Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

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Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

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May 30, 2006 14:22 PDT

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Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2004/03/18/lipitor_side_effects_

and_natural_remedy.htm

 

 

Pharma

 

Serious side effects have been reported for Lipitor and other

cholesterol-lowering drugs - the so-called statins - prescribed to

millions for preventive purposes. The prescription of these drugs is

based on the discredited hypothesis that high cholesterol levels

cause

heart attacks. The cholesterol myth has been one of the most long

lived

falsehoods around - probably because it has been excellent business,

both for large pharma producers as well as for the food

multinationals,

who introduced margarine telling us how much healthier it is than

butter.

 

There is an easy, widely available nutritional solution to heart

attacks: Vitamin C. Needless to say, taking more vitamin C has been

opposed by big pharma and its mainstream medicine followers for

decades.

 

 

When a " preventive " medicine causes severe muscular degeneration as

a

" common " side effect, something must be awfully wrong. Jonathan

Campbell

examines the side effects and postulates a mechanism - proposing an

astonishingly simple remedy.

 

 

 

Lipitor - Reports of Neuromuscular Degeneration

by Jonathan Campbell, March 16, 2004

 

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.

Matthias Rath.

 

References:

 

Ginter E. Ascorbic acid in cholesterol and bile metabolism. Annals

of

the New York Academy of Science. 258 (1975): 410-421

 

Medications.com. Lipitor Drug Information - Atorvastatin Calcium -

Lipitor Side Effects.

 

Medications.com - Your online medication discussion resource. March

16,

2004.

 

Rath M, Pauling L. Solution to the Puzzle of Human Cardiovascular

Disease: Its Primary Cause is Ascorbate Deficiency Leading to the

Deposition of Lipoprotein(a) and Fibrinogen/Fibrin in the Vascular

Wall.

Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 6 (1991): 125-134

 

Siig M. Life After Lipitor: Is Pfizer product a quick fix or

dangerous

drug? Residents experience adverse reactions. Tahoe World, January

29,

2004

 

Silverberg C. Atorvastatin-induced polyneuropathy. Ann Intern Med.

2003

Nov 4;139(9):792-3

 

Ziajka PE, Wehmeier T. Peripheral neuropathy and lipid-lowering

therapy.

South Med J. 1998 Jul; 91(7):667-8.

 

 

- - - - - -

 

 

Several of those who commented on this article have asked for

information on natural ways to lower cholesterol. Here is a link to

a

site discussing this question, found on the Alternative Medicine

Forum

():

 

Lowering Cholesterol with a Healthier Way of Eating

How is high cholesterol defined? High cholesterol or

hypercholesterolemia is defined as total cholesterol greater than

200

mg/dL with the high risk category greater than 240 mg/dL. At these

levels, particularly when the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol is

greater

than 4:1, risk of cardiovascular disease is significantly increased.

The

ratio of LDL: HDL should be at least 4:1 because each HDL can pick

up

and transport 4 LDL back to the liver. If I have high cholesterol

levels, can a healthy way of eating help me lower them into a normal

range? ...

 

 

- - - - -

 

 

See also:

 

 

STATINS MAY CAUSE NERVE DAMAGE

A Danish study reports that some people who took statin drugs to

lower

cholesterol developed a type of nerve damage called polyneuropathy.

Polyneuropathy is characterized by tingling, numbness and burning

pain

as well as decreased sensitivity to temperature or pain. When a

person

suffers nerve damage, a doctor is supposed to look for a cause, such

as

diabetes, lack of vitamin B12, Lyme disease, kidney disease, thyroid

disease or alcohol abuse. People who had taken statins and developed

polyneuropathies were checked for known causes of nerve damage.

Researchers showed that people taking statins were 4 to 14 times

more

likely to develop polyneuropathy than those who did not take

statins.

Statins include Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, and Pravachol. Check with

your

doctor about any side effects from your medications.

Reference: Neurology May 14, 2002;58:1321-1322, 1333-1337

 

THE HIDDEN ORIGIN OF STATIN DRUGS

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

By Dr. James Howenstine, MD. - February 20, 2005

Cholesterol is not really the villain portrayed in the

pharmaceutical

ads. It is actually a vital substance needed in every cell of the

body...

 

November 23, 2004 - Report: Bayer Held Back on Drug Dangers

Another pharmaceutical company may have concealed safety information

about a dangerous drug - this time Bayer and its once-popular

cholesterol medication Baycol - according to a report in a prominent

medical journal. Baycol was pulled from the market in 2001, but an

analysis released Monday by the Journal of the American Medical

Assn.

argued there were strong indications of its dangers three months

after

its introduction in 1998.

 

Statin drug Crestor damages kidneys of patients, says Public Citizen

The statin drug Crestor is a highly dangerous prescription drug that

causes an alarming rate of kidney damage, says Public Citizen, a

consumer protection group. The drug, manufactured by AstraZeneca, is

responsible for a rate of kidney disease 75 times higher than with

other

similar drugs.

 

" You're my Wife? " Amnesia is Possible Side Effect of Statin Drug

 

Statinalert Org

 

Cardiologists Overlook Lifesaving Discovery

 

NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN

 

The Vitamin C Foundation's Statin Drug Alert

 

The Dangerous Truth About Crestor, the " Super-Strong " Statin Drug

 

Deaths linked to heart drugs

Lois Rogers, Medical Editor - The Times

EXPERTS are calling for a complete safety review of heart drugs

taken by

millions of Britons. Government figures released last week show that

92

deaths have been linked to the statin drugs developed to lower

cholesterol.

 

Vitamin C beats statins in cholesterol - heart disease

 

Statin Drugs - A Critical Review of the Risk/Benefit Clinical

Research

 

Let them eat cake, butter, cream ... For decades the advice has been

to

cut cholesterol and protect your heart. Now some doctors think it

makes

no difference

 

Cholesterol Drugs Tied to Birth Defects U.S. government study finds

an

unusually high number of abnormalities in babies of women who took

statins during first trimester of pregnancy

 

Lipitor, Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War On

Cholesterol

 

Lunatic Recommendations For Statin Drug Use

 

Colesterol Myth - It's official: Statins proponents have lost their

minds!

 

here is another highly interesting article on statins, just posted

by

Chris Gupta:

 

Statins And Our Immune System

 

Consumer Group Seeks Cholesterol Drug Ban

 

AstraZeneca sends advisory on Crestor

 

Cholesterol drug warning issued

 

As Death Toll Rises, Consumer Group Calls For Ban on Crestor

 

More Insane Uses For Statin Drugs

 

Statin Drugs can Devastate your Health

Muscle problems are the most common problems associated with taking

the

cholesterol lowering drugs, statins. A new study found that 98 per

cent

of patients taking Lipitor developed muscle pain and/or weakness...

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part I

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part II

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part III

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part IV

 

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication - References

 

The Truth About Deadly Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

 

Vitamin/Nutritional Supplements for Heart Attack

 

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040804/D84831AG0.html

 

Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease

....an article on Dr Mercola's site for more background on cholesterol

 

Lipitor, Severe Diabetes A Fatal Combination

The Pfizer-funded study compared the effect of a 20 mg dose of

Lipitor

versus a placebo on more than 1,200 type 2 diabetics who were

severely

ill over a four-year period. The main result was no surprise: Taking

Lipitor made absolutely no difference in the participants' combined

risk

of heart attacks, strokes and death. Even worse, more than twice as

many

patients who took Lipitor suffered fatal strokes (27) than the

placebo

group (13).

 

The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

.... is yet another weapon fit for your arsenal of intellectual

self-defense against the myth that cholesterol causes heart disease

and

that, to protect your health, you must contribute your fair share to

the

$26 billion/year empire of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The

author

Shane Ellison possesses a Master's degree in organic chemistry.

After

first-hand experience in drug design, he abandoned what he calls

" synthetic medicine " to become an independent researcher,

nutritional

consultant, developer of product testing certification, and designer

of

numerous nutritional supplements. He is also a member of The

International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics.

 

Class Action - Statins Increases Heart Disease By 10% In Women

Hopefully this will settle the question once and for all. The side

effects are a sign of toxicity of the drugs and hence should be

stopped.

Cholesterol in the main is not the cause of heart disease but can be

a

symptom of heart disease and is often protective. Lowering it in

many

cases, as shown here, can be more detrimental the leaving it alone!

 

- - -

 

 

Group: Crestor Side Effect Report Delayed

 

Aug 3 [2005], 8:40 PM (ET)

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - A drug company illegally delayed reporting side

effects linked to its anti-cholesterol drug Crestor, a consumer

advocate

contended Tuesday in urging a Food and Drug Administration

investigation.

 

It's the latest attack on Crestor by the private group Public

Citizen,

which argues that Crestor is riskier than its competitors and should

be

banned.

 

FDA requires drug makers to reveal reports of serious and unexpected

side effects within 15 days of learning about them. While those

reports

don't prove a drug was to blame, FDA evaluates them to determine

whether

a medicine is riskier than initially thought.

 

Public Citizen's Dr. Sidney Wolfe charged that AstraZeneca delayed

its

reports to the FDA by as long as 97 days. The company ultimately

reported that 19 Crestor users suffered an often life-threatening

muscle-destroying condition - and filed four reports of kidney

failure.

 

The delays " have unquestionably impaired FDA's ability to promptly

assess the safety of this uniquely dangerous drug, " Wolfe wrote FDA

Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford Tuesday.

 

AstraZeneca insists that Crestor is no more risky than other

cholesterol-lowering " statin " drugs, and that it followed FDA rules.

The

company says it wasn't subject to the 15-day deadline because the

side

effects were mentioned on the drug's label.

 

Wolfe countered that Crestor's label implies the muscle-destroying

side

effect occurs only with an unapproved high dose. The company's own

reports, however, implicate far lower doses. The drug's label only

mentions kidney failure in passing, Wolfe said.

 

FDA hasn't formally determined whether AstraZeneca should meet the

15-day deadline, said Dr. Mary Parks, medical officer.

 

So far, the agency says it sees no signal that Crestor is riskier

than

other statins, which all can cause rare cases of the muscle side

effect.

 

 

 

 

---

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posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Thursday March 18 2004

updated on Friday May 19 2006

 

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Readers' Comments

 

 

See also:

 

Bad News About Statin Drugs

 

Posted by: Chris Gupta on March 20, 2004 05:12 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I thank you and other scientists who are bringing forth the need for

concern about statins. I, too, experienced grave physical sxs while

on

Lipitor for 1yr.

#balance problems,severe muscle spasms and pain to bilat. legs,

numbness

in my feet, and dangerously elevated CPK. I've been off Lipitor for

6mos. and note slight improvement. No more Lipitor for me.......

Elaine

 

Posted by: Elaine Plunkett on March 26, 2004 02:12 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, I have been feeling an aching and swelling in my right calf. My

leg

feels like it is swollen and weak and I can't stretch it out without

discomfort. I don't remember hurting myself. I have been taking

Lipitor

for a few momths. Do you think my problem could be connected to the

lipitor?

 

Posted by: nancy S on April 18, 2004 06:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, I have been feeling an aching and swelling in my right calf. My

leg

feels like it is swollen and weak and I can't stretch it out without

discomfort. I don't remember hurting myself. I have been taking

Lipitor

for a few momths. Do you think my problem could be connected to the

lipitor?

 

Posted by: nancy S on April 18, 2004 06:02 AM

 

 

 

 

 

you must do your own research on this. Also, you should consult a

doctor

on your symptoms, and tell him you take Lipitor. Ask him if it might

be

the cause - you can also copy some articles you find by typing

Lipitor

side effects into a search engine such as Google.

 

Posted by: Sepp on April 19, 2004 03:55 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Go back to the top of this page and click on " side effects " in the

first

sentence. When that page comes up, scroll down until you come to the

area where several people have sent in their stories and how Lipitor

has

affected them, including me. Gerry

 

Posted by: Gerry on April 20, 2004 07:11 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have taken zocor for about 1 1/2 years. Did wonders for lowering

cholestrol and etc. but I have hurt and pains in my lower back and

in my

lower leg muscels. I shall call my doctor and see if their is a

substitute for lowering my cholestrol problem and eliminating the

numbness in my hands and arms when I din,t take zocor. chow

 

Posted by: charley magestro on June 4, 2004 05:17 PM

 

 

 

 

 

See also:

 

Orthomolecular Solutions to Heart Disease

 

Posted by: Chris Gupta on June 9, 2004 09:40 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I took Lipitor for about a year and started noticing a slight pain

in my

hip about 4 months ago. When it gradually got worse, I told my

doctor

and he told me to discontiue the drug. I have been off Lipitor for

almost a month and the pain in my hip is getting much worse. I have

a

very sore glute muscle that sends shooting pain down my leg when I

try

to stand up.

 

Does anybody have any experience with how long it takes to start

feeling

normal again?

Thanks

 

 

Posted by: jim heller on June 17, 2004 04:47 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Someone in my church has serious liver damage from Lipitor, incl.

lesions, which may be permanent. The damage was discovered when she

fell

& broke her hip (she's old). This lady is hospitalized, more from

liver

damage than hip damage, & will be for some time. Liver damage is

another

common dangerous adverse effect of Lipitor to beware. We have

another

DES on our hands.

