Lipitor and weight gain

I am currently taking Lipitor, I was taking another cholesterol med, don't remember what it was, but it was changed because the other wasn't effective. My cholesterol is great. Tonight while researching multiple symptoms I am having, I found this site. I have been on Lipitor for around 2 years now. For 2 years I have also been being treated for severe leg cramps, they knot up at times, this was diagnosed as Restless legs syndrome. I have numbness and tingling in my hands, my doc says most likely carpel tunnel ( I really don't do anything repeatedly with my hands) , my ears ring constantly, my hands and legs swell daily, so now I am taking a diuretic for that, I have constant headaches, blurred vision, severe upper and lower back pain, joint and muscle pain, severe dry mouth, at times I get very swollen gums (no bleeding of the gums) a metallic taste or salty taste in my mouth all the time, and unexplained pain , like bruises, all over my body. I am making another appointment in the morning about the dry mouth and gum pain, recently my teeth just started falling apart, my doc said that was from poor dental care, I brush my teeth at least 4 times a day and use mouthwash.

I took lipitor for 4 months. I exercised a lot and improved my diet. However, I gained almost 10 lbs in that short time. It did greatly lower my HDL/LDL, but I quit taking it because of the abdominal weight gain. Since I've quit taking it, my head has been itching like crazy, but I'm a lot less bloated and feel better.
As for muscle pain, I didn't have any, but the doctors and nurses strictly said to stop taking it if muscle pain occurred.

Ten months ago I was persuaded by my MD to start taking Lipitor . In less than two months, my numbers went from 349 to 189. However, this initial positive outcome never prepared me for a host of adverse conditions!

In the past three months, I have experienced some Red Flag physical problems but the Light Bulb Moment came with a weight increase of 15 lbs, concentrated on my belly. I have not increased my food intake and my diet continues to include fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken, milk/cheese, and some sweets. When I started taking Lipitor, I weighed 122 lbs; now I'm at 134!!!!
My level of physical activity has remained the same as has my food intake.

It was this weight increase that prompted me to search the internet for a possible connection between Lipitor and weight gain. Three days ago, my fears were confirmed as I read similar postings.

But my problems go beyond the weight gain. Here's is my "laundry list" of symptoms and I believe that Lipitor is the ugly culprit:

1. Sciatic pain
2. Left leg is numb; tingling, burning, shooting pains
3. Foot pain/numbness
4. Periodic shortness of breath/palpitations
5. Incident of high blood pressure
6. Weight Gain: Belly! Bloated appearance
7. Constipation
8. Fatigue
9. Periods of depression
10.Anxiety

I have stopped taking this dangerous drug. I am due for lab work and MD visit.

Hope to hear from you.
Jessica

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?

Have been on Lipitor for almost a year and muscle aches and pains have increased in the past two months to a debilitating stage. The muscles in my arms, shoulders and back hurt constantly. My hands are aching and I've also experienced cramps in the feet and toes. Last week cramps started in the leg calves. I can barely climb any stairs. There has also been some weight gain since I began taking lipitor.

I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and when I finished describing the symptons he immediately said it was most likely the Lipitor.
He also shared that he had two friends who are doctors, one a runner, who had these same symptons as a result of Lipitor. He told me to stop taking it for two weeks and see if it is better. I will stop taking this permanently and try to lower the cholesterol with exercise and Vitamin C.

regarding the question about weight gain--I have read/heard about "lipitor belly" in which extra fat occurs around the waist for those taking lipitor (you could google "lipitor belly" to determine if there is info out there). and for the individual who is stopping lipitor to see if the symptoms reverse--PLEASE read some of the archives here. MANY symptoms have NOT REVERSED after 5 yrs off the drug.
best of luck to you all

I am wondering if any women on Lipitor have gained weight from it?Another woman and I have been on Lipitor for a year and have noticed a thickness in our stomachs.Granted we are "at that age" of menopause.Any ideas on this?

