Lipitor side effects

Because of a “Global economy” - I suspect ingredients (even for Brand names) are coming from China or being manufactured in India with poor to non-existent quality control standards, and is the primary reason for the majority of Adverse Reactions to the Statins in general. Please take time to submit your complaint directly to the FDA, and hope they investigate and take action (see bottom of page for web sites to submit complaint).

My own recent experience with statins: After 3-weeks of being on generic Simvastatin 80mg for elevated LDL, I experienced significant fatigue, shortness of breath with tightness around my chest and a bout of Gout in my left foot. I would encourage patients/consumers to directly send their complaint to the web sites listed at the very bottom, if you are either a U.S. (FDA Form 3500) or Canadian resident. Also, if your physician is unresponsive to your negative experience with Statins (generic or Brand Name), inform him/her that you refuse to continue with this drug, and that you have sent an adverse reaction complaint to the FDA/Canadian equivalent. Provide both your doctor and pharmacy with a copy of the FDA Form 3500 if you’re a U.S. resident, so they know you're serious. Lastly, I'm back to feeling normal, after I "demanded" my physician switch me to generic Pravastatin 40mg (2 tabs a day - 80mg), manufactured by Teva Pharmaceutical - corporate HQ Israel with manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. By the way, a 90-day supply of this quality-controlled drug is available at Walmart Pharmacy for $10. I hope this helps, especially seniors on a fixed income.

U.S.A.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html

CANADA
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/compli-conform/gui-44_consumer_complaint-plainte_consommateur-eng.pdf
Contact Name: Drug Compliance Verification and Investigation Unit Tel: (613) 952-9906 Fax: (613) 954-0941 E-Mail: DCVIU_UVCEM@hc-sc.gc.ca

This is an update from my first posting earlier this year. I still have localized pain in my neck and shoulder area sometimes extending down my arms to my fingertips. I am 58 years old and stopped taking Lipitor 5 months ago. I am always in discomfort but the very severe pain comes in waves at least 3-4 times a month and lasts for about 1-2 days. I have noticed an improvement since stopping Lipitor but my cholesterol count is on its way up so I am trying to control that. Not an easy task but at least I am not totally debilitated as I was in January and February. I am totally off all meds and vitamins as of this writing. I am trying to cleanse myself and start over with diet and exercise. Hang tough ... this is definitely the battle of your life!!! KooKoo

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

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

My doctor started me on Lipitor over a year ago. I started having muscle pain in my shoulders but didn't equate it to the meds until I was watching television one day and a Lipitor commercial came on. It said that some people experience muscle pain.....I thought HALLELUEH THAT'S WHAT IT IS.....I stopped talking the meds and went to see my doctor who immediately changed my meds to Zocor.....guess what? The same thing happened. Went to see her again and she switched to Crestor.....same thing happened....so I started doing my own research and was amazed at what I learned and bewildered as to why my doctor was acting like I was some whining baby.

No problem, I say to myself and stopped the meds. That was last November, in January I had my yearly physical and blood tests were ordered for me in December......guess what.....my triglycerides were still high so my doctor orders Antara. It didn't say "cor" anything so I'm thinking it's not the same stuff. No, it wasn't the same stuff it was WORSE!! Within three weeks I was crying I was in so much pain. I called her and got her nurse practitioner who says that my doctor said to stop taking the pills and the pain will go away. I call back and say, "you don't understand, I can't sleep, I can't move, I can't function the pain is so bad." After several calls back and forth, and let me tell you I NEVER call my doctor unless something is incredibly wrong and that is less than rarely. Well, my doctors partner tells the nurse practioner that they will not prescribe narcotics for me. WHAT? Who asked for narcotics? I needed relief from this pain.....I would have gone for amputation!!!

So I change docs...more blood work.....high triglycerides, I refuse to take any statins. She says she has something for me that will not cause muscle pain and hands me samples of Welchol.....this one took less than a week for increased muscle pain...again I wanted to trust, but guess what i learned when I went to the Welchol site? The first side effect listed? Muscle pain.

Called the new doctors office to let them know that I was experiencing pain again and was told to stop the Welchol (which I had already done) and take Red Yeast Rice and have bloodwork done in 3 to 6 months and come back to see her. Oh no! Not without research and guess what? A side effect of Red Yeast Rice? Muscle pain.

It has been 4 months since I stopped taking the Antara and took Welchol for a week in that 4 months. Sometimes my shoulders/neck and arms don't hurt too much. Unfortunately most times they do. Both doctors insist that the pain cannot be from the drugs because the drugs have left my body. The new doctor said I probably have myolgia just because I'm 52 and that it's just a coincidence that it happened while taken the drugs but then goes on to agree that I must be "sensitive" to statins. Both doctors treat me like I'm stupid and nuts all balled up in one. I am frustrated and in pain most of the time. I have been trying to find out how long to expect this pain and am dismayed to learn that it can be years or never go away.

Yes I have high triglycerides (so does my mother and she experiences the same kind of pain so refused to take statins) and I've been warned that not taking statins could cause pancreatitis and/or heart problems. My question to that is - "then my choice is chance the heart stuff or live an incredibly painful life?"

I'll take my chances and pray for the best because right now my quality of life stinks!!

I have been taking LIPITOR for about 1.5 years and have been feeling the cotton head but thought it was allergies. for about 8 months or so I have been feeling pain on the left side of my chest and upper back by the shoulder plates. I've told my doctor and had several tests done incl. MRI, C-scan, etc. Once I even had to go to the emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack. But the doc. said the EKG was normal and that it might be muscular. I have not read that anyone else is having the chest symptoms. This is very scary to me. Lately I feel my neck getting stiff and I am also constantly tired and keep waking up at night and have a hard time going back to sleep. I don't seem to have the arm or leg pains that most people here seem to be suffering from but am now convinced it's LIPITOR since it is the only prescription medicine I am taking. I would appreciate hearing from someone who has had the same symptoms I've described above. I stopped taking Lipitor about 4 days ago and do feel already less tired but the upper body pain is still present.

