Brief Answer:
Studies are NOT UNIFORMLY CONSISTENT in results

Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm very sorry that your wife is suffering from issues of memory loss.

There is actually a fair amount of up to date evidence collected through RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT) which support both the suggestion that Lipitor CAN CAUSE a form of REVERSIBLE cognitive deficit (i.e. reverse memory loss after stopping the drug) as well as HAVING A PROTECTIVE EFFECT against the development of dementia and memory loss. Isn't that something? In other words, the best answer to give you based purely upon the best evidence we have that the status of confusion and memory tied to Lipitor as side effects is CONTROVERSIAL at best. Evidence is both for and against Lipitor as an agent causing that particular side effect.

Package inserts for Lipitor continue to warn about side effects having to do with confusion and memory loss as potential side effects since this was reported during the PHASE III TRIALS of the drug when it was first approved by the FDA. And until such time as there is definitie and universally agreed upon proof positve that Lipitor DOES not cause these problems all the company that manufactures LIPITOR must continue to list this as a potential side effect (though it is not considered a COMMON problem for most people).

For example, here is the side effect page taken from RXLIST as off Oct. 2018:

"Contact your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Lipitor including":

muscle wasting and muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis),
confusion or memory problems,
fever,
dark urine,
increased thirst or hunger,
drowsiness,
loss of appetite, or.
yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

In this list CONFUSION is not considered to be a COMMON side effect of the drug but it is listed as SERIOUS if it occurs.

WebMD lists CONFUSION and MEMORY LOSS as LESS SEVERE and RARE in frequency.


So you see, unfortunately, we are in a state of FLUX right now. I think a reasonable question that you could ask your doctor is whether or not there is COMPELLING EVIDENCE that the Lipitor itself is helping keep your wife stable or improved in her cholesterol status since one could argue that the medication could be returned if it's failing to doing its intended job and either replaced with something else or NOTHING AT ALL. Make sense?

Ultimately, it should be your wife's doctor that should give you his final opinion on whether HE truly believes that the Lipitor is having potentially NEGATIVE effects on your wife's memory function and whether or not it's worth keeping on board for any benefits she may be getting for her cholesterol vs. the negative contribution it could be having on her mentation. Then, you (and if possible your wife as well) should make a decision whether to keep or dispose/replace this drug.

Here is the citation from the 2015 review article that your doctor can read if he'd like...I think it's got validity and references a number of good studies:

Can Pharm J (Ott). 2015 May; 148(3): 150–155.
doi: 10.1177/0000
PMCID: PMC0000
PMID: 0000
Statins and their effect on cognition
Let’s clear up the confusion
Jérémie M. Gauthier, BScPharmcorresponding author and XXXXXXX Massicotte, BPharm, MSc

Here is a more up to date (2018) article that echoes many of the same thoughts as the Canadian journal article but adds to that discussion the possibility that Lipitor (and other statin drugs) can also have a PROTECTIVE effect against dementia:

Transl Neurodegener. 2018; 7: 5.
Published online 2018 Feb 27. doi: 10.1186/s40035-018-0110-3
PMCID: PMC0000
PMID: 0000
The role of statins in both cognitive impairment and protection against dementia: a tale of two mechanisms XXXXXXX G. Schultz, XXXXXXX K. Patten, and XXXXXXX J. Berlaucorresponding author

If I've provided useful or helpful information to your questions could you do me the utmost of favors in CLOSING THE QUERY along with a few positive words of feedback and maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi as to how you're feeling down the road and how things turn out. I can also help guide you through some other things to check out for your concern of possible organic dementia if that is of interest to you.

You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns and given you a better direction as to which way a conversation would best be had with your doctor if you feel a discussion needs to take place based on what I've written.

Cheers!

This query required 65 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.

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