Recently my Dr. increased my Lipitor from 5mg a day to 20mg a day. Since I have increased the Lipitor my weight has ballooned. I have gained nearly 20 pounds in 2 weeks. Does anyone know if you can just stop the Lipitor cold turkey without causing a problem?

I take 20 mg of Lipitor and have been for a few years. I don't find that I've gained any extra weight from this med. The only reason I do gain weight is from snacking on junk food. Are your numbers high? What about your HDL and LDL? I wonder why your doctor didn't increase your dose to 10 mg?

Hi Marthajane,
I used to take 10mg. Lipitor my numbers weren't very good so my cardio increased my dosage to 20mg.

I stop my lipitor on occasion never had any side effects from stopping.

I've only gain about 10 pounds in 3 yrs since I starting taking lipitor....I don't really know why you would gain that much in such a short amount of time.

My husband stops lipitor on occasion also. He has never had any ill effects from suddenly stopping, or from going back on it.
enie

Martha Jane,

There are no side effects from stopping the Lipitor cold turkey other that the gradual rise in you LDL and triglycerides.

Two things to consider:

That weight gain over 2 weeks is unusual and may indicate edema. I'd hesitate to blame it on Lipitor. You need to see a doctor to find the cause of the sudden weight gain.

While there, you should discuss stopping the Lipitor. Its not a good idea to decide to stop taking a medication without consulting the doctor who presribed it.

Marthajane,
Lipitor affects the liver; therefore if your body does not tolerate the higher dose it could react in several different ways. Some form of fluid retention could be one way. Remember, not all side effects are the common ones on the list.
When I took Lipitor it caused me to have what my doctor calls liver spasms, that felt like an extremely long lasting gallbladder attack. The pain gradually eased off when I discontinued taking Lipitor. Because that kind of medicine does not have a withdrawal issue, I stopped taking them and then sent my doctor a message that I stopped them and why.

When it comes to suspected side effects I say each to their own method of dealing with their medicine, (as long as you make sure it is safe to stop and let the doc know of your decision).
enie