Lipitor and Memory Loss: What Users Say

• JTa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2020

For High Cholesterol "So I went to the doctor for peripheral neuropathy and back spasms. She did my blood work, and my cholesterol is extremely high. She put me on generic Lipitor, and it made my back spasms even worse. Now my upper back has a tremor that still hasn't gone away even after quitting the drug 2 months ago. I have lost strength in my legs and I have terrible short-term memory. It gave me dizzy spells, and I just felt sick all the time. I'm still recovering from it, and I told my doctor I quit taking it because it was making me shake. Now she wants me to start taking it again, but I'm not going to."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Delayed side effects. Took years to realize statins give memory loss BIG TIME and muscle pain and mood issues. And now discovering risk from high LDL is massively exaggerated. Having sufficient HDL is what matters. If you know someone losing memory, ask them to think back if it started getting worse within a year of starting statins. Someone once did that for me."

• Lar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I took Lipitor for three months, then went through an unbelievably bad time for 3 years due to side effects. I had myopathy, neuropathy, rashes, upset stomach, extreme muscle pain, ED, constipation, arthritis, short-term memory loss, could not lift my arms above my head, and horrible fatigue."

• mom...
• August 14, 2013

For High Cholesterol "I have taken this for 8 years but it makes me feel like a zombie. And it affects my memory and motor skills. I recently went back to work and had to quit Lipitor because it affected my ability to work. Don't know what I will try next. Started on Crestor 9 years ago and couldn't stand the pain in my legs."

• PAS...
• October 5, 2009

For High Cholesterol "I was prescribed 40 mg of Lipitor for heart disease. I was on it for 9 months. It did lower my cholesterol, but had a lot of undesired bad side effects! Right away, I noticed memory problems, forgetfulness, confusion, and was just fog-headed. Then, of course, I experienced the usual muscle pain. I also noticed being moody for no apparent reason. I talked to my cardiologist, and he took me off of it."

• PAS...
• October 5, 2009

For High Cholesterol "I was prescribed 40 mg of Lipitor for heart disease. I was on it for 9 months. It did lower my cholesterol, but had a lot of undesired bad side effects! Right away, I noticed memory problems, forgetfulness, confusion, and was just fog-headed. Then, of course, I experienced the usual muscle pain. I also noticed being moody for no apparent reason. I talked to my cardiologist, and he took me off of it."

• MsA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I had tried about 3 statins and could not take them due to the aches and energy loss. I then was given Lipitor. I took it for 3 months with no problem, then I started having memory loss. I stopped the drug and that has now been about 2 years. The loss is better but still comes and goes. Being a pharmacist, I am keenly aware of side effects, and that is major!"

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

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..."

• Anonymous
• October 20, 2022

For High Cholesterol "Aug 8 (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is facing a mounting wave of lawsuits by women who allege that the company knew about possible serious side effects of its blockbuster anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor but never properly warned the public. In the past five months, a Reuters review of federal court filings shows, lawsuits by U.S. women who say that taking Lipitor gave them type-2 diabetes have shot up from 56 to almost 1,000. Lawsuits began to be filed not long after the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 warned that Lipitor and other statins had been linked to incidents of memory loss and a “small increased risk” of diabetes. According to plaintiffs’ lawyers, women face a higher risk than men of developing diabetes from using Lipitor and gain fewer benefits."

• Jot...
• February 3, 2021

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "71 years. Heart attack with 5 stents. Automatically prescribed this as part of the 'cardiac cocktail,' as they call it. Had numbers getting slightly high for both cholesterol and BP before HA. Within 3 months, this drug injured my liver, and my GP stopped it. Continue to be tested to see if the liver will recover. Numbers are down, so I have my fingers crossed. I have been unable to use the gym due to muscle pain, which is now subsiding, and hopefully, I will be able to utilize the gym again. My mood was adversely affected, with me becoming easily irritated and angry inappropriately. The pain over my shoulders and between my ribs was so painful and exhausting. And then it started to affect my memory, which became so disconcerting. The daily dose was 80, and if the liver heals, we will look at the minimum dose of a statin and see how that works."

• Unh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2022

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "I was put on 20 mg of Lipitor for high LDL and atherosclerosis of the aorta. I also have a hole in my heart. I started getting headaches and migraines 24/7, memory loss, and wicked moodiness (and I'm normally a happy person). It took me a little over a week to realize it was the Lipitor. I stopped immediately, it was hard for me to work, and I had no personality because I felt awful. I have to get the groin heart surgery done to close the hole in my heart anyway, so I am willing to take that risk rather than take that medication ever again!"

• Cra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 9, 2021

For High Cholesterol "Doctor put me on Lipitor after my heart attack. It destroyed my memory over 6 months. Short-term memory almost non-existent; large gaps in long-term memory. I’d meet someone on the street whom I’d worked with for 20 years and could not remember their name. It also made me very moody and a hard person to be around. I lost several good friends because of things I said and destroyed a 20-year relationship. My wife threatened to leave me if I didn’t stop taking it. I stopped, my cholesterol went high again, and I don’t care. That was ten years ago, and my short-term memory has pretty much returned, but there are still large gaps in long-term memory. I don’t care how high my cholesterol goes; I will never take another statin."

• Anonymous
• October 8, 2009

For High Cholesterol "Suffered from memory loss/lapse and muscle aches/cramps in my legs. Switched to Crestor and have had no side effects at all."