Lipitor and side effects?

 Category: Lipitor

Questions and Answers

what are the side effects for Lipitor and Lisinopril ?

I've just been put on these meds and i'm very worried about side effects of all the meds that are on the market nodays. Seems the side effects are worse for you then what the meds are suppose to heal.

There are several and can be easily looked up at the web site for the drug manufacturers.
On a practical note..
Lipitor is atorvastatin..all statins can cause liver enzyme elevation and rarely liver injury.
Muscle inflammation or myositis is another side effect we watch for very closely
As far as todays medicine go...Statins seem to have way more benefits than side effects...the benefits also seem to be beyond merely decreasing cholesterol..
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme), obviously it can cause low blood pressure..
One of the most common sideeffects are a presistant dry cough.
In susceptable people it can cause a sever form of allergy called angioedema which could be dangerous..
In people with blockages of the renal arteries it can cause severe renal failure...
Again current evidence shows that for diabetics, patients with heart attacks, and Heart failure that this class of medicine may decrease death rate. Some side effects of ACE inhibitors can be overcome by changing to another related class of meicines called ARB's like Diovan.

what are the side effects of lipitor in long term treatment(6 months)?

i wonder the side effects of lipitor at 20 mg daily especially on heart...is there anyone that takes lipitor more than 6 months?

normally if you get started on lipitor (or any other cholesterol medicine) you stay on it unless your diet and exercise get your cholesterol back down. the only serious long term side effect is rhabdomyalgia, which basically is muscle breakdown, which goes to the liver, and damages the liver. you should do routine liver function tests every 6-12 months while on lipitor, also checking cholesterol. rhabdomyalgia is reversible if you catch it soon, and it is easy to know if you get it. if you have sever muscle pain all over your body that is unexplainable, or your urine start to turn a darker color (like the color of Coke), then stop taking lipitor and call your doctor. the chance of this happening is <1% of all people who take lipitor.

Lipitor side effects?

I have been on lipitor for 5 years. I am only 28 and I have muscle pain (doctor did tests, says nothing is wrong) and weight gain and a newly discovered arrythmia. Could this be caused by lipitor? I cannot be on another drug as I have tried almost all of them and I have bad side effects from those as well....

One of the side effects to lipitor is muscle aches and pains. Your doctor would be checking your blood frequently to be sure there is no muscle or body organ damage.

I take mine at night, and by the next day the pain is over with. Talk openly with your doctor about these concerns.

Have you or anyone you know experienced bad side effects from Lipitor?

It does reduce my cholesterol, but it also has serious side effects, and I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I am going to ask my doctor to change the medication for another.

Not including myself I know 12 other people who are on Lipitor and none of us has ever had problems. I've been on it 2 years and the others have been on it as long or longer then me.

Does anyone know if the side effects of Lipitor can be reversed ?

My ex mother in law has muscle damage from taking Lipitor, and she was wondering if its permanent? Does anyone know anything about this. She is elderly.

Rare cases of muscle inflammation (myositis) and breakdown have been reported with other drugs in this class (HMGCoA reductase antagonists), and it is assumed that this side effect also may occur with atorvastatin. Muscle breakdown causes the release of muscle protein (myoglobin) into the blood and accumulation of the protein in the kidney tubules, resulting in kidney failure.

Although there is no cure for myositis, prompt and aggressive treatment to reduce inflammation of PM and DM can help prevent muscle weakness from progressing and might help restore some of your strength.


Medications: Corticosteroids (i.e., prednisone) and other drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppresants) may slow down the attack on healthy tissue and improve skin rash. Your doctor will probably repeat blood tests throughout your treatment for myositis to monitor improvement. You may also want to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin or ibuprofin for pain relief.

Exercise: After drug treatment takes effect, a program of regular stretching exercises prescribed by your doctor can help maintain range of motion in weakened arms and legs. Physical therapy may also help prevent permanent muscle shortening. You may also want to add whirlpool baths, heat and gentle massage.

