Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy

Serious side effects have been reported for Lipitor and other cholesterol-lowering drugs - the so-called statins - prescribed to millions for preventive purposes. The prescription of these drugs is based on the discredited hypothesis that high cholesterol levels cause heart attacks. The cholesterol myth has been one of the most long lived falsehoods around - probably because it has been excellent business, both for large pharma producers as well as for the food multinationals, who introduced margarine telling us how much healthier it is than butter.

There is an easy, widely available nutritional solution to heart attacks: Vitamin C. Needless to say, taking more vitamin C has been opposed by big pharma and its mainstream medicine followers for decades.

When a "preventive" medicine causes severe muscular degeneration as a "common" side effect, something must be awfully wrong. Jonathan Campbell examines the side effects and postulates a mechanism - proposing an astonishingly simple remedy.

Lipitor - Reports of Neuromuscular Degeneration
by Jonathan Campbell, March 16, 2004

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information about the connection between vitamin C and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, see the article Natural Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease, or visit the research website of Dr. Matthias Rath.

References:

Ginter E. Ascorbic acid in cholesterol and bile metabolism. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 258 (1975): 410-421

Rath M, Pauling L. Solution to the Puzzle of Human Cardiovascular Disease: Its Primary Cause is Ascorbate Deficiency Leading to the Deposition of Lipoprotein(a) and Fibrinogen/Fibrin in the Vascular Wall. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 6 (1991): 125-134

Siig M. Life After Lipitor: Is Pfizer product a quick fix or dangerous drug? Residents experience adverse reactions. Tahoe World, January 29, 2004

Silverberg C. Atorvastatin-induced polyneuropathy. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Nov 4;139(9):792-3

Ziajka PE, Wehmeier T. Peripheral neuropathy and lipid-lowering therapy. South Med J. 1998 Jul; 91(7):667-8.

- - - - - -

Several of those who commented on this article have asked for information on natural ways to lower cholesterol. Here is a link to a site discussing this question, found on the Alternative Medicine Forum (Yahoo Group):

Lowering Cholesterol with a Healthier Way of Eating
How is high cholesterol defined? High cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia is defined as total cholesterol greater than 200 mg/dL with the high risk category greater than 240 mg/dL. At these levels, particularly when the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol is greater than 4:1, risk of cardiovascular disease is significantly increased. The ratio of LDL: HDL should be at least 4:1 because each HDL can pick up and transport 4 LDL back to the liver. If I have high cholesterol levels, can a healthy way of eating help me lower them into a normal range? ...

- - - - -

* * * A C T I O N A L E R T * * *

( September 2006 )

Some people commenting on this article are asking what can be done to end the tragedy of people getting sicker and sicker with the use of statin drugs, and many are ready to join a class action against the drug makers.

Here is another action anyone in the U.S. can do, as suggested by Duane "Space Doc" Graveline, who has collected much information about statin drugs on his website and has written a book: Statin Drug Side Effects

The action: Write to the members of the Senate Finance Committee explaining that statin drugs such as Lipitor do not help the U.S economy at all. You can put some of your own experiences in that letter, but for a general outline, here is a sample text to download. You should of course suitably amend it, leave out parts you don't care about and add in what you yourself think is of importance, before sending it off to your Senator or Senators.

For a listing of the members of the Senate Finance Committee, go to this site.

A more recent action:

Petition calls on World Health Organization to investigate Statin Drug Use
Statin therapies are being prescribed to people around the globe. Evidence has emerged that statins can be hazardous to health. The prime rationale for their use is the notion that raised cholesterol is harmful. However, much evidence suggests that a low serum cholesterol is associated with depression, suicide, muscle damage, memory loss and general ill-health. The petition calls on the World Health Organisation to initiate a full and impartial, global investigation into the damage caused by therapeutic doses of all available statins, for the treatment of all forms of hypercholesterolaemia. There are far too many casualties of statin therapy for them all to be statistically insignificant.

- - - - -

See also links to other articles on statins:

Lipitor, Neuromuscular Degeneration, and Recovery
... cholesterol balance can be achieved without drugs, simply and safely by taking 3000-6000 milligrams of vitamin C per day, 1000-2000 mg per meal, for an adult, or about 500 mg per meal for a 50-lb. child, with sufficient water intake, 2 quarts per day for an adult, 1 quart per day for a 50-lb. child. Unfortunately, vitamin C was misclassified as a micronutrient in the 1930s and 1940s, rather than an essential nutrient involved in dozens of body processes, including continual repair of our arteries.

STATINS MAY CAUSE NERVE DAMAGE
A Danish study reports that some people who took statin drugs to lower cholesterol developed a type of nerve damage called polyneuropathy. Polyneuropathy is characterized by tingling, numbness and burning pain as well as decreased sensitivity to temperature or pain. When a person suffers nerve damage, a doctor is supposed to look for a cause, such as diabetes, lack of vitamin B12, Lyme disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease or alcohol abuse. People who had taken statins and developed polyneuropathies were checked for known causes of nerve damage. Researchers showed that people taking statins were 4 to 14 times more likely to develop polyneuropathy than those who did not take statins. Statins include Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, and Pravachol. Check with your doctor about any side effects from your medications.
Reference: Neurology May 14, 2002;58:1321-1322, 1333-1337

Fish Oil Works Better Than Statins at Improving HDL Cholesterol
An interesting study shows how fish oil -- not the statin drug Lipitor --influences how HDL cholesterol works far more safely and better than taking a pill. Australian researchers studied the effects of fish oil and Lipitor in a six-week trial on 48 insulin-resistant, obese men, both separately and combined. No surprise, fish oil and Lipitor, together, greatly lowered plasma triacylglycerols and raised HDL cholesterol levels. But it was fish oil, not Lipitor, that influenced HDL cholesterol...

THE HIDDEN ORIGIN OF STATIN DRUGS

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHOLESTEROL
By Dr. James Howenstine, MD. - February 20, 2005
Cholesterol is not really the villain portrayed in the pharmaceutical ads. It is actually a vital substance needed in every cell of the body...

November 23, 2004 - Report: Bayer Held Back on Drug Dangers
Another pharmaceutical company may have concealed safety information about a dangerous drug - this time Bayer and its once-popular cholesterol medication Baycol - according to a report in a prominent medical journal. Baycol was pulled from the market in 2001, but an analysis released Monday by the Journal of the American Medical Assn. argued there were strong indications of its dangers three months after its introduction in 1998.

Statin drug Crestor damages kidneys of patients, says Public Citizen
The statin drug Crestor is a highly dangerous prescription drug that causes an alarming rate of kidney damage, says Public Citizen, a consumer protection group. The drug, manufactured by AstraZeneca, is responsible for a rate of kidney disease 75 times higher than with other similar drugs.

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

Statinalert Org

Cardiologists Overlook Lifesaving Discovery

NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN

The Vitamin C Foundation's Statin Drug Alert

Deaths linked to heart drugs
Lois Rogers, Medical Editor - The Times
EXPERTS are calling for a complete safety review of heart drugs taken by millions of Britons. Government figures released last week show that 92 deaths have been linked to the statin drugs developed to lower cholesterol.

Vitamin C beats statins in cholesterol - heart disease

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

Let them eat cake, butter, cream ... For decades the advice has been to cut cholesterol and protect your heart. Now some doctors think it makes no difference

Cholesterol Drugs Tied to Birth Defects U.S. government study finds an unusually high number of abnormalities in babies of women who took statins during first trimester of pregnancy

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

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

here is another highly interesting article on statins, just posted by Chris Gupta:

Statins And Our Immune System

Consumer Group Seeks Cholesterol Drug Ban

Cholesterol drug warning issued

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part I

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part II

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part III

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication, Part IV

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication - References

The Truth About Deadly Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Vitamin/Nutritional Supplements for Heart Attack

Is High Cholesterol Really Bad?
People with high cholesterol live the longest. This statement seems so incredible that it takes a long time to clear one's brainwashed mind to fully understand its importance. Yet the fact that people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers. Consider the finding of Dr. Harlan Krumholz of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University, who reported in 1994 that old people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did old people with a high cholesterol. Supporters of the cholesterol campaign consistently ignore his observation, or consider it as a rare exception, produced by chance among a huge number of studies finding the opposite. But it is not an exception; there are now a large number of findings that contradict the lipid hypothesis...

Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease
...an article on Dr Mercola's site for more background on cholesterol

The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
... is yet another weapon fit for your arsenal of intellectual self-defense against the myth that cholesterol causes heart disease and that, to protect your health, you must contribute your fair share to the $26 billion/year empire of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The author Shane Ellison possesses a Master's degree in organic chemistry. After first-hand experience in drug design, he abandoned what he calls "synthetic medicine" to become an independent researcher, nutritional consultant, developer of product testing certification, and designer of numerous nutritional supplements. He is also a member of The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics.

The side effects of Lipitor - apparently not so uncommon as the manufacturer of the drug would have us believe - are starting to provoke some action. There are two recent (June 2006) lawsuits, and an older class action filed at the US District Court in Boston in September last year. See:

Lawsuits Filed Over Lipitor Side Effects

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

Permananet Side Effects from Statin Drugs
Not only have statin drug companies failed to adequately warn prescribing physicians of permanent cognitive loss associated with statin use, they have failed to warn about permanent neuromuscular and neurodegenerative consequences. Thousands of unsuspecting patients have become victims and in most of these cases their doctors, having had no advance warning from the pharmaceutical industry, have tended to disregard patient complaints, offering almost any explanation other than the correct one.

Patients Can Report Statins' Adverse Effects On New Web Site
A new web site at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine - http://www.statineffects.com - will enable people from around the world to self-report adverse effects of statin drug use, or use of other cholesterol drugs. The site will provide access to a broad group of people, facilitating the opportunity for patients to confidentially share information about their experience.

CoQ10 and Statins: The Vitamin C Connection
Are the statin drugs really good for us, or are cardiologists mistaken? How
can drugs that lower the body's production of CoQ10 benefit heart patients?
Are the health benefits attributed to CoQ10 supplementation hype or is it that
there is something fundamentally wrong with the thinking and science being
used by those who market statin drugs?

Do Statins Raise the Risk of Parkinson's?
A study in the United States has found that patients with low levels of LDL cholesterol are three times more likely to have Parkinson's disease. The researchers are planning largescale trials to determine whether the drugs are the cause ... experts sought to reassure patients that statins were safe and should not be stopped.

Video: Is Bad Cholesterol a Secret Scam?
The fraud concerning bad cholesterol is finally exposed... Don't be fooled by the deceptive marketing of Big Pharma!

Another video: Cholesterol corporate killers
An English bloke describing his personal experience on cholesterol lowering drugs...

CoQ10 helps relieve statin induced muscle pain
Muscle symptoms commonly occur with statin drugs. In some cases myopathy, or damage to the muscle tissue, can actually occur. Very rarely, if myopathy occurs and statin therapy is not stopped a very dangerous condition called rhabdomyolysis can occur which can sometimes be fatal. According to an article in USA Today, Public Citizen, a consumer watchdog group, "linked 72 fatal and 772 non-fatal cases of muscle breakdown, known as rhabdomyolysis, to all six of the statins sold between October 1997 and December 2000. The study found 29 earlier deaths."

A study in the May issue of The American Journal of Cardiology examined the use of CoQ10 supplements to improve muscle symptoms in patients being treated with statins. The controlled, double-blind study provided half of 32 patients 100 milligrams (mgs) of CoQ10 a day for a month and the other half 400 IU of vitamin E. At the end of the month the patients who were reporting statin related muscle pain that received the CoQ10 showed "decreased muscle pain by 40% and improved the interference of pain with daily life activities by 38%".

January 2009: First comprehensive paper on statins' adverse effects released
"Muscle problems are the best known of statin drugs' adverse side effects," said Golomb. "But cognitive problems and peripheral neuropathy, or pain or numbness in the extremities like fingers and toes, are also widely reported." A spectrum of other problems, ranging from blood glucose elevations to tendon problems, can also occur as side effects from statins.

Statins Damage Muscles In Many People Taking Them
Over half of individuals taking statins complain of muscle aches and pains. A new study demonstrates that 56% of those with these symptoms have injured muscle fibers based on muscle biopsy.

The statin propaganda machine likes to claim that severe muscle problems are only 1% - 2%. While that may or may not be true, the issue of actual physical damage to muscles is far higher.

Video: Cholesterol myth exposed!! They use it to sell drugs that kill you!
The lie that cholesterol causes heart attacks and must be lowered has given rise to one of the hardest myths to die. We *need* cholesterol. It's a vital substance for our metabolism!

posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Thursday March 18 2004
updated on Thursday April 21 2011

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Readers' Comments

See also:

Bad News About Statin Drugs

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

I thank you and other scientists who are bringing forth the need for concern about statins. I, too, experienced grave physical sxs while on Lipitor for 1yr.
#balance problems,severe muscle spasms and pain to bilat. legs, numbness in my feet, and dangerously elevated CPK. I've been off Lipitor for 6mos. and note slight improvement. No more Lipitor for me....... Elaine

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

Hi, I have been feeling an aching and swelling in my right calf. My leg feels like it is swollen and weak and I can't stretch it out without discomfort. I don't remember hurting myself. I have been taking Lipitor for a few momths. Do you think my problem could be connected to the lipitor?

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

Hi, I have been feeling an aching and swelling in my right calf. My leg feels like it is swollen and weak and I can't stretch it out without discomfort. I don't remember hurting myself. I have been taking Lipitor for a few momths. Do you think my problem could be connected to the lipitor?

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

you must do your own research on this. Also, you should consult a doctor on your symptoms, and tell him you take Lipitor. Ask him if it might be the cause - you can also copy some articles you find by typing Lipitor side effects into a search engine such as Google.

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

Go back to the top of this page and click on "side effects" in the first sentence. When that page comes up, scroll down until you come to the area where several people have sent in their stories and how Lipitor has affected them, including me. Gerry

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

I have taken zocor for about 1 1/2 years. Did wonders for lowering cholestrol and etc. but I have hurt and pains in my lower back and in my lower leg muscels. I shall call my doctor and see if their is a substitute for lowering my cholestrol problem and eliminating the numbness in my hands and arms when I din,t take zocor. chow

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

See also:

Orthomolecular Solutions to Heart Disease

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

I took Lipitor for about a year and started noticing a slight pain in my hip about 4 months ago. When it gradually got worse, I told my doctor and he told me to discontiue the drug. I have been off Lipitor for almost a month and the pain in my hip is getting much worse. I have a very sore glute muscle that sends shooting pain down my leg when I try to stand up.

Does anybody have any experience with how long it takes to start feeling normal again?
Thanks

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

Someone in my church has serious liver damage from Lipitor, incl. lesions, which may be permanent. The damage was discovered when she fell & broke her hip (she's old). This lady is hospitalized, more from liver damage than hip damage, & will be for some time. Liver damage is another common dangerous adverse effect of Lipitor to beware. We have another DES on our hands.

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

The following is a reply to a BMJ opinion piece about medical harm. I am copying it here because the discussion adds important information on statins.

First, do more good than harm - OTC statins

2 July 2004

Malcolm E Kendrick,
Medical Director Adelphi Lifelong Learning
Adelphi Mill Bollington SK10 5JB

You may justify doing harm to do good e.g. drilling a hole in the skull to drain a subdural hematoma. But when one is doing no good, the only possibility left is harm.

So it seems surprising that the BMJ remains silent on a hugely important, and potentially very harmful, development. Namely, OTC statins. Statins have achieved a remarkable status as the new 'wonder drug.' The reality, however, is somewhat more prosaic.

For example, in no clinical trial done so far, have statins reduced overall mortality in women. This includes the much publicised 4S, and HPS studies. In fact in the 4S study slightly more women died in the treatment arm; the HPS authors will not publish overall mortality rates in women, but it appears there was no benefit.

Equally, in men, none of the primary prevention trials using statins have been shown to reduce overall mortality rate. A report last year by the British University of Columbia (part of the Cochrane collaboration), concluded that statins have not been shown to provide an overall health benefit in primary prevention(1).

In reality, there are only two groups where statins have been demonstrated to reduce both CV morality and overall mortality: men with a history of CHD, and men with diabetes (regardless of cholesterol levels). It is difficult to establish the exact prevalence of these groups in the UK (there is some overlap, no doubt). However, a Scottish study reported that men with IHD/Angina represented 6.2% of the adult population; and that diabetes had a prevalence of 2.8% (2)

Scotland has a higher rate of CHD than England, not lower. But even if do extrapolate the Scottish figures (and assume no overlap between IHD and diabetes) to the rest of the UK, this still means that less than 10% of adult males in the UK, or less than 5% of the total adult population, will gain any overall health benefit from using statins.

This would not matter a great deal if statins had no side-effects. But they do have some major, and highly unpleasant side-effects up to and including death from rhabdomyolysis. They create muscle pain/myopathy in up to ten per cent, and there is a high incidence of liver function disorder, and neuropathy. Reports in the USA suggest that they may cause transient global amnesia.

Most worrying for an OTC drug, is that fact that statins appear to be extremely teratogenic. A study reported in the NEJM (3) found a very high percentage of severe birth defects in children born to women exposed to statins in the first trimester. Defects such as duplication of the spinal cord, spina bifida, holoprosencephaly, bone shortening and aplasia.

Whilst statins are contradindicated in pregnancy, this is a common warning, sometimes ignored, and it will be missed (or dismissed) by almost anyone buying a statin OTC. The very fact of making a drug OTC suggests that it must be very safe. Therefore it is inevitable that a number of women will use OTC statins, unaware of the true risk they are taking if they fall pregnant.

In short, the evidence from clinical trials suggests that less than 5% of the adult population can gain any benefit from taking statins. The remaining 95% will not only gain no health benefit, they will also risk suffering side-effects, some of which are extremely severe. A number of women will fall pregnant whilst on statins, resulting in severe birth defects in their children.

First do no harm? Before risking harm it is a good idea to ensure that you may actually be doing some good in the first place. OTC statins have the potential to harm a great number of people, whilst benefiting only a few. The medical profession should try to reverse this decision.

References

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

(2) www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scottishhealthsurvey/sh802-01.html#23

(3) Central Nervous System and Limb Abnormalities in Case Reports of First -Trimester Statin Exposure NEJM April 8th 2004 1579 - 1582.

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

I took your advice and took masive doses of vitamin C in lieu of Lipitor. You were wrong, for me at least, for my cholesterol went right back up to 240.

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

Robert,

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

New scientific research indicates homocystein is an indicator for heart trouble, while cholesterol isn't. See

Forget Cholesterol - it's really not relevant

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

See also:

NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN�

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

Actually, your rise in cholesterol was probably caused by the plaques on your arteries breaking up.

See Dr Rath's site

... Interestingly, some patients report a transitory rise in cholesterol levels when they start taking vitamins. Because the rise in blood cholesterol levels is not the result of increased cholesterol production, it has to come from other sources �?? primarily atherosclerotic deposits in the artery walls...

By the way, you should be taking Vitamin C with lysine.
See: NATURE'S PERFECT STATIN

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

I took Lipex for almost 2.5 years and became very stiff and sore had trouble sleeping because of hip, shoulder and back discomfort. I had difficulty going from sitting to standing, then from standing to walking. I had sore feet which also got pins and needles started drbbling from one side of my mouth, my memory was failing and my sight becoming worse - I'm only 45 fit,in healthy weight range, healthly cholesterol range, normal blood pressure but had a coronary event which triggered the taking of Lipex. I stopped taking Lipex two months ago and feel so much better. I am much more mobile, the joint pain has all but gone, no more dribbles, my sight and memory seem to be improving. The discomfort was so bad I had stopped walking! I am back walking now. It will take a lot of convincing to get me to take Lipex (or its relatives) again.

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

Do you know if Lipitor has any effect on cardiac arrhythmias? I've been on the 10 mg dose for about a year now with no problems. Just had dose raised to 20 mg and my arrhythmia seems to be bothering me more. Don't know if there's a connection here. Any info would be appreciated.

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

I took lipitor for two mo. could not walk around the block without calf muscles becoming week and my feet feeling extremely heavy. I saw an add on television about P.A.D. I had a lower extremity arterial doppler ultrasound done. They said suggestive severe femoral vascular disease. The problem is, I did not have any problems before I took the lipitor. Doesnt make sense to me, but what do you do?

