What Does Shortness Of Breath After Starting Lipitor Indicate?

Posted on Thu, 26 Mar 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 Answered on

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Just started "lipitor" a statin to reduce high cholesterol, i have developed a shortness of breathe about a week after starting med. i didnot see shortness of breathe on the side effects list is this common and does it usually go away?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (-4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Atorvastatin is not supposed to cause shortness of breath

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

atorvastatin is not supposed to cause this symptom, according to the summary of product characteristics (SPC) and post-marketing data. I'm sure you'll find relevant references (about shortness of breath) on the internet but the most credible document is the SPC.

Perhaps you should check your hematocrit because serious anemia may cause shortness of breath.

I hope I've helped!

Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar