Hi Just joined the group

[Techembrace]

After a long battle with a doctor gave in and is taking simvastatin. Does anyone have severe muscle pain in one arm I do a gym workout had a break, lowered the weights I lift. The shock is that the pain is really bad after taking statin and in the night.

[Marz]

Have you researched the side effects ? Muscle weakness is one .... Raised cholesterol can be a symptom of low thyroid - and your photo is making me think ..... always good to rule it out.

[DakCB-UK]

Yes. Eventually, I suffered muscle pain during exercise with Simvastatin and Pravastatin. I suspect statin side-effects are more likely if one exercises, based on what little research there has been, but exercise is really important for reducing the risk of heart attacks!

I'm currently taking Ezetimibe and Colestid, in addition to controlling cholesterol through lifestyle. I do not have thyroid problems (according to very detailed blood tests, much to the bemusement of the medics, but they still did them) and I think that's just the current quackery, now that low-carb and fasting seem less popular.

Contact your medic urgently. They will probably tell you to stop taking them - and then try to start you on a different statin. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, ask (nay, insist) to be referred to a specialist clinic with more experience dealing with adverse statin reactions.

[Leajayse]

Hi,

Simvastatin is banned in the USA as a first statin. Unfortunately not here. Statin side effects have little to do with exercise but more to do with luck. If you are lucky there are no side effects if you are not there are and there are thousands of people to prove it. What is your cholesterol level? Mine was five so ironically I didn't need the statins. Stop the Simvastatin immediately. Take CQ10. Find some other way to reduce your cholesterol but seek expert advice and NOT from your doctor who dish these things out like smarties.

[sandybrown]

I am afraid you need to give your blood test lipid numbers for you to get a proper response in this site?

[WarmSummerSun]

After being diagnosed with hyperlipedemia, I was only on Simvastatin for 6 weeks before I began to experience side effects. Unfortunetly I thought it may just be the flu. Severve body aches and muscle weekness. After changing Dr.'s, running a series of tests for lupus, hepatitis and other auto immune illness, without a new diagnosis I ask to stop taking Simvastatin. My cholesterol and trigylsceride levels went back up. Six weeks of physical theraphy to regain some muscle strength in my back and legs. Muscle damage caused by SImvastatin, is real. Muscle atrophy happens fast with injury and lack of movement. I have since been taking prevastatin, without the body aches. I am not a fan of statins but have considered my options, my hyperlipedemia, is genetic; I have always eaten a very healthy diet and diet alone wasn't working. I adjusted even further and cut out dairy, and added sugars, lower carb and increaed my lean protien diet. I am a faithful believer in eating oatmeal with fresh berries. I do use honey when I cook and need to add aittle sweetner. I didn't think I had weight to loose. But, once feeling better, I was able to get back to walking and found I lost a few pounds. *** Ripple *** brand non dairy milk has been my save! I like milk. Great in coffee, cereal and cooking. Original, unsweeted and chocolate and vanilla. I keep the corner market busy stocking the shelf. Omega 3, more calcium than milk and 8 grams of protein.

Don't give up. It has been just over a year for me to get back to where I am. All this was put in motion after the labs during my annual physical showed a dramatic increase.

Take Care

[Andyman]

Stop taking the statin go back to your doctor tell him the problem. Don't take ask if you can have something else. Watch out for googled solutions. Not the best way of being helped but do research. If your reason for being prescribed Statin is Cholesterol but is not too high maybe you could reduce it by diet. If too high another medication maybe.

[Patient007]

Simvistatin is the cheapest statin so it has the worst side effects. Also Doctors make the most money from the Pharmaceutical companies for prescribing it so it is all down to cost again. The more expensive statins ie Atorvastatin have less side effects but you have to persuade the GPs to prescribe it.

[sos007 Ambassador]

That was exactly my experience with 30 mg of Rosuvastatin (Crestor).

I made it my mission at that time (January 2016) to get off of statins once I read all of the negative side effects.

I changed my diet and lifestyle, lost 40 lbs and came off of all prescription medications including the statin. I had triple bypass surgery March 2015.

If you want to read about my journey click here:

healthunlocked.com/user/sos007

[Einz]

Prior to statin, I was very athletic, almost never get sick and basically very healthy. After taking statin in my early 20’s for about a week, I start to have very bad body ache when I wake up in morning, having weakness in arm and felt numb time to time. Even worse, I start to have very bad neck and shoulder pain as well. Eventually, start getting sick very often and list goes on. I stopped taking statin after another specialist request me to stop. I am healing from all the misery of muscle weakness and pain but have yet to be back in original “Fit” mode. Taking Vitamin D as I was diagnosed with deficiency by immunologist. Also, taking coQ10 supplement (but not consistently because it tend to give me tummy ache)

[Mascha1900]

The main side effect of statins is indeed muscle pain. The reason is that statins deplete some essential nutrients in the body, including the CoQ10 enzyme which the muscles need. I took a statin (Crestor) for almost 6 months in 2016, and got bad muscle pains and extreme stiffness, especially in my legs. I had no idea this was due to the Crestor! But my doctor did, and he advised me to stop for a month. That’s when I started reading about statins, and decided never to take another one - not just Crestor but any other statin. These are extremely dangerous drugs, in my opinion! The good news is, though, as far as I have found out, that high cholesterol in itself is NOT dangerous. In the elderly it is actually associated with good health and a longer life.

