Lipitor and weakness

At age 71, in excellent health and rarely seeing a physician except for minor skin irritations, I experienced a mild TIA and to be on the safe side, checked into the Emergency room. Among the medications recommended were Lipitor which I began taking regularly. Within less that 6 weeks, I'd developed a heart murmur, had an echocardiogram and was told that I'd developed a severe stenosis. The murmur was not present at the time of my TIA or a month later.

After about another month, I was walking the dog and began to experience fatigue and muscle soreness. At the same time, my left little and ring finger began to 'fall asleep' with tingling and loss of a sense of touch. That has continued for several months.

By the following day, the sense of fatigue upon any moderate activity was like being hit by a truck, it was sudden, unremitting and would only relieve with rest. Any attempt to walk more than 100 yards was out of the question.

I talked to 3 different specialists, none of them were willing to listen to me when I suggested that the cause of this was linked to Lipitor. By now, I had taken myself off of it and have not resumed.

I believe that the Lipitor also caused renal insufficiency which I'd only begun to experience after taking it.

The most difficult part of dealing with this problem is finding a physician who is willing to listen. Presently, the neuropathy is 24/7 but the generalized weakness has not gotten any worse and seems to be permanent.

As I read others complaints, mine are limited to the physical, there's been no effect mentally other than insomnia.

I am a 47 year old female and started using Lipitor (10 mg) about 4 weeks ago. In the last two weeks, I have been experiencing numbness, pain and weakness in my extremities. The numbness and pain is excruciating from my neck to the tips of my fingers on my left side. I am also weak and my muscles ache throughout my entire body. My joints hurt and are extremely stiff from my feet to my shoulders and I was so tired yesterday (November 26, 2007) that I could not go to work. I was about ready to go to the emergency room today thinking I have some undiagnosed illness, but since reading the side effects of others, I am calling my Doctor to inform him of my problems and I have am refraining from taking anymore Lipitor. I just want to know if the symptoms will go away after the medication is completely out of my system.

Started Lipitor 5 months ago. Noticed a tingle and slight pain from left elbow down to hand. Had to go off of Lipitor after two months b/c of upcoming right knee replacement. Started taking Lipitor 6 weeks ago after surgery. I have started having severe shoulder pain and upper pain in the left arm and again the tingling in elbow and hand. But the worst is I now have a pain and weakness in my left knee so severe that when I first stand it takes a few minutes before I can put my weight on that leg. Have to use a cane for first few steps and then pain subsides and strength comes back and I am able to walk.
Went to Dr yesterday and he did not think Lipitor was the cause, but agreed I should go off for a month. Anxious to see if anything changes or was this all a coincidence.

I am a haelthy 50 year old that used to walk three miles three times a week and elliptical trainer another two days a week. I started taking Zocor about three years ago after Lipitor caused my hands to cramp. After a year of Zocor my doctor switched me to Vytorin. I have been on it for about two years. About a year ago I started having pain in my neck to the point that it would wake me up at night and I had trouble picking my head up off the pillow. I thought it was from sitting in front of the computer too long or just getting older. Then I started having tingling in my feet and weakness in my legs and some balance issues. Some problems concentrating and with memory. I told my doctor and he told me to stop taking the Vytorin. I stopped about 2 weeks ago and have had a little improvement. After reading all of these posts I am very worried about my own health and for the thousands (millions?) of others that are taking this poison. My prayer is that we will all get our "pre-statin" lives back.

I took 10mg lipitor for 9 months and started having horrible arm pain that would not go away. Then the pain became mixed with weakness and I could not even lift a grocery bag. I am 53 and of good weight and I thought, good health - other than the elevated cholesterol level. My whole family has the elevated levels and there was an uncle who died at 43 of a massive heart attack. So, gave it a try. I got to where I thought I had ALS for sure. The leg twitching started in my calf and moved down to my feet and kept up even now. I have been off lipitor for 8 months. My strength came back in about 3 weeks and has progressively been better. The twitches are still here but am now taking 3 doses of CQ10 3x/day with Bcomplex and folic acid. All is helping and I am hoping the twitches stop. I will not ever take this again.

