Why is Lipitor still being prescribed seeing it has such dangerous side-effect, when it is to avert future complication?

[oyinemi2012]

[DakCB-UK]

There are accusations that the muscle pains become permanent if one keeps taking it too long.

The reason it's still prescribed is that with correct monitoring, it's thought to benefit many more people than it harms, with a small side-effect risk.

Whether that thought is correct... is another story. Maybe, but I'll probably never take it again.

[Aliwally]

It was Baycol (cerivastatin) that was withdrawn in 2001 due to a number of deaths from rhabdomyolysis. This very rare (thank goodness) and some of the people taking it were on another drug as well which made the reaction worse.