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2.9 Overall Rating

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Most voted positive review

114 People found this comment helpful

I took 80mg Lipitor once a day for 6 months and then the doctor reduced it to 40mg. At around 4 month into taking Lipitor muscle pain developed in my calves. It is difficult to go down stairs, and my calves ache most of the time. A month ago, started taking 300mg CoQ10 daily (after reading that it is a good supplement for people to take who experience muscle pain from statin drugs) and the musc...

Most voted negative review

5 People found this comment helpful

My wife took atorvastatin for two years, and stopped about two months ago due to muscle pain in her knees. Perhaps coincidentally, she had developed an increasing sensitivity to gluten which gave her consistent stomach problems whenever she ate a gluten-containing product. Since she stopped taking the atorvastatin (with no other changes to her medicines or diet), she can now eat gluten. This chang...

Shared reviews and ratings

Anon | 55-64 | Male | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
3/8/2024
Condition: Stroke Prevention
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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Terrible. I was put on atorvastatin 40mg while in hospital after suffering a stroke as a precaution as my cholesterol was fine. More fool me for not checking reviews. After taking for 7 months I struggled to dress myself due to pain in shoulders,biceps,hands and thighs. I have numbness still down my left side due to stroke but was more mobile when I left hospital than I am know, can’t believe the amount of pain I have in shoulders and arms and am unable to lift them above my head without virtually passing out with pain. Worst of all I stopped taking this poison about 5 months ago and the symptoms are no better. My bloods have returned to normal thank the lord, as every marker was way out, but pain/mobility in shoulders and arms still a major problem. Please do your research before taking this medication.Read More Read Less

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Donna | 65-74 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
2/21/2024
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I took 10mg for 2 weeks. From Day #1 I went from only occasional joint pain to pain so bad I had to lay on a heating pad for an hour every morning in order to get out of bed. I am an avid walker (an hour a day) and was no longer able to do that. Also fuzzy thinking when I had been exceptionally clear-headed before. I am 65 and went from feeling like I was 45 to feeling like I was 95. My doctor said it was a "nocebo effect" meaning it was all in my head, that I only felt bad side effects because I expected to feel them. Hogwash. I am no longer taking it.Read More Read Less

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James H | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
2/20/2024
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I took 40mg for 5 months, after 2 weeks my 1st&2nd MCP joints swelled up suddenly, then started to feel very unwell, I thought it was a virus. Then my right shoulder started hurting then my right elbow along with tendon and muscle pain. I kept thinking I may have Lyme disease possibly. So I finally thought that the lipitor could be causing it, so I quit it. It took 2 weeks to start feeling better. By the 3rd week I was feeling almost back to 100%. My doctor had ran bloodwork checking for rheumatoid, lupus and several more to all be negative. Honestly I’ve never felt so bad and hurt so bad for so long in my life. I can’t believe it took me that long to figure out the Lipitor was the cause. Horrible poison In my opinion.Read More Read Less

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Pat | 75 or over | Female | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Caregiver
1/25/2024
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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Jan 25, 2024. So my 82 y.o. mom started taking ATorvaStatin two years ago (2/2022). Few months ago, she started to have Vision issues, then Back Pain, then Runny Nose, then Memory issues. She decided to STOP taking it today. I hope it didn't do any Damage to her & I hope she will heal soon. Do your research on any form of Statin. I just learned ppl OVER 75 y.o. should NOT be taking Statin. And ppl with Small Frame.

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C Wood | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
11/28/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I'm not sure which of my Doctors put me on this med but my primary kept uping the dosage and as it increased so did my symptoms.My knee joints ached so bad I could barely walk or do anything for that matter. My Cardiologist said he never put me on it, that I was on crestor and did well on it so I am happy to report my symptoms have improved but I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knees. My Cardiologist says this Atorvastatin is 1 of the worse cholesteryl medicines on the market.I am so glad I no longer take this med!Read More Read Less

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Jan | 65-74 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
11/18/2023
Condition: Changes Involving Fatty Deposits in the Blood Vessels
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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I have now tried three different statins. Simvastatin which gave me dreadful muscle and joint pain, Atorvastatin which which made me feel very ill with joint pain and the most recent Pravastatin which caused nausea, constipation, headache, extreme tiredness and a feeling of being spaced out. I’ve now done with them. There is no way I want to take a tablet which gives me such horrible side effects. I will try to reduce my cholesterol by diet.