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

I am a 46 year old male prescribed Lipitor by my doctor for cholesterol above 300 and high triglycerides. 10 mgs for approx 5 months. During this time have developed muscle pain and weakness. Thought I was just getting older. Left shoulder pain started, I have never had shoulder pain in my life (avid weight lifter). Strength and muscle deteriorated rapidly, wasting of shoulder and upper arm. Got extremely tired and confused. Started having short term memory problems, could hardly get out of bed in the morning to come to work...became depressed and despondant. Took myself off two days ago, no improvement yet. Right hip has been aching badly, have been walking with a limp. Just a miserable experience, wish i had known about all this ahead of time, never would have agreed to take it. This has been a humbling and dibilitating experience, feel the life just being sucked out of you. Look forward to relief at some point. If anyone is thinking about taking it....dont!

I have been taking lipitor for probably 6 years. About 3 years ago, I experienced sciatica in the left leg for at least 9 months. The pain only lasted about 2 minutes but recurred 15-20 times a day. Now for about 2 years, I have had weakness in the left leg. Within the last 5 months or so, it has gotten to the point that I am constantly off-balance and feel as if I am walking like someone who has had a stroke. Others comment on this. It is embarrassing because I stumble and lose my balance like a drunk. Within the last 2 months, I have recurring pain in the right arm and shoulder - it last only about 5 minutes but is extremely painful. The balance problem led me to worry that I had a small stroke but after seeing this website, I am wondering if it is the lipitor. I am going off of it for at least a month and see if the symptoms disappear.

I am 53 years old and have been on 10 mg of Lipitor for at least 5 years. For the past 3 years I have been experiencing tight muscles in my back and muscle spasms on my right side. I have had the following tests done - all of which came back negative: CT scan, Ultrasound, MRI, gall bladder scan, kidney scan, pelvic exam, even had a colonoscopy (that sucked), and went for physical therapy which the therapist said I had weakness on my right side. The doctor never even suggested to stop taking Lipitor but after reading these posts, I'm stopping myself.

I have taken lipitor for 3 months and developed severe arm pain and weakness on exertion. Everytime I remove my shirt I have this sharp acute pain in my shoulder. I cannot fully extend my arm and wake in the middle of the night with crippling pain on the right arm. Today I look up google and realise Lipitor could be causing all this. I will call up my doctor tomorrow and get off Lipitor before I become a total cripple.

I have taken statins for over 10 years. I suffered muscle aches and cramps but put it down to my age (56) However recently I noticed weakness in my chest when weight training.
It was then I realised that my left Pectoral Muscle had all but disappeared, leaving just flabby skin. The right side is still firm.
A visit to the doctor and subsequent blood tests showed abnormal levels of harmful Enzymes. I was taken off statins immediately but would like to know if the muscle damage is permanent or will it recover over time.

I have had excessdive intestinal gas for the last few months since my cardiologist increased the lipitor fron 10mg to 20mg!
I have a long history of CAD and in May 2006 had a double bypass (CABG)
Also notice weakness in my knees and legs. I am a great walker and never had these problems in the past.
I now exercise my limbs before going out... but it is the excessive intestinal gas that is getting on my nerves, to the point I hate to go out as it just comes out without warning. It is very embarassing,and thought that perhaps the increased Lipitor was the culprit.However my cholesterol is now within normal limits, and the cardiologist is happy!

I have been off Lipitor for 6 months and the pain in my legs is increasing and the weakness is not improving at all. How long will this last""
gail

I am not sure my symptoms are related to Lipitor, but it is the only med i was taking and when i finally suspected the connection 3 wk ago, i stopped taking it.

It occured to me that i was complaining of muscle and joint weakness in conversations with others, but related it to my age (53) and lack of exercise. Then i had a few episodes of sudden brief cramping in my back muscles -- totally unexplained by anything else -- and a couple episodes of dizziness, or true vertigo, while sitting and typing at my computer (i am a medical transcriptionist). Those got my attention. Come to find out my mother and brother also had identical muscle problems and switched their cholesterol medications away from Lipitor.

There are numerous other little things, running into walls and furniture, numbness in my feet or hands, yes, the cognitive things i've read here too, etc. Again, don't know if it is the medication, but after doing some reading of other's experiences, i do plan to do my best to improve my health withOUT the use of medication.

