treated patients. In addition, no therapy
prevents or treats statin-induced myopathy, short of
withholding the drug. On the other hand, statins are being
prescribed to millions of people, and are usually continued
throughout the patient’s lifetime. It is certain that statins
cause myopathy in some patients. For these reasons, a valid
argument can be made for a more extensive study of lowgrade
myopathy in patients treated with statins.
In the meantime, physicians should recognize the great
benefit of statin therapy in high-risk patients and their
documented safety for most patients. For high-risk persons,
the proven efficacy for preventing cardiovascular disease
outweighs the unlikely possibility of permanent muscle
damage. Phillips and colleagues’ preliminary results
certainly do not provide adequate information on the spec-
Editorial
www.annals.org 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 617
trum, scope, or prognosis of myopathy with normal creatine
kinase levels during statin therapy. For these reasons,
prescription of statins for eligible patients should continue
despite the current results. Moreover, before discontinuing
therapy, physicians should carefully evaluate any patient
receiving statins who reports muscle symptoms. In most
cases, the symptoms will be found not to be consistent
with chronic myopathy, and often they will not be related
temporally to statin treatment. High-risk patients in particular
should not be deprived of major cardiovascular risk
reduction just because they display symptoms not clearly
documented to be closely related to statin therapy.
Despite these comments, the actions of statin on muscle
metabolism and structure deserve further investigation
to clarify the confusing area of low-grade myopathy apparently
associated with statin use in a few patients.
Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, TX 75390-9052
Current Author Address: Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD, Center for
Human Nutrition and the Departments of Clinical Nutrition and Internal
Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Y3.206, Dallas, TX 75390-9052.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Honoraria (from Merck &
Co.; Pfizer, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Bayer); Grants (from Merck
& Co. and Pfizer, Inc.)
Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:617-618.
References
1. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment
of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;
285:2486-97.
2. Staffa JA, Chang J, Green L. Cerivastatin and reports of fatal rhabdomyolysis
. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:539-40.
3. Pasternak RC, Smith SC, Bairey-Merz CN, Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Lenfant
C. ACC/AHA/NHLBI clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins (1)
(2). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;40:567-72.
4. Phillips PS, Haas RH, Bannykh S, Hathaway S, Gray NL, Kimura BJ, et al.
Statin-associated myopathy with normal creatine kinase levels. The Scripps Mercy
Clinical Research Center. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:581-5.
© 2002 American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal
Medicine
Editorial Statins and Low-Grade Myopathy
618 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 www.annals.org

I've been taking lipitor for 2 and a half years and have recently started getting a severe stabbing pain in the front thigh muscle. It is so painful it stops you dead in your tracks. I have stopped taking the Lipitor for a week now and the pain has gone. I also have memory loss and dizzy spells but don't know if that can be contributed to lipitor. I also have problems with co-ordination and speech. As I am only 46 I don't think it is old age!

Started Lipitor in 1995 after a heart attack.

My doctor's insist Lipitor is not causing, my tiredness, sore eyes, even after 8 hours of sleep I get up tired, loss of memory, loss of words, stammering, stuttering, difficulty articulating words, feeling of hopelessness.

The doctor wont take me off Lipitor , anything else I can do to lower by cholesterol. Without Lipitor it is 240, Lipitor brings it down to 180.

I take 10 mg

after using Lipitor for 5 years,after my doctor ignoring my muscle pain complaints for over a year one night my neck muscles started to convulse
like a dog coming out of a lake
this immediately led to a severe bout of vertigo,could not move my head with out fainting for 3 to five hours
doctor diagnosed it as rheumatoid arthritis what a joke
the next day i could not get out of bed, my leg and arm muscles failed me
after about a week in bed i was able to get around on crutches and after 10 days could get around but in pain
doctors treated me like a leper of old,HIGH BLOOD TURBIDITY LEVELS
no one would commit to a diagnosis publically EVEN AFTER MEDICARE INQUIRED
they spent 50 k trying to prove it was not lipitor,THEY FAILED
after 3 months of memory loss,hallucinations weakness in all muscles
there was small improvement,NOT SO MUCH DEPRESSION,NOT DEAD TIRED ALL THE TIME,STILL NEEDED EXCESSIVE SLEEP TIME
thank god that some doctors i know came down with it so i was able to find out what it was LIPITOR
NOW A YEAR AND A HALF LATER I AM RECOVERING
MAY PHIZER ROT IN HELL, ONLY CURE IS TO GET OFF THE POISON
AND HOLD OFF ON EXERCISE UNTIL YOUR BODY DEMANDS IT