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Natacha | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
11/13/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I started taking this medication at the beginning of the year then not too long after i started getting leg cramps, i didnt know it was caused by this pill which i'm only at 10mg. 4 days ago i went to the hospital with pain that up to this point was in the calves, had now gone a little higher than the knee. The ER doc saw in my file it's the 3rd time i come this year about leg cramps but i was thinking it could be a blood clot so i was worried. But less than 2 months ago i went and they checked and all was fine in my veins. The doc prescribed Vitamine E supplements, but when i came back home i googled and realized this meds for cholesterol is what making me suffer for months. I have a phone appointment with my family doctor in 11 days, i'll talk with her and see if i could take it less often than once a day and see if the muscles cramps and pain stops just by taking it every few days.Read More Read Less

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Greece | 55-64 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Caregiver
10/25/2023
Condition: Stroke Prevention
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
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The medication was prescribed early July for my husband as prevention of stroke due to a VERY small increase in lipids in blood vessels. Because of the side affects we had read, we decided not to take the medication at once, but right after our summer vacation. (very wise) In the meantime he was and is a very active walker and follows a healthy diet for as long as I can remember. After beginning his medication, within two weeks we observed that his physical ability to move his body with ease gradually faded away. All of a sudden where one day he was in great shape and walking daily, he had aches and pains all over his body. Stopped walking well Could not sleep at night. The pain was unbearable when he wanted to change sides in bed. It was a nightmare for him sitting and getting up from a chair. Moreover trying to lift his arms was impossible. Even resting his arms on the dinner table to eat was an ordeal. His body looked like he had aged 20 years in a few weeks!! He reached to the point where he couldn't drive anymore. His muscles in his arms and legs were very weak to drive a standard car or any car for that matter. After two weeks of taking the medication we called the cardiologist and he advised to stop the medication for ten days. In the meantime our MD prescribed Magnesium for his muscle strengthening and some physiotherapy. Well it has been almost two months and the side effects have not fully disappeared. Some damage has been done. We are hoping he will fully recover soon. He is walking again. Thank goodness. But his arms are still very weak and shoulders. We have continued on with physiotherapy for muscle strengthening . It has been a very slow process and from the reviews I read I believe that our nightmare is still not over. It has been almost two months since stopping the medication and we are trying to find help to get him back to his old self again of being an active walker and doing his basic activities with his arms. Physiotherapy has helped after two months. He is driving again, but not long distances. He still can't sleep well, but it isn't a nightmare anymore. He will be visiting a rheumatologist for further observation concerning his condition...I don't know if sharing my husband's experience has helped, but I would like to believe that sharing our experience might caution others in taking this medication when taking it for prevention. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in prevention but I don't believe fixing something at the expense of another. It is not worth it... Read More Read Less

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Kate | 65-74 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
10/19/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I decided to try statins after my cholesterol result was 6. I went on atorvistatin 20mg a day, after 3 weeks I had stabbing pains in the backs of my calves, I stopped taking them. During the first week after stopping them the pains eased but were still there, it took a further 2 weeks for the pains to completely disappear. I’m now trying to lower my cholesterol through diet.

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Anonymous | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
8/25/2023
Condition: Treatment to Prevent a Heart Attack
Overall rating 2.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

The reviews are insightful, but I'd love to read more about the recovery time. We're all writing at the time of our pain, but there is very limited information on the time frames for recovery. For me, I started at 80mg of Atorvastatin right after a stent placement. It wasn't until 5 months later that I experienced horrible joint pain that kept moving throughout my body. It was to the point that it kept me up all night. One month later after stopping taking the drug, I'm still dealing with horrible shoulder pain, but it seems to be getting better; but very slowly. My wrist has experienced excruciating pain and is finally getting better; I can make a fist. My shoulders, I couldn't even lift my arms without feeling excruciating pain. Now, I'm still in pain, but I can lift arms slightly higher. My legs have been nonstop, but the pain oddly moves around. Now, it is in the back of my upper hamstrings where the glutes meet; resulting in pain and discomfort when I sit and stand, and it forces me to walk with a limp. I'm trying to be optimistic based on a few reviews that people did recover within 3 months. To date, mine is at the one month mark. So, I'm hoping to find a site that gives more information on the recovery times which is quite important for people to know.Read More Read Less

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Chris B. | 45-54 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
7/9/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Two years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was given levothyroxine. Now the doctor says I have slightly high cholesterol. I have been taking 20 MG. once a day for less than a month and have noticed arm muscle pain, nausea, gerd, and sudden shooting pain in my head. I could deal with most side effects, but the muscle pain is very bad at times. Will edit more later if anything changes.

