I've a question about statins, wonder if anyone can help?
Two and a half year ago i had a triple bypass, was put on Atorvastain, one 80mg tablet per day.
I still go hill walking, but of late my feet are getting painfull after about 3 hours on the hill, i do know that this statin can have side effects, i do feel the aching muscles and get cramps but only in my legs.
A friend stated it could be the statin and i ought to see about changing to a hydro based statin,
Anyone got any feed back on this ???
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Ron0325
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The main side effect from taking statins seems to be muscle pains in lower limbs from what people on here tell us, although the evidence apparently suggests that side effects are only experienced by less than 10% of all users. However in my opinion if you are going to get any side effects at all it would seem logical to experience them soon after you start taking them, unless there is anything that comes along later that tips the balance. Anyway as your friend says there are other statins out there to try, such as rosuvastatin as an alternative to atorvastatin which seems to work better for some, so a discussion with your GP or prescribing health professional would seem to be in order.
Ibwas put on Atorvastatin following a stroke 5 years ago. Last year I started to get leg cramps at night. My GP changed me to Ezetimibe 10mg which initially helped. I take magnesium glycinate daily, drink 1.5 - 2 litres of water a day, do pilates twice a week and see a personal trainer once a week but the leg cramps have returned. I have been going through a lot of stress lately, partner having OHS and wondered if the cramps could be stress related. Off to see the doc again next week as I'm not getting any sleep.
Googling leads to several studies that suggest there are links and an AI summary concluding that statins can deplete. For what they are worth. I suspect that one can also find studies that suggest the opposite.
Please forgive my intervention, but on this dismal day weather-wise I lack the New Year spirit! I'm reflecting on the past year of wondering about the side-effects of my cocktail of prescribed medicines and over-the-counter supplements, when to take these and in what sorts of combination and when, and contradictory advice from health professionals.
And another such year is ahead. More blood tests at my GP surgery on Friday with, by coincidence, a private consultation with a haematologist on Tuesday (which I'm seeking to postpone: it's likely that the NHS results will be available by then, but I can't be sure, and I've no wish to fork out hundreds of pounds for private tests).
Like the OP, I too take statins and walk - more than four hours on Sunday - and suffer discomfort, but there are other suspect reasons for this, and I've yet to consider whether statins contribute.
I've winced at some of those AI summaries relating to topics of which I have some good knowledge. And the other day one summary relating to supplements for heart health was contradicted by the first two articles; no doubt further articles included different findings.
Thank you all for feedback , I am against a lot of supplements and have chatted with my pharmisist about what and what they do achieve ! I only take vit C and cod liver oil, I will check up on the magnesium and coq10 , but will need to be convinced
I have, hence the request for a study. As another member has pointed out, it is not likely to help. If you have proper, peer reviewed information to suggest otherwise, please share it?
CoQ10 is something I hadn't come across before, so I Googled and don't have anything much in the way of symptoms that suggest that I need to supplement. But there was the (inevitable??) advice to consult with a medical person before taking it if one is on BP and anti-coagulant medication, as I am. And I was led to a balanced article: uclahealth.org/news/article...
I have researched CoQ10 over the last 5 years and it really hasn't changed.I went on it for a couple of years for muscle discomfort in lower legs and feet, as I have been on statins for about 10 years.
Then discontinued last year.
I really haven't noticed any difference and will not purchase in the future.
Still trying to understand source of my discomfort (maybe nerve compression in lower back, maybe leg vascular, maybe...).
I suspect all my bloods are in good order, I take other pills, never took any medication before my cardiac arrest , no I am on a blood thinner, blood pressure pills and thyroid pills , I thought I was fit and healthy when it happened , I was in the French alps, just completed a 13000 foot peak and had the cardiac arrest when I return to a mountain hut at 10000 feet , I was flown to Geneva hospital , stayed a month and had the bypass while I was there
Thank goodness you were at a mountain hut where someone was able to start CPR.
I wonded if the altitude was the straw that broke the camel's back and exposed your obstructed coronary arteries?
I will experience angina when I fly or go up in high altitudes.
Twice, my husband had no obvious signs of his almost, completely obstructed coronary artery, other than very subtle breathlessness which I spotted each time.
Regarding the pain in your legs muscle and feet.
My husband developed Plantar fasciitis which caused pain in particular in his feet.
Maybe a possible cause to consider?
Perhaps ask your GP to prescribe a different statin or a lower dose?
I am not on statins but my brother was put on one after a month he had to stop taking them because pains in his legs and feet, cramping and restless legs in bed. He was put on a different sort and had no problems with them. You need to see your GP or cardiologist and try a different one if you need it . Not every sort suits all people . Like any drug it's trail and error to find the right one for you .
