Atorvastatin

[Sandrah01]

Anyone want else had problems with muscle pain while on Atorvastatin? I've been on 80mgs since my HA last March. However the last few months I've been struggling to sleep with my legs hurting so much. Over Christmas my back started hurting and the backs of my thighs really tender and painful. The pharmacist suggested it could be the statin and to speak to my GP. I have a phone appointment with them next week. I take my dose in the evening. Just wanted to see if others have had problems too.

[Happyrosie]

there’s been so many posts on this subject over the months I’ve been on the site. Put “ statins” into the search box top left.

I seem to remember a research project saying that some ten percent of statin users report muscle pain. My husband and some of his golf buddies did, and they say they take magnesium and/or turmeric supplements which seems to help. I suspect your doc will be familiar with this.

[FMOH_N]

I started taking Atorvastatin 11 years ago after five bypass surgery. Stopped 3-4 days after severe itching over whole body. Then started taking Crestor 20 mg. stopped last year after almost 10 years due to severe muscle pains in feet, hands, arms fingers. Since then my cardiologist prescribed Praluent injection. The pain vanished after 2-3 weeks for the moment no side effects from Praluent. Most common side effects of statins are muscle pain and itching. Talk to your doctor there are several types of statins so you can change medication. but Praluent is brilliant one injection every two weeks, self administered.

[Blearyeyed]

Atorvastatin can cause more side effects than other statins.Speak to your GP and ask about trying a lower dose or swapping to a Statin that patient experience shows has less potential for side effects like Rosuvastatin.

Also request that your GP does baseline blood tests for you as NICE recommends every 12 months via the GP on the NHS for those people on certain long term medications that can change stomach acid and nutrient absorption like statins, PPIs , antacids, SSRIs and others with long term health issues.

The tests to request are: full blood count, vitamin B12, Ferritin, Folate. kidney function ( electrolytes) , liver function, Vitamin D and Total Cholesterol.

Get a copy of the results as low normal or borderline results show Insufficiency that can be easily improved with either Diet or Supplements as part of your Preventative Care , and can reduce side effects and improve your General Health and Self Care with a long term health condition .

Nutrient Insufficiencies and Deficiencies are common on long term medications or as we age and are also the more common causes for joint and muscle pain, fatigue , nerve pain, weakness and poor thinking skills. Statins and other medications can increase the chance of the Insufficiencies which can be simply treated rather than the medications in themselves causing the symptoms so ruling out these common causes is a first step to take before making a decision about stopping a medication.

Also look at your intake of fluids , as even if you aren't thirsty , if you don't get the recommended amount of fluids for your health needs you can suffer internal dehydration and inflammation , especially in the joints.

Consider your new symptoms, they may actually be something new and not a side effect of medication but caused by a change in your gait, posture or physical activity. Things like lumbar and sacroiliac pain , and issues like sciatica cause pain in the back and thighs and can happen easily if the activity you do has changed, if you are less mobile in recovery or even just accidentally as we age.

You may find that doing gentle exercises and stretches to help with sciatica and lower back pain at home, charities like Versus Arthritis have good online videos or self referring to physio could help ease the problem and the pain.

[Munners1975]

ask to change to 20mg atorvastatin and 10mg Ezetimebe. Less aches and lowers LDL further than 80mg of atorvastatin.

[Maninblack]

My husband takes Atorvastatin with no problems. However I was put on a this statin in March and experienced severe muscle pain. It was changed to Prevastain which caused no problems. Contact your doctor who should prescribe an alternative. They will find one that you can tolerate even if it takes a couple of attempts,

[GraunReader]

Hi, sorry to hear about your discomfort. I take the same statin at a dose of 20mg. Lucky to report I have no identifiable side effects. Other statins are available to try - ask your doctor about alternatives. As others have noted, there's extensive literature online on this topic, if you're the sort of person who doesn't mind wading through it all. But of course, no amount of reading will address your aches & pains. I think the simplest next step would be to try a different statin and see if it makes a difference. Good luck!

[Survivor1952]

Yes, both my partner and I have had this issue. Since my HA I’ve been on Rosuvastatin with no issues.

[Merlo9]

Sorry to hear that i started taking 80mg in November no side effects yet but i suppose its early x hope your doctor sorts the problem for you 🩷

[Anothernewbie]

Common problem. Ask your GP to change them. There are several available, including alternatives to statins. However, aches and pains usually begin within a day or two of starting statins, so this may well be something else. See what your GP recommends.