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

please i wonder how you can help me i am a boy of 21years old and i have a weak memory associated with anxiety,faint mind ,i have been having this problem for the past 7years now, please do me this favour for it has been preventing me from moving forward with my education thanks

God bless you
ehima edwin
my mobile email adress is 2348056563066@sms.gloworld.com

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

Hi Ehima,

I don't know where to start. Best might be if you go to a doctor who uses natural products and nutrients. There definitely are a number of substances that are harmless, natural, and can help with memory and mood.

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

memory, anxiety, natural remedy

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

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

From: healthmyths@safe-mail.net

To download the book, "What You Must Know about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs", right click on the link below. Then choose to save it on your desktop. After completion of download, you will be able to open it. Then print and read.

www.health-fx.net/eBook.pdf

Shane Ellison M.Sc.

www.healthmyths.net
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Posted by: Sepp on September 8, 2004 11:13 AM

Help! After reading all of the comments posted on this site I'm thinking my grandfather is experiencing the damaging effects of Lipitor. He is in the hospital - has been for 4 weeks. His arms and legs are completely numb. The Dr's have done countless MRI's, x-rays and blood work and have found nothing. He mentioned a possible connection to the dr's and they dismissed him. What do you think? The doctors are still giving him a drug for cholesterol, not lipitor at this time, but by the sounds of it, it doesn't matter which drug it is. Any info. would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

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

I have been taking Lipitor for a little over a year. I have had several back surgerys, hip replacement and had tendons in both legs stretched. After all that my legs are continually getting worse, weak, extreme numbness and severe leg cramps and spasms. After reading these stories, I am convinced that is why I am so troubled with these problems. I also have balance problems. I am done with Lipitor.

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

I have been taking Lipitor for 6 months now. I started to notice pains in my wrists and last week I experienced cramps in my feet and even the muscles in the right side of my stomach. One night I could not fall asleep with cramps on my toes.
Two days ago my left foot started to swell and I did not think much of it, but it has been getting worse,
I would like to know if anyone has had similar simptoms with Lipitor or statins in general. Thanks!

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

I started taking lipitor in Nov. 2003. In Apr. 2004 the pinky finger on my right hand dropped while moving a light wieght box. I was told I injured it, they called it a ruptured tendion or mallet finger. In july the left pinky droped while answering the phone,was told I unjured it too. COME ON! I checked lipitors website. It admits to imflamation of the tendions also contracture. Was told that this couldnt be from the lipitor because my tendions are ruptured and not a contracture. Our we nit picking here?????

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

I've experienced a lot of the problems mentioned by most of the patients above. I've had a heart disease for some years now, I've had a stent put in and am on medication since 1997, I have been taking lipex40 ever since and have been experiencing the following symptoms for the last 2 years: aching muscles, sore tendons, tinglingin and numbness in the hands, cramps in the feet, degeneration of the muscle in my right hand, tiredness, constipation, spells of dizziness, bloating of the stomach, dribbling from one side of the mouth.
Initially, the specialists have been addressing these problems as emanating from the stomach, I've had numerous tests done resulting on a diagnosis showing a syndrome called Leak Gut Syndrome, a nutritionist put me on a gluten free diet without any success for the last six months.
I went back to my GP doctor who checked me and is of the opinion that these are the symptoms of the after-effect of Lipex40.
I organised to go and see my cardiologist.

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

I have just stopped taking Lipex due to the continuing tiredness and pain in my upper and lower arm muscles. I have already noticed change and I am sure it is due to this medication.

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

does anybody have any speech problems along with the tireness problem. I have been taking CRESTOR for about a year. Before that I took LIPITOR for about two years.

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

I have taken Lipex for approx 3yrs, and regularly queried my doctor as to why I was feeling so weak, aches and pains through my whole body. Various tests were done including x-rays and CT scans of back, hips etc revealing nothing. A friend alerted me to the problems associated with statin drugs. I was prescribed Vioxx for the pain! I had not realised how badly my memory was affected, and had become mildly depressed. After identifying a clear example of cognitive impairment, my doctor agreed that I should stop taking the Lipex for 2 months to see what would happen. Needless to say, all the complaints I have had in the past 3 years have been relieved - sleep impairment, aches and pains, cognitive and memory problems, depression etc. I am off STATINS for good, and now take Omega-3 supplements and daily aspirin. It seems I suffered needlessly for at least 3 years with no recognition by my doctor of the source of the problem. I was normally a healthy and reasonably active 62yr old female, and am hopefully returning to that scenario.

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

After three months on Lipitor I suffered cognitive/affective side-effects similar to those mentioned by Meryll W.(above). I also began having trouble pronouncing words, just as Raymond did. Discontinued the medication and things have improved a lot. Am taking CO Q-10 and Aricept. A friend of mine taking a different statin had even worse cognitive problems. He's now being treated with several new anti-alzenheimer medications and his physician hopes the damage wasn't permanent.
Statin's cognitive/affective side effects have resulted in formation of a new acronymn: SID - Statin Induced Dementia or SIDD - Statin Induced Dementia/Depression.

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

i have been taking liptor for 3 months and i first had an auful pain in my left hip.I thought i had hurt myself. then i was in lowe's and the calf's in my legs just shut down. I am going back on the vitiam C and watch my diet

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

I Had been on lipitor for two and a half years. I am 50 and female, I started on 20 mgs then up to 40 mgs eight months ago. I have suffered severe muscle spasms in my neck and back, Causing me difficulty in holding my head up at times,as well as pins and needles in my feet.My eyesight was deteriorating and my fine motor skills getting worse, I had a general feeling of tiredness and a low grade temp, this was put down to possible menopause.When discussed with my doctor,I was ordered a neck x-ray which showed general age related deterioration and I was told to just put up with the pain and it will subside in time. I attended a physio for neck pain and spasms for about one month, but even he could not explain the severe spasms.I became curious about the side effects of Lipitor and did some research.I was amazed at the list of side effects and the fact that my GP did not even attampt to connect the drug with my complaints. I approached my G.P for a discussion about ceasing lipitor , she agreed to to allow it for a month to see if I became any better, and ordered ck levels but refused to check my cholesterol levels when I stopped. My ck level was ok. I felt a million dollars within a couple of weeks and have not gone back to my GP . I have since heard about policosanol as a natural therapy for reducing Cholesterol.I have organised a cholesterol baseline test and will start policosanol as soon as this is done if needed. I suggest you look up policosanol on the net it appears to be an excellent natural alternative to lipitor

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

I started on 10mg of Lipitor about 9 months ago and had good results lowering my chlorestoral; I renewed a prescription just a week before Christmas and immediately had severe right hip and calf pain, night and day. I thought I would need hip replacement surgery and then remembered I had seen something about the possible side effect of the statins. I discontinued use about 6 days ago and nearly all of the pain in hip and calf have disappeared.

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

Lipitor gave me neuropathy of the feet,fibromyalgia and today was DX'ed with torn meninces (sp?) of my knees. I never injured them, and was wondering if this could be caused by my 4 years of lipitor at 80mg a day? I finally found a pain specialist who said my problems are defenatly related to or caused by lipitor. Haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. Any info would greatly help.

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

Everyone trying to recover from the adverse effects of Lipitor and other cholesterol-lowering meds should be aware that it is important to move anything electrical away from the head of their bed. This is extremely important for those who take large amounts of Vitamin C and it appears from research I just came across a couple weeks ago (been on vacation) that Co-Q-10 can possibly also become a free radical under certain circumstances. I have not yet had a chance to find out why the researcher who suggests the Co-Q might become a free radical thinks that may be the case. I do know that my husband, diagnosed with Alzheimers and said to have "profound and unusual memory loss" has documented proof of "improvement" on his neuropsych test following removal of his electric clock radio from his bedside. I lowered his Vitamin C. I note on this site the mention of Lysine as being important and do not think his Vit C contained that. Vit C when one is exposed to radiation tho can become a free radical thereby causing harm. That info is avail in Dr. Russell Reiter's book "Melatonin" and Dr. Reiter (Texas Univ San Antoinio) wrote back to me that "it is well-known that radiation causes Vitamin C to become toxic. We have stopped my husband's Lipitor (I brought the concern up to our neurologist and he agreed with me but offered no help other than mentioning Alz drugs which husband can't tolerate). Have increase his Omega 3 fish oil to 1,000 mg 3 x day plus other suppls but so far since stopping Lipitor, he has worsened. Will check with alternative med docs this week. Take care - Joanne

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

I am female and 66 years of age. My general health is very good.
I started with Zocor 10mg October 2003. After a few weeks, I complained about unusual pains in my upper right leg and right hip.
Had x-rays that produced nothing.
As my cholesterol was still too high in the Dr's opinion, my subscription was raised to 20mg. Zocor.
Still experienced hip and leg pain. Also started to develop sinus infections, something which I had NEVER experienced before.
Over the next year these sinus attacks became acute.
I was put onto Lipitor 20.mg in August 2004, as the Dr. considered my cholesterol not lower enough.
Last week, January 2005, I was put on to 40mg Lipitor and within 2 days, I was unable to stand due to the pain in my lower back. Dizzy head and pain in the left side of my neck.
My son is a Naturopath and has helped me over the years with my health and because of his assistance my general health is very good.
My personal opinion is that my cholesterol reading is genetic, and is not detrimental to my health, as my blood pressure and heart are in very good condition.
I am now going to take measured doses of Vit. C. Lysine and Q10 and see what the results are over the next couple of months.
I shall keep you informed.
Good health to you all.

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

My dad's doctor prescribed Lipitor after his cholesterol test results came back high. After 6 months on the drug, he developed severe leg spasms. After a check up re:leg pain, especially his right leg, diagnosis was that his circulation was in trouble...they upped the Lipitor amount to prevent the need for leg amputation. The pain worsened. He couldn't sleep and could barely walk...became dizzy...speech slurred. Thanks to a visit from his younger brother..a longtime natural healing advocate...he challenged his doctor's prescription of Lipitor and discontinued the use...He feels great , is back to his long walks, and ,at 75 years old, plans on living well with his high cholesterol.

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

I was on zocor for 4 years and my muscle pain got un-bearable. I kept telling my dr. but he said my kidney amd liver functions was ok. I went back because of the pain and ask for a ck test and it came back over 400 and normal is 0-200 he sttoped my zocor on dec. 20th2004 and now I van walk and don't hurt. Does anyone know of policosanol and some one that has tried it and does it work. Please email me if anyone has any info on policosanol

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

I am a 60 year old male.I had been on 20mg of Lipitor for about 2.5 yrs without any noticable ill effects. My Dr. increased this to 40 mg about 7 months ago and within about a month I was having difficulty walking anymore than for a few minutes without experiencing sciatic pain. My daily walk was reduced from the normal 45 minutes (pain free) to 20 minutes with some sciatic pain through out the walk. I also suffered from some memory loss and pins and needles in my right hand. I insisted that I be taken off Lipitor 6 weeks ago and my Dr substituted this with 2 fish oil capsules per day. I'm having blood tests in 4 days time and will be most interested in the results. I have been feeling considerably better since being off lipitor. My memory seems to have improved and the pins and needles have vanished. Some sciatic pain is still evident however. I hope so much that this disappears in time.

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

I too started my cholesterol treatment aproximately 4 years ago. It began with 20mg of Zocor,upped to 40mg, upped to 80 mg and this past November was switched to 80mg of Lipitor. All in an effort to get the Chl level under 100. I have had a general feeling of illness for 2-3 years along with leg spasms& sciatic pain. After reading these testimonies I stopped the medication. Indeed I too have felt a great deal improved, although the leg spasms have not left me. The general feeling of well-being has greatly improved.When I related this to my daughter she said that a friend's mother almost died from taking Lipitor. It took her daugter's intervention to hospitalize her mother and stop all drugs.The woman greatly improved and returned to her home. This was a year ago. These past 2 weeks the woman was hospitalized with liver failure. The diagnosis was a virus, and she has had 2/3 of her liver removed. I can only wonder if the virus' name is Lipitor.

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

I HAVE BEEN ON LIPTIOR FOR ABOUT 4 YEAR AND IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE HAD A BAD STINGY AND PAIN IN MY FEET. MY DR. SAID I HAVE NERVE DAMAGE MAYBE EARLY ONSET OF DIABETIS. CAN THIS BE FROM PROLONG USE OF LIPITOR?

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

I have peripheral neuropathy in both feet. I had no such problem until I was switched from 40mg of Pravachol to 20mg of Lipitor. My blood sugar was 130 and A1c is 5.6.
Since the blood sugar is >126 they classify me as diabetic. My dr. did not think that this should have caused the neuropathy at those levels. I stopped the lipitor in Oct 2004 and as of today my feet still hurt as bad as ever. However, I have felt relief from the muscle pains, which leads me to give it a few more months. The drs. want me back on Pravachol since my cholesterol is 240. Lipitor brought it to 160 in 4 weeks, however I still believe it is the cause of the neuropathy in my feet. It is hard to find anybody who believes this. They just ignore me and tell me to go back to the Lipitor.

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

A recent calcium scoring of the arteries near my heart revealed that I have moderate calcified plaque build-up. I also have elevated LDL cholesterol (157) but my HDL is terrific. My doctor wants me to take 20mg of Lipitor. With much reluctance after researching statins I started with 10mg, but after a week (with some aching limbs) I've decided to quit. I have been taking policosanol for about 6 months which has helped lower the LDL and I've recently started a program with Nanobac Labs. I recommend highly the book, "The Calcium Bomb." I really believe in this treatment and would suggest the Nanobac website. Just type nanobacteria into Google. The information is very impressive.

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

I met with the doctor today for my 6 month check up for my liver since i am on lipitor, My number in all areas are great, I am in good physicl condition, I started about 4 years ago with 20mg daily, in them 4 years I have been having muscle weakness and leg pain. I am sore in the morning getting out of bed and I also had within the past 2 year acute achilles tendonitis pain and plantal fascia in one foot, I usually heal really fast, but today they still linger, I spoke with my doctor about these side effects and also mention that I felt general weakness throughout my body, I am a active mailman and walking is becoming a problem, My doctor said that i have the symptoms of what these statins can do, and she told me to stop taking this medicine immediately, she said to stay on the once a day 80mg aspirin and also to try fish oil supplements, she also is checking my blood work for some muscle problems, I hope my symptoms go away and also hope this help other people with the same symptoms that i am experiencing.

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

I also should mention that over the course of starting lipitor, i have had a EMG ( Electromyography ) test and a Nerve conduitivity test because of the pain in my legs, both results came back negative.

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

Took Liptor 10mg 90 days
muscle cramps various area
feet, toes, hands, forearms, calves, thighs (on stretch, exertion)
repeat first word in phrase
poor memory
little cramps in sides of abdomen, stich in side
One day awoke with severe cramps both legs, fexing, unable to stand or straighten legs, Emergency room trip, better after 4 hours rest, fluids
sore throat, eyelids, dyr eyes and skin

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

I have had 2 close friends pass away in the last 6 months both diagnosed with liver cancer of unknown origin. Both on lipitor for 2+ years. any connection? Also a neighbors mother same scenario.
Gene Rodammer

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

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

... there is really no reason to suffer. For starters, cholesterol is an indicator rather than a cause that needs to be expunged.

This site has an internal "google search" function (top center of each page). If you put in "cholesterol", there are many articles to follow up.

Here is what I recently wrote to someone else who asked about taking cholesterol lowering drugs:

please understand that I am not a medical doctor but merely an interested layman who mistrusts what we are being told about the necessity to take pharmaceutical products to protect our health. For that reason, I really cannot give the type of advice you are asking, without making very clear that you should consult a doctor or other health professional who is conversant in the use of natural products. Some suggestions would be
Dr. Mercola (http://www.mercola.com/article/statins.htm#)

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

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

That said, I will give you my personal opinion. Cholesterol is not the bad guy. It is a substance the body needs and produces in the liver, in addition to finding it in foods. It's a cleansing substance, a kind of soap. Any constant poisoning (think for instance poisonous chemicals applied to golf courses) or other factors in the diet, will cause the body to increase cholesterol production in an effort to combat the poisoning.

Cholesterol has been connected to heart trouble, but that does not mean its presence is more than an indicator. While high cholesterol (or high counts of certain cholesterol fractions) are associated with cardiovascular disease, the cholesterol is not necessarily the cause.

If you drove your car and the red light came on blinking, warning of too much oil pressure, would you rather find the reason for the oil pressure increase or unscrew the bulb of the blinking red light?

Perhaps those sites linked will give you some more information to "get your teeth into"...

Good hunting.

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

I have been on Lipitor 20 mg (plavix 75 mg) for 4 months now and apart from getting aches and pains all over , I have developed Microscopic hematura in my urine. Increases Creatanin and Proteins were also noticed
Dis anybody else faced this side effect of Lipitor?.

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

After being on Lipitor for a year and a half, I started experiencing muscle weakness, muscle aches, and forgetfulness. I've been off of Lipitor for about a month. The aches have gone, but the muscle weakness is still there. Blood test also show elevated liver enzymes.

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

Have been on Zocor & Lipitor for about 4 or 5 years total. This after a severe diet dropped 40 pounds & my levelactually went up from 240 to 260. Am 72 and currently experiencing almost all symptoms. Have been off the drug for 2 months but muscle pain continues. Blood tests indicated no damage. But I'm still having some serious symptoms. How long can it take? More than two months?

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

BEEN ON LIPITOR 5 YRS GOT SLLEP APNEA ANY CONNECTION?

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

I was off lipitor for 1 month and had my profile check and sure enough my cholestrol went back up to 260. My earlier post talked about my problems with lipitor, doctor has put me on vytorin 10/20 which is a two part program, doctor said that I should have no reaction to this drug, will post reply in a few months with results, I started to feel alot better since going off the lipitor so i will be able to tell if this drug works.

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

Cholesterol is the very basis of life of thinking talking and innovative primate. To blame it for all the ills of the body is like blaming God for everything that goes wrong. It is we humans that do not utilize the cholesterol in correct way and let it harm us. Look at the chemistry of cholesterol, corticosteroids,
sex hormones, bile salts and the similarity. And what about the fact that human brain has the highest age of cholesterol compared to any other primate? Will it be wrong to connect some of the statin adverse effects on nervous system to reduced cholesterol in the brain? We have to take a world view and not narrow specialist one.
Lakhi

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

What a discovery this message board has been for me. I've been taking lipitor for nearly 10 years (I'm 61) and living with increasing pain(s)for some time now. I'm delighted to find each of my symptoms - foot pain, achilles tendonitis, and more described here by others. I'll stop taking the pills for a while and see if things improve. Wish me luck.

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

i took lipitor for 10 years have stopped f0r a year now..i have every symptom mentioned in these postings,leg buzzing, so sad to fine these out,i have not gotten better, if anything i have more miseries then ever and dont know if they will ever go away, i am 73 and feel very very bad all the time,i have myopathy,lipitor stole my health

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

I started taking Liptor about one month ago. I have fibromylagia and always have muscle pain, but my calves and thighs were very painful and felt swollen and very sensitive to the touch. Although I have chronic pain, this pain was very distinct and uncomfortable. I just started sleeping better now this pain is keeping me awake. I stopped taking Lipitor three days ago. I called my doctor and she said to wait a few weeks and try it again. I don't want to; is there anything else (other than statins) that can help lower cholesterol. Diet and exercise don't seem to be enough for me at this time. Please help ~

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

Hello Kathleen,

there are some natural ways of lowering cholesterol, but the crux of the matter seems to be that cholesterol is not a cause of heart attacks, merely an indicator that the body is occupied with de-toxing (cholesterol is necessary for that). Cholesterol is produced in the liver or absorbed from foods, and it is a vital substance in human metabolism. Cholesterol lowering drugs forcefully change liver pathways to stop the natural production of ocholesterol, interfering with what the substance is supposed to do in the body.

See this article - Forget Cholesterol, it's not really relevant and follow some of the links. There is a whole different interpretation of health to be discovered.

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

dear sir, i didn't want my name on a list , all i wanted to know if and how long the leg pain last. i haven't heard from the dr yet go may 23 to see what they found i will write again if he tell's me something to help other people. thank you ps amd why don't dr's believe lipitor does this to patient's?

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

took lipitor for half a year off and on started at 80mg. went to 40mg. then switched to provocal then back to lipitor. I took myself off for the same reasons as everybody else. Iam a young adult and never felt this way until i started on lipitor. nauseas and spells of dizziness. stillseem to be as bad as when i started. will this go away.

