Lipitor and muscle pains

I posted several months ago on this string and wanted to update. I had bloodwork done for the 1st time since I quit the 20mg of Lipitor in August. LDL went from 123 to 210. Total Chol went from 191 to 285. HOWEVER all shooting pains I had been experiencing in legs, feet, and chst are GONE! Went back to my Dr. today, told her that same result and my serious objection to taking any kind of statin and she prescribed CRESTOR while telling me it was more potent than Lipitor! WTF!!!

I refuse this course, am drinking 30 - 40 ozs. of water each day now like I should have been, doubled my CoQ10 to 200mg/day, finally getting back into the gym to lose weight and get the HDL up from the level of 36 it is now. also started to drink the new yogurt type "shot" of Promise for cholesterol that provides 2 grams of plant sterols per day.

I will not take statins ever. I WILL find a natural way to keep my Chol under control. I've also been convinced that you don't have to be at or under the 200mlg of total chol to be healthy. Look at your C Reactive Protein and Homosiytes (sp?) If they are in range you should be good.

I know Lipitor was the cause of my rupturing each of my Achiller tendons a year apart while playing tennis in my late 40's Muscle pain soon followed.

I was on Lipitor for less than a week 2 years ago and the muscle pains were so bad that moving my head was painful. I called the doctor's office and was instructed to stop taking the medication; which I did and felt 'back to normal' within a few days. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since that time, or if I did before surgery, no one mentioned anything negative about it. However 6 weeks ago I had a heart attack. Apparently my cholesterol was twice what it should it have been, and my potassium was incredibly low. So I'm now on Lipitor (standard procedure after having a heart attack and high cholesterol seen as the cause of it) to ensure that another blockage does not occur.

The only problem is I'm now bloated even though I've changed my diet drastically (no more junk food or soft drinks, no 'white' flour products, no dairy products with more than 5% M.F and lots of veggies and fruits). I've lost 3 or 4 pounds but my pants are too tight around my waist, and now I have a my upper abdomen bulges over the waistline. Besides that, I get muscle 'kinks' in very places and after sitting for more than 10 minutes I limp when I take the first few steps.

People have told me to 'keep taking Lipitor and Plavix' but exercise more. The only problem with that is that I have a brain aneurysm and the neurosurgeons don't think it can be operated on 'without it being a very high risk procedure'. The first one ruptured 10 years ago and since then I've managed to control my blood pressure. However the meds I took for that was what lead to my potassium being so low that my electrolytes were imbalanced. That combination of low potassium and high cholesterol is what lead to the heart attack.

I'm 54 and feel as though I'm losing control of 'how' I feel. Between Lipitor, Plavix and diuretics and medication for hypertension I'm not sure if it's one drug in particular that's making me 'ache, limp and look like a blimp' or if it's because of the interaction of all of them. How do I decide 'what' to stop? What's more important to look after first - my heart or my brain?

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 male of 67 years old. I took Lipitor for a year, and after a few months of taking it, I felt muscle pains in my arms and shoulders, as well as my back. I felt weak and could hardly put my socks on by myself. I told my family doctor that I thought the problem was caused by LIpitor. He said it couldn't be possible, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he sent me to a rheumatologist, who gave me an initial diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. I went back for a checkup, and although the sed rate was normal, the C-reactive protein was elevated. He felt his diagnosis was an accurate one. He prescribed prednisone for me. I had some doubts about it, since I am diabetic, and was concerned about the elevated blood sugar it might cause. Well, it did elevate my blood sugar, and I weaned myself off it within three months. My blood sugar went back to normal, and while the prednisone helped the symptoms of muscle pain and aches, after I stopped it, the pain returned with a vengeance.

About a year passed after discontinuing the prednisone, and I felt worse and worse. Any time I engaged in physical activity, such as yard work, I was almost incapacitated for two or three days. I felt weaker and weaker, and by now, my activity is about ten per cent of what it was three or four years ago. I am unable to do anything physical without paying a heavy price.

