statin side effects

[Winimops]

Hi all. After advice from the pharmacist I have stopped taking Rosuvastatin 10mg for a week as to see if my upper back pain would ease. I have been having pain, getting increasingly worse, since November last year. And guess what - my back pain has improved dramatically over the past week with no pain yesterday or today.

But I assume that i need statins as I don’t think that I will be able to maintain a LDL of below 1.8 without them. Does anyone have ideas on what statin causes the least muscle pain please.

I had my NSTMI in July last year, started on Rosuvastatin 40mg which were reduced to 20mg and then 10mg due to my low cholesterol levels.

My numbers last week were HDL & LDL 1.4. Triglycertates 1.1.

Thank you

[Lowerfield_no_more]

From what you have told us it is likely you are suffering from the aches and pains side effects some experience from taking statins. However there is a range of statins out there and it is possible one might suit you and not give you side effects. But if you turn out to be statin intolerant there is other medication available to manage your lipid profile. All this, and whether you actually need medication to manage lipids given the side effect issues and your natural lipid profile , is a topic for discussion with your GP so I suggest you arrange to speak with him/her.

[Bloodredroses in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Hi In ref to your point ‘there arw other medication available to manage your lipid profile’ quote , I am interested which meds these are, I like to google . Obviously I only consult with my Specialist . I hate statins , I go to Spec armed with alternatives if I can .

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Bloodredroses]

Try the pdf ink in below regarding the NHS England statin intolerance pathway. One alternative to statins is ezetimibe. You will not be considered for an alternative to statins unless you are genuinely intolerant presenting unpleasant side effects, rather than just being averse to taking them, mostly on the basis that alternatives cost more, sometimes significantly more.

england.nhs.uk/aac/publicat...

[Bloodredroses in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Rosuvastatin was an alternative to

Most common statin ( forget ) due leg pain fatigue . Autoimmune makes one intolerant to everything , exist survive but feel crap . Even worse since starting BISOP . I can’t get straight answer from Cardiac Spec , who said just take if symptomatic !! Extra heart beats , it’s random . Because slight thickening of lower chamber heart muscle . He said could fix !! Both Specialists , I will email until get replies from their team . My G P always defers to Spec . 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[Happyrosie]

what suits one person might not suit another. On the assumption that the pharmacist concerned is the one employed by your surgery, you might feel it a good idea to talk to them again and suggest the pharmacist discuss with the gp - rather than the other way round?

[Bloodredroses in reply to Happyrosie]

Agreed

[Stent2024]

I’m on rosuvastatin as well , and getting terrible muscles aches in my leg at night , so gonna try and get them changed I think

[Bloodredroses in reply to Stent2024]

Yes try . 😁

[Bloodredroses]

Hi, not what you want to hear, still pursue with your specialist . I started out on the common statin most G P s prescribe , (forgotten name) bad leg ache, I PUSHED G P to get ref to CHOLESTERAL Spec. my Cholesteral SPECs. Very senior , 1 Prof . I knew , I was right as 3 years later diagnosed with APS Autoimmune and a clot. She said stop G P common statin started me on Rosuvastatin , ‘ as less prone to giving pain’. It suited me , on 10 mg for years then upto 30 mg as bloods higher due to Ageing. Diet good no bad fats processed food . Every individual is diffferent. Quite honestly I could not accept a pharmacists consultation. Understandably you were in pain . Trial and error . I feel mildly knackered , whichbI put down to Autoimmune -osteo arthritis fkate ups , but it could be statins . If I stop CHOLESTERAL bloods go wack . See a Specialist , loooong wait for clinics , but if you off statins anyway , time will pass irregardless . Wait list . I do bloods cminic once per year now, she also watches out fur Diabetes, calcium

Iron which is a bonus . I wonder what are the non statin drugs tef to in this thread ? Good luck 👍👍

[Dossy]

Hi I've been prescribed 3 different brands of Statins and all of them have given me unbearable leg cramps. Once I stopped taking them all the painful cramps have stopped. My GP has now put me on Ezetimibe which is not a Statin but works very similarly.

I've just had a blood test and doctor is happy at my cholesterol levels

Hope this is helpful

[Winimops]

thank you all for replying. I saw cardiac nurse yesterday and GP today. GP advised me to stop statins for 1 month and test lipids again to see what the effect is. My potassium was also high so to repeat that aswel.

The cardiac team suggested I ask regarding a lipid particle test to see whether a statin is truly needed. GP looked on the blood request system and it wasn’t available here in BCUHB. Has anyone had this test done either on the nhs or privately? Any advice appreciated - thank you.

[Pepperthedog]

Many years ago, when first diagnosed with high cholesterol, I was offered statins; but within days my legs were so painful I couldn't get out of bed. A urine test confirmed high protein, suggestive of muscle meltdown. So the consultant prescribed Ezetimibe, which I believe NHS GPs can't initiate because it's much more expensive. But once a consultant did prescribe it, the GP can continue it, and I've had it every since, with no side effects.