Lipitor and statin drug

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

I have stopped taking Lipitor after 3 yrs. I was told I had a mini-stroke because of my slurred speech 6 mo. ago. Since then I have had a battery of tests and my neurologist told me "I don't think you had a stroke." I saw the words "Motor Neuron Disease" (I looked it on the web because I never heard of it before) on the script for my EMG. I blame it all on Lipitor and the wasting of the nerves and the muscles. I sound as if I am drunk. No one can understand me . I am taking speech therapy but it doesn't seem to help.

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.

I was 50 and the doctor prescribed lipitor 10mg since my cholesterol had doubled in the past twelve months to 300. I took it for four months and began to have pain in one leg just below the knee. I had talked to a woman about 65 years old once who was walking on the sides of her feet and I had asked her what medical problem she had. She explained that her Lipitor had caused this terrible pain. You would think that I would have refused to take this drug. You see the doctor had already prescribed a very large dose of fish oil per day and the cholesterol had not fallen. However, I began taking it. About two weeks before my enzyme checkup I began to notice the pain in the leg just below my knee and I stopped taking the Lipitor. I expected the pain to subside, but it did not. My cholesterol level had risen and my doctor asked me if I was still taking the Lipitor. I explained that I had been of it for about two weeks. The doctor insisted that the pain probably wasn't associated with the Lipitor. The reason being my enzyme level was within the range of acceptable. I began taking it again. The doctor wanted to have another test within four weeks to check enzyme levels again. This time the enzyme levels were borderline high. So the doc recommended stopping the Lipitor for a while and then another enzyme level check. You see, my body was telling me something. The only new factor in my medications other than blood pressure was the Lipitor. It has been about three weeks since I stopped the Lipitor, yet I am continuing with even more pain in tops of feet and above one knee a know seems to have appeared. It is sore and feels like it is bruised. I am not a doctor, but I had done some investigating Lipitor on the internet and read that in some patients the Lipitor actually causes small to large fissures in the arteries of the heart. Also, the muscles begin to attack themselves, thus the pain and atrophy. I am going to start taking flax oil. One cardiologist reported that he two cases a week of heart attacks due to Lipitor. He was enraged that Lipitor is still being prescribed and manufactured. I just hope it doesn't take years to regain my original self without pain. I am an active person who likes to work outside, garden, snow-ski, and anything else I want to do. I am trying to search for a detox program for Lipitor overdose, not that I have overdosed. According to my body's signals, I have overdosed on a toxic drug. I pray that returning to normal won't take as long as I have heard some people say it has taken them. Please try some other alternative to Lipitor and the other debilitating statin drugs. I will have to start an exercise program, even though I have put it off for years. I hope my laziness about my physical fitness hasn't crippled me for life. I am 20 lbs overweight and never took it seriously. I hope others will discontinue to take this life-threatening and debilitating drug!!!!!!!!!!1

AFTER SIX MONTHS ON LIPITOR, IVE SOME PROTEIN IN THE URINE.
AND A LEVEL HIGHER FOR THE LIVER. I AM GOING OFF OF LIPITOR
AS RECOMMENDED BY ME FROM NOW ON. I DONT MIND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS OF FIVE.
I DO MIND DAMAGE DONE BY LIPITOR. I AM GOING BY AND STICKING
WITH THE GUT KNOWING WITH THIS, AND STAYING OFF OF IT. I AM GOING TO TAKE VITAMIN
C. AND LOWER MY NOT HUMONGOUS BODY WEIGHT, BUT AM DOING
A LOT MORE TO HELP MYSELF. I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE
IRRETRIEVABLE DAMAGE DONE TO ME BY THIS PRODUCT. IT IS
BEGINNING TO HAVE THE SIGNS OF JUST THAT. THERE IS MORE
TO LIFE THAN JUST ONE THING, ALL IS INTERACTING, FOR ME THIS
IS A GOOD MOVE.. NEXT THING I WOULD KNOW IS I AM TO BE TAKING
SOMETHING ELSE WHICH WILL THEN CAUSE SOMETHING ELSE AND
SO IT GOES, ON. NO I AM STOPPING HERE, AND HELPING MYSELF
LIKE IVE NEVER DONE BEFORE, WITH CONSTRUCTIVE POSITIVE
INPUT BY OTHERS, AND ALSO MYSELF AND SOME HARD WORK ON
ALL OF IT. IVE NO DOUBT I WOULD BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IFF
I CONTINUED TO TAKE A STATIN OF ANY KIND. THANKS BUT
NO THANKS. FROM A LADY WHOM HAS FOUND OUT THROUGH HER
EXPERIENCE FOR HERSELF ONLY BEFORE HARM THAT CANNOT BE
BACKTRACKED IS CAUSED. ITS NOT TOO LATE FOR ME .

