Mom and Dad both had high cholesterol. Mine ran 230's for years then finally began creeping up. My doc, who doesn't like prescribing drugs, put me on a diet and told me to increase excersize. I did and promptly went to 265. So we tried another diet and continued the excersize, 280's.

After about three years of experimenting with different diets and excersize regimens, at 310, my doc finally gave up and put me on Lipitor. (I am not an overweight slob, 6'2" and 185, but I could lose a little.) The results were dramatic, 145 with an increase in hdls and a drop in ldls. Triglycerides stayed about the same, a little on the high side. I do notice minor cramping after about 15 miles or so, and at 58, I would like to blame the Lipitor for short term memory loss, but that is genetic also.

I would like to jump off it, but Mom died from a cholesterol induced stroke and Dad is fighting high cholesterol with simvastatin. I don't particularly like taking it, but I fear a stroke far more than cramps, leg pains or even a heart attack.

Anyhoo, just my experience.