# Anybody on Lipitor? Are the side effects really that bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602 "2005-08-18T16:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/21 "2005-08-19T12:52:32Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > My husband has been on it for years. > > Wait. > > He might be on Zocor. Drat. Now I forget. It turns out to be Zocor. He used to be on Lipitor, but the insurance covers Zocor more. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/22 "2005-08-19T12:58:29Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My doctor put me on Crestor, which from what I understand has a higher incidence of problems than Lipitor. He never told me to avoid grapefruit products (not and issue, as I hate grapefruit to begin with). I really need to fire this guy. He put me on it on FAT TUESDAY after I had been eating like it was my JOB all day. And didn’t ask me to fast. > > The grapefruit thing is good to know. My drug reference guide (Tarascon Pharmacopoeia) says to avoid drinking over **1 quart** of grapefruit juice per day when on Crestor to avoid increased risk of muscle pain. (IANAD/N, discuss specific issues with your own physician, blah blah.) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/23 "2005-08-19T19:41:28Z")
I started taking Lipitor about a year ago. When my doctor started me on it, he specifically mentioned the “muscle inflammation” side effect. In fact, I remember his depiction of it being significantly worse than simply inflammation, he made it sound more like the muscles would actually be starting to break down, plus nerve damage, the whole nine yards. He said, “It’s a very rare side effect, but if you start feeling muscle pain all over your body, call the office immediately. And if anyone tries to blow you off, tell them you are on Lipitor and you want to see the doctor NOW!” I’ve never had any trouble with the Lipitor, but jeez that little speech scared the bejeebers out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/24 "2005-08-19T20:07:12Z")
Well I had elevated liver enzymes to begin with, maybe that is why I am on such a low dose of Lipitor. Hmmm. I had better ask him about that. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/25 "2005-08-19T21:56:15Z")
i have been taking a 40 mg lipitor daily for three years with no side effects. i was unawre of the grapefruit complication, but since i do not like grapefruit, it doesn’t matter. my cholesterol level went from 240 to 149 ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/26 "2005-08-19T23:55:41Z")
My mom had to get off Lipitor when the painful leg cramps had her up all night crying. She’s too scared to try any of the alternatives now, which is unfortunate because her cholesterol is quite high and the family has a history of atherosclerosis. ☹ I know plenty of others who are using Lipitor and other cholesterol drugs without any side effects, though, so that just goes to show you that all the anecdotes in the world can’t tell you how it’ll affect you. Good luck, and I hope it goes smoothly for you. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/27 "2005-08-20T02:12:01Z")
No side effects whatever from Lipitor. Stranger still (IMHO), I kicked Celebrex with hardly a murmur. Oh, I wake up aching a little, and sometimes make a mental note to take a couple of Tylenol, after I put on the coffee. But I putz around a little, the pain ebbs and I literally forget about the Tylenol. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/29 "2018-03-29T11:07:11Z")
Do you already have heart disease? Statins have very little preventative effect in people who do not already have heart disease. High cholesterol and heart disease are not the same thing. > [@](#): > > Statins do reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in people without pre-existing heart disease. However, this effect is more modest than most people assume. Dr. Newman also analyzed the effect of statins given to people with no known heart disease for 5 years: > > 98% saw no benefit at all > 1.6% (1 in 60) were helped by preventing a heart attack > 0.4% (1 in 268) were helped by preventing a stroke > 1.5% (1 in 67) were harmed by developing diabetes > 10% (1 in 10) were harmed by muscle damage > **[Statins Don't Save Lives in People without Heart Disease | Chris Kresser](https://chriskresser.com/the-diet-heart-myth-statins-dont-save-lives-in-people-without-heart-disease/)** > > Statins have been hailed by the conventional medical establishment as wonder drugs. But few know of the side effects and risks associated with these drugs. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/30 "2018-03-29T11:10:23Z")
This thread is from 2005 and the OP hasn’t posted in a couple of years - I’m guessing he doesn’t need any more input, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/31 "2018-03-29T11:19:27Z")
Thanks, I missed that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/32 "2018-03-29T12:03:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Do you already have heart disease? Statins have very little preventative effect in people who do not already have heart disease. A few years ago I had a heart attack and a stent placed in a coronary artery. My lipid profile blood work was very normal. Still, my doctor suggested a statin for one year, as the data showed increased survival for that year regardless of numbers. I had horrible muscle cramps. Nearly every night I’d wake up with a leg cramp, have to jump out of bed and walk around. It was awful. After a year of leg cramps I stopped taking Lipitor. In the two years since stopping the drug I’ve had one or two leg cramps. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/34 "2018-03-29T13:07:10Z")
