I would like to know how long do you have to have statin intolerance (Muscle ache/Cramp/Weakness) before you are at risk of irreparable muscle damage?
Following the NHS Statin Pathway Document , I will now have to retry (3rd attempt) Rosuvastatin again on a lower dose for at least 6 weeks.
As I required quite a long time to re-establish my muscle strength after Arto Statin before attempting (2nd attempt) Rosuvastatin 10mg I do not to feel comfortable with all this trial and error prescription method.
Will 5mg Rosuvastatin still be effective without muscle strength intolerance?
As I already had a muscle fatigue/pain condition before being put on Statins can I insist on the statin alternative products instead of risking muscle damage with a third attempt at normal statins.
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I was very interested to read your post. I was prescribed Atorvastatin 20 mg in October last year. I was reluctant to start them, having heard so many stories about the possible side effects. I finally cracked and started taking them, but then seemed to develop a strange feeling down the front of my left leg. The feeling in my thigh and groin was like a weakness or ache, which often became very painful especially when walking. The front of my calf developed a burning feeling. I had also been prescribed Amlopidine for high bp around the same time, but this caused swollen ankles, so thankfully they changed it to Losartan, although they’ve had to keep increasing the dose up to 75 mg! I felt healthier before I began all this stuff! As an experiment, I stopped taking the statins about 12 days ago to see if the leg problem improved. It had been affecting my sleep, but try telling the GP all this. I’ve been looking into plant sterols and wondering if they might be an alternative. I know I don’t get enough exercise, but when your leg is killing you and feels as if it might give way…….. it puts you off trying to go for a walk. Moan over! 😖
It is difficult to battle through the fitness and easier to take pills but we need both.
I have made it to 66 without pills, 90kg and a belly to match the organ fat inside, from the outside I look okay really. Every Day is a Groundhog Day starting to climb that hill again but that is "the Pill" required to keep me here so it has to be taken/done
In the Meantime I am looking for some tolerable help on the way.
Hi, Thanks for your reply. I managed to get to 72 without having to take any pills, although I do need eye drops for Glaucoma, so I think I did pretty well!
Well your GP like mine just wants you on your way promptly with more pills so I have done my own research online ( at 76 ) and found alternative natural supplements to use but if my GP asks if I'm taking his tabs I say Oh yes Doc
Just shows you how different people can be. I felt I was having heart attacks on the drug. Everyone should not just heed the doctor but question the need for medication. They are often too busy to think. I stopped the drug and regained normal health.
We all react differently as individuals to medication one fit don't suit all, I've had roughly 12 year's of high blood pressure on and off severe palpitations before Bisoprolol 5mg to start with but now 7.5mg going forward and it's given me a new life. That must have been horrendous feeling you were going to have heart attack.
Hello Heart2025, I agree with you! Most doctors nowadays are so busy and pushed for time, they seem to just want to fob you off with the bog standard BP or Cholesterol medication, probably the cheapest! I’m becoming more and more cynical in my old age! Thanks for your reply - Kind regards
Natural doesn’t mean ineffective; although they won’t have solid evidence to prove safety/ effectiveness. Side effects of “natural” supplements too will be largely unrecorded but they will exist. Please don’t take ineffective or unproven supplements. Pick something that has undergone a proper clinical trial.. speak to your doctor again.
Hello sandandkev, Thanks for your reply! I’ve managed to get an appointment on the 21st to try and get some sense out of the dr regarding my legs! I stopped taking the statins about a week ago, so it will be interesting to see what he says and whether he offers me any alternatives. 😖
Goodness me i am exactly the same as you, I have changed my statin 3 times. I am scared of going for a walk in case I can't get back. I am on pravastatin 20mg.
Hi Nannalicious, Thanks for your reply, sorry to hear you are suffering as well 😖 I thought my leg was a bit better yesterday and managed to go shopping in the afternoon, but it became very painful at night and kept waking me up! Grrrrr……
Exactly the same our lives are mirror images, I went shopping. For some reason don't know why but Mondays are always very bad, could be psychological back to working days. I had xray on my left hip last Friday seeing gp 24th for results but I've had arthritis since 2015 & I know this pain is totally different paracetamol doesn't even touch it. I was referred to a physio & given exercise that doesn't help either. So frustrating as I live near the river ouse & there is some really beautiful walks & wildlife, & I can only dream of making it round.
