Lipitor and negative side effects

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 originally went on 10mg of lipitor a day in January,2007, experienced leg pain,muscle ache and weakness,so after 3 weeks went off the drug on my own.In June 2007 after talking to different Dr's I went back on Lipitor,10mg, figuring that I had not really given the drug a chance as sometimes side effects do subside after a while.I saw my Dr on July 3rd & my cholesterol had gone down to 170 in about 3 weeks.I told him about my symptoms, which were the same as before & he told me to let him know if they got worse.By August 30th 2007 I just could not tolerate the pain and achiness all over my body,I was not sleeping well as every time I turned in my bed I woke up from the pain ( We even got a new mattress fguring maybe that was contributing to the joint pain) My joints became swollen & red,I could not lift up my arms,they were so sore and weak,my neck was so stiff that it was hard to drive and have to turn my head,I had a constant headache and what seemed to me like a"fuzzy brain"I am 63 years old and have never experienced anything like this,I am an active woman with a great deal of energy and people who know me could not believe what was happening, instead of scooting ahead of everyone I was barely keeping up.I found myself not wanting to eat as my stomach was constantly bloated & in pain & I was gaining weight too.
I went off Lipitor on September 1st and the withdrawal sypmtoms have been horrendous, I went to see my Dr yesterday & he put me on an anti inflamatory drug ,I have taken 2 dosages & am already feeling an improvement.This web site really helped as I felt I was not alone suffering from the side effects of Lipitor.Many people I have talked to have experienced the same symptoms but were attributing them to aging.

I am adding this on behalf of a Lipitor patient in Tahoe City, CA named Doug Peterson. His story appeared in the Tahoe World, the local newspaper, and I have included a small excerpt from that article. The full article is available in the newspaper's archives, at www.tahoe-world by searching for the keyword Lipitor.
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January 29, 2004
LIFE AFTER LIPITOR: Is Pfizer product a quick fix or dangerous drug? Residents experience adverse reactions

By Melissa Siig, Tahoe World Staff

At first glance, Tahoe City resident Doug Peterson looks like he is recovering from a stroke.

His speech is slurred, he has difficulty walking in a straight line, and he can't sign his own name. By afternoon, he is so fatigued he has to sit down for the rest of the day. When asked his age, Peterson says he is 52. His wife Karla, standing nearby, corrects him. He is 53.

Doug has never had a heart attack, and until the onset of the symptoms almost three years ago, was an active skier, biker and scuba diver. Now he is limited to walks on the treadmill. Doug traces his problems to a drug he started taking almost three years before his health began deteriorating - Lipitor. Two other Tahoe City locals have also experienced negative side effects from taking Lipitor or other statins, the name for a family of cholesterol-fighting pills.