Get Informed: Lipitor
Active Ingredient(s)
Atorvastatin
What does it do?
This product is primarily used to reduce cholesterol. It works by blocking an important enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) used by the body to produce cholesterol.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Sep-02 9:16 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Sep-02 9:04 PM
Other Names
- Lipitor
- Atorvastatin
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category
- X
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 17 Dec 1996
- Est US Patients*
- 7,774,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Lipitor or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Lipitor Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Lipitor interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Lipitor used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 58,600 patients that use Lipitor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| High Cholesterol | 97% |
mild
severe
|
| High Triglycerides | 16% |
mild
severe
|
| Other | 2% |
mild
severe
|
How well does Lipitor work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 58,600 users taking Lipitor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM). This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 84%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Lipitor outweigh the bad things.
- 11%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Lipitor.
Common Side Effects of Lipitor
iGuard regularly polls our more than 58,600 users taking Lipitor (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
17% of patients experience side-effects on Lipitor
4% of patients experience significant side-effects on Lipitor
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Muscle Pain/Cramps
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdo Pain/Cramps, Bloating/Gas, Bone/Joint Pain, Constipation, Cough, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Dryness, Grogginess/Confusion, Hair Loss, Headache, Hot Flashes, Insomnia, Loss of Libido, Numbness/Tingling, Weakness, Weight Gain
Global Patient Feedback for Lipitor (Atorvastatin) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I am pretty happy with Lipitor it has lowered my Cholesterol significantly. I have been taking this med for 7 years. I do have cramps and muscle pain from time to time but I thought it might be the weather!
54 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-08-24 18:46:14
Question/Comment:
Since I have been on Lipitol it has raised my diabetic level in the morning when I get up.
70 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-08-14 21:50:53
Question/Comment:
Lipitor- I have been taking it for about 6 months or more. It has cause my shoulders to acre and hurt mostly at night ( muscle cramps and pain) and a knot has come on the side middle way of my right foot that hurts. Dizziness. Has anyone else experience foot trouble?
70 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-08-14 21:46:13
Question/Comment:
I'm 64 and eight years ago I had a heart attack. I had 5 blocked arteries and immediate surgery. I am on 80mg Lipitor, 5 mg Amlodipine, 50 mg Metoprolol, 20-12.5 mg Lisinopril. Over the years I had terrible side effects and eliminated each drug for a period of time trying to isolate the one that caused the worst side effect. The Liporor is the culprit. My job requires me to do hard physical work for 4-5 days a month and I have to cease taking the Lipitor for that period.
64 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-08-01 14:05:24
Question/Comment:
I am a 56 year old female. I was taking Lipitor and Tricor. I was experiencing muscle pains in my legs and back. I tired easy and mentally fatigued. Can the combination of these two drugs cause all these problems. How long does it take to get it out of your system. My doctor took me off both drugs. But I still feel tired and fatigued and I am still having muscle pains in my legs.
56 year old female: Member of IGuard.
56 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-07-03 09:29:58
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
301
Patient Comments About
Lipitor