 

Posted by: MES on July 2, 2004 06:15 AM

 

 

 

 

 

The following is a reply to a BMJ opinion piece about medical harm.

I am

copying it here because the discussion adds important information on

statins.

 

First, do more good than harm - OTC statins

 

2 July 2004

 

 

Malcolm E Kendrick,

Medical Director Adelphi Lifelong Learning

Adelphi Mill Bollington SK10 5JB

 

 

You may justify doing harm to do good e.g. drilling a hole in the

skull

to drain a subdural hematoma. But when one is doing no good, the

only

possibility left is harm.

 

So it seems surprising that the BMJ remains silent on a hugely

important, and potentially very harmful, development. Namely, OTC

statins. Statins have achieved a remarkable status as the

new 'wonder

drug.' The reality, however, is somewhat more prosaic.

 

For example, in no clinical trial done so far, have statins reduced

overall mortality in women. This includes the much publicised 4S,

and

HPS studies. In fact in the 4S study slightly more women died in the

treatment arm; the HPS authors will not publish overall mortality

rates

in women, but it appears there was no benefit.

 

Equally, in men, none of the primary prevention trials using statins

have been shown to reduce overall mortality rate. A report last year

by

the British University of Columbia (part of the Cochrane

collaboration),

concluded that statins have not been shown to provide an overall

health

benefit in primary prevention(1).

 

In reality, there are only two groups where statins have been

demonstrated to reduce both CV morality and overall mortality: men

with

a history of CHD, and men with diabetes (regardless of cholesterol

levels). It is difficult to establish the exact prevalence of these

groups in the UK (there is some overlap, no doubt). However, a

Scottish

study reported that men with IHD/Angina represented 6.2% of the

adult

population; and that diabetes had a prevalence of 2.8% (2)

 

Scotland has a higher rate of CHD than England, not lower. But even

if

do extrapolate the Scottish figures (and assume no overlap between

IHD

and diabetes) to the rest of the UK, this still means that less than

10%

of adult males in the UK, or less than 5% of the total adult

population,

will gain any overall health benefit from using statins.

 

This would not matter a great deal if statins had no side-effects.

But

they do have some major, and highly unpleasant side-effects up to

and

including death from rhabdomyolysis. They create muscle

pain/myopathy in

up to ten per cent, and there is a high incidence of liver function

disorder, and neuropathy. Reports in the USA suggest that they may

cause

transient global amnesia.

 

Most worrying for an OTC drug, is that fact that statins appear to

be

extremely teratogenic. A study reported in the NEJM (3) found a very

high percentage of severe birth defects in children born to women

exposed to statins in the first trimester. Defects such as

duplication

of the spinal cord, spina bifida, holoprosencephaly, bone shortening

and

aplasia.

 

Whilst statins are contradindicated in pregnancy, this is a common

warning, sometimes ignored, and it will be missed (or dismissed) by

almost anyone buying a statin OTC. The very fact of making a drug

OTC

suggests that it must be very safe. Therefore it is inevitable that

a

number of women will use OTC statins, unaware of the true risk they

are

taking if they fall pregnant.

 

In short, the evidence from clinical trials suggests that less than

5%

of the adult population can gain any benefit from taking statins.

The

remaining 95% will not only gain no health benefit, they will also

risk

suffering side-effects, some of which are extremely severe. A number

of

women will fall pregnant whilst on statins, resulting in severe

birth

defects in their children.

 

First do no harm? Before risking harm it is a good idea to ensure

that

you may actually be doing some good in the first place. OTC statins

have

the potential to harm a great number of people, whilst benefiting

only a

few. The medical profession should try to reverse this decision.

 

References

 

(1) trials. http://www.ti.ubc.ca/pages/letter48.htm

 

(2) http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scottishhealthsurvey/sh802-

01.html#23

 

(3) Central Nervous System and Limb Abnormalities in Case Reports of

First -Trimester Statin Exposure NEJM April 8th 2004 1579 - 1582.

 

Posted by: Sepp on July 8, 2004 04:29 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I took your advice and took masive doses of vitamin C in lieu of

Lipitor. You were wrong, for me at least, for my cholesterol went

right

back up to 240.

 

Posted by: Robert Gant on July 10, 2004 08:55 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Robert,

 

why are you trying to " get down " your cholesterol?

 

New scientific research indicates homocystein is an indicator for

heart

trouble, while cholesterol isn't. See

 

Forget Cholesterol - it's really not relevant

 

 

Posted by: Sepp on July 10, 2004 07:37 PM

 

 

 

 

 

See also:

 

NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN®

 

Posted by: Chris Gupta on July 29, 2004 09:07 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, your rise in cholesterol was probably caused by the

plaques on

your arteries breaking up.

 

See Dr Rath's site

http://www4.dr-rath-

foundation.org/NHC/cholesterol/cellular_solutions.htm

 

 

.... Interestingly, some patients report a transitory rise in

cholesterol

levels when they start taking vitamins. Because the rise in blood

cholesterol levels is not the result of increased cholesterol

production, it has to come from other sources — primarily

atherosclerotic deposits in the artery walls...

 

By the way, you should be taking Vitamin C with lysine.

See: NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/07/12/natures_perfect_stat

in.htm

 

 

Posted by: Kathy on August 11, 2004 10:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I took Lipex for almost 2.5 years and became very stiff and sore had

trouble sleeping because of hip, shoulder and back discomfort. I had

difficulty going from sitting to standing, then from standing to

walking. I had sore feet which also got pins and needles started

drbbling from one side of my mouth, my memory was failing and my

sight

becoming worse - I'm only 45 fit,in healthy weight range, healthly

cholesterol range, normal blood pressure but had a coronary event

which

triggered the taking of Lipex. I stopped taking Lipex two months ago

and

feel so much better. I am much more mobile, the joint pain has all

but

gone, no more dribbles, my sight and memory seem to be improving.

The

discomfort was so bad I had stopped walking! I am back walking now.

It

will take a lot of convincing to get me to take Lipex (or its

relatives)

again.

 

Posted by: Jenny on August 20, 2004 12:15 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know if Lipitor has any effect on cardiac arrhythmias? I've

been

on the 10 mg dose for about a year now with no problems. Just had

dose

raised to 20 mg and my arrhythmia seems to be bothering me more.

Don't

know if there's a connection here. Any info would be appreciated.

 

Posted by: Shelly on August 31, 2004 04:44 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I took lipitor for two mo. could not walk around the block without

calf

muscles becoming week and my feet feeling extremely heavy. I saw an

add

on television about P.A.D. I had a lower extremity arterial doppler

ultrasound done. They said suggestive severe femoral vascular

disease.

The problem is, I did not have any problems before I took the

lipitor.

Doesnt make sense to me, but what do you do?

 

Posted by: Don G. on September 3, 2004 09:36 AM

 

 

 

 

 

please i wonder how you can help me i am a boy of 21years old and i

have

a weak memory associated with anxiety,faint mind ,i have been having

this problem for the past 7years now, please do me this favour for

it

has been preventing me from moving forward with my education thanks

 

God bless you

ehima edwin

my mobile email adress is 2348056-

 

Posted by: ehima edwin on September 5, 2004 02:09 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Ehima,

 

I don't know where to start. Best might be if you go to a doctor who

uses natural products and nutrients. There definitely are a number

of

substances that are harmless, natural, and can help with memory and

mood.

 

You can also search the internet. Start with a google search for

 

memory, anxiety, natural remedy

 

(all the words together) and see what you get for starters...

 

Posted by: Sepp on September 6, 2004 08:34 PM

 

 

 

 

 

health-

 

To download the book, " What You Must Know about Cholesterol-Lowering

Drugs " , right below. Then choose to save it on

your

desktop. After completion of download, you will be able to open it.

Then

print and read.

 

www.health-fx.net/eBook.pdf

 

Shane Ellison M.Sc.

 

www.healthmyths.net

www.health-fx.net

 

Posted by: Sepp on September 8, 2004 11:13 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Help! After reading all of the comments posted on this site I'm

thinking

my grandfather is experiencing the damaging effects of Lipitor. He

is in

the hospital - has been for 4 weeks. His arms and legs are

completely

numb. The Dr's have done countless MRI's, x-rays and blood work and

have

found nothing. He mentioned a possible connection to the dr's and

they

dismissed him. What do you think? The doctors are still giving him a

drug for cholesterol, not lipitor at this time, but by the sounds of

it,

it doesn't matter which drug it is. Any info. would be greatly

appreciated! Thanks.

 

Posted by: Kristen on September 12, 2004 04:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking Lipitor for a little over a year. I have had

several

back surgerys, hip replacement and had tendons in both legs

stretched.

After all that my legs are continually getting worse, weak, extreme

numbness and severe leg cramps and spasms. After reading these

stories,

I am convinced that is why I am so troubled with these problems. I

also

have balance problems. I am done with Lipitor.

 

Posted by: Carol on September 16, 2004 06:49 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking Lipitor for 6 months now. I started to notice

pains

in my wrists and last week I experienced cramps in my feet and even

the

muscles in the right side of my stomach. One night I could not fall

asleep with cramps on my toes.

Two days ago my left foot started to swell and I did not think much

of

it, but it has been getting worse,

I would like to know if anyone has had similar simptoms with Lipitor

or

statins in general. Thanks!

 

Posted by: Liz on September 24, 2004 01:41 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I started taking lipitor in Nov. 2003. In Apr. 2004 the pinky finger

on

my right hand dropped while moving a light wieght box. I was told I

injured it, they called it a ruptured tendion or mallet finger. In

july

the left pinky droped while answering the phone,was told I unjured

it

too. COME ON! I checked lipitors website. It admits to imflamation

of

the tendions also contracture. Was told that this couldnt be from

the

lipitor because my tendions are ruptured and not a contracture. Our

we

nit picking here?????

 

Posted by: aleta on October 4, 2004 04:24 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I've experienced a lot of the problems mentioned by most of the

patients

above. I've had a heart disease for some years now, I've had a stent

put

in and am on medication since 1997, I have been taking lipex40 ever

since and have been experiencing the following symptoms for the last

2

years: aching muscles, sore tendons, tinglingin and numbness in the

hands, cramps in the feet, degeneration of the muscle in my right

hand,

tiredness, constipation, spells of dizziness, bloating of the

stomach,

dribbling from one side of the mouth.

Initially, the specialists have been addressing these problems as

emanating from the stomach, I've had numerous tests done resulting

on a

diagnosis showing a syndrome called Leak Gut Syndrome, a

nutritionist

put me on a gluten free diet without any success for the last six

months.

I went back to my GP doctor who checked me and is of the opinion

that

these are the symptoms of the after-effect of Lipex40.

I organised to go and see my cardiologist.

 

Posted by: tnanth on October 11, 2004 01:22 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have just stopped taking Lipex due to the continuing tiredness and

pain in my upper and lower arm muscles. I have already noticed

change

and I am sure it is due to this medication.

 

Posted by: Ian Gregory on November 15, 2004 08:34 AM

 

 

 

 

 

does anybody have any speech problems along with the tireness

problem. I

have been taking CRESTOR for about a year. Before that I took

LIPITOR

for about two years.

 

Posted by: raymond palmerine on November 19, 2004 09:09 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have taken Lipex for approx 3yrs, and regularly queried my doctor

as

to why I was feeling so weak, aches and pains through my whole body.

Various tests were done including x-rays and CT scans of back, hips

etc

revealing nothing. A friend alerted me to the problems associated

with

statin drugs. I was prescribed Vioxx for the pain! I had not

realised

how badly my memory was affected, and had become mildly depressed.

After

identifying a clear example of cognitive impairment, my doctor

agreed

that I should stop taking the Lipex for 2 months to see what would

happen. Needless to say, all the complaints I have had in the past 3

years have been relieved - sleep impairment, aches and pains,

cognitive

and memory problems, depression etc. I am off STATINS for good, and

now

take Omega-3 supplements and daily aspirin. It seems I suffered

needlessly for at least 3 years with no recognition by my doctor of

the

source of the problem. I was normally a healthy and reasonably

active

62yr old female, and am hopefully returning to that scenario.

 

Posted by: Meryll W on November 29, 2004 12:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

After three months on Lipitor I suffered cognitive/affective

side-effects similar to those mentioned by Meryll W.(above). I also

began having trouble pronouncing words, just as Raymond did.

Discontinued the medication and things have improved a lot. Am

taking CO

Q-10 and Aricept. A friend of mine taking a different statin had

even

worse cognitive problems. He's now being treated with several new

anti-alzenheimer medications and his physician hopes the damage

wasn't

permanent.

Statin's cognitive/affective side effects have resulted in formation

of

a new acronymn: SID - Statin Induced Dementia or SIDD - Statin

Induced

Dementia/Depression.