I was put on Lipitor probably about Feb 2005. Everything was fine. Cheoseterol went way down. In the Fall of 2005, I just felt tired all the time and thought it was just old age (I am 54 but yet I felt 104!!!!!). I thought this not quality of life. In Feb 2006, AFTER learning of all the side effects (my paper that comes with each RX does NOT say half of the stuff that could be side effects), I found out from several web sites what all could go wrong. I have been off Lipitor since Feb 2006 (it is now almost May 2006), and I still have pain in the backs of my legs and swelling of my feet and ankles and face. I suffered a huge weight gain as a result of the medicine also (which is one of the side effects that is not on my RX paperwork). I suffered loss of balance and my whole body still aches. Does anyone know if the swelling of the feet and ankles and face will go away? Should I see a dr in case the swelling (which I have had since Feb 2006) could be from High Blood pressure. I was never on any prescription drugs ever until I was given Lipitor. Now I am afraid to take ANY medicne at all. Please respond. Thanks. Diane

ia'm a 48 year old women in goodhealth till i took lipitor i started it in jan -06 and guit 4-o6 i thought it was from my knee surg in dec. but i never got better at first i thought i had the flu then all my muscles started hurting i had swelling in all joint areas i couldnt sleep i gained weight i got to where i couldnt walk felt like i had to pick my legs up to get them to move i just cant get over how bad i did feel

I am a 58 year old male diagnosed with heart failure and afib in Jan 2004. I have been taking a combination of Lipitor, Topral, Hyzaar, Pacerone and Magnesium and Potassium supplements since then. CoQ10 was added by myself since my cardiologist feels it is of little value. My body felt like it had turned to lead and my arms and legs like dead weight. My joints hurt to move. I took myself off the 80mg Lipitor two weeks ago and felt better in 24 hours. I find the Topral causes weight gain and I am a tall big fellow, but 80lbs in two years while eating like a rabbit is too much.

My son (28) was put on Lipitor about six months ago. He has severe sleep apnea and has gained weight; cholesterol also has gone up, hence the script for Lipitor. Recently he has appeared confused, and extremely slow at completing tasks. He goes into a room several times, forgetting why he is even there. I also suspect paranoia. The only medication script or otc he is using is Lipitor. We have not been to the doctor yet as things just came to a head this weekend, but after reading about others problems with Lipitor I'm insisting he immediately stop taking it. My fear is that he would be left on it, and the medical professionals would suggest "counseling", which would not help. Lin.

Lipitor..
I'm only on 10 mg. of Lipitor a day but I have gained weight increasingingly fast in my eyes.. Is anyone having weight gain problems.. Also my cholestoral level was approx. 166 but I have 3 stents so my Dr. put me on Lipitor.. I have always had lower chol. My arteries plugging up is Genetic.. It scares me to see these terrible side effects people are having.. Tghank you, L. G.

I am a 45, male and I recently experienced a severly torn bicep muscle and a friend mentioned to me that it could be related to degenerative muscle loss from Lipitor. After reading all the articles posted here I realized I have been suffering for 6-7 years.

I have had, ringing in my ears, muscle cramps, disabling lower back pain, skin lesions, swollen neck to the point I can't look up any more, anxiety, depression, racing heart beat, weight gain and high appetite and chest pains. Over the years I have had several of the episodes you all have described and I attributed them all, AND SO DID MY DR. to something else.

The muscle tear in my bicep seemed wierd since I have been to the gym regularly for 2 years. My wife thinks I'm a hypochondriac for complaing about every little pain, but in retrospect it must have been the Lipitor.

At a recent check up all my numbers were great, and I remember my Dr. telling me that the benefits of this drug out weighed the side effects, but I would like to see the proof.

Would anyone recommend a less side effect laden drug?

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.

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

muscle cramps,dizziness,memory loss, fatigue, depression,
headaches,sleeplessness,weak,breathless,tired all the time.
weight gain,hairloss.
R.

