Atorvastatin User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Der...
• November 14, 2015

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I have been using Lipitor for only one week but am feeling fatigue and muscle pains. My cholesterol dropped from 130 to 100, but there were too many side effects. I decided to stop and now I am feeling okay."

• Cin...
• March 15, 2017

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I had extremely high hopes for this cholesterol buster and had the best attitude and hopes for this medication, but it definitely did not work out. My cholesterol level was 225, and my left carotid artery, via a Doppler, was 50-70 percent narrowed. Changed my diet immediately, started exercising, put plans in play to stop smoking, and in thinking with Lipitor, I'd give myself the best possible chance to reverse the plaque. Doctor prescribed 10mg, was only able to tolerate it a week. The first 4 days, no side effects, excited as heck, the 5th day off and on I started experiencing a twilight zone brain fog that would last 10-15 minutes. Felt like I couldn't clench a thought, felt foggy, happened 2x the 5th day, 4x the 6th day, no more..."

• Tot...
• October 7, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I took 10mg atorvastatin for 8 months. During that time, I slowly had the following side effects: extreme tiredness, memory loss, confusion, muscle weakness, trouble walking, my arm muscles became useless, joint pain in my middle finger where I had trouble bending my finger, facial twitching, pressure in my chest, thyroid nodule swelling, blurred vision off and on, extreme sensitivity to light, and uncontrollable eye jumping. I have been diagnosed with Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which I fully believe is due to the sensitivity of light. The LED lighting in a grocery store damaged my retinas. But what I can't understand is out of all the doctors throughout all my symptoms, not one connected it to atorvastatin! I was drinking gallons of water, I began to have trouble urinating. That is when I started researching the detailed side effects of atorvastatin! I was completely horrified at the dangers, and I stopped taking it."

• san...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2023

For High Cholesterol "My doctor prescribed me this medicine, 10 mg once a day, for high cholesterol and triglycerides. A week into the treatment, I started feeling awful: dizziness, unbearable knee and joint pain, extreme fatigue, and constant dizziness that made it difficult for me to function. Additionally, it has disrupted my body's thermostat, causing me to experience intense hot flashes and excessive sweating even in an air-conditioned environment. I spoke to the doctor about these symptoms, but he dismissed my concerns, which is why I'm here looking for answers. I have decided to stop taking the medicine to evaluate myself and the risks, as the side effects are too awful to live with."

• twi...
• November 26, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Female, mid-50s. Height to weight is decent. Winter 2019 blood work showed 235 cholesterol reading. Thyroid was good, good cholesterol NOT so good. Doc suggested atorvastatin. I agreed, sure why not if it helps my numbers. LET'S DO IT. 25mg atorvastatin. 1st week I noticed that I have zero desire to get out of bed. I am usually the first up. That was red flag 1. Getting out of bed brought aches and pains that I didn't feel before taking this med. I started feeling like I was 80 years old. Joint pain, muscle pain. THE pain would change locations daily, from arms, thighs, back, hands, knees, neck TO arms, back, etc.. I read to add CoQ10 which I did. No help. Next, my nose would start to run as if someone turned on a switch. My hair started to fall out. Experienced feeling dizzy sometimes. Could be BP meds. Now about my head, my thought process is fuzzy. Last is the itching...arms and legs. Doc took me off. Ya think???"

• Sen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2017

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I started taking generic Lipitor in February/March 2017. My lab work came back and total cholesterol was 311. At first, I started taking 20mg a day. By the 9th day, I was an emotional mess. Anxiety, anger, confusion, leg pain, stomach pain, and heartburn. I decided to take the 20mg every other day. All the side effects disappeared. Works great. I heard back from my doctor who says to continue the every other day dosage because it's working and it's tolerable for me."

• Tai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2018

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I did not have a clue that Lipitor could give me so many severe side effects! Lower back, back of my legs, headaches, running nose, memory loss. I go blank for a few seconds, and lastly, speech impediment! I have a medical appointment with my primary doctor next week and I will discuss with him..."

• Lil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 4, 2019

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I’ve been on Pravastatins 20 mg for 5 years. Cholesterol was 225. It never went down. I do enjoy my cocktails, wine in the evening, nothing changed. My liver enzymes for 18 years always stayed at 20-21 (range is 4-43). In August 2018, I went in for my quarterly bloodwork, there was no change. Doctor put me on Lipitor 20 mg with the next bloodwork to be done in January. Well, I also started the Keto diet in January, a high-fat, protein diet, low carbs, low sugar. Surprise! My cholesterol went from 226 to 165! Glucose was down and very good! However, it compromised my liver, my enzymes skyrocketed to 99 and 110 (again, range 4-43). He immediately took me off Lipitor. Now, he doesn’t want me to drink any alcohol for 2 months. The test will be in March. So, what’s the culprit? Diet or Lipitor? He said to continue with the diet, just cut the fat down."