**Moderator Note** This thread was revived by a spammer who has since been wished away to the cornfield. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/35 "2018-03-29T17:24:34Z")
Obligatory IANAD statement. Just as an update to the grapefruit/statins issue - the advice now is, as with nearly everything else, [moderation is the key](https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/grapefruit-juice-and-statins): > [@](#): > > Not all statins are affected equally by grapefruit juice, so grapefruit fans might want to switch to a statin that’s less affected (see the table below). But if you can’t switch, experts say it’s probably okay to enjoy a small glass. That’s because the studies showing dangerous effects used massive amounts of furanocoumarins, the amount found in a quart or more of the juice. What’s more, eating half a grapefruit is even less risky than drinking grapefruit juice, since it takes several fruits to make a single glass of juice. A glass of juice per day, on some statins, would be pushing it but a little on occasion seems fine. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/36 "2018-03-29T18:53:35Z")
While we’re talking about statins; is there a consensus about the value of CoQ10 supplementation for people taking them? I started taking a 300 mg CoQ10 capsule around 10 weeks ago with the advice of my primary care physician. I don’t know if I’ve seen a real benefit, but most of the data I’ve seen indicate it takes a while to build up enough to make a difference. The Kirkland 300 mg CoQ10 costs $15.99 for 100 capsules, so five bucks a month is pretty cheap. I bought a six month supply and figured I’d assess the situation after that. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/37 "2018-03-29T19:13:47Z")
In a somewhat recent thread about Lipitor and other statin drugs, it was mentioned that one of the side effects was patchy hair loss. When I read that, I realized that a couple of bare spots behind my temples appeared a little while after I started taking Lipitor. I was also very stiff and unable to bend easily for a year or so back then. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/38 "2018-03-29T19:19:34Z")
I’ve been on Lipitor (Atorvastatin) since 2007. I’m on other meds too, but the Lipitor has given me no issues that I could attribute to the drug. The stuff works well. ---
**Author:** ![pdhenry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pdhenry/32/5561_2.png) [@pdhenry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdhenry)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/39 "2018-03-30T01:15:04Z")
Oh, are we still contributing, even now that it’s been outed as a zombie thread? Lipitor here, for a couple of decades. It keeps my cholesterol in the low 200s which is pretty darn good considering where it was. It’s considerably lower when my weight is nearly under control. I retired a few years ago at 55. Primarily because I was able to, but also because I felt that my memory for details (particularly retaining details of new information) wasn’t what it used to be. It could just be because I was in my 50s but I also recall that being a side effect of atorvastatin. [Statins and Memory Loss: Is There a Link?](https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/link-between-statins-and-memory-loss) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/40 "2018-04-03T02:49:49Z")
Is it true that taking statins only increases one’s lifespan by at most few months? I have read articles that claim that taking it for five years gains you less than 2 “extra” weeks of life, and if you take them 30 years you live on average 3 months longer than if you didn’t bother with them. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/41 "2018-04-03T05:56:00Z")
I’ve been on Atorvastatin for six months since my heart attack, and have had no side effects that I’ve noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602/42 "2018-04-03T15:48:24Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Is it true that taking statins only increases one’s lifespan by at most few months? I have read articles that claim that taking it for five years gains you less than 2 “extra” weeks of life, and if you take them 30 years you live on average 3 months longer than if you didn’t bother with them. Yeah, but those numbers are based on averages. If 100 people without existing heart disease take them for five years there may be 99 who aren’t helped at all, but one person might not drop dead from a heart attack. If you’re one of the 99 you get no benefit at all, but if you’re the one who would have died, awesome for you. It’s not 100 people getting two weeks, it’s 99 people getting nothing and one person getting four years. You need to look up the “number needed to treat” statistic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-on-lipitor-are-the-side-effects-really-that-bad/317602.md?page=1)