I would tell the doctor that I felt the problem was caused by the Lipitor. He would dismiss my comments, saying that the pain should have gone away after discontinuing Lipitor. He sent me back to the rheumatologist with results of recent blood tests. Both the sed rate and C-reactive protein were normal. The rheumatologist touched my back and other areas, which caused me to jump. He said it might be fibromyalgia. I told him again that I thought it was caused by the Lipitor. He said the same thing my GP had said: if it had been the Lipitor, the pain would have gone away when I stopped taking it. I know the Lipitor caused the pain, because I tried red yeast rice for a couple months. The pain increased to almost unbearable, so I discontinued the red yeast rice. If I were not susceptible to the pain from the Lipitor, would the red yeast rice have increased the pain?

So here I am with a fuzzy diagnosis from the rheumatologist, and no clue from my family doctor (that he will verbalize, at any rate). My life has gone steadily downhill. I used to be a strong, active person, but now I can do very little, and my strength is a shadow of what it formerly was. What can I do?

Male 58 years old. Heart Attack and 5 bypass on Jan 23,2008. I was put on Lipitor 80mg. and have had a few muscle pains which I blamed on recovery from the surgery. But, after seven weeks, I began to be exhausted and have jaw pain. Then old injuries to my back and shoulder became very painful. I started to hurt all over in joints and have nerve firing both sciatic and on my groin. my inner right elbow hurt. Then depression came on . My wife suggested I check my medication. I found this site and others and decided to stop the Lipitor . The side effects were 95 % better within 46 hours after stopping the Lipitor. Now, 72 hours later, I only have a little tenderness in the backs of my thumbs. But, even that is greatly reduced.

I am a 55 year old male. I have been on 40mg of Lipitor for 2 years after having a stent put into my heart. About 6 years ago I was on 20mg ov Lescol for a year but I stopped taking it because my knees became very weak and I could not walk up stairs without holding on. I am now experiencing severe lower back pain down into my left buttock, leg muscle and knee weakness, and I also have mild depression or a lack of motivation may be a better term. I am going to stop taking the statins and see if I have any improvement. Several years ago, when I stopped taking Lescol, my knee weakness and pain did not improve. Through research on the internet I discovered that some symptoms do not improve by stopping the medication. My goal now is to ensure it does not get any worse.

One Jan. 2 of 2008 I had a stroke where the whole left side of my body was completely paralized. My speech was slurred and my son called the ambulance to take me to the hospital. I am 52 years old and am a Pastor. When the ambulance arrived and the paramedics began working on me to take me to the hospital I began to pray. I asked the Lord to heal my body. I asked him to take all my symptoms away and clear out my arteries if there was any blockage. By the time I arrived at the hospital I was completely back to normal. I give God all the glory. After the MRI the doctor acknowledged that I indeed did have a stroke and there shows damage on the right side of my brain but they just couldn't get over the fact that I had no residual disability. Now to the statin. Even though after all the tests they found out all my arteries were indeed clear with no blockages anywhere and all the tests on my heart were good I do have high cholesterol of about 260 of the bad stuff (this runs in my family). Before I left the hospital the doctor prescribed me to take 1 baby asprin a day and the generic version of Lipitor.

I know this sounds weird but that night I took only one capsule of that statin drug and by the next afternoon I began having pain in my legs and they got all wobbly and hard to walk. I had asked the doctor if there were any side effects of these statins and she told me that they were safer than asprin and that they should be sold over the counter without having to even obtain a prescription. She did mention that there were some very rare side effects (that only happen to 1 in 10,000 people) of it attacking peoples muscles but told me that if that happened I could just stop taking the medicine and the muscle pain would go away.

I never took another one of those pills but for about 3 or 4 weeks having muscle pains and cramps in different parts of my body. It was like something was moving around and attacking different muscle groups. I noticed one day that the muscle in my left arm was sore and very weak and it was like I didn't have as much muscle as before. Then the next day it was doing the same thing in my other arm.