You do not describe why you are being asked to take statins but you may discover that a low dose is tolerable.
I was given Rosuvastatin twenty years ago but had severe muscle cramps. They switched it to Atorvastatin and the muscle problem went away. But I still had brain fog. As I am on a plant based diet, I was able to reduce the dose and brain fog was manageable.
What can you do? These drugs work and for people with known heart disease, they are kind of required. But yes if this regimen does not work, there are alternatives.
In the USA these alternatives are prohibitively expensive but in the UK , they likely won't be.
My reason to go on Statins is that the NHS Risk calculator (which predicts your possible risk of heart attack in the next ten years) has calculated that I am a 19% Risk due to borderline raised cholesterol levels , my HDL/LDL avg is 5 so the first preventative warning is given to the patient.
I will try a lower dose to kick start the system, if it starts to lower without physical malfunction all will be good.
you want to ask the doctor to let you get a calcium score. If your score is zero, there probably be no need for statin. A relative has high cholesterol but there is no calcium in arteries. So no statin, for them now.
Just throwing this out there. Back in 2022 I had an annual check up at the GP and had similar cholesterol averages as you. Was offered a statin as my risk calculator was around 20%. I decided that 80% chance of not having a heart episode within 10 years seemed reasonable odds. Two weeks later, whilst doing one of my 3x a weeks swims and coming to the end of a reasonably straightforward mile swim I started to get some pain in my left forearm. Turned out I was having a HA and later that day was admitted to hospital and after my angiogram, etc (no stents) was discharged with the usual cocktail of drugs. I've suffered with leg aches and pains and my atorvastatin is now down at 20mg from 80. I tried rosuvastatin for a bit but that was worse. I still get some aches and pains but generally I'm OK and can go for walks, work on the allotment/garden and do my twice weekly gym workouts. Haven't got back to swimming yet but need to slay that ghost soon. Who knows whether I'd have had the HA or not had I started statins, probably I suppose as 2 weeks may not have been long enough to stabilise things. One thing my cardiologist said, even when my cholesterol levels went right down, was that it wasn't just about the numbers. Statins, from what I understand, also stabilise any deposits you may have reducing risk of them causing problems. My cholesterol level is up a bit from the 80mg atorvastatin low but within acceptable levels so GP and cardiologist are happy. Good luck
A 19% risk and cholesterol of 5 would not make me take statins if I was intolerant.I am probably a prime case of really needing statins.Coronary stents,Afib,Tias,previous blocked carotid arteries ,cholesterol within acceptable levels.I take a perfunctory level of 20g simvistatin as this is all I can cope with.After a recent tia and a follow up with senior Bat nurse that I saw many years ago.Discussed the fact that he said earlier that the inflammation could be worse than the good they do he said we will see what ultra scan of carotid arteries shows.
All ok so leave statins as is.
I was willing to go down the road of increasing statins but as I have a lot of health issues going on at the moment so will consider when I get them sorted.
I didn't have the choice .Docs decided.Probably depends on were blocked & extent.Mine was about 80%blocked.I had it scraped out . Scraping Probably leaves more of a wound & scar .Scar faded and still clear 7 years later.
Hi, i had a heart attack in August 2020 and was prescribed statins. My cholestrol was 3. I took the statins for a few weeks and the effort to walk became unbearable and every muscle in my body aches. I stopped taking them for 3 years and thought I should start taking something to stop sticky blood. I was given "NUTENDI" which is bempedoic acid 180mg and 10mg of ezibide. My cholestrol had gone up to 4 and now only 2. No aches and no muscle aches.
There is a blood test to check whether muscle damage is occurring from the statins. I had it checked once and mine was ok. I would request the test to be done, but also you should be able to choose whether or not to take a medication. As patients we have the right to make our own informed decisions about our own bodies and medical treatments we receive.
