So i had a heart attack and three stents 30/12/24. Everything is going fine except for the last two months I have had real bad muscle pains in my shoulders to the point where i struggled to sleep told the cardiac rehab team and they weren’t much help. Went to see the doctor 6 weeks ago and he told me to take paracetamol and deep heat!! After two weeks of popping paras (which may have increased liver damage? See later in post) no change so i went back to see a helpful doc who reduced statins and bisoprol dosage.
Shoulder pain eased but hasn’t really gone away and rather than inhibiting sleep, i am sleeping 11 hours a night and am still tired.
In addition to reducing the dosage the docs wanted to do a full check so took bloods.
After 3 weeks of not hearing anything i rang for the results to be told they were on my NHS app, so my LIPIDS and liver function state “abnormal contact patient” which concerned me, spoke to the receptionist and asked why no contact and response was we are really busy and you are on a list to call!! i am not a patient person so rather than explode i got my wife to call. The best they could do was a call from a doc a week later!!
Following a call from the doc i now have to go for a SCAN on my liver as the tests suggest it is damaged. (High serum alt levels 67 u/l) This isn’t until 30/04. Honestly the aftercare I have received from my local docs has been appalling.
Anyway these are my meds Atorvastatin was 80mg now 40mg, bisoprol 1.25mg was 2.5mg, aspirin 75mg, lansoprazole 15mg, prasugrel 10mg, ramipril 5mg.
Symptoms, shoulder pain, very tired, and liver damage.
I have read a few posts where others have linked these to the statins and a change in brand may be appropriate.
Any thoughts?
Written by
KevG1
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Hey kev I am on the same meds as you I had a heart attack 27th December last year arrested 5 times and had a stent fitted I get lots of muscular pain its due to the meds there is a blood test they can do to check if it's the statins the after care from the GP is awful mine is the same I would put a complaint in to the practice manager I hope you get it sorted take care
If it is suspected that you are suffering from side effects from taking one statin, it seems the first strategy is to reduce the dose as you have found out. However if that doesn't work there are indeed other statins to try, and your health professionals should be trialling this if appropriate. One switch which seems to work for many is from atorvastatin to rosuvastatin. However if you are found to be 'statin intolerant' and it is considered necessary for you to take lipid management medication there are other form of medication available such as ezetimibe, or in some cases Inclisiran which is a periodic injection. However I would guess your liver damage will influence any clinical decisions on this.
I was on Atorvastatin 80mg after my ha, it played havoc with my liver sent it into overdrive, I was taken off statins for a while and then slowly reintroduced but in small amounts I am now on 15mg Rousavastatin but I was sent to a cholesterol consultant and I now take ezetimbe which is not statin but combats cholesterol, liver is now normal and cholesterol is the best it’s been. I would ask your gp if there is a cholesterol consultant in your area that you can be recommended to.
I'm sorry your having issues, I have 3 stents and are on much the same meds and have been for a long time I also have some significant complex renal and gastric issues. The good news is the liver often repairs itself, for me it is sounds like your statins are affecting you, it can pass once your system gets used to them but if it's an issue get them changed for a reduced dose. You can usually take ibuprofen with paracetamol but long term they will affect your kidney CKD.
I completely understand your frustration and concern and as its likely your medication was prescribed by the consultant, if it was I would contact his/her medical secretary directly and agree a phone call or follow up plan rather than your GP if need be try and get your follow up appointment pulled forward particularly as your bisropol dose is quite low (which is good).
I know it's upsetting but stay with it is usually gets better as your body learns to tolerate the medication...
I stopped taking Artovastatin because it was causing me a great deal of pain in the muscles in my shoulders; I was waking up with terrible pain in my scapula which was so painful, I was in tears; also chest and right arm pain. It took about 2 weeks for the pain to go entirely. My colleague’s husband also had terrible pain, he had a bypass about 2 months before I had my stent and it took about 5 weeks before his pain went entirely. I was told by my GP that it is ok to come off the statin, to see if there was a change as you can go back on it again. I have found I cannot tolerate statins. I also cannot tolerate Bisoprorol as it caused my pulse to drop too low which then led to chest pain, a visit to A/E and raised troponin. I think you have to be your own advocate, everyone handles medication differently and it may take a while to find out what suits you and give you the best quality of life. Best wishes
I can really empathise with you over the pains and aches. Mine were principally in my legs and we're exacerbated by exercise which was highly counter-productive. I saw my GP and he changed Atorvastatin to Simvastatin which had a similar effect on me. A further change to Pravastatin was no better. He threw his hands up in horror and put me on Ezetimibe. The side effects disappeared, but I was to learn later that I might as well have been prescribed Smarties as it no effect whatsoever.