[Mister1]

Hi Sandra,

The symptoms you feel are probably due to Statin that you are taking as 80mg is quite a high dose and is usually given to people with Diabetes, morbidly obese or as a therapeutic dose whilst with in a hospital setting ( of which I was given).

Statins are used more as a Vasodilator for the heart then due to cholesterol management which isn't highlighted to you within the health care establishment.. I work within Pharmaceutical for 14 years and have understood this as the main point of Statins with a by product of hypothetically lowering cholesterol due to opening transport channels that plague would build up on.

I would agree with Blearyeyed that is possibly other factors involved and to have what they have highlighted checked out.

I would also ask for you cholesterol levels to be checked regularly as 3.9mmol/L is usually deemed a good cholesterol level.

Definitely ask to have your dose reduced as I'm now on 40mg but also remember that as much as Statins are supposed to be taken at night you can take this particular statin when even through out the day as this may help the mobilisation of the statin within the body..

I would also recommend reading a Statin free life by Dr Aseem Malhotra and you can also find him on The Diary of a CEO on You Tube..

[Davey77]

A post here helped me realise that the heel pain I'd had for a couple of years, and thought was a legacy of Sciatica, was Achilles Heel. That's one common name for the side-effects of Atorvastatin listed as "Tendonitis".

My GP seems to have finally accepted that I'm "Statin Intolerant"

[Qualipop]

MY husband had the same problem with atorvastatin but on a much lower dose. I couldn't take it because it crucified my stomach. Rosuvastatin seems to be the one with far fewer side effects although I 'm fine on simvastatin.

[iCat]

My husband is on 80 mg Atorvastatin from with a cocktail of other heart meds (after STEMI LAD in April last year), and last month his shoulder started to ache very badly, affecting golf and driving. GP today said it might be Atorvastatin, but before any changes will do all the usual blood tests. Atorvastatin is known as a kidney friendly statin (my husband has CKD 3 stage), therefore hope probably dose reduction might help.

[Velda1]

I was on it and had problems, severe thigh pain, pain in nearly all muscle groups. it was not good., moved to another then another. I'm not able to take statins so am now on Ezetimbe instead...... so far no problems

[Zindolo]

I quit taking that drug last summer. In October I had my first basal cell carcinoma removed and shortly afterwards read that one of the meds I was on for hypertension (Hydrochlorothiazide) was associated with basal cell carcinomas, I stopped taking that too. Then I decided that these drugs might be doing more harm than good so I decided to try a "natural approach" by swimming 70 laps a day, eliminating alcohol, and subsisting on fresh, unprocessed food (no restaurants). I do still take the olmesartan because that has always seemed to noticeably lower my BP, but quit the metoprolol. But anyhow, my approach seems to be working! I think the pharmaceutical companies depend on people turning to drugs because it seems easier, but I've come to suspect that they probably have way more nasty side effects than the pharmaceutical industry cares to admit. Oh, and I've lost about 40 pounds so far but still have a ways to go.

[Sav100]

Hi,

I came off the same med and dose a few weeks ago, had been on it for two years but my knees were so sore, and muscle cramps you had to see, we went 4 weeks with no statin all the pain went away, then we started on 5mg of Rosuvastatin and the pains back, pharmacist says I need to talk with meds management team. I know I need a statin but I’m getting to the point of not wanting them. Just don’t know what to do for the best. X

[Lowerfield_no_more]

Your pharmacist is correct. You should speak to your GP. Muscle aches and pains seem to be the most commonly reported side effects from taking statins and from what people on here tell us that affects lower limbs the most. However there are other statins out there available to try, rosuvastatin being a common substitute for atorvastatin which works for many. But if you are found to be statin intolerant there is other medication available for your GP to prescribe, and if you are under NHS England there is a Statin Intolerance Pathway to follow which your health professionals should be following.

[MWIC]

Yeah horrendous - for me it was right shoulder- couldn’t move it past 90 degrees, couldn’t get to sleep, if I moved quickly e.g to swat a fly lost all power in my shoulder and arm for several minutes and pain beyond - spoke to a diabetic specialist nurse at the time and reduced from 80mg > 40mg and no change then to 20mg and added Ezetimibe - took a while and at a point right shoulder improved but left shoulder started but also improved after a few months - At the moment not too bad at all so definitely worth talking to GP etc as QOL whilst minimising risks is important