Hi Mark,
I was on Atorvastatin 20mg for 6 months and had every severy side effect you could imagine. Headaches, confusion, muscle pain mostly in neck/shoulders, vertigo, memory loss and trouble holding on to things just to name a few. I kept going to drs as these issues started for me about 2 months after I started taking them. So for months they kept telling me it can't be the statins. I quit on my own after 6 months of taking them. It took about 6 months before I started feeling better, been 8 months now and still have some issues but it is getting better. I'm hoping by the 1 yr mark all issues will be gone. It takes time and hopefully all your symptoms will eventually go away. I will not go on another statin drug ever..
Scott
Thanks to everyone for the kind words! I wanted to add that for anyone who wants to try the Vitamin cocktail I am taking, to be sure that you use CoQ10 that clearly states on its label UBIQUINOL... Ubiquinol is absorbed more readily into your system than other Coq10 varieties. I know, I started with a version of CoQ10 that was not Ubiquinol -- while I saw some progress -- it was nowhere near as immediate as when I started taking Ubiquinol CoQ10 -- apparently, the absorbtion rate really matters as the difference (for me) was dramatic!
Hi Scott - I had the same problems you listed and more. The doctors all denied, denied, denied. They tried to blame me for all the gathering problems that were caused by their prescriptions. One day when climbing into the shower, hanging onto the walls like a 90 year old scared of falling, and through the fog of dislocation the drugs had caused, a sudden moment of clarity struck me - how on earth had I come to this? Answer - statins. I started to reasearch and was horrified at what I found. Shock giving way to anger and anger to action. It's 20 months since quitting and i still experience shadows of issues, which goes to show how deep the damage is that statins cause. Since then I have a healthy suspicion of doctors. I question everything and research any advise they give. I have also recently read that up to 30% of statins users have notable side effects, and that statins are a 12 billion dollar per annum bonanza for the pharma cartels. Good on you Scott for taking your health back. Hang in there, you will come through the other side. Je suis non-statin.
I have a bunion which never caused me any real pain til about 2 years ago. I had an MRI andd found out that the ligaments around that area are 'disrupted' in dr speak or torn to us. nothing can be done other than surgery which I wouldn't even consider. Nerve pain in the foot is unbearable. 4 dr's suggested lyrica ..............the side effects of that are catastrophic, glad I didn't take them. I didn't take them i researched them because of the effects of statins. Podiatrist and physiotherapist but think it's caused because of statins but medical drs don't
HI Jane. From what I have read, most medical doctors will look for some other underlying cause of the statin side effect. The thinking, I guess, is that since only 12% of statin users have these effects, it is more likey that there must be some other medical condition that is causing the issue...and not the statin, because the general medical population believes that they "save" more lives by giving someone a statin, and it is part of their general treatment plan --- follow the doctor playbook and ignore the patient. Malpractice/cover-your-ass may also play into their decicions as well. Hence, they will often insist on putting you through a battery of tests to find out what your "real" problem is. I can imagine that it must be tough for them to admit that what they prescribed for you (statin) was the real cause of all your pain. In any event, it does seem only logical that if statins cause muscle damage or weaken your muscles; then, the chance of having a muscle "tear" dramatically increases while you are on statins (and even after being off of statns for a period of time until (if) your muscles repair themselves),
Of course that begs the question if statins are supposed to 'save' people from heart attacks, why are heart attacks still the leading cause of death in most of the world? It has to be so much more than 12% too doesn't it Mark, I initally put a lot of symptoms down to age menopause and I'm sure thousands of others do to 
It's like the old joke. What's the difference between god and a doctor? god doesn't think he's a doctor
Hello Everyone,
I heard this>>> now the statin drug companies want to have all Americam kids to start taking statins. Apparently something like that was in the news a few weeks ago.
Maybe someone can confirm that.
Hard to imagine what this will do to many kids. It's just sinful bif it's true.
Bill
Thing is about statins is that they are supposed to adjust the LDL and HDL values. I have some problems with statins but now have not restarted them. The Amlodopine I was given to reduce the risk of heart problems also gave me muscle problems so stopped them. Does anyone here use a chol. kit to keep a check on the relative movement of their cholesterol levels? It would be nice to have some feedback about how a good diet can do the job alone. Thanks.
I have done much research on the cholesterol issue. For me it is all a giant hoax promugated by big pharm and Doctors.
I no longer care what my numbers are.
