Rosuvastatin side effects

[Alan7690]

Just moved from atorvastatin to rosuvastatin as I could not manage atorvastatin.

I am having stomach pains and headaches since starting rosuvastatin (been on it 10 days)

Anyone else having this and does it go after a while?

[Lowerfield_no_more]

The side effects of rosuvastatin are listed in the link below and will also be on the patient information sheet that comes with your medication and which is available online. Headaches and stomach upsets are certainly in there. Sometimes there is a bedding in period for new medication with how your body responds so I suggest you give it another week to 10 days and if your possible side effects have not gone away or even worsened you go back to the GP to discuss. There are still other statins available to try, but if you turn out to be truly statin intolerant due to side effects, there are other medications available to your GP to prescribe, and of, course, if you are borderline whether you actually need cholesterol management by medication that might be an option for a discussion between you and your GP.

nhs.uk/medicines/rosuvastat...

[Blearyeyed]

Have you made any other changes at the same time as starting the Rosuvastatin? Such as any other medications or supplements?

Or changes in your diet like avoiding sugar , artificial sweeteners or having very restricted carbs ?

It increasing other foods like fibre , vegetables and fruits?

These sorts of diet changes can also cause headaches and stomach issues as you go through some period of sugar withdrawal.

And beginning fibre, especially insoluble fibre and vegetables in larger quantities can cause some initial stomach upset and accompanying head pains.

This can take 2-3 weeks to resolve just like the initial side effects of any medication or supplement, including statins does because your body can take time to adjust to the chemical change.

Eating lighter , smaller portions during the time you begin a new drug can often help reduce side effects in the weeks when your body adjusts to the new medication.

Are you drinking the recommended amount of water/ fluids each day?

Some people suffer some initial stomach changes like diarrhea or constipation on statins and that can cause internal dehydration which adds to the symptoms.

Drinking enough usually helps reduce the stomach symptoms and prevents the headache linked to dehydration.

Are you also having a busy or stressful week. Or have you begun to do more Exercises?

Often , because a new medication can make us feel a little worse before we improve it's a good plan to start non emergency medications during a quiet week and at the weekend when we can rest more and just allow our bodies to cope with a new chemical change.

This can reduce the build up of side effects and also the length of time side effects occur at the start of a new medication regime.

It's often a better idea not to start two new medications at once unless it's medically necessary and also taper the dose up from half of the amount of the dose your will be on long term to make it easier for your body to adjust.

It's good to reduce the Stress of too many changes , and not start diet changes at exactly the same time as a new drug so your stomach can adjust more gently .

It also helps you to know that it's definitely the medication causing the symptoms rather than other things.

New or increased exercise regimes can also cause stomach and head pain symptoms so it's often useful to stick to less stressful gentle exercise that does not physically aggravate the stomach or head in the first two weeks of beginning a new medication for this reason as well as Tring to keep stressful situations to a minimum.

I'd give the statin another week to ten days as Lowerfield suggested but adding in some of the tips above.

If you still find it is causing you an issue and you've eliminated other causes go back to the GP and try another statin. Simvastatin is the next option.

If you still have the same issue you can request to be put on a Statin alternative like Ezetimibe instead as you will have tried three statins and that's usually all that the GP requires as evidence that you cannot tolerate statins and require an alternative.

[MountainGoat52]

I started on 10mg Rosuvastatin on alternate days and had a bad head for about a fortnight. I decided to stick with it as I'd tried 3 other statins previously which gave me severe side effects. It was okay after the fortnight and I have since increased the dose (my request) to maintain the reduction in my cholesterol. I take all my medication with food and drink to avoid stomach problems.

I hope the side effects you are experiencing go away soon.

Gerald

[Hidden]

I took Simvastatin for years, with no issues, then I was changed to Rosuvastatin-cheaper? and I have had issues, but it's difficult to isolate particular side effects with other meds too-numb fingertips, tummy upsets, odd headache too. The only thing you can try is to leave it off a while to see what happens!

[Bellissim0]

Hello, I’ve tried several statins but these for me have been massively better than all others and most people I know on statins are now on the same.

We’re all different so maybe this particular tablet doesn’t agree with you.

I wish you all the best finding the correct one.

That’s the main battle getting the medication dialled in as soon as possible