I took it for one month only. In the first week I was extremely fatigued but ignored it. Then I got stiffness in my fingers. I started getting cramps in my feet and legs. I stopped the medication after exactly one month. It has been one month since I stooped taking it. But my symptoms have not gone away. My arms and legs are still stiff. I develop severe pain in my left arms. There is a terrible tingling sensation in my body when I sleep. I am going to see a neurologist next week. I hope there is no permanent nerve damage. I have started taking Lyrica 50 mg in the mean time to get rid of this tingling sensation.

I took Lipitor for 2 years with all the pain in my shoulder, hand and arm as well as fuzzy memory. I had a friend over for Lunch an have no memory of anything that happened including his arriving and leaving on his Harley and we all know how loud they are. I ended up in the hospital with all kins of tests including an MRI all of which I have no memory of to this date. My hospital bills are still coming in as well as all the Doctors that saw me. I just received my Divorce and then this happened , I was out of work for a week , the Doctors thought I had had a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm.I also had all the foot pain making it impossible to stand up , leg cramps, sleeplessness, sheer exhaustion, depression, headache and nausea. The Doctor at the Hospital took me off of the Lipitor and said to take a 325mg. aspirin daily . This happened on March 23, 2008 . I am felling better but I still pain in my shoulder , neck , stomach , and feet and legs but is nothing like it was. Here I am left with a few thousand dollars of Doctor and Hospital bills. Why can`t something be done about all of this we are all going thru? I called the FDA to report it and got no where. Did I really expect anything to happen ! I hope someone gets something done for us . I would be one of the first to sign up to take Lipitor off the market and get what is due us.

I wrote the message below on March 9th, 2008, but I think it might be useful if I repeat it.

Please educate yourself.

Are you really sure that it`s high cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

All statins have similar side effects!!
_________________________

It`s very disturbing to read all these stories. I really feel for you.

My experience comes from seeing what happened to people close to me.

They all took statins.

I started to look for information on statins, and other medications in 2004 and it continues to this day although two of my relatives are dead.

I have nothing to do with the health or pharmaceutical industry.

I saw the suffering and it made me very angry.

I am an ordinary lady in her sixties who live in Sweden.

The situation is almost the same here as in the U.S.

There is very little discussion about risks/benefits with this kind of medicatications - or others.

I think it`s a good idea to turn to the Internet and books to get other views about the cholesterol issue.

Is it really true that it`s the cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

Are you sure?

Please visit:

*******

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Also search articles etc on "Stopped our statins" and on the names of the different authors below.

Also read:

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

The Truth about the Drug Companies (Marcia Agnell)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel M. Kauffman)

There are many more.

Please look on the Internet for more information about each book.

It´s good to have some other information than the one given by doctors because most of them have been "educated" by the pharmaceutical companies themselves - and why should they talk about risks, side effects etc. They are interested in profits.

Finally - here are some side effects that I have seen:

pains in legs, hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, cracking noise in ribs, muscle weakness, loss of hair, head ache, burning, tingling sensations in hands and feet, numbness, difficulties to swallow, loss of taste, ringing noise in ears, cramps, insomnia, irritation, depression, difficulty with short-term memory and then advancing into more serious problems.

These side effects - for 3 different people - all over 65 - did not come at once.

All of them had taken statins for years (Zocor)

It doesn´t matter which product -all statins have similar side effects.

Search for "Stopped our statins" on Google. It´s a very informative site and under "print articles" there are som articles that you can take along to your doctor for discussion.

I particularly like the one from Weston Price Foundation
and explains the different statin studies and side effects. .

My relatives also had some other medications which makes it even easier for doctors (and patients) to say that it`s just old age.

I am happy for those who get problems right away because then there maybe a chance for the patient and the doctor to see that there is a connection.

You really have to look out for yourself and the people around you!

Good Luck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information about the connection between vitamin C and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, see the article Natural Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease, or visit the research website of Dr. M.
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I am sitting hear reading these replays and crying because I am suffering the same symptoms. I have been on lipitor for over 5 years and have had repeated bouts of leg pains, head fogginess, dizziness, pain in thigh, hip, and back. I recently started having pains so bad i could not walk. The really sad part is that I am a nurse and should have known it was the lipitor. I had x-rays, ct scans, etc all negative. And today a light finally went off when I said maybe its a side effect from lipitor. And sure enough, looking at the stories here validates my late conclusion. I did not take dosage of lipitor today and will try some more natural remedies. I have scheduled to see my doctor on Wednesday to discuss this issue. Unfortunately I can barely walk without the usages of crutches. Sitting can be just horrible, i wake up in middle of night tossing and turning trying to find a position that the pain will stop in. I cry like a baby at times because of pain and maybe a little depression. This is horrible. Lipitor is an awesome drug in lowering your cholesterol but the side effects are just unbearable. I will continue to update.

My husband is 46 years old. He has been taking Lipitor for over 8 years. He has had several of the side effects mentioned. He has had memory loss, pain in his feet and joints. He also has had problems sleeping.

In the past two months he has developed a rash. It first started on his left leg. He went to his doctor and told him of his problem. The doctor told him to just try an over the counter medicine for rashes. He tried this and it did not help. The rash is now all over his body. He has been going to a skin specialist for the last three weeks.

The doctor took him off of the Lipitor and the rash has started to clear up. It is going to leave black spots all over his body. Has anyone else out there had any of these side effects?