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Anonymous | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
7/8/2023
Condition: Treatment to Prevent a Heart Attack
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I wanted to share my story with others who might be experiencing the same. I had a heart attack at the beginning of 2023 and Atorvastatin 80mg was prescribed. I took it for approx. 5-6 months. At first, no issues. I did have a mild discomfort in my front upper thigh area; close to the pelvic area. Of course, I didn't think much of it. Fast forward, I had another scheduled stent placement within the last month. Right before, I started feeling sharp pains in my upper front thighs. But, it was to the point that I couldn't sleep. Eventually, the pain / discomfort spread to my left knee and both of my shoulders. At some point, I started feeling it in my wrists. I had to do something quick, so I reached out to my doctor. Luckily, he took me off completely to see if the pain goes away. It's been two days. I can sleep a little better, but still in pain. As for walking, I walk with a limp. It is still difficult for me to get up from sitting or laying down. And based on other reviews, I'm hoping to get better within the next couple weeks. Sooner would be better, but I'm trying to be realistic.Read More Read Less

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Aran | 55-64 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
6/24/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I took this very reluctantly for just over two weeks. I developed muscle pain in my legs and behind the knee above the calf muscle. Every morning the pain was intense and I couldn’t stand upright. Then one morning I started limping. I called the dr and stopped taking this. Within two days the weakness was less and my legs felt better. At times I felt my legs were turning to jelly and was losing my balance. Felt my leg muscles were dissolving!

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Diane | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
4/15/2023
Condition: Slow Progression of Disease of the Arteries of the Heart
Overall rating 3.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Leg, back pain, urine frequency, tinnitus, gerd and over all feel like I'm 100 years old.

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John b | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
4/1/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

I gave it a one star cause after two years it lowered my cholesterol from 220 to 180 but it came with a proce, I'm now pre diabetic and my last blood work showed elevation In my liver enzymes , my doc and I will be discussing alternatives but this drug is in the trash can , I'm not telling anyone to throw theirs away check with ur doctor first but more important if you do take this med then monitor your blood sugar and liver function every 3 to 6 months before it damages you .

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Starbux | 75 or over | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
2/12/2023
Condition: Treatment to Prevent a Heart Attack
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

After about 1 week, my kidneys were painfully sore leaving a severe pain across my lower back. Then screaming pain started shooting from my hips down both legs, through the bursa, the knee caps, lower legs to my feet every few seconds sending my feet into convulsions every few seconds from 8:00PM Saturday evening to 10:00 AM the next morning. No Nsaids had any effect.

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Jan | 65-74 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
1/19/2023
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

After taking only 4 tablets I couldn’t have felt worse if I’d been poisoned. Back pain, nausea, splitting headaches, fuzzy head and stomach pain. I stopped them and I am still suffering side effects 3 days later.

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Jay | 65-74 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
12/24/2022
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My doctor just prescribed Atorvastatin oral but now I see al these negative reviews, he's going to get blasted as this "poison" is injuring many people. I have never read of such horrible side effects from any drug unless it was designed to kill. I would never take this Throw it away.

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Neesh | 45-54 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
11/29/2022
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 3.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

My doctor recently changed my prescription from 10mg to 20mg as my LDL jumped a little. After about 8 days, I started noticing a 'warm' sensation in the back of my left thigh and now in my right buttock. I never had these symptoms prior to the dosage increase and now I'm wondering if the Atorvastatin is the culprit. Many colleagues and friends of mine are telling me to stop it altogether, but I've decided to just go back to my 10mg dosage to see if the symptoms stop. I called my doctor and he said if it continues he wants me to come in, but I don't want to waste time or money going in only for him to tell me what I already suspect is the culprit. Has anyone else experienced these types of symptoms?Read More Read Less

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Mike | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 1 to less than 2 years | Patient
11/16/2022
Condition: High Cholesterol
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction

Atorvastatin caused severe muscle pain, especially in my legs to the point where getting off the couch or going up stairs was unbearable. It caused GERD, rise in blood sugar nearly to diabetic levels, brain fog, and a general feeling of malaise. I assertively yet kindly explained to my Doctor that I’d no longer be taking it. These symptoms still exist but I’m recently off the meds.

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