 

Posted by: Pete Stark on December 7, 2004 07:04 PM

 

 

 

 

 

i have been taking liptor for 3 months and i first had an auful pain

in

my left hip.I thought i had hurt myself. then i was in lowe's and

the

calf's in my legs just shut down. I am going back on the vitiam C

and

watch my diet

 

Posted by: john smith on December 14, 2004 10:14 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I Had been on lipitor for two and a half years. I am 50 and female,

I

started on 20 mgs then up to 40 mgs eight months ago. I have

suffered

severe muscle spasms in my neck and back, Causing me difficulty in

holding my head up at times,as well as pins and needles in my

feet.My

eyesight was deteriorating and my fine motor skills getting worse, I

had

a general feeling of tiredness and a low grade temp, this was put

down

to possible menopause.When discussed with my doctor,I was ordered a

neck

x-ray which showed general age related deterioration and I was told

to

just put up with the pain and it will subside in time. I attended a

physio for neck pain and spasms for about one month, but even he

could

not explain the severe spasms.I became curious about the side

effects of

Lipitor and did some research.I was amazed at the list of side

effects

and the fact that my GP did not even attampt to connect the drug

with my

complaints. I approached my G.P for a discussion about ceasing

lipitor ,

she agreed to to allow it for a month to see if I became any better,

and

ordered ck levels but refused to check my cholesterol levels when I

stopped. My ck level was ok. I felt a million dollars within a

couple of

weeks and have not gone back to my GP . I have since heard about

policosanol as a natural therapy for reducing Cholesterol.I have

organised a cholesterol baseline test and will start policosanol as

soon

as this is done if needed. I suggest you look up policosanol on the

net

it appears to be an excellent natural alternative to lipitor

 

Posted by: Julie Ats on December 31, 2004 05:39 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I started on 10mg of Lipitor about 9 months ago and had good results

lowering my chlorestoral; I renewed a prescription just a week

before

Christmas and immediately had severe right hip and calf pain, night

and

day. I thought I would need hip replacement surgery and then

remembered

I had seen something about the possible side effect of the statins.

I

discontinued use about 6 days ago and nearly all of the pain in hip

and

calf have disappeared.

 

Posted by: NCB on January 4, 2005 05:02 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Lipitor gave me neuropathy of the feet,fibromyalgia and today was

DX'ed

with torn meninces (sp?) of my knees. I never injured them, and was

wondering if this could be caused by my 4 years of lipitor at 80mg a

day? I finally found a pain specialist who said my problems are

defenatly related to or caused by lipitor. Haven't had a chance to

talk

to him yet. Any info would greatly help.

 

Posted by: Cathy N on January 14, 2005 08:41 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone trying to recover from the adverse effects of Lipitor and

other

cholesterol-lowering meds should be aware that it is important to

move

anything electrical away from the head of their bed. This is

extremely

important for those who take large amounts of Vitamin C and it

appears

from research I just came across a couple weeks ago (been on

vacation)

that Co-Q-10 can possibly also become a free radical under certain

circumstances. I have not yet had a chance to find out why the

researcher who suggests the Co-Q might become a free radical thinks

that

may be the case. I do know that my husband, diagnosed with

Alzheimers

and said to have " profound and unusual memory loss " has documented

proof

of " improvement " on his neuropsych test following removal of his

electric clock radio from his bedside. I lowered his Vitamin C. I

note

on this site the mention of Lysine as being important and do not

think

his Vit C contained that. Vit C when one is exposed to radiation tho

can

become a free radical thereby causing harm. That info is avail in

Dr.

Russell Reiter's book " Melatonin " and Dr. Reiter (Texas Univ San

Antoinio) wrote back to me that " it is well-known that radiation

causes

Vitamin C to become toxic. We have stopped my husband's Lipitor (I

brought the concern up to our neurologist and he agreed with me but

offered no help other than mentioning Alz drugs which husband can't

tolerate). Have increase his Omega 3 fish oil to 1,000 mg 3 x day

plus

other suppls but so far since stopping Lipitor, he has worsened.

Will

check with alternative med docs this week. Take care - Joanne

 

Posted by: Joanne Mueller on January 17, 2005 04:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I am female and 66 years of age. My general health is very good.

I started with Zocor 10mg October 2003. After a few weeks, I

complained

about unusual pains in my upper right leg and right hip.

Had x-rays that produced nothing.

As my cholesterol was still too high in the Dr's opinion, my

subscription was raised to 20mg. Zocor.

Still experienced hip and leg pain. Also started to develop sinus

infections, something which I had NEVER experienced before.

Over the next year these sinus attacks became acute.

I was put onto Lipitor 20.mg in August 2004, as the Dr. considered

my

cholesterol not lower enough.

Last week, January 2005, I was put on to 40mg Lipitor and within 2

days,

I was unable to stand due to the pain in my lower back. Dizzy head

and

pain in the left side of my neck.

My son is a Naturopath and has helped me over the years with my

health

and because of his assistance my general health is very good.

My personal opinion is that my cholesterol reading is genetic, and

is

not detrimental to my health, as my blood pressure and heart are in

very

good condition.

I am now going to take measured doses of Vit. C. Lysine and Q10 and

see

what the results are over the next couple of months.

I shall keep you informed.

Good health to you all.

 

 

Posted by: Mareea Baker on January 18, 2005 03:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

My dad's doctor prescribed Lipitor after his cholesterol test

results

came back high. After 6 months on the drug, he developed severe leg

spasms. After a check up re:leg pain, especially his right leg,

diagnosis was that his circulation was in trouble...they upped the

Lipitor amount to prevent the need for leg amputation. The pain

worsened. He couldn't sleep and could barely walk...became

dizzy...speech slurred. Thanks to a visit from his younger

brother..a

longtime natural healing advocate...he challenged his doctor's

prescription of Lipitor and discontinued the use...He feels great ,

is

back to his long walks, and ,at 75 years old, plans on living well

with

his high cholesterol.

 

Posted by: Donna Pappas on February 1, 2005 01:58 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I was on zocor for 4 years and my muscle pain got un-bearable. I

kept

telling my dr. but he said my kidney amd liver functions was ok. I

went

back because of the pain and ask for a ck test and it came back over

400

and normal is 0-200 he sttoped my zocor on dec. 20th2004 and now I

van

walk and don't hurt. Does anyone know of policosanol and some one

that

has tried it and does it work. Please email me if anyone has any

info on

policosanol

 

Posted by: emmett jones on February 18, 2005 10:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am a 60 year old male.I had been on 20mg of Lipitor for about 2.5

yrs

without any noticable ill effects. My Dr. increased this to 40 mg

about

7 months ago and within about a month I was having difficulty

walking

anymore than for a few minutes without experiencing sciatic pain. My

daily walk was reduced from the normal 45 minutes (pain free) to 20

minutes with some sciatic pain through out the walk. I also suffered

from some memory loss and pins and needles in my right hand. I

insisted

that I be taken off Lipitor 6 weeks ago and my Dr substituted this

with

2 fish oil capsules per day. I'm having blood tests in 4 days time

and

will be most interested in the results. I have been feeling

considerably

better since being off lipitor. My memory seems to have improved and

the

pins and needles have vanished. Some sciatic pain is still evident

however. I hope so much that this disappears in time.

 

Posted by: Russ Railton on February 21, 2005 11:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I too started my cholesterol treatment aproximately 4 years ago. It

began with 20mg of Zocor,upped to 40mg, upped to 80 mg and this past

November was switched to 80mg of Lipitor. All in an effort to get

the

Chl level under 100. I have had a general feeling of illness for 2-3

years along with leg spasms & sciatic pain. After reading these

testimonies I stopped the medication. Indeed I too have felt a great

deal improved, although the leg spasms have not left me. The general

feeling of well-being has greatly improved.When I related this to my

daughter she said that a friend's mother almost died from taking

Lipitor. It took her daugter's intervention to hospitalize her

mother

and stop all drugs.The woman greatly improved and returned to her

home.

This was a year ago. These past 2 weeks the woman was hospitalized

with

liver failure. The diagnosis was a virus, and she has had 2/3 of her

liver removed. I can only wonder if the virus' name is Lipitor.

 

Posted by: Beth Ogburn on February 27, 2005 04:47 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I HAVE BEEN ON LIPTIOR FOR ABOUT 4 YEAR AND IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I

HAVE

HAD A BAD STINGY AND PAIN IN MY FEET. MY DR. SAID I HAVE NERVE

DAMAGE

MAYBE EARLY ONSET OF DIABETIS. CAN THIS BE FROM PROLONG USE OF

LIPITOR?

 

Posted by: buddy waters on March 10, 2005 12:24 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have peripheral neuropathy in both feet. I had no such problem

until I

was switched from 40mg of Pravachol to 20mg of Lipitor. My blood

sugar

was 130 and A1c is 5.6.

Since the blood sugar is >126 they classify me as diabetic. My dr.

did

not think that this should have caused the neuropathy at those

levels. I

stopped the lipitor in Oct 2004 and as of today my feet still hurt

as

bad as ever. However, I have felt relief from the muscle pains,

which

leads me to give it a few more months. The drs. want me back on

Pravachol since my cholesterol is 240. Lipitor brought it to 160 in

4

weeks, however I still believe it is the cause of the neuropathy in

my

feet. It is hard to find anybody who believes this. They just ignore

me

and tell me to go back to the Lipitor.

 

Posted by: MALMAN on March 11, 2005 12:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

A recent calcium scoring of the arteries near my heart revealed that

I

have moderate calcified plaque build-up. I also have elevated LDL

cholesterol (157) but my HDL is terrific. My doctor wants me to take

20mg of Lipitor. With much reluctance after researching statins I

started with 10mg, but after a week (with some aching limbs) I've

decided to quit. I have been taking policosanol for about 6 months

which

has helped lower the LDL and I've recently started a program with

Nanobac Labs. I recommend highly the book, " The Calcium Bomb. " I

really

believe in this treatment and would suggest the Nanobac website.

Just

type nanobacteria into Google. The information is very impressive.

 

Posted by: J Veeder on March 11, 2005 01:20 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I met with the doctor today for my 6 month check up for my liver

since i

am on lipitor, My number in all areas are great, I am in good

physicl

condition, I started about 4 years ago with 20mg daily, in them 4

years

I have been having muscle weakness and leg pain. I am sore in the

morning getting out of bed and I also had within the past 2 year

acute

achilles tendonitis pain and plantal fascia in one foot, I usually

heal

really fast, but today they still linger, I spoke with my doctor

about

these side effects and also mention that I felt general weakness

throughout my body, I am a active mailman and walking is becoming a

problem, My doctor said that i have the symptoms of what these

statins

can do, and she told me to stop taking this medicine immediately,

she

said to stay on the once a day 80mg aspirin and also to try fish oil

supplements, she also is checking my blood work for some muscle

problems, I hope my symptoms go away and also hope this help other

people with the same symptoms that i am experiencing.

 

Posted by: Mike on March 12, 2005 05:27 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I also should mention that over the course of starting lipitor, i

have

had a EMG ( Electromyography ) test and a Nerve conduitivity test

because of the pain in my legs, both results came back negative.

 

Posted by: mike on March 12, 2005 05:32 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Took Liptor 10mg 90 days

muscle cramps various area

feet, toes, hands, forearms, calves, thighs (on stretch, exertion)

repeat first word in phrase

poor memory

little cramps in sides of abdomen, stich in side

One day awoke with severe cramps both legs, fexing, unable to stand

or

straighten legs, Emergency room trip, better after 4 hours rest,

fluids

sore throat, eyelids, dyr eyes and skin

 

Posted by: David on March 17, 2005 02:13 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have had 2 close friends pass away in the last 6 months both

diagnosed

with liver cancer of unknown origin. Both on lipitor for 2+ years.

any

connection? Also a neighbors mother same scenario.

Gene Rodammer

 

 

Posted by: gene rodammer on March 20, 2005 07:35 PM

 

 

 

 

 

To all commenters, here a recent message I sent to a lady who

contacted

me:

 

.... there is really no reason to suffer. For starters, cholesterol

is an

indicator rather than a cause that needs to be expunged.

 

This site has an internal " google search " function (top center of

each

page). If you put in " cholesterol " , there are many articles to

follow

up.

 

Here is what I recently wrote to someone else who asked about taking

cholesterol lowering drugs:

 

please understand that I am not a medical doctor but merely an

interested layman who mistrusts what we are being told about the

necessity to take pharmaceutical products to protect our health. For

that reason, I really cannot give the type of advice you are asking,

without making very clear that you should consult a doctor or other

health professional who is conversant in the use of natural

products.

Some suggestions would be

Dr. Mercola (http://www.mercola.com/article/statins.htm#)

 

Dr. Andrew Saul (http://www.doctoryourself.com/)

 

Jon Campbell (http://www.cqs.com)

 

That said, I will give you my personal opinion. Cholesterol is not

the

bad guy. It is a substance the body needs and produces in the liver,

in

addition to finding it in foods. It's a cleansing substance, a kind

of

soap. Any constant poisoning (think for instance poisonous chemicals

applied to golf courses) or other factors in the diet, will cause

the

body to increase cholesterol production in an effort to combat the

poisoning.

 

Cholesterol has been connected to heart trouble, but that does not

mean

its presence is more than an indicator. While high cholesterol (or

high

counts of certain cholesterol fractions) are associated with

cardiovascular disease, the cholesterol is not necessarily the cause.

