Atorvastatin

[7DaysinMay]

Hi All, I wonder whether the forum had any experience or views of a potential link between Atorvastatin and myalgia? I’m on 80mg of the stuff and for some reason ( I don’t know why) decided to review again the contra indications leaflet with the tablets and it refers to myalgia. I really should have picked up on this before…my bad.

[Rachmaninov2]

I had great difficulty in walking due to pain in my legs after taking Atorvastatin for some months. A consultant cardiologist changed the Atorvastatin to Rosuvastatin. He said he stopped taking Atorvastatin himself after experiencing similar side effects.

[Bluey-1 in reply to Rachmaninov2]

Very interesting question raised. I was on 80mg of Atvostatin after a TIA. After a couple of months my cholesterol levels shifted from 8-3.9 so all good there but LFT were looking dodgy. Liver function repeated a month later and were even worse. I was taken off them for a month and retested. Back to normal apart from eGFR. Urine test for protein due. I’ve been put on a low dose of Rosuvastatin (5mg) this week and will retest in a month with a view to increase the dose as a result of the TIA. I need the statins to prevent stroke but can’t have a statin (or very high dose) that’s causing liver damage.

One month into the Atvostatin experience I suffered stabbing pain on the ball of my foot and into the final three toes. This hasn’t gone away. It’s intermittent but I get a bout of it daily. Referred to podiatry and had a phone appointment with a physiotherapist. Heard my health saga - GCA, osteoporosis, TIA, Afib and referred me for an X-ray to rule out a stress fracture due to long term steroids & osteoporosis. My appointment is tomorrow.

Have no idea what is causing this pain. I hope it’s not a stress fracture. It feels like nerve pain, burning, throbbing. Gentle massage and rest helps a bit. Sorry to bore you with this saga but 80mg Atvostatin seemed like a whole pile of the stuff and I’m happy I’m starting lower with a different statin and see how it goes. All about risk I suppose as 80mg Atvostatin is the recommended amount post stroke with high cholesterol.

[Pixix in reply to Bluey-1]

I’ve been taking Atorvastatin for years due to familial high cholesterol that does not respond to diet. It was 12 & now 4.7. I had no side effects. I now have severe burning pain in the heel, but underneath, the back part you walk on. Very painful to walk. It’s a dreadful pain, very strong. As I’ve had something like this before, Though not as bad, I believe it’s plantar fasciitis and totally unconnected to Atorvastatin. I’m seeing a podiatrist on 20 December. Of course, your pain may be linked to Atorvastatin, perhaps mine is & I just don’t know it! But my symptoms are those of Plantar Fasciitis, for sure. I’ve checked them. I’m not on such a dosage, though! My Mum & Aunt both had strokes, so I feel I need some protection!

[Bluey-1 in reply to Pixix]

Thank you. I don’t think the foot pain is related to Atvostatin as it’s ongoing. I was brought off Atvostatin as the blood tests were indicating liver damage. I too have familial high cholesterol so do need them, especially after the TIA. I hope the new ones I’ve started help. So much going on in my body I’ve not known whether I’m coming or going!

[Pixix in reply to Bluey-1]

I now have 12 named diagnosed diseases & it’s very hard to see the wood for the trees! But I think it’s easy for everybody to associate everything with pred or with PMR/GCA and sometimes it not connected at all! Sometimes it’s like a ‘by product’, like carpal tunnel or Bursitis, though.

[Bluey-1 in reply to Pixix]

Quite! Twelve named diagnosed diseases. That’s an impressive record. I think I’m badly done to with five and find it hard to keep up with the meds and understand what’s going on. Think you’re right on the by product theory.

[Pixix in reply to Bluey-1]

Here we go…I can cut & paste them now, as I had to make a list for my new dentist…Polymyalgia, Fibromyalgia, Trochanteric bursitis, Hypermobility, Raynauds Syndrome, Osteo Arthritis, Sciatica, Essential Tremor, Haemangioma (spinal)! Orthostatic hypotension, Dry Macular Degeneration, Plantar Fasciitis. And, no, I can’t easily remember each one otherwise!!

