Hi Ann,

I am 37 and I have hereditary Cholesterol-every single person on my dad's side of the family gets DX'd with high Cholesterol in their 30's.
I take Lipitor and have Fibro, and I have not experienced the common side of leg pain.
Mr Dr does have me take the Lipitor at bed, probably b/c I may be less likely to notice the side effect should I have it. Personally, I want to stay on the Lipitor b/c it is considered very effective for hereditary cholesterol.

Just the same, my Dr does check my blood every 3 months-Blood Cell count, Kidney, and Liver function and Muscle Enzymes (along with a bunch of other non-related stuff)). These tests relate directly to how Lipitor is affecting your body, and you should ask your Dr if these tests will be run and how often-if you are not pleased by the answer move on...I strongly suggest every 3 months especially for the muscle Enzymes if you are concerned about pain or you experience pain.

Another med that is has been ignored since the "Statin Craze" is Cholestryamine. I actually take this for a GI problem, but it is an effective medication to lower total and LDL cholesterol. It is generic so very inexpensive. It comes in a powder form and it says it is orange flavored, but I have yet to taste anything like an orange :) Mix it with juice, water, applesauce. You must drink Plenty of water with this med as constipation can be a side effect , and also it is a med that needs to be spaced properly from any other meds you take. For Example, Cholestryamine needs to be taken 4 hours before any other meds. I wake up around 6 drink a Cranberry and Chollestryamine beverage and can start my other meds at 10 am.
Leg pain is NOT a side effect.

Hope this helps :)

I've been on Lipitor for years and not noticed any of those side effects. But, like LuLu1586, my doc always runs blood work every 4 months to check kidney and liver functions and all that other stuff. I think most doctors keep a pretty close eye on statin users these days.

I've been on a statiin for nearly as long as I've had fibromyalgia. Never had any side effects.

Thanks for the good information. It makes me feel better about the Lipitor.

I recently found out that Lipitor has the potential to raise blood sugar levels. I had been having ALOT fo foot and leg pain, buy I think it was diabetic related. I stopped taking it and my blood sugars went down therefor I haven't had more leg and feet pain.

I can't take any of the statins due to side effects...mainly leg pain.

I echo LulLu. While Lipitor is effective, there are other options. I echo Cholestryamine. No hgih cholesterol in me or my family, but a friend takes it for hereditary cholesterol issues and find si t is also very efective. So good luck and good for you making doctor's uncomfortable. We need to remind them we are THEIR bosses!!!

I have tried 3 different statins, including Lipitor and had horrendous muscle cramps. I could not tolerate any of them.

What I did instead was lose 30 lbs. I stopped drinking any alcohol because that was adding pounds and really made an effort to eat more healthy by making my own meals which is really hard for me when I'm in pain or have horrendous fatigue.

If you get muscle weakness and pain taking statin drugs you're supposed to tell your doctor and the doctor will tell you to stop taking them and will do blood work to make sure your muscles aren't damaged from it. - from what I understand..

skinnybinny when I first tested high I immediately joined Weight Watchers, lost 25 lbs in six months, walked a mile every day on my lunch hour, and at the end of six months was in great physical shape, but not sure whether I was going to grow fins or feathers first from the diet :)

I went back to be re-tested, and my total cholesterol had dropped all the way from 276 to 275.

Sadly diet and exercise won't do it for me. No matter what, my numbers continued to climb into the mid-300s. I wish I wasn't one of those hereditary people but I am.

The later comments are confirming my worries about Lipitor. I guess I can try it and see if it makes thing worse. But I would need a doctor who actually listens to me instead of ascribing my fibro symptoms to the depression and anxiety I keep telling them that I do not have. Although not having good health care is causing me a little anxiety truth be told.

Hey Ann,

I think the important thing to remember is that everyone on this board, including you has a different chemical make up and will react too medications differently.

There is no right or wrong answer here, only subjective experiences, and you do not want to go to the Dr super stressed or they will RX some blood pressure meds too! :)

We are consumers of the health care system. So, shop around. Find a Primary Care Dr you are comfortable with. Ask some friends about their Dr's...

To prepare for your appt, you could

1. find a doc you can tolerate

2. If you have time ask a pharmacist about non-statins-Pharmacists ar an amazing resource, you get a free consultation and they know more about meds than lots of Docs, ask for some names of effective non-statins

3. Tell your Doc your concerns and tell him the names of the meds your pharmacist mentioned

4. If you feel at any time, dismissed, not listened too, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Kindly tell the dr it was a pleasure to meet him or her, but you feel you were not taken seriously and that the 2 of you are not a good match.

5. Rinse and repeat.

Keep us posted, and remember, it is your body and there are other meds besides Statins. A good Doc will discuss all options with you and let you know why they think one med is better than another.

Deep Breath, You'll do Great!
LuLu

Hey Skinny Binny
Congrats on the weight loss and bringing your cholesterol down.
I can really identify with how tiresome it is to cook from scratch during a flare. I don't eat any processed foods so it can be really tough sometimes. I usually keep some banana,wheat,oat,flax pancakes in the freezer to microwave or really bad days.

Sadly, I am a hereditary case of High cholesterol. Every person on my Dad's side has it and they all get DX'd in their 30's. I am no different. But, it's not a death sentence, I still eat non processed foods, exercise to the best of my ability, take a med, and keep regular appointments with my doc to check my levels. If anything looks suspicious early detection will be key!

I wish weight loss was the answer for me, but the body manufactures cholesterol and in some people it just makes too much and in cases like that diet and exercise do not affect the numbers.

:( LuLu

Thanks everyone and thanks Lu Lu. Suddenly I have an appointment with a new pcp and after just writing that I don't have anxiety, I have anxiety! I'm having a flare that includes fog. I'm going into the appointment anxious and foggy. The person who answered the phone for the doc asked me what meds I was taking. I answered LDN. When she asked what for, I said fibro and she said she had fibro! Hopefully that's a good sign. I'd appreciate prayers. Appointment tomorrow.