 

If you drove your car and the red light came on blinking, warning of

too

much oil pressure, would you rather find the reason for the oil

pressure

increase or unscrew the bulb of the blinking red light?

 

Perhaps those sites linked will give you some more information

to " get

your teeth into " ...

 

Good hunting.

 

Posted by: Sepp on March 24, 2005 11:26 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor 20 mg (plavix 75 mg) for 4 months now and

apart

from getting aches and pains all over , I have developed Microscopic

hematura in my urine. Increases Creatanin and Proteins were also

noticed

Dis anybody else faced this side effect of Lipitor?.

 

Posted by: Gupta haresh on March 30, 2005 07:39 AM

 

 

 

 

 

After being on Lipitor for a year and a half, I started experiencing

muscle weakness, muscle aches, and forgetfulness. I've been off of

Lipitor for about a month. The aches have gone, but the muscle

weakness

is still there. Blood test also show elevated liver enzymes.

 

Posted by: Robert on March 31, 2005 04:21 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Have been on Zocor & Lipitor for about 4 or 5 years total. This

after a

severe diet dropped 40 pounds & my levelactually went up from 240 to

260. Am 72 and currently experiencing almost all symptoms. Have been

off

the drug for 2 months but muscle pain continues. Blood tests

indicated

no damage. But I'm still having some serious symptoms. How long can

it

take? More than two months?

 

Posted by: Janet on April 12, 2005 12:03 AM

 

 

 

 

 

BEEN ON LIPITOR 5 YRS GOT SLLEP APNEA ANY CONNECTION?

 

Posted by: larry on April 21, 2005 02:44 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I was off lipitor for 1 month and had my profile check and sure

enough

my cholestrol went back up to 260. My earlier post talked about my

problems with lipitor, doctor has put me on vytorin 10/20 which is a

two

part program, doctor said that I should have no reaction to this

drug,

will post reply in a few months with results, I started to feel alot

better since going off the lipitor so i will be able to tell if this

drug works.

 

Posted by: michael on April 22, 2005 02:01 AM

 

 

 

 

 

i was on lipitor 40mg for 8 month's , having trouble with my leg's i

have stopped taking the lipitor for a month now . how long does it

take

to get out of your system. im going for a dopler test but i know

they

won't find anything for they don't belive lipitor can do this much

damage on my leg's they feel like they are wraped to tight, im a

little

over weight but not that much my cholestrol isn't that bad but my

good

cholestrol is low any thing to make good cholestrol go up??? and

that's

why they put me on 40mg in the first place , had a mini stroke and

then

the dr went nut's giving me all these pill's my husband has high

cholestrol and he's taking 10 mg and he had a stoke 10 year's ago.

and

he is fine and cholestrol is down.

 

Posted by: ginny goldsmith on May 10, 2005 12:15 PM

 

 

 

 

 

What a discovery this message board has been for me. I've been

taking

lipitor for nearly 10 years (I'm 61) and living with increasing

pain(s)for some time now. I'm delighted to find each of my symptoms -

 

foot pain, achilles tendonitis, and more described here by others.

I'll

stop taking the pills for a while and see if things improve. Wish me

luck.

 

Posted by: Richard Kapelsohn on May 14, 2005 06:33 AM

 

 

 

 

 

i took lipitor for 10 years have stopped f0r a year now..i have

every

symptom mentioned in these postings,leg buzzing, so sad to fine

these

out,i have not gotten better, if anything i have more miseries then

ever

and dont know if they will ever go away, i am 73 and feel very very

bad

all the time,i have myopathy,lipitor stole my health

 

Posted by: lillian on May 16, 2005 05:17 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I started taking Liptor about one month ago. I have fibromylagia and

always have muscle pain, but my calves and thighs were very painful

and

felt swollen and very sensitive to the touch. Although I have

chronic

pain, this pain was very distinct and uncomfortable. I just started

sleeping better now this pain is keeping me awake. I stopped taking

Lipitor three days ago. I called my doctor and she said to wait a

few

weeks and try it again. I don't want to; is there anything else

(other

than statins) that can help lower cholesterol. Diet and exercise

don't

seem to be enough for me at this time. Please help ~

 

Posted by: Kathleen on May 17, 2005 07:06 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Kathleen,

 

there are some natural ways of lowering cholesterol, but the crux of

the

matter seems to be that cholesterol is not a cause of heart attacks,

merely an indicator that the body is occupied with de-toxing

(cholesterol is necessary for that). Cholesterol is produced in the

liver or absorbed from foods, and it is a vital substance in human

metabolism. Cholesterol lowering drugs forcefully change liver

pathways

to stop the natural production of ocholesterol, interfering with

what

the substance is supposed to do in the body.

 

See this article - Forget Cholesterol, it's not really relevant and

follow some of the links. There is a whole different interpretation

of

health to be discovered.

 

Posted by: Sepp on May 17, 2005 10:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

dear sir, i didn't want my name on a list , all i wanted to know if

and

how long the leg pain last. i haven't heard from the dr yet go may

23 to

see what they found i will write again if he tell's me something to

help

other people. thank you ps amd why don't dr's believe lipitor does

this

to patient's?

 

Posted by: ginny goldsmith on May 19, 2005 04:04 PM

 

 

 

 

 

took lipitor for half a year off and on started at 80mg. went to

40mg.

then switched to provocal then back to lipitor. I took myself off

for

the same reasons as everybody else. Iam a young adult and never felt

this way until i started on lipitor. nauseas and spells of

dizziness.

stillseem to be as bad as when i started. will this go away.

 

Posted by: vinnie on May 21, 2005 04:46 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I my earlier post on march 12 and April 22, i talked about my

problems

with lipitor, I have been off lipitor for 2 months and my leg

discomfort

has gone away and my muscles have gotten stronger, i am on vytorin

10/20

and will be going later this month to see what my cholestrol numbers

are. Going off lipitor was the best thing for me, i actually can

feel

the muscle aches have left completely and my weakness in my legs

have

gone away

 

Posted by: Mike on May 22, 2005 05:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

This has to be one of the most ignorant articles I have ever ridden.

Discredited hypothesis that increased cho causes MI's? Why then on a

daily basis do we see fresh MI's with drastically elevated

cholesterol

levels? Hope people educate themselves with more info than this

dangerously inadequate site. While there are side effects with

statins

very very few what you call muscle deterioations takes place sure

some

people will have mild Myalgias( muscle aches) but other than that

very

few side effects are seen with lipitor or others you people very

well

could be the cause of loss of life and happiness

 

Posted by: John Briscoe on June 6, 2005 03:10 PM

 

 

 

 

 

John,

 

you are of course entitled to your opinion. I don't agree with your

view, but if you have any actual data (other than mere propaganda)

that

would invalidate the research linked, why not share it?

 

Maybe you should read the article and the comments before spouting

things such as " very very few side effects " . Most all the commenters

are

people who have experienced these effects on their own bodies and

they

might take offense to your unsubstantiated offerings.

 

Posted by: Sepp on June 6, 2005 04:07 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Been off lipitor for 4 months, and guess what no aches and pains, no

muscle lose, got my strength back and no tendonitis pain and plantal

fascia problems, must of been all in my head, I know for a fact that

this drug was making me weak and if you did read the side effects of

this statin you should know that the number one concern is muscle

problems, You don't know what your talking about, i guess waking up

every morning and being in your 40 that you should be having aches

and

pains everyday, i don't think so, I am in great shape and concerned

enough that diet and exercising was not helping my cholestrol and

found

out that family history is a major cause of high cholestrol. anyone

on

these statins and if you are experiencing any of the side effects

mentioned in earlier post, contact you physician and check into

other

options, I changed to vytorin 10/20 and have had no side effect and

the

cholestrol number have drop to when i was on lipitor. John wonder

how

you came across this site. LOL

 

Posted by: Mike on June 8, 2005 02:33 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor, Zocor and Pravacol. Granted as I age I

expect

muscle and moving problems. Has any one else has facial muscle

problems.

My tongue does not seem to be moving correctly and I feel

(unavoidably)

my check muscles pulling up so I seem to be slurring.Dr. just looks

at

me as if to say " another one of those " . I quit taking Zocor for 4

months

and my cholesteral went way up. 5577

 

Posted by: Judy Mason on June 8, 2005 06:54 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I'm 51 years old. Maybe 10 lbs overweight. Generally in good shape.

My

cholesterol was slightly high. On Lipitor for 10 months. My doctor

took

me off due to the liver counts.

 

In my case the first phase of muscle pains started one month after I

was

off the Lipitor. Severe pain in my upper chest (thought I broke a

rib),

then moved to my upper left back, then moved to my left upper butt.

Pain

went away in about two months. Phase two started about six weeks ago

(six months after stopping Lipitor). Extreme pain in my right side

hip,

then calf, then thigh. The pain has increased as time goes on. The

worse

time is getting out of bed in the morning. I'm not able to exercise

properly.

 

I do appreciate everyone's comments. Nice to know that other people

can

relate and discuss this problem. Anyone with remedies please add

your

ideas.

 

Posted by: Roger on June 10, 2005 06:24 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Wow,just stumbled on this site and found my problem. I have many of

the

symptoms described here. Sore right calf, legs, forearms, twitching,

buzzing, etc. I've been on Lipitor for 5 plus years and have been

having

symptoms for about a year. Just went off 40 mg of Lipitor 4 weeks

ago

and feel no better. Does anyone know for sure how long it takes to

get

rid of symptoms?

 

Posted by: Tom on June 13, 2005 05:55 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there.

 

I'm soooo confused with all of this. My doctor just prescribed 10mg

of

Lipitor per day and I'm terrified about taking it. No one else in my

family is on an cholesterol lowering drugs. We all pretty much

practice

natural medicine. I am a heatlhy active 43 year old male with no

history

of my own heart problems. I had the prescription filled but it sits

on

my bedside table untouched. I try to eat a healthy diet and

supplement

with vitamins and minerals, including 600mgs of Ester C daily. I

also

eat a lot of citrus foods so I know I'm getting a lot of Vit.C.

 

I'm also thinking of becoming a vegetarian as I'm practically one

now

(just eat chicken and fish). I do indulge my sweet tooth three to

four

times per week and love carbs. I think with a radical change to my

diet

I can do this.

 

Would love to here any experts comments on my situation.

 

Many thanks and keep up the great work!

 

Posted by: Chris on July 1, 2005 05:53 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking 10mg. of lipitor daily for almost 2 yrs. and have

experienced a lot of muscle pain and tiredness. The worst problem I

have

experienced is neck pain. Almost every time I have a beer or a glass

of

wine, I get a terrible neck ache. My Dr. says to give up alcohol.

Does

this sound as if it may be linked to Lipitor?

 

Posted by: Bill Stafford on July 10, 2005 03:55 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I was on 40 mlg of zocor for a couple of years. I had some upper let

muscle pain, neck pain etc. then my dr. decided to put me on 40

mlgs. of

lipitor because he still did not like my numbers. I was put on it on

march 4, 2005 and by the middle of march I stared with an ache in my

right arm as if I slept wrong on it. It gradually got worse and my

groin

and upper thigh and other arm became so unbearable that I could not

get

up without pain. It has been at least 6-7 weeks off any statin and I

am

better although not 100%. I am haveing nee surgery in about a week.

my

miniscus is torn among other things. I am wondering if that is

related

as I read about a woman on this site that had a similar problem. I

also

had surgery on my other knee a couple of years ago while I was on

zocor.

one dr. thinks I have polymyalgia rheumatica but the numbers are not

there. How long to fully recover,although my arms and legs are about

75@

better.

anyone care to answer??

anna greeley

 

Posted by: anna greeley on July 15, 2005 02:21 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I took Lipitor for two years and relied on doctors recommendation.

Developed muscle weakn ess and pain-terrible pain, especially in

legs,

but also in arms. Dr. said I could stay off it a week and see how I

felt. I didn't feel any better, so went back on it. Pain became so

severe I could barely walk. Have been off Lipitor for 2 months, and

am

beginning to feel better. Still weak, recently had Pancritites. Drs.

could find no reason for that. I am not a drinker. I am a 73 year

old

woman who has been very healthy until the past 1 and 1/2 years. I

willl

never take a statin drug again. More should be done about publishing

the

the side effects- especially to doctors.

 

Posted by: nancy harris on July 15, 2005 06:11 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I've been on lipitor for two years.Found article about more severe

side

effects.I have noticed a high amount pain in back and down through

legs.I have also noticed a lack of concentration and loss of

memory.There has been muscle pains across my chest and find it

difficult

to breath at times.All testing seems to be O.K. according to

Dr.Would

like feed back as alot of this was not explained when drug was given.

