Lipitor and sleep

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

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

I'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?

What a rotten drug. The past seven months have been hell for me. I am 42 years of age and put on this crap last November. I have suffered from bad headaches, leg cramps, Insomnia, Plantar Fasciitis, mood swings and the list goes on. After seeing this site and all your responses I believe the best thing to do is get of the crap. I will write in 2 weeks to give an update.
cheers from Down Under

I have had Type 1 Diabetes for many years (54) without any complications of the disease - until I had a mild stroke. Which didn't affect me. Now my doctor makes me take Lipitor. From the very start of taking 10mg Lipitor per day, I got muscle cramps and leg twitches whilst in bed; muscle weaknesses; I even got Plantar Fasciitis and now I limp slightly in that foot. Before I took Lipitor I used to sleep like a baby. Lipitor has made me from a relatively healthy person despite having Diabetes to what feels like an old lady at aged 55. I know it is Lipitor as when I stop taking the drug all unpleasant side effects mentioned above cease. The trouble is my doctor won't give my Insulin without Lipitor and I need Insulin to live, of course. So I am forced to take Lipitor. I find that exercise such as a good long walk during the daytime helps; without it (eg in bad weather when I cannot get outside) the effects of Lipitor are much worse. My cholesterol readings and blood pressure are always good (even before the stroke) so why should I have to be almost crippled by Lipitor?

I to was put on Lipitor 20mg. took it about 1 month and had such pain in my leg muscles I couldn't hardly walk . I went to my doctor he said go off it and I should start Zocor in . A month the pain was worse I couldn't even walk around the mall . I couldn't sleep at night the pain was terrible. Once again I told the doctor he said stop it and we will wait 6 weeks and start Crestor. In six weeks the pain should be gone. It didn't go away I could hardly walk at my job teaching at a Pre School. The pain unreal.I have type 2 diabetes under control for years. Still is.I was told I had arthritis. But now they tell me I have spinal stenosis. I'm on paxil for the depression they said I had and. I feel as bad now as I did 4 years ago when I was on statins. I can hardly walk, my life is pain in my muscles that never leaves and now my back. I was active and watched my weight and walked 3 miles a day. Since taking these meds. I can no longer work, go shopping or go anyplace I have to walk . I have gained a lot of weight . I have something wrong with my knee .I have tried to explain this to 3 doctors and no one listens to me. My health turned for the worse when I started taking Lipitor in 2005. I don't think I'll ever get my life back I am only 58 years old and can't work to support myself.I can't even hold my 1 month old grandson and walk or lift him from his bed. Reading all your messages . I know my health going down like this is from the statin drugs I took . When I sit , I can't walk when I stand Then .I gotta sit in 5 to 10 minutes.And the pain in my knee has progressed. No doctor wants to hear my story and believe me. Thank God I found this web site and read this for my self now I know I'm not crazy. How can I get myself better ? Will I live the rest of my life in pain, and not able to function.Every time I see a doctor they give me another pill to take. I want to just throw them all away .There must to be an answer to this.

I have been on 10 MG of Lipitor for almost 3 years. Since I began taking it I have had recurring issues with an anxious feelings, my lower GI is constantly churning and I feel like I am stressed out. I have a low stress job, a stable happy family life and yet I feel nervous all the time. I sleep for 3-4 hours and then wake up and am unable to get back to sleep. I have been forced to take a nap ever day after lunch just to get through the day. Additionally, I developed tremors in my hands and was diagnosed with something called Benign Essential Tremor and put on another medication to control the shaking.

Yesterday I decided I had enough of this and went to see my cardiologist to discuss the symptoms. I stopped taking the Lipitor on my own 2 days before. The doctor told me that none of my symptoms were related to Lipitor! I replied that I was convinced that they were all in fact caused by this drug. He suggested I stop taking the statin for 2 weeks and see if the symptoms stop. I am now on day 4 without lipitor and am already feeling less anxious.