Hi Ron I am the same age as you and due to having Familiar Hypercholestomeania and have been on most of the statins available but had awful side effects from all one being my feet.i got to the stage where I couldn't bend my feet and was having to go up and down stairs on my hands and knees. Only one of my consultants admitted the statins were to blame and from that day was taken off them and put on an injection every 2 weeks. Hope you get it sorted soon.
80mg is a high dose. I had a quadruple bypass two years ago and am only on 10mg. Ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors can be prescribed either as an alternative to high-dose statins or in combination with a lower dose of statins to help achieve the same cholesterol-lowering effects. Might be worth discussing with your GP.
For certain heart conditions, 80gm of Atorvastatin is now recommended by NICE irrespective of the patient’s cholesterol level. This recommendation followed parallel studies carried out in the US and Europe a year or so ago.
I'm not on statins as I don't have a heart issue - seems my breathlessness is actually idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.Anyway. I digress; I also suffer osteoarthritis, for which I was prescribed naproxen and omeprazole. After a lot of trial and error I found it was the omeprazole causing my aching feet (among other symptoms). I gave successfully weaned off both and now tolerate the OA.
I note you're on thinners - during [heart] investigations I was told to take clopidogrel and aspirin + Lansoprazole. Aspirin triggered a massive gout attack so I took myself off, and never did take the clopidogrel/Lansoprazole, although I was loaded up for my angiogram.
Long story short, I'd do some investigations on PPIs if you're taking one.
FWiW, the rate of CoQ10 absorption is low which is why Ubiquinol is preferred. I am not aware of any UK GP prescribing Ubiquinol or CoQ10: privately sourced Ubiquinol is not cheap.
I am a statin user and I suffer from aching legs. On the recommendation of my GP surgery, I stopped taking Rosuvastatin for 3 weeks. I noticed no discernible improvement so I have gone back to taking statins.
I have really aching leg muscles all the time and certainly mainly started after heart attack and starting meds. I’m young so can’t be age related wear and tear. Currently on a break from statins but doesn’t seem to have helped yet but I have read it can take along time to reset. Will go back on if the aches carry on anyway. I’m on inclisaran but apart from that only take bisoprolol, aspirin and omeprazole. I only had mild plaque as my HA was a bit of a mystery and my cholesterol wasn’t super high (just above normal range) so I’d be surprised if it was PAD. I’d love to know a solution for this so will follow - was going to take some multivitamins and minerals to see if they helped. Will need to tell the doctor about it when I can
You have been on a statin for a long time so statin intolerance is unlikely to be the cause alone.You could request to change your statin for another brand like Rosuvastatin which has less side effects but at the same time I would suggest that you ask your GP to do a Vitamin B 12 , Ferritin , Folate and Vitamin D blood check if you haven't had these in the last 3-6 months. The tests are free with the NHS and are recommended by NICE for doctors to do for all patients with long term health issues on medications like statins and omeprazole ( PPIs) among others.
Often these Vitamins in particular are the more common cause of muscle aches and pains and even if you are taking a daily supplement taking other medications can mean your stomach acid changes and this means you absorb less of these from food and you may need to get a supplement.
Many medications , including statins and antacids , can affect the absorption of certain vitamins which can slowly cause side effects of vitamin deficiency like muscle aches and pains and stiffness to occur over time if you tolerated the drug for a long time.
This is why it's important to get nutrient health checks each year on most daily medication regimes.
The problem can be solved easily with a supplement or injections if vitamins are the cause allowing you to also take your statin and other medications without the side effects that can occur.
I would not suggest that you take Magnesium or Q10 without considering your needs and the medications you are on and checking with a knowledgeable GP. Although people with no health problems are advised to take these to help aches and pains they aren't recommended for use by people on certain heart and blood pressure medications , or for people with periods of low blood pressure because they can cause blood pressure to become too low and cause an increase in your cardiac symptoms.
hi Ron - I was on atorvastatin and have switched to rosuvastatin after experiencing aches in my legs- the doc took me off statins for 4 weeks to start with to see if that made a difference, advising that short term gaps are fine as statin is a long term preventative medication. So I would suggest discussing with your doctor coming off them for a few weeks and if that makes a difference then you know it’s the statin, I’ve had no problem since I moved to the new one - good luck
I’m thinking about your foot problem and wondered whether the fact it comes on after a three hours walking is a clue here.
Whereabouts on the foot is it? Is it both feet?