Fortunately after those weeks all the symptoms have went away and I feel fine. The funny thing is I had felt great before taking that statin pill and only took that one. It was like poison.

Now since that happened to me I have been talking to many family and friends that are either currently taking or were taking statin drugs and every single one of them have had terrible muscle, memory, emotional problems since beginning the drug.

My uncle had surgery (not heart or artery related) about 8 months ago. I noticed that he was in very bad shape not being able to get around because of severe muscle pain and weakness. He was crippled. I was driving him one day and he was talking about all his pain and weakness in back and legs and shortness of breath then it hit me, statins? So I asked him if he was taking statins. He set and thought for a few seconds and said he had started taking them right after his surgery 8 months before and his muscle pains and weakness started right about that time.

I encouraged him to stop taking them for a few weeks and see what happens. Within 2 weeks he was much better and not about 8 weeks he is pretty much totally back to normal. He thanks me all the time. He said it must have been the Lord that prompted me to warn him about the statins.

I still have a cousin my age that has severe back pain and muscle spasms in his back that started about the same time he started taking statin drugs. He is no longer able to golf like he used to. I'm trying to get him to stop but the doctor has him convinced that the statins aren't causing the problems and that he must keep taking them.

I'm on a quest now to warn as many people as I can about these dangerous drugs. The truth is we are ultimately responsible for what we put in our mouth and if it hurts us we need to not swollow it whether it is the wrong kinds of food or bad drugs.

I initially took Lipitor and stopped because of the side effects (muscle pain). My cholesterol went higher and my doctor. put me on Lipitor again and added Zetia. I took both of them since 9/06. Slowly, I started getting muscle pains in my left elbow,arm, shoulder, neck, hands, face, etc. My doctor told me it was arthritis and I tried several natural products to no avail. In the mean time, I continued to research for something natural to lower my cholesterol. I decided to try Pantethine while I was using the Lipitor/Zetia. I was surprised my blood tests showed that my cholesterol was lower due to Pantethine. Last week, I decided to stop the Zetia and when I saw this website and so many people and their side effects, I stopped Lipitor a few days ago and increased the Pantethine I am taking. Hopefully, in time, the pain will ease or stop.

I hope this information will be some help for other people.

In general, most doctors,nurses, health care people, etc need courses for natural/alternative products . . . . . . instead of surgery and dangerous drugs.

61 year old female, on Lipitor 2002-2005 10 mgs a day. Doc increased dose 2006-current to 20 mgs a day. No muscle problems BUT hair has thinned out dramatically! Doc called today and reduced dose back to 10 mgs for 6 weeks as liver enzymes up with tests last week. Also have tingling in feet. Haven't read all the posts here yet as just found site today but anyone else losing hair and taking drug? If you had hair loss and quit the drug, did your hair come back? If your liver tests were higher and you cut back on the dose, did your numbers go down?

I am currently 44. I have been on Lipitor since December 2005. I was going through breast cancer at the time. I have a family hx of heart disease and high cholesterol. I have been experience many annoying joint aches, muscle pains, and so many other others described. I had to have a bone scan done to make sure I didn't have bone cancer. I am now convinced that after reading all your entries (and my in-laws telling me of these things), that Lipitor has been my problem. My family Dr. had me stop it for 3 weeks and then go back to see what difference it made. Some muscle pain subsided. Came back when I started it again. I am now going to stop taking this and see what other alternatives I have. Your stories have been incredible and helpful. I'm sorry so many have had to endure so many problems but am grateful you have shared your experience. God Bless you all.

My father 64 years old has been on Lipitor for over 2 years. In the past few months he has been very quiet, finding it hard to talk and he knows what he wants to say but some words are hard to say. Severe fatique, he moves much slower, difficulty reading and to understand what he's reading. Finds it hard to write and draw and when he is sleeping he has awful twitching. Is this because of Lipitor? we are waiting for an MRI and EEG the doctor seems to feel it might be dementia or Alzheimer's and maybe so but that all doesn't add up.
Does anyone else feel like this?
Is there hope, we have taken him off Lipitor 2 days ago.
Does anyone have a good result to hear?
How do check to see if Lipitor is the problem where does that show up?