I went to the Nuerologist 2 weeks ago and got her to discontinue the anti-tremor medication. I am going to get all this crap out of my system and hopefully get my life back.

Extreme FEAR! I totally forgot to mention this side effect in my original post on Lipitor: EXTREME FEAR,paranoia, auditory hallucinations, Coincidentally, my friend (female) in Calif. also had the exact same paranoia: Man in closet wanting to kill us. We could not sleep in our own beds. We had to sleep in living room on couch. Extreme fear. Coincidentally, my neighbor had the same reaction AND the woman who sold me my new condo could not sleep in her bed and she was also taking Lipitor. She sat in a chair in her living room all night. Now this is a total of 4 women. I do not know if men experience these same fears. My Calif. friend and I used to take a mop handle and slam it into the walls of our Master closet looking for the guy who wanted to kill us. Even after we knew he wasn't there, we still couldn't sleep in that room. I quit Lipitor and my fear of this fictitious guy disappeared! Yayyy!

I am 68yr old female with neuropathy in both feet and it feels like it is traveling up my legs slowly. My fingers are very sensitive and sometimes they itch uncontrollably. My fingernails are brittle and hair loss has subsided since I cut my dosage of lipitor from 60 mg to 40mg. I was also on lisinopril - and quit it about 3 months ago. I have been reduced to a sitting zombie - not able to sleep at night and able to sit for 3 hours every day unable to move - am I doomed to this life because of lipitor?

Wow! I must be the latest in a long line of Lipitor users and apparently pain sufferers. I have been on Lipitor for over a year. I am 56 years old, active and healthy (thank God). Around November 2008, I noticed a "twinge" in my left hip while sleeping. This has gotten progressively worse over the months and I thought it was due to arthritis (which runs in my family). But after reading these blogs, I am not so sure. If anyone has anything definitive regarding this, ie: tests, studies, etc., I would really appreciate a point in the right direction for more information. I was thinking (until today) that I was headed for hip surgery or something equally drastic. Now that I have a clue that it may be the Lipitor, I want to investigate further and then, if necessary, change to another medication that won't break me down like this. My heart goes out to anyone that has suffered through hip pain. It is a miserable, painful condition that saps your energy and your desire to even move sometimes. I appreciate any help you can offer. God bless all of you. - L. B. ******

I took Lipitor for about 6 months. Right after I began taking it, my legs, especially my right leg began hurting. I got off the drug at 6 months because my legs hurt so badly I could not sleep at night. I just had X-rays of my right knee done, and I have almost no cartridge left on my right knee cap. I now may have to have knee replacement therapy. My doctor that put me on the lipitor said that it was not the lipitor that caused. I think it is very odd the pain began when I started the drug.

I've been on 10 mg of Lipitor for approx 2yrs. A few months back I began experiencing severe constant right hip pain. A could walk through it, but had many sleepless nights due to the unrelenting deep pain. I had difficulty lifting my right leg without support from my arms. I'm 54 and otherwise in pretty good health. I stopped taking the Lipitor about 2 weeks ago and while I still have some pain it has decreased about 75%. I can sleep at night and am even pain free some of the time. If anyone has had a similar experience would appreciate knowing and if the pain eventually subsides and any suggestions to support the healing process.

I started taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago. I have pains in my chest on the right side and I am so paranoid from this drug that I can't sleep. I also have pain in my hip and I am always getting hot in the face. It feels like my head is being squeezed. I have tried to get off of it, but then I feel pains in my chest and I take it again. I have been to the emergency room for pains in my chest. I took an EKG and an Xray. They found nothing. I also went to a cardiologist . He took an EKG found nothing but told me to take it for 3 month sand it if my cholesterol went down he would take me off the drug. But I am afraid that after three months. it will be too late to get off the drug.

Hi, I am a 45 year old male with high cholesterol. prescribed 20mg. of Lipitor to control it. Am having a strange twitching muscle in my right calf since I started the meds. Forearms hurt, trouble sleeping, twitching in my sleep, apparently, tiredness. I'm worried about going off it. My dad died of a heart attack. Would it hurt to try going off it for about 3 months?