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

I my earlier post on march 12 and April 22, i talked about my problems with lipitor, I have been off lipitor for 2 months and my leg discomfort has gone away and my muscles have gotten stronger, i am on vytorin 10/20 and will be going later this month to see what my cholestrol numbers are. Going off lipitor was the best thing for me, i actually can feel the muscle aches have left completely and my weakness in my legs have gone away

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

This has to be one of the most ignorant articles I have ever ridden. Discredited hypothesis that increased cho causes MI's? Why then on a daily basis do we see fresh MI's with drastically elevated cholesterol levels? Hope people educate themselves with more info than this dangerously inadequate site. While there are side effects with statins very very few what you call muscle deterioations takes place sure some people will have mild Myalgias( muscle aches) but other than that very few side effects are seen with lipitor or others you people very well could be the cause of loss of life and happiness

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

John,

you are of course entitled to your opinion. I don't agree with your view, but if you have any actual data (other than mere propaganda) that would invalidate the research linked, why not share it?

Maybe you should read the article and the comments before spouting things such as "very very few side effects". Most all the commenters are people who have experienced these effects on their own bodies and they might take offense to your unsubstantiated offerings.

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

Been off lipitor for 4 months, and guess what no aches and pains, no muscle lose, got my strength back and no tendonitis pain and plantal fascia problems, must of been all in my head, I know for a fact that this drug was making me weak and if you did read the side effects of this statin you should know that the number one concern is muscle problems, You don't know what your talking about, i guess waking up every morning and being in your 40 that you should be having aches and pains everyday, i don't think so, I am in great shape and concerned enough that diet and exercising was not helping my cholestrol and found out that family history is a major cause of high cholestrol. anyone on these statins and if you are experiencing any of the side effects mentioned in earlier post, contact you physician and check into other options, I changed to vytorin 10/20 and have had no side effect and the cholestrol number have drop to when i was on lipitor. John wonder how you came across this site. LOL

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

I have been on Lipitor, Zocor and Pravacol. Granted as I age I expect muscle and moving problems. Has any one else has facial muscle problems. My tongue does not seem to be moving correctly and I feel (unavoidably) my check muscles pulling up so I seem to be slurring.Dr. just looks at me as if to say "another one of those". I quit taking Zocor for 4 months and my cholesteral went way up. 5577

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

I'm 51 years old. Maybe 10 lbs overweight. Generally in good shape. My cholesterol was slightly high. On Lipitor for 10 months. My doctor took me off due to the liver counts.

In my case the first phase of muscle pains started one month after I was off the Lipitor. Severe pain in my upper chest (thought I broke a rib), then moved to my upper left back, then moved to my left upper butt. Pain went away in about two months. Phase two started about six weeks ago (six months after stopping Lipitor). Extreme pain in my right side hip, then calf, then thigh. The pain has increased as time goes on. The worse time is getting out of bed in the morning. I'm not able to exercise properly.

I do appreciate everyone's comments. Nice to know that other people can relate and discuss this problem. Anyone with remedies please add your ideas.

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

Wow,just stumbled on this site and found my problem. I have many of the symptoms described here. Sore right calf, legs, forearms, twitching, buzzing, etc. I've been on Lipitor for 5 plus years and have been having symptoms for about a year. Just went off 40 mg of Lipitor 4 weeks ago and feel no better. Does anyone know for sure how long it takes to get rid of symptoms?

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

Hi there.

I'm soooo confused with all of this. My doctor just prescribed 10mg of Lipitor per day and I'm terrified about taking it. No one else in my family is on an cholesterol lowering drugs. We all pretty much practice natural medicine. I am a heatlhy active 43 year old male with no history of my own heart problems. I had the prescription filled but it sits on my bedside table untouched. I try to eat a healthy diet and supplement with vitamins and minerals, including 600mgs of Ester C daily. I also eat a lot of citrus foods so I know I'm getting a lot of Vit.C.

I'm also thinking of becoming a vegetarian as I'm practically one now (just eat chicken and fish). I do indulge my sweet tooth three to four times per week and love carbs. I think with a radical change to my diet I can do this.

Would love to here any experts comments on my situation.

Many thanks and keep up the great work!

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

I have been taking 10mg. of lipitor daily for almost 2 yrs. and have experienced a lot of muscle pain and tiredness. The worst problem I have experienced is neck pain. Almost every time I have a beer or a glass of wine, I get a terrible neck ache. My Dr. says to give up alcohol. Does this sound as if it may be linked to Lipitor?

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

I was on 40 mlg of zocor for a couple of years. I had some upper let muscle pain, neck pain etc. then my dr. decided to put me on 40 mlgs. of lipitor because he still did not like my numbers. I was put on it on march 4, 2005 and by the middle of march I stared with an ache in my right arm as if I slept wrong on it. It gradually got worse and my groin and upper thigh and other arm became so unbearable that I could not get up without pain. It has been at least 6-7 weeks off any statin and I am better although not 100%. I am haveing nee surgery in about a week. my miniscus is torn among other things. I am wondering if that is related as I read about a woman on this site that had a similar problem. I also had surgery on my other knee a couple of years ago while I was on zocor. one dr. thinks I have polymyalgia rheumatica but the numbers are not there. How long to fully recover,although my arms and legs are about 75@ better.
anyone care to answer??
anna greeley

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

I took Lipitor for two years and relied on doctors recommendation. Developed muscle weakn ess and pain-terrible pain, especially in legs, but also in arms. Dr. said I could stay off it a week and see how I felt. I didn't feel any better, so went back on it. Pain became so severe I could barely walk. Have been off Lipitor for 2 months, and am beginning to feel better. Still weak, recently had Pancritites. Drs. could find no reason for that. I am not a drinker. I am a 73 year old woman who has been very healthy until the past 1 and 1/2 years. I willl never take a statin drug again. More should be done about publishing the the side effects- especially to doctors.

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

I've been on lipitor for two years.Found article about more severe side effects.I have noticed a high amount pain in back and down through legs.I have also noticed a lack of concentration and loss of memory.There has been muscle pains across my chest and find it difficult to breath at times.All testing seems to be O.K. according to Dr.Would like feed back as alot of this was not explained when drug was given.

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

I had a heart attack in April 04 during a squash match. My business had been on the slide for about two years and two days earlier it had ceased trading. It was the two years of stress dealing with this situation that was the cause of the attack. There was a 90% blockage of the main right artery and a stent was inserted to open it up. Straight away the doctors proscribed a cocktail of drugs including Lipitor. After a three months I was only taking the lipitor. At the same time I was determined to get back to full fitness. I am 56 years old and very fit from the squash and I also used to race a bike at a high level 20 years ago so I started to train in earnest with a view to race again in 2005. It was frustrating as I seemed to fatigue easily. I naturally put this down to the after effects of the heart attack. Anyway I persevered with the training and got fitter. At the same time a pain started to develop in my upper left arm and my neck became very sore and stiff. I ended up going to see osteopaths and physiotherapists for teatment but nothing worked. On a spur of the moment decision I decided to stop the lipitor and rely on my diet to reduce my cholestrol. Out training with the guys I was getting back to my old self and was at the front on training spins and leaving them behind on the climbs. About four weeks later I was still suffering from the neck pains then I got my check up at the doctors. They told me that my cholestrol was elevated from the last readings and that I should definitely be taking the lipitor 40mg a day. I told him about the symptoms which he said were nothing to do with lipitor. Like a brainless idiot I took him at his word and started to take the 40mg a day. That was in February this year. There was no immediate change in my fitness levels. I raced a few events and did quite well but nothing like the standard I had been used to. Other muscle problems started to appear. My right foot on the pedal was now at a funny angle. My libido was now non-existent. At night in bed I was getting palpitations and my heart rate rhythym was very irregular with the heart stopping for about two/three seconds about six times a minute. My performances on the bike were getting steadily worse. In May I raced a 25 mile time trial and barely finished the distance totally exhausted. It was then that I researched Lipitor on the internet. I am very very angry to think that the medical profession can proscribe a drug with these side effects. Of course I stopped taking Lipitor immediately. That was 41 days ago. My heart rhythym is now normal, the palpitations stopped and libido back to normal, the soreness and stiffness in my neck almost gone. When riding my bike the foot on the pedal is now OK. My bike training is still suffering as my recovery is not very good though so it is unlikely that I will race agin this year. I am taking CoQ10 120mg L-Carnitine 500mg Lysine 1000mg Vitamin C 2000Mg plus Vitamin B supplements daily.
Please please do not take Lipitor as it is poison. It will proabaly take me anything up to six months to fully recover.

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

my husband has been on zecor for about 2 years and then GP put him on 40 mg of atorvastatin it was very earliy on he noticed that his legs were bad but put it down to an old complaint from years ago so never give the drug a thought but at the precent time he can bearly walk through servere calf and thigh and lower back pain his ckp levels are raised and also his liver counts are raised how can a drug be allowed to be given that is nearly cripple him he his proberly going to lose his job through this drug to every body out there dont take statins they make you ill which before hee took them he was a well man from a very worried wife

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

I did not think my post would come up but now it has I wonder is there anybody out there who feels that we are meant to accept any thing that is thrown at us I want answers is any body thinking about doing anything about statin drugs that are causeing such devastating side affects a previous person said about a few people suffering slight muscle weakness well I am sorry but he is not wakeing every morning to a body that is just not working like it used to before statins were introduced to his life can any one tell me are the symtoms there for ever or do they go away is any body going to try and fight this cause that a drug you take to help your self ends up leaving you not being able to walk I cant beleive the company can get away whith this just so they can make huge profits and they are massive at our exspense seeing our loved ones go through this on the say so of our gp's were do we start Iam raring to go do you need a muscle bioispy to confirm that the proberlems our drug related how do we prove what is being done to our bodies I for one would go to the end of the earth to stop this happening to any one else any one out there who feels the same please email me but only genuine please as I am very serious about this wish every one well out there who is going through this statin side affects cheers from pauline

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

I don't know whether to be angrier at my doctor that I trusted or the drug company that my doctor trusted! My doctor recently gave me a six week trial of Vytorin 10-20mg. My blood tests have resulted with great numbers and with the orders to continue taking it. My tests were previously borderline, not dangerous. I now have disorientation, neck, shoulder and arm pain since taking the Vytorin. My doctor gave me muscle relaxants but all they do is put me in a fog. I get some relief from ibuprofen but the pain is constant. I've seen the posting of others that have their pain continuing even after stopping the meds. I am (or was) an active & fit woman in my early 60's. I just want the pain to go away!

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

I have been on Lipitor for a year and my cholesterol is down half of what it was (264). Zocor did not help. My doctor says I am genetically prone to high cholesterol and risk of stroke and heart disease. My father is a stroke victim. I see what clogged arteries has done to him and do not want that for myself. I am 47 year of female. I have some dizzines and chest pain occassionally. Is it worth the risk to stop taking the tricor and have my cholesterol rise? Or go off the medicine and risk a stroke? I am concerned.

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

I was wondering if anyone had trouble with vision after taking lipitor. my mom has been on it for about 2 months and she now says she can't drive because her vison is distorted. Has this happened to anyone else. Linda

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

I have been taking lipitor 20 mg daily for the last 6 months aprox, before lipitor I took Lovastatin 40 mg for about 6 months and never thought about side effects and a possible relation to heart attacks until I listened a brief info about Lipitor and side effects in Univision, Spanish Tv Network. I began to remind myself of my health situation in the last year, yes i feel dizzy some times, I experimented a very strange lower back pain some months ago and very clearly I have a recent tendency to forget important duties or I really have to remind me through my daily calendar in order to keep fresh information of appointments and things I have to do. I really can not say for sure that all these happenings are related to Lipitor or Lovastatin. I Have stopped Lipitor and I want to follow a natural way to control my high cholesterol, any advise will be welcome, I have diabetes type 2 and I am 53 year old.

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

I was on Lipitor for 4 years and started to experience foot pains first. Then severe leg and calf spasms and peripheral neuropathy. Had tests...so manY MRI, CT scan, 5 visists to neirologists, rheumatologist, tried every vitamin, saw a complimentary physician, had acupuncture. I went off Lipitor 2 years ago and still experience leg spasms and ankle and foot pain daily It is definitely bettehr than when on the statin but has been a very long time. Has anyone else experienced such a long recovery time?Could it be permanet damage? No doctors believed it was Lipitor...aafter my reserach I am convinced...I continue to dotro myself...still have waekness and pain and spasm.

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

I had a heart attack Mar 16/04. I now take 8 pills daily,one of which is 80 mg of lipitor. My mother was on 40 mg of lipitor to control cholesterol. She no longer takes this and claims to feel better and tells me I should consider same. This of course led me to seach out the side effects of lipitor and of course this site came up. All of your testimonials have led me to write this and to question the neccessity of all the pills I am presently taking. Prior to my heart attack I did not hold much stock in doctors or phama drugs, always believing in natural sources. When I suffered the heart attack I was unconcious for a week and still have vivid memories of things not here. The shock of all this made me follow a route with doctors etc. which I had never taken or believed in before. Thankyou all for truely bringing me back from the dead and now that I know that there are so many others who belive as I do I feel fortified in my resolve to pursue the truth of these damn pharma drugs I presently am on. I will update from time to time as I glean more info. God Bless all

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

I threw away my Lipitor two months ago.I was taking 40mgs a day and it was killing me.I have never been so ill, and now I feel great.
I was having what I called wide awake seizures with body jerks that lasted for 1-2hrs.The Er docs had no idea I was having a reaction to Lipitor.I had been on Crestor and it was destroying my kidneys so my doc put me on Lipitor and it was destroying my liver.
My legs have never hurt so bad,chest pain,dizzy spells,daily nausea and indigestion,I was living on tagamets and rolaids,the feeling in my gut was something I couldn't explain,it felt like another seizure type spell was coming on,I was so very deathly cold,I could not get warm with heating pads and blankets.I wanted to die I was so sick every day.I went in for a liver biopsy and the surgeon stood by my side and told me it was the Lipitor.I went back to the "specialist" and he refused to believe that was the problem.I walked out of his office and I may never ever go back to a doctor.
All of the problems have ceased.I feel great.I will take my chances with high cholesterol.

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

my dad has been diagnosed with ALS and i was wondering if the Lipitor has anything to do with it? I've read the comments and believe it may.. If anyone has any suggestions please email me at sharon.thompson@travelocity.com. Thanks Sharon

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

I have been on Lipitor for approximately two months. For the first time in my life, my urine is showing traces of ketone. The last few weeks, I have been experiencing dizziness and quick flashes of slight nausea. Don't know for sure, but my guess is I have Lipitor to thank for this.

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

I have been on Lipitor for about 8 months. I am now experiencing "tinnitus" ringing in the ears. The sound in my ear or head is like a buzzing noise. The doctor said that I may have to live with it the rest of my life. My chlor. went from 245 to 175. But the buzzing in my ears may, the doctor said lead to loosing the hearing in my ears. "Has anyone experienced this"

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

My doctor has just prescribed Lipitor 10 mg. My cholesterol is very high and he wants me to get it lowered. I have read that grapefruit/grapefruit juice reacts badly with Lipitor. Would taking high doses of vitamin C while taking the Lipitor react as badly as the grapefruit? Also, if I get my cholesterol down with the Lipitor and then stop taking it and start taking 3k to 6k mg of vitamin C instead of Lipitor, would that be okay? I would appreciate an answer. My doctor also wants me to lose weight, which he said would also help to lower my cholesterol.
Thank you, David (almost 50)

Posted by: David on September 2, 2005 07:00 AM

I to have begun to suffer with Tinnitus after taking Zocor for only a matter of weeks. My Doctor informed me that "No you don't get Tinnitus from Zocor or Lipitor". So I kept up the tablets and in fact changed to Lipitor, after about three months now the Tinnitus has gotten worse and so I will cease the tablets but will most likely suffer Tinnitus permenantly now.

Nico.

Posted by: Nico on September 14, 2005 01:30 PM

I took lipitor for sixteen days. Stopped on May six this year. Its now oct 3. The back pain and leg pain has still not cleared up. Nor has the neck pain. The vision problem (similar to problem that creatsdark spot in center only its gray and fuzzy)Memory malfunction also,is nearly gone. Only comes back with strong exercise, which , due to the other pains that persistI don't do very often. That is a problem.Even walking a mile on level ground is difficult. Before taking lipitor I had no difficlty walking up to ten miles on tough trails; an exercise I was accustomed to as I like to backpack and camp. I can't do these anymore. Lipitor has caused a very radical lifestyle change and all unwanted.

Posted by: Phil Walsh on October 3, 2005 08:41 PM

My husband has been taking Lipitor for approx. 5 months. He has developed a distinct musty smell, even though he showers regularly. Any comments?

Posted by: Ann Baker on October 5, 2005 03:45 PM

Dear Ann,

since body smell is usually connected with a deficiency of magnesium, I looked for statins + magnesium deficiency and find the following statement here: "Drs. Seelig and Rosanoff suggest that the statins are depleting magnesium..."

Including Seelig and Rosanoff in the search, the following page of the Life Extension Foundation comes up with some more information.

"November 26, 2004
Review finds magnesium may provide better benefits than statins

A review published in the October 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has found that the beneficial effects of magnesium could outweigh those of statin drugs. Statins are a class of drugs commonly prescribed for individuals with elevated cholesterol levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Because the drugs have side effects, some people are seeking alternative ways to improve their cardiovascular disease risk.

Andrea Rosanoff, PhD, and Mildred S Seelig, MD of State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn discuss the fact that statin drugs as well as magnesium inactivate the enzyme 5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase). HMG CoA reductase converts HMG-CoA into a substance called mevalonate, which is the first step in cholesterol formation. Reducing mevalonate improves endothelial function, reduces inflammation, and provides other cardiovascular benefits. Magnesium, however, is also involved in the activity of another enzyme known as lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT), which helps elevate high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and reduces low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. In addition, another enzyme known as desaturase, which helps convert linoleic acid and linolenic acid into prostaglandins, is dependent upon magnesium. Furthermore, optimal levels of magnesium within the cell are a natural calcium channel blocker, which helps dilate the blood vessels.

Drs Rosanoff and Seelig note that while statin drugs help to prevent blood clots, lower inflammation and protect against atherosclerosis, they can elevate liver enzymes and cause myopathy as well as other side effects, whereas diarrhea or mild gastrointestinal distress are the only side effects that have been caused by magnesium supplements. Statins cost at least $100.00 per month compared to no more than $20.00 for a month's supply of magnesium. These factors combined suggest that increasing magnesium could be a viable alternative to taking statin drugs."

So yes, the smell you noted could well be connected to statin drug use, which was found to be depleting magnesium.

Apart from taking magnesium into consideration, you might also find some other natural alternatives to statin drugs on Jonathan Campbell's site.

Posted by: Sepp on October 5, 2005 04:22 PM

I was advised to take Lipitor 10mg for the leaky aortic heart valve. I have a cholestrol count of 5.2.
After 4 weeks of being on the drug, I have developed serious 'ringing in the ear' (like thousands of birds chirping in a forest)in my left ear. Is this by any chance due to the dug or is it a coincidence?
Nash

Posted by: Nash on October 16, 2005 05:42 AM

I have tininitus in both my ears that started after taking Zocor for only a month. I quit the Zocor and the tininitus remains. I told my doctor who said he's never heard of that happenning and maybe it was just a coincidence. I don't think so especially now that others have the same story. Can we all get together somehow and organize? This ain't right. eddie@runyard.org

Posted by: Ed Falzon on October 19, 2005 03:07 AM

Tonight I have sworn off of Lipitor... I am 50 years old and for all practical purposes have been pretty healthy all my life. In May of 2005 I was taken from my place of employment for stroke type systems to the hospital by EMS. My first experience of this type. After undergoing a battery of test, I was told I suffered a TIA, and my Doctor later told me a blood clot had broken loose in my brain, thus the stroke like systems. I was released from the hospital and prescribed Lipitor. Thru all the test, scans,exrays,blood work, etc..., the only thing they came of with was acceptable blood level counts, and thus the Lipitor. These posting have pointed out so many of the things I am experiencing today, by so many people, I am convinced Lipitor is something I need to run from! Having said all of that, I am the type of person who doesn't even like to take an aspirin. I believe that Lipitor has robbed me from a quality of life that I have enjoyed in the past and I am more then willing to be a part of a class action law suit against the maker. I only hope that my systems described by so many reverse, as it has greatly impacted my quality of life. My email address is BarryGFoxF@aol.com.
I will be advising my Doctor of this at my next visit.