I started taking Lipitor a month or so ago and did not even realize it had side effects. I have been having my whole head itching like crazy day and night and I never had that in 38 years! I have been having leg cramps and charley horses in my feet so bad. I have had severe pain in my right hip/thigh area so bad that I thought I was going to have to take myself to the ER. Sharp shooting pain down my leg into my foot and in a fog mentally to where my brain and mouth do not connect. The joint and muscle pains have been so severe that to walk from the car to the store has been almost impossible. I have not taken the dose last night and already the pain and cramping is lessening. I think I'll find another way to lower the cholesterol!!!

I have beenon lipitor for more than five years. I now have unbearable pains in my shoulders which are only relieved with antiinflammatories. I also have pains in my right foot which is sometimes very difficult to walk on. My Dr says ok go off lipitor but risk heart attack/stroke. I am getting to the point that the pain is so debilitating that Idon't care.

I am a 52 yr old registered nurse.I was on Lipitor 10mg for 3 1/2 weeks.By then,I was miserable.I had joint/muscle pains,I was sleepless and had overwhelming fatigue.My co-workers asked me why was I limping.I ached so bad I couldnt walk straight,and would come home and lie down and cry from these things.I stopped and all symptoms stopped in 24-48 hours.I will never put myself through that again.I will try harder to watch the diet,but would rather take my chances that subject myself to that again,it was crazy.

I was taking Lipitor (can't remember how long and what mg) and started feeling like I was continously in a fog and having memory problems. These were so bad that my GP sent me to a Neurologist for MRI and CT scans with results showing nothing wrong. I decided that this started after I went on the Lipitor and took myself off of it. The "fog has lifted" but I still have some memory problems. I am now taking Zetia and have started having muscle pains and cramps. I'm going to give up on cholesterol lowering medications. If I can't lower it with diet and exercise I'll just take my chances with the high cholesterol!

My fiance' has been on Lipitor for the past 2 years. Over the past 6 months, he has experienced extreme back, muscle, joint and wrist/hand muscle pains. He also has a very mild patchy rash around his mid-section (comes and goes). His hair has dramatically thinned over the course of his treatments and he has very little energy. Now, he is now experiencing sexual dysfunction. This is very concerning to both of us. Did I mention he's only 35 and clearly got the raw end of the gene pool? What is an alternative?

I am a 55 yo caucasian male caucasian. Profession: Dentist. Was placed on Lipitor 20mg/day. After 2-3 months noticed that I bruised very easily; began feeling weak, tired; would develop severe muscle & joint pains after Karate & Weight training. Because of my genetics, lab values did not improve enough. The dose was increased to 40mg/day. Leg cramps, weakness, and muscle pains became totally incapacitating. Has to go to bed. Sleeping was difficult becasue of constant pain. Discontinued Lipitor: all symptoms abated.

Was then placed on Vitorin 10/20 one per day. After 4 to 6 weeks noticed severe muscle & joint pain. But there is no bruising like I had while taking the Lipitor. I altered the dose to one every other day, i.e., 1/2 the perscribed dosage, and symptoms have lessened. However, when I perform and intense Karate & weight work out session, 48 hour later I have severe muscle & joint pains which necessitate bed & rest for 24 to 36 hours.

My Cardiologist is skeptical of these effect being related to these cholesteral statins...but as a clinician of 30 years i KNOW there is a direct relationship.

I begain taking Caudet (1/2 Blood pressure med and 1/2 Lipitor) and after 1 year quite taking it. Reason: Increasing Muscle pains.... It begain in some of my joints, such as my elbow, shoulder and knees, then the pain migrated to a place in my lower back. I have some lower back issues from a major op back in 1983 (couple of disc removals). Some pain in the back when I over exherted the muscles but never presistant. While on Caudet though it got so bad I could not straighten up. I went to my doctor who took me off the med and by week 3 all pains in back and joints were gone. I knew nothing of the side affects of Lipitor nor had I ever looked them up. My symptoms would have been qicker attributed to the drug if I had only taken the time to learn more of the drug....Hope others read these post and understand that the statin class of meds come with serious potential for side affects.