Being a scientist, I am reluctant to say my symptoms are completely due to the statin (Crestor) that I've been on for 2.5 yrs. Started with a bulging/herniated disk in my lumbar region 4 months ago. Then increasing leg pain and major leg/foot cramping at night. Had my blood checked for electrolytes and CPK. Electrolytes were ok but elevated CPK (muscle breakdown enzyme). Doc took me off Crestor and now a month later, no cramping and much reduced leg pain. Am going in for a cholesterol check next week to see what the levels are. I wonder how much the Crestor played in my herniated disk. Certainly it has played a role in the leg pain and cramping as I no longer have it to the same degree. The FDA and surgeon general talk about putting everyone on statins. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Maybe CoQ helps, but I am done with statins.

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 took Lipitor since July & recently am S.O.B. and forgetful, forgetting things like my address, but scariest is my heart pounding & then completely stopping for a few seconds in the middle of the night until I thought I was actually going to pass out or die.
This usually happens if I drink a beer before bed. This seems to really set it OFF .............................

I am a 46 y/o male whom took lipitor 20mg for about 10 days. It was the first medication taken for me aside from occasional antibiotics. Within a week I began to develop severe nausea, weakness, postural dizziness and worst of all, chest pain at rest! I took my last dose last Saturday 8/9/08. Because of the chest pain, I went to the ER on 8/10/08 and discharged the next day after I ruled out for an MI and a negative exercise stress test. My chest pain recurred on 8/12. This AM awoke with nausea, dizziness and chest pain again. I'm going to have an adenosine stress test this PM. I consulted a pharmacologist yesterday about the metabolism of Lipitor and she told me indeed these side effects are not uncommon and in my case, Lipitor will not be eliminated from my body until probably this Sunday or early next week. Anyone experience what I'm feeling?

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

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

CK

I 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

I have been taking LIPITOR for about 1.5 years and have been feeling the cotton head but thought it was allergies. for about 8 months or so I have been feeling pain on the left side of my chest and upper back by the shoulder plates. I've told my doctor and had several tests done incl. MRI, C-scan, etc. Once I even had to go to the emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack. But the doc. said the EKG was normal and that it might be muscular. I have not read that anyone else is having the chest symptoms. This is very scary to me. Lately I feel my neck getting stiff and I am also constantly tired and keep waking up at night and have a hard time going back to sleep. I don't seem to have the arm or leg pains that most people here seem to be suffering from but am now convinced it's LIPITOR since it is the only prescription medicine I am taking. I would appreciate hearing from someone who has had the same symptoms I've described above. I stopped taking Lipitor about 4 days ago and do feel already less tired but the upper body pain is still present.

I took it for one month only. In the first week I was extremely fatigued but ignored it. Then I got stiffness in my fingers. I started getting cramps in my feet and legs. I stopped the medication after exactly one month. It has been one month since I stooped taking it. But my symptoms have not gone away. My arms and legs are still stiff. I develop severe pain in my left arms. There is a terrible tingling sensation in my body when I sleep. I am going to see a neurologist next week. I hope there is no permanent nerve damage. I have started taking Lyrica 50 mg in the mean time to get rid of this tingling sensation.

