Withdrawal Symptoms Lipitor
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How long before muscle aches and weakness subside after discontinuing Lipitor

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I am pretty young, 29. I’m in great shape but I had suprisingly high cholesterol. Doc put me on 10mg daily of Atorvastatin which is a generic for Lipitor. It worked and lowered my cholesterol. Then, I started to notice my hair thinning a little in two spots on my head. I saw this was a side effect so I stopped cold turkey. I’m on about day 4 or 5 of no Atorvastatin and I’ve been struggling with something others here have said and that is just not feeling myself. I don’t feel “of my body”, and just don’t feel “with it”. I know this withdrawal is what is causing this feeling, and it’s a hard one to describe but you know it if you’ve got it. Now, I’m wondering if I should go back on it and wean off or just push through with the cold turkey plan. Hoping this feeling isn’t permanent and I feel back to normal soon.

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Re: Andrea (# 18)

I am still having anxiety at times n it’s been since may 15 th Have u experienced any of this yet

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Re: Jackie (# 7)


You are sounding just like me and what I went through. I told my family it felt like I was coming off of opiates or cocaine and loosing your mind. I am a retired psych nurse and the doctor wasn’t listening to me at all. Kept asking me what else was going on to make me this way!

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I have been having hip pain n anxiety off n on since I discontinued on May 11 th

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Re: Andrea (# 18)

Did your symptoms ever leave n how long did they last

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Re: Jackie (# 5)

Did your symptoms ever leave n how long did they last

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I forgot to refill my script over a week ago. This morning when I got out of bed, I literally fell back, luckily onto the bed. I felt so dizzy. I waited a couple of seconds and everything seemed normal and I got up again and once again went straight back down to the bed. Third time was a charm. However I had a couple of more dizzy spells when I went to bed tonight. That is why I am on here now. I don't think I will continue using and hope I get through these dizzy spells. I have had muscle pain and attributed it to being severely overweight. Today though I went outside and played basketball with my son and noticed I didn't seem to ache nearly as much. At this point I am thinking a lot of the aches were the meds. I will follow up in few weeks.

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Re: sam (# 1)

I take 80 mg of Lipitor and am a 66 yr old male. Feel terrible on it but my doctor tells me I'm at risk of a heart attack or stroke if I quit. I eat no meat, do not smoke, exercise, not sure what to do?

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I have stopped taking atorvastatin 40 mg after 2 yrs. Have gone cold turkey,my head is full of acne/spots and I never suffered as a child.Has been 2 weeks,still got spots anyone else got this issue. Thanks

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Re: Dawn (# 175)

male, I took 40mg for yrs and was upped to 80mg atorvastatin 5 yrs ago. I never knew about co Q 10. I take the large 600 mbps pill daily for statin depleting over the yrs. If after 3 months off the med, I won't go back unless the lipids go back to pre lipitor days. Just waiting for next lab. If numbers are all out of whack,I'm trying 20mg but that will be stopped IF the bicep, shoulder pain comes back. My only alternative would be another statin, small dose.

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Re: Tony (# 167)

I can't believe that no one else has not had the issue that I experienced.

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I've been taking Atorvastatin (Lipitor) for about 5 years for very high cholesterol. After the first year, my LDL was 50 (normal is 100), so I asked the doc if I could cut the dosage. He was adamant that I stay on the dose - that LDL needs to be as low as possible. For the last 4 months, I've had a persistent cough and told him I'd read about cough associated with Lipitor. He acted like he'd never heard of such a thing, but I insisted, so he said to quit cold turkey for 3 weeks and see if the cough goes away. It's been a week now, and I've noticed faintness and dizziness and depressed mood, so I came to this thread and - wow! Now that I've read what you guys have been through, I see that the terrible hip pain when I walk may have been caused by the drug. It was so bad that I had to stop my daily walks, but I just assumed it was arthritis. Now I don't want to go back on the drug or any other statin, but I'm also afraid not to. The doc has not told me about any side effects and seems to think the drug is great. I've read all the posts here, and it's very concerning to me the number of people who seem to be suicidal. Something is very wrong.

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Still on a trail/error approach, 80mg and stopped for 14 days. Feeling a lot better. Next, I'm trying 40mg to see what happens after 1 month. Hopefully i can use it. If not, I will try a new med. I had almost 309 cholesterol when i was 28. I'm at 101 with 80mg. I hope 40 works, but will change.

