There are 927 ratings for the drug: LIPITOR in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for lipitor: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken		Date Added
				F  M
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2	High cholesterol	The drug worked well to lower my cholestorol from 8.5 to <3. Of late I have ben getting pain on the sole of my feet and find it dificult to stand or walk for too long. Hands are also tender and tingle, Often forgetful and tired to point of lacking energy to exercise. Lack libido. I also feel hot and am more sensitive to sunlight. After reading similar comments, I am off to see my doctor to change medication.		M	48	3 years		2/7/2010
1	slightly high cholesterol	impotence		M	48	1 years		1/24/2010
1	HIgh Cholesterol	Pain in joints and muscles, including knees, ankles feet wrist shoulders and elbows. Unable to even climb 1 flight of stairs. Weight gain (due to no activity from pain?) Headaches, fatigue, confusion and memory loss. Uncontrollable gas and diarrhea as well as a burning in my stomach.	Dr. never mentioned stopping medication. Just physical therapy and pain medication.	F	48	14 months		1/15/2010 Email
3	High Cholesterol	unexplained cough. Doctors was unaware of this being a side effect of the drug. I stopped using it 3 days ago and the cough is gone. Last week, also stopped for two days and the cough stopped. Each time I go back to taking Lipitor, I begin to cough heavily.		F	55	3 years		1/13/2010
1	high cholesterol	Aches and pains, breathing difficulties, panic attacks, stength and stamina destroyed, palpatations, strong tingling in one hand, some tinititis and occassional ear aches.	Have mentioned symptoms as they appeared to my doctor only to be prescribed zorloft for depression and anxiety and noten for heart palpatations. This in turn has seriously upset my stomach which the doctor prescribed yet another drug for. 40 mg dose Lipitor worked well in reducing my overall cholesterol levels; which are high in my family. The last 6 months of my life have been a health nightmare. I was a fit, strong and very active person 5 years ago. Now I am struggling walking too far and functioning in general. I have only been off lipitor for 2 weeks so time will tell if lipitor is to blame for my deteriorated health; winding down on the noten and zorloft as well. I am trying the VitC, CoQ10 and omega 3 path.	M	45	5 years		1/8/2010
5	high cholesterol	none	I recommend Lipitor and it has worked well for me for over 15 years.	F	65	15 years		1/5/2010
1	High Cholesterol	dosage was increased from 10 to 20 mg and the tingling and numbness in my feet and shins escalated. I even went to a podiatrist because my toes ached and my feet hurt. I've tried simvastatin, provastatin, and lovastatin. Each time the side effects return. I can't even sleep at night because of the sensations of tingling in my legs and feet. No more statins for me. Does anyone else have the pain in their toes, feet and shins?		F	62	4 years		1/5/2010
2	kidney disease(iga) stage 4	muscle wasting in the shoulders and arms,nerve problems in shoulder , fatigue and very sensative to the cold.	started on 10mg raised to 20.numbers are great with the bloods but symtoms gradually got worse.ive just stopped taking them,going to start high dose fish oil,coenzyme10,vit c and alpha lipoic acid and see what the next bloods say,please note other meds were taken at the same time as the lipitor- ramipril and metoptolol &acid reducers for gout,so anybodies guess?	M	47	5 years		1/3/2010 Email
2	High Cholestrol	Brain fog and decreased cognitive skills.	Does wonders for reducing LDL Cholestrol. Short term memory and brain fog were brutal. Since I also have anxiety issues, I was not sure if Lipitor caused side effects. Stopped liptor and improved diet and memory improved.	M	49	8 years		12/27/2009
1	High Cholesterol	Short term memory affected, loss of concentration levels, Dizzy, hightened Anxiety Levels,generaly feeling unwell like walking in a daze (Zombie like) Weakness in Leg Muscles. All of these where a gradual onset over time making it harder to identify the course	Terrible Medication! Ruined me every day quality of life! I was not surprised that many People reported similar and worst effects. Stay off it and find some other means to controll your cholesterol if you can. Big Money spinner for Lipitor who m ake Billions from it each year and it is making People quite sick. Naturepath for my options.	M	54	3 years		12/26/2009
1	High Cholesterol	Severe leg pain and weakness, muscle cramps in legs, feet, arms, ribs, face.	I went from being a normal, active 46 year old male doing my job and normal activities of life until taking Lipitor. I took 20mg. for approximately 1 year, then started noticing the muscle problems so I discontinued it. That was about a year ago and I am still having severe pain and weakness in my muscles, especially the legs. I can barely make it up one flight of stairs to get to my office at work. Have no social activities now, can't even stand to fish anymore. I regret the day I ever took a statin drug and will warn everyone I talk to about the devastating effects of these drugs.	M	47	12 months		12/22/2009 Email
1	High Cholesterol	Initially there were no side effects. It took the better part of two years for them to start appearing. During that time, my "numbers" were doing great! But then, very gradually, things began to change. Fatigue was the first symptom for me. It hit hard! I was retireing at 9PM when it used to be 11:30. Then the muscle and joint pain kicked in. I felt much older than I was. My family noticed the short term memory loss before I did. It was very embarrasing for me. The blisterey rash on my arms and legs had me concerned even more. What was wrong with me? Is this what old age(62) should normally bring? When my vision became blurry, I started my search. That was in June of 2007. By August 07, I was off Lipitor for good. My cardiologist tried various substitutes without luck until we got to Simivastatin which seemed to work without the side effects.		M	66	2.5 years		12/21/2009 Email