I began taking Lipitor in early 2006 - I'm a 54 yo woman. During the summer I wasn't working & noticed weakness in my limbs to the point of sometimes having to struggle to stand up from lying down. After getting down on the floor, I had to push myself up on a piece of furniture. While visiting family out of town last week, I couldn't keep up with my 80 yo aunt. I knew something was wrong. I've also experienced dizziness, aching joints & tingling and numbness in the balls of my feet. I called my Dr. when I got home & left a message that I wanted to stop taking Lipitor. The nurse said the Dr. wasn't convinced the problems were caused by the drug but that I could try going off it for 6 weeks. A week later I'm pretty much back to normal. I'll NEVER take statins again. I'm eating lots of oatmeal & looking for other alternatives.

Female 67. I have been taking Lipitor for about two years. I began to notice that I was getting out of breath and fatigued after short walks and usual chores. I began to have muscle pain and joint aches. All along I thought this was just part of the aging process. As the weeks progressed, the pain became severe and the fatigue and weakness was unbarrable. I was in bed much of the time. I told the Doc my symptoms, at which time he did the blood tests, which were normal. He said he thought it was depression. I happened to see a clip on the side effects of Statins, and the light went on! I stopped taking Lipitor, and in a week I felt remarkably better. I am hoping as the weeks go by, I continue to improve. I thought I was headed for a Nursing Home. I feel like I have my life back again.

Lipitor has caused me serious colon problems. I was having severe cramping and bowel movements. The colon contractions were so severe that I would begin vomiting, even though I was not nauseated. After 2 or 3 hours of these bouts, occurring every 1 to 3 days, I would be so weak I would have to go to bed. Then severe weakness overtook my entire system. I have no appetite and have lost 19 pounds since January. Food has no taste and after forcing eating, I don't want anything else to eat after 3 bites. CT scan showed severe edema in the cecum and descending colon plus diffuse inflammation of remainder of the colon. Quit taking Lipitor and cramping subsided almost immediately, but now have almost constant diarrhea. I WILL NEVER TAKE STATINS AGAIN!!!

Perhaps you could print the following and take with you to your next appointment:

Underappreciated Statin-Induced Myopathic Weakness Causes Disability
Bruce H. Dobkin
University of California Los Angeles, Reed Neurologic Research Center,
bdob...@mednet.ucla.edu

Introduction. Myopathic syndromes induced by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl

coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) include muscle
complaints, myalgia, myositis, and rhabdomyolysis. No prospective study

of statins, however, included tests of strength, so the incidence of
weakness, with or without muscle symptoms and elevated enzymes, is
unknown, and perhaps overlooked. Methods. From a convenience sample of
patients referred to an outpatient neurorehabilitation clinic over the
course of 1 year, 8 patients with hemiparetic stroke and 10 patients
with other presumed neurologic diseases presented with new difficulty
walking by 3 to 12 months after starting one of 3 statins. They
reported no myalgias, exercise-induced aches, or weakness. Examination
revealed proximal paresis graded 4/5 on the unaffected side in the
hemiparetic patients and symmetrical bilateral proximal limb and neck
flexor weakness graded 4/5 in the others. They stood up with difficulty

and walked with bilateral hip drop and imbalance on turns. Results.
Laboratory tests did not reveal myositis or other causes for paresis.
No improvement in strength or mobility was found 6 weeks after
initiating resistance exercises. The statin agent was stopped. By 3
months off statin, all recovered 5/5 proximal strength. Walking
improved, and they arose from a chair without pushing off with their
arms. Discussion. Serial manual muscle testing after initiating a
statin may detect a reversible cause of disability. A genetic
predisposition to statin-induced myopathic proximal weakness with
normal creatine kinase is consistent with a continuum of previously
reported symptoms and signs but may be underappreciated.

(in the discussion, the author notes that while single-subject,
double-blinded statins vs placebo studies would make the causal
relationship between disabling myopathy more apparent, he notes
recurrences in his patients' symptoms when the investigator was unaware that several of the subjects had been placed back on the statin by their primary physicians. p. 261)

My side effects were panic attacks all night from before Christmas 2005, to March 27, 2006. Then during the day I felt weak, and I felt like I was going to faint off and on all day every day. The doctor felt had prescribed 10 mg and the 20 mg Lipitor. It was after I started the 20 mg that the probems started. When I cut the Lipitor in half, the nightly panic attacks and severe fatigue, and weakness ended. The pharmacist said it was a massive overdose.