I have been taking 10 mg.lipitor for 3 years or more....I seem to loose track of time because my memory is so bad....I ache and hurt all the time...I have severe back pain...Sometimes my back hurts so bad I cannot do any of my housework....All of my muscles just ache and hurt...I am 47 and I am steadily going downhill with my health....I feel nauseas for no reason...I have headaches...I told my doctor all of these symptoms and she has run all kinds of tests...They all come back normal...She has no idea why I have no energy and why I feel the way I do....She set me up for a stress test because I was complaining with chest pains...That test was normal...She set me up a sleep study...I am now sleeping with a cpap machine with the pressure set at 11.4...After going through all of these tests, I still feel like crap...I was sure after the sleep study things were going to get better...Then I started having such bad pains in the bottom of my feet...I could just be laying in bed and my feet would be throbbing with pain....and when I would try to get out of bed I could hardly walk...After about 5 or 10 minutes I could walk okay but the pain was still there....This is when I started looking around on the internet to see if I could find out what my problem was...I found this site and begin reading all of the side effects of lipitor...I knew right away that this was most likely my problem...I stopped taking lipitor 3 days ago....The only difference I can tell so far is that the pain in my feet is not as bad...I can hardly wait for the next morning because I am so anxious to see how I am going to feel...I am just wondering how long will it take for me to get back to my old self....oh I forgot about my stomach pain...The bottom of stomach hurts so bad at times...I told my doctor and she examined me and ran more tests but found nothing....My doctor does not know I have stopped taking lipitor...I have read that taking vitamin c or fish oil will help with lowering cholesterol..Does anyone know if this really works???

Folks, Lipitor is the most widely prescribed drug. People are blaming their various problems on lipitor. They should see the appropriate specialist to address their specific symptoms vs self-diagnosing and blaming it on lipitor.

Checking in again. Been off the lipitor 3 weeks now. It feels good to feel better. I feel my old self coming back. I laugh sometimes. HOORAH!!! Pain in my legs 50% gone. Hips still troubling. Legs are still weak. I don't know if its from not using them much over the past 8 mo. or the poison lipitor. Still sapping life forces from my body. My life is a wreck . I can tell life is starting to get better. The only thing different, is off the lipitor. Lets get this stuff off the market. It is debilitating, painful, causes depression, to the point you are thought of as lazy, unmotivated. The pain and ache is all you can muster to deal with on a day to day basis. it is indescribable agony. I want to kick something. For the months that I have lost of happiness. Something has got to be done. There was a move awhile back to sell this stuff over the counter. What will they think of next. I am just thankful that I am feeling better. moonman

I have had all the side effects mentioned in this column for about 14 years. I started on 10 mg of Lipitor.

I have looked for alternatives but found none. Lately I have started consuming about 2 to 3 glasses of red wine. I am finding that the adverse side effects of Lipitor get drastically reduced.

Anyone else experience the same thing!!

I was prescribed lipitor, took ONE pill before I went to bed and woke up in the morning with severe pain in my right shoulder. I searched for lipitor and found so many side effects I have not taken another lipitor and will not. The pain moved to my left shoulder quite soon. Now it doesn't really hurt but there is a lump above my left shoulder blade, I was pushing on it and lifting my arm up and down hoping it might losen it up but the lump grew bigger. I quite often feel numb and week on my left side, kinda scary like I'm having a stroke. This has been going on for awhile so I don't think I'm stroking out or I would be gone by now. I do have high blood pressure, I think this ONE little lipitor pill made it worse as it's higher than it used to be. Maybe from stress as this shoulder problem and numbness upsets me from time to time. I also developed arthritis in two of my fingers, I have been taking FLAMMAGEN 1500 from the health food store and it has helped my fingers considerably, thank goodness. I'm not mentioning it to my M.D. as he was so excited about putting me on this stuff, poor guy is brainwashed. It really is a sin that our M.D.s are used in this way by big money pharmaceutical companies.

age 72 had MI angioplasty and stent.On lipitor for 3years but recently noticed increase in muscle and joint pains and then lightheadedness and walking unsteady and tending to go slightly from side to side.Also a tendency to have nasal congestion.I am an MD and will stop the statin and assess the progress.

I have been on Lipitor for 5-years. I've been on 40mg of Lipitor, and just today my Endocrinologist (I am a Type 2 Diabetic) just increased the Lipitor to 80mg. I am not filling the prescription until I speak with my Cardiologist who is the original prescriber of the Lipitor for me. But after reading posts here, I have determined that most of my symptoms are all related to this Drug, including I think, my chest pains. I had a heart attack in 1995 and double-bypass surgery, and am on a plethora of drugs, and would like to talk to more of you about this and your experiences - So please email me and I hope we can talk about this together.

I had TIA two years back, my neurologist put me on 80mg Lipitor (Lipiget in Pakistan). I have a whole list of problems since then: tingling in lower part of legs, memory loss, cold sweats, swelling in upper abdomen, lethargy, leg cramps and backache.
Seemeen

Just checking in again. Wrote about my dad,(Feb. 08 and May 1st) 77 yo white male, had been on Lipitor 7 years. After my mom passed away I got involved with his health. Read so much about the side effect of Lipitor - finally convinced him to GET OFF LIPITOR ASAS- he has been off since Feb. 4, 2008 and is slowly getting back to where he should be. About 85-90% better than he was 6 months ago. It is a shame that my he and my mom were bot able to do things last summer because he felt so bad. (He had muscle aches, spasms in his wrists, joint aches, bad nightmares, tossing and turning. Although he was also being treated for arthritis, his blood and xray showed none!) PLEASE take the first step and get off this drug - call your pharmacist if you are not sure, tell them your side effects.
It will take awhile to get back to your old self - but my dad is proof that it will get better.

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

My husband had a day fuzzy thinking and memory loss That scared me more then I can explain. With years of Joint pains back pains, loss of patiences and sometimes showing signs of depression for unknown reasons. He has a lot weakness in his arms and legs,he is tired more then ever. I thought he was just being lazy. constant fatigue and the shakes real bad. His knees pop in and out sometimes.
He difficulty with short-term memory and when we tell him things he did or said he has a hard time believing it. Also through the night he has to 'go' more often then ever. I always wondered where it came from.
Lipitor has almost destroyed our life in ways that we hope to be able to overcome in time. This is the only medicine he took so it has to be the BLAME.