I have been taking 10 mg.lipitor for 3 years or more....I seem to loose track of time because my memory is so bad....I ache and hurt all the time...I have severe back pain...Sometimes my back hurts so bad I cannot do any of my housework....All of my muscles just ache and hurt...I am 47 and I am steadily going downhill with my health....I feel nauseas for no reason...I have headaches...I told my doctor all of these symptoms and she has run all kinds of tests...They all come back normal...She has no idea why I have no energy and why I feel the way I do....She set me up for a stress test because I was complaining with chest pains...That test was normal...She set me up a sleep study...I am now sleeping with a cpap machine with the pressure set at 11.4...After going through all of these tests, I still feel like crap...I was sure after the sleep study things were going to get better...Then I started having such bad pains in the bottom of my feet...I could just be laying in bed and my feet would be throbbing with pain....and when I would try to get out of bed I could hardly walk...After about 5 or 10 minutes I could walk okay but the pain was still there....This is when I started looking around on the internet to see if I could find out what my problem was...I found this site and begin reading all of the side effects of lipitor...I knew right away that this was most likely my problem...I stopped taking lipitor 3 days ago....The only difference I can tell so far is that the pain in my feet is not as bad...I can hardly wait for the next morning because I am so anxious to see how I am going to feel...I am just wondering how long will it take for me to get back to my old self....oh I forgot about my stomach pain...The bottom of stomach hurts so bad at times...I told my doctor and she examined me and ran more tests but found nothing....My doctor does not know I have stopped taking lipitor...I have read that taking vitamin c or fish oil will help with lowering cholesterol..Does anyone know if this really works???

Folks, Lipitor is the most widely prescribed drug. People are blaming their various problems on lipitor. They should see the appropriate specialist to address their specific symptoms vs self-diagnosing and blaming it on lipitor.

age 72 had MI angioplasty and stent.On lipitor for 3years but recently noticed increase in muscle and joint pains and then lightheadedness and walking unsteady and tending to go slightly from side to side.Also a tendency to have nasal congestion.I am an MD and will stop the statin and assess the progress.

My mother started on Lipator about a year ago, she's been having shakes that last about 30 seconds in her legs and one arm. The shakes come and go and she can go a month without them but they seem to have gotten worst. She also has a hard time walking 4 out of days a week, she feels like her legs aren't under her. She is always tired and has restless leg,sometimes at night. She has respiratory problem that also seems to have gotten worst in the past year.
She is seeing a nuro but a cat scan, eeg and blood have all come back ok. Do you thing these are common problems with Lipator?

I have been on lipator about 4 years 40mg.. started having leg pain. Being me I thought being over weight was the cause. I can hardly walk 20 steps. Doctor took me off the drug after speaking loudly about the symptoms. Unable to sleep an entire night. Life seems to not exist. Depressed....lazy...constant pain....take the max amount of Excedrin every day...no relief. If I could just wake up and have one day of painless living Oh what a blessing. This is unreal. When on rare ocassions I shop at the mall. I use the shopping cart as a walker. Sit down at every available bench or chair. Used to be fairly active. Rode motorcycles, fishing,yard work. Just everyday take for granted stuff. Its awful. Only been off the drug a couple days. I will be thankful when the pain goes away. P.Ode that a drug Rx'ed can cause such devastating affect on a human being and still be on the market.

I've been on Lipitor for 1 year and have all the side affects that you all are describing.
I've also developed an inflamed liver.
Any one else?
if I get more response, I'm seriously considering a lawsuit against the pharmacy company.

Tom

Trying to figure out if my back pain is like others. The pain is in the lower left side and groin area of both hips. I have trouble reaching my feet to put on shoes and socks. Ive been on Lipitor 20 for about 5 years and have never had a problem before. This started about 6 months ago and even with heat and stretching it seems to get worse. It hurts when I stand for any length of time. It hurts to walk or run. It hurts very badly if I try to straddle something like an ATV or a horse. When I sleep (if I can) I sometimes have to put a pillow between my legs and lay on my side because it hurts a lot to bring my legs together. Feel free to email me at ******

Just checking in after nearly a year or so, during which I cut my 10 mg Lipitor dose in HALF! I knife the little white pills down the middle and take 5 mg per day. My doctor did not notice any difference and HDL/LDL etc, are still in the range he likes. So, let's see about symptoms. The Plantar's Fasciitis is still there, but much improved, probably because I gave up full court basketball (at age 55). I have a few other symptoms that I recognize from others posting about them, such as occasional muscle ticks, general malaise, and sleep disorders, but, in general, I seem to be tolerating the 5 mg dose better than the 10 mg dose, AND, most importantly, it IS at a therapeutic level. I have not mentioned this to my Dr., and will keep it that way. If he can't tell, then my plan is working, sort of.

