Withdrawal Symptoms Lipitor (Page 2)

How long before muscle aches and weakness subside after discontinuing Lipitor

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I stopped taking Lipitor and in 3 months my LDL levels tripled (41-121) and total cholesterol went up 50% (140-220) I had some left over pills and started taking the stuff again today (see my doctor in a week but the readings scared the devil out of me)

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Not everyone gets the same withdrawal sides effects. Some people can get off without a problem. If you stop cold turkey u will get more withdrawal sides effects. You have to wean off them slowly if your side affects are bad. Cut your dose in half for a week or ten day. Then try taking the half dose every other day for a week or two. Then every 3 days and so on as to how u feel. If your taking 40mg of Lipitor go to 20mg then to 10mg and even 5mg and then every second day and so on. This may help but I don't know for sure, Any strong drug I think you should wean off of, unless your doctor tells you different. Make sure your doctor knows what your doing and how your feeling.

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Yes, the Lipitor caused incredible muscle aches. Since my GP prescribed it, when I saw the cardiologist, she suggested I cut the pills in half. The pain wasn't as severe. HOWEVER, after 2 years on Lipitor (and diet modifications), I have found that my HDL is NOT going up, my LDL is NOT going down and my blood sugar is skyrocketing ( not that either doctor has said anything about possible Type II Diabetes!!) PLEASE RESEARCH FOR YOURSELF... Lipitor has recently been found to be the leading cause of adult-onset Type II Diabetes!!!! Take Care in getting off this Beast!! Cut your doses slowly...withdrawal is not pleasant! (Has anyone out there experienced Chest Pain as a result??.. just diagnosed as pericarditis FYI..I still think it's Lipitor withdrawal!)

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My nan collapsed a few days ago and the medics have took Her off astorvarsttin. I dont know why though. She is 81 and smokes and not very healthy. I hope they haven't took her off it to help her on to the other side. She has vascular dementia and prone to mini strokes.Can someone please advise. I dont trust medics that much having worked in the profession.

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I had been on 80mg of Lipitor for 20 years. Six months ago started having joint pain ( ankles, knees, hips, elbows, shoulders ) three to four months ago started having bad muscle pain and cramps in thighs, calves and feet. I have been losing weight although my appetite has not diminished and still eat like I always have. Four days ago was walking up stairs at work and thighs got so tight I couldn't lift my legs to take another step. After about fifteen minutes was finally able to walk back down. Went to my doctor the next day. He took all kinds of blood for tests. Results came back with very elevated muscle enzymes and vitamin D deficiency. He told me to stop the Lipitor immediately and if the pain goes away it was the Lipitor if not something more serious. I have been off for three days now and hurt as bad or worse than before. So far not experiencing any withdraw symptoms but am afraid of permanent muscle loss and joint issues. I go back in two weeks for follow up visit and if pain still lingers more testing for other causes. I wonder if the Lipitor can cause other problems he mentioned such as Lupus or Fibromyalgia. I guess time will tell. Good luck to those who are affected.

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What your doing is courageous. Due your research on line. I just found a huge amount of info on "you tube" films. Try "iheahthtube" search for Stratton nation & There is a guy who pops up as an ex big pharmacy drug dealer that now uses his education for naturally occurring Med's to heal. Can't renege his name but a young guy very learned. Good luck.

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I've been on statins for about 4 decades. Dosage has been 80 (the max) for probably 15 years. I recently quit taking the stuff, since there is no reputable research that has found causal factors for cholesterol in affairs of the heart. So far, no symptoms at all. Nothing!

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Joint pain - I was taking 10mg of Atorvastatin for the last 6 months. I stopped taking it altogether a month ago. 7 days ago I developed severe neck and shoulder pain which wakes me up several times a night. Also hip pain/aching when not moving. Once I start moving, it's better. Last week I got out of the car and started walking and my upper back completely seized. I couldn't move feeling that something had a hold of my upper spine. My husband massaged it for a moment and it hasn't done it again. No physical activity has changed in my life, nor my routine in over 2 years. I didn't experience any joint pain ON Atorvastatin. I don't have the anxiety, depression, 'out of body' experience, or fogginess others have had.

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I also have been a generic version of lipitor for about 10 years and have had many side effects its been a long road of aches and pains. I just convinced myself it was this or that, but have always told my doctors of my concerns.I have experienced memory loss, cognitive problems and a word recall issues. I was convinced it was my medicine for my seizures, so I had my neurologist change my prescription from topramax to lamictal and nothing changed. I also have kept my primary care physician updated on all my medical problems. They both just listen but are not admitting it could be my medicine. The pain issues have moved from one body area to another, currently I am having feet pain I have purchased new shoes and have had no relief. I am running out of body parts to have pain inflicted on so I will see a podiatrist as a last resort. I finally have taken myself of the advorstatin and have started to take baby aspirin, I am due to get a physical soon so I will definitely make a decision about what to do. If my cholesterol is improved I am thinking that's it for me. I am annoyed at my doctors neglect to ignore such obvious symptoms.

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Please read the book "Grain Brain" you will stop taking statins.

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REad the recently released book "Grain Brain." You'll be amazed. Based on it and personal knowledge, I quit statins after being on them for over 30 years. Now I eat saturated fats like they're going out of style, and feel great! Grain Brain hint: having a high cholesterol level is protective against Alzheimers! The drive to attain low cholesterol levels is what has driven the surge in Alzheimers.

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Hi darrell, the problem with Lipitor is that to it also stop the production of nutrients within he body. The muscle pain is caused by a lack of co enzyme Q10 which lip stops he production of. You can find it in your local pharmacy and you should take about 60mg twice daily. After a while the joint pain will go when u take the Q10. For the chlorestol try niacin 500mg twice daily, does the job for me. Went off lip cold turkey ended up in hospital after, be careful how you off it! You should take high dose vit c and a good omega 3 and multiple vit. If you take all these you will be fine, costs more than statins but you will feel a whole lot better.

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I've been (cold turkey) off of 80mg Atorvastatin for about 1 month after taking it for years. On day two I felt out of sorts. That was the only withdrawal 'symptom' I experienced. It was the Grain Brain book that finally motivated me to quit. I am 75, I would much rather die from things coronary than from Alzheimers, for sure! I am eating full fat everything, frying in lard and in butter. My GP will pee his pants next time I see him. I feel really good - been on low fat/cholesterol diet since 1962 when such a thing was really a challenge! What a delightful change this is!!

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I've had similar experiences. On 80 mg Lipitor since thoracic aortic aneurysm/valve repair in "08 for preventive purposes. Slowly but surely aches and pains worsened to the point I required Physical Therapy for both back and shoulder, and many other troubling physical symptoms developed. My quality of life was decreasing rapidly. Four mos. ago I mentioned these symptoms to my cardiologist and asked if they could be related to the medicine. He immediately told me to hold off for 3 mos. I noticed some relief after a few days but attributed it to something else so started it up again, then noticed the pain increased. Long story short, I stopped Lipitor completely 3 mos. ago. Back and shoulders and all old symptoms are now greatly improved, but I find I'm quite intermittently depressed, crying uncontrollably, feels like my heart rate elevates often and I get those dreaded palpitations. Sometimes I feel angry for no apparent reason, that I'm not the nice person I normally am. I've only just realized these symptoms in the past three days and just made the withdrawal connection today. Thank God I found this website!!!!!

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I am glad I found this thread. I stopped taking Lipitor 2 days ago and am experiencing anxiety for the the first time in my life. I couldn't figure out what was going on and found these posts which give me comfort. I am edgy and nervous without any logical reason. I can't even imagine falling asleep. Hopefully it will pass quickly.

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I just went off of Lipitor four days ago. I am very light headed and dizzy now. Is this a side effect of not taking the Lipitor?

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I was taking 40 mg of Lipitor for about a month and my calves and feet were cramping so badly on Lipitor that I stopped taking it about a week ago to see if that was causing it and the cramping stopped immediately, but I began to feel dizzy, lightheaded and very tired yesterday and last night, felt it on and off today. The hard cramps stopped, but my legs still ache some and feel tired. I have noticed that my ability to concentrate while reading is terrible. I have to keep reading the same thing over and over and it won't soak in. I have also noticed the noun deficit thing. I sure hope that these withdrawal symptoms go away. I am glad I found this website because I thought I was going to die. I have hope now that the symptoms will improve. I haven't told my doctor yet that I quit taking Lipitor, but I will. I am not taking any more statins.

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Me again. I'm off 80mg lipitor (atorvastatin) for 2 months now. I quit taking it based on the book "Grain Brain" which for statin users, should be required reading. It will open your eyes! Some years ago I learned that statins shut down the body's production of coenzyme Q-10. It is the lack of this enzyme that causes the aches and pains in the muscles. I've been taking Q10 for a decade, and had minimal muscular pain during that time, plus the withdrawal from statin use was less nerve-wracking. Anectodally, I suggest that those of you having withdrawal problems, start taking Q10 for a few weeks. See if that helps you.

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Thanx to everyone for sharing. I was put on 20 mg Lipitor while in the hospital after a mild heart attack. I was never told about the possible side effects. Towards the end of week two, I realized that the muscle aches were not the result of laying in a hospital bed for 8 days, did some research and my doctor took me off the med for a "holiday" (if he thinks I am going back on a statin he is in for a rude awakening). I have not had any further communication with him but then I don't think there is really much he can do anyway. For me, while my whole body was in pain, my hands were effected the most and are still giving me trouble. Early on I read all the online comments about CoQ10, decided to give it a try, ended up at an Urgent Care facility and found out that I was most likely allergic to it. Treatment required a steroid shot and antihistamines. Talk about adding insult to injury. And for the past week or so, I have been experiencing the itching not from the allergy, but from the Lipitor. The only thing I have found which relieves the muscle pain and the itching for me at all is hot water. I've spent most nights in a bathtub in the past month. Not sleeping very much and I am realizing after reading these posts that there are side effects I hadn't even realized I have been having. I can say that after a month, the pain is about 10% of what it was in the beginning. The itching is now keeping me up at night and after 6 weeks on little cat naps I am really looking forward to a whole night asleep. I was only on this stuff for two weeks...never again though.

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I have been taking 10mg generic Lipitor for about three months. I noticed some joint aches, so am now taking every other day. The joints are better. I started feeling so bloated - my clothes were tight almost like a pregnancy. I also noticed a lot of gas. Next week I will try every three days. Thanks to all of you and your honesty, I will also begin CoQ10. I hope I am getting this stopped before causing too many problems. The other side effect must be a buildup of phlem in the back of my throat which makes me cough very often. Thanks to you all!

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