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Could not agree more! I stopped cold turkey after 16 years. All aches and muscle weakness went away within a month. I'll take my chances with cholesterol. Can't live with the pain taking it. Btw, I had no muscle pain until menopause.

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I started taking Atorvastatin 3 months ago (May 2017), and the most noticeable side-effect I've experienced so far, was a few leg cramps during the first couple of weeks after starting the drug. I am 55 and perimenopausal, so it's hard to tell if the night sweats, insomnia and moments of depression were related to the drug or just my hormones. The perimenopause symptoms have subsided tremendously since I started taking Atorvastatin. This past weekend, I ran out of the drug, and woke up feeling somewhat achy, similar to when you have the flu. I knew I wasn't sick, so I didn't worry. I'm glad I got my refills, because my the drug is helping me more than it is hurting me. My cholesterol went from 197 to 113, in only three months of being on it. I'm more afraid of the side-effects of not being able to take it, if I don't have health insurance someday. My mom, who is a retired nurse, told me you can get blood clots if you stop taking it. Blood clots can be fatal, if not treated. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

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On lipitor for 8 mo. Lots of body aches I didn't have before. Could hardly walk. Went off lipitor cold. Havent notified Dr. yet. But I researched natural substitute for lipitor and found Lewis lab brewers yeast. Just start it today. Im done w meds. Poisoning my body.

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Today is day 8 off of 80mg atorevastatin. I took it since 2002. Started at 20, 40,last 5 yrs bc of cholesterol/trig. WENT to 80. I had NO symptoms until 10 months ago. I thought it was arthritis. Shoulder,arms,specifically biceps, pain then kept me awake. MD just said I can go to PT. I did research and stopped over a week ago. After day 2,I haven't woken up during night. Pain was horrible to the past few days hardly any. I'm in a trial and error approach. It did work all those yrs,my last cholesterol level was 113,trig107,ideal. Not sure if going back to small dosage or switch.

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Hi, had my heart attack last year, stented and discharged. Prescribed 80mg atorvastatin. Weird thing is like most here, experienced the side effects, and felt my health getting slowly worse. Two month ago decided to quit, decided to quit cold turkey. Anyway, now feel much, much, better. Some suggestions, I did, which may help others.

1. Quit smoking (10 month now).
2. Quit Drinking - Full stop, No Alcohol at all.
3. Quit Soda's and soft drinks sugary type. Occasional Diet drink, though very seldom.
4. Quit Dairy products, will try and avoid as much as possible.
5. Try to avoid processed foods, snacks, ham/turkey/sausage, cheese, crackers, cookies etc.
6. Changed diet from almost 80% meat to now 90% vegetarian. Minimal consumption of cooking oils.
7. Reduced food intake to 1 x meal per day. Fasting between meals. Desert is fresh fruit.
8. Drinks are water/soda water with slight taste flavour added.
9. Exercise, for me about the same.

In addition to quitting statins, I've also quit the beta-blockers. Kind of looking at myself as a type of experiment.

Two month in from quitting, results kind of speak for themselves.
I'm happy with the blood results, and will see what results will be in another 3 month time.
To summarise
Blood pressure : Normal 115 / 75
LDL: increased +10%
HDL: Increased +16%
Triglycerides: less (- 40% )
Weight: less (- 8%)
HbA1C: down to 41 (from 46)

What I'm trying to emphasize here is the key I believe is the change in food, and life style. I literally feel, by continuing on in this manner, I will be healthier and better than I've been since I was a teenager.

Wishing all here, good health, and success.

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I have found that muscle aches and pains goes on and on, but is also off and on.

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Yes, I do. My cholestrol is 170. Other lipid metrics ok. My BP is controlled with 4mg-Candesarten and Amlodipine-2.5mg daily. I am in excellent shape/weight and have worked out all my life. But my doctors have been pressuring me to start Lipitor based on some formula that shows I have a 10% chance of a cardiac incident. They requested 10mg a day, but I take 10mg a week for the past 4 mons.

I have some of the symptoms mentioned (muscle aches/weakness, forgetfullness) but I am not sure if its due to lack of protein or Lipitor...I think it is protein scarcity because my symptoms preceded start of my Lipitor. But I read that Lipitor affects the liver adversely.

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