Hello I'm a 41 year old female, and I took Lipitor 20 mgs for 6 months about two years ago. When I called my doctor's office to complain about side effects they told me it couldn't be the Lipitor because I had been taking it for a month already, and would have had problems before that. I eventually took myself off of the drug 5 months later. Here are some of the side effects I experienced:
Itchy fingertips, increased blood pressure, 30lb weight gain, shaky hand writing, acne, poor driving skills, poor memory, hair loss, "frozen joints", IBS, incontinence, low grade fever, itchy feet, numb toes, numb hands, foggy brain, joint pain, muscle pain, foot pain, plantar pain, dizzy, jaw pain, back and neck pain, week ankles and wrists, nasal allergies, skin rashes, migraines, heartburn, Increase in Astham, heart palpitations, knee pain, difficulty standing up from sitting position, difficulty climbing stairs, water retention alternating in feet, hands, arms and legs, almost constant taste of bile in my mouth.
These are only the ones I can remember. Two years down the road everything but the muscle and joint pain and weakness is gone. even those have improved a lot. I stopped taking the Lipitor and lost all 30lbs I had gained on it, without dieting, in a months time. I still have two toes on each foot that are partially numb. I have trouble climbing stairs, and getting up from a sitting position. I can do both, but I move slowly while doing them. The pain in my muscles and joints drives me crazy, but I'm grateful that the rest of the symptoms have cleared up. My doctor never believed me about my symptoms, and neither does my new doctor really. Went to the emergency room for asthma that was not responding to my inhaler, and they were about to let me go home when I mentioned to the doctor that I had been on Lipitor. Suddenly a huge battery of tests were ordered including a CT scan and a stress test. When I asked the doctor why he said that they just wanted to be sure that it wasn't something other than asthma. Why did they do that after hearing about the Lipitor? Do they know something? Are there doctors who believe that statins are killing and seriously injuring people? I'm so angry. Even as I sit here typing I know when I stand up I will have massive amounts of pain that I will have to "walk off". My quadriceps have not recovered, and remain ridiculously weak.
If I can stop one other person from going through this I will be happy. Thanks everyone for taking the time to list your symptoms. It makes me feel better to know that someone believes me, and knows what I am going through.

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?

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.

To send a report to the FDA about Lipitor and the side effects, go to ****** Hopefully, if enough people will complain about this dangerous drug, the FDA will ban it and it will be off the market.

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

I 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

my husband had never been one to go to G.P.s or have reason to take prescription medication( not even an aspirin ) . Finally had a medical test- Cholesterol was high- was not given a chance to change his eating habits- and was placed on LIPITOR ( this was 18 months ago ) and since- everything has gone downhill from there. He has suffered nausea, blacked out, had headaches/tingling sensation,chest pains, aching/fatigue to legs/feet and arms. - shoulder pain- has problems getting up from bed or from sitting position- has generally lost power in his arms and legs. His doctor was advised over the past several months of his pains- but had no idea what caused them and changed the script to Crestor. ( still a Statin drug ). Have ( on good avice from chemist assistant ) now got him on daily dose of Q10- and he ( 2 weeks ago ) decided to stop taking the Lipitor or any other cholesterol lowering statin drug- of his own choosing. He has had several visits to podiatrist to help alleviate the pain to his feet - which are sore and swollen. His liver levels were also high at on stage. All this has happened to him sine he started the Lipitor statin. Prior to this- He has never had previous medical conditions or medication. Seems to point the finger at one reason- LIPITOR !!!!!- THEY CANT BLAME IT ON ANYTHING ELSE. Just want him to get back some energy. He is 56. One more story to add to the thousands of complaints, Why isn't anyone in the medical field / lawyers commenced a full investigation to all these complaints? thousands of people cant be wrong. Bring on Erin B.