I have only been on Lipitor a few short months and have been suffering pain and weakness in my feet and legs. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, itis so bad I can barely walk. I did not realize what the problem was until I started readingup on the side effects. I thought maybe I was developing arthritis. Additioanlly, I have suffered back and neck pain. As of today, I intend to discontinue using Lipitor and hopefully, get back to a pain free life.

I have been taking Lipitor for a year and now experience what i call "rubber legs." If i stand for more than 10 minutes my legs become very weak, like rubber, and i find i cannot walk to the nearest seat. My legs have become very weak, can only walk a block if that. No pain, just weakness. Symptoms are like having MS. At times no control of my lags at all. Have stopped taking Lipitor today.

I have been off lipitor for 6 months after 3 years on the drug. I had extreme muscle pain in legs and thighs and a slight raise in cpk test. After 2 months I began to get better but still have pain and weakness in one hip and thigh. The doctor said it is bursitis but I'm wondering if it is permanent from the lipitor. Has anyone had lasting pain and weakness after stopping?

88 yr old mother w congestive heart failure...recently in nursing home for rehab..very weak..did have twitching in right leg. has been taking lipitor for over 2 years now. had tests..no one can tell me what wrong with her..pain in foot and legs..body weakness..losing more strength. recently had another urinary infection..previously had swelling in feet and legs. i felt it was her heart...now reading lipitor symptoms..i wonder what else is going on or also going on.

I have been on Lipitor since May and am experiencing severe neck pain along with pain and weakness in my legs and arms.
Also, I have buzzing in my feet especially my left foot. Doctor told me it wasn't the lipitor but I have been reading up on the side effects and took myself off the lipitor (notified my doctor) three weeks ago. The effects are lessening but I am on my way to a neurologist next week to find out what damage has been done.

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.

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

I have been taking Lipitor for the past 1.5 months.. I am having sharp chest pains at certain spots, plus joint pains, general weakness. I will stop today and see....

I have been taking Lipitor for 4 years. About 2 years ago most of these side effects started. muscle cramps in legs, muscle pain and weakness , fatigue, stiff neck, hip joint pain and knee joint pain and stiffness. Been off for 3 days and will never take it again.

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.

I have been on lipitor 20 mg. for a couple of years and have noticed muscle pain and weakness in my legs and back. the pain in my legs has become so bad that I now have to take Hydrocodone for pain. It has never crossed my mind that it could be from the Lipitor. My legs and hips hurt so bad at night that I don't get any sleep without pain medication but the doctors have been unable to find a reason for it. sometimes I walk the floor at night or sit and cry. I am going to tell my doctor about this web site and see if its possible the Lipitor is my problem. Vivian Duarte

reply to 8091

Dropped foot is a weakness in the muscles in the foot which causes it to be limp and involuntarily "flops" when you walk. The front of the foot points downward when the foot is lifted off the ground and if the foot is not picked up high enough to clear the surface,you will trip. The condition occurs when something negatively affects the nerves in the leg or spinal cord. Since all my tests came back "normal" - the doctors are puzzled and are looking at Lipitor.

A good friend of mine (82) was recently rushed to the hospital because he woke up and could not get out of bed. After a week,he is now in rehab using a walker and going through leg exercises to build back his leg strength. The doctors are suspecting the Lipitor he has been taking (10 mg 2 times a week for about 3 years.) to be the cause of the muscle "atrophy". After reading these stories on this web site I am shocked to hear about all the problems Lipitor has seemingly caused people. I tried Lipitor for about 6 months, and had leg cramps in the tops of my legs (where they meet the body) and the Dr. promptly took me off of it and now I'm on Zocor, with no apparent side effects-but I'm reading up more on that.

Now in reading about Rhabdomyolysis (a severe side effect with muscle breakdown and kidney failure), I'm asking the doctors to check for that as my friend has had some symptoms-weight gain, weakness and now not being able to walk. You know, these men don't complain about aches and pains and many may be walking around with a time bomb going off inside them with these symptoms.

If anyone has experienced something similar, I'd love to hear from you, especially how long the recovery of muscle use can be.
Thank you.

weakness in mylegs, dizziness and headaches, along with
nausea...after only 4 days of Lipitor...I am discontinuing
this medication; will advise the doctor who prescribed it
Monday, but will NOT go back on it even at a lower dose
was taking the 10 mg once a day.

