Atorvastatin and MS

[Flowers17]

Hello and happy holidays. I have a quick question related to statins and MS. Has anyone been prescribed Atorvastatin and experienced increased muscle and joint pain. Would be interested in hearing others experience with statin drugs and its impact on their MS symptoms. Thank you.

[Kenu]

Yes I have been on Atorstatin for the last five years and have had no side effects whatsoever. My cholesterol has been under control since. Things have gone really well with this medication. Good luck 👍🏼 😉🙏

[Flowers17 in reply to Kenu]

Thank you for your response. I appreciate it. I have been on it for about a month now and have been experiencing more muscle pain. I will give it a little more time for me to adjust to it and see how it goes. Really appreciate your feedback. Have a wonderful holiday season.

[Chinstrappenguin in reply to Flowers17]

I've also been on Atorvastatin for about 3 months, joint pain getting increasingly worse over last 2 months - am thinking about stopping it for a month & monitoring how I feel. Have you tried that?

[Flowers17 in reply to Chinstrappenguin]

I did stop taking it and my muscle pain decreased. Will review medication with my primary MD during my next visit and report back. Thank you.

[NorasMom]

I've been on it since 2015, and while I have concerns about statins in general, I haven't noticed any changes because of it.

[Flowers17]

Thank you for sharing. All good news. I will continue my progress on this medication. Be well and have a wonderful holiday.

[SandraKOE]

Statins are good drugs for cholesterol, one side effect of them are muscle cramps/pain. Seems this side effect is more prevalent in women and happens more often with Lipitor (atorvastatin). MD needs to be aware. This is a good drug, if muscle pain or cramps are not to bothersome & are manageable then ok. Zocor (simvistatin) or Crestor (rosuvastatin) is an option if cramps are too much.

[sashaming1]

I've taken simvastatin for cholestorol for years with no MS issues.

[Flowers17]

Thank you all so much for your responses. At least I now know I have options. I have made my neurologist aware that I am monitoring my muscle pain and cramps. Have follow-up in February with Primary provider. Hope to hold out until then. So very much appreciate your feedback and insight. Blessed holidays to all.

[leking1]

I\ve taken Simvastin for years for cholesterol with no problems. Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

[Tazmanian]

I've been taking rosvuastatin for several years with no problems

[Flowers17]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with statins. These responses are very encouraging. I am hopeful that I will find one that will work for me. Thanks again. Enjoy the holidays.

[Frances_B]

The muscle aches etc you are experiencing are not related to your MS - they are a direct side effect of the Atorvastatin and are common with nearly all of the statins (a problem for around 30%+ of people who take them). Another side effect which people are not so aware of is increased fatigue - which PwMS often blame on their MS - statins reduce LDL cholesterol, which is a key transporter of "energy" around your body so there can be an effect on your energy levels (this a a grossly over-simplified version but there are academic articles available about this issue).

Statins can also have a negative impact on your body's normal production of COQ10 as well (that affects your energy and fatigue levels), and more recent research is finding a link between statins and development of Type 2 diabetes. There is a possible link between statins and kidney disease but the boffins are still divided on this one.

I was put on statins for a short period because my cholesterol was a tiny bit (like 10%) above what is recommended - I lasted for about two months before the side effects wiped me out, and as a result of the muscle pain issues and lack of energy I had two bad falls in that couple of months and one of them fractured a vertebra. So, I'm not taking them again unless there really is no other option.

Despite the fact that doctors like to hand out statins like sweets, they are powerful drugs and not as harmless as they are portrayed. If you have any way of trying to manage your cholesterol levels through improving your diet and implementing other lifestyle changes then it is worth trying to do so - pills are not always the best answer to a lot of health issues. It is true that the "Standard American Diet" is appallingly overloaded with fats and salt and sugar and very top-heavy with meat and processed carbs so relatively simple changes can have positive effects on cholesterol levels.

There is a "Cholesterol Support" group here on Health Unlocked - maybe register with them and have a browse among some of the views posted there.

[Flowers17]

This is so helpful and I appreciate your insight. As it is I rarely eat meat and do try to walk or ride my stationary bike but I could increase my activity level. My cholesterol level is borderline at 221. I will join the other support group and continue to monitor. Thanks again for the info. Appreciate it. Happy holidays.