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Aching legs

Dogchasers profile image
23 Replies

Hi friends I’m on bisoprolol and simvastatin for nearly 4 years following quad bypass I’ve been ok except for getting tired blood test show slightly anemic so on iron tablets but I wake up at night with aching legs sometimes painful seen 4 different doctors just keep putting me back on iron my drug dosage is 1.25 mg .

I’m feeling a bit fed up because the tiredness is starting to affect what I do

Just felt the need to vent my self

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Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers
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23 Replies
Hanibil profile image
Hanibil

Sorry to hear of your pain I was on simvastatin and had pain in my legs I believed it was the statin, so doctor put me on atorvastatin instead and the pains stopped, I have been taking bisoprolol since 2013 without problem

Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers in reply toHanibil

Hi hanibil when I was first put on statins I tried 3 different ones due to cramps simvastatin was the one that affected me least thanks for the reply

gilreid1 profile image
gilreid1

I had a triple bypass two and half years ago and have had ongoing problems with pains in my legs at night. After many conversations with my GP he has finally agreed to let me stop taking statin for one month. After two weeks I feel better with virtually no joint pains. Hopefully we can find an alternative to statinsBut I must be clear I only am doing this after consulting my GP. I recommend you speak with yours.

Good luck.

Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers in reply togilreid1

Hi thanks for the reply I’m due to see the doctor

MountainGoat52 profile image
MountainGoat52 in reply togilreid1

Hi Gil,

I had leg pains with Atorvastatin, Simvastatin and Pravastatin. The pains came on within a week of commencing taking them and were worse when I was exercising. I tried Ezetimibe, but that was ineffective and did nothing for my cholesterol. I'm now on 10mg Rosuvastatin and have no issues, with my cholesterol having dropped from a baseline of 4.4 down to 3.7.

Gerald

gilreid1 profile image
gilreid1 in reply toMountainGoat52

GeraldHave tried all the statins and Atorvastatin has had the least side affect (in my case joint pain). The others were far worse and you really don’t want to know the details. Hopefully my GP can try an alternative. But I know the importance of medication and will take what’s needed. Thanks for your response

👍

MountainGoat52 profile image
MountainGoat52 in reply togilreid1

If only we reacted the same to these medications, it would be much simpler.

One option might be to lower your Atorvastatin dose and add Ezetimibe which is supposed to enhance the effect of the statin. Exactly why my GP put me on Ezetimibe alone, I can't (with hindsight and greater knowledge) understand. Desperation perhaps. It got the Pathologist at the local hospital wondering.

Hope you get sorted soon.

Pundles profile image
Pundles

Hi DC, I had a double three weeks ago and am on Atorvastatin & Bisoprolol 1.25. So far no leg pain.

gilreid1 profile image
gilreid1 in reply toPundles

A bit early to have a reaction but not unheard off. Let’s hope in a years time you are not getting any side affects. Good luck with your recovery ❤️‍🩹

CyclingTime profile image
CyclingTime

Funny you mention the leg pains at night I thought it was caused by my cycling but it sounds like it's the atorvastatin

Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers in reply toCyclingTime

Hi cyclingtime have you tried coenzyme q10 from holland and barrett it helped me for a time with night cramps/pains in the legs

CyclingTime profile image
CyclingTime in reply toDogchasers

No I haven't tried anything I thought it was just the cycling! I will ask the doctor first about a reduction as they have me on the full 80mg

MountainGoat52 profile image
MountainGoat52

If your leg aches started when you were put on the iron tablets, then logically it would appear that this due to an interaction between the iron and one of your medications. This may not necessarily be the statin, but my money would be on it being that. Hopefully when you see your doctor a way forward can be found.

Casablanka profile image
Casablanka

Hi, I get restless legs at night driving me nuts waiting for blood test results. I take omerprezole aspirin candesartan and bisoprosolol. Now how you feel tablets make me tired also, sorry cant help you.

Casablanka profile image
Casablanka

Will add I do not take statins.

Auiron profile image
Auiron

Your effects from simvastatin are similar to many, me included. Mine came on a few months ago after taking statins for 19 years and suffering some after-effects which increased as I reached 80. It was my decision to stop taking them for four days just to see if it was simvastatin and it was. Best to mention this to a doctor first as all our cases are a bit different.

I had swollen ankles and feet for very many years but strangely they are no longer swollen after switching from Amlodipine to Ramipril - I have no idea why as I forgot to mention it to my doctor when discussing simvastatin.

Simvastatin has a short duration and is taken at bedtime. Atorvastatin is a long-lasting statin - probably best for those who sleep in short spells throughout the day.

Short acting statins include pravastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin with half-lives of 2-5 hours. Long-acting statins include rosuvastatin and atorvastatin with half-lives of 14-19 hours.

NHS recommended alternatives: Other medicines may be used if statins do not work or you do not want to take statins.

These include: other tablets – such as ezetimibe, fibrates, bile acid sequestrants (also called resins) and bempedoic acid

injections – such as alirocumab, evolocumab and inclisiran

nhs.uk/conditions/high-chol...

Aside from being better at lowering so-called "bad" cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, another advantage to rosuvastatin is that it has far fewer negative interactions with other medications than simvastatin, or most other statins, for that matter.

Persevere99 profile image
Persevere99

Hi

If your muscle aches started after the statins, then 100% they are down to the statins.

Doc should 100% tell you to stop them (some don’t) and wait for your symptoms to resolve - and only then discuss another statin. Or something non myopathic, like Repatha.

And, if you are a keen exerciser, your risk of getting muscle aches on statins is at about 90%.

All the best

Persevere99

Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers in reply toPersevere99

Hi P99 I do like to exercise especially walking I was up to 8 miles but struggling at the moment

Persevere99 profile image
Persevere99 in reply toDogchasers

“Struggling at the moment”

So, are you saying that your aches start only after the statins?Or, were they there before?

Persevere99

Dogchasers profile image
Dogchasers in reply toPersevere99

I tried 2 statins which caused cramps at night then tried simvastatin and had no cramps for about a year to and from the docs since then nothing changes

Mandylifeboats profile image
Mandylifeboats

Get rid of the statins! They can cause aching muscles. I was walking with a stick and the pain was immense! No idea why a doctor prescribed statins as my bp is normal to low, my cholesterol low and everything else is in order. Since i stopped taking statins I've been back to how i was before.

Persevere99 profile image
Persevere99 in reply toMandylifeboats

I agree with you totally Mandy.

gilreid1 profile image
gilreid1

Spot on reply to a dangerous post

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