Female, 53. I had been taking Lipitor for about 4 years, starting at 10 mg/day, then increasing to 20mg/day (at my insistence) to get maximal benefit and protection. At first and when increasing the dose, I noticed muscle pains in my legs and hips which subsided, and "restless legs" type symptoms that persisted. I belonged to a Curves gym and continued to work out regularly. About one year ago I developed tingling in my left forearm down into my thumb. I had nerve conduction and muscle tests which were normal. The neurologist told me it must be a cervical disc problem. The symptoms improved on their own, but then I developed tingling in my left leg down to my 4th & 5th toes. About 5 months ago, my leg muscles started to weaken and ache making walking and even standing difficult. I continued to work out when I could, thinking that it was due to the onset of menopause (which was also happening), but I ended up injuring my knees (chondromalacia patella) because of the weak quad muscles.
I logged on to this website and read some stories similar to mine, so I decided to stop the Lipitor. It has been almost 2 months now, and I think that there is some improvement in muscle strength and less muscle pain, but the patella problem and tingling in the left leg remain. My cholesterol shot up to 277 one month after quitting Lipitor, higher than it ever was before treatment. The doctor wants me to try Crestor, but until my knees are better, I'm afraid to do this.

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.

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.

muscle spasms and muscle pains; headache

Was reluctant to take any Lipitor but decided to try it.
Now at 16th day of 10 mg tid.
Three days of foot swelling and eye and face swelling already. No other detectable reason of diet change.
Also severe low back muscle pains. No reason such as overworking it. The pain does not respond to movements which usually relieve back pain. (Pilates or Feldenkrais).
No proof of the cause but will stop the drug and test whether symptoms abate.

Off Statins for about 2 months,,,,all of my side effects have disappeared, tinititus, muscle pains, muscle cramps, tingling,etc, etc...I am trying fish oil and niacin. We will see if it works..I am trying it without the doctor because he told me to stay on statins..I will keep you posted

Nell

After taking statins (Provacol, Lovastatin, Lipitor, and Zocor) for over 4 years and having strong muscle pains throught out my body, I stopped taking statins.

During this time the doctor tested me for everything else. I started taking Celebrex to stop the pain. It greatly reduced it.

However, i stopped Celebrex after how it might affect heart patients was made known.

Now 2 months after I stopped Lipitor, 95% plus of my pains are gone. I did not realize how severe they were until i stopped. one can get used to pain, but it does negatively affect you without you being consciously aware of it.

I now aggressively use diet and exercise to control my cholesterol. a better solution in all aspects.

when I started statins, i had no apparent side affects like muscle pain for about 10-12 months. however over time the pain started kept building and spreading. Eventually my legs muscles, back muscles, chest muscles, hip joints, elbow joints, and knee joints all ached.

A friend of mine who had been taking Lipitor (20mg) for a little over a year, recently started having muscle pains.

What I do not understand is why this side affect is not better know and published.

Been taking statins for several years and have put up with the muscle aches and general feeling of unwellness for some time now. Took myself off Lipitor 20 mg dose this week after having investigated side effects. Why does it take years of people suffering through these side effects, poisoning their body for someone to come up with a better, less toxic drug. My mother has been on statins much longer than I and has all of the classic symptoms:hair loss, tinnitus, weakness, muscle pains, loss of balance, pains in her head so sharp she says it's like someone's sticking a knife into her. Unfortunately, she comes from a different generation that doesn't dare go against her Drs. advice and will probably suffer these side effects to her grave.
Looking now for an alternate, with my family history of cardiac problems, thought I was doing something good for myself by taking Lipitor. Started taking garlic pills but would welcome any safe alternatives.

