Touted as a new cholesterol buster, Lipitor was said to have very few side effects. That turned out not to be true.

Atorvastatin seemed to be a dream drug, the answer to those who were
diagnosed with high cholesterol levels. Pfizer marketed this drug like
there was no tomorrow and made it a point to mention that Lipitor had
very few side effects.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and many people across the
nation found themselves talking to a dangerous drug attorney to assess
their case. Lipitor is in a class of drugs called statins whose major
function is to lower cholesterol.

Pfizer has a history of bringing out blockbuster drugs and you might
recognize some of them because they are so popular: Viagra, Diflucan,
Zithromax, Celebrex and Zoloft. They are also noted for the
groundbreaking drug, Aricept, used to treat Alzheimer's patients.

Lipitor/atorvastatin turned into a virtual success overnight, raking
up sales of close to $12.9 billion in 2006 when it was first released
on the market. From then on, sales have continued to soar and return
healthy revenue to Pfizer.

Then, one day the roof fell in, and Lipitor patients were reporting
rhabdomyolysis and severe liver damage. Lipitor sales plummeted to
about $6 billion for the first quarter of 2007 compared to $6.2 billion
in the same quarter in 2006.

Despite the damaging reports from Lipitor patients, statins are
still in high demand, as more than 52 million people suffer from high
cholesterol. Roughly one-third that number seeks treatment for it. The
sales potential for this drug is virtually unlimited. The patent on
Lipitor is good until 2010 even though the drug company wanted an
extension until 2011.

Things were going well until the Food and Drug Administration
started getting reports that people were dying from liver damage, heart
problems and severe muscle deterioration as a result of taking Lipitor.
It turns out that Lipitor's side effects may be numerous, including
diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, joint pain, memory loss, severe liver
problems, and non-functioning muscle fibers (rhabdomyolysis).

Non-functioning muscle fibers means muscle breakdown, with the
muscle cells purging their contents into the blood stream. This winds
up in the liver and causes severe damage or death. This drug inhibits
an enzyme needed to make cholesterol in the liver. It also blocks the
manufacture of CoQ10 that benefits the heart.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the Division of
Public Health Sciences found Lipitor to be one of the most dangerous
drugs on the market. In fact, it ranked it as the eighth most dangerous
drug with over 6,000 adverse events. That's pretty hard to ignore.

If you have experienced Lipitor side effects, contact a highly
skilled dangerous drug attorney and discuss your situation. Knowing
your rights will help you decide whether or not to file a dangerous
drug lawsuit.

Christopher Mellino is a Cleveland Malpractice Lawyer specializing
in Cleveland Medical Malpractice cases in Ohio. To learn more about Cleveland medical malpractice, Cleveland malpractice lawyer, Cleveland medical malpractice, Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer, visit Christophermellino.com.