I really think Lipitor is poison and will eventually kill anyone who uses it, but am hoping I can cheat the hangman with the 5mg doses. I don't want to go back to cholesterol readings in the 250-plus range, because heart disease is the big killer in my family.

We'll see how 5 mg goes. I'm not suggesting anyone else necessarily should try this, but I was amazed that the numbers on my labs were almost identical as the 10mg.

I took 10 mg of Lipitor daily for over a year and a half.

This winter the aches in my joints seemed much worse and vague, over-all aching seemed to take over my body at times. The aches seemed to move around and be non-specific at times. I thought I might have fibromyalgia and ordered some kind of balm formulated to relieve that - but nothing seemed to help. I am 69 years old, very active, and suddenly I felt like I was 100 years old. In fact, my father lived to be 99 and he felt better at 99 than I did at 69! I got to the point that I was having nights when I did not sleep at all and I couldn't figure out what was happening to me. My toes went numb on both feet.

On my own I stopped Lipitor 4 days ago and I'm already a new person. I'm disgusted that professionals aren't more reluctant to prescribe this stuff for patients, and once prescribed that they don't monitor patients closely for these symptoms. I'm hoping that my numb toes will not return. Already I'm sleeping 6 hours straight at night. I can't believe this prescription has been getting away Scott free without being treated like a danger to some patients.

I wonder how much "fibromyalgia" is Lipitor-related?

I took Lipitor for about 2 years- 5 mg.
Leg cramps-soreness throughout my muscles- very sore buttocks-
my legs are shaky- if I use them too much; (as in walking 3 miles)
I am (was ) an avid body builder that could squat with 100 lbs- and now ( I am a health conscious -non drinking- NO other medication 104 lb slim female) have quivering legs if I stand for too long. I even had a muscle biopsy- and it cam back negative- I have not had a statin for 6 months- but I still have cramps- and abnormal liver values- and I have NO other conditions-I have been scanned from head to toe - open MRI- closed MRI -but the muscle stiffness- soreness- especially legs- continues-
does anyone know how long it lasts? I have also been tested for liver cancer- thank God-negative.
I really feel that Lipitor did this- has anyone else gone from fit as a fiddle to a quivering -achy person- I have gone through 5 doctors- internal - gastrointestinal - neurologist- hematologist and all is negative- just high liver values and muscle pain. Thank you so much.Maxine

I am a 52 year old male from South Florida. Two years ago my Dr prescribed Lipitor. I started to feel weakness in my legs after mowing the lawn but I dismissed it as just being worn out from the summer heat and humidity. About six months ago the little toe on my left foot became numb and it spread to my other toes. I get continuous spasms in my left big toe and now the toes on my right foot are becoming numb. When I sleep at night I am continuously being woken with leg cramps in my feet, calfs and thighs. My feet feel heavy, my legs feel weak. There are times that I just lose my balance. I have a physical job and when I get home I don't want to do anything. I am going to see a neurologist on 3/31 to see what he thinks. My biggest fear is that I now have permanent damage. I have not read any articles about individuals having a full recovery after stopping the medication.

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

Hope this helps someone:

Male 53, 5' 10", 180 lbs, slim
Occupation: Engineer/small biz owner and operator
Total cholesterol now is 4.53 (175), LDL 2.30 (89), HDL 1.43 (55), TriG 1.73 (66)

Presently on 20 mG Lipitor for last 2 months.
40 mG Lipitor for previous 8 months because lipid levels deemed too high.
20 mG Lipitor for 3 years before that.
20 mG Pravachol for 2 years before that.