I carefully choose the foods that I eat and mostly eat organic, fruits, veges, nuts and very little animal protein. I also stay away from sugar, carbohydrates, refined and processed foods.
There is much research out there by institutions and research facilities that show that statins do not reduce the risk of heart attacks arterial scelorosis. It is a huge scam. Worst part of it coming up before us is that now big pharm wants our children to go on statins!
well said Bill. I read an article by a very eminent physician who stated that his own clinical research has shown that, as an example, if a female with a history of heart disease took statins for say a 30yr period, the most that they could expect their life expectancy to be increased by would be 9 months! Statins have been proven to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes - itself a common factor in causing heart attack - liver dysfunction and latterly possibly increasing the risk of dementia - what price for a max of an extra 9 months - and if any extra at all, those months spent in poor health or without full cognitive function. You're correct - it's a huge money spinning scam and shame on the medical profession for buying into such.
well said bill, it's all a con
Agree,from what I've read sugar is much worse its the inflamation,not the Cholesterol,although,i still eat some sugar,heck I could be hit by a truck tomorrow.
Looks like you have a fan club here Bill - everything you wrote is sensible and true. I am astounded that the pharma cartels are now going after children with this. All the kids need is proper dietry education and to understand they are a biological unit requiring biological energy not over-the-counter fast foods processed by conglomerates. While fast businesses want us endless eating their product, pharmas business model is to get every person on earth from birth to grave to be reliant on at least one of their products. Statins have proved a huge money spinner since it causes other serious illnesses- and they know it. Absolutely criminal. I've done what you've done - threw away the pills and the numbers and regulate my diet. I have never been as sick in my life as when I was taking statins.
2 Month Update: It's been 2 months since I've been off of Lipitor. Made lots of progress; however, I seem to be stuck at about 80-85% recovery. Usual morning pain in fingers that gets better as the day goes on. Taking Advil releaves the pain. Two days ago, I was feeling the best I ever had felt since being off of that garbage, so I decided to try a day without the Advil. I play guitar daily, using my hands a lot, repetitive motions over a long period of time. Of course, the next morning my left hand was in moderate pain -- something that never happened to me before the statins -- so, back to taking Advil again. I have a feeling that full recovery is going to take some months for me (if it does happen at all). Mostly, the severe muscle and nerve pain has not repeated itself. I do exhibit symptoms of neuropathy and I know that my muscle tissue is not up to par yet either -- I get the feeling that any heavy lifting or over-usage may possibly result in a torn rotator cuff or some muscle tear, so -- I'm trying to avoid that for now. Decided to keep taking 600mg of CoQ10 and assorted other vitamins daily for the near future in order to keep up with the nerve/muscle repair work.
Glad to hear you've improved so much Mark. Very wise of you to have concern about tears. I suffered full thickness ruptures of bicep tendons on both arms. Mine was probably due to repetitive strain rather than heavy lifting etc., but I'm 100% convinced it was because my muscles and tendons were significantly compromised and weakened because of the statins. Before taking statins I used to swim three or four times per week, around 30 - 40 lengths slow easy swimming, usually breast stroke, no exertion to cause damage. My arm and shoulder muscles were in excellent condition with good definition. No pain issues either. Nothing else in my lifestyle or diet changed. I am devasted that I was so stupid and will never forgive myself for blindly following my doctor's instructions. They have never been willing to accept that all my problems were caused by statin use, stating 'age' etc etc. Hopeless.
I had a rotary cuff injury,i didnt have surgery,suffered for a year,it healed,i believe it was caused by statins. They mention schoulder injurys from them on the net. One thing to remember always,doctors are only human,they arent above us and can make huge mistakes,some things you either have to keep exploring with other opinions or just trust your instincts,and people,you can say NO to a doctor,it is your body.
Very interested to hear your rotator cuff injury eventually healed Lee. My doctor has told me they don't heal without surgery but luckily the ortho surgeon advised me not to have surgery immediately and to manage the pain with meds. Given your experience, I'll definitely 'wait and see'.
I really babied it,probably too much,ended up with a frozen shoulder,but that healed to after some mild excercise.
I am new to this group but glad to see I am not the only person that's having these problems. My left upper back is killing me! I have been on atorvastatin for about 3 yrs. it first started with my calfs, then moved to my forearms, then back. I take other medications for blood pressure, thyroid, acid reflux and anxiety. I honestly think that I don't need half of it . Between everything I have read about statins and PPI's, I think their side effects are making things worse!