 

Posted by: Ron Fitzsimmons on July 17, 2005 06:04 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I had a heart attack in April 04 during a squash match. My business

had

been on the slide for about two years and two days earlier it had

ceased

trading. It was the two years of stress dealing with this situation

that

was the cause of the attack. There was a 90% blockage of the main

right

artery and a stent was inserted to open it up. Straight away the

doctors

proscribed a cocktail of drugs including Lipitor. After a three

months I

was only taking the lipitor. At the same time I was determined to

get

back to full fitness. I am 56 years old and very fit from the squash

and

I also used to race a bike at a high level 20 years ago so I started

to

train in earnest with a view to race again in 2005. It was

frustrating

as I seemed to fatigue easily. I naturally put this down to the

after

effects of the heart attack. Anyway I persevered with the training

and

got fitter. At the same time a pain started to develop in my upper

left

arm and my neck became very sore and stiff. I ended up going to see

osteopaths and physiotherapists for teatment but nothing worked. On

a

spur of the moment decision I decided to stop the lipitor and rely

on my

diet to reduce my cholestrol. Out training with the guys I was

getting

back to my old self and was at the front on training spins and

leaving

them behind on the climbs. About four weeks later I was still

suffering

from the neck pains then I got my check up at the doctors. They told

me

that my cholestrol was elevated from the last readings and that I

should

definitely be taking the lipitor 40mg a day. I told him about the

symptoms which he said were nothing to do with lipitor. Like a

brainless

idiot I took him at his word and started to take the 40mg a day.

That

was in February this year. There was no immediate change in my

fitness

levels. I raced a few events and did quite well but nothing like the

standard I had been used to. Other muscle problems started to

appear. My

right foot on the pedal was now at a funny angle. My libido was now

non-existent. At night in bed I was getting palpitations and my

heart

rate rhythym was very irregular with the heart stopping for about

two/three seconds about six times a minute. My performances on the

bike

were getting steadily worse. In May I raced a 25 mile time trial and

barely finished the distance totally exhausted. It was then that I

researched Lipitor on the internet. I am very very angry to think

that

the medical profession can proscribe a drug with these side effects.

Of

course I stopped taking Lipitor immediately. That was 41 days ago.

My

heart rhythym is now normal, the palpitations stopped and libido

back to

normal, the soreness and stiffness in my neck almost gone. When

riding

my bike the foot on the pedal is now OK. My bike training is still

suffering as my recovery is not very good though so it is unlikely

that

I will race agin this year. I am taking CoQ10 120mg L-Carnitine

500mg

Lysine 1000mg Vitamin C 2000Mg plus Vitamin B supplements daily.

Please please do not take Lipitor as it is poison. It will proabaly

take

me anything up to six months to fully recover.

 

Posted by: Mike Willcox on July 17, 2005 09:11 AM

 

 

 

 

 

my husband has been on zecor for about 2 years and then GP put him

on 40

mg of atorvastatin it was very earliy on he noticed that his legs

were

bad but put it down to an old complaint from years ago so never give

the

drug a thought but at the precent time he can bearly walk through

servere calf and thigh and lower back pain his ckp levels are raised

and

also his liver counts are raised how can a drug be allowed to be

given

that is nearly cripple him he his proberly going to lose his job

through

this drug to every body out there dont take statins they make you

ill

which before hee took them he was a well man from a very worried wife

 

Posted by: Michael Higgins on July 18, 2005 10:04 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I did not think my post would come up but now it has I wonder is

there

anybody out there who feels that we are meant to accept any thing

that

is thrown at us I want answers is any body thinking about doing

anything

about statin drugs that are causeing such devastating side affects a

previous person said about a few people suffering slight muscle

weakness

well I am sorry but he is not wakeing every morning to a body that

is

just not working like it used to before statins were introduced to

his

life can any one tell me are the symtoms there for ever or do they

go

away is any body going to try and fight this cause that a drug you

take

to help your self ends up leaving you not being able to walk I cant

beleive the company can get away whith this just so they can make

huge

profits and they are massive at our exspense seeing our loved ones

go

through this on the say so of our gp's were do we start Iam raring

to go

do you need a muscle bioispy to confirm that the proberlems our drug

related how do we prove what is being done to our bodies I for one

would

go to the end of the earth to stop this happening to any one else

any

one out there who feels the same please email me but only genuine

please

as I am very serious about this wish every one well out there who is

going through this statin side affects cheers from pauline

 

Posted by: Pauline Higgins on July 19, 2005 12:03 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know whether to be angrier at my doctor that I trusted or

the

drug company that my doctor trusted! My doctor recently gave me a

six

week trial of Vytorin 10-20mg. My blood tests have resulted with

great

numbers and with the orders to continue taking it. My tests were

previously borderline, not dangerous. I now have disorientation,

neck,

shoulder and arm pain since taking the Vytorin. My doctor gave me

muscle

relaxants but all they do is put me in a fog. I get some relief from

ibuprofen but the pain is constant. I've seen the posting of others

that

have their pain continuing even after stopping the meds. I am (or

was)

an active & fit woman in my early 60's. I just want the pain to go

away!

 

 

Posted by: Barbara B on July 21, 2005 11:40 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for a year and my cholesterol is down half of

what it was (264). Zocor did not help. My doctor says I am

genetically

prone to high cholesterol and risk of stroke and heart disease. My

father is a stroke victim. I see what clogged arteries has done to

him

and do not want that for myself. I am 47 year of female. I have some

dizzines and chest pain occassionally. Is it worth the risk to stop

taking the tricor and have my cholesterol rise? Or go off the

medicine

and risk a stroke? I am concerned.

 

Posted by: Tina G. on July 22, 2005 03:42 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I was wondering if anyone had trouble with vision after taking

lipitor.

my mom has been on it for about 2 months and she now says she can't

drive because her vison is distorted. Has this happened to anyone

else.

Linda

 

Posted by: linda on July 26, 2005 03:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking lipitor 20 mg daily for the last 6 months aprox,

before lipitor I took Lovastatin 40 mg for about 6 months and never

thought about side effects and a possible relation to heart attacks

until I listened a brief info about Lipitor and side effects in

Univision, Spanish Tv Network. I began to remind myself of my health

situation in the last year, yes i feel dizzy some times, I

experimented

a very strange lower back pain some months ago and very clearly I

have a

recent tendency to forget important duties or I really have to

remind me

through my daily calendar in order to keep fresh information of

appointments and things I have to do. I really can not say for sure

that

all these happenings are related to Lipitor or Lovastatin. I Have

stopped Lipitor and I want to follow a natural way to control my

high

cholesterol, any advise will be welcome, I have diabetes type 2 and

I am

53 year old.

 

Posted by: Bernardo Mendez on July 26, 2005 07:14 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I was on Lipitor for 4 years and started to experience foot pains

first.

Then severe leg and calf spasms and peripheral neuropathy. Had

tests...so manY MRI, CT scan, 5 visists to neirologists,

rheumatologist,

tried every vitamin, saw a complimentary physician, had acupuncture.

I

went off Lipitor 2 years ago and still experience leg spasms and

ankle

and foot pain daily It is definitely bettehr than when on the statin

but

has been a very long time. Has anyone else experienced such a long

recovery time?Could it be permanet damage? No doctors believed it

was

Lipitor...aafter my reserach I am convinced...I continue to dotro

myself...still have waekness and pain and spasm.

 

Posted by: BARBARA on July 30, 2005 01:19 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I had a heart attack Mar 16/04. I now take 8 pills daily,one of

which is

80 mg of lipitor. My mother was on 40 mg of lipitor to control

cholesterol. She no longer takes this and claims to feel better and

tells me I should consider same. This of course led me to seach out

the

side effects of lipitor and of course this site came up. All of your

testimonials have led me to write this and to question the

neccessity of

all the pills I am presently taking. Prior to my heart attack I did

not

hold much stock in doctors or phama drugs, always believing in

natural

sources. When I suffered the heart attack I was unconcious for a

week

and still have vivid memories of things not here. The shock of all

this

made me follow a route with doctors etc. which I had never taken or

believed in before. Thankyou all for truely bringing me back from

the

dead and now that I know that there are so many others who belive as

I

do I feel fortified in my resolve to pursue the truth of these damn

pharma drugs I presently am on. I will update from time to time as I

glean more info. God Bless all

 

Posted by: Roger Kulhawy on July 30, 2005 08:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I threw away my Lipitor two months ago.I was taking 40mgs a day and

it

was killing me.I have never been so ill, and now I feel great.

I was having what I called wide awake seizures with body jerks that

lasted for 1-2hrs.The Er docs had no idea I was having a reaction to

Lipitor.I had been on Crestor and it was destroying my kidneys so my

doc

put me on Lipitor and it was destroying my liver.

My legs have never hurt so bad,chest pain,dizzy spells,daily nausea

and

indigestion,I was living on tagamets and rolaids,the feeling in my

gut

was something I couldn't explain,it felt like another seizure type

spell

was coming on,I was so very deathly cold,I could not get warm with

heating pads and blankets.I wanted to die I was so sick every day.I

went

in for a liver biopsy and the surgeon stood by my side and told me

it

was the Lipitor.I went back to the " specialist " and he refused to

believe that was the problem.I walked out of his office and I may

never

ever go back to a doctor.

All of the problems have ceased.I feel great.I will take my chances

with

high cholesterol.

 

Posted by: Phyllis on August 1, 2005 02:54 PM

 

 

 

 

 

my dad has been diagnosed with ALS and i was wondering if the

Lipitor

has anything to do with it? I've read the comments and believe it

may..

If anyone has any suggestions please email me at

sharon.t-. Thanks Sharon

 

Posted by: sharon thompson on August 10, 2005 07:59 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for approximately two months. For the first

time

in my life, my urine is showing traces of ketone. The last few

weeks, I

have been experiencing dizziness and quick flashes of slight nausea.

Don't know for sure, but my guess is I have Lipitor to thank for

this.

 

Posted by: Charlie Bacinelli on August 19, 2005 02:57 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for about 8 months. I am now experiencing

" tinnitus " ringing in the ears. The sound in my ear or head is like

a

buzzing noise. The doctor said that I may have to live with it the

rest

of my life. My chlor. went from 245 to 175. But the buzzing in my

ears

may, the doctor said lead to loosing the hearing in my ears. " Has

anyone

experienced this "

 

Posted by: Doug Cooke on August 20, 2005 03:03 PM

 

 

 

 

 

My doctor has just prescribed Lipitor 10 mg. My cholesterol is very

high

and he wants me to get it lowered. I have read that

grapefruit/grapefruit juice reacts badly with Lipitor. Would taking

high

doses of vitamin C while taking the Lipitor react as badly as the

grapefruit? Also, if I get my cholesterol down with the Lipitor and

then

stop taking it and start taking 3k to 6k mg of vitamin C instead of

Lipitor, would that be okay? I would appreciate an answer. My doctor

also wants me to lose weight, which he said would also help to lower

my

cholesterol.

Thank you, David (almost 50)

 

Posted by: David on September 2, 2005 07:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I to have begun to suffer with Tinnitus after taking Zocor for only

a

matter of weeks. My Doctor informed me that " No you don't get

Tinnitus

from Zocor or Lipitor " . So I kept up the tablets and in fact changed

to

Lipitor, after about three months now the Tinnitus has gotten worse

and

so I will cease the tablets but will most likely suffer Tinnitus

permenantly now.

 

Nico.

 

Posted by: Nico on September 14, 2005 01:30 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I took lipitor for sixteen days. Stopped on May six this year. Its

now

oct 3. The back pain and leg pain has still not cleared up. Nor has

the

neck pain. The vision problem (similar to problem that creatsdark

spot

in center only its gray and fuzzy)Memory malfunction also,is nearly

gone. Only comes back with strong exercise, which , due to the other

pains that persistI don't do very often. That is a problem.Even

walking

a mile on level ground is difficult. Before taking lipitor I had no

difficlty walking up to ten miles on tough trails; an exercise I was

accustomed to as I like to backpack and camp. I can't do these

anymore.

Lipitor has caused a very radical lifestyle change and all unwanted.

 

Posted by: Phil Walsh on October 3, 2005 08:41 PM

 

 

 

 

 

My husband has been taking Lipitor for approx. 5 months. He has

developed a distinct musty smell, even though he showers regularly.

Any

comments?

 

Posted by: Ann Baker on October 5, 2005 03:45 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Ann,

 

since body smell is usually connected with a deficiency of

magnesium, I

looked for statins + magnesium deficiency and find the following

statement here: " Drs. Seelig and Rosanoff suggest that the statins

are

depleting magnesium... "

 

Including Seelig and Rosanoff in the search, the following page of

the

Life Extension Foundation comes up with some more information.

 

" November 26, 2004

Review finds magnesium may provide better benefits than statins

 

A review published in the October 2004 issue of the Journal of the

American College of Nutrition has found that the beneficial effects

of

magnesium could outweigh those of statin drugs. Statins are a class

of

drugs commonly prescribed for individuals with elevated cholesterol

levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Because the drugs

have

side effects, some people are seeking alternative ways to improve

their

cardiovascular disease risk.

 

Andrea Rosanoff, PhD, and Mildred S Seelig, MD of State University

of

New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn discuss the fact that

statin drugs as well as magnesium inactivate the enzyme

5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase).

