Q. I have taken Lipitor for several years. I’ve begun to notice numbness in my feet along with sporadic memory loss and difficulty balancing my checkbook and using the computer. I have a PhD, so this is alarming.
My doctor says Lipitor is not to blame. He says that my cholesterol is great (below 160) and not to stop. Is there any evidence that Lipitor could be connected to symptoms like depressed mood and trouble with balance or memory?
A. Statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs like Crestor, Lipitor or Zocor reduce the risk of heart disease. Most people tolerate these drugs quite well, but some develop debilitating muscle pain. Others report mood, memory or nerve (neuropathy) problems.
Many doctors don’t believe that statins can cause such side effects. Others, however, have seen too many cases to disregard. We are sending you a CD of a radio interview we conducted with several physicians who have studied such issues. To order a CD of this one-hour conversation on “The Dark Side of Statins,” please send $16 to: People’s Pharmacy (CD-523), P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It is also available at www.peoplespharmacy.com. Look for radio show No. 523.
