Body Joint and muscle Aches from taking Atorvastatin

[Bluseman]

I have been experiencing Muscle and joint aches recently and was wondering if it could be being caused by Taking Atorvastatin Thank you. John

[Palpman]

Quite possible. I was pro statins for years but out the blue my leg muscles especially hips and upper legs started to pain at night.More so in the early mornings but cleared when getting up.

A month ago I stopped the atorvastatin and my pain disappeared immediately.

Now after a few weeks the pains are back and I still don't take atorvastatin.

Perhaps I'll start taking them again.

[Murdy1 in reply to Palpman]

Please see your Gp first and tell him what side effects you're suffering! Best wishes, Tom

[Mickey16]

Hi Bluseman,There was a report recently indicating that some people may experience joint pains. Suggest you speak to your Dr to see if pains are coincidental or linked?

[Millbrook]

My husband had muscle and joint aches that worsened when his Lipitor was doubled. He stopped his medication and it took one month before the pains were reduced from 9 to 2. His cardiologist changed his medication to Crestor and now he does not have this problem.

[BobD Volunteer]

Quite possibly is the statins. I took them for many years and then stopped due to leg pains. Although these did reduce they never went completely so I suspect lots of other reasons.

[Palpman]

I read today that cholesterol can cause pain in the legs while sleeping and this is alleviated by getting up for a few minutes. Catch 22 it seems.

[Hidden]

It's a known side-effect. It's possible that a change of statin would resolve the issue. I've just been prescribed statins but haven't yet started them. I was a bit put off when I read that they can cause diabetes.

[Rubymurray25]

100% caused my muscle and joint pains as I twice tried a month off Statins , I was reduced by my previous Dr. from 40mg to 20mg and now I'm ok on 10mg but my current doctors indicated 10mg is hardly worth taking, I said better than nothing!

[sleeksheep in reply to Rubymurray25]

I was on Atorvastatin 20mg , dropped to 5mg but even then the leg pain required paracetamol . I eventually stopped taking any statin because of this.

I have no leg pain at all since discontinuing them.

As an aside I had no problem with statins till I started on beta blockers.

[kkatz in reply to Rubymurray25]

I had a very similar situation.The only statin I can take is simvastatin .I did however still have pain and adventually I spoke to doc and said I will no longer take it but would rather he was onboard with this.He said the longer you are on a a statin the worse it can get.He agreed a break for a couple of months and I started back at 20 mg which I am ok with.Both neurology & cardiology have classed this as a token dose but there have been no attempts to alter dosage.Mind you there can be many other things causing muscle & joint pains mainly old age

[ATSF]

I have been taking it for 8 years and for most of that time it caused me severe leg aches, almost always in the evenings. In the last approx 3 years it has reduced to just occasional bouts. My wife takes it also and has no problems with it.

[Maggimunro]

Hi thereI had to stop taking statins because of awful leg pains. The pain stopped immediately I stopped taking the statins.

It would seem the drive to get people onto statins is based on some very dodgy early research, funded by the giant sugar corporations and big pharma.

I now concentrate on a healthy balanced plant based diet. I don’t eat any red meat at all but I do eat fish and the occasional free range chicken.

[seasicksurf]

Of course, yes. Statins are well known for joint pain side effects. I was so affected and debilitated, I went on a diet and exercise binge and got my cholesterol into the healthy range in about 6 months. I’m done with that med and working my lifestyle to get off the BP med (last one). Feel much better every day. Good luck Blu.

[Auriculaire]

If you wish to stay on statins you could try a supplement of co Enzyme Q 10. This is a substance made in our livers which is essential in the conversion of food into energy and is very important for muscle function. Statins interfere with the same metabolic pathway in the liver that makes this as well as cholesterol. Any benefit statins confer is to do with their anti inflammatory properties and nothing to do with cholesterol reduction. Even the manufacturers admit to this when pressed as no other cholesterol lowering drugs have shown any benefit from having lower cholesterol and indeed the older you are the more you benefit from higher cholesterol. There are plenty of other anti inflammatory substances found in food and available as supplements without the nasth side effects of statins.