SIDE EFFECTS I BELIEVE ARE DUE TO STATINS:

1) Difficulty learning/performing new tasks. I can read a technical article and forget most content almost immediately. I can read a book and forget what it is mostly about...difficulty forming new memory.
2) Difficulty communicating. I often stop a conversation in mid-sentence because I have completely lost my train of thought. I often cannot form difficult technical words properly.
3) Several times over the last year I have suddenly forgotten where I was going or where the location was...this was in normally familiar territory.
4) For the past year, I have often felt like I have a low grade flu.
5) I have decreased statin dose and improved my diet and recently significantly increased exercise. I am noticing some exercise intolerance and muscle stiffness that cannot be only due to exercise.
6) Extremely vivid dreams a few times a month (embarrassingly, howling in my sleep according to family members). This was the main reason for reducing dose back to 20 mG.

Most side effects were worst at higher doses of 40 mG. There has been some improvement since dropping back to 20 mG Lipitor. Symptoms first noticed to some degree at 20 mG Pravachol...got worse when switched to more potent Lipitor at 20 mG. Initially, I thought it was age. Both my doctor and specialist do not believe statins are related to any problems I've experienced and are convinced that any risks are outweighed by the benefits. I would like to see them competently run their practice under the conditions I've had to try and operate my biz.

I started taking fish body oil two weeks ago and have noticed a significant cognitive improvement. This may be partly due to reduced statin dose, however, there is lots of evidence online as to why fish oil will help some statin users. I started 50 mG CoQ10 a couple of days ago. My goal is to absolutely minimize statin dose or to eliminate it all together.

I am educated, intelligent and analytical. I am not a doctor. That said, no one can, and ever will again, tell me that the degradation in mental function I've experienced is not related to the statin drugs I've been prescribed.

If you look online, you can find a growing and disturbing number of statin induced side effects reported. This is especially true considering what was considered acceptable LDL a couple of years ago is now too high...doctors are prescribing statins in higher and higher doses.

THESE ARE DANGEROUS DRUGS.

I hope this helps someone. Recognize the symptoms and make your physician take appropriate action.

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

Thank you all for making me feel as if I'm not alone. I thought this was the way I was supposed to feel. 6 years ago I experienced a sudden heart attack with no symptoms at 42. A new doctor put me on Lipitor about 2 1/2 years ago as a precaution. The heart attack was genetic as I was about an 80% vegetarian and walked about 8 miles a day. My mother had her first heart attack at the same age. I always had weight problems as a kid, but slimmed down as an adult. After the Lipitor, I have gone from a 32 waist to a 42, joint pain, sleep problems, lack of concentration and the constant feeling as if I have been run over by a Mack truck. You all are giving me the confidence to go with my instincts and stop taking this med. along with switching to a doctor who will listen to me and not tell me to get a personal trainer of which I cannot afford. By the way, I still walk my 4-6 miles a day even in the snow and rain. For me, it's always been my best form of exercise. Again, thank you all for not making me feel alone.

I had been taking Lipitor for well over six years to help lower my Cholesterol count with no know side affects. A problem developed about two and a half years ago with nerve damage that gave me excruciating pain in my shoulder and arm. After an MRI and three cortisone shots I was referred to a neurologist for help. He had no idea what was causing the problem.

About six months after many doctors could do nothing for me, and referring me to a physical therapist, my wife showed me a story in a magazine, which I can no longer find, that talked about problems with Lipitor that had not been properly documented. The article talked about exactly the side effects I was having. The article said there was a problem with nerve damage. It had been well documented that some people had muscle problems, but it was not know there could also be a problem with nerve pain.

I contacted my doctor and stopped taking Lipitor. Two months later, the pain just disappeared. The very day the pain ceased, I had a visit from a good friend of mine who is a Radiologist and who had studied Lipitor because of a problem he was having.

He explained that Lipitor was doing the job it was supposed to do, namely keeping the liver from producing all fats. The problem I was having was that I had injured a nerve and Lipitor was keeping the liver from producing a particular fat needed to help heal that nerve. It seems that the myelin sheath around the nerve needs that fat to help the nerve heal itself, and Lipitor was preventing the production of that particular fat.

