ajmill1978 replied: "I looked up atorvastatin (Lipitor) in the Micromedex evidence-based database and in the Drug Information Handbook (14th ed.). I found no evidence of depression as an adverse effect related to its use. I did find one recent article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that looked specifically at "statin" use and depression, and they were unable to show a link (source below). Could you please share your source of information? Depression is a very complex state and stems from a huge variety of causes. Some of these causes are psychological, but a good many of them may be physical or hormonal. Menopause, lack of sleep, improper diet/exercise regimens, early onset diabetes, thyroid problems, anemias - these can all contribute symptoms that look like depression or lead to chemical imbalances that would be considered clinical depression. There's no way to know without first doing a "complete workup" (blood tests, liver tests, etc.). It is *possible*, that atorvastatin may be causing to some other adverse effect (e.g. muscle weakness, changes in your blood cells). These effects can become noticeable at any time during statin therapy, which is why your mom probably has regular liver function tests - if she hasn't, then she needs to soon. You do *not* want to abruptly stop your statin therapy without first talking to your doctor. This is not to say that you should ignore these signs or symptoms, because depression is serious and treatable. You definitely want to bring this up with your doctor as soon as possible. It helps to bring a "diary" of how your mom feels on a day-to-day basis (physically and mentally). They will first try to rule out a correctable physiological abnormalities, and then refer to a psychiatrist for evaluation. Let me know if you need clarification. Good luck and best wishes for your mother!"

trytohelp replied: "normally if you get started on lipitor (or any other cholesterol medicine) you stay on it unless your diet and exercise get your cholesterol back down. the only serious long term side effect is rhabdomyalgia, which basically is muscle breakdown, which goes to the liver, and damages the liver. you should do routine liver function tests every 6-12 months while on lipitor, also checking cholesterol. rhabdomyalgia is reversible if you catch it soon, and it is easy to know if you get it. if you have sever muscle pain all over your body that is unexplainable, or your urine start to turn a darker color (like the color of Coke), then stop taking lipitor and call your doctor. the chance of this happening is <1% of all people who take lipitor."