Rest: Getting enough rest is an important component of managing myositis. Take frequent breaks during the day and limit your activity.

Lipitor side effect occur after 2 years ?

My mom has been on Lipitor for 2+ years. Very recently she has been feeling like a "zombie" as she put it. She feels no emotion and feels "empty". The only medication is has been on is Lipitor. I read the side effects of Lipitor and, sure enough, depression is one of them.

Is it possible that even though she has been on Lipitor for 2+ years, the side effect can occur now?

Thanks in advance!

I looked up atorvastatin (Lipitor) in the Micromedex evidence-based database and in the Drug Information Handbook (14th ed.). I found no evidence of depression as an adverse effect related to its use. I did find one recent article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that looked specifically at "statin" use and depression, and they were unable to show a link (source below). Could you please share your source of information?

Depression is a very complex state and stems from a huge variety of causes. Some of these causes are psychological, but a good many of them may be physical or hormonal. Menopause, lack of sleep, improper diet/exercise regimens, early onset diabetes, thyroid problems, anemias - these can all contribute symptoms that look like depression or lead to chemical imbalances that would be considered clinical depression. There's no way to know without first doing a "complete workup" (blood tests, liver tests, etc.).

It is *possible*, that atorvastatin may be causing to some other adverse effect (e.g. muscle weakness, changes in your blood cells). These effects can become noticeable at any time during statin therapy, which is why your mom probably has regular liver function tests - if she hasn't, then she needs to soon. You do *not* want to abruptly stop your statin therapy without first talking to your doctor.

This is not to say that you should ignore these signs or symptoms, because depression is serious and treatable. You definitely want to bring this up with your doctor as soon as possible. It helps to bring a "diary" of how your mom feels on a day-to-day basis (physically and mentally). They will first try to rule out a correctable physiological abnormalities, and then refer to a psychiatrist for evaluation.

Let me know if you need clarification. Good luck and best wishes for your mother!

Questions about side effects of Lipitor, toprol re heart and stopping meds?

I have ischemia and irregular heartbeat which I don't really understand, erratic high blood pressure, an injured knee which is always kind of swollen (inflammed?), carpal tunnel and an ongoing neck injury from legal computer work (which I no longer do). I felt so exhausted, very weak, very depressed, mentally confused and slow. Needless to say, the incapable, weak, incompetent affects have never beeen a part of my life before. THEREFORE, I decided to stop all meds about 3 weeks ago. I really feel so much better and stronger. A nurse told me, no matter what, don't take Lipitor; as you get older your muscles will all be wasted and you don't want that. I DON'T want that. Now I am wondering what to do about the ischemia and clogged arteries . I'm leary of my heart dr. who told me I could take Adderall with ischemia and an inflammation bec. it speeds up my erratic heart??? Inflammation is not supposed to be good for ischemia. Can anyone help me understand where to do from here?

Find the nurse who gave you the advice about LIpitor and buy her dinner. people within the medical fraternity like this are are pure gold. Perhaps she could even reccomend a doctor who also hasn't been brainwashed by the pharmaceutical industry. Lipitor does have loads of side effects
http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseas…
http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/lipitor.pl…
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/200…
http://www.medications.com/se/lipitor
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/200…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.j…

Every trial for statins has shown no overall decrease in mortality, except in men who have already had a heart attack, or are dibetic. For all other men these trials have shown an increase in death from other causes that counters the decrease in death from heart attack.
No trial has ever shown a benefit for women to take statins, some even showing an increase in mortality
http://www.medicalconsumers.org/pages/Wo…

None of the proponents of statins here can ever show one randomised, double blind tial that shows a benefit (using absolute rather than relative risk) to men who have not had a heart attack, or to women full stop. This includes those from within the industry, such as Harmony

Has anyone had bad side effects from Lipitor?