I am 62 years old. I was put on Lipitor in early December 2007. I took it just before bedtime. Around 3:00am and until about 5:00 or 6:00am I experienced severe anxiety, mental confusion and suicidal thoughts. It felt as if I were having a psychotic break that was so intense I decided to commit myself to the psychiatric clinic where I live, in the morning. However, when I arose at 8:am, it was all over. I had no idea what had brought the thoughts and extreme emotion on. There were no events nor specific incidences which might trigger so strong a reaction. After three successive nights of this, I suspected the Lipitor and stopped taking it. The episodes stopped immediately and have not re-occurred. I took Lipitor for a total of 5 or 6 days.
Having read the postings on this site and a few others, I now suspect that my recent memory loss (actually its an inability to access certain words and names) started at precisely the same time. I am still struggling with the recovery of memory. In addition, I have experienced elbow muscle pain, fatigue and muscle weakness (hands and arms specifically) which started at the same time and also continues to this day, in spite of rigorous exercise. Whether this is related to Lipitor directly is hard to say for sure, but the timing is extremely suspect.

This is written on behalf of my sister, she has taken Lipitor for a few years and now she experiences back pain, severe loss of memory. At times she can not even remember her children's names. We thought that age was a factor but she was tested for Alzheimer and her Doctor said that she was did not have that disease. She urinates frequently at night and does not sleep well at all. She is depressed most of the time. She stays frustrated because she is aware that something is happening to her and no one seems to be able to help her or tell her what is wrong. The only other med that she takes is for high blood pressure and her doctor just recently changed her from Procardia which has a lot of negative side effects also. Back pain, frequently urinating at night, sleepiness' and memory loss started after she started to take Lipitor and we are trying to find an alternative for her to take for her cholesterol.

I am a 48 y/o Caucasian male and am writing to describe the terrible effects Lipitor had on my health. These side effects gradually worsened over years of use. I did not associate my symptoms with Lipitor use until I depleted my supply for about a week...until my mail order prescription was renewed. I began feeling better after just a few days, but the symptoms recurred when I resumed its use. I questioned this link and discontinued its use after a few weeks to determine if the symptoms would subside, and they did. I then conducted another trial, taking Lipitor for a few weeks. The symptoms appeared once again, so I have stopped taking Lipitor and will not use it again.

My symptoms have been well documented over the years by my physician, who did not indicate a relationship between Lipitor and these side effects. Accordingly, you might understand my surprise when I started reading about Lipitor's significant side effects in recent published news articles.

I have suffered from dizziness, confusion, depression, memory loss, painful joints and muscles and severe prostate pain, and I could not determine a cause for these for years. I have been free of all these symptoms since I stopped taking Lipitor about 6 months ago, except for a few recusing leg pains.

You can't imagine the money I have spent on doctors trying to determine the cause of my ailments, confusion and depression, not to mention money lost due to resulting poor work performance.

As far as I am concerned, Lipitor should be totally discontinued. If it isn't, then the side effects, of which there appear to be many, should be fully documented and disclosed to everyone to whom this medication is prescribed.

I am 36 years old and have been on Lipitor 40 for about 5 years. Over time, I have noticed it very difficult to concentrate and focus. I am always dragging, and my shoulders, neck and legs always ache. I guess I chalked most of it up to getting old. But recently, I started to get burining, shooting pains in my left elbow area (doctor says tennis elbow). After doing a little research - I was shocked to find that almost every symptom that I have- can be related back to Lipitor. I stopped taking it for a few weeks, and I started to feel a little better. I stopped because I couldn't afford it. Once I was able to refill my prescription- the same issues started again. I think that I am going to stop it for good, and document changes in my body. Hopefully for the better

Mother in law...70 years old. On Statins for quite a few years...Slowly noticed memory loss. Can't find the right words or sometimes even what something is...like, you know the "thing" they put the mail in (mailbox).
In assisted living now since June. Can't even cook, too dangerous.
She'll be penniliess in April '08.
Thanks statins and imcompetent Drs!.
I love how the Drs. continue to deny that these drugs have any role in memory loss, or other dangerous side effects at all!
She doesn't remember eating so has gained 12 pounds since May. BUT that isn't a hazard....oh the statins are the lesser of the 2 evils according to the Dr.
Maybe the Dr. would like to take her home for the holidays and watch her sit, quiet as she can't contribute to conversations, remember what we talked about 15 minutes earlier, etc.
WHY ISN'T there a class action on these damaging, dangerous drugs yet?
We will be strapped with her care for many years as she is otherwise healthy.
We need to take back the FDA from the special interest (BIG PHARMA) lobbyists and make medicines about curing people again...not about bottom lines and big profits...
HOW DO WE DO THIS??
I guess we all need to bombard our elected officials with letters and petitions..
Good luck to all here...I feel for you and pray your side effects don't get as bad as hers did.