I developed plantar fasciitis, before I was on statins, through walking long distances in flat form Ecco boots. This condition lasted some weeks and was jolly painful in the heel tendon.
I have , since starting statins , had metatarsalgia (which came on after about one hour of walking each time and felt like walking on a pebble in the shoe) and now have some very comfortable Joya walking shoes . The three hours walking could be indicating that the problem is a wear and tear issue rather than a meds induced thing. I no longer get the foot pain usually but tried walking in my not old but less padded Berghaus boots and it happened again. .
It would be worth discussing with your doctor and or a chiropodist/specialist foot clinic to see whether you could do with inserts/padded shoes or similar to support your feet now.
I had 5 cardiac arrests in 2018 and was put on antivastatinantivastati 40mg per day which i take in the evening , i also get terrible cramps in my feet and legs i am also on quite few other tablets and to be honest if you are on other medication and you read leafletsyouleafletsyo get with the meds they more or less say this is a side effect to most meds.
Sorry couldntcouldn be much more help, but do hope you get sorted .
hi Ron0325. I was also put on statins after a small heart attack ,started off on high dose with lots of other medication for 1year. I had bad problems with statins tried them all .I did try and persevere with them but for me in the end the side affects were to bad .The legs and feet cramps at night were bad but the worst for me was Brain Fog which also affected my eyes .
I now no longer take them . I have to say though My body has an intolerance to a lot of chemicals just the way I am made I suppose.The List of allergic to on my medical records is quite long . I have tried stopping ,then starting again with a different statin ,all under the doctor I need to add ) but always get the same symptoms back .I have friends who take statins with no problems at all ,it’s a case of not one size fits all . Maybe they will find a substitute in the future !! .just careful with diet more now have made certain changes Hope it helps .my meds now are Apixaban twice a day 2.5 Bisoprolol and a vitamin D with no problems .
Well done! I wholeheartedly agree about CoQ10 and magnesium. Many doctors aren’t taught about supplements and have no time/interest to consider anything other than pharmaceutical drugs. Unfortunately the side effects can be very unpleasant and it is understandable that patients seek alternative remedies to counteract the effects. I have used miraculous magnesium and CoQ10 for years and found them to be very helpful. Happy New Year everyone. My healthy best wishes to you all
This was an answer to a reply that suggested there was No GOOD reason for not taking Magnesium supplements.
That isn't true.
There are many reasons that Magnesium shouldn't be supplemented with , especially if you do not have a magnesium deficiency, and several of those are cardiac conditions.
Taking Magnesium supplements even with high blood pressure can cause nocturnal hypotension and increase the risk of arrhythmias if taken at the same time as other medications or if you have certain orthostatic cardiac conditions.
Magnesium can assist with certain neurological and autonomic cardiac conditions but it can also make them worse and cause severe symptoms.
It is wrong to assume that supplements are advisable for everyone or there is no good reason for not taking them , just because they are sold over the counter and can be beneficial for some does not mean that they are safe or necessary for use by everyone. The type of Magnesium supplement used is also important, not all are the same and some have bad side effects particularly for people with various chronic health conditions including cardiac related conditions. This is why it's important to get proper advice from a professional before simply taking supplements especially if you have cardiac health issues.
I would suggest that you take the opportunity to read up on Magnesium on recommended medical sites and the information about the side effects of magnesium with many health conditions and it's interactions with medications.
Too much magnesium can affect the salt balance and cause an imbalance of other salts not just in the kidney.
unfortunately when you have lots of ailments and on lots of drugs it is difficult to unpick symptoms and what is causing them. I was put on statins 20 odd years ago, and did get lower calf pain/ stiffness bad enough to stop me being able to do my 10,000 daily steps so tried changing things one at a time as an expt….when I got to removing the statins my GP was ok with it, and pain did go…can’t 100% claim it was the statins but since off them never got same type of pain again…
I think I tried every statin known to man because of aches and pains, but these always began within a couple of days of starting the statins. To get aches etc after so long is unusual. In my case I was eventually put on rosuvastatin, formulated for those who cannot take the others. Even these gave me some aches, but since it was a last resort I stopped taking them for a week, then gradually started them again, first every 2 days, then every other day, now I have no problems with a daily dose. It could be that you are used to Atorvastatin, and it might be worth asking your GP if it could be changed.
I was put on Atorvastatin about 4 years ago and complained of cramps in my calves and hands.
My cardiologist asked me if I would take part in a trial he was running. This took a year, one month of Atorvastatin, one month on a placebo (obviously I didn’t know which was which, and the third month with no pill.