• Anonymous
• November 19, 2009

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "43-year-old male been on 20mg Lipitor for 3 months, a lot of side effects for the first month mainly muscle spasms and uneasy stomach. Cholesterol went from 240 to 120, cut dose in half, and no more side effects."

• bre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2017

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "About 2 weeks ago, my doctor put me on Lipitor for my cholesterol. I've been having all kinds of side effects from it, but I didn't realize it until today. I've been beside myself with itching. I keep getting these stinging sensations, like I'm being bitten by fire ants. I'm prone to insomnia (very severe), and it made it so much worse, despite the fact that I have been feeling like I was coming down with something serious (constantly exhausted). I've even developed blisters in my nose, and I have red spots, it's insane. No joke, I seriously have about 80% of the listed side effects, even the unreported and rare. I hope no one ever has to deal with this craziness."

• Sen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 1, 2016

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "Atorvastatin did lower my cholesterol quite a bit, but within the first couple of weeks I developed muscle pain in the back of one knee. After another week, I developed muscle pain in the calf of the other leg. My doctor doesn't think this was caused by Atorvastatin. He believes it is arthritis. He ordered an x-ray of the knee and blood test for liver function. Waiting for results. If the pain is from arthritis, I will continue taking the medicine. If Atorvastatin is affecting muscles or liver, I may discontinue or ask to switch to another statin."

• Gou...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 1, 2018

For High Cholesterol "Get off this medication as quickly as you can, and do NOT take another statin ever. I was on a dose of 40mg daily for 2.5 years. I experienced muscle weakness, although I exercised daily, sexual dysfunction, memory lapses, joint pains, and many other symptoms associated with statin use. The topper: three months ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Only after doing a little research on statins did I understand that cholesterol is essential for health and actually protects against cancer, among other things. It's necessary for the formation of brain cells, muscle tissue, and sex hormones. I stopped taking my statins about 6 weeks ago and already feel better, though it will take some time to fully recover. So do your research, people. I believe this is a truly dangerous drug, as are all statins. And it does nothing to increase length of life."

• Ski...
• April 28, 2016

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I am 65 and active, to include hiking, walking in the gym, yard work, etc. Been on 10 mg of Lipitor or generic for 20 years. Within the past 2 years, I have experienced increased lower leg discomfort and within the past year, what appears to be lower leg muscle loss, chronic plantar fascia, leg muscle tingling, and a feeling of weakness in my lower legs. My primary care doc, who is Lipitor intolerant, attributed it all to age, cervical stenosis, etc. Have quit Lipitor and Prilosec (been on this for 10 years) and will reassess with my doctor (who's an internal medicine doctor) when I can get in to see him again in 3 weeks. Some remediation of mental fogginess which has plagued me recently, but to date no relief on leg issues."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2012

For High Cholesterol "I have only been taking this medicine for 1 month, 10 mg every other day. Already I am experiencing severe joint and muscle pain. This has happened to me every time I have taken statin drugs. I will be going back to my doctor to discuss further and look for an alternative."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2013

For High Cholesterol "At 40 mg, I experienced numbness, tingling, and burning in my toes and fingers. Cold fingers and feet as well. This occurred over a period of 3 weeks. Stopped taking the pill, and symptoms disappeared. I experienced similar issues when taking Lipitor 40 mg as well. I can tolerate doses only up to 20 mg."

• Box...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 30, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I have been on this for several years. I have felt nothing but miserable while taking it. I have had cramping, muscle pain in my legs, stomach issues, headaches, and pain in my arms. I kept asking my primary doctor if this could be the cause of all this, and he kept saying no. Well, I have changed my primary doctor and done away with this terrible medication!"

• Lip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2016

For High Cholesterol "In the first few days of taking Lipitor, I was unbelievably tired, weak, and dizzy. I had muscle aches, dry mouth, and a headache. I felt on the verge of having a heart attack. I felt nauseous, and these symptoms just got worse the longer I took it. It got to the point where I was so dizzy I couldn't drive my car. I had to get off it immediately."