Posted by: Barry Fox on October 22, 2005 03:33 AM

I have been on Lipitor for about 4yrs now and experiencing all the muscle symptoms. Can you quit Lipitor cold turkey? Thanks

Posted by: Roz on October 22, 2005 12:50 PM

My doctor prescribed LIPITOR
5 mg because i have borderline diabetes. After
reading about all of the side effects i am wondering if i should take it. Any comments.
THANK YOU

Posted by: R. RICKON on November 1, 2005 01:59 PM

My mother is 80 years old and has been taking Lipitor for some time now.....Recently she has has severe weakness and pain in her hip which the doc's say is arthritis.....she suffers from alot of other ailments but her most severe are a hiatal hernia and her weakness.......I see by the message board that ALOT of people have the sever weakness. I am hoping that her condition will improve once she goes off the Lipitor......there is nothing wrong with her mid most of the time.....just her aches.....good luck to all and let mek know if anyone has any comments........

Posted by: vicki on November 3, 2005 09:33 PM

Like Roz (October 22), I too would like to know if you can quit Lipitor cold turkey. Any side effects to that. I was told a possible side effect was you could loose patches of hair...anyone heard of that??

Posted by: Marilynne on November 5, 2005 09:18 AM

My mom passed away today from ALS.

She was diagnosed in the spring of 2004. However, she started experiencing symptoms the summer of 2003.

She was taking lipitor for a few years prior to her diagnosis of ALS.

I believe lipitor triggered her ALS.

Posted by: Lisa on November 6, 2005 12:01 PM

Roz and Marilynne, I quit Lipitor early this year and have not had any side effects. In fact, my quality of life has improved so greatly that mere words cannot describe how wonderful it is to be without the most excrutiating pain in my entire life!!

This all began 7 years ago when the Dr. prescribed Lipitor for a slighltly elevated Cholesterol reading. At that time I had no physical problems or symptoms of any other medical condition. Within a year I was also taking medication for High Blood Pressure, Arthritis, Allergies, Anxiety and Insomnia. Over the years since, I had suffered such excrutiating pain in my knees, legs and hips that walking was almost impossible. But then, so was sitting, standing and sleeping. My Physician sent me to a Rheumatologist, who said I had a torn Miniscus and would require surgery. (I could't remember injuring the knee, but then my memory was becoming so bad that I really couldn't depend on it anymore.) I had started taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin after reading an article on its benefits. When I asked my doctors about it, they said they didn't believe in it because there had been no research that proved it was beneficial. Fortunately, the surgeon I chose was a Sports Medicine practitioner and gave me the good advice that I should wait awhile to see if the Glucosamine and Chondroitin helped, that they had proven to be successful in treating sports injuries. That was the right knee, first. I kept taking the Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Over time, the condition improved, but then the left knee started bothering me with the same symptoms. This time I knew I had not injured it because my mobility was too limited for that to be a possibility! During this time I also developed such difficulty remembering words that I found it very embarassing to carry on a conversation with anyone. I had developed a noticable tremor of my head and it was drawn to the left so that people began to stare at me when I was out in public. Two different Neurologists could find nothing wrong. After a complete series of Nerve Induction tests They labeled the condition as Torticolis.

I became desperate! I had tried everything! I had been concientious about my diet. Being a vegetarian, I hadn't consumed a high cholesterol diet in many years. I had read everything I could find on vitamins, minerals and herbs and was on an excellent supplement program. All I could think of to do that I hadn't already tried was to go off all the meds a couple weeks and add them back one at a time to see if one of them was causing side effects. Well, I did that process several different times and also went on an elimination diet to detox my body several times. Finally, after about a year (with absolutely no support or encouragement from my Physician in the process!) I proved to myself beyond a doubt that it was the Lipitor!!

After being off the Lipitor for several months, I went to get bloodwork done to check my cholesterol. It was back to normal. Then I went off all the other meds about two months before my annual physical. My tests all came back normal. I am convinced the Lipitor caused the other medical conditions that required medication. It was like a vicious circle!

I now go to an alternative medicine practioner and am improving more all the time. Its so great not only to be free of pain but to have the so-called "Torticolis" pracically gone and be able to think clearly again, to be able to carry on a conversation without feeling like a cyborg!

I am convinced that I would have been much better off if I had never gone through the traditional medical approach in the first place. But, all that is water under the bridge and I must work with where I am right now....which is improving more and more each day!!! And if I could do it so can you!!

Posted by: Betty on November 10, 2005 09:03 AM

I suffered a heart attack in March 2002. Since then I am on Lipicor 20. Since last two months the pain in calf muscles has increased to such an extent that I feel terribly tired by evening and have severe restlessness. Also headache and nausea feeling have increased a lot. Does the side effect of Lipitor worsen with time. Any substitute ?

Posted by: sanjeev on November 10, 2005 06:41 PM

I am a 66 yr old male with a total cholesterol of about 240 before taking Lipitor and 180 while taking the pill. I have been on Lipitor for about 4 years. The first 2 yrs, I took 5 mg and the last 2, 10 mg. If my memory is correct, I started having unusual muscles aches about 2 yrs. ago. First a sprain in my right Achilles heel area which took about 3 months to heal! Then about 8 months ago, my right wrist started to hurt when I did things like pushups and dumbell curls. Next I had lower back pains (which on average I have about once a yr. but with a heating pad and linament goes away in about a week). The back pain stayed for 4 months, the wrist hurt for about 6 months until I stopped taking Lipitor and then both problems went away in 2 weeks! Also, while I was having the two aforementioned problems my left shoulder/arm started hurting and it peaked after about 2 months (which I think is very unusual because normally when I sprain a muscle, the pain normally peaks within a day or two). Along with the sprains, I have dry eyes and tinnitus and after reading the postings on this website, quit on 9/28/05. I still have the shoulder/arm problem but it is getting better. The improvement in the tinnitus and dry eyes problems may be subjective but I feel pretty sure that my muscle problems are connected with taking Lipitor. My conclusion is that Lipitor is making me prone to muscle sprain and then preventing the healing in a normal time frame. I probably would not have quit taking Lipitor had I not seen the postings at this site, so thanks to you all and this is my 2 cents worth!

Posted by: Hardy on November 17, 2005 07:02 PM

is there any connection between lipitor and CJD?

Posted by: erin on November 19, 2005 12:28 AM

Started taking Lipitor last June; within a month my fingernails started breaking off - almost down to the quick. They refused to grow back - instead they started to "delaminate" and flaked off in layers. I stopped taking Lipitor in September (after the Doctor had checked and found that my cholesterol had dropped from 284 to 154). My nails are starting to grow back normally. I have not not seen this connection in any articles I've read - could it simply be coincidence? I don't think so ...

Posted by: Bev on December 4, 2005 08:47 AM

I am 58 and went on Lipitor about two years ago. I didn't always take the medication as prescribed, but one year ago, I took it in ernest as I was preparing to hike in Nepal, started an aggressive training program, so faithfully took 10mg. Within a month, I started feeling the effects of muscle soreness, aching joints, particularly the hips, and began having swallowing problems, to the point where I couldn't swallow any food without large amounts of water. After 4 months of this, I stopped Lipitor, continued to train, and most of the symptoms went away. The muscle and joint pain was the best recovery, but even today, I can't swallow well. The hike went well, I lost a lot of weight, and my cholestoral stayed within acceptable levels. In the past few months, the weight and cholestoral have come back, so I will return to a training and diet regime that will hopefully work. I see the comments on vitimin C, and will try that as well.

Posted by: Bob S. on December 13, 2005 11:09 PM

I am taking 10mg of lipitor in last 4 years.In last few months I feel pain in neck and shoulder,I also get so warm in night after taking lipitor in about 2 hours that I can not sleep.The heat in my body is so intense that I can not sleep.Does any body had this symtom?Please help.My Dr. could not help me when I brought the symptom to him.

Posted by: hadi norouzi on December 28, 2005 09:59 AM

i was on lipitor for about five years,from 95 to 2000 memory problems were one thing finally in fall of 2001 when i changed from a desk job to a physcial one i lost all muscle control i had 4 knee operation torn menesces.My arms ach so bad i have been on predisone since 2003.The specialist say a have polymyositos/dermomyositos did anyone end up with this or have they found andthing that helps

Posted by: michael a rose on January 5, 2006 02:34 AM

48 yrs. old,have been on lipitor for 5 yrs. I have all the symptoms of everyone on this site and then some. Quit 1 month ago, little better. Good luck, spread the word

Posted by: Brian Bredekamp on January 6, 2006 01:11 AM

I was put on Lipitor eight months ago. My good and bad cholesterols were spot on, below the average. I am male 75, but fitter and faster than most forty year old's. I became stressed when my wife died and my doctor put me on the drug because of a slight elevation. I started with neck and shoulder pain six months ago, she sent me for physio at great cost which has done nothing. Since then I have developed severe elbow pain, wrist pain finger pain and calf pain. My sleeping is dreadful. Last visit to my doctor she informed me I have the best profile she has ever seen, all readings are very low. I sensed my problem is due to the drug.
I started to think I had contracted Ross River Virus or Murray River enchepalitis.
I am going off the drug after deciding to do a net search and found out I am not alone. All heil the drug company!
James

Posted by: James Taylor on January 15, 2006 09:32 AM

Erin,

Please contact me. My brother-in-law is ill after an aggressive course of lipitor for a mildly raised cholesterol. He is now on a ventilator. He tested "small positive" for CJD. Would like to here about your experience and compare notes...thanks, Candace (evalani3@msn.com)

Posted by: Candace on January 15, 2006 10:06 AM

has there been any corelation between lipitor and male e.d. ?

Posted by: RICK K. on January 16, 2006 03:11 PM

VERY INTERESTING. I HAVE TAKEN LIPITOR IN THE PAST FOR ALMOST A YEAR, NEVER HAD ANY OF THE LEG PROBLEMS, BUT IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I JUST QUIT. NO SIDE EFFECTS. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR OTHER HEALTHFUL WAYS TO ADDRESS MY HEALTH ISSUES. LIKE THIS SITE. THANKS FOR BEING THERE,

Posted by: JOHNNY on January 17, 2006 04:54 AM

I took lipitor for over 5 years. I started feeling very tired and didn't want to get up to go to work. My doctors thought I was depressed. They gave me antidepressants which made me even sicker. I then got so sick that I went to the emergency room. They found that my muscle enzymes was in the 500's . The normal is between 60 and 175 . They told me to stop taking lipitor. That has been 2 months ago. I have had a number of tests and am not feeling a whole lot better. I have tingling in the legs, feet and now arms and hands, also aches and pains. I used to run 2 to 3 times a week. Now I can no longer do that. I wish I would have known this 5 years ago because I would never had taken this drug.

Posted by: Gregg on January 19, 2006 05:29 AM

Took Lipitor for 2 weeks. Two weeks later I still feel like I have the worst flu I've ever had. This stuff is junk!

Posted by: craig merrill on January 20, 2006 05:39 PM

I have been on lipitor for 11 months now. About two weeks ago I started to feel some leg cramping in my calves mainly and did not think anything about it. I went in for my 6 month blood work and now I just found out today that my liver enzimes are double the normal high.there are at 140 and normal is 11-66. i have been at the 20mg range the last 6 months. before that it was 10mg. Some of you folks feel warm at night when trying to sleep I to feel a little warmer at night than usual when I am trying to sleep.
I am going to go off lipitor after reading all these testamonies I am 39 years old and i had a three byepass surgery in feb of 2005. I was never on any meds. before then. I found out I had enlarged ateries that led into small blockages. It is called Kawasaki disese.
I have always felt good but have this cramping that has just started like I said 2 -3 weeks ago. I hope I have not damaged my liver. There should be an investigation into this the way it looks.

Posted by: John T on January 26, 2006 05:07 AM

My mother just strated LIPITOR she has a Pacemaker in and she has been having trouble with her blood pressure going up high.States her heart is jumping..are theses signs of Lipitor?

Posted by: kathy on January 29, 2006 02:27 AM

I was on Lipitor 10 mg x less than three months and developed terrible joint pain (especially elbows and knees), hot flashes, sweating, memory problems, and exhaustion. The hot flashes and sweating in turn also flared up my rosacea. After having a blood test to check my liver functions, I received a letter from my doctor recommending I continue on Lipitor even though my liver functions were elevated. I quit the Lipitor on my own, and the symptoms of joint pain, sweating, and hot flashes went away within about three weeks. The exhaustion and memory problems have taken longer. Because of the exhaustion and joint pain, I was exercising less, so I gained more weight. My daughter, who is a chiropractor, started me on high-quality fish oil (EPA-DHA, extra-strength). I will be having my cholesterol checked in a few months. I will not go back on any statins!!!

Posted by: Peggy on February 5, 2006 10:24 PM

High cholesteral. My Dr. put me on 20mg lipitor. I was only on it for two weeks and began to experience involuntary twitches. These occurr mostly in my lower body but periodically in my torso. I revisited the Dr. took myself off the med. I feel like a bundle of explosive nerves. I hope this helps someone. I am certain that what I am experiencing is not normal. I am 48 yrs old and other than this am in what I feel is good condition.

Posted by: chris Jackson on February 8, 2006 01:35 AM

My husband is 42 years old and his cholesterol is 449. About 1 year ago he was going through some stress at his job and it started to go up. He has been on 4 different types of medication and they haven't lowered it at all. If anything it has been going up when he started it was only 230. I don't know what to do because I don't fry foods anymore. He eates more fruits and vegetables now than he ever did. Are there any natural remedies out there that can help. Please if anyone knows of any please let me know.

Posted by: Lori Hopkins on February 8, 2006 02:03 AM

Lori, thank you for your comment and the question you posted.

The view that high cholesterol is bad for our health is not shared universally. There are scientists and doctors who say that we NEED cholesterol to detoxify, especially when we are exposed to a high load of toxins from work or environment, or in case we are predisposed to higher cholesterol by hereditary factors.

see http://www.thincs.org/

In fact, lowering cholesterol has not been shown to decrease mortality from heart attacks, and indeed if cholesterol is lowered too much, this is a risk factor in its own right - the body functions that depend on cholesterol no longer are performed properly and in extreme cases, the person can die from a lack of cholesterol.

There are also natural ways to lower cholesterol, if that is desired, here an address:

http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/herbalmedicine/a/naturalprod.htm

http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/

This second link, especially, also addresses the fact that total cholesterol is by far not as important for good health as having a high percentage of a certain fraction of cholesterol, called HDL (high density lipids).

This should give you a good start to the information that is there, but of course don't take my word, study the available data for yourself and decide what to do.

Posted by: Sepp on February 8, 2006 02:41 PM

Went on Lipitor 2 yrs ago and within 30 days I had so much lower back pain, I could hardly walk. Stopped taking immediately, and got a little better but not normal. Went back to Dr. a couple months later and told him what happened, so he put me on another statin, and in 30 days I was having severe muscle spasms in my back. Went to a back specialist, and they did everything they could think of, but the lower back pain is still there. Did an MRI, and nothing is wrong with my spine. Still have severe pain 2 yrs later. Anyone found something to help rebuild the muscle damage?

Posted by: Sally on February 10, 2006 04:27 AM

I was on 10 mg of Lipitor for 3 or 4 years and quit in March of '05 when the doctor suggested I try diet again. I am 36. Shortly after quitting, I began to experience tingling in my fingers similar to the feeling of vibration you get right after mowing the lawn. The vibration feeling spread to my feet and that morphed into occasional numbness in my right foot and a buzzing sensation in my right foot and leg. Then in August of '05, I lay in bed watching TV one evening and the subtle muscle twitching started en masse all over my body. Scared me to death. I went to a neurologist and had an MRI, EMG, and nerve conduction studies. All came back negative. My official diagnosis is peripheral neuropathy. Fast forward to today, and the symptoms have ebbed and are random. The twitching, however, still occurs throughout the day but to a lesser extent than that first night. I have also experienced the heart palpatations at night, general fatigue, and muscle tiredness (though I have lost no muscle strength). I did not suspect Lipitor until January of '06. Now, my main physician wants to put me back on Lipitor. Fat chance. I think he's an idiot anyway.

Posted by: F. Hickson on February 12, 2006 01:58 AM

I have been taking Liptor 10mg for 18 months. My problems started with sore hips, then added numb feet, felt like canvass was glued to them. Now a round of golf is impossible, feet get too painful. I gym regularly and that eases things - I am SO glad I found this site. No more Lipitor for me!

Posted by: John Ford on February 12, 2006 07:28 AM

I am 68 and been on Lipex for 4 years. First I lost libido, then had to start to wear glasses for reading, got severe lower back problems worse than usual, put on weight, was having memory loss and became argumentative with my wife, BP went up, got heart ache until I went on Co Q10 I had aches and wekness which were nopt normal and now I have stopped taking Lipex after reading your web page and am on Vit B & C, lecithin to boost the liver and magnesium, so looking forward to feeling better

Posted by: Dennis O'Hagan on February 24, 2006 07:22 AM

It is now two weeks since I stopped the Lipitor, and I'm already feeling like a new man! Really I'm feeling like my old self. My chest, joints everything feels like I'm 10 years younger! Even my main problem - sore feet, canvas feet is 50% better....not 100% cured yet, but I can feel a big improvement. I have put myself on 10mg Cholesterex, which is Policosanol, a cholesterol lowering natural treatment. Fingers crossed!

Posted by: John Ford on February 24, 2006 10:19 AM

at first it was hard to sort out what was going on given my documented spinal problems. The Dr. put me on Lipitordue to my cholesterol level. Within 1 1/2 days things were starting. # 1 was the complete "stoned"/massive fatigue that knocked me out until after lunch. I knew the burning pain was different than the "regular" pain. Pain in the groin/stomach/back - it felt as if everything was inflamed and on fire. Then twitches/spams started. I could not remember things, could not concentrate, extremly vivid nightmares. I was always clearing my throat as if I was congested/dry throat. I had other joint pain (fingers,elbows, wrists) By afternoon/evening I have trouble standing up straight and walking. I have been investigated in the past for fibromyalgia with the results being negative. I took Lipitor for 10 days before calling the pharmacist who said get off it right away. It's been 9 days since I quit the drug. The pain has reduced very mildly, in intesity, but am still having trouble walking in the late afternoon/evening. At least the "stoned" effect has gone, but the pain and fatigue hasn't.

Posted by: trevor ellsmore on March 2, 2006 08:25 PM

I have been taking lipitor for a few months and after reading your letters it has made me realise that my aches and pains might be due to the drug I have had neck spasms and leg ache for a month now and I feel my eye sight had deteriated but what do you do I am only46 and there are so many strokes and heart attacks in my family.

Posted by: sandra on March 3, 2006 10:38 PM

I've been on Lipitor for a couple of years. I read here about "muscle pain" but I've been diagnosed by my GP and my chiropractor with tendonitis. It's in both shoulders and upper arms. I've not talked to either professional about the possibility that the cause might be the statin. Has tendonitis been a side effect? To read this site, it seems that statins cause every ill. I've really suffered with this for several months now and would gladly get off my 5 mg/day if I thought the Lipitor was the cause of my condition. Has anyone heard of this - I did notice a couple of people mention their achilles tendons... Thanks if you know something.
Linda

Posted by: Linda on March 4, 2006 10:13 AM

I am 44 and for a peiod of time had high cholestrol so my GP recommended that I take this LIPITOR. I took it for 2 weeks and then stopped. Since that time I have problems lifting my right arm over my head or holding the arm up for more than a minute or 2. I also have a constant sprain on my left foot and a stiff neck. I am rarelyt sick and fairly active but this has really knocked me back. After 5 week of not taking the drug I still have the same problems. What can I take to ease or eliminate it? I am amazed at all of your comments. These drug companies are using us as guinea pigs. I would not recommend this type of dangerous drug to anyone.

Posted by: Tom G on March 4, 2006 10:51 PM

It is nearly 2 weeks since I stopped taking lipex and my health and well-being have improved remarkably. I am fitter stronger with less lower back pain, more libido, even my eyesight appears to be improving and my wife says it is good tohave me back again. I do believe that lipex was destroying me and whereas my archilles was not improving it is now definitely getting less painful as though it is rfepairing itself.

Posted by: Dennis O'Hagan on March 7, 2006 03:59 AM

I started taking lipitor 20 months ago, 30mg, Dec 05 I started to get a slight throbbing pain in my right calf muscle. By end Jan the pain had increased to a severe thobbing pain, at first a few hours apart then over the next week to about 1/2 hour apart. Now it is at about 5 min intervals.

I have been to the doctor on several occasions and after reading all the info on the internet asked her if it cold be the Lipitor. She said it was not, but does not have any other explanation.

I decided at the beginning of Feb to stop taking Lipitor but still have the severe pain at 5min intervals.

My doctor has now referred me to the hospital.
Has anyone else had the same problem and if so how long did it take for the pain to subside.

Posted by: Iris on March 11, 2006 09:03 PM

I am 47 years old and I have been on Lipitor for the past 5 years (10 mg). My doctor decided to put me on this medicine as a preventative measure because of family history. At first it seemed as a miracle drug as my doctor called me a poster child for the drug. I have been having normal blood screening which showed that I had no significant liver issues so the treatment continued. As time has progressed I have developed medical issues that I have been blaming a high stress job and what I thought was the normal aging process. Lately I feel as I have become really old, my joints and leg muscles hurt, I feel week, I walk down the hallways as if I was drunk. My vision has gotten really bad. I feel brittle. When I started Lipitor I had just gotten a Black Belt in Karate. A year ago I played an indoor soccer game and I lasted 3 minutes before an ACL snapped. Anyway, this morning I was back to feeling weak, so I asked my wife to look up the symptoms on the internet. She came across several sites that listed Lipitor side effects and was I shocked. I say that I have most of the listed symptoms for several years now. The more I read the more similarities I see with my condition. I am writing this so it can be on record that another person has had these types of problems and that people using this type of drug need to be informed. I don't know exactly where I am going with this but for sure that I will stop using Lipitor and look for alternative treatment.

Posted by: Manny on March 14, 2006 03:25 PM

I am a 39 year old woman and was put on lipitor just over 30 days ago(cholesterol was 352)and about two weeks later I started thinking my contacts were in the wrong eye because I couldn't focus. But they weren't. Then my thought process and ability to concentrate started to get real bad. Then I woke up one day and had such pain in the soles of my feet and the pads of my of my fingers and my eyelids felt heavy. My head feels heavy and full and my thought process is shot and I am usually the witty, quick to shoot back my sarcastic humor kind of girl. Now I feel like to form a sentece that people can actually understand. I told my Dr. just today about these symptoms and he told me stop taking lipitor for 10 days and let him know if thes symptoms stop to try and determine if lipitor is the cause. If they go away he will try me on another statin. Then I came home trying to research and found this site and was amazed at all of the similar stories and after reading the really horrific ones, I'm not sure I want to take another wack at statins!

Posted by: Reese Hendrick on March 15, 2006 04:25 AM

I am so depressed as I read these comments on Lipitor because I too have just realized in the last week that my severe pain and weakness in my calfs, thighs, feet are being caused by the drug. I've felt like I've been beat up every morning for the last couple years and now I know why. I have stopped taking Lipitor after talking to my doctor, but my concern is, is it possible to reverse this pain and weakness? Does anyone know another website with more info on this problem we are facing? Please contact me if anyone has any info please, I'm at my wits end!

Posted by: Cynthia Rakiec on March 23, 2006 06:36 AM

has anyone ever had a situation with the gallbladder will taking lipitor. my husband at times has severe leg cramps they have put him on dont know if im spelling it correct (quinine) pills for that his gallbladder is infected blood counts show eleve. in kidney functions bun and creatine are these signs from lipitor?

Posted by: karen murphy on March 30, 2006 05:35 PM

I would like to know if taking celebrex helps with all the muscle pain after quitting lipitor. I was only on lipitor exactly 28 days 10 MG.Ran out and 6 days later all the pain started.Last week I had to go to the ER from all the pain,especially in both jaws. Was put through every test and everything was normal so the Dr.suggested quitting the lipitor and taking celebrex.Went to my own Dr. a few days later and he said to increase the celebrex to two a day which are 200MG each.The pain has lessened but I would also like to know how long it takes to get this out of your system and should I stay on the celebrex?Thank you so much and I am very happy that I found your site. Am going to get on the vitamin C.

Posted by: J Warren on April 3, 2006 04:28 PM

I started taking lipitor 10 mg in Oct. 2004 due to high cholesterol (300+). By Feb. 2005, my total cholesterol was down to 160 (HDL 48). My doctor was amazed at how well it was working and stated that if things continued to go well he would consider having me take it every other day.

In March I began to experience muscle and joint weakness. Almost flu like symptoms only I wasn't sick.

I mentioned this to my doctor and he immediately ordered blood tests to be certain that it wasn't the lipitor.

The blood work did not show any issues with the liver or muscles and within a few weeks the symptoms were gone - I suspected the lipitor but since the symptoms disappeared I never investigated further.

In July 2005 my blood tests were still normal and my cholesterol was still low (though my triglycerides were too high 270+). I mentioned to my doctor that I was experiencing mild muscle aches and stiffness in my joints. Since the blood work was normal he suspected that this was a mild side-effect of the lipitor. To his credit he asked me to see him in 3 mos. and to contact him immediately if the stiffness or pain increased.

More blood work in Oct. indicated no problems. And I can't remember if I was still experiencing mild joint stiffness or muscle ache - I was probably use to it by this point...it's amazing how our brain works.

However, this past January everything changed. I began to experience digestion issues and abdominal pain (two attacks were pretty intense and kept me up all night). Both of the extreme stomach pain episodes occured after a meal high in fat.

I immediately notified my GP and upon esamination he ordered more blood work and a sonogram of my gallbladder.

The blood work came back normal (though triclycerides were still too high 300+). Due to this, my doc decided to increase my lipitor dosage to 20mg.

More importantly, the sonogram test showed that my gallbladder was not holding bile and remained constricted (empty) even after fasting. I should note that I'm not jaundice and my urin has been "normal". I have not experienced the typical signs of a blockage.

Also of note, my joint stiffness has gotton worse and i'm experiencing mild swelling of my hands and feet.

My GP has put me on prilosec while I await a HIDA w/cck test.

After coming across this Web page I've decided to take myself off of lipitor - I have not mentioned this to my GP yet.

I've been off lipitor for 3 days (swelling in hands and feet getting a little better but still evident). I'm also hoping that by getting off lipitor it will help my digestive/gallbladder issue. Although I don't have proof that the gallbladder issue is directly related to the lipitor, after reading some of the bizarre side effects mentioned by so many, I am a little suspicious.

Posted by: Kambiz on April 13, 2006 04:22 AM

Like some of writers mentioned earlier about their experience with statins, I too was taking a statin (pravachol) to reduce cholesterol. Mine went from 245 to 165, but after a month, my ears had a persistent ringing in them also. My doctors also claims it's not the drug and that I am just getting old and suffering normal hearing loss. I am 48.

Posted by: ET on April 15, 2006 02:44 PM

My boyfriends mom was feeling numbness in her hands, joint pain in her shoulder, and looses alot of sleep because she is in alot of pain. She has taking lipitor for 3 years. Do you know how to get off the medication (Lipitor)? Please email me with your opinion.

Posted by: GENEVIEVE on April 21, 2006 08:11 PM

Wow!! Just discovered this site. I refused Crestor because I read nothing good about it. My Dr. prescribed 10 mg. Lipitor. Reluctantly, I agreed. But now I have decided to stop. I just can't do this to my body. Thanks for all the candid comments. It really helps.

Posted by: carole on April 29, 2006 10:59 PM

I am a 59 year old female. Last summer I was walking 3-5 miles a day and feeling good. I started on 10 mg lipitor last fall for elevated chlorestral levels. A couple months ago my doctor increased my dose to 20mg. The last couple weeks my left arm and leg are getting numb to the point where my fingers are tingling all the time. I looked up the side effects of lipitor and found this web site. My major concern was my tiredness. Today, I did not even get dressed as I was so tired. A far cry from last summer. I have decided to stop the lipitor and see if my energy increases and my numbness decreases. I was amazed to read all the comments and the problems that this medicine has caused for others like myself. Hope others, like myself, find this website and start to make their health better by stopping the poison of this and other medicine our doctors give us with the hope of getting better by taking it. Thanks for your information and hope more people find this valued advise as I did today.

Posted by: Rudy on May 3, 2006 04:36 AM

i was taking lipitor 10 mg for about six months in dec. 05 i felt like i had the flu . called my dr.and he told me to take some flu medicine and i did ,but the next day i felt worst and called my dr. again and he said i should see him that day. when i did he sent me to the hospital and there i stayed for almost two months with kidney failure infection in my knees and sholder. my rotator cup is gone and my knees are very painful sitting or standing,my kidneys are ok now and ihave to use a cane to get around now.

Posted by: jessie brooks on May 8, 2006 04:55 PM

I have been taking lipitor for around 2 years and just recently I can hardly walk and I shake, I hurt all over, legs, arms, neck, back, eye's, I have stoped taking it and hoping there's no permanent damage. I have no strenghth. What are you to do?

Posted by: Gary on May 11, 2006 03:28 PM

This site is very interesting. I was 56 years old when started taking Lipitor in June 2005. I had high cholesterol and my doctor prescribed Lipitor (10mg). I noticed being tired all the time and having no energy and weakness in my joints along with cramps and spasms in my legs, but did not attribute to Lipitor. But, in March 2006 I began to have trouble breathing and became very distraught. I called my MD and he has put me through a number of tests checking my heart and lungs (which tested strong and clear). So I just got a new prescription of Lipitor and decided to read side effects of this medication which one was trouble breathing. I called doctor who prescribed Lipitor asking about this side effect, he stated probably not related to the Lipitor but I could stop taking and see if made a difference. Stopped taking medicine today, 05/11/06, so I quess time will tell if Lipitor was the culprit of my breathing problems. Has anyone had this type problem while taking Lipitor?

Posted by: Fran on May 11, 2006 06:04 PM

I have been having dull pain in my right side under the rib, pain in my right leg socket, excessive burping, pain in my armpits, dizziness, stiff neck, and when I wake up in the morning my hands are normally asleep. Is this in my head? I have been taking 20mg Lipitor for abount 4 years.

Posted by: STEVE on May 12, 2006 12:34 AM

After reading some of the potential side effects of Lipitor I was wondering if there is any connection between Lipitor and Erectile Dysfunction?I am 55 years old and have had a problem with achieving a full erection for some time now but the Doctors blame a combination of"old age" and high colesterol(which is now under control with Lipitor)I can still achieve a partial erection, enough to enjoy sex,but not a full erection. Taking drugs such as Viagra dont seem to have a great benefit and I just assumed it was my lot in life.However I now wonder if the cause might not be Lipitor related as looking back the problem started about the same time as I started the Drug and from memory it was not a gradual loss,but rather it seemed to happen very quickly.

Posted by: Tim on May 16, 2006 12:10 AM

I have been on Lipitor for four weeks now, Cholesterol went from 278 to 160 in three weeks!!! After only one week of being on Lipitor I noticed my heart beating so loudly in my left ear when I lay down to sleep. Can't sleep because of this. Now I hear it always and it's destroying my quality of life. Has anyone else experienced this?

Posted by: Julia on May 16, 2006 07:40 AM

I have been on Lipitor for 5 years and for the past year have been experiencing leg pain, swelling, tingling in my toes and numbness. Didn't connect it to Lipitor until this site was mentioned. Took myself off Lipitor and hope to see some improvement.

Posted by: Marian on May 23, 2006 06:51 AM

I recently had a stent proceedure done in a partially clogged artery. The "Doctor" placed me on Vytorin 10/20 even though my cholesterol level was in the 80's. This was three weeks ago and my feet started to feel numb then my calves and forearms.I was disorientated and had trouble with sleeping and short term memory.I could not stand on my feet for any length of time and spent most of my time lying down for lack of energy.I spoke to my family Doctor and told him of my symptoms. He told me to stop the Vytorin. I did, and in just three days my energy is on the upside and the pain in my arms and calves is gone.I still have numbness in my feet but nothing like before. I am in hope that this will vanish also as my body purges the rest of this garbage out of my system. I hope this comment helps anyone with the same symptoms. Get a second or third opinion on these wonder drugs that fill the airways with commercials on their benefits but little on side effects.

Posted by: Peter on May 23, 2006 05:02 PM

In the article it says that using vitamin C may naturally reduce cholesterol. My father is currently taking LIPITOR and having these side effects, he is also alergic to Vitamic C, is there anything else he can use to lower his cholesterol without the interference of drugs?

Posted by: Irene on May 28, 2006 02:57 AM

Irene,

yes, there are several other things that can be done.

First of all, cholesterol is not the bugbear it is made out to be.

Secondly, there are natural cholesterol lowering substances.

Thirdly, it is highly unlikely that anyone is allergic to vitamin C. Perhaps the vitamin C causes a reaction meaning it is working. That is different from an allergy.

I recommend that you go to Jonathan Campbell's site http://www.cqs.com/

and follow the link to "Cardiovascular disease".

Also, try to find a medical doctor who uses nutrition with his/her clients.

Posted by: Sepp on May 28, 2006 02:58 PM

i want more information about Lipitor side efects, cause i`m too fat, and in Ecuador, my country we have some vegetal that currently use, but are very bad tastly.

thanks, i receive the notice of lipitor from tv advertasing of cable.

thanks againg at advance

gast�n

Posted by: gast�n h. alarc�n obando on May 29, 2006 12:51 AM

My husband has had several heart attacks and about 4 years ago was put on Zocor. Up to now everything seemed to be going OK, but about six weeks ago he developed excrutiating pain in his left hip, then pain in his left shoulder, then the right shoulder. He passed out one day from the pain and had to be rushed to the hospital. He was tested over a period of three days for several maladies, but everything seemed to come back normal. His doctor said to be off the Zocor for a couple of weeks and see what happened. He has been off for three weeks, but is still in really bad pain, he is also running a low grade temperature, white count and platelets are elevated. Has anyone had these symptoms? It is also disheartening to read about others who have gotten off the statins, but are still in pain.

Posted by: Dee on June 3, 2006 04:13 AM

The side effects of Lipitor - apparently not so uncommon as the manufacturer of the drug would have us believe - are starting to provoke some action. There are two recent (June 2006) lawsuits, and an older class action filed at the US District Court in Boston in September last year. See:

Lawsuits Filed Over Lipitor Side Effects

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

Posted by: Sepp on June 12, 2006 04:18 PM

I have been on 20mg Lipitor for five years and my recent blood test show that I have liver problems. Never in life did I have liver problems.
My doctor changed my prescription emmediately and now recommends 20mg Crestor.
Is this one better and should I get it filled? He never did say that Lipitor can cause liver damage.
What shoould I do or stay off
the drugs altogether.

Posted by: Ray Stone on June 14, 2006 08:46 PM

Hello from Australia
Good Friday, 2006
I was a very vibrant, active, happy person. Where did that person go to? By Easter Sunday I was almost a vegetable. I can no longer garden, play the piano; I shuffle when I walk and when I have to walk downstairs, I put my shoulder to the wall and slide down. I totally hold Lipitor responsible. I have been going to "Curves�?? Gym for women since January 19 as I needed to get fit and felt that riding my bike and walking was not enough. In retrospect, since one of the side effects of this drug is "sore muscles�??, I believe that the exercise has probably exacerbated the problem � with the muscles already being damaged, I have simply enhanced the problem by exercising over-stressed muscles. Here is a part of my diary.

September/October 2005
•soles, palms and scalp sensitive, not burning, not tingling, not painful, but I couldn't sew with a needle because it hurt my fingers after a few minutes; blow drying hair was slightly uncomfortable; couldn't figure out why. Mentioned it in passing to Dr. Sharon when I saw her, but we thought nothing much of it and symptoms were not that bad
•Some mild heartburn, bought some Mylanta
•Very weak fingers
•Wakefulness at night � 4 to 6 times but put it down to menopause
Early December, 2005
Unable to run, feet felt like lead, thought I was just getting old

Mid-December, 2005
Ankles ached each morning, but pain went away during the day. Put it down to the aging process again.

April 15, 2006
Pain in muscle down my right thigh. Didn't think too about it, though it was annoying

Easter Sunday, April 16
•Ankles and wrists seize up, can barely walk; pain in the instep intolerable. Feet are now tender and painful and so are the muscles in my right thigh. My right leg is now shorter than the left and my right foot turns inwards. No more ballet feet for me, I am now pigeon toed in the right foot.
•Feet are burning, but cold, tingling, sensitive, sore

Pfizer tells me that it will take 3 to 6 months before I get better.

June 20
I am now getting better very, very slowly but it is a long, slow process. People in my small community are shocked to see me the way I am. More and more people are asking questions and more and more people are realising that they too are suffering side effects. They go to Dr. Sharon. She is furious with me and continues to talk up this drug.

Posted by: Michele on June 20, 2006 02:28 PM

I've been taking lipitor for several years and within the last 6 months, developed muscle soreness in my hips and it was keeping me from getting a good night's sleep. I stopped taking lipitor for about a week and the problems improved enough that I thought this might be the source of the problem but was concerned about stopping taking this completely. I called the doctor's office thinking they would want to switch me to something else but they suggested first try taking daily suppliments of Co-enzyme Q and see if it helped. I've been taking it about a week now and my hip problems are gone. Don't know why this worked for me but it did.

Posted by: bob on June 22, 2006 03:46 PM

So im not mad
well not sure how long i have been on cholesteral meds probably 3 yrs i am now 39, have been very unhappy like to self diagnose, all the time, And now i find ths site i actually take vytorin, as ispeak i am lying on the couch left leg numb as allays and foot numb i feel like i could stick a pin into it and i wouldnt feel a thing , have noticed my vision not great when driving, also i allways find my self thinking what i need to say before saying it , wife thins im just lazy ihave no go, sounds bad but when i have several beers dont seem to notice the problems , or if i am occupied, just that when i am alone my mind takes over and turns the pins and needle light on,
do i make sense am i alone

thanks jb

Posted by: Jon B on June 24, 2006 06:04 PM

June 26, 2006 KRSHNADHAM, OTTAWA, CANADA

Hi friends in this forum re: Cholestrol

Well not real remedy from Pharmaceutical companies The manufacturers of the Lipitor do not want clarify why there is a side effect The pharmacist suggested to me that there will be side effects and they are not responsible They asked me to contact my GP only for guidance The GP instead of analysing the real cause for side effects, does not want to listen but want to increase the dosage of LIPITOR

Finally I got fed up and switched over to NATURAL MEDICATIONS, HOMEOPATHY AND HOME MEDICINES By God's grace no need at all for LIPITOR and my cholestrol level is normal Occasionally due to tension, travelling, diet the levels elevate and remedy is taken immediately

Best way to leave LIPITOR is to switch over to natural medications WHICH NOT ONLY CURE THE PROBLEM BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE HEALTH CONDITIONS AND NO NO SIDES EFFECTS AT ALL

Always get a official reply from pharmaceuticals companies for the side effects before you consume any prescription medications Doctors and Pharmaceuticals companies are only interested in making profits and NOT TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL

try natural medications and leave the balance to GOD WHO CREATED US IN THIS PLANET EARTH

yours truly

hare krishna mani
ottawa, canada

Posted by: hare krishna mani on June 26, 2006 06:40 PM

There is lots of talk about the side effects and how bad they are? How long do they continue after stopping taking Lipitor? What can we do to reduce and/or eliminate these unpleasant and debilitating side effects?

Posted by: Tiernan Bancroft on June 29, 2006 12:25 PM

Tiernan, I believe that there is no cure as such, just time - Pfeizer tells me that it will take 3 to 6 months. It seems that the elderly struggle with recovery more than younger people. Some people do not recover completely. My symptoms are gradually fading, after nearly three months, but it will probably be a year before I can run again, if at all. A month after ceasing the drug in mid-April, I had a muscle behind my leg and under my butt seize up, and this has been the most delibiliting of all of the side effects. My feet are still tender, and there's still a little bit of tingling. Still cannot sit or stand without acute pain in my knees. The muscles in my right leg contracted and this is coming good. I went from shuffling to limping and now I kind of roll along, but only time will tell if I am ever going to regain the athleticism I once enjoyed. Right now, I would be happy to walk without pain and a little bit faster than a snail.

Michelie (email me)

Posted by: Michele on June 29, 2006 01:15 PM

I have been on Pravachol for 3 years, did experience the leg pains, hip, and claves, and now my eyelids are heavy and one eyelid takes about 2 seconds to open in the morning. When to the eye doctor nothing wrong, stopped the statin feel a bit better, but going for an MRI to see why my lids are still heavy? anyone else had this problem? Please e-mail me Rosapronto@aol.com

Posted by: Rosalie on July 3, 2006 08:10 AM

I was on Lipitor for three years. Memory problems were an embarrassment. Three months ago I had severe muscle and joint pain. Dr. diagnosed it as fibromyalgia. I stopped taking Lipitor immediately. There has been improvement in my memory and muscle and joint pain but they are still there and I can't sleep more than five hours at a time because of pain.

