Generic Name: Pitavastatin
Brand Name: Livalo
Livalo Drug and Medication User Reviews
Extreme weakness e.g. statin induced myopathy. Feels like Livalo sucked my soul and energy out of my body and makes for an ultra-depression condition. Super expensive even with Medicare and Medigap Prescription Insurance.
Short term results were good. My cholesterol dropped 30 points in four months, but as a runner, the leg pain and weakness makes this drug not a long term fix. I’d rather change my diet drastically than struggle this much to workout.
My history with statins is long, complicated & not good - rashes, itching, leg pain, etc. Livalo has given me muscle aches & depression since this is not how I feel when not taking it. Going off it in the hope that I'll feel like myself again. These statins work for some people but many of us cannot tolerate them. Will take my chances with diet & other improvements.
I have been on this drug for two months and I am having mental breakdowns, angry and anxious. Pains in my calves and a ringing in my ear. Ian scared to go anywhere.
I can not take anything with a statin in it. This was supposed to be for people like me who can't handle statins. This has a low dose of statins in it. I took it for 1 month. I felt like I was 90 years old. Every joint and muscle ached severely. My vision was blurred and I got dizzy spells. I had to walk with someone holding my arm so I wouldn't fall. I had difficulty even lifting my foot up to a street curb and needed help. My entire body was racked with pain. I gave up on it after 1 month. The day I stopped taking it, the pain lessened. By day 2 off of it, I could get out of bed on my own and by day 3 off of it, the pain went away. It took about 2 weeks off of it before my vision started to clear up and get better. This was about the worst experience I have had with a med. The side effects were even worse than when I took a full statin med like Lipitor.
I have tried just about every statin and I was miserable. Body aches. Malaise. Limb pain. It was nuts. FINALLY after 6 years of trying this ad that statin, my PA decided...let's try LIVALO. At first I fought it...thinking, NO NO NO! I don't want to feel like manure again! She convinced me and put me on the low dose of 2mg nightly. WELL...been on it for over a year without ANY issues. Very happy with it! BTW...my levels are "AWESOME" ... according to my PA! :)
Statin intolerant. Put on Livalo and experienced heart palpitations so bad to the point I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. Stopped taking livalo and was put on generic zetia which did not lower cholesterol. Was put back on Livalo and experienced the same strong heart palpitations. I saved myself $2,200 and didn't go to the ER again and waited over an hour for the heart palpitations to go away. Stopped taking livalo again and now waiting to see what the dr will put me on next. :/
Since taking Livalo-my Triglyceride Level and Cholesterol (bad) Level have decreased. I took several different cholesterol drugs prior with poor results and many side effects. I have not experienced any muscular or joint pain, headaches, or other effects. I also take Fenofibrate with Livalo. I have experienced an elevation in my Liver Enzymes - I have stopped taking any Tylenol. The enzyme level is coming down. So, I am not sure yet (if there is a connection to Livalo or Fenofibrate) to elevated enzymes.
After taking several other statins that gave me severe body aches... Livalo did not have that side effect. BUT it did have a worse side effect and was curious if anyone else had had the same experience. After taking Livalo for only a month I found myself in an ANXIOUS state most of the time with DEPRESSION mixed in. Very short of temper... just simply not feeling like myself. I have stopped taking and the symptoms have reduced. I am a 53 year old male
Have only been taking Livalo for 3 weeks and am having horrible side effects. My hair is falling out, scalp/skin itching, leg cramps. But worst of all is I have gotten where I forget words, and speech is slurring at times. Have taken about every statin drug and all have different side effects but this is the most scary. Stopped taking today!!!
I took Livalo for a month and a half,then stopped taking it. It has given me very blurry vision,I was at 20/20 before taking this. I can't even see well enough to drive anymore. I'm hoping this goes away soon. I also have SEVERE cramping in my calves and hands. I could live with the cramping,but not the blurred vision.Hating life right now.
When I turned 50, I needed to be placed on a statin drug... even after I had tried to lessen cholesterol in my diet choices. Doctor told me that this often happens with age. (Who wants to have a heart attack, right?) First, I was on simvastatin...but after a few years my "numbers" were wrong for my liver. So, my doctor put me on Livalo (pitavastatin). I had a dramatic improvement with additional benefits according to my blood work. I did not have any side effects. I take the 2mg/daily. Livalo is more expensive than Simvastatin. While on work insurance I paid 25 then 18 dollars per 30 caps with the coupon that I got from Livalo (otherwise cost would have been 50 for 30 caps). Now, that I am on Medicare, I pay 36/month for 30 caps. Statins can be tricky. work with your physician to find the right one. Best of luck and good health to you! You're worth it !!! :)
I only took this med for 2 months and stopped because i have to urnate more often & my left kidney hurt. I have not had a blood test yet so effectiveness is unknowned really.
Since taking livalo I have had horrible side effects. I hurt all over so much that I feel like an old woman. I have body aches, headaches, nausea, weakness, mood swings, muscle cramps and I wake up several times a night. I finally spoke to my doctor and he said to stop taking it. He said the benefits are not worth the side effects I'm having. I just want to feel like myself again.
I've been on Livalo for 4 years. A couple of years ago I began complaining about bad foot and leg cramps. Mostly up my shin and the outside muscle running from ankle to knee. My doctor didn't seem concerned or relate it to the Livalo, so I kept taking my daily 2mg. In the last year the cramps have become severe and debilitating. I've cried and screamed in pain, scaring my husband. I took myself off the Livalo and the cramps have become less intense and less frequent. While the drug has lowered my cholesterol, it most certainly has not inprove my quality of life.
although my cholesterol went from 247 to 157 I have had such bizarre reactions from a bad rash...to muscle cramps and memory loss sometime I can't say shrimp and shoulder my s's slur...I have read the different side effect been on this drug 2 yrs. and feel I don't want to end up with long term problems so am going to ask Dr. to go off...I have been eating better and walking lost 14 lbs my weight is 142 so I feel time to kick this drug
This is a drug from hell. It lowered my cholesterol, but appears to have killed my immune system. I have been sick ever since taking this drug. First, I had a 6 weeks long cold--the worst cold in my live. Then I caught a sinus infection and bronchitis at the same time. I have never felt such a miserable constellation of symptoms--total fatigue, exhaustion, chills, fevers, cold feet, cold hands, bone rattling cough, chest mucus, runny nose, congested sinuses, eye pain, total loss of appetite for all food, abnormal tastes, no desire to drink any fluids, headaches, etc. I regret every single day I have been on this pill. My M.D. has discontinued it, but he said it will take weeks to clear my system.
It did bring my numbers down after only a month. But the body and joint pains were not worth it. I have been one 4 different statins and each one has given me pain. I have a life to live and this is just not the way I wish to live it. I've always eaten pretty healthy but three months ago I changed everything, became a vegetarian and started exercising more. Today my numbers were only slightly higher so I am going to keep doing what I am doing in hopes I can live without statins.
This gave me terrible muscle and body aches. The muscles in my thumbs became like charlie horse pain and I can not get rid of the pain. I NEVER HAD Carpel Tunnel, but I think this may be worse. And as with a Charlie horse, the pain just lingers. It also gave me a terrible side ache and muscle cramps in my legs.