Lipitor and thighs

I am a 60 yr. old woman and was on simvastatin for several years before I realized that all of my aches, pains, and muscle weakness could be because of it. I stopped taking it in March, and had very little improvement until June when I started taking 100 mg CoQ10 twice a day. I am now pretty much pain free but the muscles in my thighs are still very weak, and I am still very fatigued. Anybody have any suggestions?

Glad I took the time to read the noncommercial posts! During my thyroid check last year bloodwork showed high cholesterol. I was put on Crestor in addition to having my Synthroid dose adjusted. A few weeks later I was absolutely miserable. Couldn't get out of bed. Everything hurt. My doctor thought I was "depressed" and asked if I wanted anti-depressants. Not needing to add another pill to my daily repertoire - I declined. Six weeks later I am feeling worse and just want to lay down and cry. The doctor had no idea why I would be feeling that way and was convinced it was either depression or thyroid issue. I was getting ready to leave for a trip to Mexico that had been planned a year in advance and was non-refundable - and I didn't have the strength to even pack the stupid suitcase. The trip was a bust - I laid in a pool chair just feeling crappy. What a waste!

Funny thing - nobody stopped to consider I've had a thyroid problem for 20 years and this horrid nightmare just started after I started taking Crestor! A few weeks later I stopped the Crestor entirely and after a couple of months I felt back to normal. Now, three years later - I've been talked into taking Lipitor. In my naivety (because I explained to the doctor that Crestor made me ill) I trusted that it would be different. It's taken three weeks for me to put two and two together - but here I am again - muscle aches - can't get out of bed. Everything just hurts. My knees, arms, mostly shoulders and in between. With all that is an overall lethargic feeling. Lipitor stops today -and if the pattern continues and I feel better in a few weeks - it's no statins for me ever again. I'll just have to eat like I'm supposed to and hope for the best!

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.

I have been on Lipitor 40 mgs for about 6 weeks. I felt ok for a few weeks, then I noticed that I was unable to remember things, I was putting things in places where they didn't belong.. I was very depressed. Even had thoughts of suicide. My legs were so sore from the thighs down to my knees. I was almost unable to get up and I didn't, with out great pain and moaning with pain.. I have decided to stop cold turkey. I believe this drug is very dangerous.

I am a 43 year-old female, and have been on Lipitor for quite sometime now, at least 6 years. My doctor told me to watch for muscle pain as a side effect. After being on it for a year with no muscle pain, I was told my chances of developing a side effect at that point was very slim. About 2 years ago I developed severe foot pain which was diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, I went through PT and was put in a brace. Eventually I stopped the PT, not that the pain was gone, but I didn't feel that it was doing any good. I have not been without pain for the past 2 years. Since I am 15 pounds over what "they" consider my ideal weight, the foot pain has been blamed on that. I now have pain in the sides of both my feet and in the past 2 month its progressed to the the inside of my foot just below my ankle. I get pains which I can only describe as what feels like nerves snapping when I'm standing or walking. It is so much worse when I rest for awhile and then stand up. I feel like my walking days are limited. In addition to the foot pain, about 7 months ago I developed pain in my left hip. The first time I noticed it I thought I had bruised it in some way, but that also has gotten progressively worse. And about a month ago I've developed pain in my left elbow. Libido? What Libido???? I never considered any of these symptoms to be related to Lipitor until my husband recently mentioned that one of his co-workers was taken off Lipitor by his doctor after being on it for years because of joint pain that he developed.
As luck would have it, I only have one pill left--my prescription needs to be refilled, but I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor instead. I hesitate doing so, for the same reason that I've haven't gone to the Doctor about any of it after having had gone through PT---I don't think I'm going to be told anything other than I should lose the extra 15 pounds I'm carrying. But after reading all these postings, I can't help but think my problems are very likely related to the 6 years or so that I have been on Lipitor and I don't want to be on it any longer.

I have been taking Lipitor for several years now, 40 mil. About a month ago I started having terrible shooting pains in my left hip. Within a day or so the pain had also started in the calf of my leg, like a cramp that wouldn't go away. My left calf all the way to the tip of my toes felt numb and tingly like it was asleep and it feels as though I don't have control of my leg or foot. The pain got so bad I couldn't walk. It would get better for a day or so and then come back again. It got so bad I couldn't walk, stand or sit. The only way I could get any relief was to stay in bed in one certain position. I stopped taking Lipitor on my own. It has been over a month now and I still have pain but isn't as bad most of the time. This pain is so terrible I hope writing this note will help others. I'm wondering if I will ever be normal again. I was a very active 58 year old but now I feel like a crippled 100 year old. They should take this drug off the market or at least warn people of what it will do to them.

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.

I take 10mg Lipitor every day, I broke out with dark red itchyskin eruptions on ankle,stomach, and hip thin skin over eruption when it peels off there a large open ulcer like sore, takes many weeks to completely heal! Been to a dermatologist wanted to do biopsy on sores to see what it is, I have been taking lipitor for about 3 years. Never had out breaks like this before going on lipitor. Went off lipitor for about a month outbreaks stopped! Went back on lipitor outbreaks started again, anyone else had similar eruptions?

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

Not sure, but as someone else has reported a possible causal link, I'm thinking my Plantar Fasciitis may have been induced by taking Lipitor 10mg the past year or two. I'm probably going to just cut back to 5 mg, then go off for a month or two and see what happens.
I also have some shoulder pain and generic aches that I never did before.

I started takiing lipitor about 2 years ago. I complained to my Wife that I was losing my strength shortly after that. But I am 52 and thought I was just aging. About a month ago I began to have pains in the thigh area. Again no big deal. But over the next two weeks the pain turn to cramping and spread to my lower leg and arms. I am barely funtioning. I stopped taking the lipitor a week ago but no improvement yet. I see my doctor again tomarrow. I learned of the side effects of lipitor from a newspaper article.
My question is how long does ittake others to start feelingbetter. Aafter a week I don't.

I was put on Lipitor over a year ago. I began having memory problems last Sept. and even asked for an Alzheimer's test. Thing got worse, I now have constant pins and needles in my middle and ring finger of my right hand. My hands ache all the time, and I am constantly on pain killers for the severe pain in my shoulders, thighs and lower legs and my feet.

I have also developed the shuffling walk, and sometimes I cannot decide which foot to put forward first, which is as I understand it a sign of Parkinson's. Today I saw a Neuropath specialist he used a machine which gave me little electric shocks, I will not learn the results of this test until I go back and see the specialist who has diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia. I am also severely depressed mostly because I stopped taking the Lipitor several weeks ago and I am getting worse not better. I feel about 30 years older than my age of 65.

I printed out some of the material I found on the net about the dangers of Statins and gave it to one of my doctors, but so far none of them acknowledge that Statins are responsible. Oh yes and my memory is still as bad. I am seriously thinking of making arrangements for my funeral.

When I refused to take Lipitor the doctor tried to prescribe a different drug but the pharmacist told me that it has the same effects as Statins, so refused to take the prescription.

I have already started taking CoQ10 and Vitamin C.

I took Lipitor 40 mg q.d. for a few years. Then I started having unbearable leg cramps upon awakening in the mornings. They were practically debilitating! I also started having another kind of leg pain, the kind which is very hard to describe. My leg or legs would feel kind of dead, not crampy, but pain inside the leg near the bone you might say. That was worse than the leg cramps, because I could usually get up and walk around and eventually the leg cramps would go away for the rest of the day. This dead but extremely painful feeling in my legs would go all the way up into the thigh area and I would just have to lie there until it went away. Thank God it did always eventually go away, but not before my vowing to have my legs amputated if the pain continued. My doctor had no idea what could be causing this, and I got the impression that he thought the symptoms were psychosomatic. As a last resort, I stopped taking Lipitor and within 24 hours the leg pain (both kinds) stopped. After one year of blessed relief and no Lipitor the doctor tested my cholesterol and it was very high again. So I tried going back on Lipitor, only I cut the dose in half. The doctor also gave me 300 mg of gabapentin and 325 mg of quinine to take at night about three hours before bedtime. To date, my cholesterol is down to below normal levels and I have not had any more of either kind of leg pain. But if I forget the quinine or gabapentin even one night, the pain comes back. I hope this helps someone else who is suffering as I did.

I took Lipitor for a number of years until I started having pains in my thighs. I was switched to Provacol and 2 month later I had rabdomialisis (sp) I was paralyzed from the waist down for about 3 months and it gave me neuropathy, myopathy, carpal tunnel in both hands, hypothyroidism and increased my sleep apnea (according to my neurologist) This has been going on for almost 2 years. I am just waiting to see what else could happen. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

I am a 54 year old female that was put on Lipitor in 2004. I started feeling like I was crippled up from arthritis in my legs and hips about a year later. It came on so gradually, I never associated it with the Lipitor. I had an MRI and CT scan and nothing could be found. This past Spring, I went back to Dr. and saw different Dr. in practice. I told him I hadn't been able to walk well in a year and it felt like my legs were rubber and they ached all the time. I walk 2 hours a day and have for 10 years because I have 2 large dogs that need exercise. This was getting almost impossible to do. The Dr. asked me if I was taking Lipitor and I said yes and he told me to get off of the drug. I noticed a huge difference within 2 weeks of stopping Lipitor. I feel like a million dollars again and even the shape of my thighs has changed. Everyone is asking me if I've lost weight. Never again!!!! I'll try natural remedies or take my chances. What good is living longer if you can't even walk normally?

I have been taking Lipitor since 2003. I have been having thigh and leg pain off and on. Starting yesterday May 8 I started having pains in my thighs and legs severely. My back feel like it is going to break into pieces. I have constantly felt dizzies and never had any stama. When I walk I am so afraid
because my leg just give away from underneath me and I am on the floor. I can't sit in a chair without straining to get up. I don't have the ability to squat because my legs are so weak and I don't have the ability to hold myself up. I went to my doctor today and he advised me not to take the Lipitor any more. I just want to be normal again and do the thing that I used to do. Is there any help anywhere

hello fellow sufferers. I've been taking pilitor for a few years now and for the past year have been at my worst. I cannot stand more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time so taking a walk is out of the question if i dont want to find myself on the ground.I am now forced to walk with a cane because of the severe weekness in my legs, pain in my thighs and back.I have worked on my feet for most of my life therefor have had very strong legs that is until i started having these side effects from lipitor. I've even been to to see many doctors and had x-rays taken and they think its all in my head cause just cant find anything....Some nights are so bad that i scream in my sleep because of the pain, its like my thigh is ripping apart in my leg and its like being on fire.I cannot go on this way i just turned 49 and am house bound because of this. May someone read this and help us asap we are not ginny pigs. Bless you all and thank you.

Been taking Lipitor for over two years without any problem that I attributed to it. Started traiing for a marathon--never run before in my life. Steadily increasing thigh pain which i attributed to the training until I am in SEVERE pain mainly in my thighs. Can barely go up or down stairs or uphill or downhill. Had to stop running and can't even really even walk for exercise right now. Taking Ibuprofen like M&M's. Just met someone this week who told me that extreme exercise caused him to have the same symptoms. I am relieved to find that stopping the Lipitor might allow me to once again exercise and maybe even do the marathon with my training group. Wonder if my indigestion if from Lipitor also?

After taking Lipitor for several years, I developed a stabbing pain across my abdomen. May be the diaphragm. Also had numb thighs and legs.

Had to quit working for a while because I could not get in and out of my car.

Doctor said it was not related but I told him I was done with this product and quit taking it. The pain lessoned considerably and I was able to work again. After being off it for several months, the Doctor said Lipitor was not the problem and had me start again. Within a few months, I developed severe pains in the thighs and told him that I will not take it again and I quit.

Now, I have occasional pains in the abdomen but the leg numbness and pain has lessoned.