SURPRISE! It appears that when one speaks to her doctor in an authoritative, nonhysterical tone, and with knowledge and intelligence about the subject, that doctor actually listens. I insisted my endocrinologist take me off Lipitor because of extreme side effects developing after a couple of years on it (unbearable muscle pains, edema in ankles and hands, unexplained rashes, tinnitus, vision problems) and he did exactly that without so much as a howdy-do or a doubt that I might be exaggerating my symptoms. Said we would check my cholesterol again during next visit and look for another solution, if it rose again over 200. I am now a happy camper and will report to those of you suffering similar symptoms about the results of this rather peremptory cessation of this scary drug. If I keel over, at least I won't die in pain, huh? And if I don't, you guys can consult similarly with your doctors.

I have been taking 10 mg of Lipitor for several years now. I was on Zocor before that and had aching muscles in my thighs and couldn't even walk around the park like I used to. Doctor took me off that although I don't think he was convinced that was the problem. One year ago I was in therapy for pain in my shoulder which the doctor said was the muscle that goes into the rotator cup. About a month ago, my right calf started hurting when I walked and it felt as though the muscle was tight and when I got up to answer the phone in the middle of the night it felt like it popped or tore or something. I iced it, elevated it, etc. and when it didn't get much better (I was walking stiff-legged not to contract the muscle), I went to the doctor. They send me for a doppler just to make sure it wasn't a blood clot which it wasn't. I am on Coumadin for occasional Atrial Fibrillation and they did find a hematoma (bruising) probably caused by an injury while on Coumadin. Anyway, the doctor gave me some muscle relaxers and this helped for a couple of days. Then, last week the leg started hurting again and I started to have the same pain in my left leg. Now I have pain in both calves and it is painful to walk or contract the calf muscles. I also feel a tiredness or achiness in my top, front thighs and my arms.

After my experience with Zocor I decided to look on the web for anything about Lipitor and muscle pains. I was shocked by all the posts and information I found that makes me believe the problems I have been having are from the Lipitor. I didn't even think about the problem with my shoulder until I read these sites and put two and two together (especially since I didn't do anything to injure it). I have now missed two doses and I have an appointment at the docs in a week. I am hoping by that time I will feel some improvement in my legs.

My brother is on 20 mg Lipitor and he experiences light headedness, swollen lips, tongue and genitals. My other brother takes 80 mg and his wife has complained of his moodiness and I wonder now if that has something to do with it. This drug is not for everyone.

20 weeks ago, I awakened with severe stabbing pains in my head and muscle pains in thighs. In the days following, the acute pain was also in my hips, back, upper arms and legs. I experienced difficulty walking, sitting or standing up. My doctor pulled me off Lipitor (40 mg. for 3 yrs.) but discounted that Lipitor was causing my problems. He sent me to a neurologist (MRI of my head turned out OK but the stabbing pains are still there) who sent me to a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist gave me a cortisone-lidocane injection in each buttock. It was miraculous - my pain were gone. I was able to walk normally for the first time in months. He also prescribed a 12-day course of prednisone as well as a prescription for Mobic (anti-inflammitant) . I have enjoyed two weeks of pain-free joints and muscles - and no head pains. The official diagnosis of my problems is "an auto-immune problem, polymylitis rheumatica with psoriatic arthritis"!!! Friends, I have no rheumatism, I have no arthritis, I have no psoriasis but I DO have polymylitis (poly=many, myl=muscle, itis=pain; many muscle pains) and I am fairly confident that Lipitor is the cause of it.

With the successful 12-day prednisone course behind me, my muscle pain and stabbing head pains are back! The rhematologist wants to resume with another course of prednisone and I am left with few alternatives other than to go back on the steroids.

Golly, I wish that today's doctors were more educated about the effects of the statins and more willing to think outside of the 'diagnosis box' when it comes to the symptoms and dangers of statin drugs.

Any recommendations? Email me at ******

Thanks.

Jim

Took Lipitor 40 for 4 months, had immediate muscle pains in one arm. So my doctor took me off it.

