66 yr old diabetic (controlled, no meds): took 10mg for 6 days w/evening meal. Day 4: developed rapid heart beat, chest pain, numbness in fingers, leg pain & ringing in ears. Internist sent me for echo stress test. Day 5: same symptoms but worse; felt like I was SHUTTING DOWN. Internist sent me for holter 24-hr heart monitor. Day 6: saw info about effects like mine, also felt better each day in the afternoon & both incidents were around the same time each morning. I discontinued use and only had numbness the next morning. Be aware of possible severe side effects, especially diabetics.

Salad4life

USA

There are no words to express how I like Lipitor. It is a cholesterol lowering drug. The benefits of this drug are outstanding. Of course, it has side effects as well as any other drug. I found no adverse side effects affecting me in anyway. I have been on other cholesteral lowering drugs, but some of them had side effects that did bother me. Some of the side effects were muscle pain and they did not seem to lower my cholesterol to the desired level that I want to achieve. For some strange reason my good cholesterol had always been on the high side, which is very good. My bad cholesterol and triglycerides were high which caused my cholesterol levels to be high. I was on Zetia for a while and it did lower my cholesterol, but the side effects bothered me. I heard from family about Lipitor and they were satisfied with it, so I thought I would give it a try. The next time I went to my doctor to ask about going on this drug. Of course, I went onto the internet to find all about Lipitor and is side effects. I wanted to be sure it was something I wanted to try. The doctor put me on the drug as I requested. I was amazed at how it helped me control my cholesterol. I have been on this drug for about five years now. There are other benifits to this drug, it is good for your heart. I have seen all the ads on television and am very impressed by what they have to say about it. As with all drugs, it may not be for everyone. One of the other cholesterol lowering drugs might be better for them. As I said, it also has side effects that are not beneficial to others.

windycat

Matoaka, WV

My husband had been taking lipitor for a few months after open heart surgery.  He doesn't even have high cholesterol.  He is now  having testing done for liver problems which is a side effect of lipitor.  Please do research before you jump in and just take the medication your doctor prescribes.

idnor

Denver, PA

***Lipitor does bring your cholestrol down! *** I took Lipitor for years until I started to have one of those "rare but serious side effects." I started to lose strength in my right arm and pain shot through the muscle in my fore arm when I tried to lift anything ~ my purse, dishes, etc. Then the pain started in my left ankle. My Dr changed my prescription to a cholestrol lowering drug that did not have those "rare but serious side effects" and the symptoms gradually vanished and I slowly regained use of my right arm and can now walk without a limp. Lipitor does work, it worked for me for yeears, but ***do be aware of the side effects.***

katrinka

Lancaster, PA

I have familial hypercholesteremia (high cholesterol I can't control with diet), and before starting lipitor my lab results were through-the-roof horrible! I am so happy with my results after being on Lipitor.  Not only my cholesterol, but also other liver tests have all gone into the normal range. I have had no side-effects from Lipitor, though I have heard that muscle cramping can be an issue. I am so pleased with Lipitor!

mockx3

Beaver, PA

My family has a history of high cholesterol. Mine was clocking in 316. My doctor was pretty unhappy with that! So, he prescribed Lipitor for me about three years ago. The results? My cholesterol numbers using Lipitor dramatically dropped from 316 to 189 and have remained there ever since! I can still eat cheese, but I do have to watch the quantity. If it weren't for Lipitor, I'm sure I was heading for a heart attack or stroke (both conditions also run in my family). Lipitor, in addition to bringing down bad cholesterol has the added benefits of helping to prevent heart attack! So, if you receive bad numbers when you have your bloodwork done, make sure to ask your doctor if Lipitor would work for you. It has the highest recommendation of all the cholesterol medicines out there and I can certainly understand why that is! I can't say enough good things about this medication. Way to go, Lipitor!

Rachel2697

Carnegie, PA

I have been diagnosed with high cholestrol for about 5 years now. My doctor assessed my cholestrol problems and results from the test he performed to check my levels. After this, he prescribed Lipitor for me to take on a regular daily basis. I have had no signs of any adverse effects from the Lipitor. After being on the Lipitor, I returned to my doctor for a checkup to see how well the Lipitor was performing. All of my cholesterol screenings since I have been taking the Lipitor have been excellent and my doctor is well pleased with the results he sees with the Lipitor. It has worked very well from the beginning and there has been no reason to switch medications or try different types of medications. I have been very thankful for being prescribed Lipitor by my very knowledgeable physician.

monmere

Alexandria, LA

After talking to my doctor and having a serious discussion, I was put on Lipitor to keep my cholestorol in check. I think it is important to remember that, like the commercials say, lipitor isn't for everyone and only may help your cholesterol. There are no guarantees. Saying that, I think it works okay, but I'm not sure it works way better than eating healthier or a placebo. The best thing about it is that it picked up working right away and I could see immediate results. This was important to me as I did not want to be on a drug that would take months to show any effects. The major downside, in my opinion, is that it is a daily medication and you have to remember to take it all the time. Maybe if you are older, that works by you, but I've never had to do that before and it takes a lot of getting used to. Overall, I'd give this three out of five stars - I don't think it did a spectacular job, but it does kind of do its job - if you need it you need it.

ilyap3000

Pikesville, MD

I am 37 years old with a family history of heart disease and since Im Italian, I like my cheese... 10 mg of Lipitor dropped my overall cholesterol from 255 to 160 almost instantly. I have to have my liver function tested annually while on it but havnt had any problems yet. My triglicerides have dropped and lipitor keeps my hdl high and my ldl low. The only problem is that my insurance company is debating on whether or not they will cancel coverage for this particular drug and force me to a different brand. That doesnt always work since these types of drugs work differently for different people. If a drug is working for you, dont change it up just to do it. You may also need to take a dosage higher than 10mg (up to 80 ) to get the results you need

ziggythefish

Sicklerville, NJ

Lipitor was not for me because when I had it prescribed, I was hopeful. I had cholesterol problems and a reading of 230. I read all the warnings and all the adverse reactions. I talked to my pharmacist about this product with a diabetic and fatty liver disease patient. He said I should be fine. Two weeks later, I was tired of throwing up and having diarrhea so I went back to my doctor. He said to try to go another week, that the symptoms were short lived. One more week of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea convinced me to go back to the doctor and beg for him to change the medication. He sent me to the lab to see if the medication was doing its job. My cholesterol reading was 310 and my liver enzymes were off the charts. My sugar was in the 200's and I was ordered never to take Lipitor again. So please ask your doctor to look carefully at your chart and conditions before prescribing the wonder pill of the century, Lipitor!

wldycatastrophe

Lockhart, TX