• pj1...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 6, 2015

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "In the past year, I have experienced four occasions of hyperlipidemia, rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal failure. All four times, I woke up in ICU and had a lengthy stay in the hospital. I am still taking atorvastatin, have muscle aches and pains, weakness, joint pain, stiffness, and restless legs, with no control of movement. I am miserable most of the time. Recently, my doctor stopped the Lipitor for the next six weeks to see what changes may happen."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I have been on atorvastatin for about three months. I kept telling my doctor that my legs hurt, so she ordered an EMG [electromyography measures muscle response], which I refused. She’s trying to make it sound like I’m crazy and it’s all in my head that my legs hurt or that there is something else wrong when in fact it’s from the atorvastatin. I’m sorry to say this, but I think doctors are all about the money because if she would have told me the side effects of this drug, I wouldn’t have taken it in the first place. I feel horrible all the time, I feel like I have to throw up all the time. My legs hurt, my foot is numb. I called her up today and said I’m not taking that medicine ever again, I’ll be taking niacin instead. That also helps to lower your cholesterol."

• cho...
• December 30, 2016

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "Started with 10mg daily. After 3 months, my cholesterol level was just borderline, so the dosage was increased to 40mg daily. This dose gave me muscle tissue pain in my right knee, so I self-discontinued."

• Joh...
• September 22, 2020

Atorvastatin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "My cholesterol has always been in the normal range, about 145, although my LDL/HDL ratio, 90/55, is not optimal. I eat healthy, 10% body fat, work out over 300 days a year. But a heart scan at 60 gave me a shock, showed a lot of plaque in my LAD, not good. Started Lipitor 10 mg daily, cholesterol dropped into the 90s, with LDL of 50. Went to 10 mg/5 mg alternating days, last lipid panel showed cholesterol at 114, LDL 72. I have never had any negative side effects. Two very athletic friends with high cholesterol used statins but quit because of muscle pain. My third athletic friend, with cholesterol of 300, uses a statin, cholesterol into normal range with no side effects. So if you have high cholesterol, don't be afraid to give a statin a try, start low and titrate up, if the side effects are too bad, quit, but you may be one of the lucky ones like me and my third friend, for whom a statin is very effective and does not have side effects."

• Bon...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 30, 2020

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "I was on statins for about 3 years. My cholesterol was never that high, but my doctor was concerned about the buildup of bad cholesterol affecting my heart. Started Zocor at 20 mg and after 3 years, 40 mg. I had an experience of blurred vision and thought maybe I should go to the ER. They did an MRI of my brain and found I had a very small old stroke. Before I was discharged, the doctor changed me to Lipitor 40 mg. I saw a neurologist, and he did more brain scans with dye this time and also did an MRA of the veins from my neck. All looked good, with no blockage, and the veins to the brain looked good too, with no narrowing. After about 3 weeks on Lipitor, I got bad side effects with a headache, brain fog, muscle ache in my legs, back pain, and dizziness. I played golf that day and was barely able to finish. Came home, and after doing a lot of research, decided to stop taking statins. The long-term side effects are scary. I will watch my diet and control my cholesterol that way. Will never do statins again."

• TRu...
• April 29, 2016

For High Cholesterol "I'm a 47-year-old overweight female. I've had high blood pressure my entire life but never cholesterol issues. I went in for blood work in January 2016 and was shocked to learn my LDL-P (particle count) was off the charts at 2,800 (should be in the 700 range) and my LDL small particle count was 1,500 (should be under 500). Additionally, all my blood lipids were way out of range. I was given 40 mg of atorvastatin, but after reading how horrible statins were, I got scared and only took half daily. I just got my labs redone, and since January to April (3 full months), all my blood lipids are in the normal, optimal range. I did a lot of research on the effectiveness of lower-dose statins and have not had any issues with taking half my pill daily. Results speak."

• da1...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 12, 2024

For High Cholesterol "I started on 10 mg every day. By the 10th day, massive brain fog, dizzy, muscle pain. (I'm super sensitive to meds.) I now take it every 3rd day. Some weeks it ends up being 3 times a week and sometimes 2, but it works. Zero side effects and works like a charm. If you can't tolerate every day; talk to your doctor about every other day or every 3rd day."

• Anonymous
• September 11, 2009

Atorvastatin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "I used Zocor for the first statin following angioplasty in December 2009. I must state that I have a high degree of sensitivity to medications and a high degree of allergies. With Zocor, I experienced abdominal cramps increasing daily, muscle pain, and off and on nausea. The cramps were a concern because I have experienced anemia in the past. My doctor, whom I trust with my life, suggested that I not take Zocor. After several months, I had blood work, my LDH still higher than the doctor wanted, so he prescribed Lipitor. I had the same bad effects but on a higher level. Fortunately, my doctor trusts my reports. There is one 'weird' change that I have not shared with my doctor, but I am sharing with all of you. In several days, and increasingly, I am losing hair. Help me!"