I took Lipitor for 4 or 5 years. I lost count. I am a type II diabetic and the Dr. threw tons of prescriptions at me. I was convinced all my problems were not the result of Lipitor because my sister's Dr. told her that if you had the muscle pain you would have it all over. Well I got sick of feeling like I was 85 years old. I am 57. I know I am not young anymore, but I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes without having trouble getting up. The right top of my leg hurt so bad some times that I could hardly walk . I also had really bad pain on the right side of my lower leg. I had pains in my neck and shoulders and attributed it to stress at work.Last, but not least I had terrible gas and bloating. The gas was downright embarrasing. Well I took it upon myself to stop taking it. Within several days I felt like a new woman! The minute I woke up one morning I could feel the difference before I even got out of bed. I felt like I had been given my life back.

When I called my Dr. to let her know she wasn't very happy and wanted me to come in. Well now she put me on Crestor and it's been two weeks and the old pains and gas are coming back. I am NOT going to take these terrible statins anymore. They say that the muscle and joint aches are rare, but that is only because most doctors won't listen to their patients. You know your own body better than anyone else.

I have heard that some of the "older" statins are not as powerful and they don't have as many side effects. Has anyone else heard this or had any experience using them?

All I know is that for now I am off statins.

I AM A 53 YEAR OLD WOMAN, I STARTED LIPITOR IN JUNE 2007, AS OF NOW I HAVE AS FOLLOWS.
HORRIBLE WRIST PAIN,
LOWER THUMB PAIN,
KNEE PAIN,
FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN,
SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN,
SCIATIC PAIN,
HEADACHES,
BLURRED VISION,
MEMORY LOSS,
PALM OF HAND PAIN,
TINGLY FEELING IN HEAD, SOMETIMES GOES INTO MY EYE.
I AM ON 20MG OF LIPITOR AND I AM NOT TAKING THEM AFTER THIS DAY, I HAD TRIED THEM IN THE PAST BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WAS ON ZETIA SO WAS NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED WHAT, NOW I KNOW, IS THERE ANY BAD WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS IF YOU QUIT COLD TURKEY?

My mother (75) was on Lipitor for ten years (1994-2004) until I took her off cold turkey. She was off Lipitor for three years until her new doctor put her back on in March of '07 without my knowing. I am having her taken off the DRUG immediately, it is Oct. '07.

Her experiences have been more mental than physical. Depression, irritableness, MEMORY loss, can't put words to thoughts very well and as a result she has been diagnosed with dimentia. Her condition worsened in the 6 months she has been back on the DRUG which made me check into her drug formula at the adult family home she is staying in.

The doctor informed me that there is a price to pay fo everythiing, even aspirin. She feels the positives of preventing a heart attack outweighs the side effects. This is a quality of life question -- should a person be asked to suffer through these numerous side effects jsut to saty alive; and where is it proven that Lipitor has prevented ANY heart attacks?

I look forward to having a mother that is more lucid and more pleasant to be around; AND more emotionally stable!

Lipitor reduced my Cholesterol from 280 to 140. But... after only 4 months on the drug I developed pain in my legs. After several visits to the doctor I was told to get off the drug. One month later my health had deteriorated to the point that I could hardly walk. After another doctors visit and many tests I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy with the symptoms of leg pain, muscle loss and nerve damage in both legs, feet and hands. Also numbness in both hands and feet. Inability to move any of my toes. Liver damage. Of course with the problems with my feet I have poor balance. Additionally I have memory loss. Because of the neuropathy I can not get health insurance without paying a much higher preminum than normal. I am taking Gabapentin 1200 ml 3x day.

My condition has improved gradually but I still have the P. Neuropathy and there is no cure for it. My balance remains poor and the numbness, pain, nerve and muscle damage remain.

This diagnois is from a family doctor as well as a neourologist.

My recommendation is stay away from the statins.