My husband was also recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. He just turned 60, was active and healthy, but had according to the new guidelines high cholesterol. When he first started the "shuffle", muscle pain and weakness, sore joints, etc. his doctor's first thoughts were the symptoms might be caused by Lipitor. He was told to stop taking Lipitor for two weeks. His condition didn't improved and he was instructed to start taking the Lipitor again and his doctor referred him to a neurologist. After testing the neurologist diagnosed early Parkinson's. The neurologist also said that there is no test to determine if a patient has Parkinson's, i.e. blood test, and that the diagnosis is based on the physical condition of the patient. The neurologist gave my husband a prescription for the Parkinson's and when I picked it up I spoke to the pharmacist about the side effects of the Parkinson's and Lipitor medications. He said he would suggest my husband discontinue the use of Lipitor and try other ways to control his cholesterol. I found his comments very interesting and started researching Lipitor. After reading page after page of the same side effects I'm certain my husband's diagnosis is incorrect and all the symptoms are side effects of Lipitor. A week ago he took my advice and stopped taking the Lipitor. He said the dizziness is mostly gone and I think his walking and arm movements have improved, but he has a long way to go and hopefully, the side effects are reversible.

I had all kinds of pains like others discribeded. I also had short term memory loss weakness,tired and felt like I was too old to do anything at 42. I was taking 10 mg. of lipitor for 5 or more years. I tore my bicept tenden ( think from muscle degeneration from the staten) and had sergery to repair it. The lipitor slows down the healing process from sergery or any other injury. I also had a double hernia(more torn muscle) opereration three years ago and had complications that did not go away till a month after I stopped taking lipitor. I no longer have pains and I can go up and down stairs with no problem now. I gained over fifty pounds while on the lipitor and have lost thirty of that in the two months since I stopped the lipitor. I no longer fall asleep at seven thirty every night and I can get jobs done around the house I could not get myself to do when on the lipitor. Lipitor is a good way to keep people sick and kill them slowly. There is hope if you stop the drug. The cloudy felling in your head will go away also. You get a great sense of awareness when you stop the drug. good luck...your Dr. will tell you that none of it's from the drug. My doctor told me I was just getting old and getting arthritis. Well it went away and i'm getting younger since not taking it.

After being on lipitor for several years, I suffered all of the most commonly reported side effects, extreme fatigue, muscle pain, weakness etc. I experienced some relief after being off of the drug for several months, but would hope for much more. I have preveiously asked to hear the results experienced by other individuals who have abandoned lipitor, and to hear of any remedies (exercise, other drugs, etc.) other individuals have found to be effective.

I was on Lipitor for about 5 weeks, had muscle pain and weakness....now my muscles ache and hurt all over, am weak in the arms and legs, having trouble walking and holding my coffee cup......I stopped it cold turkey, and will not take it again!!

After being on Lipitor for almost a year, I could barely walk from my car into my office. My legs were incredibly weak. It was like all the muscles had atrophied. I was 50 at the time, but felt like I was 80. About 1 1/2 years later, my legs are still weak, but better. (Then I was given the antibiotic Levaquin, and my knees almost stopped working after 4 days on that medication.) I would not recommend Lipitor and certainly not Levaquin, alone or in combination with each other, especially if you have experienced muscle pain or weakness with Lipitor!

I was taking Lipitor for 1Year. I began to fall and I couldn't get up. I was hospitalized and a neurological workup indicated that I had fibromyolysis caused by Lipitor. I stopped taking Lipitor. I was given a walker and sent for physical therapy. After many sessions of being treated as if I was a stroke victim I was released because I wasn't making any progress. I spent 3-4 months in the walker and 6 months with a cane. I was ver active prior to this, but it took a year to be able to walk without assistance. 3 years later I am about 85% recovered. I lift weights and walk about 3 miles a day. I am thrilled, since I could not even lift my legs initially. I still have weakness in my left leg and balance problems. I want to get the word out. I have been interviewed on local television twice. I woul like to go national . Len ***

Hi there:

I came down with an upper respiratory infection which caused me to have a tight feeling in my arms and legs for a couple of weeks. About two weeks later I started Lipitor, only 10mg. It seems to have made the weakness in my legs and arms worse. In addition, my upper legs and arms are sometimes weak. I can barely walk for more than an hour or two a day at times/ This happens especially after exercise. Exercise makes me feel good but I pay for it after. I went off Lipitor for a week and the fatigue went away. But now I'm back on it and those symptoms are worse again. My doc thinks that the symptoms are not from Liptor but fatigue from the URI. However, I am thinking the Lipitor made the muscle fatigue worse.

