Lipitor and Memory Loss - Can This Drug Cause Amnesia?

In 2003 I was taking Lipitor to reduce my cholesterol. Though only 40, I was experiencing "senior moments" daily, where I'd be talking and suddenly have to stop and look for a word. An article in "Smart Money" pointed to a possible link. The article discussed reports of Lipitor and memory loss, as well as other problems.

My doctor had not heard anything about Lipitor causing memory loss. After reading up on it he said there was no study proving a causal relationship, but that even if memory loss does occur, it's rare, while the health benefits of reducing cholesterol are significant and well documented.

Ultimately he prescribed a lower dose of Crestor instead, and those senior moments decreased drastically. In the following I'll describe some of the research relevant to Lipitor and memory loss, and what you may consider doing if you're on Lipitor.

Known side effects of Lipitor

With nearly $13 billion in sales in 2006 reported by the Wall street Journal, Pfizer's Lipitor (Atorvastatin calcium) is the biggest of all blockbuster drugs. Lipitor, available in 10mg to 80mg pills, targets high levels of "bad cholesterol" in the blood. Pfizer says side effects cause fewer than 1 in 50 people to stop treatment.

Pfizer provides a list of side effects. Common side effects include headache, constipation, diarrhea, gas, upset stomach, stomach pain, rash, and muscle and joint pain. Serious but rare side effects include liver problems and serious muscle problems that can lead to kidney failure. With 18 million users, 1 in 50 adds up to 360,000 people.

Studies and reports relevant to Lipitor and memory loss

Some claim Pfizer oversold the positive aspects of Lipitor and downplayed potential problems such as memory loss. Duane Graveline, M.D., describes suffering complete memory loss for several hours (transient global amnesia) which he attributes to Lipitor.

His site documents hundreds of people who claim to have suffered memory loss or other cognitive problems due to Lipitor. On the other hand, ABC News reports a 2006 Pfizer study of 5000 stroke patients who did not mention memory loss as a significant problem.

Studies reported in the journal Science from 2001 and on^{1, 2} provide clues to how Lipitor and other statins may cause memory loss. They showed cholesterol produced in the brain is crucial to forming new "synapses" or connections between brain cells.

If statins such as Lipitor cross the "blood-brain barrier" and reduce cholesterol levels in the brain, that could reduce the brain's ability to form and/or maintain synapses, potentially causing memory loss. At least one study implies low cholesterol in the brain could be related to Alzheimer's disease³.

What you can do about Lipitor and memory loss

If you're taking Lipitor or other statins and believe you're suffering memory loss, talk about it with your doctor. Most side effects are dose-dependent, so reducing your dose may improve or solve your memory loss problem.

A study published in 2005⁴ concluded that standard dosages of several statins, including Lipitor, provide essentially the same long-term cardiovascular protection. If you feel Lipitor is causing you memory loss, your doctor may replace it with a different statin.

Finally, emedtv advises that grapefruit products increase Lipitor levels by up to 83%, possibly increasing side effects such as memory loss. If you want to drink grapefruit juice, consider not taking Lipitor that day.

1. Barres and Smith (2001)

2. Mauch et al. (2001)

3. Koudinov and Koudinova (2002)

4. Zhou, Rahme and Pilote (2005)

CP Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before making any changes to your medications.