Don’t read into to things too much , get on with life , worry about it when or if it happens. The secret to keep busy to a degree, when our bodies slow down or have problems we will know about it . Keep smiling, stay focused, and live life to the full . Keep shaking the medication around in our bodies so no side effects hopefully . But it depends on that person. 🧘♀️💪🏻🚶➡️🏃♀️ Remember one thing there’s always someone who would swap to have our problems.
Hi, I was at a Cardio Rehab class back in October 24 and a gentleman says he was given Injection for his cholesterol every 6 months. He was praising it. I'm on 80mg because of my genetics after a triple bypass back in 2022.
I can’t answer your question but my experience was that I cannot tolerate Simvastatin or Atorvastatin, both causing muscle and joint issues. Atorvastatin caused me to need a pair of walking sticks! My GP gave up on statins at that point.
After my HA, AVR, CABG and 2xPCI in May/June 23 I was prescribed 5mg Rosuvastatin and 10mg Ezetimibe. I haven’t had any issues, my cholesterol levels are now basement level, and I run 5k every week, do a cardiac gym class every week as well as other physical activity. I’m 72 last birthday.
So I guess I can say I’m not aware of any permanent damage in my case.
Hi Survivor ... I think is what the Dr will suggest next according to the NHS Diagnostic pathway ... I am hoping it will agree with me and be effect to reduce the cholesterol levels from borderline to normal and reduce my blood pressure.
No-one can tell me as yet whether my arteries are actually being restrictive (fired up).
I started taking Atorvastatin (20mg) around 6 years ago when I was approaching 60. After a few months, I started to get pains in my hips and lower back. I was advised to stop taking the medication for 2-3 months and if the pain disappeared it was likely caused by the statins, and if the pain stayed there was likely another cause. The pain stayed and it turned out I had osteoarthritis in both hips - I had been a competitive distance runner. I had both hips replaced and the pain miraculously disappeared. I have had no trouble since and have been fine with Atorvastatin.
the motto being "check the fuse before you decide the Hoover is broken "
I think I have studied my body over the last 7yrs and eliminated so many factors. I can only presume that I DO have ME but there isn"y really a science to ME as there are so many changing variants and conditions from it.
I have not been able to tolerate most statins. 18 months ago I had some problems whilst trying the inclisiran injections. I ended up going dairy free and my cholesterol levels dropped. I am now only on Rosuvastatin 5 mg 3 days a week. With GPagreement.
Hi ThaifanMy GP is trying to get me to take inclisiran injection. What kind of issues did you experience with this? I am not too keen to take the injection and currently on Rosuvastatin.
Hi there and so sorry to hear of your problems. Just to put my story and I don't know if it's typical but I had two different statins both caused terrible headaches and my surgery pharmacist said they know by two types things aren't going to work out. I am now on Ezetimbe on alternate days. I asked my GP if this will be effective enough she said better than nothing. Not very helpful! Good luck it is very very difficult when you have these issues. Take care
Hi, I’m on 80 mg Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe. I don’t have the severe symptoms in my muscles that you describe but much milder, but I guess it’s necessary to consider why you are on statins in the first place. I consider the meds are stopping me from having a heart attack so I am glad for them. Don’t just stop the meds your heart may need them but I do wish you luck in finding a good alternative med.
I do not have a previous heart condition, just preventative measure , I think that makes a difference here as to how much and which type people take here.
I lost my hands and forearm functionality/strength on only 10mg.
I don't have any relevant advice or suggestions but am interested to read that you have a "muscle fatigue/pain condition" - I have M.E. which also causes muscle fatigue and pain (though I am lucky not to have pain) - years ago in an M.E. journal I read advice which suggested that people with muscle issues should avoid statins where possible Statins were suggested to me by my GP several years ago - I declined them for a variety of reasons including a clear angiogram, ME and the fact that their clinical trials were gender biased and did not include adequate testing on women, who are frequently expected to take them
Nice no to feel alone here with undiagnosed ME :-). I have had it since end of 2016 in various stages of pain, fatigue and muscle functionality., went out of business for two years. I researched and studied ME at Optimum Health Clinic and at the time followed Mr Howard, I did psychology courses, nutrition elimination and pacing ...... obviously it puts me in a hypersensitive situation with medication etc but I am more aware of my body and mind than most others normally are.
I have had MS ruled out with several MRI investigations but I still do not have a fact based diagnosis.
Taking Statins has just amplified everything and made things worse.
I was given statins around 40 years ago as a first-line BP med, and within a couple of days was unable to get out of bed due to acute leg pain and weakness. The GP was a bit sceptical, but a consultant prescribed a different med which was OK. I've since tried most classes of medication when each has stopped being effective after a few years, but haven't yet run out of options. You shouldn't have to put up with severe side effects as the range of available drugs is now very wide; so if your GP is stumped for prescribing, and you haven't yet seen a consultant, you can ask to be referred to one - insist if necessary.
One problem is that the muscle weakness can cause other problems. I had Achilles Heel from Atorvastatin for a couple of years before realising the cause. That had a knock-on effect of Plantar Fasciitis in the other foot which persisted even as the heel very slowly improved
Rosuvastatin worked for me after all others gave me aches etc. After a couple of days on it I began to feel slight aches, but nowhere near as bad as before. So here is what I did. Day one, take a tablet, miss out 2 days then take one. I did this for about 10 days and had no aches. Then I began to miss out every other day, again, for about 10 days with no aches. Then it was one every day and I have been on them now for a couple of years at least. It might be worth you trying this method, but if you still have aches and pains then I think you should most definitely request a statin alternative; after all it is not as though you have not tried the statin route is it?
This was mentioned to me by the Dr but not explained( hit or miss advice) so I think this will be my next approach with Rosuvastatin. As my 2nd Statin I was on 5mg but I think that although I had left a good 6 weeks between statin change I think the muscle condition hadn't quite regenerated back to normal.
Hopefully it will work this time, without fatigue and painless.
Hi there, Good morning. I don't have personal experience of any statin but going through all the information, I have come to understand there are no statins that is free of side efects although pharmaceutical companies are working hard to find an ideal one. However it is equally important to keep on eye on your diet not only in terms of quality but also in quality. Dairy products like full cream, butter but okay in small quantity ( I would urge have to substititute margarine), hard cheese like blue cheese, leicester cheese, cheddar chesse etc ( you can substititute soft cheee like cottage cheese. I have noted some eat cheese especially hard cheese in enormous amount and becomes literally addicted to it.. Choose lean meat like chicken, oily fish like mackeral , herring, halibut but avoid sea food like prawn, lobsteretc. I hope this small advice will be helpful. Regards.
It seems everything I like is bad for me! Ha! Especially alcohol 🥹 So if I give up all my favourite things, food, wine, etc I might live a bit longer but will be a miserable old sod! 🤣 Incidentally, this was meant to be light-hearted before anyone starts having a go!! Your advice was very helpful, especially regarding cheese, which I love.
So much advice from so many websites. I thought that prawns were good, white crab/lobster meat good, margarine bad, hard cheese very bad, cream immediate blockage??? Not sure now if these are good or bad for heart health, cholesterol levels or type 2 diabetes. I know that there are some items on the bad list for one and on the good list for another. I have decided to go on hunger strike until I get a definitive list (or just go with what seems right or meet up with Rainyday2024 for a meeting of the society of miserable old sods)
I tried all of the stations they could throw at me and eventually settled on Pravastatin. They don’t like to put you on them because they are expensive but they’re the only ones that don’t give me pain. There is another drug called ezetimibe, which lowers your cholesterol but apparently it doesn’t protect you from stroke or heart attack, or so my GP told me .
good morning . I am in Canada and there is an injection called Repatha , that is available to those her suffer from muscle pain and other side effects of statins . I’m sure it would be available in the UK. It is a very expensive drug that is self administered every two weeks . In order to be approved for government coverage you must first prove you can’t tolerate statins . You need to increase your statins to at least 40 mg and have an add on drug called EZETROL/EZITEMBE , for 3 months , I believe . If the pain persists or increases you can apply for it to be covered . Of course if you have private insurance or the financial means to pay out of pocket, this is a good option. The cost is approximately $700 month.
my own story, tried 5 different statins, all caused muscle weakness, muscle pain, memory fog were the main ones. Had a triple bypass Oct 2024, hospital and drs were only unable/ unwilling to recommend an alternative to the statins. After doing research I have changed my diet… high fat, red meat, chicken, NO processed food because of the bad oils/ preservatives, changed back to butter, olive oil, coconut oil and tallow, only carb I eat is potato. No bread, pasta or rice. Cut back on sugars. Started researching herbs/ alternatives. So not taking statins I have…
Results so far:
2023 results from cardiology
Total cholesterol: 8.8
Tri 2.9
LDL 6.4
Hdl 7.6
2024: after diet change and adding cinnamon for the last six months.