For every day I recorded any cramps or other symptoms on an on line app and every month a telephone review with the nurse in charge of the trial. I believe over 100 patients took part
My result was shared with me. I had the least amount of cramps when on the statin and similar amounts on the placebo or no pill.
I have taken Atorvastatin ever since. I occasionally have cramps, but do not believe the statin is the culprit🙂
Hi. I was on these and had terrible pains in my shoulder and in the morning very bad pain in legs. Kept on telling the doctor about this. He said it had nothing to do with the statins. I eventually changed to Simvastatin and pains have gone
Are you lactose or calcium carbonate intolerant? Look at the list of excipients on your PIL (patient information leaflet), maybe an intolerance to one of the excipients could be aggravating leg muscles?
Magnesium lotions and creams are considered a safe way to improve joint pain for those with chronic health conditions because it does not get metabolised in the same way.Increasing foods in the diet including vitamins and minerals is also considered safe and highly recommended for those on various medications that can reduce vitamin uptake. By doing that large doses do not interact with essential medications and deficiency is less likely to occur.
Any chemical taken in to the body in the form of a tablet , inhaler or injection is defined as a drug. Supplements are pharmaceutical drugs just as prescribed medications are , even though they may be created from more organic sources they are still highly processed and doses have to be carefully considered. Like medicines supplements don't suit everyone.
Although I do read some works and a lot of research on complementary and oriental medicines I tend to steer clear of alt health authors and their books.
Dr Sircus is an acupuncturist and presumably has a doctorate in pastoral medicine rather than being a medical doctor.
Technically speaking, I am a Doctor and one of my doctorates includes pharmacological training but when I complete a study and co author a book with my physiotherapist I won't be writing "Doctor" and creating the appearance that I have full medical training.
It's just my own opinion, but I think it is somewhat misleading and does not create the impression that the author is going to write accurate information unless it adds to their point of view.
hi there, over 5 years ago after an nstemi HA I discovered I had a genetic illness which had caused blocking of my arteries and had to have an emergency triple bypass. When I left hospital I was told I was mended but the genetic Familial hypercholesteroleamia condition would still need treating so, in addition to a few other meds I would have to have a high daily dose statin to control the cholesterol problem caused by the condition. I have an 80mg Atorvastatin daily which doesn’t cause great problems that I’m aware of. However, since my op, I find that, even though I do try to do a good amount of walking, after fairly long walk and short rest period, the tops and sometimes sides of my feet really hurt to walk on. I’ve wondered if it could be the onset of arthritis but my hubby says he thinks not because I can walk miles without problems but as soon as I stop for a few minutes my feet hurt and I have to walk very steadily for a while until my feet seem to adapt and the pain eases. What you describe sounded so similar I had to let you know and will be consulting my Dr when I have my next check in a couple of weeks to see what she thinks. Best wishes and hope you get sorted soon.
I've been on statins for years and heart-specific medication for the past two, and these last few months have been experiencing aches and pains, including in the shoulders (from a lot of time spent on the PC?). And for years I've had to use orthoses to support my arches and had some new ones in the summer, but my foot discomfort has increased. And getting out of bed and the bath is proving more challenging. TBH I put this down to wear & tear and ageing, and it's this thread that is making me wonder whether it's partly due to medication and/or deficiency - but probably not the statins as I've been on them years without apparent problems.
A was on Atorvastatin 80mg for over a year and I went from walking 5 miles a day to hardly able to walk, but it was my ribs, sternum and back that ached so much. I changed to Pravastatin 40mg and soon felt better. My feet hardly ever hurt but my arthritis in the toes and one ankle speeded up.
Try drinking 1/2 teaspoon Celtic / Himalayan salt water 300ml 3x a daily. For me, Whenever i have cramps i drink immediately and it helps. Now i drink 3x daily to hydrate and helps kidney to flush out toxins
After a year of Atorvastatin 80mg and a lot in the way of aching joints and muscles I requested a change to Rosuvastatin. 5mg and then after 3 months up to 10mg. It has taken about 4 months now but most of the aches and pains have gone. Cholesterol rose slightly but settled back down again after starting the 10mg tablets. Note. I also been taking 10mg Ezetimibe since a few months after my HA.
I am sorry that you are suffering from intermiitent claudiucation meaning pain in legs whben walking. There might be some other factor causing the pain. I suggest when you see the cardiolofist or your GP, he mighrt suggest vascular studies of the leg arteries. Do you suffer from night cramps? Have you tried tried quinine bisulphate at a lower dose say 150mg. Hope that this is acceptable and no interaction with other drugs you are taking.
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