Question/Comment:

THANK YOU iGUARD! I had heart cathartization 4-08( showed stress). My personal dr had me on lipitor prior to this and the heart dr kept me on it. I've been having 12 of the 14 side effects of lipitor and thought I'm dieing. was about to go tell the dr but I ran out of lipitor 2 wks ago and can tell I'm better in some areas. How can I know whats right for me?

Question/Comment:

I am 56 years old and I have been on Lipitor for just over 8 years. About 2 years ago I noticed that my hair was thining. It was a very gradual process which I at first thought was my imagination as I could not see anything, it just felt thinner. Then as it it continued I could actual see the thinning areas on the top, front. Now it has become noticeable on the sides as well. Neither of my parents had this problem, nor do any of my siblings. I asked ever doctor that I see if this could be caused by the medications that I am taking; they all said "no". I now have heard that Lipitor can in fact cause balding. I stopped taking the drug and am very upset that I was not told this by anyone.

Does anyone have any further information on this, or a recommended source for more information?

Answer/Reply:

Yes. If you go to Dr. Duane Graveline's website at spacedoc.net, he has a complete list of side effects from statin drugs, including a section on hair loss. Dr. Graveline has been aggresively researching side effects from statins for many years now. He is a retired physician / astronaut, hence the name spacedoc.net.

Answer/Reply:

My name is Robin I am 41yrs. I just started taking Lipitor a month ago and my Hair started falling out! It started when I started taking Lipitor, I am not taking this Medication any more! When I brush my hair it comes out in clumps, I can't stand it any more!!!!! This is crazy, I though I was going crazy, Thank God I looked on here. Thank you!

Answer/Reply:

Did the hair that was lost while on Lipitor grow back after the medication was stopped? I have used Lipitor for several years and have noticed the loss of hair. I have also had TIA and wonder if this medication had something to do with that. I will talk to my Doctor about this as soon as I can make the appointment. Thank you, iGuard for your service.

Question/Comment:

I am a 53 year old female who USED to be on Lipitor. I was noticing memory, and word search problems,hazy thought processing and also experiencing a sensation of going to fall or loose my balance, while walking on certain floor surfaces, such as at a mall, on tile, on cement, even on asphalt. After going off of Lipitor, after 4 days, these problems with finding the correct words in sentences, hazy thinking and the sensation of going to fall all went away....... I wonder if this drug produces these problems in other people...... Needless to say, I am no longer going to take Lipitor.....

Answer/Reply:

Chlesterol is more concentrated in the brain than any other organ. An estimated 25% of the body's cholesterol is located in the brain- an organ that represents only two percent of the body's weight, and it plays a critical role there.

Cholesterol is a key component of membranes that enclose brain cells and help regulate cellular function. It forms the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers responsible for relaying impulses throughout the nervous system.. It also promotes the formation of communication points between brain cells known as synapses. The development of new synaptic connections is essential to learning and memory.

Answer/Reply:

About six weeks ago I had the same symtoms with memory. I would sit at my computer for several minutes before I could remember how to write an email. A few weeks later I had about ten minutes when I could not read. I could see the letters and words just fine, but I had to stare at each word for a long time before I could recognize it. Naturally I thougnt I was having a stroke. I have had two scans of my brain both a CT and a MRI as well as other test with nothing conclusive. When I coupled these symtoms with muscel and joint pain I decided it was time to drop the statins. No further incidents so far.

male, age 62

Answer/Reply:

Cognitive problems with lipitor are very common. Next time you board a commercial aircraft, ask yourself if the pilot takes Lipitor. Good thing the flight is computer automated. But just like you having difficulty performing email, the pilot could enter the wrong approach data, and the jet would follow...to the wrong runway. "Lipitor, you can LIVE without it."

Question/Comment:

53 yr old female - I went off Lipitor because of having memory problems, couldnt find the words many times while having a conversation. Also because of a sensation of slipping or about to fall while walking on any slippery surface, i.e. at the mall, concrete, tile floors, etc.. Not actually falling, but the sensation. After going off of Lipitor, within 4 days, both of these symptoms went away........

Question/Comment:

Question: Anyone suffer erectile dysfunction after using lipitor?

Answer/Reply:

Yes. many guys have reported erectile dysfunction on statins. The problem is probably more widespread than we realize due to the personal nature of the symptom. The reason Lipitor causes erectile dysfunction is very simple. Lipitor lowers LDL cholesterol. Your body manufactures testosterone from LDL cholesterol. Without LDL ( bad cholesterol) we would have no sex hormones.

Answer/Reply:

yes, I have that problem. What do you suggest?

Answer/Reply:

Sexual dysfuction for females is also a side effect from lipitor. Testosterone is manufactured from LDL cholesterol and testosterone then gets converted into estrogens. When we interfere with the body's ability to produce LDL cholesterol, sexual dysfunction can be the result, male or female.

You will have to make a desicion on the lipitor. Its your decision and no one can make that choice for you. But I can share with you human biology so you understand whats happening.