Total 6.4
Tri 1.1
LDL 4.4
Hdl 4.9
Also my glucose levels have dropped which is an added bonus.
I have now been referred to the lipid clinic as they want to bring them down further , appointment in may. My cardiac nurse at rehabilitation last week agreed with me that plant sterols can reduce cholesterol by up to 20% but only when I challenged her on alternative ways.
Although I’m happy that my numbers have changed so much I’m doing this personally as my faith in our nhs advice only seems geared to medication that can cause more bodily side effects and damage to the heart long term as it’s also a muscle. Cholesterol also helps our brains, hormones , cell regeneration and our ability to keep a healthy immune response, which is needed on so many levels like fighting cancer. Statins can also increase the risk of diabetes and breast cancer, they don’t tell you this. Just read your side effects leaflet or research low cholesterol
I’m trying an experiment as I’ve researched papers and studies and came across a study, plant sterols and berberine together can naturally reduce your numbers. The plant sterols and berberine was only started two weeks ago ( still taking cinnamon ) so no results so far but I will post in may with my numbers. 3 months of supplements should give me an idea of how effective they can be for me.
I would also like to add I have had no side effects from either of these alternative supplements. They have only cost me my time researching, common sense and some money. Where you buy your supplements from is also challenging as many are to lower dose or filled with fillers. I have found a British company who are genuine and trustworthy, again I have spent time researching and informing myself on quantities and quality.
This is my journey, I have been so lazy in the past expecting drs to dish out medication and not face the fact I need to take responsibility for my own health on a higher level. I’ve stopped smoking, increase my activity lost weight
I will not reduce my numbers to the extent my drs are pushing as they keep adjusting them lower over the years, with no real benefit. I will reduce my risks of damage to my arteries by reducing the inflammation cause for the atherosclerosis which is sugars and carbs, smoking and inactivity. By changing my cholesterol numbers I will reduce the bad effects of cholesterol and hopefully have a pain free (statins) natural alternative to being healthier.
This has not been an easy process to navigate and research, I’m not the brightest person and have found this challenging, but the more I have read or podcasts I have listened to has opened my eyes. Remember alot of today’s medication that drs prescribe have come from natural plants and remedies.
The choice is ours to either become more knowledgeable or just take the easy option and take the tablets.
I am not recommending this approach but this is my journey to feeling like I’m in more control and leading a healthier lifestyle, sorry for the long post.
If you have a reaction to the initial brand of statin you are prescribed your GP should try a change if brand. Atorvastatin, usually the first to be tried, commonly produces reactions such as muscle pain, whereas rosuvastatin is generally well-tolerated. Should statins be impossible to tolerate alternative medications such as ezetimibe can be prescribed.If you feel that your reaction to statins is the dangerous condition rhabdomyolysis, your GP can check for this with blood and urine tests, so request that these are done to alleviate any concerns you may have.
Something else that I’ve found with statins is that they really do affect memory, I proved it to myself by stopping taking Atorvastatin a couple of times for a few weeks, I get worrying skin allergy symptoms from it anyway, memory improved, tried taking it again memory got worse, now on Rosuvastatin and memory problems returned, it seems to me that sometimes the meds seem to introduce more problems than they’re meant to prevent, for me anyway.
Good evening Muscle 25. Not sure when you take your Statin. I was told to take mine late evening before bed. Because they can cause Muscle pain. Hope this helps. Brian
I was put on 80mg statin after heart attack. My shoulders were excruciatingly painful after 2 months. The cardiac nurse practitioner said they called it “the bomb”! and advised my gp to lower it . Apparently it is standard practice to give this dosage to my kind of ha. even though my cholesterol was low . It was changed to 5mg but the damage was done. My shoulders are not nearly so painful 2 yrs later but can still be very sore if I overdo things.