1	high cholesterol	sudden onset severe depression	It worked very well the first time it was prescribed and I lost 20 pounds using it with exercise and diet. When this medication was combined with a SSRI it failed to reduce my HDL cholesterol in a meaningful amount and it caused intense anxiety attacks and short periods of intense depression.	M	26	8 months		12/21/2009
1	high cholesterol	muscle aches in legs	I tried 10mg a day for 6 days but developed muscle pain in legs. Doctor is now putting me on 10mg once a week to see if I can "tolerate" that dosage. Thanks to all you guys for a heads-up on what can happen with this drug as it is nice not to be blindsided by the medical community. Thanks again to everybody who posts here!!	M	52	6 days		12/19/2009
1	high cholesterol	headache, insomnia,sore hip(tightIT band), depression	had to stop taking it too many side affects, lowerd my cholesterol nicely but made me miserable with each passing month.	M	60	8 months		12/19/2009
3	High Cholesterol	Severe foot pain.		F	45	2 weeks		12/17/2009
5	High cholesterol due to diabetis 2	This med worked wonders for me.Am only gratefull to the pharmaceutical company that makes it.My lipids are at normal level in the past 2 H1C tests.As adiabetic you are at higher risk for stroke and heart attack so taking Lipitor defininitely lowers the risk.No side effects.	Expensive medicine but luckily my insurance covers it.	F	43	8 months		12/15/2009 Email
1	High Cholesterol	Congestion, cough, elbows burning, right heel pain, loss of concentration.	I initially couldn't tell I was taking it. About two years ago I started waking up with significant congestion with clear phlem. Chest xray was clear. My doctor suspected allergies. Having 2 pets that seemed reasonable. About a year ago my elbows would burn like fire at times when I rested my arms on a surface. This would come and go. I also began having trouble focusing while reading and would skip around. Two months ago my right heel became painful for no reason. The more I walked on it the worse it felt. I switched shoes with no change. It hurt enough that I began to worry I might end up on disability if it got much worse. I was recently out of state for two weeks and still had congestion in spite of being in a totally different environment. That was when I suspected the Lipitor and did some research on line and saw matches with all of my symptoms. I immediately stopped it and the next morning the congestion was 80% less. I saw my doctor who agreed I need to stop it. He explained that there are a lot of side affects and there is no way to predict who will get which ones or when they will develop. The blood tests give a false sense of security since the results (like mine) can be normal yet other serious issues can develop.	M	57	5 years		12/15/2009 Email
1	high cholesterol due to diabetes	Dizziness,falls,poor memory,loss of fine motor skills,stiffness in legs, sore feet	I began having falls shortly after starting lipitor approx 5years ago.Had an EEG at that time with no abnormalities. Had another EEG 6months ago with Frontal Lobe abnormalities which I suspect is due to Lipitor. Started on 20mg and progressed to 80mg	F	56	5 years		12/11/2009 Email
2	cholesterol	pain in my legs,loss of sense of smell,increase appetite,headaches,extreme fatigued,tingling in my arms and legs		F	49	3 weeks		11/25/2009
1	high cholesterol	Swollen and stiff knees and elbows, mental distress, others that I am now only becoming aware of after reading many of these others testimonials	After being on Lipitor for 2 years my knees and elbows were getting increasingly stiff and sore. I'm a painter by trade and largely attributed it to over use of my joints. Repetitive stress syndrome. I went to my doctor, he sent me to an arthritis specialist, I had x-rays...nothing was found. I felt like an old (older) man during this period, I thought I was finished in terms of my trade and the things I enjoy most, like hiking. My prescription of lipitor ran out a few months after these tests were done. I didn't bother refilling it right away and noticed my knees and elbows felt better. I renewed the prescription and no sooner had I started taking it again that I felt the stiff joints return. So I stopped taking it, the stiffness goes away, started again, stiffness returns. After telling my doctor this story, right away he says "oh yeah, that's probably right" Pardon!? So why didn't you mention that possibility before all the tests? (luckily since I live in Canada, these tests were all covered by our health care system) I didn't make the connection to lipitor earlier because stiff, swollen joints were not listed as one of the side effects. Sore muscles yes, stiff swollen joints, no. I can see the class action suits coming against Pfizer.	M	53	2 days		11/21/2009
1	High Cholesterol	Was put on lipitor 3 months ago because of high cholesteral. Took for a month and seemed to have problems with feet, etc but kept taking. I had tests done after a month. My doctor sent a letter and said to cut the dose in half for a month and have tests again. After my second set of tests she called me and told me to go off completely. She said she realized that my cholesteral would go back up, but CPK is of concern. Was raised to mid 200's. After a month I went in and of course my cholesteral was back up and my CPK level was elevated to over 500. Now am having another blood test a week later. Not sure what it will show but I feel horrible. Tingly hands, terrible musche aches. She told me "no excercise" until we determine what the problem is with CPK level. My husband said my face looks puffy. My eyes hurt all the time. I look sickly. This is horrible. Never again! DON'T TAKE THIS!!!!!!!		F	55	2 months		11/18/2009 Email
1	Diabetes Diagnosis	Muscle/joint pains, gastric upsets, insomnia, memory loss, anxiety, frozen shoulder ..... to name but a few.	The medical profession should be made to advise patients more about the side-effects. Spotting them early can mean the difference between swift resolution or a lifetime of misery.	M	53	6 years		11/3/2009 Email