HOWEVER, I took the highest dose of Pravachol (80 mg) for at least 5 years with NO side effects.

Only changed because my insurance compaing insisted due to new cost increases in Pravachol.

So, the ---- with the insurance company, back to Pravachol.

I've been taking low dosage of Lipitor for over 4 years. No noticable side effects until past 2-3 months. I've had severe muscle pains in arms and shoulder. I've stopped taking Lipitor and have improved greatly, although still some lingering pain in both arms.

I"m searching alternatives to statins and don't think I'll return to Lipitor. I do have type 2 dibeates and do need to monitor this. I've heard that COQ10 is essential if on statin.

I thought this would be interesting for everyone to read. I went to my dentist the other day for my checkup and he commented "I see you're no longer taking the Lipitor". I was quite surprised and wondered how he knew since I did stop taking it 4 months ago because it left me in crippling muscle pain in my back and legs. He said he could tell by looking at my gums - that they look much more healthier now. I never had any gum problems my entire life even while taking lipitor so I was surprised at this observation. It just goes to show you how dangerous this drug is, that if it can be seen in the gums this drug must affect the entire body whether you have symptoms there or not and who knows what it's silently doing to you. The dentist commented that everyone that takes this drug seems to get muscle pains and many are left crippled long after they discontinue the drug and he wonders why doctors so blindly keep prescribing this drug and why they keep advertising it on TV like it's candy.

w/o taking Statins by total C level is 300-320
I first tried Niacin, but the side effect had me with "burning" for many hours and I look like a cooked Lobster, so this was dropped.
I first tried Zocor several years ago in several doses, but total C did not fall below 240.
I then moved to Lipitor 10mg than 20mg and then 40mg . My total C dropped to 250 then 200 then 195. My doctor a couple of months ago advised a move to 80mg. I protested because was concerned that over the last couple of years I had developed Arthritis in my hands and major muscle pain in both my upper arms. he was skeptical of the linkage so we devised the following empirical experiment.

4 weeks off Lipitor and the Arthritis and Muscle pains had subsided 75/90+% rerspectively.
4 weeks back on 40mg I was back to the previous high levels of Arthritis and upper arm pains.
5 days off Lipitor again and both side effects have been reduced by 50%.

The good news is that I have seemingly found the cause of my Arthritis and Muscle pains. The very bad news is, to what medicine do I turn next. I am NOT over weight. I exercise 6 days a week min averaging 5-6,000 Calories a week. B4 I turned to Statins I was on an almost Vegetarian diet + fish, no fried foods, no butter, margarine, cake, biscuits little meat, no potato chips. In fact my diet was excellent so it seems the Cholestrol is a natural state for my body. Well natural in its production, but I need to keep it at 200 or lower to be happy.
My HDL is aroung 66-70 of that 200 while taking 40mg of Lipitor. But Lipitor seems bad for my body. I hear Crestor is coming under scrutiny as well.
No idea which direction to take next.

I have been taking Lipitor for the past 10 years or so. I never thought that taking this medication would or could create so many side effects until i started to read this site. I always thought, during the past several years, that my muscle pains, headaches and other unusual illnesses were related to something I did. (by lifting heavy boxes. turning to abruptly a certain way), etc...

In the past couple of years, back pains and bowel pains have increased to the point that it's getting hard to stand for long periods at a time. I find myself using any kinds of heat to try and relieve the pain.

Also, someone on this site mentioned about not being able to sleep, well I have been having problems sleeping and my doctor prescribed a sleeping pill....hmmmmm! I wonder.

After reading alot of these postings, I am thinking of getting off this medication and see what will happen after a few days.