My mother started on Lipator about a year ago, she's been having shakes that last about 30 seconds in her legs and one arm. The shakes come and go and she can go a month without them but they seem to have gotten worst. She also has a hard time walking 4 out of days a week, she feels like her legs aren't under her. She is always tired and has restless leg,sometimes at night. She has respiratory problem that also seems to have gotten worst in the past year.
She is seeing a nuro but a cat scan, eeg and blood have all come back ok. Do you thing these are common problems with Lipator?

I have been on lipator about 4 years 40mg.. started having leg pain. Being me I thought being over weight was the cause. I can hardly walk 20 steps. Doctor took me off the drug after speaking loudly about the symptoms. Unable to sleep an entire night. Life seems to not exist. Depressed....lazy...constant pain....take the max amount of Excedrin every day...no relief. If I could just wake up and have one day of painless living Oh what a blessing. This is unreal. When on rare ocassions I shop at the mall. I use the shopping cart as a walker. Sit down at every available bench or chair. Used to be fairly active. Rode motorcycles, fishing,yard work. Just everyday take for granted stuff. Its awful. Only been off the drug a couple days. I will be thankful when the pain goes away. P.Ode that a drug Rx'ed can cause such devastating affect on a human being and still be on the market.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wrote the message below on March 9th, 2008, but I think it might be useful if I repeat it.
_________________________

It`s very disturbing to read all these stories. I really feel for you.

My experience comes from seeing what happened to people close to me.

They all took statins.

I started to look for information on statins, and other medications in 2004 and it continues to this day although two of my relatives are dead.

I have nothing to do with the health or pharmaceutical industry.

I saw the suffering and it made me very angry.

I am an ordinary lady in her sixties who live in Sweden.

The situation is almost the same here as in the U.S.

There is very little discussion about risks/benefits with this kind of medicatications - or others.

I think it`s a good idea to turn to the Internet and books to get other views about the cholesterol issue.

Is it really true that it`s the cholesterol that is causing heart disease?

Are you sure?

Please visit:

www.thincs.org,

www.ravnskov.nu,

www.spacedoc.net, www.statinalert.org

Also search articles etc on "Stopped our statins" and on the names of the different authors below.

Also read:

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

The Truth about the Drug Companies (Marcia Agnell)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel M. Kauffman)

There are many more.

Please look on the Inernet for more information about each book.

It´s good to have some other information than the one given by doctors because most of them have been "educated" by the pharmaceutical companies themselves - and why should they talk about risks, side effects etc. They are interested in profits.

Finally - here are some side effects that I have seen:

pains in legs, hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, cracking noise in ribs, muscle weakness, loss of hair, head ache, burning, tingling sensations in hands and feet, numbness, difficulties to swallow, loss of taste, ringing noise in ears, cramps, insomnia, irritation, depression, difficulty with short-term memory and then advancing into more serious problems.

These side effects - for 3 different people - all over 65 - did not come at once.

All of them had taken statins for years (Zocor)

It doesn´t matter which product -all statins have similar side effects.

Search for "Stopped our statins" on Google. It´s a very informative site and under "print articles" there are som articles that you can take along to your doctor for discussion.

I particularly like the one from Weston Price Foundation
and explains the different statin studies and side effects. .

My relatives also had some other medications which makes it even easier for doctors (and patients) to say that it`s just old age.

I am happy for those who get problems right away because then there maybe a chance for the patient and the doctor to see that there is a connection.

You really have to look out for yourself and the people around you!

Good Luck.

I am 60years and a stroke survivor of ten years.
About 9 years ago started on Lipitor 20mg until about 18months ago prescribed 80mg.
Looking back I have symptoms for quite some time, and thought it must have been from tthe strokes.3 weeks ago had a CPK blood test showed my level was about 300 over recommended ratio. Have been nauseas, light headed as though I am going to fall (even when I turn my head in bed) bloated, very hungry, put on weight,stiffness, sore or aching muscles. Have been on Luvox for depression since the strokes chest pain, back pain, shoulder pain foggy vision again, aching under armpit and groin areas, irritable,and always seem tired and the list goes on, even my speech seems to be worse at times
Have had two weeks of Lipitor and started to feel better, but had to try them again for this week. See doctor Friday and I wish to say never again do I want to take another lipitor. I live in Australia and would like to find more info. Any advice would be appreciated.

Visited new physician, blood test showed recent spike in LDL level (+60 points). Test was non fasting, and not repeated. At follow-up visit, doc directed me to take Lipitor, and when I expressed concern about taking drug before trying diet and other tactics for lowering LDL, doctor brooked no discussion. I specifically expressed concern regarding dizziness, as I had had very severe neurological problems after taking a high level of an OTC at a doc direction for an unrelated problem. My concern was dismissed out of hand (I've never seen it in 20 years.) No return visit was scheduled at this time to check on efficacy. (A medical student was in the exam room, I never spoke with the doc alone, and the doc left the room and I never saw her again.

Without other immediate options for medical care, I filled the prescription for 20 mg of Lipitor. At about the second week, I began to experience severe neurological problems (dizziness, sense of no orientation of my body in space, trouble keeping upright, etc.) I received a card for a cardiology appointment shortly after the visit, and decided to hang on until the visit. The cardio doc said to me, "why are you here?" I told her that the appt. had been scheduled by the other doc's office, but told her what I knew. She took bp - told me it was fine (actually, it was prehypertensive), and then told me my high LDL was genetic, and I'd have to be on drugs for the rest of my life (56). Did not ask for family history, and ignored recent severe leg infection as a possible cause for the spike in LDL.

Having been offered no alternative, I decided to stop Lipitor on my own after 19 days on it. (I decided I would rather drop dead than feel as I did.) Not much improvement immediately. It took 30 days off it to have a day on which I felt well. I am into my second week since then, and have an occasional bad spell, but I am hopeful I'll have a full recovery from the neurological problems. I've been on my own low fat diet for the LDL, but don't know what effect that is having, and have no intention to visit a doctor to find out.