In Feb 2007 my primary doctor took blood tests and put me on a diet because I was 100 pounds overweight with fatigue symptoms. Blood Tests indicated I had diabetes (126 mg/dl) based on an FPG, and high cholesterol. The FGS was repeated and it dropped to 115 mg/dl. I have been on a low sugar low fat diet since Feb 2007.

In June 2007, I was put on Vytorin (Statin Drug) for Cholesterol. I also saw an Endocrinolist who determined I was a Predibetic and had also Reactive Hypoglycemia based on an OGTT, and determined my fatigue and neuropathy problem was not due to diabetes. She recommended a Rheumatoligist to me in September of 2007.

In late September of 2007. I saw a Rhematolgist for my sleep problems and fatique problems. I had severe muscle fatique (firing pains and numbness), chronic sleep disorder. breathing difficulty during day and when sleeping, difficulty swallowing, vision problems, fluctuations in FBS between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia symptoms.

He determined after physical examination I had Fibremalagia since all test points on my body were sensitive to touch. He also had his lab do repeat and other blood tests (CPK, Aldolase, etc..), and prescribed a sleep study done by a specialist in my area. He took me off all Caffeine and Vytorin immediately (As I have been off it since that date). He prescibed Diclofenac for Inflamation, Citalopram 40mg for stress and anxiety attacks, Zolpidem 10 mg for Sleeping, and he requested I continue monitoring my blood gluecose twice a day.

After Leaving his office I made an Appointment with the Sleep Study Hospital to have the test done the following week. The study indicated I had Chronic Sleep Disorder where my breathing would stop anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes during the night. The Sleep Order doctor also indicated that there was something else wrong with me out of his expertise.

In early October 2007, my Rheumatologist contacted me by phone and requested me to leave work and come to his office that afternoon to discuss my blood work. I was scared since they would not discuss it over the phone. The doctor dislosed my blood results and was concerned with a CPK of 2600 (should be less than 155) and my Alolase was six times higher than normal. He suspected I either had Polymyositis (not cureable, but treatable) or Inter-myositis (not cureable or treatable). He said he did not want to start treating me with a medication for it until he knew exactly which one I had. He said the only way to find out was to do a muscle biopsy (about the size of a pencil) on one of my large muscles preferribly a Thigh muscle.

In mid October 2007, I was scheduled to see a general surgeon and a week later I had a minor operation to remove a pencil size piece of my left thigh muscle. It was analyzed by the Childrens Hospital in New Orleans who were experts in the muscular diseases.

In Late October 2007, I was diagnosed with severe myopathy caused by the Statin in the drug Vytorin.

I remain on the same medications, have my blood tested every three months, and the CPK last indicated a reading of 900 (still very high, but it dropped all most 2/3 of what it was six months ago. It can usually take a year or so for most folks my age to fully recover, some do not. I still have the same symptoms, but the firing pains have subsided. My vision had also drastically changed, so I saw an Opthomoligist after providing her all my past records. She indicated I did not have any Renal disfunction which is good.

All the doctors agreed I should continue the stress, sleep, and inflamation medication and none of them have any reported inter-related problems. I am also on an AUTO CPAP machine when I sleep because I have two kinds of Atnea that affects my breathing (muscular and brain related). My breathing patterns seem to change quite a bit and my pressures vary from 7 to 20 and more so on the high side.

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

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 was on Lipitor for either two or three years, maybe more, can't remember, it was around 2003. About a year after starting the meds I started losing my balance, like my feet were heavy and wanting to not lift themselves up when stepping off a curb. I was in fear of falling. After being a professional dancer for many years and still having excellent muscle tone I was shocked by this muscle problem. Then I developed shooting pains in my thighs, and eventually I had an incident where my one leg just gave out and I couldn't walk. It was something in the hip/leg joint. Went to an orthopedic doctor, got x rays and m.r.i., he found nothing. I stopped taking Lipitor because I had spoken with other friends who were having leg pains. My regular doctor would not admit to anything wrong, just kept telling me I needed to stay on the drug, which infuriated me. He also kept blaming the muscle weakness and pain on my weight; which I have never had a problem with before.
The shooting pains in my thighs was all the time, including at night and woke me up at night. This was unreal. Even after walking miles I had these shooting pains, so it wasn't an exercise issue at all, but it certainly did deter me from exercising more often.
Now the pain and swelling is mainly in my knees. I can hardly walk, feel like I am crippled, and have lost my job over not being able to walk around and show apartments! I can't walk steps anymore at all, I am only 55 years old! No matter what I do, the pain and muscle weakness is progressing, I've seen a Chiropractor, a nutritionist, and now I'm going to see a Rheumatologist. I believe I have permanent muscle damage from this drug, no one can tell me otherwise.
Also, I have experienced the gradual increase of brain fog over the last two years. I am scared to death this damage is irreversible.

