Lipitor & Constipation - High Cholesterol Message Board

sportsdude · 06-06-2005, 08:05 AM

I have been on Lipitor for approximately 10 months now. After about 5 months I started having problems with constipation. My doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist to be checked out and he said that constipation is a side effect of Lipitor. Has anyone else experienced this? If so did your doctor change you to a different medication and did it alleviate the problem?

gardeninggal · 06-06-2005, 12:26 PM

Sportsdude, Oh boy did I ever have a problem like that!!!!!! In fact I also had stomach pain and it all ended with bloody stools and a colonoscopy (sp?) I took myself off the medication and it all got better. My life for a while was made misserable. How bad is your cholesterol? If not too extreme maybe another route may be best, that is what I am doing. What your going through is not funny. Best wishes

sportsdude · 06-06-2005, 12:47 PM

My total cholesterol was just over 250. I tried for 6 months to control it naturally through diet and exercise but had no luck. That's when they put me on Lipitor. I know it helps but the constipation is a pain, literally. Eventually I will probably go back to my doctor and see what he can do to get me off Lipitor and onto something that doesn't have the side effect of constipation.

Brendap · 06-06-2005, 01:53 PM

I have the same problem -- however, before I was on Lipitor, I was on Lopid and also Questran. They were all the same as far as the constipation. Finally, the Dr. also put me on Miralax (Glycolax is the generic name) and that made a world of difference. It is a stool softener and works great. It comes in powder form and you mix a small amount with water and drink one dose daily. It is odorless and tasteless. It is NOT a fiber like Metamucil -- that made me much much worse.

I have been on every kind of stool softener there is -- but the Glycolax is the only thing that helps me. I had a colonoscopy to make sure that all the years on these constipating drugs hadn't caused problems. Thankfully everything checked out OK. The gastro Dr. recommended the Miralax/Glycolax as well. Both Drs. said that I can stay on Miralax/Glycolax indefinitely.

Lipitor 10 mgs. works for me -- and now with the added Glycolax my life is somewhat normal again.