Posted by: Anne on July 24, 2006 08:53 PM

I am a south Florida female, now 61, who started taking 10 mg daily Lipitor in 2000, when aged 55, for high cholesterol. I was reluctant to start on it as I read there could be serious side effects, but I have a family history of heart disease and was unable to lower my lipids through diet alone. I monitored my blood enzymes very carefully for the first year.
Lipitor worked. My cholesterol dropped from 270 to 207 and stayed there for 5 years.
I felt no different and became lulled into a false sense of security. Even said how great it was and that my allergies (to yeasts and molds) seemed better. I bought some shares in Pfizer because of their "wonder" drugs Lipitor and Viagra.
July 2005 I began to lose the use of my right thumb and it became swollen and bent over -- trigger thumb. I assumed it was arthritis, but it wasnt painful, so I didn't do much about it, having lost my health insurance in 2003.
Then I began feeling unsteady in the mornings about an hour after I took my 10 mg. Lipitor, so started taking it at bedtime, instead. Also began taking CoQ10 along with it.
I tried acupuncture for my thumb in January 2006, but 6 sessions didn't help.
By now I was feeling oddly foggy, mentally, but was under a lot of stress at home, so discounted it. I became clumsy, dropping things and stumbling. Had a bad fall in February and injured my left knee so started wearing a knee brace.
As the left leg got better I realized I was also limping on the right leg. Soon I had to use a cane to get about and needed to use my arms to get up out of a chair. I was slurring my words. I sounded drunk and was tired all the time. I couldn't turn keys or door handles. Needed to take an afternoon nap. Emotions were near the surface. I would burst into tears over a newspaper cartoon.
Before long I was so weak I could only stagger around my house by hanging onto the furniture. Still no pain whatsoever (apart from horrible nightime cramps throughout my whole body) just increasing muscle weakness and being in a constant daze. I was having difficulty swallowing and often aspirated bits of food. I began worrying about having MS or ALS, or having had a stroke, so made an appt to see my doctor. Suddenly the possibility of it being the Lipitor dawned on me at last and I stopped taking it the first week of April 2006. (I now know I should have eased myself off it in case of sticky platelet rebound.)
Within a week of stopping the Lipitor I felt so much better and brighter. By the time my doc's appt came around in May my mental fog was lifting and I was walking a bit better, but dragging my right foot. My right calf was wasting like my thumb muscle had. My doc diagnosed a dropped right foot and my right hand as a claw hand and referred me to a neurologist. She also told me it was possible I might have a brain tumor, so sent me for a brain MRI, which was negative, and a chest X-Ray which showed a compression fracture in my spine, probably from osteopenia.
I had for years been waking at 5am every morning to urinate, plus having embarrassing urge incontinence during the day. Within two weeks of stopping Lipitor I was sleeping through till 7am and having no problems during the day. Bladder muscles must be able to regain their strength quickly. I also noticed that the dry mouth that for years had plagued me was gone. Instead of constantly chewing gum and carrying bottled water I have regained a normal saliva flow, something I had completely forgotten ever having. The muscle cramps completely stopped, and also the awful nightmares I'd had for years.
Two months later I seemed to reach a plateau in improving, so decided to see the neurologist in July 2006. He dismissed my theory that it was Lipitor, saying he'd never such seen such side effects. (What rock has he been living under? It's well documented.)
I then wasted $1000 on two MRIs of my spine. The neurologist thinks it's probably ALS. He observed some muscle twitches and has referred me to a specialist in Miami. I haven't made an appointment as I am convinced it was the Lipitor and hope no permanent damage has been done and that I will eventually regain muscle mass and strength.
Lipitor is a poison derived from a toxic mold -- red yeast rice. And though it may be safe for some, I believe there are many people suffering needlessly from taking it and the other statin drugs.
I was lucky enough to have a home pc and research ability enough to discover what's going on, but what about all the old folk and working moms and dads taking Lipitor who don't have the time, ability or resources to do this? They are alone in their Lipitor fog, stumbling and slurring, many being diagnosed with dementia and neuropathies, having no idea that their medication is causing such horrible side effects.
Yes, my cholesterol shot back upto 240 without Lipitor, but I am now on an organic, glutamine -free diet, mainly vegetables, fish and fruit, oatmeal every day, CoQ10 Omega 3 and lots of vitamin C and hoping to keep it somewhat under control.
If it stays high, there are worse things that can happen. Statins have been around a decade at least, but heart disease figures are unchanged.

http://www.statindruglawyer.com/

http://www.cqs.com/lipitor.htm

Posted by: catzntrees on July 27, 2006 04:22 PM

I just wanted to correct a couple of errors I made in my previous post. My heart attack was in July 2005, not 2006. I just started having problems in June 2006. Also, when I mentioned an increase in ALT and globulin levels, I meant to type an increase of 60 and 50, respectively, in one year. Thank you.

Posted by: anthony on September 3, 2006 10:33 AM

i startd taking lipitor 10mg ago, and develop constant severe pain on my upper right side of abdomen, radiating to the upper right side of my back. Is this a side effect of lipitor, do i have to discontinue taking lipitor, to avoid more damage to my body, going for gallbladder ultrasound and rib x-ray this friday 09/15/06, would greatly appreciated any advice, thanks

Posted by: tong on September 12, 2006 07:34 PM

my husband was given a sample of lipitor by his doctor for slightly elevated cholesterol, he is a type II diabetic, with sugars in moderate control. He is 61 yrs. old. After 3 weeks of taken lipitor, he developed severe pain in his right thigh, severe enough that after 4 days of being in pain 24/7 he allowed me to take him to the emergency room. They thought he had a blood clot in his leg, but found nothing. We followed up with the doctor that evening and he suggested to stop the lipitor. It has been 1 week and the pain has lessened, but he is having severe withdrawal symptoms from all the pain medication he has been on, which none even helped the pain. How long will it take before the pain goes away?

Frustrated wife.

Posted by: mary on September 15, 2006 07:38 AM

I am a 48 year old female. I was taking 10mg of lipitor. As a result I have had memory loss, severe muscle pain and weekness. Not able to sleep at night and constantly rubing my legs to try and releive pain. I noticed about 6-8 weeks ago that my feet felt like they were asleep all the time. I tried to elevate them, rub and massage them. Nothing helped. It was only becoming worse. I contacted my Doctor and he said to go off the Lipitor immediatly and start taking 2,000 mg of fish oil per day. I have had several tests run including a nerve study, vein study, ultrasound of my legs, and it was determined the Lipitor has caused some damage to my nerves. The doctor thought over a period of time some of the feeling may come back. So far the pain and numbness is still there. It is so frustating to me that we should have to suffer like this when we paid good money for this prescription drug. They should not be able to market this. Hurting and frustrated beacauce i can not preform functions i used to be able to. Rebecca

Posted by: Rebecca Beck on September 20, 2006 03:34 PM

My 75 year old mother was prescribed Lipitor for a cholesterol level of 280 and was on it approx. six months, after which she started experiencing severe muscle weakness and fatigue and resulting worry over loss of quality of life. She was tested by her doctor and told to get off the Lipitor, that it was causing damage to heart muscle. In replacement the doctor prescribed Zetia. Her cholesterol has been hovering around 220 ever since. My question is, she feels terrible more days than not. Her symptoms are major fatigue, loss of taste, odd feelings in her stomach and a general mild 'fogginess". She has been off the Lipitor for over a year. She eats a very good diet and exercises regularly except during the times when she just can't sustain the push needed to to do her exercise bike and use her mild weights. She is a very disaplined woman and it's breaking my heart to see her in this much distress. I haven't been able to find any information about the possible effects of Zetia. I did find a study that mentioned cholesterol lowering drugs only increased one's chances of not having heart problems by 1. When asking my Mother's doctor he said that was true. Is it? And is there a major risk if she discontinues all cholesterol medications and takes her chances with her good diet and supplements. I know this is impossible to answer...I just wish I could find out something more. I'm beginning to think at 79 my mother maybe needs to make the decision between quality of life and quantity. Am I worng?

Posted by: Denise on October 14, 2006 05:38 AM

See my blog at re what happened to me with Lipitor - it's a bit of a history from turning into a cripple, to recovery:
www.michelie.bigblog.com.au

Posted by: Michele on October 15, 2006 08:45 PM

I have read all the stories listed here and wish I had read them 4 yrs. ago.

I went to the my doctor with pain down right leg and hip, cramping all over the body even chest muscles. I had a cat scan x 2 done, myleogram, mri and 3 emg's done causing over 30,000 dollars and now am having to pay 12,000 dollars for a muscle biospy- all which are neg. I went off of Lipitor, and gemfibrozil which i was changed to last Feb. 2006 and after talking with my daughter a R.N. i have now started taking high doses of vit. c and enezyme co Q 10. i have noticed after on month on this a marked improvement. i also added fish oil and garlic- I only hopes this works as i will not and repeat not go back on any chlorestrol lower drugs. I also had my back injected two times for a quote

Posted by: jane nickle on October 20, 2006 10:14 AM

is there a way that i can also copy some of the comments so that i can send them to my 75 year old uncle that is on lipitor as i want him to quit taking it. i just quit on nov. 14th and will post a comment on my troubles soon. thank you.

Posted by: ernie torske on November 16, 2006 11:12 PM

Ernie,

I suggest you copy and paste the comments you want.
1) highlight the comment
2) ctrl-c (or apple-c on a mac) copies the text
3) ctrl-v (or apple-v on a mac) pastes the text where you want it - for example an email, or a word file that you can print out.

You can then print whatever you copied and pasted.

Posted by: Sepp on November 17, 2006 09:31 AM

I am taking lipitor 40 mg and plavix,i too am having hip,knee and feet pain and muscle detoriation and energy levels low .After reading about the side effects of these DRUGS i will be demanding some answers from my GP and cardioligst , to improve my quality of life ,as they say
robert

Posted by: robert Preston on November 26, 2006 02:36 AM

For 90 tabs of LIPITOR 20MG it costs $334.84 at Wal-mart! Adding up all the rest of the medications my cardiologist wants me to take amount to 22 percent of my income. And as a retired person that is robbery. With all the data and information on this site, I think I would rather get back to exercising, drinking lots of water, and a good night's rest along with good food, fresh juicing, etc. I am age 75. I hardly survived my first EECP treatment and went into pulmonary edema, could not breathe, and ended up in ER at the local hospital.

Posted by: Robert Todd on December 2, 2006 10:23 PM

i am 27 years old and have just bopught this drug. my cardiologist prescribed this to me because according to her, she have had patients my age with high cholesterol levels but not as high as i have. she advised me to take this drug but only half tablet every bedtime for 6 days. now, after reading your testimonies, i am afraid to try this drug. i am living in the philippines and the cost of this drug alone already gave me high blood. please advise me more.

Posted by: hannah on December 5, 2006 05:46 AM

I notice all the postings are from people who agree with your opinions. Do you screen? I also notice you are in the "supplement" business which, as you know, is a multi-billion dollar industry that, many times, is guilty of promoting high-cost non-proven remedies. I agree with your statements about the over-proliferation of prescribed medications and that many of these drugs have the potential of causing serious side-effects. Doug Peterson's plight is unfortunate but, as you pointed out, there is nothing to establish a link in his case. There are so many causes to neurological disorders and, of course, someone who suffers from one wants to find out why they are having these problems. Even the water in Tahoe city could be the culprit. Did he ever ride his mountain bike near an abandoned mine in that area? Has he ever driven his vehicle across central Nevada? Has he ever lived in a city with a population over 10,000? What other medications has he taken? What herbal remedies or supplements has he ever taken? Maybe it's the Lipitor...maybe it's not. Education is important but I didn't see anything in those articles you referenced or in your article that provided that but, that being said, it is important to get people to think before they just start putting things in their bodies (prescribed, over-the-counter, herbal, processed, un-processed, etc.)and your blog does a good job of doing that.

Posted by: Patrick Cougill on December 6, 2006 02:37 PM

I am on lipitor for over a year and suffering from extreme joint pain now. From my back to my hands,feet,knees toes,fingers and yes my vision is getting worse.
I feel my quality of life has changed.
What can I do about this.?
Karen

Posted by: Karen on December 9, 2006 04:57 AM

about a year ago the doctor put me on liptor after a mth i started having swelling in my feet all my joints fingers sholders and even my stomach to the point i couldnt walk - i told the doctor about it so many times he said i'll take you of the lipitor that was a year later. today i am off the terrible pill but the swelling forgot to leave me and now i belive that is what is wrong me today cant walk because of swollen feet and hands i dont think this pill is a very good drug i wonder how they cant make a drug that will help and not kill

Posted by: frank on December 16, 2006 10:11 PM

I have been on quite a few different cholesterol lowering drugs over the last 10 or 12 years including

Posted by: Phil Chrimes on December 20, 2006 06:18 PM

My 83 yr old mother has pretty bad arm pain due to Lipitor. She stopped it but the pain has not stopped. Any suggestions to help the pain. ??

Posted by: Pam Harvey on December 26, 2006 02:32 PM

my husband had a heart attack Dec 27. 2006. His heart was healthy and cholesterol is 148 ( LD 96 HDL 42) the DR what the LDL at 70. They put in a stint and he said he needs the Lipitor for a while because of the stint -- something about coating the stint i think ( my husband talked to the dr, i did not as they never returned my call). They also have him on Plavix and will for about a yr. They never said a word about grapefruit juice -- so now i am beginning to wonder just what they do tell ya. He is taking Q10 - is there any other natural supplements that you all are finding helpful. I was told by a Dr of Pharmacy ( friend of my daughter in law) that he is not to take Vit K or Nician with the Coreg, Plavix and Lipitor that he is on right now. If you have info can you post me at test@triquestboergoats.com ( hope this format will let my email address through) if not here is it is again 'in code' test(at)triquestboergoats ( be sure to add the .com after ...goats

Posted by: paulette Wohnoutka on January 4, 2007 08:56 PM

I have been on Lipitor for 25 days and within the last week I have experienced dizzy/light headed spells lasting about 10 seconds but servere enough to nearly make my knees buckle. I stopped taking Lipitor and 3 days later the spells have stopped.

Anyone else experience this?

Posted by: Greg on January 5, 2007 03:56 PM

I've been on Lipitor 20 for about 6 months. I am having dizziness with blood pressure elevation, vision blurring & right hip pain so bad that I cannot stand all day or walk the three miles I was doing for exercise. I could feel it the first day I took Lipitor...it made me feel weird. I go Tuesday for a brain MRI and a hip Xray. When I read the very small print on the Lipitor paper that came in the box....after my trip to the doctor...these are all indicated as symptoms in 2 percent of the population (among some others I don't have yet). Apparently my doctor has not read the insert in the sample box. I will be changing medicines and maybe doctors.

Posted by: Cathy on January 6, 2007 11:06 PM

I fully support all statements on this Wonderful Web-site,
Why is Sepp Hasslberger far more educated than the FDA, World Health Organization, AMA, All corporate Giants that produce products for better human health, and my own family doctor?? Thanks for the great info,,,Feel free to contact me through my group,,,Peter L, Wisconsin, USA

Posted by: Peter L on January 8, 2007 04:31 PM

My mom is 54 and has been on Lipitor for 2 years 9 months. She tore her MCL about a year ago for no reason she had to have surgery. She felt like she never healed correctly. Then she had shoulder pain and her muscles started to weaken. She could not lift her left arm above her head. She went to many doctors and no one wants to admit it's the lipitor. One doctor told her she has ALS and will die in three to five years. Horrible. She has stopped the lipitor for two months now and slowly she is getting better. She will be going to Mayo Clinic to get more tests done. Also her EMG's are way off and her CK levels are way high. I feel it is the lipitors fault. If she did have ALS I don't think she would be walking better and able to reach higher after stopping the lipitor. Any Suggetions to help her start her life after lipitor. How long until she is better? Does working out and weight lifting help. She is so weak and she went down so fast in about three months.

Posted by: cbeas on January 23, 2007 03:17 PM

I have been taking Simvastatin for a few months now because I read research suggesting it may have potential anti-tumour properties - I have recently recovered from having a colon cancer tumour removed following pre and post-op chemo/radiotherapy. I am concerned with what I have read about people's experience of side effects and I am now wondering whether I should reconsider the value of taking the statin (Simvastatin 20mg one per night).

Posted by: Rob Willingale on February 1, 2007 06:46 AM

I posted here on June 29, 2006 after going down with Lipitor. It is now 10 months since I worked out what was wrong with me and stopped taking Lipitor, and I am almost better. Still have a little pain in the morning when I start walking, but that soon fixes itself. There is hope, folks!

If you want to read about my experience, go to my blog - I have kept a diary of what happened to me:

www.michelie.bigblog.com.au.

Blessings, everyone.

Posted by: Michele on February 6, 2007 03:27 AM

Okay, this settles it; I have been on and off statins for over 10 years. I would go in for an annual check up, get cholesteral tests back with high numbers and BAM!! The doc would dose me up with an anti-chosterol drug. Within a month or so, I would be racked with pain, muscle cramps, dizziness, etc. I would stop taking the stuff and it would clear up. Then I would go in for another annual and the whole thing would start over. This last time I have been on Lipitor since October, 2006. For the past few weeks I have been absolutely miserable from pain and cramps. But until now, I never knew this junk was so devastating. I am going off statins for good and will be taking Vitamin-C and eating oatmeal. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Posted by: Ron on February 27, 2007 09:29 PM

If you want to know the truth about drugs, I highly recommend Kevin Trudeau's natural cures books. He may seem a bit extreme, but what he says is true. Basically, if you want to be healthy, get the toxins out of your body as best you can, and avoid taking more in. The books really expose the American drug industry for what it is - and patient health is definitely NOT what it's about! You don't have to suffer like this.

Posted by: Karen on March 13, 2007 01:07 AM

I have taken Lipitor for years and without associating it with the drug, felt tired,
confused, had to search for even the simplist words at times. Could not put an intelligent sentence together without thinking hard for the right words. I stopped taking it a couple of months ago and now feel mentally brighter, less tired and articulate. I will not take a statin again.

Posted by: Dee on March 15, 2007 09:17 AM

I have familial high cholesterol and periodically go to the doctor and everytime they put me on a statin and everytime I get flu like symptoms and a tingling burning sensation down my face.
I have been for awhile a total vegan no meat, fish, dairy, eggs or fat and I feel woderful. My cholesterol came down from 10 to 5 and LDLs are 3.1.
Now for the strange part.. I hadnt told my doc I had stopped lipitor for a vegan diet. when he saw my results of 5 he decided i needed an added drug called EZETROL.
THIS IS A CHOLESTEROL ABSORPTION INHIBITOR THAT WORKS IN THE GUT. now as a strict vegan I take in no fat or cholesterlol so why would he think I need this?
The diet works for me I have no intention of poisonong myself with an added drug.

Posted by: debbie on March 25, 2007 02:02 PM

I took Lipitor for only three days and was in so much pain in my leg muscles I felt like I was on fire. My Dr. said some people can feel side effects after only one dose. I'm still waiting for results of liver and muscle enzime tests. Is ther anything medically or otherwise I can do to make my symptoms go away?

Posted by: Valentine on April 5, 2007 09:37 AM

I have been on Lipitor about 8-10yrs,told my dr. about the leg pains,knee pains,etc.he insisted that I stay on it because of cholesteral. I have 4 stents and a pacemaker over the past 5 yrs. I finally took myself off about 6 mos. ago and thought it would make a difference- Dr. tells me I should notice a difference in a couple of days- the main complaint I have is the upper part of my legs (front) when I try to stand up from a sitting position. Anyway I went back on the Lipitor the first of March 2007- now for the last 3 weeks my vision is blurry- I had cataract surgery on one eye 2 yrs ago, and never even need my driving glasses anymore, but wear reading glasses to sew or read. Now all the road signs are so blurry I keep thinking my glasses are dirty,and I even need them for tv. After reading these testimonies today, I'm check off Lipitor-I don't care what the dr. says-by the way I am 79, do water aerobics 3x a week for 20yrs, so I have been invery good physical shape, and never sick! My husband is on40mg. a day and this worries me.

Posted by: margeDesmond on April 10, 2007 02:17 PM

I have been on Lipitor for 11 years after my husband ended up in the hospital with a heart attack and a triple by pass. Than I got sick and they ran test on me to find out that my cholesterol reading was 330 so they put me on 10 MG of Lipitor once a day. My cholesterol reading is now 165 but with nothing but side effects and after reading all the side effects that all these indiviuals have experience, I am scared.

I have also experienced alot of the same effects that I have read on this site.

I have also experienced ringing in my ears, pain on my neck, cramps on my feet and ankles, my face getting hot and also around my lips. It is getting very scary to me to start to get all these side effects. I am sure now that these are side effects after taking Lipitor for as long as I have.
I will stop taking Lipitor but I am scared that my cholesterol will go up again. I have my dad that also has high cholesterol and also 2 of my sisters. We were told by family members that we have inheriated this from my dad's side of the family.That our bodies create alot of high cholesterol and we will aventualy have problems with bad circulation on our legs as my dad and his twin sister. They had to remove both of our aunt legs and we were told by the doctors that my dad should also have his legs removed. My dad told us no-way will he have them remove his legs.

We are very scared that we will end up as my dad and aunt. We are the age of 52, 53 and 55.

Any suggestions other than quit taking Lipitor?

Does 3000 mg of vitamin

Posted by: T.B.R. 04/20/07 on April 20, 2007 02:11 PM

I've been taking Lipitor for 2 years and now im diagnosticated with Tinnitus . Id like to know if researchers have identiffied any medication to offset Tinnitus effects? Muscular weakeness is another remarcable side effect of Lipitor

Posted by: Rub�n on April 23, 2007 02:10 AM

Keeping in mind each person is different, I would like to share what helped me lower my cholesterol in only 2 months.

Below is a list of things I implemented into my life to lower my cholesterol. I am not positive if it was a culmination of these things or one thing in particular. However, at the age of 29 (a few months from 30) I learned that my total cholesterol was 267, my AHDL cholesterol was 28 and my LDL could not even be calculated accurately because my triglycerides were 611. And my ALT was 61. After a complete, cold-turkey diet change and implementation of the following supplements, now my total cholesterol is 178, my AHDL cholesterol is 36, my LDL is 119.60, my triglycerides are 112 and my ALT is 41. All are in the normal range now.

I personally did not implement exercise, but know it provides numerous health benefits.

Prior to this, my diet consisted of complete junk. I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and my weight and cholesterol were evidence of this. I lost 10 lbs prior to my life-style change and have lost another 20 lbs since. I consumed all fried foods, fatty foods, sugary foods, very few fruits/vegetables, butter in veggies and butter in/on most things, restaurant cheese dip/chips/salsa was my favorite - could eat 2 bags of these chips by myself, everything bad for you imaginable.

I did research online and found that certain foods/supplements would help lower cholesterol. Soy products, fiber - fruits/vegetables - whole-wheat products - oatmeal, flax seed products, raising good cholesterol by making my main fats olive oil, oil from fish, natural oils found in avocados, etc. - consumed in moderation, etc., citrus products - orange rinds specifically - marmalade, green tea

The American Heart Association's low-fat cookbook is a wonderful tool.

I aimed to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables above everything, especially when desiring a snack. I essentially have adopted the Mediterranean diet (Common to the diets of these regions are a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, bread, wheat and other cereals, olive oil and fish; making them low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber. Red wine is also consumed regularly but in moderate quantities.)

Instead of consuming the usual American diet of consuming a large portion of meat with small sides, I consumed larger portions of vegetables and fruits (fresh is better), whole-grain products, legumes and small portions of meats.

Many of the dietary items I started/continued consuming:

Increased water intake; especially with Emergen-C, still consumed 2 diet sodas daily and coffee, still consumed 1 beer and/or red wine on a regular basis

Green tea

Heart Health orange juice

Light chocolate soy-milk (delicious, texture is some-what like a water/powder drink mix)

Light vanilla soy-milk for cereal

Tofu

1 milk

Low-fat cottage cheese

Low-fat yogurts

Dannon Activia regular

Low-fat/light/fat-free cheeses, sour cream, spreads, mayo, dressings, etc.

Olive oil in moderation, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and spreads, non-stick sprays, no vegetable oil - canola oil only when completely necessary

No butter

I aimed to reduce the intake of white breads and bread products - consuming whole-wheat/whole grain breads. The higher the fiber content per serving the better. 12-grain breads, etc. Whole-wheat bagels, pitas, etc.

Low-fat/sugar loose granola

Brown rice

Whole-wheat flour

Whole-wheat cous cous

Whole-wheat or spinach tortillas

Whole-wheat pancakes with light or sugar-free syrup

Whole-wheat pastas

Baked Lays corn chips

Low-fat parmesan cheese

Low-fat soups for cooking purposes, low-fat/fat free spice packets; ranch dip mix, etc.

Splenda instead of sugar

Oatmeal

Egg substitute

Turkey bacon

Turkey Italian sausage links for pasta or alone

Healthy Choice hot dogs with whole wheat buns

Healthy Choice Bologna

White meat turkey lunch meat

Fish - salmon, tuna, talapia, etc. preferably grilled

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - grilled mostly

White turkey meat

Ground white turkey meat instead of ground beef

Topped fresh salads with canned tuna (always in water or the envelopes - preferably albacore) or canned white meat chicken

Tried to eliminate pork consumption

Consumed very little beef did not consume any beef the first month (beef is my favorite meat - pork is my second, although I have always loved fish)

Sushi and edamame (boiled soy beans) and miso shiru (miso soup)

Fresh baby spinach and/or spring greens for salads instead of iceberg

On vegetable - the greener the better - spinach, broccoli, asparagus, etc.

Fresh fruits/vegetables

Grilled/steamed fresh vegetables

Frozen fresh vegetables

Frozen fresh berry medley - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries

Weight Watcher's frozen meals

My favorite snacks

Honey-nut cheerios

Carob covered almonds

Light string cheese

Activia strawberry yogurt

Pink grapefruit with splenda

Apples/oranges

Aimed to eat 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 grapefruit and one banana daily

Natural almonds/walnuts in moderation

Whole-wheat toast with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and/or with sugar free (splenda) orange marmalade

Whole-wheat multi-grain crackers with Happy Cow low-fat herb spread

Low-fat frozen yogurt

Hummus

Cottage cheese with canned mandarin oranges and splenda

The organic food store has many healthy yet delicious alternatives for snacking.

Dietary Supplements:

Flax Seed Meal - 2 tbs daily (tried to eat daily with oat-meal)

Wheat Germ - 2 tbs daily (tried to eat daily with oat-meal)

Renew Life The Digestive Company Liver Detox includes:
Morning Support Formula 2 capsules in the morning
Evening Support Formula 2 capsules in the evening

Nature's Plus The Energy Supplements Ultra Maximum Strength Garlite 1000 mg Odorless Garlic Supplement 1 tablet in morning

Solaray Dietary Supplement No Flush Niacin 500 mg 1 capsule in morning

Spring Valley Vitamin E 1000 IU In a Water-Soluble Base Dietary Supplement 1 softgel in the morning

Wild Oats Food Origins 100 Nutrient Value from Food Flax Seed Oil 1000 mg 2 softgels in the morning
(Suggests 2 - 6 softgels daily)

Nature's Way Alive! Dietary Supplement Whole Food Energizer Multi-Vitamin with Vitamins - Minerals 2 tablets in the morning
(Suggests 3 tablets daily)

Emergen-C Heart Health Powerful Antioxidant Formula Plant Steorols & Lycopene 1,000 mg Vitamin C Black Cherry Flavored Fizzy Drink Mix 2 to 4 packs daily
(I used any of the Emergen-C's)

Solaray Dietary Supplement Dong Quai Angelica Sinesis 550 mg 2 capsules in the morning
(Suggests 2 capsules once or twice daily - have been using this for female problems)

Posted by: Amelia on May 1, 2007 03:13 PM

Amelia, Do you take all those supplements every day? Isn't that expensive???

Posted by: kathryn on May 15, 2007 10:02 PM

i was on lipitor 40mg for 8 month's , having trouble with my leg's i have stopped taking the lipitor for a month now . how long does it take to get out of your system. im going for a dopler test but i know they won't find anything for they don't belive lipitor can do this much damage on my leg's they feel like they are wraped to tight, im a little over weight but not that much my cholestrol isn't that bad but my good cholestrol is low any thing to make good cholestrol go up??? and that's why they put me on 40mg in the first place , had a mini stroke and then the dr went nut's giving me all these pill's my husband has high cholestrol and he's taking 10 mg and he had a stoke 10 year's ago. and he is fine and cholestrol is down.

Posted by: Helen on June 24, 2007 07:29 PM

I started taking Lipitor in April - since then I have developed a constant pain in my left side. I suspect this pain to be my kidneys because I know kidney pain when I have it. I have since discontinued the Lipitor and have started taking fish oil and Vit C. What\'s worse, possible heart attack or or kidney damage? I\'ll take my chances and do without the kidney problem. When I see my doctor again, I\'m going to inform her that I will just have to take my chances with natural remedies rather than damage my kidneys. Thank you for all your research. People need to know the truth about the drugs their doctor\'s prescribe. I will follow up with any changes I experience using natural remedies.

Posted by: Mary Ann Neureiter on July 8, 2007 10:40 AM

Just the info I needed !

Posted by: Johan on July 21, 2007 06:12 AM

I just spent the past 2 hours reading every inch of this web blog (thanks for being there!).

I began taking Lipitor 3 months ago (chol 252, LDL 167, HDL 58) and began feeling rib pain two months ago. This is so uncomfortable that I can't sleep or even sit or relax. I had a suspicion at the time that it was the Lipitor, because Lipitor is the only medication I take, and the symptoms began just after beginning to take it (20 mg daily Pfizer).

I had a cholesterol test done on Thursday and am awaiting the outcome, but I have already decided to "go au natural" with my treatment. I am 61, healthy, active, and have never taken drugs like this before. I think now that I need to pay CLOSE ATTENTION to my diet (I do tend to eat what I love) and increase the Vitamin C (which I take sporadically) and fish oil foods, plus other recommended natural foods.

Again, like so many of you who have posted here already, my doctor put me on Lipitor with not so much as a "howdy-doo", and I was left to suffer strange symptoms on my own.

This drug, indeed all statin drugs, appear to be having severe consequences on people, and that is just not right. Good luck to all of us who have chosen to "break the (drug) habit"!

CJ

Posted by: Carla Jean on July 22, 2007 07:06 PM

My husband has been taking this drug for years (actually started with the brand name Lipitor, then switched to the generic, lovastatin) He has been having the spasms the tingling in his feet, and the depression and fatigue for years. Doctors never said it was or could be caused by the drug. Everytime my husband had muscle spasms or weakness or tingling I would call and bring up this drug and what the pamplet said about it and I was assured is was fine and not the problem. Then two months ago my husband was driving us out of town with our two toddlers in their carseats when his leg had one of these spasms, Luckily he was able to pull over and let it pass. Then last night he had the worst attack ever, the fronts and backs of his legs went into a spasm and was so painful for him he started to scream, he could not walk he looked like a puppet on a string, walking legs stiff and screaming trying to make it stop. I was so scared for him, this has happened before to him, but never this bad. He has been on this drug for years, the muscle spasms and pain have been with him just as long, but never this badly. I thought he was going to be crippled after I was scared for him. He has had kidney stones and never yelled like this....
This went on for about 15 to 20 minutes then finally subsided. This morning he woke up and his legs felt like bubbles were popping inside and when you visually looked at them it looked like it. We called his doctor and told him that we thought it could be the lipitor/lovastatin and they assured us once again they have many patients without problems with this drug. They are doing bloodwork tomorrow anyway and want to check his potassium levels, but are not concerned they even went as far as to say that the doctor could not fit him in tomorrow and he would have to wait till Tuesday to see him. I am very upset as this should not be happening. My husband has been very depressed for years, and the doctor tried to put him on anti depressive drugs (which he would not take) and now I have to wonder if this could have caused that too... Please help and advise. This is not right.

Posted by: Jwren on July 27, 2007 01:48 AM

Jwren,

you can try and contact Jonathan Campbell, who wrote this article...

Posted by: Sepp on July 27, 2007 07:18 PM

I have been taking Lopid 600/2a day for over 20 yrs and Lipitor for 6+ yrs probably more, I also have had the severe leg cramps, ringing in my right ear,bloated belly,memory loss, almost constant indigestion etc etc. However all my bllod work always comes back normal and I am afraid to take myself off these meds. Cholesterol used to be in the 800+ and triglycerides were over 2000 yes Two thousand when measurable. Most of these were due to diet and shift work. 2 angiograms show minimal if any blockage. Any suggestions??? tks jh

Posted by: Jim H on August 1, 2007 01:28 PM

After months, since February 2007, I\'ve had a burning sensation in my feet especially when I\'m going to bed. I\'ve had a pronounced feeling of numbness that stretches in a rectangular pattern from the ball of my feet back toward the heel. I first noticed this as I would work out on an elliptical machine. This would give way to the feeling of a nail being driven into the bottom of my foot in the middle of the \"meaty\" section behind the big toe. I was appalled that neither my internist nor my neurologist ever questioned Lipitor. I\'ve been on 40 mg daily since Sept 20, 2005...almost two years. I\'m 50 years old. Has anyone else had similar symptoms?

Posted by: Michael E Johnson on August 20, 2007 10:51 PM

Wow, My husband has had all of the above problems. First he is a diabetic, over weight and has had a number of health problems since 1986. He takes at least 6 different drugs plus insulin, which he does keep in check. Approx 4 years ago he started having trouble with back pain, leg pain, spasms, increased neuropathy. The first thing was to increase some medications, when that didn\'t work, he was sent to a pain management physician that started doing spine injections and some to the muscles. That was helpful for a while. He went from walking unassisted to using a cane to a walker to now using a walker with someone following behind with a chair in case his legs give way, to using a wheelchair to go for lab work, dr\'s visit. Since we were grabbing at straws I noticed that all his meds have warning of dizziness, weakness and of cours Lipitor says serious muscle complications. I asked his physician if perhaps this could be the problem. He agreed that perhaps we could stop the lipitor as an experiment. It did seem to help but some of his pain and complaints seem to increase, so he is now back on Lipitor but again he is declining. We actually had to put him in a nursing home for a couple of months for therapy and to \"rearrange\" the way he took his meds which started out divided 3 times day, to 5 times a day. Which is an all day monitoring and the doctor was sure my husband wasn\'t taking them properly. Which could have part of the beginning of his problem as most say, could cause dizziness, etc. After his latest hospitalization for dangerous coumadin levels, which I was in charge of, which I double and triple checked to be sure he was getting the proper dose each day,the physician indicated I could go back to a more convenient way of giving his meds as dividing the dosages over 4 times was a bit excessive. Again we are grabbing at straws, I asked my husband if he wanted to stop his lipitor again, reduce his muscle relaxants and see if we can get a hold on this. He is getting closer to the floor each day. He agreed. We are now waiting. I\'ll post our results and let his physician know what we are doing. It is good and bad that there are individuals that have the same problem. Now we know his isn\'t an isolated case. Seems we all have a very large problem on our hands.

Posted by: Gail Gibson on August 22, 2007 09:25 AM

My husband is diabetic, taking medications and insulin, along with all these medications he is also taking Vytorin. Last year he developed frozen shoulder and had surgery, he was in a lot of pain but after the surgery he was feeling better until he started with the pains again in his shoulder, arm and hand. He can\'t sleep at night because the pain is so severe that awakes him up, he doesn\'t sleep more than 5 hours because the pain is un-bearable. His doctor prescribed Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor, and now he is taking Vytorin, now after reading all these testimonies I can confirm what I always believed, that these medications are making people more sick or actually killing them slowly. My doctor also prescribed me and was very nice when she gave me some free samples of Vytorin, I told her that I did not believe in pills and she told me that I needed to take then otherwise I could end up with serious health problems. I can only say that I might die from anything, but I will not poison my body. I will make sure that my husband stop taking Vytorin today. If you know of some natural herbs or foods that can lower colesterol, please send me some information. Thank you, Jackie

Posted by: Jackie Vega on September 5, 2007 09:10 PM

I also have been taking lipitor, 80 mg per day for about 5 yrs .I have noticed pins and needles in the hands,sore hips mainly in bed, loss of memory and ihave just been diagnosed with liver deases and my doctor states that lipitor would have nothing todo with it and just gave me another script and said if i didnt take it she would not be able to help me.After reading these comments above i have stopped taking lipitor and have started on the vitamin C method.

Posted by: john huther on September 12, 2007 08:26 AM

I don\'t trust doctors. They are messing with peoples lives and endagering many. They play a guessing game and prescribe medications that are extreamly harmful. The client winds up worst than before. All the while the doctor will keep referring you to other doctors who give more test and prescribe more medications. I thank the good Lord that we did not play their game. My husband had high colesterol. The primary doctor prescribes Lipitor. It had a dramatic change in his Cholestrol level and very quickly. He was not taking it daily as she had prescribed but only twice a week for several months. Soon he was having pain and weakness and numbness in his right leg and also left, but not as severe. Traveling pain upper thigh and back of knee and down calf and chin. Both knees caused him pain. He goes back to the Primary doctor who sends him to a cardiologist who ... (comment cut off by system)

Posted by: linda garza on September 29, 2007 05:18 PM

Hi everyone. Pls check out my blog, which I have kept since I first lost the use of my muscles from using Lipitor. Get everyone you know to read Sepp\'s site here, it is important that people understand what this drug can do to you. It will affect most people, sooner or later. The drug companies are trying to lower the accepted levels of cholesterol to get people on this drug at a younger age. Please, pls read my diary: www.michelie.bigblog.com.au
I am getting better, slowly, I think, altho\' there are times when I feel that I have plateaued out. But there is hope if you stop soon enough - I was a virtual cripple - and I am up and walking again and even started back at the gym with a heavily modified programme.
Blessings everyone, and I hope that you all make a steady recovery after going off these terrible drugs.

Posted by: Michele on October 15, 2007 02:00 AM

I have had a week of feeling that I have MS or MD and it\'s sad to say, but I\'m thrilled to have found this website. I have an appointment tomorrow to go to an Internist, but I\'ve been on Lipitor for about 2 years, with my dosage increased just 6 weeks ago. I have, in the past 6 weeks, lost control of my muscles. I can\'t get my legs to move when I want, I can hardly get out of bed, I\'ve had numbness and tingling in my arms and legs (which I\'ve had for 2 years but thought it was carpal tunnel- I\'m in the medical field and just took anatomy, so I should know :)), now with SEVERE weakness and just basically a disconnect feeling with my body, my speech, and my memory. I believe 100 that this is an adverse effect of the Lipitor. I\'m buying Vitamin C today and am really hoping that my symptoms improve.

Posted by: Dee on October 27, 2007 11:29 AM

Cholesterol is the very basis of life of thinking talking and innovative primate. To blame it for all the ills of the body is like blaming God for everything that goes wrong. It is we humans that do not utilize the cholesterol in correct way and let it harm us. Look at the chemistry of cholesterol, corticosteroids,
sex hormones, bile salts and the similarity. And what about the fact that human brain has the highest age of cholesterol compared to any other primate? Will it be wrong to connect some of the statin adverse effects on nervous system to reduced cholesterol in the brain? We have to take a world view and not narrow specialist one.
Lakhi

Posted by: Lakhi Hingorani on October 28, 2007 03:14 AM

I have been taking statin drug(Atorva ) 10 mg for three years continuosly as per the doctor\'s advice . But still I am experiencing pain on the head from forehead to back of the head & also dizziness quite often .Pl advice .

Posted by: Parimal Kumar Daa on November 3, 2007 07:21 AM

I have read many of the above postings and am slightly amazed. I remember the time my close friends husband went to my Ayurveda teacher with a report of high cholesterol. My teacher did not give him any medicines and told him to follow a diet and exercise regimen. Sure enough in six months his levels were down. I\'m not against medicines. But very often we dont need them. As an Ayurvedic doctor who has also worked in a big hospital for nine years I know the futility (as well the efficacy - lets be fair here) of many drugs. But something like cholesterol cannot be dismissed by popping a couple of pills. You need a more wholesome and holistic approach to treat something like this. Patients have to be told very firmly that they HAVE to make lifestyle changes if they want results. Also there are so many herbs, like garlic, ginger, neem, arjuna (terminalia chebula), amla (indian gooseberry) etc which are very effective in reducing cholesterol. I have seen in my practice that a lot of health problems can be solved by taking simple steps. But people I\'m afraid are getting used to comfy lifestyles and want everything handed to them on a platter. We want all our problems to dissapear by popping a pill. But we dont want to make that extra effort to make and carry that salad to lunch. This is exactly what the pharmas cash in on. Why blame them? Also I feel the fast food habits in America are just too much. I just cannot understand why so much cola is consumed there. Indian food is still quite healthy. Of course we are becoming Americanised at an alarming rate. I dont know - someone might accuse me of being simplistic but honestly thats what we need -is to simplify our lives. I mean when did problems like obesity and cholesterol get so out of hand?