Hey you all......the lipitor saga continues. I posted #23428 on Sept 6th. On Sept 13th I picked a 30 pound piece of fabric up at work and there was a big POP in my left arm. Distal Biceps Tendon rupture.....TORE it off the Bone. I have been weightlifting for 20 years and never had an injury such as this. I am used to lifting much heavier weights with no problem. Had surgery to reattach 9/18...7 weeks post op and still in brace. Will take a year to fully heal. Both my doctor and Ortho said they have never heard of tendon rupture caused by statin drugs...but I am convinced that it was directly related to lipitor damage/side effects. I did have my doctor shaking in his shoes, I told him with conviction that I would never again take a statin drug and I held him responsible. Would like to hear from anyone who may have had tendon issues while taking this drug. I hope we all get better soon!
Peace
Brian

62 yo female. I have been on 20mg Lipitor for a few years and the doctor ignored my complaints of thigh pain when I wake up in the mornings. When last tested my cholesteral level was still higher than she thought acceptable so the dose was increased to 40mg. I lasted on that for about 3 weeks. Unbearable pain all day rather than just in the mornings. I am back on 20mg but only taking one every second day. I am feeling so much better - less pain and much more energy (which I never associated with the meds). I am wondering if anyone else has experienced a problem with urine output. I have had this problem for a few years and after reading doing some internet research last night I am now wondering if that is also a result of taking Lipitor. I am very close to ceasing the Lipitor altogether as I think the cure may be worse than the disease!!

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

Was recently prescribed Lipitor, etc. for cad (coronary artery disease). Only adverse side effect, which started immediately, was indigestion, gassy, burning sensation in stomach area. Really afffecting my enjoyment of life! Is there another statin drug that may not have this side effect?

hi olsen i think you have pretty information about statin drug my father was on lipitor for the period of 6 years at first he had pain specially on his shoulder and since 2 and half years he is barely walk and after i found this side i consider all my fathers problems are due to lipitor i have took him to two neurologist and many doctors they did not find anything but he is very weak and cant move proparly the way he use to he has been stopped lipitor for 4 months and now he is on EZETROL 10mg but his symptom hasnt being improved just slightly one or two days he is walking good and then he turn back weak again how long will it take to recover fully and symptom free also is there any one who took lipitor this posion drug for 6 to 7 years and recoverd back from the symptomand if yes how does it takes plz email me to ******thanks for your time and good luck every one

I'm 66 yrs old white female and I have been taking lipitor for 3 months now and I take 5 mg a day. While I take 5 mg a day lipitor, I had a problem with my memory, my Husband noticed it. I decided to call the
drug store to talk to the pharmacist to see if I could cut my dosage into a
half of pill and he said it would be ok. I was taking the half of lipitor for two wks and my memory started to inprove quite a bit. my memory was still not
completely back to normal. had problems grasping what I watched on a history channel, I couldn't recall what the topic was about. I did have a cholesterol test taken and my Doctor said my cholesterol went from 268 down to 180, my LDL drop from 185 down to 75. My doctor ask me how I was doin on my lipitor and I told him about cutting my pill into a quarter and also I was taking coQ10 , my Doctor was amazed about my test turning out really good. I found out that any Statin drug depletes the body of coQ10. my primaryDr told me to continue taking coQ10 with the quarter pill of lipitor.I'm doing great on a quarter pill. I would like everyone to know that if they ask their dr

