Atorvastatin and Joint Pain: What Users Say

• dor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 19, 2016

For High Cholesterol "Started this drug a few months back and started having health problems; did not associate with the meds. The list is long on the adverse effects. Dizzy, loss of balance, pain in head, ringing in ears, pressure in ears (went to ear nose and throat, said it was not in my ears). I have heaviness and weakness in my legs, hard to walk far. Sleep problems, walking and talking while asleep, seizures lasting a few seconds. This week other joints started hurting as well. Hey, the good news is, my cholesterol went way down. I quit taking this med yesterday. Lowering my cholesterol is not worth all the side effects. I am glad it works for some, but have researched this drug and so many have had a bad reaction."

• 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."

• 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???"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• hen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I have been taking Atorvastatin 10 mg along with Olmesartan 40 mg for 3.5 months. About one month ago, I started waking up with my right hand almost locked in a semi-closed fist. In particular, the middle finger could not be straightened for at least 30 mins and was very painful. In the past two weeks, I have experienced serious muscle and joint pains all over my body. I thought it was caused by the Olmesartan, and with the doctor's approval, I started taking 20 mg rather than 40 mg. This did not help, so I was told to stop taking Atorvastatin for the next couple of days. Well, one day off the Atorvastatin has given me real relief from the serious pain that was making life miserable and keeping me from sleeping. The pain in the right hand is still there, but it is less painful. I am due to see the doctor on 11/5/2018 to discuss the issues and find a drug without the serious side effects. I hope this helps everyone on these drugs."

• Jef...
• August 30, 2015

For High Cholesterol "I was only on this med for about 6 weeks when I finally figured out it was causing severe joint pain in my knees and feet. Stopped taking it and the pain went away after one day. Also caused diarrhea. I'm going to try lowering my cholesterol with diet and exercise. Too many risks of side effects with statins."

• DRW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2022

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "I was prescribed Lipitor by a GP, due to my high LDL cholesterol level. I was in excellent condition, BMI under 25, surfing and bike riding daily. Within 24 hours of my first pill, I experienced joint pains. I have osteoarthritis, so I assumed it was just a flare-up. The next day, I had muscle soreness and weakness. The third day, all this was worse; realizing it had to be the Lipitor, I stopped taking the pills and consulted a specialist. I had dark urine. It was determined that I had rhabdomyolysis. I ended up losing 5 lbs of muscle mass, and it took weeks for me to recover from the extreme weakness and fatigue. The specialist told me that if I had continued to take the Lipitor for a few more days, I probably would have been in a very serious condition."

• hou...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 6, 2015

For High Cholesterol "Atorvastatin was prescribed for years. In January, I woke up with severe leg cramps in both legs, aching in the morning, and I couldn't walk any distance. I experienced severe joint pains and my back was very painful. The doctor never mentioned it could be the tablets, and I couldn't believe my neighbor, who was exactly the same as me. Her doctor took her off them, and she's back to her gym routine and has never felt better! I've stopped taking them three days ago, and I've never felt better. I started back at my gym."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 18, 2019

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "I started on 80 mg of atorvastatin after receiving a stent following a blocked coronary artery. After researching, I told my GP I wasn't happy, and she suggested a lower dose of 40 mg. After one and a half years, I ended up with diabetes 2, memory problems, heartburn, blurred vision, joint pain, stiffness, and cramping. My memory recovered as did my digestive problems a few weeks after stopping them. I wish I hadn't taken them at all. Horrible!"

• Bad...
• October 20, 2015

For High Cholesterol "I took 10 mg for a week. Severe stomach pains, muscle pains, and joint pain. It felt like I had body aches from the flu! So tired, wiped out my energy. Also, where I broke my wrist, I was getting sharp, stabbing pains there. I called the doctor and he said to stop taking it immediately. Thank God because these side effects were horrible. I'm going to try exercise, green tea, and essential oils before I even give another brand a try."

• Anonymous
• September 28, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Atorvastatin worked, bringing down my triglycerides. But my joint pain forced me to change meds. My wrists have arthritis in them, yes, but I never had pain until I took this med. The pain was unbearable."

• Cre...
• September 24, 2015

For High Cholesterol "Started on 10 mg daily in May. Began having headaches daily, and my joints in my hands increased in pain, especially in the AM. I am in my 4th month now, headaches are much better. Hands still hurt but seem a little better. Now my back aches a lot, and I feel tired every morning. It's like I stayed up half the night, making it a chore to get up and get ready for work. I worry about all the things this drug may be doing to my kidneys, liver, and muscles. However, after 3 months, my cholesterol and LDL dropped significantly. I would like to maybe decrease to every other day or maybe try diet and exercise again."

• KBa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2019

For Hyperlipoproteinemia "Thought I was getting Parkinson's. Drink plenty of water, strong, 59, and take ubiquinol. Was losing the ability to orient in space and time, fell on brick stairs, could not get on or off escalator, tremors, muscle and joint pain. Relatively severe cognitive impairment, I would forget the subject of the conversation mid-sentence. Luckily, forgot to take the atorvastatin medicine for 2 days. The side effects started clearing. Read a research article-high insulin levels cause high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Ordered the test for insulin levels high. The research also suggests that high insulin levels are festering possibly for years before diabetes is ever diagnosed. Amazingly, it looks like I do not have any plaque buildup in my coronary arteries. Not one doctor recommended an increase in fiber. ... started taking 25 grams of fiber every 1000 calories and taking alpha-cyclodextrin, my numbers improved greatly. Will start niacin 4 times a day with food, and hopefully that will help as well."

• Mik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 17, 2022

For High Cholesterol "Lowered cholesterol but caused severe leg/muscle pain, joint pain, memory issues, GERD, insomnia, fatigue, and a sense of being unwell, difficulty getting up from the couch, climbing stairs. I tolerated it for over a year until I kindly but assertively said I’d no longer take it."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2022

For High Cholesterol "This drug is like a slow poison. After a few days of taking it, I started to feel pain in my fingers. I talked to my doctor, and they said I can continue the 'medication.' Slowly, other side effects started to develop: low energy, tiredness, dizziness, confusion, panic attacks, anxiety, and a general feeling of awfulness. I messaged my doctor last night and stopped the medication without their approval. I will never take it again."

• Tod...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 28, 2021

For High Cholesterol "This drug has really had a negative impact on my life. Unfortunately, I took atorvastatin for about 18 months before I finally pinpointed that it was definitely the cause of my problems: aching joints, muscle spasms, digestive discomfort, nausea, indigestion, and fatigue. After one of my friends told me that he had numerous side effects from the same medication, I stopped taking it. Within 2-3 days, I was feeling 100% better. One of my doctors told me that she did not think that the medication was the root of my problems, but to be sure, start back taking it and see if the symptoms return. Within 1 full day of taking a morning dose, all of the horrible side effects returned with the same severity. That's it .... I stopped taking it again, and within a couple of days, all of the side effects let again. Maybe some people are affected differently, but for some, this medication doesn't suit me at all."

• Cho...
• July 6, 2013

For High Cholesterol "Severe back and joint pain which started all of a sudden without explanation."

• Jac...
• November 22, 2020

Atorvastatin for High Cholesterol "Severe leg cramps, joint pain, dizziness. My cholesterol has never been over 200. I have always walked, biked, and eaten right. This med has really messed my body up!!!"

• Hap...
• December 30, 2014

For High Cholesterol "I take 10 mg daily. I have muscle, back, as well as joint pain. Not sure if it is caused by the statin. I will keep monitoring."