A friend sent me to this site. I am a 52 y.o. female that has dealt with high choelestoral for 18 years. Levels exceeded 362. Triglycerides threes times normal. I started out 18 years ago with them knowing very little about what caused it or how to prevent it so I started with the diet routine. THis is at a time when no labels read content of fat. Consequently, I read the two books at the library published at that time and reported to my doctor who honeslty told me I probably knew more about it than he did. It did not work after nine months it had actually elevated, so we started a drug regime. The powder, the pills, he finally gave me a new drug that had just hit the markt, lopid. I was on that for many years with no success. I was on the treadmill, very active, no results. I went off. I told him, I am putting something in my body that we do not know for sure is doing anything for me but could be causing damage to my liver. He agreed. He retired. My new doctor to me many new drugs she would like me to try something again. I went on Zocor. After 1 1/2 year on that, very little change. In October of 2003 she put me on Lipitor. After 90 days it had dropped to 187 and triglycerides to 186. I was ecstatic. I too felt that due to my age, rheumetoid arthritis and weight gain that it had nothing to do with meds. I have seen my doctor on numerous occasions and complained about the problems. She said no way is it a side effect of a drug. I have been to this site on several occasions and read my symptoms over and over again from each of you. It scares me to death to go off and have my choelestorol shoot up again, but I can hardly get out of bed now. I also take zetia with it. I am on 40 mgs. of Lipitor. My sister is on the same dose after a massive heart attack at 53. She can hardly walk up the stairs or get out of bed. I told her to go back and read some more and go off the Lipitor. After reading todays posts I too am going off. Without the doctors permission. I feel very strongly that we have to sometimes take charge of ourselves. We know our body best. I have a wonderful doctor but they are only human and they have to decipher a lot of infomation and come to a conclusion. Their job is to keep us healthy and alive. I beleive they think they are doing that for the most part. If she had to get around in this body, she would drop the meds until she figured out what was causing the symptoms also. Fatigue, water retention, left shoulder feels like I have been hi with a baseball bat, right hip joint is so panful it hurts to lean down to put socks on. Achiness, dizziness and the list goes on. I have to say some of it must be contributed to Lipitor, I had none of these symptoms prior to starting it 10 months ago. Thank God, we have a place to feel like it is not just in our heads!
Sherri

Hello Nanato2,

YES!!!! I had the short term memory loss as well. I'll be 53 in one month....so glad we aren't "losin it" yet...eh? I even put it down to us being in the "Flower Power" generation. LOL . What is the saying? "If you can remember the Sixties.....you WEREN'T there." LOL

The weight gain, from the water retention, was also getting to me. Iv'e been off Lipitor, ater being on it for four months, for over two weeks now.

The only issue I have, is the EXTRA anxiety kicked off by this drug!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr. A heart attack four months ago wasn't enough I guess......SHEEEEESH!

Good luck. Peace&Luv,

GeeDub

I appear to have a weight gain I am now 12st 1 or 2 have never been more than 11st 12 when I went to Weight Watchers.I have been in the 10st to 11st bracket for 3 yrs now and I dont drink very much now and try to eat sensibly. I am ready for my blood count for Cholestrol. It will be interesting when I get the results. I am now 70 yrs. I would be pleased to have your comments.

Hair loss, joint pain, bloating, itchy rash, dry skin
weight gain.

Have been on Lipitor for nearly four years. Cardiologist told me to stop taking it today.

I'd like to know of side effects from stopping! Will hair grow back?

I'm female in my 70's with a recently installed pacemaker.

I started on 10mg. Lipitor two months ago. My cholesterol is way down, which is great. However, noticeable side effects are bothering me. Hair thinning and loss have been evident for the last month. Also feel distracted, agitated and impatient - feel as if I'm not myself or somehow outside myself. Woke up a few days ago and the room was spinning, like it does when one has had too much to drink. Couldn't get the dizziness to go away for several hours, even after getting up and slowly walking around and then forcing myself to go back to sleep. Very scary and I am worried it will happen again without warning. Bloated, heavy, flabby feeling, especially around my middle, although no actual weight gain. Any recommendations to counteract these side effects? Should I get off this statin?