1	high cholesterol	muscle pain in back; insomnia	muscles on the sides of my back were constantly painful; I could not sleep even with ambien and melatonin. I only took it 9 days and it took a week for symptoms to gradually disappear	F	60	9 days		11/1/2009
2	high cholesterol	Extreme tiredness, dizziness, memory loss, moody		F	48	2 years		10/1/2009
1	high cholos.	leg pain, loss of memory, loss of libido and lack of sleep.		M	72	6 days		9/25/2009
1	high Colestrol	Leg pains, loss of memory, E.D. and sleep loss.	I was never told of these possible side effects	M	72	4 months		9/20/2009
1	Reduce Cholesterol	I am the advocate for my father who took this drug for 8 months before he passed from an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2005. The patient data is reported for him by me. Briefly, my research during my advocacy efforts during his illness indicated that this drug may have contributed to the onset of his particular form of brain cancer (glial cell related cancer). That cancer was diagnosed 6 months after his initial Rx for Lipitor -- he died 2 months after his initial cancer diagnosis. There were no warning signs, deterioration was very fast and debilitating -- he was a "model" totally healthy individual by conventional medical standards.	My father was vibrant and could work any teen into the ground for a 75 year old, had great cholesterol numbers, but he was a cardiac patient. He and the cardiologist agreed to go to Lipitor to see if they could drive LDL below 100 (his lipid profile was very, very good by usual medical standards). I will say that there was no way any doctor could have known this would happen (my research showed that Lipitor could contribute to this cancer with prior risk factors for it which would have to have been environmental exposure and from what I know of my father's work history experience), but it would help if conventional medicine would listen to patients and their families about experiences that we all are reporting in places such as this. My father could not speak for himself as his form of brain cancer was so aggressive that he went from a totally normal guy walking with a cane from initial neurological damage at inital dx for brain cancer to bedridden, unable to speak, feed himself, do anything for himself in 10 days. Don't know if this will really help anybody -- but just please be cautious with Rx medicines and advocate for yourself; you may not know everthing, but you do know best about what you are experiencing with these Rxs.....keep doing your research, tell your doctor anything you find relevent about your life as it relates to Rxs you are given, and advocate hard for your quality of life.	M	75	8 months		9/19/2009
4	high LDL and triglycerides	None for three years, then bam! Toes became so painful I couldn't stand it, as did leg neuropathy.	Lipitor made my cholesterol numbers improve greatly for three years. But alas, the side effects finally showed up with a vengeance, and I can no longer take Lipitor.	M	61	3 years		9/7/2009
1	borderline high cholesterol	pain!!!!! I felt like I had sever arthritic condition. even tried two times per week with same results.	tried other statins with same side effect . presently on crestor one time per week with occasional side effect of mild pain. MD said one time a week can be very effective for patients that have reaction to statins. Have not had bloodwork as yet to see if helped	F	60	4 months		9/7/2009
1	to lower Cholestorol	Severe pain in my calf muscles in my legs started about 7 months after taking the drug. My doctor kept me on it and insisted this was a common side effect. I complained for several months and then he switched me to another drug (Crestor) and the problems persisted. He then switched me to (Zochor). Finally I informed my doctor the pain was too severe and I was stopping as I found I could not even walk in the morning! The cramps persisted for months and then I tore a tendon in my ankle and months later my knee. I have had surgery but to no avail. I still have some form of pain daily. Before Lipitor I was in excellent shape and exercised regularly with no issues at all. I have never been the same. By the way 10Mg of Lipitor lowered my cholesterol 100 points but it was not worth it. This drug ruined my life!	Stop taking at first sign of muscle pain!	M	49	10 months		9/1/2009 Email
3	High Cholesterol	Taking 10 mg. and experiencing pain in feet and legs, including terrible leg cramps. Also have difficulty sleeping, occasional headaches and fatigue. Sex drive has decreased too. Wondering if the benefits are worth putting up with all of this.	Cholesterol dropped from 225 to 145, but will ask doctor for an alternative.	M	62	1 years		8/28/2009
1	cholesterol 206	Pain in shoulders joints to the point it was impossible to reach for anything above my shoulders. Quit taking it and was back to normal in two months. My doctor said it was arthritis or bursitus due to my age. He still would rather I be a cripple and go back on Lipitor.		F	60	6 months		8/23/2009
1	high cholesterol	leg pains,balance off,back pain (Lower and upper) finger pins and needles,brain vague. stomach pain, palpitations and feeling desperately miserable	off medication after 15 yrs of suffering..I feel a lot better but still have leg and back pain .. I did this myself after consulting the doctor and taking him a print out of a web site with all symptoms listed.. he tore it up .. I will look for a new doctor and hope I am doing the right thing..don't take this its poison. Take raw oat meal sprinkled on your meal.....	F	68	15 years		8/22/2009