HMG

CoA reductase converts HMG-CoA into a substance called mevalonate,

which

is the first step in cholesterol formation. Reducing mevalonate

improves

endothelial function, reduces inflammation, and provides other

cardiovascular benefits. Magnesium, however, is also involved in the

activity of another enzyme known as lecithin cholesterol acyl

transferase (LCAT), which helps elevate high density lipoprotein

(HDL)

cholesterol levels and reduces low density lipoprotein (LDL)

cholesterol

and triglycerides. In addition, another enzyme known as desaturase,

which helps convert linoleic acid and linolenic acid into

prostaglandins, is dependent upon magnesium. Furthermore, optimal

levels

of magnesium within the cell are a natural calcium channel blocker,

which helps dilate the blood vessels.

 

Drs Rosanoff and Seelig note that while statin drugs help to prevent

blood clots, lower inflammation and protect against atherosclerosis,

they can elevate liver enzymes and cause myopathy as well as other

side

effects, whereas diarrhea or mild gastrointestinal distress are the

only

side effects that have been caused by magnesium supplements. Statins

cost at least $100.00 per month compared to no more than $20.00 for

a

month's supply of magnesium. These factors combined suggest that

increasing magnesium could be a viable alternative to taking statin

drugs. "

 

 

So yes, the smell you noted could well be connected to statin drug

use,

which was found to be depleting magnesium.

 

Apart from taking magnesium into consideration, you might also find

some

other natural alternatives to statin drugs on Jonathan Campbell's

site.

 

Posted by: Sepp on October 5, 2005 04:22 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I was advised to take Lipitor 10mg for the leaky aortic heart valve.

I

have a cholestrol count of 5.2.

After 4 weeks of being on the drug, I have developed

serious 'ringing in

the ear' (like thousands of birds chirping in a forest)in my left

ear.

Is this by any chance due to the dug or is it a coincidence?

Nash

 

Posted by: Nash on October 16, 2005 05:42 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have tininitus in both my ears that started after taking Zocor for

only a month. I quit the Zocor and the tininitus remains. I told my

doctor who said he's never heard of that happenning and maybe it was

just a coincidence. I don't think so especially now that others have

the

same story. Can we all get together somehow and organize? This ain't

right. edd-

 

Posted by: Ed Falzon on October 19, 2005 03:07 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight I have sworn off of Lipitor... I am 50 years old and for all

practical purposes have been pretty healthy all my life. In May of

2005

I was taken from my place of employment for stroke type systems to

the

hospital by EMS. My first experience of this type. After undergoing

a

battery of test, I was told I suffered a TIA, and my Doctor later

told

me a blood clot had broken loose in my brain, thus the stroke like

systems. I was released from the hospital and prescribed Lipitor.

Thru

all the test, scans,exrays,blood work, etc..., the only thing they

came

of with was acceptable blood level counts, and thus the Lipitor.

These

posting have pointed out so many of the things I am experiencing

today,

by so many people, I am convinced Lipitor is something I need to run

from! Having said all of that, I am the type of person who doesn't

even

like to take an aspirin. I believe that Lipitor has robbed me from a

quality of life that I have enjoyed in the past and I am more then

willing to be a part of a class action law suit against the maker. I

only hope that my systems described by so many reverse, as it has

greatly impacted my quality of life. My email address is

Barry-.

I will be advising my Doctor of this at my next visit.

 

Posted by: Barry Fox on October 22, 2005 03:33 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for about 4yrs now and experiencing all the

muscle symptoms. Can you quit Lipitor cold turkey? Thanks

 

Posted by: Roz on October 22, 2005 12:50 PM

 

 

 

 

 

My doctor prescribed LIPITOR

5 mg because i have borderline diabetes. After

reading about all of the side effects i am wondering if i should

take

it. Any comments.

THANK YOU

 

Posted by: R. RICKON on November 1, 2005 01:59 PM

 

 

 

 

 

My mother is 80 years old and has been taking Lipitor for some time

now.....Recently she has has severe weakness and pain in her hip

which

the doc's say is arthritis.....she suffers from alot of other

ailments

but her most severe are a hiatal hernia and her weakness.......I see

by

the message board that ALOT of people have the sever weakness. I am

hoping that her condition will improve once she goes off the

Lipitor......there is nothing wrong with her mid most of the

time.....just her aches.....good luck to all and let mek know if

anyone

has any comments........

 

 

Posted by: vicki on November 3, 2005 09:33 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Like Roz (October 22), I too would like to know if you can quit

Lipitor

cold turkey. Any side effects to that. I was told a possible side

effect

was you could loose patches of hair...anyone heard of that??

 

Posted by: Marilynne on November 5, 2005 09:18 AM

 

 

 

 

 

My mom passed away today from ALS.

 

She was diagnosed in the spring of 2004. However, she started

experiencing symptoms the summer of 2003.

 

She was taking lipitor for a few years prior to her diagnosis of ALS.

 

I believe lipitor triggered her ALS.

 

Posted by: Lisa on November 6, 2005 12:01 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Roz and Marilynne, I quit Lipitor early this year and have not had

any

side effects. In fact, my quality of life has improved so greatly

that

mere words cannot describe how wonderful it is to be without the

most

excrutiating pain in my entire life!!

 

This all began 7 years ago when the Dr. prescribed Lipitor for a

slighltly elevated Cholesterol reading. At that time I had no

physical

problems or symptoms of any other medical condition. Within a year I

was

also taking medication for High Blood Pressure, Arthritis,

Allergies,

Anxiety and Insomnia. Over the years since, I had suffered such

excrutiating pain in my knees, legs and hips that walking was almost

impossible. But then, so was sitting, standing and sleeping. My

Physician sent me to a Rheumatologist, who said I had a torn

Miniscus

and would require surgery. (I could't remember injuring the knee,

but

then my memory was becoming so bad that I really couldn't depend on

it

anymore.) I had started taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin after

reading

an article on its benefits. When I asked my doctors about it, they

said

they didn't believe in it because there had been no research that

proved

it was beneficial. Fortunately, the surgeon I chose was a Sports

Medicine practitioner and gave me the good advice that I should wait

awhile to see if the Glucosamine and Chondroitin helped, that they

had

proven to be successful in treating sports injuries. That was the

right

knee, first. I kept taking the Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Over

time,

the condition improved, but then the left knee started bothering me

with

the same symptoms. This time I knew I had not injured it because my

mobility was too limited for that to be a possibility! During this

time

I also developed such difficulty remembering words that I found it

very

embarassing to carry on a conversation with anyone. I had developed

a

noticable tremor of my head and it was drawn to the left so that

people

began to stare at me when I was out in public. Two different

Neurologists could find nothing wrong. After a complete series of

Nerve

Induction tests They labeled the condition as Torticolis.

 

I became desperate! I had tried everything! I had been concientious

about my diet. Being a vegetarian, I hadn't consumed a high

cholesterol

diet in many years. I had read everything I could find on vitamins,

minerals and herbs and was on an excellent supplement program. All I

could think of to do that I hadn't already tried was to go off all

the

meds a couple weeks and add them back one at a time to see if one of

them was causing side effects. Well, I did that process several

different times and also went on an elimination diet to detox my

body

several times. Finally, after about a year (with absolutely no

support

or encouragement from my Physician in the process!) I proved to

myself

beyond a doubt that it was the Lipitor!!

 

After being off the Lipitor for several months, I went to get

bloodwork

done to check my cholesterol. It was back to normal. Then I went off

all

the other meds about two months before my annual physical. My tests

all

came back normal. I am convinced the Lipitor caused the other

medical

conditions that required medication. It was like a vicious circle!

 

I now go to an alternative medicine practioner and am improving more

all

the time. Its so great not only to be free of pain but to have the

so-called " Torticolis " pracically gone and be able to think clearly

again, to be able to carry on a conversation without feeling like a

cyborg!

 

I am convinced that I would have been much better off if I had never

gone through the traditional medical approach in the first place.

But,

all that is water under the bridge and I must work with where I am

right

now....which is improving more and more each day!!! And if I could

do it

so can you!!

 

 

Posted by: Betty on November 10, 2005 09:03 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I suffered a heart attack in March 2002. Since then I am on Lipicor

20.

Since last two months the pain in calf muscles has increased to such

an

extent that I feel terribly tired by evening and have severe

restlessness. Also headache and nausea feeling have increased a lot.

Does the side effect of Lipitor worsen with time. Any substitute ?

 

Posted by: sanjeev on November 10, 2005 06:41 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am a 66 yr old male with a total cholesterol of about 240 before

taking Lipitor and 180 while taking the pill. I have been on Lipitor

for

about 4 years. The first 2 yrs, I took 5 mg and the last 2, 10 mg.

If my

memory is correct, I started having unusual muscles aches about 2

yrs.

ago. First a sprain in my right Achilles heel area which took about

3

months to heal! Then about 8 months ago, my right wrist started to

hurt

when I did things like pushups and dumbell curls. Next I had lower

back

pains (which on average I have about once a yr. but with a heating

pad

and linament goes away in about a week). The back pain stayed for 4

months, the wrist hurt for about 6 months until I stopped taking

Lipitor

and then both problems went away in 2 weeks! Also, while I was

having

the two aforementioned problems my left shoulder/arm started hurting

and

it peaked after about 2 months (which I think is very unusual

because

normally when I sprain a muscle, the pain normally peaks within a

day or

two). Along with the sprains, I have dry eyes and tinnitus and after

reading the postings on this website, quit on 9/28/05. I still have

the

shoulder/arm problem but it is getting better. The improvement in

the

tinnitus and dry eyes problems may be subjective but I feel pretty

sure

that my muscle problems are connected with taking Lipitor. My

conclusion

is that Lipitor is making me prone to muscle sprain and then

preventing

the healing in a normal time frame. I probably would not have quit

taking Lipitor had I not seen the postings at this site, so thanks

to

you all and this is my 2 cents worth!

 

Posted by: Hardy on November 17, 2005 07:02 PM

 

 

 

 

 

is there any connection between lipitor and CJD?

 

Posted by: erin on November 19, 2005 12:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Started taking Lipitor last June; within a month my fingernails

started

breaking off - almost down to the quick. They refused to grow back -

instead they started to " delaminate " and flaked off in layers. I

stopped

taking Lipitor in September (after the Doctor had checked and found

that

my cholesterol had dropped from 284 to 154). My nails are starting

to

grow back normally. I have not not seen this connection in any

articles

I've read - could it simply be coincidence? I don't think so ...

 

Posted by: Bev on December 4, 2005 08:47 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I am 58 and went on Lipitor about two years ago. I didn't always

take

the medication as prescribed, but one year ago, I took it in ernest

as I

was preparing to hike in Nepal, started an aggressive training

program,

so faithfully took 10mg. Within a month, I started feeling the

effects

of muscle soreness, aching joints, particularly the hips, and began

having swallowing problems, to the point where I couldn't swallow

any

food without large amounts of water. After 4 months of this, I

stopped

Lipitor, continued to train, and most of the symptoms went away. The

muscle and joint pain was the best recovery, but even today, I can't

swallow well. The hike went well, I lost a lot of weight, and my

cholestoral stayed within acceptable levels. In the past few months,

the

weight and cholestoral have come back, so I will return to a

training

and diet regime that will hopefully work. I see the comments on

vitimin

C, and will try that as well.

 

Posted by: Bob S. on December 13, 2005 11:09 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am taking 10mg of lipitor in last 4 years.In last few months I

feel

pain in neck and shoulder,I also get so warm in night after taking

lipitor in about 2 hours that I can not sleep.The heat in my body is

so

intense that I can not sleep.Does any body had this symtom?Please

help.My Dr. could not help me when I brought the symptom to him.

 

Posted by: hadi norouzi on December 28, 2005 09:59 AM

 

 

 

 

 

i was on lipitor for about five years,from 95 to 2000 memory

problems

were one thing finally in fall of 2001 when i changed from a desk

job to

a physcial one i lost all muscle control i had 4 knee operation torn

menesces.My arms ach so bad i have been on predisone since 2003.The

specialist say a have polymyositos/dermomyositos did anyone end up

with

this or have they found andthing that helps

 

Posted by: michael a rose on January 5, 2006 02:34 AM

 

 

 

 

 

48 yrs. old,have been on lipitor for 5 yrs. I have all the symptoms

of

everyone on this site and then some. Quit 1 month ago, little

better.

Good luck, spread the word

 

Posted by: Brian Bredekamp on January 6, 2006 01:11 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I was put on Lipitor eight months ago. My good and bad cholesterols

were

spot on, below the average. I am male 75, but fitter and faster than

most forty year old's. I became stressed when my wife died and my

doctor

put me on the drug because of a slight elevation. I started with

neck

and shoulder pain six months ago, she sent me for physio at great

cost

which has done nothing. Since then I have developed severe elbow

pain,

wrist pain finger pain and calf pain. My sleeping is dreadful. Last

visit to my doctor she informed me I have the best profile she has

ever

seen, all readings are very low. I sensed my problem is due to the

drug.

I started to think I had contracted Ross River Virus or Murray River

enchepalitis.

I am going off the drug after deciding to do a net search and found

out

I am not alone. All heil the drug company!

James

 

Posted by: James Taylor on January 15, 2006 09:32 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Erin,

 

Please contact me. My brother-in-law is ill after an aggressive

course

of lipitor for a mildly raised cholesterol. He is now on a

ventilator.