On Lipitor for one year. 10 Mg. Started getting bad lower back pain, muscle behind hip bone, which I never had before. Had to roll out of bed in the morning because it was hard to stretch up. Also noticed weakness in lifting arms to open window. Although I am 65 I have never had any type of arthritic pain. I took myself off Lipitor and will never go back on statins.

To the question of "has anyone gotten relief" from stopping this drug.

YES.......been off of it over three weeks now. Numbness, joint aches, muscle aches and weakness have all but disappeared. I'm almost back to normal after taking Lipitor for four months following a heart attack/stent procedure.

geeDub

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

poor small motor control, difficulty swallowing,tremors,not swinging arm when walking, weakness,confusion,anxiety/panic attacks,constipation,stacked writing, getting tested for Parkinsons and am thinking it may be my 3-4 year use of Lipitor.

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

Appearance of floaters in the left eye. Has anyone else experienced this after going on Lipitor?
Also, very tired, feeling of soreness all over. Arthritis-like pain in elbo and in hip/leg joint. I am thinking about getting off this and doubling efforts of diet/exercise. I am beginning to see why my late mother had so much trouble with weakness and feelings of coldness.

I am a 49 year old male, and have been on lipitor for a few years. Was on 20 for a while and then went to 40mg. I had started with back pain which I did not initially attribute to lipitor. But also had other symptoms such as tiredness. I find it hard to get out of bed. But the weakness and back pain became so great that I did not feel like lifting anything at all. On a recent trip, my wife had to carry the suit cases. I have quit taking lipitor for two weeks, but am not feeling any better. I feel like I am 80 years old. I only hope this reverses itself. Oh, I also had foot pain when I walked occasionally, again, I did not link lipitor to that, was thinking it was just old age. The pain was in the arch of the foot, I thought it was weird. I did take nexium at the same time I took lipitor.

My cholestoral did go down a considerable amount, like from 230 to 159... but, there has to be a better way. And my liver functions are still normal.

I would be interested in learning about anyone who recovers, how long it takes, and if there is anything that will help this problem.

Jim

I had 2 stints put in Mar2000. Arterial blockage 90%. Took Lipitor for 2 months.
Felt worse than before heart attack. Discontinued Lipitor. Feb. 2004 still no
improvements. Muscle pain, weakness, spasms, buzzing in right leg. Cant hold
arms or head up in vertical postion for 2 minutes without extreme pain and
weakness. Sitting or standing for 10 minutes is not possible due to back pain.
Have to keep moving until exhausted and then sleep. Use good diet and all the
exercise I can tolerate.I do NOT take any pain meds except aspirin or tylenol.
This is crazy. I walked home from the hospital after the stints and went
downhill after taking Lipitor. Any advice will be appreciated. thank You
On: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 13:32:40 -0500
I forget to add that Im 50/ male, took Lipitor at 46. I realize some symptoms can be caused by aging??LOL and try to discern the cause before I complain.

I had 2 stints put in Mar2000. Arterial blockage 90%. Took Lipitor for 2 months. Felt worse than before heart attack. Discontinued Lipitor. Feb. 2004 still no improvements. Muscle pain, weakness, spasms, buzzing in right leg. Cant hold arms or head up in vertical postion for 2 minutes without extreme pain and weakness. Sitting or standing for 10 minutes is not possible due to back pain. Have to keep moving until exhausted and then sleep. Use good diet and all the exercise I can tolerate.I do NOT take any pain meds except aspirin or tylenol. This is crazy. I walked home from the hospital after the stints and went downhill after taking Lipitor. Any advice will be appreciated. thank You

My husband was on Lipitor for four years and has since been off for 13 months. He is still experiencing severe muscle pain and weakness, which seems to be getting worse. After 8 trips to Mayo Clinic they have found no other cause for his problems. He is on 800-1200mg of CoQ10 a day, with no results. Does anyone else have any information that can help him. It seems if the symptoms don't reverse by themselves there is no help. Let's keep contacting the US Food and Drug, our legislators, and Pfizer (if you can find a way to contact them!) and anyone else to get our message across.