[Bluey-1 in reply to Pixix]

OMG, I bet you don’t know whether you’re coming or going!

[Pixix in reply to Bluey-1]

No idea whatsoever! I have pain from a lot of them, but don’t always know which one is causing what pain!! You have to laugh. Need to get to the vets, I think! I have an excellent doctor, after our last appointment, which lasted 40 minutes, he wrote something like ‘has many isdues’, * then lists them with bullet points! S x

[Lonsdalelass in reply to Rachmaninov2]

I started on Atorvastatin early this year due to high cholesterol, had to stop it whilst on holiday in July due to aches in my arms, really bad aches may I add, and they have eased a lot since. Consultant then tried me on Rosuvastatin but after 4 or 5 weeks I've had to stop them, as I was getting bad stomach cramps and nausea.....so at the moment I'm waiting for him to be in touch with another alternative but am losing faith on these. I think I will ask for something other than a statin which will work at lowering cholesterol....my mum takes an alternative as she can't be on statins now she's on blood thinners. Everyone is different though, and many folk get on fine with statins but so far am thinking maybe I don't!

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to Lonsdalelass]

My Consultant mentioned that Ezetimibe may be an option if I was unable to tolerate statins.

[Lonsdalelass in reply to Rachmaninov2]

Yes, that's what my mum takes and what I'll ask for unless I'm persuaded otherwise.

[Thelmarina in reply to Lonsdalelass]

As I am on a blood thinner (Apixaban) and low dose statin I’m interested when you say you can’t take both. Isn’t this fun? 😂. You sometimes feel you have to join up the writing between consultants and doctors!

[Lonsdalelass in reply to Thelmarina]

I'm only going by what the doctor told my mum.....perhaps she's a little different or there's another reason, or maybe she's got mixed up and that's not the reason at all, who knows really? I will ask her again though now you've mentioned it, as it's good to know.

[Merryfield]

My suspicion is that everyone has a different reaction. I have been taking atorvastatin long before I got PMR and have had no side effects. With stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in my family (and all but stroke in my body), I can't take any chances.

[Bluey-1 in reply to Merryfield]

Neither can I which is what the GP said. Guidance was to come off Atvostatin for a month for bloods to normalise before trying a different statin and monitor accordingly. I think you’re correct about different reactions. Fingers crossed I respond better to Rosuvastatin.

[Polygolfer]

I was started on Sinvastatin years ago and had issues with muscle strains. They then switched me to Rosuvastatin (5mg) and I’ve had no problems since then. I suggest you discuss with your GP. Rosuvastatin is a more advanced (more recently developed) statin than Sinvastatin and Atorvastatin so your GP may well choose to change your prescription.

[7DaysinMay]

Sincere thanks to everyone for their replies. It’s marvellous to be able to quickly gather so many experiences on a given subject. I will discuss with my GP as I could have been having a reaction to Atorvastatin and interpreted it as a PMR flare. Conversely of course they might well have been flares.

[Bluey-1 in reply to 7DaysinMay]

Are they checking liver function tests? I hadn’t felt great on 80mg of Atvostatin but I was recovering from the TIA/Afib so difficult to work out what was happening. It was the poor LFT that raised alarm bells and a month off it with subsequent normalised bloods showed Atvorstatin as the culprit.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I have tried 2 statins - Atorvastatin was the first and it nearly had me needing a wheelchair after 10 days. Not so much pain but weakness, especially trying to walk up a slope. I stopped it and it took a few months to get back to where I had been before starting the stuff.

[Blackcat1M]

I was given Atorvastatin over five months ago as I had a HA 80mg.

My cholesterol used to be 7.5 I got it down to 6.5 by diet then I had my HA.

Last week I had a blood test for cholesterol and it is now3.5 .

I never wanted to be on Statins as ihave friends who have been ill with them.

One I noticed I have had is numbness in my last three toes on my right foot and also i have had a lot of cramps and numbness in my left leg.

My doctor sent me fora Nerve Conduction test which I am waiting for results.

I am hoping I can eventually come off statins

[Thelmarina]

You seem to be on a high dose - presumably because of your stroke risk? My dosage is 20mg. Just wondering if that is contributing to your reaction to the drug.