Interestingly, the FDA's Medwatch only allows reporting of severe side effects, and I didn't stay on Lipitor long enough to meet the definition (become disabled).

Hubby had angioplasty last month for 95% blockage and still has 75% blockage in two other arteries. Doctors put him on a handful of drugs (blood thinners, blood pressure meds, fish oil, aspirin) including Lipitor. Hubby has gone from healthy to being in constant pain, mostly in the legs. He had knee replacement last year and cant believe that this hurts worse! Also, his urine is darker and he has to 'go' more often. It's only been 1 month, but after reading up on the drugs, I've told him to refuse to take any more of the statins. I love him and want him around a long time, PAIN FREE. What's with these doctors?
For all of you who are suffering and wanting to get off the statins, increase your exercise to as much as you can stand, and then some! You'll not need the drugs anymore. Hubby and I are doing this as well as increasing our intake of legumes (my homemade bean soup for starters). I'd much rather he farts than cries in pain! Good luck to all and God bless you.

I'm a 52 yr old male who had a massive heart attack 14 months ago. I ended up with 3 stents. In the hospital, I was told I was probably one of the healthiest people they had seen with come through there in my condition. All my numbers were good, except for the triglycerides. Over the top.
So, anyways, we start a lipitor therapy. Within 6 months, I needed help to get up from a kneeling position. I had aches in my chest, abdomen, knees, the bottom of my feet hurt, I would wake in the middle of the night with a pain shooting up and down my legs. Up until that time, (I work in a large shop) concerned co-workers ask I how was doing and the topic of lipitor would come up.
This is when I started noticing the common underlying theme of aches and pains. Someone always knew somebody that was taking lipitor. Finally, the day I had to be helped up at work, I said that was enough. I was sure the lipitor was the problem. I stopped the lipitor and all the symptoms went away within a couple weeks.
My doctor had a fit when at my next visit I told him I wasn't taking that crap drug anymore. So, my next test was Kozar, I had the same problems.
Today I'm on crestor, (almost sounds like I'm sucking toothpaste) they are 10mg tabs, but I still whack 'em in half and so I can tolerate the symptoms. These side effects are not near as bad as the lipitor was.
I also found out, and I don't know why, but I started taking a multi-vitamin tab every other day ( only cause I'm allergic to those too) but, something in them seems to counteract against the side effects of stain drug. I felt super good for about 3 weeks on the one-a-days until the allergy's kicked in and I backed off on them.
But, in closing, after reading many of the postings, it still comes down to that doctor will not know everything that is going on in your body, the doctor probably will not spend anymore time on you than your 15 minute visit. It is up to you to research what options are available and use them.
I researched what triglycerides were and how to control them. I quit smoking and started daily exercising. I adjusted my diet. My recent tests show that so far the lifestyle change is working. My heart is stronger, my tubes a little cleaner.
Those crappy statin drugs are not a cure all pill of the day, but they do help. The more you change your habits, the less dosage you should need.

So, if you didn't anything out of my rambling, sorry, but at least take my one advice and get off that Lipitor.
Billy

I first reported the effects Lipitor had on my dad, white male age 77 in February 2008. He had been on Lipitor for about 7 years. Side effects of pain in hands, joints, muscles, tingling at wrist area, nightmares, tossing and turning. After much convincing, I took him off Lipitor Feb. 4th. It has only been 3 months, but he has done so well, not all the way free of hurt, but getting there. When arthritis doctor tested him, his tests showed no arthritis (possible cause for pain). Finally got his cholesterol checked last week and it is normal, we did put him on CoQ10 to help restore some things Lipitor takes out of your system. I am begging you all to find an alternative means to treat your cholesterol ( Fish oil tablets - with a total daily allowance of 1000 EPA and DHA combined) is a start. It took dad about 6 years of Lipitor before it really starting showing up, and luckily we got him off of it or he would be sitting in a chair in so much pain that he couldn't do anything.

I am 59 years old Asian male and have gone through six angioplasty and have seven stents in all three arteries in the year 02-03. No heart attack so far. I am taking 10 mg of Lipitor and can not tolerate 20 mg or higher strength because pain in the knee, thigh and leg increases. I tried to reduce my cholesterol by changing food, weight reduction and 40 minutes of tread mill at 5 mph, 5 days a week. I did not get the desired results i.e. keeping LDL below 70.
Since liver makes 80 % of cholesterol, I have to take 10 mg of Lipitor and tolerate the minor side effects. With change in diet, exercise, weight reduction, and 10 mg of Lipitor, I am able to reduce my total cholesterol from 247 to 116, LDL from 164 to 62 and increase HDL from 32 to 42.

I've been on Lipitor for 1 year and have all the side affects that you all are describing.
I've also developed an inflamed liver.
Any one else?
if I get more response, I'm seriously considering a lawsuit against the pharmacy company.

Tom

Trying to figure out if my back pain is like others. The pain is in the lower left side and groin area of both hips. I have trouble reaching my feet to put on shoes and socks. Ive been on Lipitor 20 for about 5 years and have never had a problem before. This started about 6 months ago and even with heat and stretching it seems to get worse. It hurts when I stand for any length of time. It hurts to walk or run. It hurts very badly if I try to straddle something like an ATV or a horse. When I sleep (if I can) I sometimes have to put a pillow between my legs and lay on my side because it hurts a lot to bring my legs together. Feel free to email me at ******

I have been reading about the side effects of lipitor for several days now and am scared silly! I have been taking it for nearly 5 years now. My doc warned me about the muscle weakness/pain when I began taking it, but I didn't have any problems and it definitely provided good results for my cholesterol level. During the past several months though, I've begun to have severe symptoms. Actually, looking back, I realize I've had some of these symptoms for awhile but they were so easily attributable to other causes that I didn't pay close enough attention. I am weak to the point of not being able to walk a city block without being tired; my breathing is so labored sometimes just moving around my apartment is a problem. My knees and lower legs are painful, especially after walking. I get frequent, painful spasms in my lower arms and wrists. My speech has become slurred (I sound drunk) and my voice very hoarse - both so much so that people have trouble understanding me. I have trouble concentrating, am forgetful and am often dizzy and light-headed. I take medication for GERD, hypothyroidism, depression and asthma. But in case you think these symptoms could be from one of those (as I did!), I can assure you that I have had multiple tests which determined my thyroid levels are good, my BP is excellent, I have no signs of cardiac disease or diabetes, no sign of any type of stroke, no signs of any type of cancer or blood disease, no sign of pulmonary problems (other than asthma). I stopped taking Lipitor four days ago after consulting my doc. But I got to tell you, I am scared to death that I've been on this drug so long these symptoms won't go away. Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome.