I am in much pain from these pills and have been for the last eight months, Is there anything that can be done to reverse the effects?

thought lipitor was for lowering cholesterol, why do u take it

How bad are the side effects of lipitor and is it worth taking?

Lipitor (atorvastatin) belongs to a group of drugs called "statins." They are used to lower cholesterol. They cause cholesterol lowering by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in the rate of cholesterol synthesis. Inhibition of this enzyme in the liver stimulates the LDL-receptors, which results in an increased clearance of LDL from the bloodstream and a decrease in blood cholesterol levels. The first results can be seen after one week of use and the effect is maximal after four to six weeks.

While some patients on statin therapy report myalgias, muscle cramps, or far less-frequent gastrointestinal or other symptoms, similar symptoms are also reported with placebo use in all the large statin safety/efficacy trials and usually resolve, either on their own or on temporarily lowering/stopping the dose. Liver enzyme derangements may also occur, typically in about 0.5%, are also seen at similar rates with placebo use and repeated enzyme testing, and generally return to normal either without discontinuance over time or after briefly discontinuing the drug. Multiple other side-effects occur rarely; typically also at similar rates with only placebo in the large statin safety/efficacy trials.

A clearer major safety concern, myositis, myopathy, rarely with rhabdomyolysis (the pathological breakdown of skeletal muscle) may lead to acute renal failure when muscle breakdown products damage the kidney. If you experience muscle pain, contact the prescriber immediately.

Statins are clearly life saving drugs, but they are not without side effects. Your doctor should check your liver function periodically and you should report any side effects. Yet I fill hundred of Rxs weekly for them and the vast majority of folks take them without any problems.

Hope this helps. Be well.

Rick the Pharmacist

Why don't doctors warn you about serious side effects from Lipitor and Zocor?

I have taken Lipitor off and on for a few years. I began hearing about side effects such muscle weakness, joint pain and liver damage and I had been experiencing side effects myself, so I did some research and found some frightening reports. I stopped taking it 10 days ago and still have symptoms. Is there permanent damage?www.medications.com/go/se/Lipitor

Patients always should take an active role in the course of their own treatments. Towards this purpose, nowadays when you receive a prescription from the pharmacy, it comes with a printed paper that outlines all of the known potential side effects, and telling you to watch for them and report immediately to your doctor if you are experiencing any of them to a significant extent.

Every time I get a particular prescription from my doctor, I take the time to say "OK, let's talk about any possible side effects, and how you feel they rate in terms of risk over benefits?" Matter of fact I recently had a discussion with my specialist about a minor heart abnormality, (a mild arrhythmia) for which he suggested giving me a particular drug. Upon further questioning he told me that, indeed this particular drug did have some disturbing side effects which, while not often experienced by the patient, had been known to occur and cause some trouble. We delved into it more, and in the end I told him that, with respect, I felt I needed to make the informed decision not to take this drug. He said "OK" and offered me an alternative, which I am taking and tolerating well.

Always consider YOURSELF - the patient - an essential part of the medical team that is treating you, and as a member of the team, you need to do your own homework and have your say in every step of the process.

Actually, information about Statins and some certain troubling side effects has been all over the news for two or three years now, and I am surprised that you have not come across it before. Lower doses tend not to be the problem for the majority of people, but on the other side of the coin, there is absolutely NO drug ever devised and put on the market that hasn't had an adverse effect on at least a few people. Look at the incredible and wide-ranging benefits of the humble aspirin. The overwhelming majority of people can take aspirin with absolutely no ill effects, and great benefit. But there are a selective few who develop quite serious problems with internal bleeding, stomach ulcers etc. It is why we all have to be aware, and diligent, whenever we are on any kind of medication, and listen to our body signals that will warn us when something is amiss.

Hopefully, as usually happens, the discontinuation of the statin will eventually restore you to normal with no lasting ill effects. It depends how long you were taking it, as it may take your body a while to totally rid itself of the problems that it caused. Meanwhile, remain watchful, and stay in touch with your medical caregiver.