Once I quit taking Lipitor it took about two months for the healing fat production to do it's thing. Recovery of the nerves in that arm has been very slow, but they do seem to be healing now.

I thought this was such an important finding that I notified all the doctors I had seen about this problem. To my great surprise I heard from no one. Not even a thank you. I guess that since they didn't find the solution, they just were not interested.

I hope this discussion helps someone else. Thanks for listening.

I have been on 40mg/day of Lipitor for 5-6 months and this is how I feel: totally drained - no energy at all - horrible lower back pain - I've been in physical therapy for the past 6 weeks. My neck muscles, back muscles and hip muscles were in constant spasms. Right after beginning Lipitor I woke up with vertigo and still have the dizziness. I was convinced that I must have some horrible disease and was dying at age 47. I stopped taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago and starting taking fish oil, vitamin c, coq10, b vitamin, daily vitamin - the muscle spasms are a little better - still have lower back pain, brain fog, some dizziness. I am so tired all the time - it's so difficult to work a full time job right now. Has anyone else had these same symptoms? Does anyone know how soon I should start to feel better?

I was on Lipitor 6 yrs. ago for approximately 6 months. The pain and weakness in my arms and shoulders was unbearable. Deep pain that felt like it went right to the bone. On occasion since then I seem to have flair ups. This past week I have been in pain. The strength in my arms is diminished. Has anyone else had this experience?

I took Lipitor for just about 2 years. Suddenly I had real bad pain in my hip and calf. This pain was so bad I would cry. I would go to bed at night around 9:30 pm. I would not be able to go to sleep without rolling back and forth in bed trying to ease the pain some what before I could go to sleep. Then I would wake about 3:00 am with pain in my hip and calf. I would not be able to go back to sleep without getting out of bed and walking around my house for at least an hour to help relieve the pain. I could not lay down or set in any chair. All I could do is stand up, rock back and forth or walk to try to ease the pain. This pain very seldom went completely away. I stopped taking Lipitor 3 weeks ago and the pain is nearly gone. I still have pain but I don't cry with it anymore. I still have pins and needle filling in my hands and feet. I memory lost but not as bad as it was. I'm not near as tired during the day. I'm starting to fill better. I only hope I keep getting better. I was going down fast.

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'm a woman, about to turn 50.....and have been experimenting with the statins for about two months(not by choice either). I tried Zocor and had a stop that after 10 days because of massive hair loss. Once stopped....the hair loss stopped immediately. Just a ill more than a month later I started on Lipitor. All seemed to be going ok. NO hair loss. BUT.......mannnnn I don't sleep hardly at all. I'm tired beyond all belief......and its that bone deep OMG I'm sooooo exhausted type tired. I often times don't eat an evening meal after work because I seriously don't think I cant stand long enough to make anything. My legs feel as though they cannot move another inch. I have horrible cramps in my fingers.....the calf of both legs and now in my rib area. Ive had horrible horrible blurred vision.....my attention span is about as long as a gnat!!!!! I seem to have an all over bone deep body ache. It gets to the point that if MOVING A MUSCLE would save my life........Id have to die sitting still....I cant do it. The every day you wake up in the morning headache is way beyond OLD. I also notice I'm nauseous and or have a gut ache almost all the time. Its effectively killing my appetite so maybe I'll lose weight, but damn..is this the way to do it?

WHY wont the doctors believe that this damn drug is responsible?

I have been taking Lipitor for ten years 40 mg and I notice that even though I am only 45, my knees feel like I have been playing fullback for all those ten years. My sex drive is low and I get massages once a month to help with muscle ache. I can't sleep through the night and I have stomach pains. I also feel depressed (I listen to Bread A LOT). I am DONE I would rather try diet and vitamins than this.