I am 52. I have had elevated choles. levels for the last 10 years. I have been on numerous statin drug during that time. The most recent has been lipitor. 2001 I had a heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery. My doctor put me on lipitor. I recovered quickly from the heart attack. The nightmare following the surgery was chronic muscular pain in the abdominal area. I have spent the last five years have been spent in medical testing, surgeries, and pain management. Most of that time the doctors assumed it was gastointestinal. But it was not consistent with gastrointestinal symptoms. Recently we determined it was neuromuscular. Symptoms have been:
Severe abdominal muscle pain, extreme fatigue, foggy thinking, euphoria and extreme mental depression, neck pain, back pain. I have watched my life fall apart after 25 years of successful financial planning. Timing can be tied very closely to the use and increased dosages of the statin family of drugs. The only warning I received from any of my doctors was possible liver problems. I am wanting to know if there are any definitive tests for muscular or neuromuscular effects of statin drugs.

Some day in the future, our children's children, and their children, will look back and recount the statin drug disaster as the biggest embarrrasment in medical history.

Bobby

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 ******

I have now been off Lipitor for 3 weeks and am feeling less fatigue and my hips and thighs are not hurting as much. Still pain when walking up stairs. I ask my General Practioner for a CPK test (muscle test). My Cardiologist did not agree with me that Lipitor was causing my hip and thigh pain and weakness. Sure enough the test came back slightly elevated. Because of a heart attack, my doctor wanted me on a statin drug. I tried 2 with the same results. My liver test always came back good so that is all He cared about. Now I have some muscle wasting. I'm not sure if that can be corrected but whatever I will never take Lipitor again.

I posted this past week as guest 13049. I did make it , I did go to my doctor the next day and was sent to the lab for blood work that day. I haven't received the results yet. However I stopped taking Lipitor and most of the symptoms have subsided. I think had I not figured out what was causing all the pain and weakness, and had taken one more pill, I would not be here today, it was that bad.

Thanks for the concern from forum members. I will report my experience to whomever needs to hear it. I think of all the unsuspecting people who perhaps didn't get the chance.

I lost months of my life thru the fatigue, muscle weakness, back pain, etc. I have also had severe knee problems for several months and went to an orthopedic doctor last week. He said my knee problems were from weakened muscles around my knee and has perscribed physical therapy. Is it a coincidence? I don't know.

At least I'm still here and getting better...but I will never taken another statin drug..guaranteed!!

Thanks

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

Hello all,

I myself live in Canada, but a brother of mine, who still lives in Germany, seems to be suffering from the typical statin-drug adverse effects. He is off the drugs now, but the symptoms persist. What can he do to rehab himself.

Here the symptoms: impaired muscular coordination impaired sense of balance... can walk only with a stick. Impairment of finer motor skills - he has difficulty writing and he experiences difficulties swallowing. Slurred speech. Listening to him you'd think he is more than a little drunk. He feels dizzy, disoriented; pain at the back of the neck; pain in abdominal muscles
and in legs. He has trouble raising his arms to reach for something up a little higher than his head and experiences intense pain if he tries to hold an arm up in a horzontal position for more than say a minute.

He was on two German statins, one called "Zokor" and the other "Baycol" for some five years. He went to see half a dozen doctors and came away with half a dozen different diagnoses till finally one took the time to find out what drugs he was on and suggested he go without the statins for a while.

Has been off the drugs for more than a year but the side effects, though somewhat improved, persist. What can he do to rehab himself faster?

Thanks for any suggestions.

waterbuf, alias Bud ***

My father is 70 yrs old and was on Lipitor for over 4 yrs. He started developing muscle pain and stiffness after being on this statin drug for about 3 and a half years. However being on this medication for such a long time the damage done was quite severe. He will never be "normal" again and he will propably be on the steroid prednisone for the rest of his life. He came off of Lipitor a year ago. He started noticing that he had tremors in his hands, twitches in his face, a stiff neck and these symptoms are only getting worse. It looks like he has developed Parkinson's Disease since coming off the Lipitor. Is it possible that the Lipitor induced the Parkinsons Disease? I am his daughter and I am trying to find some answers for him as it is really bothering him. Besides the tremors he has a very poor memory, he gets confused very easily and he will not go anyplace by himself. We first thought that it might be the start of Alzhiemers but after reading the symptoms of Parkinson's disease he symptoms sure do fit much better than with Alzhiemers. Any information you may have for me would be greatly appreciated. What medications or natural supplements would help these symptoms that he is experiencing.