2	high cholesterol	Joint pain in the knees and hips. Pain in the shoulders. A tingling sensation in the back of my neck. Tinnitus. Weak muscles.	Lipitor did lower my cholesterol, and I had no side effects for 2.5 years. Now my legs , shoulders, and hips ache. The most acute pain is in the legs. Stiffness is more prevalent in he morning. Getting out of bed is painful. The nurse practitioner did admit that these side effects can occur after 2 to 3 years. She suggested that I stop taking it for a few weeks. I stopped 2 months ago, and will not take it again. The tingling in the neck has stopped, but the leg and shoulder pain has not abated. I am 70 years old, weigh 167 lbs, exercise daily, don't smoke, and eat fruits and vegetables. I drink wine in moderation, haven't drank coffee or tea in over 20 years, but I do eat red meat in moderation. I will take my chances with elevated levels of high cholesterol, and only hope that the muscle damage is not permanent.	M	70	2.8 years		8/20/2009 Email
1	High Lipids	Memory Loss		F	61	2 weeks		8/11/2009
5	High Cholesterol	None that I have noticed	My Cholesterol is under control and my tests are excellent. I have the liver checked each time I have bllod work and all is fine.	M	62	4 years		8/10/2009
5	High Cholesterol & High Triglycerid	I just had a blood test done as part of a routine physical. Some values indicate liver disease. Wondering if it is from Lipitor. Has anyone else out there developed liver damage from Lipitor. Please e-mail me.	Lipitor seems to work, but I am very concerned about the side effects now. I have been taking Lipitor probably over 5 years. Also have experienced leg cramps, mental confusion, but thought it was just the aging process.	F	65			8/7/2009 Email
4								8/7/2009
2	blocked arteries and cholesterol	sore muscles, memory loss, insomnia	seems to work on cholesterol but there should be a better way	M		10 years		8/1/2009 Email
5	High Cholesterol	No side effects	Cut my cholesterol in half, no side effects that I've been aware of.	M	33	2 years		7/20/2009
2	Hich cholesterol	neck pain/back spasms/foggy thinking/insomnia	I took this drug for 1.5 years. Great results..but the side effects were very negative as listed above. My dr. reviewed my complaints and agreed that it wasn't worth it. I am going to do a diet and excercise change. 60 days blood check and then look at natural options/red rice/increase omega 3/ect. No more statins for me. I don't have plaque so I have options. My husband has a high plaque count so he doesn't.	F	58	1.5 years		7/8/2009
3	High LDL (100)	Not aware of any side effects.	I'm currently on the maximum dose allowable... 80mg/day. In an attempt to get my LDLs lower, my doctor is considering switching me from Lipitor to Crestor.	M	70	10 years		7/2/2009
1	High BP	I took this drug for 2 years before onset of joint pain (knees)and painfull welts on bottom of feet (had to use cane to walk). Initially, my quack MD put me on anti-inflam. drugs. Subsequently, I quit the drug and the MD. All symptoms subsided completely. However, I had a milder reaction to Zocor; dizziness with Pravachol; now on Zetia (mild joint pain). I believe that Lipitor left me with permanent joint damage and would join any class-action lawsuit relating to this crumby drug Lipitor.		M	61	4 years		7/1/2009 Email
3	High cholesteral, low HDL	I was on 5mg - cut a 10mg pill in half. After about 2 weeks taking it I woke up with leg cramps. During the day if I squatted (e.g. in the garden) or tried to get on a ladder I got foot/leg cramps. I mentioned it to my doctor who said "it couldn't possibly be related to the Lipitor". It kept getting worse and worse - legs began feeling very tired, couldn't go up stairs easily, had cramping events in my legs 3-4 times a day. I took 5mg/day of Lipitor for a year but finally quit as my legs were hurting too much. Most cramping stopped within a couple of days but there was a long tail - it has only been in the last two years that all cramping stopped (having been off since 2005). It did help get my TC down to 180 from 220, and my HDL to 70-90 frum 30. My legs are still very weak even now - but they don't cramp. My physician said it was all in my head.		F	53	365 days		6/30/2009
1	high cholesterol	When I began taking Lipitor I had what the doctors referred to as TIA's. Loss of balance, loss of speech and after several months I began having seizure type symptoms. I have been seeing a Neurologist since I was told I was having TIA's. I have gone through a TEE and a brain catheter and everything came back normal. The Neurologist told me to stop taking Liptor one week ago and I am starting to feel a little better.	I am still feeling extremely tired. I am hoping this all passes.	F	59	1 years		6/27/2009
1	high cholesterol	Prescribed it for High Cholesterol (just under 6) Within 2 weeks had sore feet (Faciitis) and continued to get worse. Hands, fingers, wrists, lumbar and AC joints, dry mouth, hair falling out.. Dr diagnosed it as autoimmune polyarthritis and wanted me to start anti-inflammatories for the pain. Took one and couldn't stand the side effects so stopped immediately. After researching at night because I couldn't sleep, thought maybe the Lipitor might be the problem. Stopped taking it immediately (3 days ago) and already I can move my feet and ankles. Not hobbling around and can get out of bed without assistance. Hands still sore but have some movement back in my fingers. Hoping this will continue to improve given more time off the drug.	This drug is poisionous. I haven't felt well since I started taking Lipitor. The fatigue was as bad as the pain in my joints, if not worse.Today is the first day I haven't needed to rest during the day and I am hoping this will improve as time passes.What the hell is in this god forsaken drug?!	F	54	6 months		6/27/2009
4	High Cholesterol	Blury vision. bad balance		F	66	5 years		6/19/2009
5	hihg cholesterol	None	I have taken Lipitor for 4 years with no problems - lowered my cholesterol. Insurance co. has decided I need a generic Pravachol. In just two weeks, I feel achy, muscle fatigue, memory loss. I don't think insurance co. should have the say on what medicines I take.	F	60	4 years		5/30/2009
