I am no fan of big pharma but a lot of the time that list of possible side effects is just them covering their butt. I've suffered from migraines most of my life. Every single prescription drug I've ever taken to treat said migraines has headaches as a listed side effect (how would you tell?) Now I can understand that for drugs that have found a second life as preventatives like beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and the like, but the stuff that has actually been developed to stop migraines having that as a side effect is just silly.

Every drug on the marketplace whether over the counter or prescription has side effects. Take enough Tylenol long enough and in high enough doses you'll ruin your liver just as sure as if you drank Scotch every day. Ibuprofen can both burn a hole in your stomach lining and it's hard on the kidneys over time. Asprin, it's really hard on the stomach, I'm not allowed to take it anymore due to a few holes I've punched into mine.

It's a balancing act, what can you stand, what can you not. Not everyone's body chemistry is the same and just because one person reacts to a drug one way doesn't mean everyone does.

As far as Lipitor goes, from what I've read, you are better off going for a run and having a bowl of oatmeal, but IANAD.