I am 60 years old female & have been taking Lipitor for about 4 years. I recently went off the drug for 3 months, & in that time much of the muscle pain I was experiencing began to lesson. I have pain in both arms from the below up to my shoulder. Hip pain & leg cramps. I have trouble sleeping & absolutely no sex drive. Of course, my Cholesterol went sky high, over 300. I have only been back on 80 mgs for a month and a half, & all of the aches and pains are back ten fold. I feel a hundred years old.I have to make a big decision...die of high Cholesterol, or live a life of constant pain and sleep deprivation. This is really bad. I f I had to run or crawl to save my life, I'd never make it.

I AM SOOOO RELIEVED THAT I' M NOT ALONE!!!

I thought I was going crazy or something. I started taking Lipitor 10mg in Oct '06, then in January 2007 my "a.r.n.p" not an MD, increased my dosage to 40mg.....(the lab tests indicated that my cholesterol had not gone down any), which she didn't bother to check up on after prescribing such a huge dose. You know, like within 2-3 mos. Now comes my appointment with her Dec 4 2007, they do labs and low and behold I have inflammation of my liver!!! She called me in a panic and told me to immediately stop taking the Lipitor. Now my body feels like it's going to break. (a couple of weeks before I went to the doctor I started feeling like crap.....lethargic, can't raise my arms above my head without crying, knees aching to the point of not being able to walk,etc) It's even worse now.....now I can't hardly go to sleep at night, my arms just below my shoulders ache to the point of agony, I had arthritis in my knees - but now I can hardly walk without holding onto something - which is very hard to do when your arms won't function properly. I HATE THIS !!!

There was absolutely nothing wrong with my liver prior to this medicine. Now I'm worried that I'll have irreparable damage to my liver, not to mention all this pain in my arms, wrists, thumbs, knees and hips. (Last night I just couldn't take it anymore and I took some Tylenol - I was instructed by my physician not to take anything at all for pain.....RIGHT) I've been wishing this misery on her since it started - just for her prescribing this mess to me!!!!

I am 50 yrs old and feeling older as time goes by.
Thanks so much for listening and letting me share with you all; someone who really understands my pain!! I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in this. I have contacted an attorney - this is ridiculous that humans could do this to other humans. I'll look for another means to get my cholesterol down (right now it's only 129!! - But I feel like I just crawled out of my grave. I'd rather have high cholesterol....

I dread the night coming (pain is almost intolerable then)

Good luck you guys - I'll include you all in my prayers!! B. Carpenter

I too was taking LIPITOR. After 3 months I became short of breath. At first I put it down to the weight that I had regained.I had lost 18kg.the year before. I had muscle pain, nausea, headaches.The Lipitor reduced the LDL alright,but the shortness of breath became worse and worse. If I was sitting on a chair and dropped a piece of paper on the floor I would be completely out of breath from bending over and picking it up! If I was walking for more than a few minutes I would be out of breath and had to stop. I quickly regained my breath; but the moment I started to walk again I would become breathless again!! My heart specialist decide to do an angiogram, that was o.k. He told me it was my weight that made me short of breath, I disagreed with him. My G.P. did not know what caused it either. I had had problems with Pravachol, severe muscles stiffness and pain. I could not straighten a bend leg or bend a straight leg.It was only after I studied the enclosed leaflet in the box of Lipitor that I noticed the RARE BUT SERIOUS SIDE EFFECT: Shortness of breath, if you suffer from this stop straight away and see your Dr. it said. It turned out that the ALVEOLI are affected. I had a lung function test done which showed my lung capacity was down by 20%.After cortisone treatment it has improved a bit but it is still 10% down and it effects me every day. I tire quickly and get out of breath walking uphill or against the wind.If there is a class action going let me know please! I am so fed up . I am only 63 but feel like an old woman.I will not take anymore cholesterol lowering medication; I rather live 5 years less, if that is the consequence.

I have been taking Lipitor 20 mg for 4 months. Six to eight weeks ago I developed exema, allergic conjunctivitis and burning/swelling of my lips. I saw a PA at my doctor's office today and we are stopping Lipitor for 10 days to see if it is the culprit. Has anyone else experienced these problems while taking Lipitor?