I agree with the person below. Low thyroid function causes elevated cholesterol. It's no secret and has been a proven fact for years, yet according to the American Association of Endocrinologists, this fact is overlooked by physicians everyday.

And here is more! The people who suffer adverse side effects from statins like Lipitor appear to be the ones with an underlying metabolic problem, which was the cause for the high cholesterol in the first place. Thyroid disorders are one of those problems.

It's easy to check. A simple blood test is all. And it is easy to treat. One simple pill a day replaces the mising thyroid hormone. Your metabolism speeds up and your body burns off the excess cholesterol.

The statin drug companies will hate me for sharing this. It is estimated that there are millions of Americans with undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

WANT TO STOP USING CHOLESTEROL DRUGS?

DRAMATIC RESULTS!! Cholesterol Can Be Lowered
Without Drugs ..See Results Below

Doc told me to go on Statin Drug to lower my cholesterol. I refused knowing just some of the many dangerous side effects possible. After a thorough investigation I developed a regimen that gave me the following dramatic results.
......................Before......After......
Total Cholesterol.208.........146...........
LDL....................140..........85...........
HDL.....................45..........41...........
Triglycerides.......120.........100...........

This was accomplished with just 2 nutrients and 1 vitamin. I will gladly share my 2 page protocol with you Free of Charge with no strings attached. Just e-mail me at...

LARRYHOR@OPTONLINE.NET

Here is your opportunity to kick the drug habit

I stopped taking Zocor 6 weeks ago on advice of a metabolic specialist. I started to feel the best I have for four and a half years. I was going about my daily routine last week when it dawned on me I had no muscle aches or pains at all. I was feeling so well, not depressed or tired. I have been sleeping well at night time and now I only have pleasant dreams. I wake up refreshed and full of hope and the stiffness in my body had gone completely. I take the dog for a walk daily and the other night I found I went for a short jog with him, I couldn't believe I could actually jog. I had been finding it impossible over the past four years to gain any level of fitness,although I exercise daily, and have always eaten only the healthiest food. I never lost weight during the last four and a half years, and gained a lot of flab on my stomach. The metabolic specialist stated that the Zocor had destroyed muscle and replaced it with fat. Now that I am not taking Zocor I have started some light weight training, and I have found this to be beneficial. I will see my GP in 2 days time to report my good health. I will never take Zocor or anything like it eg.Lipitor or any statin drug. I believe these drugs are not beneficial to a person's health. I feel sure I will lead a normal healthy life from now on with sensible exercise, continue with good common sense cholesterol lowering foods to compliment my optimistic outlook. Even although I have a family history of heart disease, I believe I will have a better lifestyle looking after myself the natural way. I prefer to believe what I have read on this website from the people who really know what it feels like to be suffering continually from aches and pains, and feeling as though I was a constant pain in the neck for my family. I have had so many of the side effects described I felt like I was a hypochondriac and so I gave up complaining about all of my symptoms to my doctor; exteme fatigue, feeling unwell and depressed, swelling in my legs, trouble walking up 2 flights of stairs, stiffness, particularly in my legs, feet, more so on the right side, sometimes stiff neck(which the Dr said was a wry neck), burning sore feet continual, waking at night with my lower body just aching like a toothache, feeling freezing cold; sometimes I would wake and the joints on my lower trunk where my legs start felt like they had ridges of built up swelling or calcium. I have had bleeding gums at times, and sometimes mouth ulcers. 2 years ago I had unexplained vaginal bleeding, my stomach had blown up and I looked like I was 6 months pregnant although I was post menopausal (early menopause). I had to have a curette because they thought I must have cancer, but there was no explanation for the bleeding. 2 months ago I had tests for diabetes, my blood glucose tolerance test came back with a concave reading, which the GP could not make sense of, so this is why I was referred to a metabolic specialist. The specialist could not fault my dietary intake. It was found that I also had a severe depletion of iodine, although I had been tested for hyposthyroidism 2 years earlier and nothing showed up. From time to time I have had abnormal liver function tests, put down to overuse of paracetemol or anti inflammatory drugs.....so I stopped taking these completely and managed the pain with some help from a psychologist friend with self hypnosis. I believe that all of my symptoms were due to taking drugs, and prior to taking Zocor I had no need to ever take anything. It was only because the GP recommended Zocor after a High Cholesterol reading and I was considered to be in a High Risk Category because my Mum died of a sudden heart attack and my dad had Angina. Mum died at 61 y.o. and dad at 78 y.o. I am 54 y.o. and started taking Zocor at 49 y.o. I stopped taking Zocor 6 weeks ago, now feel great and would not recommend it to anyone.