1	blocked arteries, high cholestrol	memory loss, transient amnesia, severe shoulder and knee pain, insomnia, extreme tiredness,hard to get up in the AM and hard to stay awake, crippling back pain, depression, loss of balance	I took Pravachol and Zocor before Lipitor - cardiologist increased dose of Lipitor to 40mg and 80mg. The last 4 years of my life have been a physical and mental nightmare. As soon as stopped Lipitor immediately felt much better but degenerative back disease (MD said was due to aging) is still severe but improving somewhat. Statins destroyed my life, I am certain of.	M	65	9 years		5/29/2009
3	High cholesteral - over 7	Doc put me on 10 mg/day. Some stomach discomfort initially, but I seemed to get over that after the first few weeks. Some muscle aches and pains which I didn't have before now seem to come and go. Wife says that I am a lot grouchier since I started taking it. And just yesterday, was out doing the yard spring clean-up, and noticed extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. Very worrisome. I have stopped taking Lipitor, and will check back with my doctor asap.	I just recently had my 3 month cholesterol check-up, and the doctor was very pleased since my overall cholesterol count dropped to 3.7 from over 7. I also take Atacand for high blood pressure - have been on that one for years. He doesn't know yet about the fatigue and shortness of breath attacks, because that just happened.	M	65	3.5 months		5/18/2009
4	high cholesterol	none		M	64	15 years		5/10/2009
2	high cholesterol	Daily headaches. I also started on hormones and thought that might be causing them but as I'm reading this I'm thinking it's the Lipitor. I haven't been on it long enough to know if it reduces my cholesterol but even if it does I don't know if I'll continue to take it if the headaches don't go away.		F	52	28 days		5/7/2009
1	high colestral	painfull stiff joints pins and needles on right arm	hadnt realised it could be due to lipitor untill I read this sight. my doctor has just sent of blood test to see whats wrong, be interasting to see what comes back.	F	63			4/30/2009
4								3/29/2009
5	High Cholesterol	I never had any side effects.	I'm taking 20mgs of lipitor a day. I can't recall when i started taking it. Its been a few years. Last year my cholesterol went back to normal on lipitor. The doctor says i'll have to take lipitor for the rest of my life. That is what i don't like. Drug dependancy is a bad thing.	M	34			3/28/2009 Email
1	high cholesterol	muscle pain and weakness, headaches, sleep disturbances	Have been on this drug for about 3 years but for the last 18 months I've been having problems with various muscles. Started with my SI joints...lots of pain in the muscles there, very tight. Then my neck started getting stiff and the muscles are like boards they're so tight. Now the pain has gone into my shoulder and upper arm on my left side. Just last week I noticed my right arm is tight also. I can't sleep on either shoulder now. My lower back is also tight again! And I get terrible headaches from the tight neck muscles. I googled muscle pain and Lipitor showed up on the first 6 or 7 entries!! I read all the comments on this page and couldn't believe it!! I see my symptoms over and over! So, I had blood tests done this week and have elevated creatine so was told today to stop Lipitor immediately, and will see my doctor next week. After reading all these comments, I have no doubt that Lipitor is the cause of all this discomfort. I just hope and pray that I can recover from these terrible side effects. I will use vitamin C and other natural things to help my cholesterol...but if that doesn't help...hey..I'd rather die from a heart attack than die a slow painful death on Lipitor. I think drugs are released on the market these days without enough long-term clinical studies to make sure they are safe.	F	55	3 years		3/19/2009
1	High cholesterol	Loss of memory, aphasia, tremor, violent anger, tearfulness, insomnia, muscle weakness, easy bruising, and nosebleeds.	Bleeding & bruising problems stopped in about one month after stopping the drug. Insomnia is better but not gone. Mood problems, language problems, and memory problems lessened by still present. Tremor is apparently here to stay since it's been about two year since stopped the drug and the tremor is the same. Doctor denies any connection between the effects and the drug, and also denies any connection between stopping the drug and having improvement/cessation of symtoms. I also watched my mother-on-law and her brother both start and stop the drug due to extreme fatigue and muscle pain. It is the WORST DRUG EVER MADE, and the cost of it both in terms of money and emotional and physical pain does not justify the handful of heart attackes it *might* prevent. Do yourself a favor - buy some fish oil and some flush-free niacin to treat your cholesterol, and run like hell away from Lipitor!!!	M	50	15 months		3/16/2009
2	colesterol	Had 1 pill only 10mg lipitor(had tried lipex(2pills)1st but face had swollen up-cleared 2weeks) anyway the next morning -after sitting down for 10minutes- i stood up to walk and it was a very painful and a very slow stooped debilatating (compressed back)type of walk but after 5-10 minutes of standing could straighten back-only problem when sitting down -lower back. no other part of back a problem-can play tennis with only slight pain if bending over. it is now 14 days and still same problem -tend to stand or lie down for computor work no other side affects that im aware of	Will see doctor if it continues to be a problem in 1 week though i see some have continued to have problems even after stopping and after reading this blog i am swayed to think that it is a degenative muscle problem( which will heal in time due to 1 pill only usage) and may not be other internal organ reactions as i 1st suspected.	M	42	1 times		3/8/2009 Email
3	for raised cholestole	been taking Lipitor for 15 years ,have experienced all manner of side effects from irregullar heartbeat ,sever fatigue and now have a fatty liver !!!!yet doctors insist i still take it ,40mg daily .I also has type 1 Diabetes for 35 years	Lipitor does its job but at what cost latter down the line !!!!!	F	58	15 years		3/7/2009 Email