46 year old male, moderatly active (martial arts 4 hours a week, walk dog 1-6 miles a day on average) but have been gaining weight (in mid section, despite activity and restricted diet) since on lipitor. have numbness in left side, leg cramps, muscle weakness, headaches with blurred vision. memory loss, joint pain,

The first of the nightmare was the cramps, aches and pains in my legs. eventually it spread to almost all over my body. I felt like could not wlk across the drive way without struggling. I am 51 years old and, without exageration, I felt like I was 81. It came on so slowly that I did not relate it to the Lipitor at first. A client of mine was the one to happen to mention one of his family member's experience to Lipitor and that's what clued me in. I stopped it that day. I have listed symtpoms below that I am suffering from. At least we can commisurate and e-mail with others who understand and know we are not making this up.

1.) extreme muscle/joint aches and pains
2.) extreme fatigue (falling asleep almost anywhere) loss of energy
3.) weight gain and bloating, especially in stomach area without any increase in food intake.
4.) urinary incontinance
5.) sweling in left leg and ankle
6.) swelling and pain feet
7.) depression
8.) memory loss
9.) loss of mental accuity
10.) increased oiliness of skin and hair
11.) loss of equilibrium
12.) diarrhea
13.) eyesight deteriorated rapidly
14.) irritability
15.) itching ended pretty soon after I stopped taking the Lipitor.

Most of these symptom come and go but someof them seem like they are here to stay. Is there a class action law suit that might prevent this happening to more innocent, unsuspecting people? Is there a list of things people can do to help the symtpoms? Another friend in need - Rebecca

My husband was diagnosed with MS 2 1/2 years ago. He has been on Lipitor for about 1 year. Within the past 4 months, his walking has gotten worse. Where it used to be just his right leg, now it is his left as well. Severe leg cramps, fatigue -which could be the MS - trouble keeping balance - also could be MS - lower back aches, slurred speach and memory loss. I know alot of these are associated with MS but after reading all the other letters, I am beginning to wonder if his walking has gotten worse due to the Lipitor. He used to have trouble walking but with a cane, could go for miles. Now he can't even walk 15 minutes without almost falling. A friend of ours stopped taking the Lipitor and felt better within 1 week. I am hoping the same happens to my husband. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories.

I am totally shocked at what I have learned about Lipitor. My physician prescribed 10mg for me over 4 years ago. No major problems until recently. Severe neck/shoulder pain for about 3 months. Dr said it was a pulled muscle. Gave me Skelaxin. No help. Went to Chiropractor--yanked, cracked, beat, etc--no help. In the past 2 weeks or so I have developed pain in my hips, back and legs. Blamed it on being 52 years old. As I read some of the experiences on here I could relate to each one. I also have gained about 30 pounds in the past 4 years, short term memory is terrible. NO ENERGY> 3 years ago-Dr started me on Wellbutrin for depression, then added Zoloft. I am to the point now I want to get off of all this and see how I could really feel. Not sure about withdrawals. Any comments on stopping the meds?

I am a 46 yo woman. I have been on Lipitor 10mg for 2 years. I have a 3 yr old & 15 yr old daughters, & work full time. I have always been very active. I have been fatigued for the last year. Find it hard to function, muscle fatigue,memory loss, no energy. I've started wondering if it due to the Lipitor. I thought it was just age.

29 Year Old Female on 10mg: I have been on Lipitor for 3 months now and for the past month I have been having pains in my shoulders, back, neck, radiating down my arms, stomach aches and muscle weakness/soreness in both legs. A few days ago I suffered such a sever anxiety attack where I thought I was having a heart attack. Something like this has never happened before but I contributed most of these things to being a little out of shape and worrying about my life. However when I mentioned these symptoms to my husband he mentioned the commercial for Lipitor where it states, "...if you experience muscle weakness this could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and you should consult your Dr." This weakness is a breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure.

Just recently (last 3 weeks) I have been experiencing some memory loss which I contributed to stress but after reading of the other individuals who take Lipitor I wonder if it isn’t the Lipitor as well.

Since it was the weekend and my Dr's office was closed I called my local pharmacy where the pharmacist told me that I should stop taking the Lipitor and contact my Dr. on Monday. I will be doing just that.

If you want to know more about Lipitor you can read the PPI here http://www.lipitor.com/content/Lipitor_PPI.pdf

I have been taking Lipitor for about 5 years now and have had numerous things happen to me. Just trying to find out if they relate to the Lipitor or not. Have developed extreme fatigue and depression over the years. Always seems like I am in a fog. Have tried numerous anti-depressants trying to conquer this. Nothing seems to work and the problems continue. I was thinking that I just have to live with it and then I thought about the Lipitor. Has anybody experienced any of these symptoms too? I am on 20mg.

extreme deep muscle pain, right leg
difficulty ennunciating words
memory loss
difficulty swallowing
fatigue
neck pain

Re: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 19:54:47 -0500 by olsen, #28334
RED YEAST RICE IS A STATIN--mevacolin K is the active anti cholesterol ingredient.