Lipitor, Crestor Age 57
Cholesterol 250 Doctor tried me on Lipitor 10 mg first. After one week I experienced the "can't get up out of a chair" that the doc warned me about. I also felt very weak in my legs going up the stairs. I stopped the Lipitor. My husband had the same problem with Zoclor and was angry that his doc did not warn him. My doc also said upset stomach or intestines was a side effect. When Crestor came out, my doc said it was a designer drug that should not cause muscle problems. I took Crestor 10 mg for 6 weeks and had the lab tests. My liver functions were fine and my cholesterol was down to 150.
Just one or two weeks later I experienced severe flu-like aches and pains, especially in my upper back and shoulders and arms. It was an achey, almost burning pain. It got so bad I just stayed in bed. My legs didn't bother me very much, so I did not think of the muscle wasting side effect called rhabdomyolisis. After two weeks in bed, my spouse told me that USA Today reported a death in someone using Crestor. The penny dropped and I stopped using the Crestor. Each day of the next week the pain improved. To me that was proof. I am back to doing my normal activities, but I continue to have intermittent pain in my upper back and shoulders. I sometimes have burning and strange nerve sensations in the back and shoulders. These feel like itching or when the novacaine wears off at the dentist. Several spots on my back have no feeling. After 9 months off Crestor, my back still gets sore or feels numb or gets burning sensations from pressure including lying in bed. A spine x-ray showed nothing. I think it was Crestor. Now I have some numbness that comes and goes in my face, but I don't know if it is related. I will never take another Statin drug again.

the following concerns another statin drug, crestor. since almost all statins work by blocking the pathway to make cholesterol....
By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twenty-nine patients who took AstraZeneca Plc's cholesterol drug Crestor have developed kidney damage, a U.S. consumer group said on Friday as it called again for a ban on the medicine.

The rate of reported kidney problems is about 75 times higher with Crestor than with all other drugs in the same cl-------- combined, consumer group Public Citizen said. According to its analysis, there have been 6.4 reports of acute kidney failure or kidney damage for every 1 million Crestor prescriptions filled.

"It becomes clearer by the day that this drug is uniquely toxic without offering any unique benefit, and that it must be removed from the market," Dr. Sidney Wolfe, head of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, wrote in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites).

AstraZeneca insists Crestor, known generically as rosuvastatin, is as safe as other drugs in the family known as statins. The FDA (news - web sites) has agreed but promised to closely monitor reports of safety problems.

"Our data shows, with regard to that particular adverse event, it remains in line with other statins," company spokeswoman Emily Denney said. She added that AstraZeneca updates Crestor's reported health problems every week on its Web site www.rosuvastatininformation.com.

According to the site, "serious" kidney problems are "very rare" and occur at a rate of less than 1 in 10,000. Of all statin-related kidney problems reported to the FDA, 3.5 percent were related to Crestor as of early October, the site said.

Writing in this week's edition of The Lancet medical journal, AstraZeneca said Crestor's "safety profile is similar to those of the marketed statins. This view of the benefit-risk profile ... is shared by regulatory authorities in the 64 countries where rosuvastatin is approved."

The company's letter was written in response to earlier criticism from Wolfe.

Public Citizen said its latest analysis was based on reports to the FDA since Crestor's approval in September 2003 through Aug. 26, 2004. The reports of "adverse events" from doctors, patients, manufacturers and others do not prove if a drug caused a particular problem, but the FDA uses them to look for signals of possible drug-induced hazards.

Millions of people worldwide take statins, such as Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor (news - web sites) and Merck & Co Inc.'s Zocor, to lower their cholesterol. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Bayer AG's statin Baycol was pulled from the market in 2001 after it was linked to more than 100 deaths, many of them from a severe muscle-damaging condition called rhabdomyolysis.

