When not to “wait and see”

Q: Shortly after going on Lipitor I started to feel like I had the flu — my back aches, my legs feel weak, every muscle hurts, and I’m extremely fatigued. My doctor said it was safe, and I know lots of other people on statins who haven’t had this problem. But it’s gone on for a few weeks now, and I think if I had the flu, I would have been over it by now. I would appreciate any information you might have that could help me figure out if I do have the flu or if the Lipitor is related to my symptoms.

JVW: Although I can’t say for sure that statins are causing your particular problem, they have been widely reported to cause the symptoms you report — all part of a condition called peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage. Also, statins are thought to deplete the system of coenzyme Q10, which can cause fatigue.

You should let your doctor know about the symptoms you’ve been having and discuss other treatment options, preferably natural ones. In some cases, the damage caused is permanent, so I wouldn’t recommend the wait-and-see approach.