Withdrawal Symptoms Lipitor (Page 4) (Top voted first)

How long before muscle aches and weakness subside after discontinuing Lipitor

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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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I had a severe allergic reaction to Lipitor. I didn't know I was even having it until it must of reached a toxic level in my body. Signs and symptoms NOT to ignore. A significant increase in your blood pressure due to increase in blood sugars that lipitor creates. My heart was so loud that I could actually hear it. Intense abdominal pain that felt like a UTI but was negative. Severe nausea and lack of appetite. Itching, gaining belly fat, very winded, feeling like my whole body had a bad case of the flu. It is going on 3 weeks since I had to do a cold turkey withdrawal. Chronic fatigue was also a symptom and horrible muscle pain in my knees and ankles. The only part that hasn't totally come back to normal is my ability to urinate like before. It still feels uncomfortable and aches. I'm hoping that this goes away and the drug hasn't created any permanent damage to my bladder or uretha. It was a horrifying experience as I've never been allergic to any prescription drugs in life. The doctors and drug companies need to disclose what to look for regarding "intense allergic reactions" and not base their findings on their silly clinical trials. I literally thought I was gonna die.

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When I discontinued it, I began by taking 1 dose alternating with 1/2 dose every other day for a week. The second week I took 1/2 dose every day. Week three I took 1/2 dose every other day, week four every three days. By then I was feeling better. If you experience a lot of gas, take Gas-X with it...that helped me.

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I too had horrific side effects from this poisonous drug! If you read below under kte you will see what has happened. Also, now I have a clogged cystic duct to my gallbladder because of what the Lipitor did to the cholesterol process. I can hardly eat anything, No pain pills, Diazepam, Probaxin or Aleve are helping at all anymore. I didn't sleep at all last night and woke up to extreme muscle weakness in legs. Been on COQ10 to help recover Surgeon said she has seen at least a dozen people this year with these issues. I have lost 15 pounds and have bed ridden for almost 6 weeks. Surgery is not scheduled till May 22nd and I don't think I'm going to make it. May have to go to the ER today. I have never been this sick in my life. My whole digestive system is screwed up. I am so weak all over my body. Severe muscle spasms daily. I want to sue this drug company for ruining my life for the last 3 months. I've been off it since March 11th. Was on for 4 months Don't ever take this drug!!!!! I will be filing a complaint and joining the civil suit against Lipitor if and when I recover.

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Stopped Lipitor May 1st. Still have pain in lower back and hips and occasional leg/foot cramps. Feels like strength has returned.

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Still suffering from lower back pain! 6 weeks off Lipitor!

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Make sure you go get CoQ10 to replenish the muscle-cell wasting that this toxic drug does to the human body. It is an antioxidant. Statin medicines can reduce the levels of of this in your body. I get mine @ King Soopers or Kroeger or Health Food stores also have them.

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Still lower back and hip pain. Stopped Lipitor May 1st.

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My hubby has just come off atorvastatin 40mg after being on it for 18months,hes tired all the time and is now getting blurry vision, he came off because of his lack of interest in the bedroom department which improved within four days of stopping, now im worried it was the wrong thing to do, was done with drs consent for a trial period of upto 12 weeks, help dont want him to have another heart attack, he is very active as he runs his own roofing buisness, oh ues he gets nights sweats as well, any info would be greatly appreciated

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I was also taking 40mg. of Pravastatin for approximately 2 and a half years. I have been off of them for almost 4 months now and feel like I am finally getting my life back. I experienced muscle aches, "heavy legs" and ankle swelling, complete exhaustion, vision problems etc. I seriously thought that I had fibromyalgia because every part of my body started to hurt. Then I did research on statins ( a ton of research) and decided they were the culprit. I took myself off of them and never looked back. I told my doctor that I will never put another statin in my body. They are pure poison and literally are making healthy people sick. Do yourself a favor, lori, and read "The Statin Damage Crisis" and then make the decision whether you want to continue to take Statins. I did not make my decision lightly, but only after reading all the facts. They are simply a $$$$ maker for big Pharma and 99% of the people who are prescribed them, do not need them and get no benefit from them.

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Hi,
I'm not sure if it's because you have gone off Lipitor. I did it cold turkey and have had no problems. Feeling better than ever. Have been off 12 months now. Could affect people differently. Watch for more comments. Love this site.

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Marie. I just stopped cold. I think some people have weaned themselves off.

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I did not refill my Lipitor as I had forgotten. It was one week and I began to have severe depression and was physically drained. My blood pressure dropped and I had thoughts of suicide. My wife was very concerned once we determined I was not taking the drug. I am 66 and feel like I'm 86. I ache all over and my joints burn and sting as well as a stiff neck. I'm an entertainer and have to take Advil to do my routine and then afterwards take two more. I walk three miles a day and dance once a week. I'm wore out. I want off this stuff but don't know an alternative other than a very stringent diet.

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Red rice extract is exactly in statin medicines- I tried that before CholesLo and I started having the same muscle cramping as when I took the statins , so I stopped it. Then took CholesLo with no side effects. I was told that one of the pharmaceutical was suing the makers of red rice yeast due to their content of it in statins.

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Yes, we need a new type of Doctor that is not dependent on Drug Companies and who can handle the fall out of what these statins are doing to people and the hell we go through in the withdrawal of these drugs. Just reducing my dose of Crestor from 20mgs to 10 and then 5 caused a hell that stopped me from working and induced other illnesses in my life. Do not take statins if you are just trying to lower cholesterol and you do NOT have a history of heart disease in your family. I don't know if this drug is even good for anything. But this is my own experience. Drug companies and doctors are completely irresponsible about what this drug is doing to people.

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The muscle pain can be severe. I am 54 healthy weight. My arms and legs became so sore and weak I felt like an old woman. I quit Lipitor after 16 years cold turkey. Have had no ill effects. But my muscle pain is gone. After a month I felt so much better. I am walking and will start a new exercise program now too. Could never do either the past 2 years. Severe soreness all from Lipitor. Never had pain until menopause began. After that it all changed. I am glad I went off it now. The chance of heart disease from cholesterol is better than Alzheimer's from cholesterol being too low. Research it. There is a dr in Naples FL who swears that Alzheimer's is so prevalent due to 50% of population taking statins. Our brains are 25% cholesterol.

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These drugs are so bad that even after tapering and NOT going cold Turkey you will still get terrible withdrawal pain. I tapered down from 20 to 10 to 5 over a couple of years and of course you have to go cold Turkey from the 5mgs or you will never stop taking them. Even then, I still have pain. These drugs will turn on symptoms you never had before. They are dangerous. I thought I had Lupus, Fybromyalgia; had panic attacks and extreme anxiety that I never had before in my life until I started coming off this drug.

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I think they are poison for some of us. Simple as that. I take colestipol now. No cognitive side effects and no muscle pain. Still too early to tell If it's helping though. Let you know at the end of the month!

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Easy for dr to say the benefits outweigh losing muscle mass. It's not just muscle mass it's severe muscle soreness and weakness. I got so weak I couldn't lift my briefcase or full coffee pot. Sore all over. Had trouble walking stairs. Ridiculous way to live for a 53 year old woman. I was on it for LDL control at 226. Never had a heart issue or stroke. And remember...your heart is a MUSCLE.

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