Lipitor and muscle cramping

Been on Lipitor for 3-4 years plus Zetia. Periods of leg and hand muscle cramping have become more frequent and more severe. Got so bad yesterday I couldn't take any more. Left Lipitor and reverted to Zocor. Still plan on taking Zetia. Don't know if this is a good idea or not. Please, SOMEONE, let me know! Thanks!

I'm a 46 year old male. I started 10 years ago with Lipitor 5mg, after one year increased to 10mg, insurance company made me switch to Zocor 10mg. After switching with another ins company had to go back to Lipitor 10mg, had to switch again to Zocor 20mg, then my doctor took it to 40mg along with 1,000mg of niacin. Switch again to Lipitor and back to Zocor, all this transpired within a 10 year period. I have always been extremely active and very muscular. One day I noticed twitching in the upper part of both arms. When I visited my doctor, his first words where stop the Lipitor now. Within the next three months I had extreme body tremors, full body muscle cramping, extreme night sweating (would soak the sheets) and had a vibrating (it was like a humming sensation) sensation in my whole body 24/7. It's been two years now since I stopped taking this poison and I now suffer with a great deal of muscle loss in my hands, forearm, upper shoulders, butt area and feet. I have difficulties with balance, holding my bladder when I feel the urge to urinate, severe pain, difficulty lifting my arms to my head and difficulty with my speech. The sweating and vibrating feeling has gone now however my quality of life is not anything to talk about. If I new then what I know now about this statin drug I would have never takin it. If any one knows of any ways too reverse these side effects, please e-mail me at ******

My mother, in her late 70s, was on Lipitor for some years. She has been taken off the Lipitor when blood tests showed gross abnormalities. She is on a Vitamin B12 therapy for severe anemia and other medications for the complications that has caused. One of the most obvious signs that things were NOT right with her was her rapidly degenerating MEMORY. It was scary. I told her she HAD to address this to her doctor. It was part and parcel of the effects of Lipitor.
Now, I was on Lipitor for 2/3 months...I immediately got what my doctor NOW has called Restless Leg Syndrome. It never went away after stopping the drug (6 mos ago). I am BACK on Lipitor and immediately upon taking it again, I started getting a worsening of Restless Leg, which inclucded severe and many nocturnal charlie horses which would awaken me throughout the night. I have only been on Lipitor for 2 months now and I am noticing muscle "tightening" in my arms (from the elbow down), too. I was given Quinine Sulfate for the Restless Legs...which I don't believe is in itself a separate disease, but a side effect of the Lipitor. I also have hand tremors. (Nerves or Lipitor?) Now, I became a vegetarian, who eats NO red meat (ok, a bite of a burger a few times a year...lol), uses soy products, veggies and beans as the mainstay of my diet. I have excluded, over the past 10 months, all saturated/trans fats and cholesterol from my diet. My cholesterol readings are like a ping-pong ball. Good, too high, too low, good, too high. I'm between a rock and a hard place re taking the Lipitor. My family is genetically predispositioned to higher than normal cholesterol levels. Yet, the doctor feels the enormous stress in my life during these past 10 months (which hopefully will start to disipate within the next month) has caused the cholesterol to be high....the higher readings began with the increase of stress.
What does one do? Is the muscle cramping and the inability to sit down for more than 15 mins a serious issue? Does it get worse? I assume it's time for a second opinion. It's a Catch 22: each side-effect can be attributed to yet another "disease" in itself. I, like most of the people on this site, have attributed most of my symptoms to "getting old".

have been on lipitor and coversyl plus for 7 months - just recently have had tingling in finger tips ,tongue swelling (it feels swollen) and tingling in tongue, head feels kind of foggy some muscle cramping and kind of a numbness on left side of arm and leg - I had a mild stroke 7 months ago at that time my cholestrol and blood pressure were on the high end of normal not out of control. I have gone for blood tests just waiting for results. I am getting a little stressed over these side effects which do not help the whole situation. Can side effects take this long to manefest themselves.
Thanx - Sharon

I am a 32 year old male who has been on Lipitor for about four years. High cholesterol runs in the family, and recently went up to 40mg. I think this was a big mistake.

I have experienced some nasty side effects including chest pain, upset stomach, and horrible muscle cramps and tingling. My feet are always cold and have a tingling sensation in them. I did have some mild muscle cramping before upping the dose, but it defintely became worse. I have stopped taking any more lipitor for a week, but the symptoms remain. I also do get dizzy at times, and have trouble sleeping.

I have now stopped taking the drug for a week now, but the symptoms remain. I would appreciate if anyone could let me know if they have stopped, how long, if any, did the symptoms start to go away. I am worried that it has been a week, and I still have the foot tingling sensation and the muscle cramps in the legs. I hope this goes away.

For some good news, for people that have exprienced some chest pain or discomfort, I did find that taking a gas inhibitor did provide some relief. The chest pain is caused I believe by the stomach, like a heartburn. This did provide some relief, though I have not found anything that helped the muscle cramps and coldness.

I am off to the doctor and I hope to hear something that will make me better. My wife thinks I am crazy and thinks it will go away now that I have stopped. I hope she is right, because it is really starting to wear on me mentally.

I have never posted or complained about Lipitor before. I am not an angry patient, or someone who has a grudge to bare. I just want to feel normal again, and not feel so crazy and bad all the time. I am took young to feel this way.

Thank you for reading my story.