He tested " small positive " for CJD. Would like to here about your

experience and compare notes...thanks, Candace (eval-)

 

Posted by: Candace on January 15, 2006 10:06 AM

 

 

 

 

 

has there been any corelation between lipitor and male e.d. ?

 

Posted by: RICK K. on January 16, 2006 03:11 PM

 

 

 

 

 

VERY INTERESTING. I HAVE TAKEN LIPITOR IN THE PAST FOR ALMOST A

YEAR,

NEVER HAD ANY OF THE LEG PROBLEMS, BUT IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I JUST

QUIT. NO SIDE EFFECTS. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR OTHER HEALTHFUL WAYS

TO

ADDRESS MY HEALTH ISSUES. LIKE THIS SITE. THANKS FOR BEING THERE,

 

Posted by: JOHNNY on January 17, 2006 04:54 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I took lipitor for over 5 years. I started feeling very tired and

didn't

want to get up to go to work. My doctors thought I was depressed.

They

gave me antidepressants which made me even sicker. I then got so

sick

that I went to the emergency room. They found that my muscle enzymes

was

in the 500's . The normal is between 60 and 175 . They told me to

stop

taking lipitor. That has been 2 months ago. I have had a number of

tests

and am not feeling a whole lot better. I have tingling in the legs,

feet

and now arms and hands, also aches and pains. I used to run 2 to 3

times

a week. Now I can no longer do that. I wish I would have known this

5

years ago because I would never had taken this drug.

 

Posted by: Gregg on January 19, 2006 05:29 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Took Lipitor for 2 weeks. Two weeks later I still feel like I have

the

worst flu I've ever had. This stuff is junk!

 

Posted by: craig merrill on January 20, 2006 05:39 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on lipitor for 11 months now. About two weeks ago I

started

to feel some leg cramping in my calves mainly and did not think

anything

about it. I went in for my 6 month blood work and now I just found

out

today that my liver enzimes are double the normal high.there are at

140

and normal is 11-66. i have been at the 20mg range the last 6

months.

before that it was 10mg. Some of you folks feel warm at night when

trying to sleep I to feel a little warmer at night than usual when I

am

trying to sleep.

I am going to go off lipitor after reading all these testamonies I

am 39

years old and i had a three byepass surgery in feb of 2005. I was

never

on any meds. before then. I found out I had enlarged ateries that

led

into small blockages. It is called Kawasaki disese.

I have always felt good but have this cramping that has just started

like I said 2 -3 weeks ago. I hope I have not damaged my liver.

There

should be an investigation into this the way it looks.

 

Posted by: John T on January 26, 2006 05:07 AM

 

 

 

 

 

My mother just strated LIPITOR she has a Pacemaker in and she has

been

having trouble with her blood pressure going up high.States her

heart is

jumping..are theses signs of Lipitor?

 

Posted by: kathy on January 29, 2006 02:27 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I was on Lipitor 10 mg x less than three months and developed

terrible

joint pain (especially elbows and knees), hot flashes, sweating,

memory

problems, and exhaustion. The hot flashes and sweating in turn also

flared up my rosacea. After having a blood test to check my liver

functions, I received a letter from my doctor recommending I

continue on

Lipitor even though my liver functions were elevated. I quit the

Lipitor

on my own, and the symptoms of joint pain, sweating, and hot flashes

went away within about three weeks. The exhaustion and memory

problems

have taken longer. Because of the exhaustion and joint pain, I was

exercising less, so I gained more weight. My daughter, who is a

chiropractor, started me on high-quality fish oil (EPA-DHA,

extra-strength). I will be having my cholesterol checked in a few

months. I will not go back on any statins!!!

 

Posted by: Peggy on February 5, 2006 10:24 PM

 

 

 

 

 

High cholesteral. My Dr. put me on 20mg lipitor. I was only on it

for

two weeks and began to experience involuntary twitches. These occurr

mostly in my lower body but periodically in my torso. I revisited

the

Dr. took myself off the med. I feel like a bundle of explosive

nerves. I

hope this helps someone. I am certain that what I am experiencing is

not

normal. I am 48 yrs old and other than this am in what I feel is

good

condition.

 

Posted by: chris Jackson on February 8, 2006 01:35 AM

 

 

 

 

 

My husband is 42 years old and his cholesterol is 449. About 1 year

ago

he was going through some stress at his job and it started to go up.

He

has been on 4 different types of medication and they haven't lowered

it

at all. If anything it has been going up when he started it was only

230. I don't know what to do because I don't fry foods anymore. He

eates

more fruits and vegetables now than he ever did. Are there any

natural

remedies out there that can help. Please if anyone knows of any

please

let me know.

 

Posted by: Lori Hopkins on February 8, 2006 02:03 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Lori, thank you for your comment and the question you posted.

 

The view that high cholesterol is bad for our health is not shared

universally. There are scientists and doctors who say that we NEED

cholesterol to detoxify, especially when we are exposed to a high

load

of toxins from work or environment, or in case we are predisposed to

higher cholesterol by hereditary factors.

 

see http://www.thincs.org/

 

In fact, lowering cholesterol has not been shown to decrease

mortality

from heart attacks, and indeed if cholesterol is lowered too much,

this

is a risk factor in its own right - the body functions that depend

on

cholesterol no longer are performed properly and in extreme cases,

the

person can die from a lack of cholesterol.

 

There are also natural ways to lower cholesterol, if that is

desired,

here an address:

 

http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/herbalmedicine/a/naturalprod.htm

 

http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/

 

This second link, especially, also addresses the fact that total

cholesterol is by far not as important for good health as having a

high

percentage of a certain fraction of cholesterol, called HDL (high

density lipids).

 

This should give you a good start to the information that is there,

but

of course don't take my word, study the available data for yourself

and

decide what to do.

 

Posted by: Sepp on February 8, 2006 02:41 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Went on Lipitor 2 yrs ago and within 30 days I had so much lower

back

pain, I could hardly walk. Stopped taking immediately, and got a

little

better but not normal. Went back to Dr. a couple months later and

told

him what happened, so he put me on another statin, and in 30 days I

was

having severe muscle spasms in my back. Went to a back specialist,

and

they did everything they could think of, but the lower back pain is

still there. Did an MRI, and nothing is wrong with my spine. Still

have

severe pain 2 yrs later. Anyone found something to help rebuild the

muscle damage?

 

Posted by: Sally on February 10, 2006 04:27 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I was on 10 mg of Lipitor for 3 or 4 years and quit in March of '05

when

the doctor suggested I try diet again. I am 36. Shortly after

quitting,

I began to experience tingling in my fingers similar to the feeling

of

vibration you get right after mowing the lawn. The vibration feeling

spread to my feet and that morphed into occasional numbness in my

right

foot and a buzzing sensation in my right foot and leg. Then in

August of

'05, I lay in bed watching TV one evening and the subtle muscle

twitching started en masse all over my body. Scared me to death. I

went

to a neurologist and had an MRI, EMG, and nerve conduction studies.

All

came back negative. My official diagnosis is peripheral neuropathy.

Fast

forward to today, and the symptoms have ebbed and are random. The

twitching, however, still occurs throughout the day but to a lesser

extent than that first night. I have also experienced the heart

palpatations at night, general fatigue, and muscle tiredness (though

I

have lost no muscle strength). I did not suspect Lipitor until

January

of '06. Now, my main physician wants to put me back on Lipitor. Fat

chance. I think he's an idiot anyway.

 

Posted by: F. Hickson on February 12, 2006 01:58 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking Liptor 10mg for 18 months. My problems started

with

sore hips, then added numb feet, felt like canvass was glued to

them.

Now a round of golf is impossible, feet get too painful. I gym

regularly

and that eases things - I am SO glad I found this site. No more

Lipitor

for me!

 

Posted by: John Ford on February 12, 2006 07:28 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I am 68 and been on Lipex for 4 years. First I lost libido, then had

to

start to wear glasses for reading, got severe lower back problems

worse

than usual, put on weight, was having memory loss and became

argumentative with my wife, BP went up, got heart ache until I went

on

Co Q10 I had aches and wekness which were nopt normal and now I have

stopped taking Lipex after reading your web page and am on Vit B &

C,

lecithin to boost the liver and magnesium, so looking forward to

feeling

better

 

Posted by: Dennis O'Hagan on February 24, 2006 07:22 AM

 

 

 

 

 

It is now two weeks since I stopped the Lipitor, and I'm already

feeling

like a new man! Really I'm feeling like my old self. My chest,

joints

everything feels like I'm 10 years younger! Even my main problem -

sore

feet, canvas feet is 50% better....not 100% cured yet, but I can

feel a

big improvement. I have put myself on 10mg Cholesterex, which is

Policosanol, a cholesterol lowering natural treatment. Fingers

crossed!

 

Posted by: John Ford on February 24, 2006 10:19 AM

 

 

 

 

 

at first it was hard to sort out what was going on given my

documented

spinal problems. The Dr. put me on Lipitordue to my cholesterol

level.

Within 1 1/2 days things were starting. # 1 was the complete

" stoned " /massive fatigue that knocked me out until after lunch. I

knew

the burning pain was different than the " regular " pain. Pain in the

groin/stomach/back - it felt as if everything was inflamed and on

fire.

Then twitches/spams started. I could not remember things, could not

concentrate, extremly vivid nightmares. I was always clearing my

throat

as if I was congested/dry throat. I had other joint pain

(fingers,elbows, wrists) By afternoon/evening I have trouble

standing up

straight and walking. I have been investigated in the past for

fibromyalgia with the results being negative. I took Lipitor for 10

days

before calling the pharmacist who said get off it right away. It's

been

9 days since I quit the drug. The pain has reduced very mildly, in

intesity, but am still having trouble walking in the late

afternoon/evening. At least the " stoned " effect has gone, but the

pain

and fatigue hasn't.

 

Posted by: trevor ellsmore on March 2, 2006 08:25 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking lipitor for a few months and after reading your

letters it has made me realise that my aches and pains might be due

to

the drug I have had neck spasms and leg ache for a month now and I

feel

my eye sight had deteriated but what do you do I am only46 and there

are

so many strokes and heart attacks in my family.

 

Posted by: sandra on March 3, 2006 10:38 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I've been on Lipitor for a couple of years. I read here

about " muscle

pain " but I've been diagnosed by my GP and my chiropractor with

tendonitis. It's in both shoulders and upper arms. I've not talked

to

either professional about the possibility that the cause might be

the

statin. Has tendonitis been a side effect? To read this site, it

seems

that statins cause every ill. I've really suffered with this for

several

months now and would gladly get off my 5 mg/day if I thought the

Lipitor

was the cause of my condition. Has anyone heard of this - I did

notice a

couple of people mention their achilles tendons... Thanks if you

know

something.

Linda

 

Posted by: Linda on March 4, 2006 10:13 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I am 44 and for a peiod of time had high cholestrol so my GP

recommended

that I take this LIPITOR. I took it for 2 weeks and then stopped.

Since

that time I have problems lifting my right arm over my head or

holding

the arm up for more than a minute or 2. I also have a constant

sprain on

my left foot and a stiff neck. I am rarelyt sick and fairly active

but

this has really knocked me back. After 5 week of not taking the drug

I

still have the same problems. What can I take to ease or eliminate

it? I

am amazed at all of your comments. These drug companies are using us

as

guinea pigs. I would not recommend this type of dangerous drug to

anyone.

 

Posted by: Tom G on March 4, 2006 10:51 PM

 

 

 

 

 

It is nearly 2 weeks since I stopped taking lipex and my health and

well-being have improved remarkably. I am fitter stronger with less

lower back pain, more libido, even my eyesight appears to be

improving

and my wife says it is good tohave me back again. I do believe that

lipex was destroying me and whereas my archilles was not improving

it is

now definitely getting less painful as though it is rfepairing

itself.

 

Posted by: Dennis O'Hagan on March 7, 2006 03:59 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I started taking lipitor 20 months ago, 30mg, Dec 05 I started to

get a

slight throbbing pain in my right calf muscle. By end Jan the pain

had

increased to a severe thobbing pain, at first a few hours apart then

over the next week to about 1/2 hour apart. Now it is at about 5 min

intervals.

 

I have been to the doctor on several occasions and after reading all

the

info on the internet asked her if it cold be the Lipitor. She said

it

was not, but does not have any other explanation.

 

I decided at the beginning of Feb to stop taking Lipitor but still

have

the severe pain at 5min intervals.

 

My doctor has now referred me to the hospital.

Has anyone else had the same problem and if so how long did it take

for

the pain to subside.

 

Posted by: Iris on March 11, 2006 09:03 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am 47 years old and I have been on Lipitor for the past 5 years

(10

mg). My doctor decided to put me on this medicine as a preventative

measure because of family history. At first it seemed as a miracle

drug

as my doctor called me a poster child for the drug. I have been

having

normal blood screening which showed that I had no significant liver

issues so the treatment continued. As time has progressed I have

developed medical issues that I have been blaming a high stress job

and

what I thought was the normal aging process. Lately I feel as I have

become really old, my joints and leg muscles hurt, I feel week, I

walk

down the hallways as if I was drunk. My vision has gotten really

bad. I

feel brittle. When I started Lipitor I had just gotten a Black Belt

in

Karate. A year ago I played an indoor soccer game and I lasted 3

minutes

before an ACL snapped. Anyway, this morning I was back to feeling

weak,

so I asked my wife to look up the symptoms on the internet. She came

across several sites that listed Lipitor side effects and was I

shocked.

