Side effects of Lipitor

[Ginger]

My body makes a huge jerk when I relax in bed. Occasional tingling in hands and feet, difficulty remembering correct words when speaking and low interest in lovemaking, are some of my symptoms. I also have Rheumatoid arthritis. Could any or all of these be caused by my taking lipitor?

[BOBANNON]

:( I have similar symptoms along with leg pain and overall exhaustion. Not that that helps, but you are not alone. I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing the total body twitch. Kind of weird. I was on Lipitor & zetia for a 9 months & 3 months. I am only a week or so into stopping and my biggest concern is muscle pain & shortness of breath.

Good luck. I suggest stopping all statins if you can.

[carbuffmom]

I still have some twitching (fasiculations) throughout my body after stopping Vytorin almost six months ago. I had an EMG right before stopping the Vytorin---my body went crazy with twitching after that. It is better, but it is still there, especially when I try to sleep. I also have hand and arm weakness. The twitching seems to get worse after exercise. Maybe you could try adding some CoQ10. That seemed to help me. I take about 1200 mg per day (400 mg 3 times a day with food). Good Luck.

[sos_group_owner]

Hi carbuffmom,

Make sure you get some vitamin E (d-Alpha not dl-Alpha)with
each dose of CoQ10.

CoQ10 should be in gelcaps (not powdered). Some gelcaps
already contain some vit E.

Fran

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Ginger,

* My body makes a huge jerk when I relax in bed
I found an article that described a disorder called "Myoclonus":
ww.rush.edu/rumc/page-R11687.html
Since statins affect the brain (and you are experiencing cognitive side
effects), it's quite possible your muscle jerks are connected to Liptior.

Below are links to Dr Graveline's articles that explain your other symptoms.

* Occasional tingling in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy)
http://www.spacedoc.net/neuropathy_statins.htm

* difficulty remembering correct words when speaking (cognitive side effects)
http://www.spacedoc.net/forgetfullness_ ... tatins.htm

* low interest in lovemaking (loss of libido side effects)
http://www.spacedoc.net/libido_statins.htm

Could any or all of these be caused by my taking lipitor? (Definitely!)

There is no clinical evidence that lowering cholesterol with statins
benefits women or the elderly.

Fran

[Ginger]

Thanks to Bobannan, Fran and Carbuffmom

I wonder if others suffer from any of this mess. What about the Rheumatoid Arthritis? I haven't been able to trace it back to anyone in my family.

I'd appreciate hearing of other people's experiences. I'm taking Vitamin E, but not that much. I'll try increasing it.

I've stopped the Lipitor. I hope it will not hurt to quit abruptly.
I"ve ordered Dr. Graveline"s book

[carbuffmom]

Hi Ginger:

I don't know how long you have been on Lipitor. Dr. Graveline suggests that we taper off gradually. I stopped cold turkey after 13 years on statins and I had a rough time. Maybe you should take a pill every other day for a week and then a half a pill every other day for another week and so on. Good luck and keep me posted.

[sos_group_owner]

Re: I wonder if others suffer from any of this mess.
Yes, Ginger, much more than what the drug companies say.
They quote rates of 1 to 2% of the population, but I (and others)
see more and more people suffering from statin side effects.
This is most likely due to the increased pressure on doctors to
control EVERYONE'S cholesterol levels. The primary problem
with this process is that cholesterol is NOT the problem.
Inflammation, caused by factors like elevated homocysteine,
is the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Inflammation is explained in both "Statin Alternatives" (an
excellent replacement without side effects - IE: anti-oxidant,
reduce platelet stickiness, controls homocysteine) and
"Statin Drugs: Frequently Asked Questions".

Statin Alternatives...
http://www.spacedoc.net/statin_alternatives.htm

"Statin Drugs: Frequently Asked Questions"
http://www.spacedoc.net/statins_FAQ.html

Re: What about the Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Since RA is an autoimmune disease and statins compromise
our immune system, this could also be a statin side effect.
This is especially true if all your symptoms (mentioned in
your previous post) occurred AFTER taking Lipitor.