Blown Away
Canada

I have been on 10mg daily dose of Lipitor for over 2 years now. When I was first prescribed the drug my doctor stated that because my cholesterol was so high I would not be able to control the levels through diet alone and would therefore need to take Lipitor indefinately.
Initially my blood cholesterol dropped dramatically & I & the doctor were pleased with the result.
I continued eating a similar diet to before which was balanced, with no excess fats or salt although I was eating red meat on a routine basis.
About six months ago I started experiencing severe muscular pain in my neck & shoulders. My neck muscles became so inflamed & immobile that I had days when work was impossible (I am a chauffeur/butler). These pains did not respond to antiinflamatory or pain killers. I made two visits to an oestiopath & received manipulation & massage. The relief was temporary but not complete.
Just one month ago I cut out red meat, most animal fats & changed my diet, replacing the red meat content with grilled fish or chicken. I eat lots of fruit, vegetables & salads.I also take a multivitamin dose. At the same time as my diet change I increased my excercise regime.
WITHIN ONE WEEK of the new regime I experienced severe muscle cramps & my joints 'dried' to the point where they clicked & cracked whenever I moved them. I suspected the LIPITOR so I stopped immediately.
In just a few days the joints stopped clicking & grinding & my six month old muscle pains disappeared. This I think is not a coincidence.
I am male, 43 years old & very active with no other medical conditions of any kind.

My husband was on Lipitor. After only 4 days, he would "walk" into a wall if he got up in the middle of the night. He was confused and unsteady on his feet. I had him stop taking it. We also tried Zocor..same effect. Eventually we hit on a regemin of good diet, Garlique and drinking vinegar(about 2 TBSP. /day) This helped lower his cholesterol some. Then the doctor said he HAD to take Lipitor or he would have MORE heat damage (previously had an attack).He did take it for 4 weeks, BUT the symptoms came back plus tiredness, GROUCHINESS, and muscle pains; also cold extremities. He is off the Lipitor again. After reading this website, I will NEVER let him take it again. We will try harder with his diet and hopefully increase his exercise(mostly walking).
I think we are very fortunate to not have been on it a longer time. Some of you suffered alot. God Bless.

My mother had high cholesterol and was on several med's trying to lower it. They at times worked but she also had side effects. My sister was introduced to a company called Young Living Essential Oils. At first she was skeptical like everyone is, but she tried it anyway. She ordered Mineral Essence, Super Cal, and Helichrysum oil for my mother. Helichrysum is a chelator that lowers and regulates cholesterol and reduces blood clotting. You just rub the oil on the bottom of your feet once in the morning and then again before you go to sleep. You also take it in a capsule. You buy the empty capsules from you local store and put about 9-10 drops in one. Magnesium acts as a smooth muscle relaxant and supports the cardiovascular system. It acts as a natural calcium channel blocker for the heart and dilating the heart blood vessels. Mineral Essence and Super Cal are great sources of magnesium. Super Cal comes in a capsule. Mineral Essence comes with a dropper. You just put five dropper fulls of it in a glass of juice or water. I use it every morning before I lift weights. It gives me energy by moving the blood and it makes it so my muscles do not get sore. By the way, all of these are organic with NO SIDE EFFECTS. Y.L. sells nothing but 100% pure organic therapeutic grade A essential oil. Not the junk you by in the stores.

With in one week my mothers blood pressure was normal and she has been that way ever since. That was 9 yrs ago. Since that time my entire family has been hooked on Young Living products. My sister is even now a corporate trainer for them. We swear by their products. That is just one case out of thousands that I have heard and seen about Y.L. correcting an illness. We now do not take any man made drugs. You can see why. They also have lots of great products for muscle pains weaknesses, and everything else you could want. If you would like more info let me know. I can tell you where to get it and how to get the cheapest price. I am just taking time to write this because I know how it is to see someone suffer and then feel like there is nothing more you can do. But guess what, there is!

Thanks

muscle pains especially in shoulder, dizziness, loss of short term memory, fog like symptoms, i am willing to take any advice to lessen these symptoms.

My dad is curnrently experiencing severe pain in various parts of his body, mainly legs and hands. Hands are swelling also. It is causing him to lessen his activity and he had been in good physical condition before Lipitor. He is very concerned and stopped taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago, but still has muscle pains.

Muscle Pains