I say that I have most of the listed symptoms for several years now.

The

more I read the more similarities I see with my condition. I am

writing

this so it can be on record that another person has had these types

of

problems and that people using this type of drug need to be

informed. I

don't know exactly where I am going with this but for sure that I

will

stop using Lipitor and look for alternative treatment.

 

Posted by: Manny on March 14, 2006 03:25 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am a 39 year old woman and was put on lipitor just over 30 days

ago(cholesterol was 352)and about two weeks later I started thinking

my

contacts were in the wrong eye because I couldn't focus. But they

weren't. Then my thought process and ability to concentrate started

to

get real bad. Then I woke up one day and had such pain in the soles

of

my feet and the pads of my of my fingers and my eyelids felt heavy.

My

head feels heavy and full and my thought process is shot and I am

usually the witty, quick to shoot back my sarcastic humor kind of

girl.

Now I feel like to form a sentece that people can actually

understand. I

told my Dr. just today about these symptoms and he told me stop

taking

lipitor for 10 days and let him know if thes symptoms stop to try

and

determine if lipitor is the cause. If they go away he will try me on

another statin. Then I came home trying to research and found this

site

and was amazed at all of the similar stories and after reading the

really horrific ones, I'm not sure I want to take another wack at

statins!

 

Posted by: Reese Hendrick on March 15, 2006 04:25 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I am so depressed as I read these comments on Lipitor because I too

have

just realized in the last week that my severe pain and weakness in

my

calfs, thighs, feet are being caused by the drug. I've felt like

I've

been beat up every morning for the last couple years and now I know

why.

I have stopped taking Lipitor after talking to my doctor, but my

concern

is, is it possible to reverse this pain and weakness? Does anyone

know

another website with more info on this problem we are facing? Please

contact me if anyone has any info please, I'm at my wits end!

 

Posted by: Cynthia Rakiec on March 23, 2006 06:36 AM

 

 

 

 

 

has anyone ever had a situation with the gallbladder will taking

lipitor. my husband at times has severe leg cramps they have put him

on

dont know if im spelling it correct (quinine) pills for that his

gallbladder is infected blood counts show eleve. in kidney functions

bun

and creatine are these signs from lipitor?

 

Posted by: karen murphy on March 30, 2006 05:35 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to know if taking celebrex helps with all the muscle

pain

after quitting lipitor. I was only on lipitor exactly 28 days 10

MG.Ran

out and 6 days later all the pain started.Last week I had to go to

the

ER from all the pain,especially in both jaws. Was put through every

test

and everything was normal so the Dr.suggested quitting the lipitor

and

taking celebrex.Went to my own Dr. a few days later and he said to

increase the celebrex to two a day which are 200MG each.The pain has

lessened but I would also like to know how long it takes to get this

out

of your system and should I stay on the celebrex?Thank you so much

and I

am very happy that I found your site. Am going to get on the vitamin

C.

 

Posted by: J Warren on April 3, 2006 04:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I started taking lipitor 10 mg in Oct. 2004 due to high cholesterol

(300+). By Feb. 2005, my total cholesterol was down to 160 (HDL 48).

My

doctor was amazed at how well it was working and stated that if

things

continued to go well he would consider having me take it every other

day.

 

In March I began to experience muscle and joint weakness. Almost flu

like symptoms only I wasn't sick.

 

I mentioned this to my doctor and he immediately ordered blood tests

to

be certain that it wasn't the lipitor.

 

The blood work did not show any issues with the liver or muscles and

within a few weeks the symptoms were gone - I suspected the lipitor

but

since the symptoms disappeared I never investigated further.

 

In July 2005 my blood tests were still normal and my cholesterol was

still low (though my triglycerides were too high 270+). I mentioned

to

my doctor that I was experiencing mild muscle aches and stiffness in

my

joints. Since the blood work was normal he suspected that this was a

mild side-effect of the lipitor. To his credit he asked me to see

him in

3 mos. and to contact him immediately if the stiffness or pain

increased.

 

More blood work in Oct. indicated no problems. And I can't remember

if I

was still experiencing mild joint stiffness or muscle ache - I was

probably use to it by this point...it's amazing how our brain works.

 

However, this past January everything changed. I began to experience

digestion issues and abdominal pain (two attacks were pretty intense

and

kept me up all night). Both of the extreme stomach pain episodes

occured

after a meal high in fat.

 

I immediately notified my GP and upon esamination he ordered more

blood

work and a sonogram of my gallbladder.

 

The blood work came back normal (though triclycerides were still too

high 300+). Due to this, my doc decided to increase my lipitor

dosage to

20mg.

 

More importantly, the sonogram test showed that my gallbladder was

not

holding bile and remained constricted (empty) even after fasting. I

should note that I'm not jaundice and my urin has been " normal " . I

have

not experienced the typical signs of a blockage.

 

Also of note, my joint stiffness has gotton worse and i'm

experiencing

mild swelling of my hands and feet.

 

My GP has put me on prilosec while I await a HIDA w/cck test.

 

After coming across this Web page I've decided to take myself off of

lipitor - I have not mentioned this to my GP yet.

 

I've been off lipitor for 3 days (swelling in hands and feet getting

a

little better but still evident). I'm also hoping that by getting

off

lipitor it will help my digestive/gallbladder issue. Although I

don't

have proof that the gallbladder issue is directly related to the

lipitor, after reading some of the bizarre side effects mentioned by

so

many, I am a little suspicious.

 

Posted by: Kambiz on April 13, 2006 04:22 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Like some of writers mentioned earlier about their experience with

statins, I too was taking a statin (pravachol) to reduce

cholesterol.

Mine went from 245 to 165, but after a month, my ears had a

persistent

ringing in them also. My doctors also claims it's not the drug and

that

I am just getting old and suffering normal hearing loss. I am 48.

 

Posted by: ET on April 15, 2006 02:44 PM

 

 

 

 

 

My boyfriends mom was feeling numbness in her hands, joint pain in

her

shoulder, and looses alot of sleep because she is in alot of pain.

She

has taking lipitor for 3 years. Do you know how to get off the

medication (Lipitor)? Please email me with your opinion.

 

Posted by: GENEVIEVE on April 21, 2006 08:11 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Wow!! Just discovered this site. I refused Crestor because I read

nothing good about it. My Dr. prescribed 10 mg. Lipitor.

Reluctantly, I

agreed. But now I have decided to stop. I just can't do this to my

body.

Thanks for all the candid comments. It really helps.

 

Posted by: carole on April 29, 2006 10:59 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I am a 59 year old female. Last summer I was walking 3-5 miles a day

and

feeling good. I started on 10 mg lipitor last fall for elevated

chlorestral levels. A couple months ago my doctor increased my dose

to

20mg. The last couple weeks my left arm and leg are getting numb to

the

point where my fingers are tingling all the time. I looked up the

side

effects of lipitor and found this web site. My major concern was my

tiredness. Today, I did not even get dressed as I was so tired. A

far

cry from last summer. I have decided to stop the lipitor and see if

my

energy increases and my numbness decreases. I was amazed to read all

the

comments and the problems that this medicine has caused for others

like

myself. Hope others, like myself, find this website and start to

make

their health better by stopping the poison of this and other

medicine

our doctors give us with the hope of getting better by taking it.

Thanks

for your information and hope more people find this valued advise as

I

did today.

 

Posted by: Rudy on May 3, 2006 04:36 AM

 

 

 

 

 

i was taking lipitor 10 mg for about six months in dec. 05 i felt

like i

had the flu . called my dr.and he told me to take some flu medicine

and

i did ,but the next day i felt worst and called my dr. again and he

said

i should see him that day. when i did he sent me to the hospital and

there i stayed for almost two months with kidney failure infection

in my

knees and sholder. my rotator cup is gone and my knees are very

painful

sitting or standing,my kidneys are ok now and ihave to use a cane to

get

around now.

 

Posted by: jessie brooks on May 8, 2006 04:55 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been taking lipitor for around 2 years and just recently I

can

hardly walk and I shake, I hurt all over, legs, arms, neck, back,

eye's,

I have stoped taking it and hoping there's no permanent damage. I

have

no strenghth. What are you to do?

 

Posted by: Gary on May 11, 2006 03:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

This site is very interesting. I was 56 years old when started

taking

Lipitor in June 2005. I had high cholesterol and my doctor

prescribed

Lipitor (10mg). I noticed being tired all the time and having no

energy

and weakness in my joints along with cramps and spasms in my legs,

but

did not attribute to Lipitor. But, in March 2006 I began to have

trouble

breathing and became very distraught. I called my MD and he has put

me

through a number of tests checking my heart and lungs (which tested

strong and clear). So I just got a new prescription of Lipitor and

decided to read side effects of this medication which one was

trouble

breathing. I called doctor who prescribed Lipitor asking about this

side

effect, he stated probably not related to the Lipitor but I could

stop

taking and see if made a difference. Stopped taking medicine today,

05/11/06, so I quess time will tell if Lipitor was the culprit of my

breathing problems. Has anyone had this type problem while taking

Lipitor?

 

Posted by: Fran on May 11, 2006 06:04 PM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been having dull pain in my right side under the rib, pain in

my

right leg socket, excessive burping, pain in my armpits, dizziness,

stiff neck, and when I wake up in the morning my hands are normally

asleep. Is this in my head? I have been taking 20mg Lipitor for

abount 4

years.

 

Posted by: STEVE on May 12, 2006 12:34 AM

 

 

 

 

 

After reading some of the potential side effects of Lipitor I was

wondering if there is any connection between Lipitor and Erectile

Dysfunction?I am 55 years old and have had a problem with achieving

a

full erection for some time now but the Doctors blame a combination

of " old age " and high colesterol(which is now under control with

Lipitor)I can still achieve a partial erection, enough to enjoy

sex,but

not a full erection. Taking drugs such as Viagra dont seem to have a

great benefit and I just assumed it was my lot in life.However I now

wonder if the cause might not be Lipitor related as looking back the

problem started about the same time as I started the Drug and from

memory it was not a gradual loss,but rather it seemed to happen very

quickly.

 

Posted by: Tim on May 16, 2006 12:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for four weeks now, Cholesterol went from 278

to

160 in three weeks!!! After only one week of being on Lipitor I

noticed

my heart beating so loudly in my left ear when I lay down to sleep.

Can't sleep because of this. Now I hear it always and it's

destroying my

quality of life. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Julia on May 16, 2006 07:40 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on Lipitor for 5 years and for the past year have been

experiencing leg pain, swelling, tingling in my toes and numbness.

Didn't connect it to Lipitor until this site was mentioned. Took

myself

off Lipitor and hope to see some improvement.

 

Posted by: Marian on May 23, 2006 06:51 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I recently had a stent proceedure done in a partially clogged

artery.

The " Doctor " placed me on Vytorin 10/20 even though my cholesterol

level

was in the 80's. This was three weeks ago and my feet started to

feel

numb then my calves and forearms.I was disorientated and had trouble

with sleeping and short term memory.I could not stand on my feet for

any

length of time and spent most of my time lying down for lack of

energy.I

spoke to my family Doctor and told him of my symptoms. He told me to

stop the Vytorin. I did, and in just three days my energy is on the

upside and the pain in my arms and calves is gone.I still have

numbness

in my feet but nothing like before. I am in hope that this will

vanish

also as my body purges the rest of this garbage out of my system. I

hope

this comment helps anyone with the same symptoms. Get a second or

third

opinion on these wonder drugs that fill the airways with commercials

on

their benefits but little on side effects.

 

Posted by: Peter on May 23, 2006 05:02 PM

 

 

 

 

 

In the article it says that using vitamin C may naturally reduce

cholesterol. My father is currently taking LIPITOR and having these

side

effects, he is also alergic to Vitamic C, is there anything else he

can

use to lower his cholesterol without the interference of drugs?

 

Posted by: Irene on May 28, 2006 02:57 AM

 

 

 

 

 

Irene,

 

yes, there are several other things that can be done.

 

First of all, cholesterol is not the bugbear it is made out to be.

 

Secondly, there are natural cholesterol lowering substances.

 

Thirdly, it is highly unlikely that anyone is allergic to vitamin C.

Perhaps the vitamin C causes a reaction meaning it is working. That

is

different from an allergy.

 

I recommend that you go to Jonathan Campbell's site

http://www.cqs.com/

 

and follow the link to " Cardiovascular disease " .

 

Also, try to find a medical doctor who uses nutrition with his/her

clients.

 

Posted by: Sepp on May 28, 2006 02:58 PM

 

 

 

 

 

i want more information about Lipitor side efects, cause i`m too

fat,

and in Ecuador, my country we have some vegetal that currently use,

but

are very bad tastly.

 

thanks, i receive the notice of lipitor from tv advertasing of cable.

 

thanks againg at advance

 

gastòn

 

Posted by: gastòn h. alarcòn obando on May 29, 2006 12:51 AM

 

 

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