I am not a doctor, and cannot prescribe for you what you should do. BUT I can tell you my experience with Statin over the years, and it is not good. I have not been on a statin for about 10 years when I was declared (by doctor) "Statin Intolerant'. Before being declared STATIN INTOLERANT i was on just about every statin, at least 8 or 10. All ended with the same results of having the undesirable side affects listed, and especially Muscle Stain and pain. I lasted on some as long as 6 months, but the Muscle Stain/pain always was the end result. And for many-- the dosage was the minimum amount, 5 mg, yet the same result. One doctor suggested that I cut the pill in half (2 1/2 mg) and try that, but no relief. I will never go back to Statins. I am now on REPATH sureclick 140 mg, and it is great. Not a statin. My lipid panel shows ALL numbers in the low normal range within 4 or 5 weeks of starting Repatha. It is an amazing alternative to Statins.
Glad to share with you my extremely bad experience with statins. And may I add, and I am not sure about this, but I think the polyneuropathy in my legs is a result of the Statins I used, and even though I stopped Statins over 10 years ago--the neuropathy in my legs remains today as a problem. But no doctor will confirm for me that statins are the cause --so i will never know for sure. YOUR QUESTION--WHY I WAS PUT ON STATINS. The reason was clear, my cholesterol numbers were off the charts even though I was (and am) an extremely careful and healthy eater. I do not hesitate to say there are not many people I know, who eat as careful as I do to keep cholesterol in check--but that did not bring the numbers down to an acceptable range before taking REPATHA. I had to get my lab results report (with history) to provide you with an answer. I am in the USA so these are in mg/dl, but you can see the relationship of the current numbers while on REPATHA, compared to prior history(bad) lipid numbers, and ESPECIALLY the posted acceptable range. Let me format the information in that order in case it gets scrambled by the program -- hope this helps you. I do see that a very few people on this site use REPATHA.
CURRENT. HISTORY NO. ACCEPTABLE RANGE.
(on REPATHA) (format: current on Repatha, history, acceptable range)
I'm surprised you're experiencing such symptoms with rosuvastatin, a hydrophilic statin. Be aware that a very high serum total CPK enzyme, persistent muscle pain&muscle weakness can be a forerunner of the very dangerous rhabdomyolysis. We're told that pravastatin,another hydrophilic statin,is the mildest one for toleration but your prescriber will advise you about other cholesterol treatments instead as needed.
I ha\d a heart attack, I thought I was healthy, I don't even have a car so walk everywhere but I made the big mistake old ignoring my diet. I was not fat, but my arteries were lol. I ended u[ on 80mg of atro. for a full year. It eventually started got stop me walking. I had to request the drop down and change of satin, went down to 20mg of prava then up to 40 mg. I feel great now. You just have to keep working it out
Following heart attack January 2022 I was put on the usual concoction of meds (I was 62 and I’m female). Within a few days I was back in A and E with shocking pain and felt very ill. All this was on the tail end of COVID and GP was unhelpful and told me I must continue with the drugs. My quality of life was so poor that I did take matters into my own hands. I was very weak, coughing up blood and in a lot of pain. I had always been active, not overweight, do not smoke or drink but I am prone to anxiety and take medication for under active thyroid. I stopped the statin, ramipril which caused a terrible cough and aspirin which were damaging my lungs. Within about six weeks I felt much much better. When consulting with my cardiologist he replaced the ramipril with Losarton and referred me to an encrinologist with regard to cholesterol. She prescribed Incliseran injection which I have once every six months and it is marvellous - cholesterol 2.4 within 3 months! I am now pain free. I do wish you well!
2 weeks ago I stopped taking 20 mg atorvastatin haveing been on them for 15 months. Every morning I woke up with aching muscles which improved as day progressed. Then in the evening I took the next dose.
May be coincidence but no morning aching muscles. I will continue the trial for longer and then arrange a GP appointment to discuss other statins. Given the comments that Rosuvastatin seems to have fewer side effects I will ask if i can try it.
It has been interesting to read this thread. Food for thought.
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