All statins, including RYR, cause "exercise intolerence". Quite ironic... our Dr's prescribe statins, then tell us to exercise... I'd like to see them do what they say.

As mentioned already (but just to tie things together),
CoQ10 deficiency is the reason for our painful joints & muscles, exercise intolerence and memory loss.

BELOW THE KNEE, LEG, FOOT,TOE CRAMPING. AND LOCKING, DRY MOUTH, CONSTANT THIRST, MORE FREQUENT URINATING AND URGENCY TO GET TO THE BATHROOM. SORT TERM MEMORY LOSS, SHORT SLEEP CYCLES, STRANGE DREAMS. ALWAYS TIRED.

See my earlier post 26651. Male, age 61. Lipitor for 6 months with some side effects but Dr. did not associate them with Lipitor -- said I had an inner ear virus. Another month past and now more side effects. Blood test showed the drug really worked and cholesterol dropped over 100 points. Dr. said he wanted to keep me on it even though levels were now excellent. My symptoms were many, including the following: dizziness; head pain especially around sinus area; ringing in ears; difficulty speaking; memory loss; leg cramps; extreme nausea; eyes sensitive to light; extreme neck pain; grinding sound in neck; heavy headedness, etc. etc.

Went back to Dr. 3 weeks ago when he re-prescribed more Lipitor even though levels "were excellent". Told him about my problems and fact I felt I was being poisoned by Lipitor. He thought some of my problems could be from the drug and immediately took me off of it but also want me to have a brain MRI as precaution. MRI was normal -- been off the drug for nearly 3 weeks now and other that some neck pain, I am feeling nearly 100%. Will never take Lipitor or any other drug in it's class.

I am a 44 yr old male and I have been on Lipitor for several years. I started getting muscle weakness but thought nothing of it other than getting older. I am starting to feel fatigue, pain across lower back and buttocks legs and arms. I have also started to notice memory loss both short term and long term which has effected me alot lately. I am going to stop my Lipitor after reading all these articles with similiar side effects. I will report my progress when I see a difference. I can only hope that the memory loss goes away so that it doesn't effect my work or ability to work.

I took 10 mg lipitor daily for about 2 years. I am no longer taking the cholesterol lowering drug. I started noticing episodes of memory loss (like I don't know where where I am, and a panic attack set's in) I had a recent memory test and it came back my memory has been impaired. I also have muscle aches that are quite disabling on the right side of my groin area, however dr's cannot find a cause for my pain. I have seen numerous dr's regarding this, even ended up in the E.R on several occasions due to severe muscle pain. I cannot have sex anymore due to the excruciting muscle pain I feel afterwards on the right side of my groin area.

My husband has been on Lipitor for over a year. I have been so frustrated with him about how forgetful he is. The straw that broke the camel's back came Friday when he was introduced to our son's baseball coach (Jerry), and five minutes later he asked who Jerry was. I told him right then, that he needs to stop the Lipitor because my friend had just told me about memory loss and Lipitor. We've been writing it off as him getting older (he's only 45), but the more I read about this, the more I am convinced it's the meds. He has not taken it since Friday and I hope it isn't too late.

Persistant muscle tremors, muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, neuropathy in both legs and hands, tinnitus, memory loss, inability to concentrate and make decisions, pain in back of neck and legs.

The symptoms started six months ago--two years after first starting to take Lipitor. I did report muscle pains to my doctor early on, but he just tested my liver and said I was fine. I went through two MRIs and extensive blood tests by a neurologist. Every week my symptoms continued to worsen. Finally, a friend mentioned another friend with similar symptoms who had linked it to Lipitor. I stopped use of Lipitor and within four days, all symptoms but the tremor and nerve damage was gone. I have no idea if the damage is permanent.

I consider Lipitor to be the worse health issue I have ever faced.

I have been suffering numbness in my finger tips and intermittent short memory loss. I have a lack of energy, as well. I plan to discontinue my Lipitor use immediately. I am on 20mg daily. I take aspirin also.

Someone suggested I halt the Lipitor and begin taking Niacin.