3	high cholesterol	cramps in left leg, no feeling in right leg			75	7 days		2/27/2009
1	High cholesterol	Started with muscle pain and weakness, which I thought was due to my age and job.When my doctor got around to checking my liver enzymes, they were sky-high. My doctor said to stop taking Lipitor immediately. When the pain and fatigue continued, the doctor seemed surprised.The problems continued, and a specialist did a muscle biopsy. It showed permanent, irreversible muscle damage. The good news - the muscle damage shouldn't get any worse.		M	56	2 years		2/24/2009
4	Lower Cholesterol level	Ringing in the ears, memory loss		M	50	4 years		2/14/2009
1	reduce cholesterol	Hip, leg,shoulder pain. Developed limp on left side. Stiffness in morning and after sitting. Extreme fatigue. Depression. Difficulty sleeping.	I was told there were no side effects when first put on statins and did not suspect my ailments were related. Upon discontinuing Lipitor, I began to improve almost immediately--less pain and stiffness, more energy and improved sleep quality. This is a life altering drug that should be carefully and objectively evaluated. I would not recommend it to anyone.	M	61	7 years		2/13/2009
3	High Cholesterol	Muscle pain (severe neck, shoulder, back pain. leg pain) has become increasingly pronounced in the past few months (have taken Lipitor for 3+ years). Dr. suggests side effects may be due to "cumulative effect" - will cease taking for approx 2 weeks to determine if there is any improvement.		M	64			2/10/2009 Email
1	cardiologist recomendation	rhabdomyolosis w/cpk of 14,600 in aug./2006. 2 biopsies confirmed statin damage at mayo/rochester,mn. even then only 3of5 drs. would admit statin damage. now live w/myalgia,periphael neuropathy,tinninitus and rheumatoid arthritis.	unbelievable amount of people come to talk about their aches and pains since going on statin drugs,how can the medical community continue to deceive at such a level-{truly shameful}	M	62	2.5 years		2/9/2009
1	high cholesterol	severe muscle pain. could not lie on either side in bed. each day it got worse and my shoulder pain was unbearable. Because of Lipitor I had very serious depression and thoughts of hurting myself. I figured out myself to stop taking Lipitor as my doctor never connected the drug with the side effects I always told him about.		F	44	6 months		1/16/2009
4	lipidemia	None	Cannot take more than 10mg because I feel "drugged" on any stronger dose. The 10mg brings my level to the cutoff point. Have no side effects at all.	F	51	6 years		1/15/2009 Email
3	RAYNAUDS - NEW TRIAL	I HAVE LITTLE CIRCULATION IN MY FINGERS. NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 40 MG. OF LIPITOR IMPROVES CIRCULATION IN A GOOD AMOUNT OF PATIENTS. MY DOCTOR CHECKED MY LIVER ENZYMES BEFORE I STARTED. THEY WERE NORMAL UPON TAKING THE LIPITOR, MY FINGERS STARTED TO FEEL BETTER ON THE 4TH DAY AND THE ULCERATIONS I EXPERIENCE STARTED HEALING. I WAS SO HAPPY AND SO WAS MY DOCTOR. HE SAID TO REPEAT MY LAB WORK IN 6 WEEKS. WELL I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY LIVER COUNTS ARE TOTALLY WHACY AND I HAVE TO STOP THE DRUG. I AM GLAD THAT MY DOCTOR IS RIGHT ON TOP OF IT, BUT IT IS SO DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE IT WAS HELPING. I DID HAVE EXTREME EXHAUSTION BUT THEY SUGGESTED FOR ME TO TAKE IT IN THE MORNING INSTEAD OF NIGHT AND THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. AFTER MY LABS ARE DONE AGAIN IN 3 WEEKS, THEY MIGHT TRY ANOTHER STATIN DRUG. AFTER READING THI WEBSITE, I DON'T HAVE MUCH HOPE. IT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL THOUGH.	IT CAN BE A GREAT DRUG FOR MOST, JUST NOT ALL.	F	51	6 weeks		1/7/2009
1	high cloresterol	shrinking muscels,leg arms,neck vertgo from convusing neck muscels	unable to get out of bed,loss of strength,memory,halucinations been of it for 2 years,not quite cured kill	M	75	3 years		12/25/2008
1	high cholesterol	Severe lower back pain and an aching pain across my shoulders. Generally I also felt weak. The symptoms first started after about 4 months of taking this drug and tapered down for a couple of weeks after stopping.	I tried 3 different statins, all with the same horrid side effects. I will NEVER take another statin drug.	M	41	6 months		12/22/2008
1	high chlolesterol	taken since 2004, just got off this stuff a month or so now, had memory loss, extreme ache in left arm and sometimes left leg. thought it was another issue, spent the last 4 years with neurologists doing MRI, nerve tests, every test known to detect the reason for this. nothing found. decided to stop taking lipitor and am much improved. can do many things without my arm aching now.	this ache was extreme, almost unbearable, many doctors just ignore the side effects of this drug.	M	55	5 years		12/19/2008
3	high cholesterol	flatulence, mild aches, occasional indigestion	Overall this seems to be working reasonably well -- brought my triglycerides and LDL down to normal levels but not sure if it's really from the Lipitor or from major life-style changes and bringing my blood sugar down. In any event, I haven't had any serious problems with this drug aside from having to be a bit more careful in the gym and being the butt of fart jokes.	F	29	10 months		12/18/2008 Email
3	High Cholesterol	Abdominal distention - feel full. Gained about 5 lbs the first week. back pain in the am, leg cramps on and off. Weird tight feeling in my head. Gas, insomnia, loss of muscle strength. I have Sores on the inner cheeks. Weird tight feeling in chest cavity at times, when exercising.	I was in otherwise good health before starting, although it's only been a week. It should be noted that this is my third time trying this med. I am not drinking the koolaid on this miracle drug. I think it has major side effects that the mfgs are still not attributing to the drug. There is a lot of good reads out there, including articles in the NY times - do some research - it seems a lot of us are on the fence. I'm in a very high risk category, with levels over 300, a horrible ratio, and tryc through the roof.	M	46	7 days		12/5/2008