Statins and our Immune System:
http://www.spacedoc.net/statins_immune_system.html

As "carbuffmom" mentioned, definitely taper off Lipitor.
Dr Graveline recommends:
Cut the pills in 1/2 and take that 1/2 daily for the first week.
Week 2 - take the 1/2 pill every other day.
Week 3 - take the 1/2 pill every third day.
Statins are a potent (coronary) anti-inflammatory and
when stopped abruptly, there is an increase risks for
heart attack and stroke. Only those with life threatening
adverse effects should stop abruptly.

Stopping Statins:
http://www.spacedoc.net/stopping_statins.html

Fran

[carbuffmom]

Hi Fran:

Thanks so much for the info about the CoQ10 in gelcap form. I checked my capsules and they were indeed powdered. I have made the switch and have incorporated the Vitamin E with it. Hopefully, this will give me better results. I do appreciate your interest and kindness. Thanks again.

[Lucyfur]

Seems like the focus on sexual side effects is on men and their erectile ability. How about females? I am 57 and have many stressors in my life but I used to want to have sexual intercourse. I got horny. My ergenous zones responded. Now I have a memory of so sexual desire. I can be arroused, I can climax but the desire is like a dial where normal (3 times a week in my 30s and 40s) has been turned down to twice a year. Menopause makes a difference, I guess but I want to have sex once a week for the rest of my life and I want to WANT it. I think I am talking about libido.

I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, overweight and 2 grown children with mild autism (Asperger's Syndrome) and one daughter whose chronic fatigue (no cholestoral lowering drugs) and immune system dysfunctions are so bad if one more system goes, I don't see how she can survive. The other daughter not only has Asperger's syndrome but hypertropic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart wall) which will require a heart transplant if it gets any worse. She was born with this condition and it runs in her father's family. So when I say stress, I mean STRESS. But that doesn't have to mean no joy.

So let's hear from the females about what they think statins do to their sex drive instead of measuring male erections.

Thanks!

[trish]

Has anyone else noticed that the Great God of Cholesterol-babble, Pfizer, produces BOTH Lipitor AND Viagra?

Therefore, the more men with erectile dysfunction and loss of libido due to statin drugs, the more sales of Viagra - so more profits.........

Plus more sales of other things by Big Pharma because of statin side effects - pills for muscle pain, pills for depression, painkillers.....

Doesn't this look a little fishy......? If it's not, why aren't more GPs seriously looking into statin side effects, rather than just pushing more pills on people?

It strikes me, there's an ill for every pill - and if not, they'll manufacture one.

Vis a vis the increasingly publicised view of a "genetic pre-disposition". That has to be one of the cleverest pieces of marketing in medical history - because most people are NOT geneticists and therefore cannot challenge this.........

[Darrell]

I love that "genetic pre-disposition" nonsense. My leg muscles may be damaged due to a "genetic pre-disposition" to mitochondrial myopathy. Using Zocor only revealed my "genetic pre-disposition". Right. I guess if I ingest some arsenic I'll find out I have a "genetic predisposition" to arsenic poisoning. Anybody who sold me arsenic and told me it was good for me would be off the hook.

[seyek]

I just discovered this web site and posted my first question about ED and Lipitor. I am so glad to have found this resource! Thank you all. People make jokes about ED, but it can be emtionaly devastating, and I appreciate the support.

I just read the post about leg twitching. My friend has that problem too. His seldom sleeps well because his body jerks frequently as he tries to sleep. I bet Pfizer make a pill for this too!

What a scam. Make a pill with side-effects. Engage in a long-term multi-million dollar marketing blitz, get everyone to taking the drug, then make more pills to alleviate the side-effects of the pills...

[sos_group_owner]

Hello 'seyek' & Welcome to the Forum,

You're a quick learner. That's exactly what the drug companies have done to us (aka the 'guinea pigs').

My husband's testosterone levels have not recovered 3+ years after stopping Lipitor. We just found a new naturopathic doctor who is treating many statin damaged patients. Testosterone's precursor is DHEA, so my husband is supplementing with 25 mg daily. A slight improvement after one month of DHEA, levels checked again in 3 months.

Cognitive processing is also still an issue.

Interesting article on the subject of statins and hormone levels:
*http://www.thecaregrouppc.com/admin/uploads/statin%20myopathy.pdf

Fran