The FDA has received 65 reports of rhabdomyolysis in Crestor patients, which is similar to the rate --------ociated with Baycol, Public Citizen said. AstraZeneca says the problem, also linked to other statins, is rare with Crestor.

I think I've taken my last Lipitor. It did help my cholesterol, but after reading this site, I'm scared. And off to the natural foods store for remedies.

Have been on 10mg. Lipitor for over 1 1/2 years. I've experienced some of the "usual" side effects- arthritic type pain in my hands and hip joints, pain in the bottom of my feet, weight gain, gas, but chalked it up to getting older (I'm 54) and not exercising as much as I should.

But it's the bruising that's really been a problem. If my arm touches the inside of the kitchen cabinet while reaching for a dish, I have a bruise on my arm. A slightly harder bump and my skin is torn and I'm bleeding. My clotting times and liver enzymes are normal and my Dr. has no clue what's causing this.

I never associated it with the Lipitor until I saw a neighbor with the same red bruises up and down her arms, and she said "Oh, it's from my statin drug." Then I realized that I never experienced this problem until about the time I started on Lipitor. Has anyone else experienced similar side effects from Lipitor or other statins

Hi All!

Well, it's been just a tad over two weeks since taking myself off of the Lipitor that I was on for four months. I'm now experiencing mostly the "normal" aches and pains that I had before....such as the typical "I'm 52 so here comes the osteo arthritis" syndrome I've always heard about.

No more trembling, shaking, super bad weakness, dizziness and that totally random shooting pains here and there.

I can attest beyond reasonable doubt that those symptoms were from the side effects of Lipitor. I'm only hoping that I haven't suffered any permanent nerve damage due to this very dubious Statin drug.

geeDub

Hello,

Geedub here. I told you all that I'd keep in touch. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm having difficulty logging in with the password I was given. I've entered it correctly like 25 times and it still says I'm doing it wrong! I've sent emails about this error message to the moderator this last week...to no avail. No answers and no "login". Hmmmm? Oh, well.....I guess I'll just be a "numbered guest".

At any rate, I'm a little over a week without Lipitor now and doing much better with the numbness, bone pain, random shooting pains, blurred vision, and dizziness. I told my doctor, as a courtesy to him, that I've taken myself off of the statin drug. His nurse/secretary gal called me back and tried to "straighten me out" on how I need to be on it, and warned me of the dangers of my cholesterol. However, I reminded her that the LDLs were not that big of a problem. It's my LOW HDLs that are worrisome to me and everybody else. I also reminded them of their OWN LITERATURE they gave me with the medicine...that "lifestyle changes should be tried BEFORE administering the statin drugs". Besides, Niaspan I can take and it's what is helping me raise my HDLs.

So...I basically reminded them that I was just calling as a courtesy to them that I was off of it because of bad side effects, and would keep them informed of my progress. Anywho, she was trying to be difficult and "ms. smartypants" and my cardiologist was totally understanding about it stating that it was ultimately my decision to take the meds or not. And he sort of, basically agreed with where I was coming from.

So far so good.

-Geary

THIS message board is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I have been telling my wife and my doctors for almost 4 months now (after my life-saving stent procedure) since my heart attack.....that I have been experiencing weakness in muscles, arthritic-like pain, dizziness, sleeplessness, agitation, depression, anxiety, blurred vision and general shakiness.......ALL because of the new drugs I've been given. Lipitor was the FIRST one I suspected.

After stumbling across this site......looks like I'm right.....again. I hate that! :( But, I may've saved myself an awful lot worse grief by doing so in a relatively short time. Four months is nothing compared to some of you poor souls.

I just want to say thank you and I'm sorry at the same time. That nothwithstanding.......I'm QUITTING this STINKING STATIN drug immediately!!

-geeDub

I've have been on 40mg's Liptior for about 2 years. The side effects that I am haveing is; Left arm numbness, left eye and ear sensitive, dizziness, unbalanced, stiff and sore joints. FLu like symptoms. I have stopped using this drug a week ago. My doctor has told me that it would be about 6 weeks till my blood clears itself of the liitor. I'm feeling better but I still have problems with my left side symptoms and hoping my body will find away to adjust to these complications. I will never use a statin drug again! I hope all of you find a resolution to tis madness.....