The side effects of Lipitor and other cholesterol lowering medications (called statins) have been the subject of much controversy in recent years. For this reason, many people are now looking for natural alternatives to statins to avoid these potentially life-changing adverse reactions.
What is Lipitor and how does it lower cholesterol?
Lipitor and other statin medications are prescription drugs that lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Some of the other more popular ones are Pravachol, Zocor, Crestor and Mevacor, and each one has a different active ingredient. Lipitor is the brand name of a drug called atorvastatin.
Some doctors actually recommend statin drugs for patients who don’t even have high cholesterol as a precaution, which is dangerous.
These drugs work by blocking the enzyme that your liver needs to produce cholesterol. Although Lipitor has limited effect on HDL (good) cholesterol, it does succeed in lowering your LDL levels. However, this comes at a price because there are literally hundreds of potential adverse reactions to this medication…some of which can be quite serious.
So Lipitor does work, but it’s important to realize that a) you may not actually need to be on Lipitor or any other stain medication, and b) the side effects can most certainly outweigh the benefits.
What are the potential Lipitor side effects?
In addition to those common to most prescription medications such as headaches, upset stomach, nausea and fever, other problems with Lipitor can be much more debilitating.
In early 2012 the FDA warned that patients taking Lipitor and similar statins have an increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, and that safety labels will be revised to include this warning. They also announced that patients have experienced memory loss and confusion as a result of taking statin drugs.
Again in 2015, labels were revised to include additional warnings about memory loss, increased blood sugar and increased A1C, an indication of potential diabetes.
Two of the most troubling potential Lipitor side effects include extreme muscle disease, called statin induced myopathy and serious liver problems. These are not simple mild issues that go away over time, but rather serious issues that need to be caught early on.
Take a look at the following excerpts taken directly from the official Lipitor web site:
Lipitor is not for everyone, including those with liver disease or possible liver problems. Your doctor may do simple blood tests to monitor liver function before and during drug treatment.
Tell your doctor about any unusual muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of serious side effects.
Other potential side effects of Lipitor:
In addition to serious muscle and liver problems much research has shown that sexual dysfunction and performance problems, as well as personality changes and irritability, may result from taking this medication.
Some Common Questions About Lipitor Addressed
What are the long term side effects of Lipitor?
The long term side effects can be any of the reactions we’ve mentioned on this page. The longer you take the medication and the higher the dose, the higher the risk of experiencing an adverse health issue. This is the case with any prescription drug, and Lipitor is no different.
So is Lipitor bad for you?
Again, most medications are bad for you in the sense that they often cause side effects, some of which can be worse than the condition it’s aimed to treat. So while you are definitely lowering your LDL, you might be damaging your heart, muscles and liver at the same time. It should come down to whether or not you NEED to be on the medication. If your doctor decides that it is a must, and the benefits will outweigh the side effects, then it’s still “bad” for you, but it’s also necessary.
Do any foods make the side effects worse?
The main concern with those who are taking the medication are the enhanced Lipitor side effects that can occur if you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. The reason is that this particular fruit contains compounds called furanocoumarins that interfere with the activity of certain enzymes that break down medications. With those enzymes inhibited, that leaves higher doses of Lipitor remaining in your bloodstream, which could lead to more significant side effects.
Other than grapefruit, alcohol can increase the potential liver damage and fatty foods will affect how well the medication works.
Can Lipitor cause weight gain?
There have been some studies that suggest that Lipitor and other statin drugs can lead to weight gain, but there could be other factors at play here. For starters, many people who take these medications think they can now eat whatever they want because the medication will take care of their cholesterol for them. Yes, it sounds silly, but there are people who continue to eat poorly or increase their bad habits after starting a protocol.
Another potential factor is that, as we mentioned, Lipitor can cause muscle pain. Those with muscle pain are much less likely to be active, and hence are more apt to gain weight.
Other concerns regarding prescription cholesterol lowering drugs:
1) While cholesterol lowering drugs do lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, they have limited effect on HDL (good) cholesterol, and no effect on triglycerides (fats), an equally important heart disease risk indicator.
2) Statin medications decrease your body’s supply of CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is an essential nutrient for heart strength and function.
3) There are natural cholesterol lowering ingredients, some of which have been shown to outperform statins in lowering cholesterol, without the possible side effects. Take a look at these natural ingredients below.
A Look at Powerful Cholesterol Lowering Nutrients
Although Lipitor and other statin medications can lower cholesterol levels, there are natural alternatives which may be a better, safer option for you. There are nutrients that have been shown to not only lower LDL cholesterol, but also lower triglycerides (fats) and increase the good HDL cholesterol.
Take a look at some of these nutrients below:
Policosanol – a natural extract from sugar cane which has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels as well as raise HDL (good) cholesterol. More importantly policosanol has been proven to be free of side effects, unlike Lipitor and other statins.
Guggulipid Extract – an ancient herb from India recently shown to lower cholesterol levels and also reduce triglyceride levels, another risk factor for heart disease.
Green Tea Extract — green tea is widely used for many medicinal purposes, and has been shown to reduce triglycerides as well as LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Green tea also has antioxidants that can prevent heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
Tumeric Extract – much evidence points to the fact that tumeric may lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Are there natural alternatives to avoid Lipitor side effects?
Fortunately there are natural alternatives to statin medications and some of them can be as effective as Lipitor and other drugs, without the potential side effects. As with anything else, it’s a matter of finding a high quality supplement that contains some or all of the therapeutic nutrients we mention above. As long as the supplement is manufactured by a reputable company and formulated properly, it should offer the same potential cholesterol-lowering capability. The best part is the natural alternatives may also increase HDL and offer other cardiovascular benefits that Lipitor does not.
How do you find a good quality supplement? Trust us, it’s not an easy task. There are literally dozens of natural cholesterol products on the market today. Most of them are subpar as very few manufacturers put in the time, effort and money to research and procure the best 
nutrients, those that can actually have an effect on cholesterol levels. Even if they do use some effective nutrients, they might use cheaper versions or not blend them properly, both of which mean they will not be as effective as they can be.
Through our extensive research, we have found a special natural cholesterol lowering supplement that may offer a solution for you. It’s a special formula with vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts to help lower LDL cholesterol levels as well as decrease triglycerides (fats) and promote overall heart health.
The ingredients of this special formula have been shown to be much safer than the statin medications prescribed by many doctors. Some of the ingredients have actually outperformed statin drugs in clinical trials.
You can read more about this special cholesterol lowering supplement by following the link provided or clicking on the image. It may just offer the solution you are looking for while helping you avoid the potential side effects of Lipitor.
As with all health supplements, make sure you consult your physician or other qualified medical professional before taking any cholesterol lowering nutrients or supplement to avoid the many negative side effects of Lipitor.
It is very important to remember that all pharmaceutical drugs, although they can be beneficial, also come with possible adverse reactions. Lipitor side effects are no exception.