In July 2023 I was started on Rosuvastatin 80 after a NSTMI. The dose was reduced by cardiologist in Sept 23 since my cholesterol wad low. They were further reduced to 20 and then 10 bu GP due to muscle pain. However by march 24 had to be stopped due to severe muscle pain. My LDL went back to 3.7. I was then started on Simvastatin 10 but by Dec 24 I was having severe muscle pains, cramps & lots of Palpitations. GP stopped them and I was started on Atrovastatin. However by last week I was having severe joint stiffness and muscle pains again. I stopped them and symptoms have gone.
i am seeing my GP on Friday. As I have posted before I don’t think that I can get my LDL below 2 by diet alone - or can I??🧐
I have made the decision not to take statin for the next couple of months so that my muscles can recover from all the side effects. But I need to keep my plaques happy and stable!
My other plan is to ask the GP if I can go back on Rosuvastatin 5 maybe 3 times a week seeing that this was the statin I tolerated the best.
I don’t think that I can cope with trying another statin again.
Any advice please. Thank you 😊
Written by
Winimops
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
If you reside in England NHS England have a 'Statin Intolerance Pathway' as linked below. This details the steps that should be followed should you be found to be statin intolerant due to side effects. The other home countries in the UK may have something similar. I suggest you run off a copy and take it with you when you see the the GP to ensure you don't get fobbed off should the rosuvastatin option not work for you.
Thanks for this pdf, I sm on the third level where he will try to get me on 5 mg of Rosuvastatin every two days ( he mentioned it before) maybe the combo with Ezetimibe would be a bonus.
To be fair this new Doctor is interacting for me 👍 so heres hooing.
Combining a low-dose statin with ezetimibe might also be something to talk to your GP about....
(My wife tolerates rosuvastatin fine, but they added ezetimibe before titrating the rosuvastatin up, as the ezetimibe has a slightly different action. She has familial hypercholesterolemia so a statin alone isn't enough.)
You could try going back on Rosuvastatin 5 mg , but also get your blood tests done for B12, Folate , Ferritin/ Iron. Vitamin D , full blood count , kidney function ( electrolytes)just to be sure that low / borderline ( Insufficiency ) results in these or abnormal (deficiency) results aren't also part of the cause of your symptoms.As you have had repeated issues you are within your right to request these tests to rule out other problems on the NHS.
Increase the above nutrients in your diet and have the recommended amount of fluids each day to also improve your joint pain.
You could take a few weeks/ months break from a Statin to see if it improves your symptoms once it has been completely eliminated from your system.
Make diet changes or take supplements to improve your nutrient levels during that time so that your body is prepared for trying the Statin again.
If you can increase weight bearing and weight resistance exercises , even just a little each day , in case a reduction in muscle strength was adding to your side effects.
It would give you a fresh start on the Statin you try next , if you do lose your symptoms so you will be able to properly judge if the Statin is the greatest issue .
If you still have an issue with Statin intolerance, you can request to be put on an alternative cholesterol lowering medication at that point . The one which is generally prescribed which you can request is Ezetimibe.
If you find you can cope with a low dose of Statin daily or alternative days you can take the Ezetimibe as work together to improve your cholesterol levels and cardiac protection.
Hope things improve for you soon , I know this sort of trial and error with statins can feel like a big drag, take care , Bee
Hi Winimops. I am also reacting quite badly to low dosage Artor and Rosu statins with the loss of functional strength in my lower arms, wrists and hands ( can not hold a iPhone for the length of call. although I left a recovery gap between changing from Arto to Rosu I think it may not been enough to recover correctly.
I can not understand why NHS insists on statins when they know I have chronic fatigue and muscle pain since 2017.
it clearly states people with Fibromyalgia should not take them.
I am asking about the new generation of statin alternatives but NHS will probably not offer them due to costs.
I have just retired but am physically active and needs my hands/arms.
I hope you find your tolerated balance of statins.
People with Fibromyalgia can take statins , I have Fibromyalgia and other conditions including MCAS , cEDS , and Dysautonomia.I think that more people with these conditions can get hypersensitivity reactions to various medications , and they are often not properly monitored for nutrient Insufficiency / deficiency even though they are common symptoms and causes of increased flares in these types of health issues.
If you already have low nutrient levels and that already adds to your pain or fatigue scores , adding in a Statin before those nutrients ranges are improved ,not just within range but above Insufficiency , it can lead to it contributing to worse symptoms of muscle weakness because they affect stomach acid and can cause lower vitamin absorption, making the Fatigue and Pain worse.
I found the same problem even before I began a Statin , it got worse with other meds that can also affect stomach acid levels that I needed. It wasn't until after my Functional B12 and Folate Deficiencies that I could increase other nutrients like Vitamin D and Iron too and I finally stopped having the severe muscle weakness and numbness.
I think if you have various health conditions GPs should really do the nutrient tests as standard before prescribing medication that can also cause changes in absorption , that includes things like neuro pain medications, PPIs , antacids , antiinflammatories among many to prevent the new medication causing additional symptoms that appear as side effects.
It is recommended by NICE to check them every 12 months with various health issues which require meds but most GPs don't without the patient requesting it and they don't do it prior to prescribing the medication which is a vital baseline to know and prevent many of the side effects caused.
If you've already taken two statins , they usually expect you to try three to meet the guidelines of proof that you can't tolerate any Statin therapy at all and you can then request Ezetimibe instead. If you have a good GP whom understands your health history and possible hypersensitivity to certain meds if you ask they may just choose to give you Ezetimibe without further testing.
I found I was intolerant of all statins and it was suggested that a new injection for high cholesterol had come on the market it is called Inclisiran..
I have had 4 injections over time now and no side affects and my cholesterol has come down to a good level.
You start with the 1st then the next 3 months later then every 6 months.
It may be a good idea to speak with your doctor about it who may refer you to the right clinic for this newish drug..
If you put inclisiran into you search engine you can read up on it.
I was on atorvastatin, which wrecked my legs - mainly thigh muscles and Achilles tendon. Tried another one with same result. On ezetimibe but it doesn’t appear to make much difference to my blood results. Dr put me on ‘statin intolerance’ pathway mentioned in a previous post, so you do have options if you meet the criteria for referral. I went without statins for almost a year waiting for inclisiran injections and my cholesterol shot back up (familial hypercholesterolemia). Had first injection in Jan of this year and will find out if it’s working in April. So pleased to be free of the pain from statins! Non-statin options for you could be inclisiran or PKS9 inhibitors which don’t come with the side effects of statins. Worth asking your Dr about these. Hope this is useful. Good luck!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Microvascular disease - Statin?
Lipid test results on 10mg Rosuvastatin 
Which statin is best?
statin side effect?
