Atorvastatin and Memory Loss: What Users Say

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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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."

• sad...
• March 21, 2019

For High Cholesterol "My doctor prescribed me atorvastatin 10mg, 8 weeks ago. My numbers are in the 200s. I was very hesitant because of the bad side effects I have heard other people tell me about, but everyone is different, so I decided to give it a try. As of today, I took myself off of it. I have gained 12 lbs, experienced muscle weakness, muscle aches, back pain, brain fog, memory issues, confusion, headaches, and fatigue. I explained to my doctor that I was having bad side effects, and she told me to stay on it and just 'wait it out' and the good will outweigh the bad. I have become very inactive and sleep all the time. I haven't exercised at all, and with the weight gain, that has made my health deteriorate...not improve. I am going to try Niacin instead. In the long run, I realize that eating healthy and exercise is the best way to keep my body in the best shape possible. My health is important to me, but so is my quality of life. Try this drug at your own risk."

• mom...
• August 14, 2013

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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!"

• 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."

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

Atorvastatin 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..."

• 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."

• Ron...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 23, 2022

For High Cholesterol "I started taking atorvastatin 20 mg daily about 2-3 months ago and started having weird side effects. I noticed both legs, from the knee down, started having some pain and swelling. The swelling was the worse. The pain would have been bearable if that had been the only problem. Another side effect was some nausea, and the acid reflux was worse than I had ever had since my initial diagnosis 30 years ago. I also noticed memory loss and dizziness. I just felt horrible. I actually thought something terrible was happening. I work in healthcare, so my first thought was what has changed in my routine. So I stopped the atorvastatin for a couple of days, and I noticed improvement fairly quickly, so I had to be certain that it was the medication. I decided to give the atorvastatin another try, and the negative side effects started again. Needless to say, I will never take this medication again."

• Anonymous
• October 20, 2022

Atorvastatin 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."

• 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!"

• Bpk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2013

For High Cholesterol, Familial Homozygous "My doctor switched me from simvastatin 80 mg to atorvastatin 20 mg because my cholesterol started to go up again from 130 to 154. This is only day four of taking this medicine and I feel like I was hit by a brick wall. I feel so tired and have to force myself to get out of bed. I also feel that it's affecting my cognitive abilities. Calling my doctor today to switch..."

• Jot...
• February 3, 2021

Atorvastatin 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."

• 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."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 31, 2017

For High Cholesterol "At age 48 and in good health, I took atorvastatin 10 mg for 1 year without symptoms. It lowered my bad cholesterol. Near the 1st year, I began experiencing significant, unusual leg weakness and knee pain when standing from a kneeling position. It got to the point that I always needed to brace myself on the sofa or coffee table when getting up after playing with my dog or toddler son. Rising from my desk required a push on the desktop. Then weakness and pain to my finger and shoulder joints and forgetfulness. Overall, I felt 'rickety.' My MD said to stay on it. I decided otherwise and went off cold turkey one day. I've been off for 2 years and I feel normal again, except for residual and reduced effects on my shoulder and hands."

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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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

Atorvastatin 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."

• Mik...
• April 8, 2017

For High Cholesterol "Been on Lipitor for 2 months. Woke up on Monday with problems with my hands, memory loss, mood swings, and loss of thoughts. Doctor told me to discontinue. Hope every day I get back to normal."