Thankfully the cardiac department at my local hospital referred me to their pathologist and she persuaded me to try Rosuvastatin. After a two week bedding in period during which I had some headaches, I was amazed to find that I had no side effects and when tests a few weeks later my cholesterol had dropped from 4.4 to 3.7. More importantly I was now receiving the benefit of the plaque stabilisation of taking a statin, important as I have a relatively high Homocysteine level which makes me more prone to blood clots.
I firmly believe that medication is there to not only make us better, but also improve our quality of life. If a medication has affected me adversely, with the help of my GP I have always sought an alternative. Having found what suits me, I am now fiercely protective of what I am prescribed and always question any attempt to alter it.
I really hope tgat you get your issues sorted soon.
So sorry to hear what you’ve been going through — that sounds incredibly frustrating, especially after everything you’ve already been through with your heart and recovery.
Shoulder pain, fatigue, and now flagged liver results definitely raise a red flag for possible statin side effects — especially at the higher doses like Atorvastatin 80mg. Muscle aches and fatigue are well-documented, and while liver issues are less common, they are known to happen, particularly when statins are combined with other medications that can affect the liver (like paracetamol or certain antiplatelets).
A few thoughts based on what you’ve shared:
It’s a good move that your doctor reduced your statin and bisoprolol, especially if symptoms improved a bit after. It suggests there may be a link.
The ALT level of 67 is mildly elevated, but the scan is the right next step — mostly to rule out anything structural or unrelated.
You’re right that different statin brands or switching to another type (like rosuvastatin or a lower dose) can sometimes help. Some people even do better on alternate-day dosing, but that’s something to talk through with a cardiologist or lipid specialist.
The excessive sleep and fatigue could also be from bisoprolol, especially if you’re naturally sensitive to beta blockers.
It’s a shame your aftercare has been so disjointed. You shouldn’t have to chase for basic follow-ups after a heart event — especially when new symptoms and abnormal results are showing up. You’re doing all the right things by staying proactive, tracking symptoms, and pushing for proper answers.
you might want to:
Keep a simple symptom log for pain, fatigue, and sleep.
Note exactly when symptoms eased after the dose reductions.
Ask about trying a different statin.
Wishing you better support from your next appointment.
I've been living with Liver Cirrhosis for 11 years so well versed in blood results.A reading of 67 u/l is only a mild elevation.
Generally a perfect result is no higher than 50 u/l.
The elevation in your results can usually be put down to varying reasons but in your case I would hazard to say it's likely due to muscle damage caused by Statin given the muscle pain you're continuing to have.
Medication is often the cause of raised Alt levels.
Hope your GP pulls their finger out. It's bad enough having to cope with an MI and stents let alone possible Liver injury from Medication.
I'm lucky that I have a superb Gastroenterologist keeping his eye on me and the medication I'm currently on.
I am sorry you are suffering so much ..I see you are taking Lansoprazole I take you are taking it for acid reflux. I was on it for a year but it reduced my sodium levels to much so came off it as it could have caused liver and kidney damage . Also see you are on aspirin and paracetamol I didn't think you could take both . I assume they put you on the aspirin for your heart and paracetamol for pain . Has your shoulder been x rayed or had CT scan on it ?
Have you been seen by the pain clinic about your shoulder
. Because of my neurological condition I take 10mg Amitriptyline 3 times a day for the nerve pain been on it since 1992 was only twice a day but few years ago increased to 3 and has made a big difference. Amitriptyline in higher dose is an anti depressant but like most drugs duel purpose.
It might help your shoulder and it doesn't cause kidney or liver problems. Plus it can make you drowsy but never had done on me.
The medication is causing more harm than good. The body has the ability to repair itself. Too much medications come with side effects that can damage other healthy organs. It's best to revisit the doctor and see if the dosage of all these medications can be reduced so that your body can have the time to repair itself naturally.
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