Have been on Lipitor for a year. I'm fighting fatigue and depression, difficulty sleeping and slight dizziness, a generalized backache, and a sensitivity to touch. After finding this website, I'm going to try going without it. I hate having no energy, I used to be very active and am now too tired to do anything. I hope statins do not turn out to be the hormone replacement scandal of the 2000s.

Let me begin by telling you that I am a nurse with 28 years experience. My father is 76 years old with a history of cardiac problems. He has been on Lipitor for 8 years. In the past two months he has developed muscle pain that had gotten to the point he could hardly walk. His doctor diagnosed him with "arthritis." His joints did not hurt and I questioned his diagnosis. What he has is fibromyalgia. Muscle dysfunction caused by Lipitor. We have taken him off of the drug and he is improving. In place of Lipitor he now takes 2000 milligrams of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is a natural way to control cholesterol. In my opinion I suggest anyone taking symvistatin in any form should stop immediately. It is a very dangerous drug. If you think this is what you have please request your physician order the following two tests.....CPK and serum myogluten levels. Cholesterol is very important to muscle function and that is why it is produced by the body. Zocor, Lipitor, ( symvistatin) inhibits the production thus lowering the level. Let me add that prior to this condition onset my dad was riding his bike 3 plus miles a day and could out walk me any day of the week. This drug has disabled him. We are hoping for a full recovery but that is yet to be seen.
Thank you ******

Just checking in after nearly a year or so, during which I cut my 10 mg Lipitor dose in HALF! I knife the little white pills down the middle and take 5 mg per day. My doctor did not notice any difference and HDL/LDL etc, are still in the range he likes. So, let's see about symptoms. The Plantar's Fasciitis is still there, but much improved, probably because I gave up full court basketball (at age 55). I have a few other symptoms that I recognize from others posting about them, such as occasional muscle ticks, general malaise, and sleep disorders, but, in general, I seem to be tolerating the 5 mg dose better than the 10 mg dose, AND, most importantly, it IS at a therapeutic level. I have not mentioned this to my Dr., and will keep it that way. If he can't tell, then my plan is working, sort of.

I really think Lipitor is poison and will eventually kill anyone who uses it, but am hoping I can cheat the hangman with the 5mg doses. I don't want to go back to cholesterol readings in the 250-plus range, because heart disease is the big killer in my family.

We'll see how 5 mg goes. I'm not suggesting anyone else necessarily should try this, but I was amazed that the numbers on my labs were almost identical as the 10mg.

I am 54, I was diagnosed with diabetes type l in 2003. I started showing high cholesterol levels about 2 years ago. When it reached 280 I was prescribed Lipitor 10 mg at first after no improvement it was increased to 20mg. I was very much against this. I have problems with muscle pain, and dizziness.
I checked into an alternative from a doctor who is an MD but prefers natural solutions if possible. I stopped the Lipitor without the knowledge of my primary physician and started taking fish oil 3600mg daily in the evening.
9 weeks later both my cholesterol and triglycerides were normal. I told him about the fish oil, but he wanted me to continue the Lipitor, because diabetics should be on some type of statin medication to help protect the heart. I have visited a couple of sites and haven't anyone talking about liver function problems. I have had an ultra sound for my liver which showed some problems, I am still waiting on some of the tests to return. I also have an appointment to schedule a liver biopsy. When reading my first lab results his first words were." Your results are uncommonly abnormal, stop taking the Lipitor, I am going down and get an ultra sound set up for you." "You might be thinking it could be the diabetes causing this. My diabetes is completely under control, and haven't tested high sugar levels since first diagnosed. I don't drink or smoke. I would like to know if others have had problems with liver function tests being abnormal. Please everyone remember my doctors first response to the abnormal tests stop the Lipitor immediately, it wasn't let's run some other tests to see the cause, because you need the Lipitor as protection for your heart. This medication works in the liver which we only have one of, and it is an extremely vital organ for maintaining health on several levels.

I do think the drug maker should put more emphasize on the side effect! I do believe maybe 98% people who take Lipitor without side effect that is why lots of doctors just ignored this fact. I was on Lipitor for two month with daily dose 10mg. Right after one month, I started neck pain with no reason and lasted a month didn't improve at all. Luckily, I thought about the possible Lipitor side effect so that I stopped to take it. Amazingly, just one day without Lipitor, my neck pain almost went away! I tried on/off Lipitor couple times again, and the results were consistent. But, when I revisited the doctor who prescribed Lipitor for me, he just don't believe this fact! He don't believe I had Lipitor side effect at all and prescribed me some pain killer, and asked to continue on Lipitor!
Thanks to the internet technology! I found this website and knowing so many people do have Lipitor side effect! Because this experience, I realized my mother complained back pain for more than a month with no reason, and she was also on Lipitor. I called her, and just two days after stop taking Lipitor, her back pain gone, she can walk again!
Initially, I angry about the doctor! Why he don't follow drug maker directions about the side effect! Then, I realized that in fact the doctor may never encountered Lipitor side effect either patients don't know it is the side effect or most of patients who don't have the side effect at all! I could argue that a doctor is a high trained professional, who should play cautions! Second thought doctors are human too, once they used to the impression Lipitor has no side effect, they may easily miss the warning sign, even ignored the clear fact like my doctor did!
In my view, both doctors and the drug maker responsible for the people suffering Lipitor side effect, but of cause, the law sue against the drug maker is more effective for lawyers!