Posted by: sangita borgave on November 19, 2007 01:02 AM

Hi

Unfortunately in this world today in order to believe any story coming out of the media or other organizations you have to ask yourself who created the report, who owns the vehicle reporting the story and who is/going to make money from it.

Sad but true.

Posted by: Chris on November 23, 2007 03:39 AM

Action:

Statin Drug Investigation Proposed - Sign Petition

Much evidence suggests that a low serum cholesterol is associated with depression, suicide, muscle damage, memory loss and general ill-health. As the signature count begins to climb, we can see the impact of having patients telling of their own bad experiences with statins. It has been the case for far too long now that the medical profession, as a whole, has not seen the obvious nor has it listened very well to what the patients on statins have been telling it.

Posted by: Sepp on December 12, 2007 04:24 AM

I would like to know what CPK
refers to. I had a test in 2006 #175 in 12/2007 it was # 713.

Posted by: AL KLUSENDORF on January 2, 2008 02:22 PM

Al, CPK is an enzyme - Creatine phosphokinase - and the test for elevated CPK levels is described on this US gov medline page. Elevated CPK means that there has been damage to muscular tissue, something that is fairly common with statin drugs. The extreme of this kind of damage which can lead to death is called rhabdomyolysis. It is a sign of danger and you should consult your doctor to find out exactly what you should do about it.

Posted by: Sepp on January 3, 2008 06:49 AM

I to am on Lipitor and have experienced all kinds of pain ie: hip, calf, back and I can go on but I also have a very low libido. After reading all the other reports I will definitly stop using it. Thank you for this site.

Posted by: Bill Rook on January 16, 2008 03:32 PM

I have written one article so far on the Dangers of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs and a number of articles on natural ways to lower cholesterol, which may be useful to those of you subjected to the unnecessary use of statin drugs.

Posted by: Kevin Flatt on February 1, 2008 08:24 PM

i have spent a lot of time on your site and don't really know what to make of it. i have been on lipitor 10mg for only about 4 months. my cholesterol dropped from 250 to 120 in three months. But so far i have no symptoms but i am afraid to keep going because it seems like it is going to hurt me in the long run. i work out every day and have no pain. i am 53 years old. i have had some blood in my urine and had a routine kidney scan that i don't know the results of yet. that might be the first sign of a lipitor side effect although the doctor says no. any advise?

Posted by: Jray on February 10, 2008 08:39 PM

Jray, it is good that your cholesterol dropped from 250 to 120, but recently, after some trials showed unexpected results, one question is being asked more and more: What's cholesterol got to do with it? I think you should factor this into your evaluation of whether to continue taking the pills (and the risk of side effects) or not. There are other effective means of avoiding the risk of heart attacks, which have to do with diet and exercise and living life without too much stress.

Posted by: Sepp on February 11, 2008 06:12 AM

hey check this site "http://www.pharmanex.com/corp/product/solutions/cholestin.shtml", they dicovered cholesterol lowering drug without the side effect its called "CHOLESTIN".... and get this you can't buy this and where in the US and Philippines.."PH3735400"

Posted by: michael hung on February 13, 2008 02:28 PM

I tried the very high dose Vit C for 3 months and then retested, and it did absolutely nothing to bring down my cholesterol, which remained over 300. So I will go the drug route, but at least I tried!!

PS: Please don't spam me.

Posted by: sophia on March 21, 2008 10:54 AM

I have been taking lipitor for several years and developed terrible neck pain, numbing and pins and needles in my arm, legs and back. After going to an orthepedic surgen he told me I had ruptured disk in my neck, probably pinching nerves. I have lived in pain for years and for some reason happened across this web site. I stopped taking lipitor and I feel like a new person. Something is deffenetly wrong with the drug companies and doctors. I still have some numbing and don't know if it will go away, If anyone knows of a class action suit please contact me.

Posted by: Michael on March 24, 2008 11:12 AM

I have been taking lipitor for almost 5 years due my high level of cholesterol, one day on Feb 08, I felt strange and very sick, lack of energy and hardly can walk,doctor checked my blood and find my liver enzymes 12 times over the normal reading, other like LHD and Creantine were both extremely high and both showed ALERT, I was taken to the emergency, they do a thourough check up, they held me at the hospital for over 2 weeks, I couldn't move my legs, muscle fiber break down, I had muscle biobsy, hospital report said probably my lipitor but they did not confirm 100 percent,in my life, I was always in good shape and healhy, I never used any medication except the lipitor, my heart beat at rest always 60, now with lipitor almost never goes down to below 100, blood pressure was always perfect, now it always high, lipitor ruined my life, I hardly pusch my walker few feet to reach the toilet. I stopped my the lipitor the day when I felt bad, it seems that drug caused lasting muscle damage, think many people have had a similar or different problem with lipitor, I think it time to take action again the company to lawsuits claim. March 26, 2008

Posted by: elbouazaoui on March 26, 2008 06:46 PM

I had a mild heart attack in Nov of 2007..High cholesterol levels made cardio doctor prescribe zocor.. I had Horrible back aches and then he changed prescription to 40mg lipitor daily..I have now taken myself off of it..Back pain that was constant, heavy leg feeling, very sore hips and had to work hard to just lift my leg to step into my underwear and pants every morning.. Drug companies will produce anything to make us empty our wallets! NO MORE Lipitor for me!!

Posted by: Karen on April 9, 2008 02:24 AM

You guys are all nuts. How old are you? Many of you complain of aches and pains, heart attacks, fatigue, Alzheimer's etc... when you get old you get these things. Has nothing to do with the drug. Most people on statins are 45+, 50 , 60 , 70 etc... you get old things happen. Don't blame it all on the drug. Evaluate, research etc... for every one of you that think its the statin 100 or more are healthier. This is from a Lipitor user and by the why now with much lower cholesterol, active runner, skier, golfer etc� no pains aches, muscle issues, weakness etc� Cholesterol is the problem. If you have skyrocketing cholesterol you will die of a heart attack. Block the arteries and blood wont flow its that simple.

Mydad had three heart attacks way before statins existed . he did all the other things that you have up here, ate right exercised, took the vitamin doeses etc... lived 10 years longer then they expected but still died of a heart attack. he wouldnt have if statins existed. Statins also prevent sudden hear attacks by decreasing the cholesterol in the artery walls and preventing the sudden eruption and blockage. people read more and evaluate before you jump ship and blame the drug for all you aches and pains

Posted by: Stage on April 26, 2008 08:55 AM

I have published the comment from "Stage" just to show how pharma activists these days go around making comments on blogs that are designed to counter what they think is bad PR for their drugs. They don't really have any idea how bad it looks from the viewpoint of those who really do suffer the side effects these people pooh pooh. I doubt Stage knows a statin from an aspirin.

Posted by: Sepp on April 26, 2008 11:21 AM

Two years ago my 83 year old Aunt was put on lipitor. She was a very healthy and actice person who walked every morning. A couple of month after starting Lipitor she slowly started to decline, Muscle aches, backaches, fatique. Then depression and flu like symptons. From there shingles for 3 months and then shortness of breath that put her in the hospital, where they found stage 4 cancer. It was like something hit her immune system and I believe it all started with the lipitor. Before lipitor her toatl cholesterol was 213. She ask the Doctor if she could stop taking it but he wouldn't take her off and she wouldn't stop it on her own. I don't think that any Doctor should put an 83 year old healthy women on any drug that was not needed. There is lack of evedence that these statin drugs help people over 70 without previous heart conditions or women of any age and there is a 25 increase in cancer for the elderly. My Aunt will not be with us much longer. I'm writing this to warn others who have concerns for elderly loved ones.

Posted by: TD on July 4, 2008 09:33 AM

i was on 80 mg of lipitor i had alot of pain in my feet i couldnt walk , alot of pain in my feet when i get up in the morning it felt like i was walking on broking glasses, also sinus problem like one side is blocked all the time my doctors told me lipitor has nothing to do with the pain in your feet i decided to take the law in my own hand and i stoped taking the drug , 3 month later i started to fell improvement with less pain and 2 years later i felt great the pain is gone and i am walking again , however the level of cholesterol is a bit high, but i dont care and the reason is because one of my friends had perfect cholesterol and yet end up with angina with cloged one artery the other frind had heart attack with perfect cholesterol and the third friend had a perfect cholesterol but had a heart attack and 3 cloged artreis so i will not return to the drug,, never

Posted by: zak on November 10, 2008 07:18 PM

Absolute rubbish!!! People, this guy is not only an ADVOCATE of natural remedies, he SELLS them too! He is going on about Pharma companies making money out of medications, but that's what he is actually doing!!!
This sight would not be legal in Australia, because all medical sights MUST be evidence based and this sight is certainly FAR from that!
You should be ashamed of yourself....
Oh, and i DARE you to post this big man.

Posted by: christian on December 1, 2008 01:13 AM

I do think that the personal experience of the people who have read this article (and some others on this site about statin drugs) and who added their own experience by posting a comment, kind of speaks for itself. If you ever want evidence, ask some of the people who have direct experience. And ... what I do for a living isn't really a secret. That information is readily available.

Posted by: Sepp on December 1, 2008 06:44 AM

@ Christian The experience of all those people, that's the actual evidence, the actual big scale study, and the results are terrible. This is the evidence from real life experiences and not from studies done by a profit seeking company. This evidence is not cherry-picked nor manipulated in order to get positive results to boost profit margines. Realizing that a site should be evidence based makes me shiver. Where does this "evidence" come from ? Who provides us with it ? The majority of the studies are done by Big Pharma and on top of that, BP also is known to publish ill-designed studies to discredit health care options other than theirs. So what are those "evidence based" sites in reality ? Wake up man ! Sepp, you're doing a great job !

Posted by: Louis on December 4, 2008 01:14 AM

Christian

I doubt anyone would regard this sight (sic) as a medical site. I would suggest that this site is offering advice on natural therapies as do the Australian natural therapy sites, which are perfectly legal, despite your differing claim.

Several years ago, it was discovered I had contracted rheumatic fever as a child. The specialist in Australia insisted I take statins and blood pressure medication even though my blood pressure is low - hovering around 98/68. My protests were met with disdain, bordering on abuse.

Strangely, a friend some 11 years younger, diagnosed with diabetes, was prescribed the precise medication on the same day I was, from the same specialist. I guess it's all for one, one for all eh? Is this what one calls the "Precautionary Principle"?

I'm now 72, slim and walk three kilometres a day but do not deprive myself of the odd treat on occasion. All of my friends on Lipitor (and BP medication) are much younger but are breaking down with various vague or diagnosed additional illnesses and all have become overweight since taking statin medication (which I find intriguing.) Is this a result of old age or medication??

As for me, I'll take my chances - without the aid of any of these medications.

Thanks for an informative site Sepp Hasslberger.

Posted by: Kathleen on December 18, 2008 03:49 AM

I just wanted to warn people that after taking centrum with corowise, I first started with jabbing throbbing pain in muscle's, than my legs went, I could not get up easy, walk, or stand with out pain I lost the ability to walk upstairs. My right leg is so weak it won't lift me. My only thought it had to be vit. acting like a true statin.

Posted by: Sherry Varriale on January 29, 2009 06:44 PM

I have heard for years that these drugs CAUSE Heart Attacks.
My Uncle used Lipitor for 2 Years, he was extreemly Healthy at the start, now he has a Strained Heart Muscle.
His Cholesterol was still as "High."
He stopped Lipitor, his cholesterol is now down.
Seems to be ALL a load of rot to me.
Snake Oil.
Satins produce that which they are meant to fix.

Posted by: Troy on February 22, 2009 09:34 PM

I have read your site with great interest. I have been taking Lipitor 5~10-mg. daily for several years and have found these problems cropping up: psoriasis on the tips of my fingers, decreased renal function, restless legs syndrome, some muscular weakness and localized pains..and an increasing problem with GERD. I have always been a fitness fanatic and now at 63, I feel as if I am aging faster than I ought to, I just had a stress EKG and passed with flying colors; total cholesterol is 190, but we have a family history of CHD. I personally believe these problems were not gennetic but linked to fatty diets and poor health habits. I stopped taking my daily 5-mg of Lipitor on March 1, and am slowly seeing some improvement in all of my symptoms. Thanks to this site, I will add additinal vitamin C and fish oils to my diet to see if I can keep the cholesterol under control...but only when accompanied by a more moderate diet.

Posted by: Bill on March 24, 2009 01:25 AM

Great information! I've been taking lipitor since my pacemaker/defibrillator was put in my chest in 2004. I really didn't feel any weakness or fatigue after the surgery, but experienced it gradually over the last five years. I've had pain in my right hip, and pain in my right foot for two or three years now. I also ocassionally experience a numbness on the right side of my face with dribbling. It doesn't stop there; I am now to the point that taking a shower nearly wears me out. Just folding laundry feels like I'm holding a railroad anvil instead of a shirt! I have hardly an muscle strength left at all. Walking 100 feet is like hiking a 100 miles. My stamina and endurance is all but gone. I am 59 years old and have always been athletic and active. I am taking myself off Lipitor immediately! I will start eating better and see what happens. I figure that any life at all would have to be better than where I'm at today.

Posted by: Terry on May 3, 2009 10:57 AM

My husband has been off Lipitor for a few years and his thigh muscles have not gotten any better. Our life has stopped as far as going to the beach or taking a walk or even driving for a couple of hours to see his elderly mother.

I read a few years ago a lady said she finally found something to help her pain. If anyone knows of anything i would and he would, be very grateful.Ginny

Posted by: Ginny McDavid on May 30, 2009 07:59 PM

If anyone is reluctant to use a natural alternative to Lipitor, they should absolutely take CoQ10, because Lipitor depletes they bodies ability to produce it. This Is crucial in the maintenance of muscle tissue, most importantly, the heart.

Posted by: Juan Batista on July 10, 2009 07:58 PM

My mother now 75 has been on Lipitor for 25 years. She has bells paulsy do you this it could be a side affect. Will it be safe to take her off the Lipitor after taking it for such a long time?

Posted by: clara on November 8, 2009 12:39 AM

hi, my father is victim of lipitor, he took it for almost 8 years and now he is disabled, he can't take shower by his own, can't go to toilet, overall sick and very low energy. he takes 100mg coq10 plus fish oil but not helping him. we manage his cholesterol by a very safe herb TURMERIC, GINGER, GARLIC without side effect but problem he has with his mobility which is really difficulte for him. anyone who stop this posion has overcome with side effect.

Posted by: hasena on February 8, 2010 05:10 PM

hi, my mother (76 now) has been on lipitor (sortis, as it is sold in europe) for more then eleven years. she was supposed to take it for life... a few days ago her physician called me up to the practice, gave me the "you better sit down" speech, and told me that my mother may have the parkinson's disease. after walking around like dumbfounded for a few days i finally got in front of the computer and found this huge amount of information about statin drugs side effects. could any of you help me with these questions: - how long does it take until the body is detoxified? - what should be taken to compensate these side effects? as i understand vitamin c and q10 should do. - do you know what other treatments can help, see garlic, nettle ..etc? thank you beforehand for any suggestions.

Posted by: Ioana on February 15, 2010 03:32 PM

dear loana my father has same problem difficulties walking and seen many many neurologist and the said it is not parkinson but parkinsonisim and priscribe him sifrol for parkinsonism no effect at all but even he got worsed,now he is trying to quit the medication for parkinson and don't know what to do now he manage his cholesterol by diet but don't know how to reverse the side effcet.hope for your mum recovery as well as my father

Posted by: hasena on February 19, 2010 08:36 PM

My mother has what I 'sense' is statin induced Parkinson's...does anyone here know of anyone being able to reverse this devastating side effect from use of Lipitor or other stating drugs???? Please post links and or info if you have. Thank you in advance.Some things I've seen so far are CO ENZYME Q10, VITAMIN C, MAGNESIUM...PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH ANYONE YOU KNOW TAKING THESE DRUGS....SO THEY ARE AWARE OF THE 'SIDE EFFECTS' OF THESE NASTY DRUGS!!!!!!!

Posted by: QuantumPower on March 10, 2010 12:22 PM

I have kept the cholesterol under control on Lipitor for over 10 years. I have not had any side effects. I recently started taking CO Q10 30mg every other day (since no study can firmly say what dose you should take without side effects from the CO Q10). No side effects from CO Q10 either. I am 55, work out some including weight lifting and treadmill about 2 to 3 x per week. I suspect that people with no side effects from Lipitor are not posting here which is to be expected. No problems, then you're not looking for more information and somewhere to vent.

Sepp's comment:

Your case seems to be the exception that confirms the rule...

Posted by: Scott_D on March 25, 2010 05:00 PM

make sure you read this.

Posted by: james foster on June 30, 2010 08:25 AM

I have been on the Lipitor treadmill for 11 yrs, due to a work accident and sitting for several months while waiting for my operations. Of course, the weight gain from just sitting made my always spot on cholestrol number to go up. I am sick of feeling sick from dry eye, neck pain, gallbladder trouble, restless leg syndrome, shoulder, arm, legg, hip pain!!!! I stopped about a week ago and cancelled my doctor appt. My doc never talked to me about dieting, exercise, vitamins nothing! I am on top of that stuff myself anyhow. I am tired of the blood test every 3 months not to mention the money each of these visits generate between the doctor and the loab work!!!!! Now, I am going to research the blood pressure medicine Diavan. I am going to try to do something holistic, natural, organic. I only eat fish and chicken. I am going to try to delete them soon too. It is my personal animal protest too ! I feel like I have lost 11 yrs of good health, So many side effects! If I tell the doctor she either has sent me to a specialist or wanted to order more medicine! After my last blood test appt I got a call a couple of days later and a nurse said I had to come in because the test showed I had the beginning of diabetes! When I went in the next day the doctor seemed surprised to see me and did not know that I got the call at all! She stated I did not have diabetes but did I want to take medicine to prevent it!!!! Of course, no was my answer. All of this lead me to research between my every 3 month appointements, which I will never have again.

Posted by: Debrah Obrien on May 19, 2011 06:11 PM

I have great confidence in Garlic and strong doses of vitamin B3, Niacin to reduce cholesterol levels.

Posted by: mike on June 12, 2011 10:35 AM

these side effects are very bad. may all recover from this and becomes healthy again.

Posted by: Michal Weill on December 21, 2012 01:25 AM

My husband was misdiagnosed with PD in 2000. Very rapid deterioration and many queries eventually led to MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) diagnosis. A horrible, horrible condition robbing people of independence, dignity, movement, speech, continence, ability to swallow and breathe.we didn't know what to do we tried everything possible medically, we were waiting for his death then one day our daughter got back from work with the email of a herbal Dr saying her friend from work told her about a testimony on how Lusanda cured her mom from PD and it truely worked, we were desperate and sceptical but my daughter told me we got nothing to loose and i decided to give it a try. 4 weeks after he started taking the herb he regained his speech and today my husband is fully rocovered from this deadly disease called PD, this isn't a BS it is real you can also contact dr Lusanda on drlusandaherbal(at)gmail(dot)com or website on www(dot)drlusandaherbals(dot)weebly(dot)com

Posted by: Brittany on October 21, 2016 10:04 PM

I was diagnosed of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells, I was given medications to slow down the progress of the disease, after some months my conditioned worsened and i lost ability to go about my daily activities and i had to quit my job, my legs and arms were terribly weakened, i resorted to a wheelchair (Perbombil C300). This was till my husband's friend introduced my husband to a herbal clinic in South Africa who sell herbal medicines to cure all kind of diseases including ALS, we contacted the herbal clinic via their email and purchased the ALS herbal remedy, we received the herbal medicine via courier within 7 days and commenced usage as prescribed, its totally unexplainable how all the symptoms gradually dissapeared, my speech has greatly improved and am able to walk a distance now with no help, contact this herbal clinic via their email drlusandaherbal@drlusandaherbal.com Or website www.drlusandaherbal.com

Posted by: Matricia on November 9, 2016 05:44 AM


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