Something else I want to add is that exercising while on statins is a bad idea. Your muscles are already under great stress due to the statin, exercise will only exacerbate this. The way to go is to stop taking the statin and start taking plenty of CoQ10. The best way to take this is in the form of Ubiquinol, its concentrated form - more expensive but worth it! Then gradually start some very gentle exercise - just some walks at first or something, and gradually increase as you feel better.

Finally, I want to emphasise that I am NOT a doctor!! This is just my experience as an ex-statin user.

[Einz]

Thanks for the advice, will try other brand of coQ10 next time and doctor prescribe me 2000IU per day for vitaminsD

[sandybrown in reply to Einz]

There is plenty of sun shine at the moment, get Vit D from sun shine but please protect your skin.

[Marz in reply to sandybrown]

You need to reveal 40% of your body between the hours of 11 and 3pm to obtain adequate VitD - not everyone is able to do that. I was living in Crete for 4 years when I had my VitD tested - and it was insufficient - halfway in range. As we age we do not metabolise VitD in the skin well. I now take 5000 IU's in summer and 10,000 in winter ! Important to take the co-factors too ...

[Einz in reply to Marz]

I do admit that I rarely expose my self under the sun. If I do, I tend to use a high SPF sun screen. I am living in tropical country where sun is abundant. But exposing my skin is shunned upon as I live in country with a lot of Muslim community. Wish walking around in bikini to sun bathe isn’t frowned upon. Did that in Australia for a week last month, and I felt healthy and great overall. It even fixed my bad skin condition somehow

[Marz in reply to Einz]

Sun Protection Creams are a modern phenomenon and full of chemicals. Hunt out the parent companies and you will mostly find Big Pharma thete somrwhere.

Skin cancer increased in line with Sun Cream Sales - from the 60' s onwards. Wish I could still find the article ... well have a think about it 😊

[AlexandriaT]

Hi I originally had a cholesterol level of 8.2 I like you tried everything to lower it, I also gave in and excepted simvastatin 20 mg after 5/6 months my muscles where screaming pain, I went back to my GP he suggested I either stop them all together and see if it eased off, I decided that because it had gone down I opted to change to atorvastatin and drop to 10mg per day, I have been on it now about a year, no side effects thank goodness and down to 4.3 and I have lost my extra weight as well 10lbs so will stay on them and keep the dose down, I always take at night as well

[AlexandriaT]

My HDL is 1.9 and my triglycerides are down below safe levels, I have a print out of all my lab tests because I have a very hands on approach to my health and an excellent GP blood tests every three months to monitor liver and kidney function so trust me I am in the know

[AlexandriaT]

Mine runs at about 4.1% but as I'm not diabetic or even borderline it's not so nescassarry to check this, people with diabetes have higher levels, trust me as I said I'm very proactive regarding my health and actually I know more than most regarding medical Tests etc

[AlexandriaT]

Maybe it's because I don't want it to be 8.2 and because brother deceased sister had and sister still has cardiomyopathy

[JVS68]

In answer to your question on muscle pain, yes I have experienced severe pain throughout my entire body. I am now 70 years old and had been on Crestor and Lipofen for several years. Didn't equate side effects (Symptoms) with using it. First periodically I would experience mild swelling and pain and weakness in my hands arms and legs. Cramps in my calves. No equation to the drugs at this time. 5 years ago I tore my Achilles tendon in my right ankle. Still no equation. I continued to have mild effects, swelling of my hands general weakness and leg cramps. Lipofen was found to be the cause of the leg cramps. (Liponfen was stopped and cramps subsided at least 1 year now). My prescription plan changed and Crestor was not covered. My GP placed me on Lipitor (Atorvastain). within several weeks as many as 17 symptoms of side effects occurred (This had been for almost 1 year). My GP didn't agree with my diagnosis as it being the new drug Lipitor. I continued to take it and symptoms worsened including tearing my left bicep tendon. I stopped taking Lipitor and a year ago and the symptoms appear to be improving. My hands are still at times swollen like catchers mit's and the pain is at times unbearable.

[JVS68]

By the way the picture is of the swollen back of my right hand on Lipitor.

[rocheen]

Take niacin supplement. Mine came down from 8.9 to 5.2

[JVS68]

Thanks for the quick response. I take Vit D 1200 Mg every other day per my Dr. instructions. 500 mg CoQ10 daily and 500 mg Niacin daily. sorry about the picture but I cant seem to get it in the Reply. I've been through the mill here and now I am on Zetia10 Mg/ Day, Ramipril 5Mg 2x/Day, Jentadueto 2.5 Mg 500Mg 2x/Day, Jardiance10Mg 1x/Day, Duloxetine 30Mg 1x/day(for tingling and numbness in hands and right arm). several of the above Meds list muscle pain as a side effect. I am also on Prilosec for acid reflux. The Prilosec 40 mg /day has never been an issue.

I have severe muscle pain in both biceps and lower back. I have now been for more blood tests and I am scheduled for another NCV test this week. I still think its the Meds. Doctor says not possible. What do you think