1	high cholesteol	depression, finger stiffness, finger joints locking up, much worse in the mornings.	After being off lipitor for 3 weeks, my depression is gone, but the locking fingers and finger stiffness and pain is no better.	M	55	5 weeks		11/17/2008
1	high cholestrol, high triglycerides	muscle weakness, tendon weakness and ruptures, memory loss.	I started taking Lipitor 3/29/06 to control elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. I started taking 10 mg per day along with omega 3, fish oil, change in diet and exercise and reduced total, LDL and Tri's to acceptable levels within 3 mos. However, I tore my right Achilles tendon on 2/4/07 by just simply taking off from a sprinters stance. I then tore my left Achilles tendon on 10/26/08 by simply jumping in the air after my son won his playoff football game. Someone at the Dr's office recently recommended to me to do a search for possible connection between statin use and tendon damage/ruptures. Much to my surprise there is a significant amount of study and history of this connection. (Google "statins tendon") I have stopped the use of Lipitor immediately after finding out about this connection. I have always been very active, athletic and have worked out pretty consistently since my High School years. I am 41 now and cannot understand why now I am having th	M	41	2 years		11/17/2008 Email
2	Familial hyperlipidemia	Shoulder and neck muscle pain, tender joints, wrist pain, fogginess, depression when not getting enough rest, possible insomnia	I took Lipitor for 7 years due a genetic form of high cholesterol. Controlled cholesterol levels very well. Never thought it was doing me harm, until my cardiologist bumped me from 40mg to 80mg. Had muscle pain that would not go away, memory loss (could not remember names or words at times), trouble sleeping (possibly-I've always had some insomnia). Symptoms eased at 40mg again, but did not go away. Still felt like an 'old man'. Went off the drug after much thought, all physical symptoms disappeared, physiological problems eased. Tried Crestor but it was far worse for physical symptoms. About to try low does of Pravichol and work up from there.	M	41	7 years		10/6/2008 Email
4	Elevated cholesterol	Memory loss/ability to concentrate.	Prescribed 20mg for the past 3 years or so, my cholesterol levels have all been normal since starting this medicine. Originally I was given Crestor 10mg, but experienced muscle pain, and was given Lipitor. The only problem is I feel I have suffered memory loss and the ability to concentrate since taking this medication.	M	41	3 years		10/4/2008
1	high cholesterol	Aches and pain from head to toe, very grouchy.	I have been competitive in road racing for almost 20 years, but after starting this drug I began to notice my performance falling off. Later I got pains so bad that I could not run. I stopped taking this drug and after about 3 months am almost back where I was with my running. I detest lawyers, but statin class drugs are crying out for a class action lawsuit to stop their use.	M	41	7 months		10/3/2008
1	Elevated Cholesterol level	Toe tinglingling, numbness in toes, feel like I am in a fog most of the day, memory impaired, hair loss ( major symptom for me), low grade headache, vision impaired, calf pain.......	Lipitor does help reduce total serum cholesterol considerably in many patients but the side effects of this 'poisonous' medication are extremely alarming. I fail to comprehend why this medication is still permitted to be on the market as there is evidence that those who have been on long term have suffered irreversible muscle damage plus other permanent side effects. How come no one has sued the manufacturers as yet? Do patients have to die first before a pharmaceutical entity can be sued? Surely some of the people who have written in to this site should get together and institute litigation?	F	57	5 weeks		9/21/2008
1	High cholesterol	I took Lipitor for 6 weeks and noticed extreme dehydration and extremely dry eyes. My eyes are so dry that they stick to the eyelids at night and I am getting microabrasions on them - very painful. Additionally, despite eating a pure fiber diet to lower my cholesterol, the medicine has made me extremely constipated. I have been off now for 5 days. The constipation is starting to go away as are the dry eyes although they are still quite painful.	I have started the "Blood Type Diet" for my blood type (A) and will lower my cholesterol naturally since I cannot fathom being on Lipitor after my experience with it. I would not recommend this medicine to anyone.	F	37	6 weeks		9/5/2008
1	high cholesertol	I have had unexplained fatigue (sleeping 11-12 hours a night, and still having no energy all day)since starting Lipitor 2 years ago; my new doctor did a new test and said my SED rate is high- he suspects it is the Lipitor and told me to go off it immediately. I don't know if this is the problem, but after reading this site I will not take a statin drug again. I also have short term memory loss, and an unexplained cough.	Sure, it lowers cholesterol, but I am a zombie.	F	57	2 years		9/5/2008
4	high Cholorestral			F	82			8/23/2008
1	colesterol	tired-weak-pains all over body-groggy-light headed	all these statin drugs are death in a bottle. they are the perfect med as they will cause the poor dumb patient to spend huge sums of money on tests-pain killers and other statins till they will one day they will just give up and lay down and die-BROKE-what a well laid plan by big pharma and covered by the criminal FDA food and drug syndicate.	F	65	3 days		8/18/2008
5	high blood pressure / heart attack	None whatsoever.	I'm taking 80 mg's a day which is the maximum dose and it brought my cholesterol levels comfortably back into the safe numbers.	M	54	2 years		8/15/2008