I will keep you posted.

memory loss, horrible back pain, joints pain, muscular pain, neck pain. I have had surgeries to no avail, I just had 2 Epidurals to my Lumbar and Cervical region, numerous MRI's, x-rays, and it all came down to Lipitor...I went to a spinal surgeon 8 days ago, begging him to do spinal surgery as I have some collapsed discs, he could not figure out why I had so much pain in my right side when the pain should have been on my left side. He stated that he wouldn't do surgery as it could make the pain worse. He could not understand what was going on..as I was leaving in tears because the pain was so bad, and I couldn't find help, his nurse caught me at the elevator and told me the doctor wanted me to try going off Lipitor for 3 weeks to see if the pain got better. I have been off of Lipitor for 8 days and the pain has already subside so much that it is unbelievable. for the first time last night, I slept without my Vicodin and muscle spasm relaxers. I have gone through memory losses, balance problems. I have been to nuerosurgeons, Orthopedic specialists, Neurologists, I have had 8 surgeries for joint pain. I really believe that Pfizer ought to reimburse us for all of our pain and suffering, our testings done, our Epidurals, our medicines that we have been living on. for the last 8 months the pain was pure hell. I hope the food and drug administration and Pfizer is happy with themselves for not releasing the true story and the symptoms of Lipitor that can and are happening to people all over our country.

I would like to worn anybody who is about to start to use Lipitor to please read the side effects first. I have been using Lipitor 40 mg for the past four years, and durning that time landed 3 times in hospital (taken by ambulace) with misterious chest pains, plus several visit do the doctor with the same complain. After the check-up , they told me I had muscle inflammation and was given strong pain-killers. The pain in my chest muscles was so severe, that I couldn't move, or take a breath... I also experienced progressing lack of concentration, hair-loss, numbness in my both feet, memory loss, and bad itching on my legs. Just recently I had a severe pain in my chest again and started to ask myself what is causing it. I read the information leaflet (for the first time...!!!) from my Lipitor tablet box and decided to stop taking it. It's been mow 4 days, and no pain. However, I still wonder if there is some permament damage done to my system, as it is too early to tell.

I have been on lipitor for close to 10 years - in the beginning I did not know of any serious side effect but over the past 2-3 years, I have had all the symptoms that have been mentioned in this website. I visited my endocrinologist yesterday and told her that I was going off lipitor. I had my gGt levels checked about a month ago and they were high. She said it had nothing to do with lipitor, but I am not convinced. My gastroenterologist has suggested I have a liver biopsy but did not stress that it was absolutely imperative. He left that up to me - well, who in the world is going to have an invasive procedure unless the doctor says you have to. I chose not to but I will have the gGt levels checked every 3 months to be sure they have not elevated. I have muscle weakness, muscle pain, changes in my skin, pain, sleepless and restless nights; and memory loss. I had no idea that so many others experienced the same thing. I am pretty sure I will stay off lipitor, but I keep thinking of Bill Clinton when he went off lipitor and wound up having bypass surgery. I am not a fan of pills of any kind and I wish I had never gone on lipitor. I have 4 sisters, 3 of whom have high cholesterol. Of the 4 of us who have high cholesterol, 2 of us have been on lipitor or some other statin drug and have the same problems - we can't even keep up with the 2 that have never taken lipitor and I am the youngest.

I am a 47 year old man. A year and a few months ago I was put on 10 mg a day of Lipitor. After about a month my feet began to hurt and burn, then my legs felt week. Now my hands feel strange, (week, and kind of crampy). I drop things, my hand writing is terrible, I have a hard time typing etc. My ankles, knees, hips, back, elbows, wrists, and knuckles ache. The pain and burn, tingling, and numbness in my feet is constant. I have had problems with memory loss and loss of concentration. I have days that I am so week it is hard to go up stairs, roll over in bed or just get out of a chair. I feel like I am over 100 years old at times. I feel like I have been poisoned! About 2 months ago I asked my DR. if it could be the Lipitor and he said " no, I doubt it, quit taking it for a week and see if you feel better" and ordered a blood test, which came back normal. I quit for 2 weeks with no change and started taking it again. I dont think he understood how bad I was feeling & was not much help! I am feeling much worse and changed my Dr. I have had an MRI to check for MS, which came back normal and now have an appt with a neurologist. I have just found this website and I am on my 3rd day of no Lipitor. The last 2 months I have been afraid that I am dying of some horrible disease! I hope this is my problem and I start feeling better soon!!!! If Lipitor is the cause of my problems, it has taken a year of my life away from me!!