Drug side effects
atorvastatin Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for atorvastatin (also sold as Lipitor), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 240,204
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2000 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.
The most commonly reported side effects of atorvastatin come from 240,204 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 240,204 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for atorvastatin (Lipitor): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.
Total Reports
240,204
Reports Mentioning Death
18,385
7.7% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
68,513
28.5% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 18,385 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 7,408 |
| MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 1,271 |
| PNEUMONIA | 1,099 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 1,015 |
| DYSPNOEA | 1,012 |
| SEPSIS | 792 |
| DIARRHOEA | 788 |
| ASTHENIA | 763 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 763 |
| FALL | 762 |
| NAUSEA | 722 |
| FATIGUE | 717 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 672 |
| CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE | 660 |
| CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 597 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 586 |
| VOMITING | 565 |
| HYPOTENSION | 561 |
| PAIN | 555 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 553 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 68,513 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DYSPNOEA | 5,530 |
| PNEUMONIA | 4,694 |
| FALL | 4,618 |
| NAUSEA | 4,471 |
| MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 4,368 |
| FATIGUE | 4,074 |
| DIARRHOEA | 3,997 |
| ASTHENIA | 3,897 |
| PAIN | 3,470 |
| CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 3,390 |
| DIZZINESS | 3,265 |
| VOMITING | 3,128 |
| CHEST PAIN | 2,995 |
| HEADACHE | 2,987 |
| PYREXIA | 2,875 |
| WEIGHT DECREASED | 2,865 |
| MALAISE | 2,785 |
| ANAEMIA | 2,588 |
| CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE | 2,585 |
| HYPOTENSION | 2,430 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About atorvastatin Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 240,204 voluntary reports linked to atorvastatin and its brand equivalents (Lipitor), spanning 2000 through 2025. Of those, 18,385 (7.7%) listed death as an outcome and 68,513 (28.5%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 54% were female and 45% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 56,931 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 13,812 submissions, followed by nausea and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
How to read these numbers
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to atorvastatin's 240,204.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.