1	cholestrol	Weak muscles. Achey like when you have a very high fever, only without the fever. Elevated white blood cell count (very high), but liver emzymes were normal	I was on lowest dose. My LDL started at 90, but MD insisted that because I am diabetic, I should be on lipitor and try to get below 70. Lipitor knocked it down to 25. I do not know if the problems were due to Lipitor, or having LDL down to 25. I asked MD he stated "They (whomever they are), have not established a low threshold for what is safe". I stated that just because it has not been proven in a lab, does not mean it is not true. I went off the meds, and am now in search of a new MD, as I have felt worse under this DR care than ever before in my life.	F	50	45 days		8/6/2008
1	high cholesterol	Deep depression, insomnia, joint stiffness in hands and feet, inability to think clearly to the point I thought I would have to quit my job.	This drug dramatically lowered my cholesterol but ruined my quality of life. After repeated visits to my doctor complaining of these debilitating symptoms he finally made the connection and took me off. Within 3 days, I started to feel like myself again. Cholesterol plays an important role in brain and nerve function and is essential to our good overall health. Do your research. Stripping your body of it can be devastating. I would much rather take my chances with a slightly elevated level than go through that again. Horrible. Pfizer should be ashamed of themselves for not clearly stating the possibility of these side effects.	F	56	6 months		7/30/2008
1	yes	tremors and tingles although the body		F	62	14 years		7/24/2008
5	high ldl	none	cut high cholestorel from 278 to 134	M	72			7/23/2008
4	colesteral at 206 M.I. 4 by-passes	cramping in calf at night bad enough to wake from deep sleep screaming.		M	49	3 days		7/15/2008
1	high cholesterol	muscle pain, stiffness/pain in hands that kept me awake at night and limited my ability to perform routine tasks such as type, trouble with walking/balance neck, and shoulder pain.	They should rename this "disability in a bottle"!	F	51	4 days		7/12/2008
2	High cholesterol and triglycerides	Took this drug for about 6 months. Did the trick on lowering what is was supposed to, but I suffered extreme depression. Not worth the suicidal thoughts, so I quit taking it.		F	60	6 months		7/11/2008
1		Severe plantar faciitis; debillitating leg pain; severe leg muscle weakness; hand weakness (constantly dropping things); palpitations; tachycardia; irrecular heartbeat; throat tightness; difficulty/shallow breathing; fatigue	Began on 20 mg, ended on 40 mg. Taking Lipitor might very well be the biggest mistake of my life.	F	40	10 years		7/11/2008 Email
1	High Cholesterol and Triglycerides	Stabbing pain between shoulder blades, I am 52 and feel 82, no energy, muscle tone depletion, strength depletion, numbness in upper legs from knee to thigh, pain and numbness in left foot, left foot larger than right now by one size, pain in feet, need special shoes just to walk now, I feel like I will not be alive next year. I've been on this for 5 years, and am going to quit after finding this website. Doctors did nothing for me. They have no idea what this drug does to people! Time to exercise, eat healthy food, and get OFF this stuff. Thank you everyone for taking the time to post, and helping me understand what was happening.	Hate this stuff. Crestor just as bad.	F	52	5 years		7/7/2008
1	high cholesterol	muscle cramps all over, depression and irritable, tired	Statins may or may not help with circulatory problems, but they definitely cause other severe problems. I will not take any statins again.	M	43	6 months		6/29/2008
4	High cholesterol	No side effect noticed	Lipitor lowered my cholesterol	M	83	15 years		6/24/2008
4	high cholesterol	leg cramps at 40mg......went away at 20mg......ldl stayed lower.....just reduce your dosage to retain benifits and stop side effects		M	46	16 years		6/23/2008
2	High Cholestorol	Very slowly, over many years, I've developed debilitating muscle pains, horrible fatigue, tingling in my arms, legs and fingers; I've gone to the doctor for 5 years, at least, trying to find out what is wrong with me. I JUST turned 40 years old and should not feel like this. Out of nowhere, I heard about CoQ10 depletion and just started the supplement today. I was never told ANY of these symptoms could relate to the Lipitor - in fact, I specifically asked if any of my medications could be causing these problems.		F	40	6 years		6/23/2008
1	hyperlipidemia	Kidney failure, difficulty swallowing, persistent pain in calf and knee, short term memory loss, peripheral neuropathy, constipation, sleep disturbance, mood change, rage	I took 80mg of Lipitor for 8 years. My symptoms got so bad that I had to stop working. Recently I was diagnosed with kidney failure and also put on zetia. I immediately started to feel even worse, but took the drug for a year until my symptoms got to be unbearable. My doctor dismissed the leg pain and said that kidney failure was unrelated. Do not take statins! They will rob you of your mind and ruin your health. The medical community will try to convince you that you'll live longer and avoid heart attacks by taking this. Read the facts. I stopped all statins and am starting to see improvement in swallowing. Leg pain is gone. My memory is getting better. I'll never recover from the kidney failure, will need dialysis or transplant. Will explore alternative natural remedies.	M	58	8 years		6/21/2008
1	High Cholesterol	Trouble walking, hard to pick up feet and balance is off at times. Pain in muscles of both upper arms. Arms feel HEAVY and hands are tingling and somewhat numb. Have trouble holding on to things.	I have been off Lipitor 1 year and 2 months. Have been to several specialists. I feel Lipitor has taken away my life.	F	71	4 years		6/11/2008

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Average rating for drug: 2.1. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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