I took 10 mg of Lipitor daily for over a year and a half.

This winter the aches in my joints seemed much worse and vague, over-all aching seemed to take over my body at times. The aches seemed to move around and be non-specific at times. I thought I might have fibromyalgia and ordered some kind of balm formulated to relieve that - but nothing seemed to help. I am 69 years old, very active, and suddenly I felt like I was 100 years old. In fact, my father lived to be 99 and he felt better at 99 than I did at 69! I got to the point that I was having nights when I did not sleep at all and I couldn't figure out what was happening to me. My toes went numb on both feet.

On my own I stopped Lipitor 4 days ago and I'm already a new person. I'm disgusted that professionals aren't more reluctant to prescribe this stuff for patients, and once prescribed that they don't monitor patients closely for these symptoms. I'm hoping that my numb toes will not return. Already I'm sleeping 6 hours straight at night. I can't believe this prescription has been getting away Scott free without being treated like a danger to some patients.

I wonder how much "fibromyalgia" is Lipitor-related?

I had to get off of Lipitor while taking 5 weeks of predisone...I am now having TERRIBLE headaches ...is this a symptom of Lipitor withdraw?

I'm a 46 years old male normally good shape,I was put on Lipitor due to high cholesterol and family history of heart problems.I've been on lipitor for four years , 2years on 10mg, 1 years on 40mg and 1 year on 80 mg.
The last 6 months I have been experiencing severe archiles tendonitis to the point where I can hardly walk. I am extremely disatisfied with this drug and have read a lot of complaints regarding this drug.

Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Please reply to this post.

Thank You

My doctor increased my Lipitor from 10 mg to 40 mg after my physical in January. My cholesterol was only 182 and my LDL was good. I am now being checked for rhabdomyolysis - a rare but serious complication from the muscle pain and weakness caused by the Lipitor. I never had these problems while taking 10 mg and I have no idea why he increased my dosage so much. I am miserable with neck, shoulder, and back pain and have been for a month. I thought I had hurt myself at the gym and have even been seeing a chiropractor for the pain. My urine is very dark, indicating possible kidney damage and I am so tired I can hardly make it through the day. My depression has worsened despite doubling the dose of my anti-depressant and I have no motivation to do anything. I am looking for an alternative to statin therapy, as I am a 38yo insulin-dependant diabetic and am at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Any suggestions out there on alternatives?

I am now 66 and was on Lipitor for about 10 years and was gradually getting worse, right to the point that my doctor gave me a Hand-I-Cap sticker for my car. I had hip and leg pain so severe I couldn’t function. Not once did my doctor mention Lipitor as a cause but he did have me go through a battery of tests including and MRA to examine circulation, low and behold he told me I had a blockage in my groin and that poor circulation was causing the pain. You guessed it, and arteriogram showed no blockage.

By chance I had watched a person who was only in his 40’s go from a robust person to finally having to use crutches just to get around. Then about a year later I saw him again and he was his old self again. I asked if he had surgery or what he did to recover so quickly and that is when I found out about all of the damage satin drugs can/will do.

I immediately took myself off of Lipitor and now 6 months later I can walk short distances without sever pain. Someday I hope the effect of satin drugs wears off but at my age I will never get back all of the things I missed because of drug companies greed.

I have just read Maxineps very long text about the benefits of statins.

I totally disagree that the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Besides - don´t be sure that it`s hig cholesterol that is causing heart problems and therefore should be lowered.

There are other opinions by professional people all over the world, but they don´t have the financial resources that the pharmaceutical companies have and therefore it`s more difficult for them to reach out with their message.

The best thing you can do is to educate yourself on this issue and here are som books/addresses that I recommend..

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov) + www.ravnskov.nu + www.thincs.org

The Great Cholesterol Con (Antony Colpo)

Book with the same title (Malcolm Kendrick)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel M. Kauffman)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

The side effects of statins are much more common than is suggested.

They are often thought to be problems of aging both by the patient and by the doctor.

So, please trust yourself.

It`s your body and you know best how you are feeling.

Please see the first article I have found that doctors actually will state the relationship for possible fatal myopathy;also - please see the drug Company staements itself- said that 1 out of 1000 patients - has adverse effects- as though this is SMALL????? that is HUGE by any standards.
Next - I am researching to see what -if any treatments exist for statin induced myopathy-as least- my friends- it ( the medical syndrome -now has a name.) Maxine in FL

Can Statins Cause Chronic Low-Grade Myopathy?
Statins (hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase
inhibitors) are highly effective drugs for reducing serum
cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials have shown that they also reduce risk for
coronary heart disease events, coronary procedures, and
stroke by about one third (1). Millions of people in the
United States and worldwide are being treated with statins.
In clinical trials and in clinical practice, statins have proved
to be remarkably safe.
The one notable side effect of statin therapy is myopathy.
A small fraction of patients who are treated with
statins will develop severe myopathy (2). In the worst cases,
severe myoglobinuria, acute renal failure, and even death
can occur. The incidence of severe myopathy is low, perhaps
1 in 1000 patients (2). Predisposing factors for severe
myopathy appear to include advanced age, relatively low
body weight, female sex, certain medications, use of multiple
medications, multisystem disease, and acute illnesses
or major surgery (3). If statins were avoided or used in low
doses in these circumstances, it is likely that the incidence
of severe myopathy could be greatly reduced.
Less severe forms of myopathy undoubtedly occur. In
some patients, fatigue and muscle pain and weakness develop
with moderately high serum creatine kinase levels
but not acute renal failure. In these cases, the myopathy
resolves when statin therapy is discontinued.
Still more patients report various muscle symptoms—
fatigue, pain, and muscle weakness—but have normal creatine
kinase levels. These symptoms probably are unrelated
to statin therapy in many patients. In middle-aged and
older people, muscle, joint, and tendon symptoms are very
common. Naturally, if a patient takes a medication that is
believed to produce muscle problems, symptoms are often
attributed to the medication. On the other hand, the major
controlled clinical trials have not detected a higher prevalence
of muscle symptoms during statin therapy versus placebo
(1). This failure of detection has generally led clinical
trialists to conclude that statin-associated myopathy with
normal creatine kinase levels essentially does not exist or
that, if it does exist, it cannot be detected above the “background
noise” of muscle symptoms in the general clinicaltrial
population.
Many physicians in clinical practice nonetheless believe
that they can identify a subset of statin-treated patients
who have a unique set of statin-related muscle symptoms.
Some patients clearly relate the onset of muscle
symptoms to initiation of statin therapy. These symptoms
may abate after discontinuation of therapy, only to reappear
when statin therapy is restarted. The number of such
patients is not large, and thus it may have been impossible
to identify them in large clinical trials.
In this issue, Phillips and colleagues (4) report on a set
of studies in four patients who had muscle symptoms during
statin therapy that resolved during placebo use. Quantitatively
measured muscle weakness also resolved during
placebo use. Muscle biopsies were performed in three patients
during statin therapy and then during placebo use.
Several pathologic changes were seen on biopsy specimens
obtained during statin therapy: increased lipid content of
mitochondria, fibers that did not stain for cytochrome oxidase
activity, and ragged red fibers. The authors suggest
that these patients had statin-associated myopathy with
normal serum creatine kinase levels.
Despite the study’s small size, we cannot dismiss these
observations as random variation in muscle structure.
However, these highly suggestive results are clearly preliminary.
The number of patients was small, and all appropriate
controls were not used. Nonetheless, this study is novel
because it used quantitative measures of muscle strength
and muscle biopsy to address the question of myopathy
with normal creatine kinase levels during statin therapy.
To be confirmed, the current data would have to be
extended to many more patients in whom muscle symptoms
are closely correlated with statin use. Reproducibility
of symptoms during therapy and symptom resolution after
discontinuation of statin therapy would be necessary. A
definitive study would have to be carefully designed and
executed. It would need to be double-blinded and placebocontrolled
and include sufficient numbers of patients to
provide a valid statistical comparison. In addition, investigators
would have to carefully consider the appropriate
selection of patients. The development of a registry of candidate
patients at multiple sites could facilitate a multicenter
study.
Is a carefully controlled, sizable study of this type
worth the investment of time and effort? To date, no evidence
indicates that prolonged statin therapy leads to permanent
muscle damage or progressive myopathy in patients
with normal creatine kinase levels. Controlled
clinical trials attest to the general safety of statins, and
symptomatic side effects appear to be limited to a relatively
small proportion of treated patients. In addition, no therapy
prevents or treats statin-induced myopathy, short of
withholding the drug. On the other hand, statins are being
prescribed to millions of people, and are usually continued
throughout the patient’s lifetime. It is certain that statins
cause myopathy in some patients. For these reasons, a valid
argument can be made for a more extensive study of lowgrade
myopathy in patients treated with statins.
In the meantime, physicians should recognize the great
benefit of statin therapy in high-risk patients and their
documented safety for most patients. For high-risk persons,
the proven efficacy for preventing cardiovascular disease
outweighs the unlikely possibility of permanent muscle
damage. Phillips and colleagues’ preliminary results
certainly do not provide adequate information on the spec-
Editorial
www.annals.org 1 October 2002 Annals of Internal Medicine Volume 137 • Number 7 617
trum, scope, or prognosis of myopathy with normal creatine
kinase levels during statin therapy. For these reasons,
prescription of statins for eligible patients should continue
despite the current results. Moreover, before discontinuing
therapy, physicians should carefully evaluate any patient
receiving statins who reports muscle symptoms. In most
cases, the symptoms will be found not to be consistent
with chronic myopathy, and often they will not be related
temporally to statin treatment. High-risk patients in particular
should not be deprived of major cardiovascular risk
reduction just because they display symptoms not clearly
documented to be closely related to statin therapy.
Despite these comments, the actions of statin on muscle
metabolism and structure deserve further investigation
to clarify the confusing area of low-grade myopathy apparently
associated with statin use in a few patients.
Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, TX 75390-9052
Current Author Address: Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD, Center for
Human Nutrition and the Departments of Clinical Nutrition and Internal
Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Y3.206, Dallas, TX 75390-9052.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Honoraria (from Merck &
Co.; Pfizer, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Bayer); Grants (from Merck
& Co. and Pfizer, Inc.)
Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:617-618.
References
1. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment
of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;
285:2486-97.
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I tried taking Lipitor on two occations for several weeks each. About a week into each attempt at using Lipitor I began having sustantial pain in my left shoulder. This was severe enough I also began taking nsaids for arthritus with limited relief. After discontinuing Lipitor for about 3 weeks my shoulder pain slowly dimminished. The following month I made another attempt to take Lipitor for several weeks with the same results. Currently I am not taking Lipitor or Artritis medicine and am pain free.

I am 54 I took lipitor 20 mg for one day and 14 hours later I couldn't void so I went to the Dr. for sx of a uti. Was told keep taking the lipitor sent home on an atb. A week later started getting acne thought it might be a reaction to the atb, so I kept taking the lipitor. All along I started with muscle pain but everyone I knew taking lipitor had those side effects. My pain increased but I thought I must have to get used to it. Day 13, I started with heavy menstrual bleeding, now I have not had a period for three years so we ladies know this is not normal. The female Dr. did an
ultra sound and it showed I was menopausal and everything was normal no cause for the bleeding and yes it couldn't be the lipitor. I had stopped it on day 13 but I still do not feel any better so I found your web site and I hope we all feel better soon and I wouldn't reccommend this drug for anyone.