Atorvastatin pains: Statins have been... - British Heart Fou...

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Atorvastatin pains

Sleepyzz profile image
13 Replies

Statins have been taking Atorvastatin for a couple of months. In the last couple of weeks my upper arms have aches and shoulder now tender. Also generally feeling joint pain that I haven’t had before.

Have blood test next week due review . Wonder what other peoples experience is? Thanks

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Sleepyzz
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13 Replies
Beta70 profile image
Beta70

I initially had aches and pains when first taking Atorvastatin 40 so spoke to my GP who reduced the dose to Atorvastatin 20. The pains stopped so obviously this was the right dose for me. Suggest you discuss options with your GP.

Sleepyzz profile image
Sleepyzz in reply toBeta70

Thanks that is helpful

benjijen profile image
benjijen

I was actually at the stage that I could barely walk on atorvastatin, but it was muscular not joint GP eventually changed to lower dose rosuvastatin and now just some problems with upper arm muscles. Obviously still have usual arthritis joint pain as not affected by statin.

MrsTree profile image
MrsTree

Yes I get hip joint pains from Atorvastatin and hope to be put on a different one. It's definitely a side effect as it happened before when I was on this drug.

HI there. Yes Atorvastatin is not for everybody. I was put on 80mg per day on leaving hospital after heart attack in Aug 2020. Was ok at first building up my walking as advised in the booklet I was given … no cardiac rehab due to Covid. I was fairly fit before heart attack. But three months in I could hardly walk my wee dog. The pain in hip and ankle joints was keeping me awake at night. I had to change my GP after being with the practice all my life as no one was admitting it was the statins or offering solutions ? My only other medication was clopidogrel. New GP reduced dose and statin to Rourvstatin … no change so after many months of no statins Cardiac team finally gave me an appointment and I’m now on injections. 2 months in and the difference is night and day. Sorry for the ramble but I think you have to speak to your GP and find a solution I’m afraid. It angers me the attitude that it’s one size fits all when clearly it doesn’t. Take care ❤️

I was put on 80mg a day of Atorvastatin, along with several other medications following a heart attack last June, as many others have reported I suffered from aches and pains in my upper torso.A bit of research on this forum led me to the conclusion that the source of my aches and pains was the Atorvastatin.

I had a chat with my GP who prescribed me 40mg a day of Simvastatin.

Within a week the aches and pains had gone.

Thank you Slepyzz for the information. I have been put on Atorvastatin and have developed shoulder, neck and back pains when out walking. We are not sure if this is due to medication or is angina related so this discussion helps.

DD13 profile image
DD13

Hi, I use to take mine in the morning. Suffered with pain daily. Someone suggested taking them at night, which I now do. Don't suffer any pain now. When I spoke to the nurse at gp surgery she said they should be taken at night. Regards Dee

Sleepyzz profile image
Sleepyzz in reply toDD13

Thanks am taking mine in the evening will see what gp suggests

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop in reply toSleepyzz

Yes I have to take mine at night. GP took me off atorvastatin for a full month to see if they were having any effect on my stomach. They were so he changed to simvastatin.

Sleepyzz profile image
Sleepyzz in reply toQualipop

My stomach has been affected too but I can live with that more easily than the pains. Probably should not have waited for the three month review 🤦‍♀️

I was on 40mg Atorvastatin for many years before the dose was increased to the maximum dose of 80mg following an NSTEMI four years ago. I have always taken mine before I go to bed, although apparently Atorvastin can be taken anytime during the day, whereas other statins need to be taken before bedtime, like Simvastatin, due to the way they act on the body*. I have never noticed any pains which I could attribute to taking statins, although I know people who have had problems. So like so many other meds you may suffer side affects and you may not.

(* see medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

Heather1957 profile image
Heather1957

I think it is very much a case of trial and error with Statins. I couldn't get on with Simvastatin so was changed to Atorvastatin firstly 20 mg then after a Stroke to 40 mg now on 80 mg after needing rotablation to fit 2 stents. Luckily my cholesterol is dropping and I haven't had any side effects. That said I would like to reduce the cholesterol by diet in the long term.

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