He started me on Zetia a few months ago. Then, I started developing pains in the right side just under the rib cage. He said it could no be related to Zetia but I quit it two weeks ago and while there is still pain, it went from being daily to just being occasional now. I will not take either of these products again.

Monday, I have an appointment and will tell him and also tell that I do not want to hear any more about either of these products. I will not take them again under any circumstances.

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

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

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

My doctor put me on 40mg Lipitor about 4.5 months ago. My cholesterol at that time was about 220. The Lipitor has reduced my cholesterol to about 105 but not without serious side effects that I began noticing about one month ago. I am a diabetic, BTW, but but sugars are well-controller. The first thing I began to notice is that my thighs felt cold all the time, sometimes even burning--but only when I sit down. If I put heat on them, it goes away. Putting cream on them goes away. Another thing I was getting these migraine headaches that affect my vision, causing blind spots. I've them before but never with the frequency of the way they are occuring now. The last two big things is absentmindness and extreme fatigue....whew. Well, I stopped taking Lipitor today and I feel better already. Diminished fatigiue, for sure.

Had been on lipitor for over ten yrs now being 44
side effects that it has caused over a long peroid of time muscle cramps nightly short term memory loss joint pain shoulder next and thighs loss of sex drive
stopped taking it about six weeks ago memory has inproved dramtically cramps have gone aching joint seem to be improving and sex drive slowly improving hand put all these side effects down to other causes as we do but now kmow better

I'm 62. I started using Lipitor April 2004.

About a month ago ... it felt like I was losing my ability to walk and climb stairs. Left leg was worse than right. Muscle and joint pain in lower back, arms and legs. Even my toes and fingers ached! Sounds strange, but the skin on my thighs became loose and flabby. My fingernails became very dry and brittle. It even was uncomfortable for me to sit for any length of time unless my feet were up.

I saw a Lipitor ad on TV last week that warned of unusual weakness. I searched the internet for more info, found the NIH site, and I stopped the Lipitor on Dec. 20. I started doing some leg exercises and feel improvement.

I'll notify my doctor of my decision to stop at my next checkup in early January.

Started lipitor on Friday and by Sunday I was feeling AWFUL. Aches and Flu like symtoms, like I fell down a flight of stairs. By Monday morning getting out of bed was difficult, so tired and so many aches and pains. Back, neck, knees, etc. I was on lipitor for a total of 3 days and stopped taking it. Same thing happened about six months ago, when I was on Mevacor for 1 week. I had pains and burning pains in my thighs and lower back.

Guess I am NOT a candidate for statin drugs.

My dad is 62 years old, and he recently stopped taking lipitor after a few years of being on it...4 years ago he began experiencing muscle weakness in his thighs, and they started to atrophy...3 years ago, he would randomly fall without warning. Now he has to walk with a cane, sometimes 2, and he has trouble going up and down stairs...
My mother had breast cancer 6 years ago, and after being on Tamoxphen for 3 years she went blind in her left eye, and remains blind today...her doctor told her that it was probably due to this drug...These drug companies are evil!!

Started 10 mgs. about two years ago. Immediately suffered muscle pain front of thighs. Told my Dr. He said it would go away. It eventually did and my levels dropped to 128. My Dr. wanted it to drop to 100 so he increased the dosage to 20 mgs approxiametly 1 week ago. I am experiencing extreme muscle discomfort throughout my legs and back area.

I've been on Lipitor for 4 yrs, 1st on 20mg daily. Cholesterol was lowered but gradual muscle discomfort in thighs. This sympton ignored by doctor. I lowered dose to 20mg every other day, had blood test, then told doc I lowered dose myself.He couldnt argue with the results, which were good. He suggested 10mg daily. Leg cramps intensified after mild exercise. 2 months ago I had a severe attack of cramps in legs and shoulders, appearance of arthritis in hands with some swelling. Difficulty in sitting or getting out of a chair or car. Painful to walk. Felt as is muscles were being stretched taught from bones. I discontinued Lipitor. Some relief noticed in 24 hrs. I have been taking 500mg of naproxin twice daily to get some relief.