Statins

[Bluepin]

I have a cholesterol of 6.6 and GP advises I take a statin .

Which statin causes the least amount of muscle pain for those of us with PMR please

[Koalajane]

it is difficult to say. I take atorvastatin and some say it can cause muscle pain but I have not found this to be the case.

[Rosina1871 in reply to Koalajane]

Me too

[PMRpro Ambassador]

No answer to that - everyone is different and you have to try them yourself. Now you have posted, a load of statin posts are listed in Related Posts - lots of discussion already there.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to PMRpro]

For example - Koalajane tolerates atorvastatin - it nearly had me in a wheelchair!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Very individual thing… but you’ll probably get prescribed the cheapest first which is Simvastatin…. Many can’t get with that so you then move on to those that are slightly more expensive…

[Blearyeyed]

Atorvastatin is one most commonly offered first mainly because it is the cheapest but it does seem to cause more common side effects in people than the other options , that includes myself . My husband and myself use Crestor / Rosuvastatin.Simvastatin is another common option that people can have a positive reaction with.

I have no really obvious side effects on this , as I had an increase in constipation/ IBS-C and some mild aches with Atorvastatin.

You can help work out your tolerance for the statin and get used to the new chemical in the body by requesting to be given a month on half the dose you will ideally use first.

This often makes beginning new non emergency medications easier because your body doesn't react as strongly to the change.

You can get some side effects which are stronger in the first couple of weeks on any statin but can decrease as your body adjusts . They basically suggest that unless you get obvious immediate allergy or intolerance reactions to give the medication 4-6 weeks to get used to.

If you find that you are getting side effects that are getting worse over that time you can go and try one of the other alternatives until you get the type and dose that works for you alongside a low cholesterol diet .

[Bcol]

Think the earlier comments have summed it up well. The first three I tried were not good but I've had no problems with Rosuvastatin (5mg)which I've been on for many years.

[EFCB]

atorvastatin 20mg initially if issues request a change to Ross a statin 10mg

[Ridge]

Interesting to read the above. I started on 5mg Rosuvastatin 6 weeks ago. I was told by GP and friends I would feel muscle pain quickly, within the first two weeks if they didn’t suit. As two weeks approached I hoped all was well but started to feel weirdly stiff. I had ligament pain and boiling knees at night then another Afib episode. I kept the steroids steady while trying to work out what was going on. Fatigued played a major part. After BT results I go for a flare caused by the introduction of ANOTHER drug! In the past any reaction to vaccinations etc have always been at the two week mark. Cholesterol had dropped to 5.4 from 8.5. But CRP had climbed to 9.4 from 2. All these symptoms have been confused by a back injury which has been difficult to manage. So the dilemma was - statin causing muscle pain? No cos this was not just muscle pain. AI causing fatigue ligament/muscle pain nausea ? Possible. Flare? Possible.

Why let cholesterol get to 8.5? I have always had high cholesterol 6 but good higher than bad. This changed recently to 8.5 and bad higher than good. So had to do something about it.

I have doubled my Pred to 8mg today. Reluctant to go to 10mg from past experience. I do seem to over react to any drug. Oh I am so fed up with all this!!

But the Rosuvastatin is doing a great job on the cholesterol!! I would recommend it!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

"I was told by GP and friends I would feel muscle pain quickly, within the first two weeks if they didn’t suit"

Not entirely true - this article suggests it may happen in the first few MONTHS. And nausea can also be due to statins.

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

Ohh! Well I do feel better after doubling the Pred to 8mg. Would Pred affect the side affects of statins?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Not sure. I don't think so - unless the statin has woken up the autoimmune cause of the inflammation that causes PMR. Do you class that as a side effect of a statin? On the other hand - if pred helps you could have the best of both worlds

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

Yes! A quandary! I am pretty sure the statin woke up the autoimmune sentries. If that proves to be the case then hopefully they will get used to the effective statin and I will be able to reduce again. I will see what Rheumy thinks after Easter. I just hope I can get on top of this.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Such a pain ... literally and metaphorically!

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

Yes ☹️

[Pixix]

I’ve taken Atorvastatin for 15 years without any side effects or issues. But others haven’t. You won’t know until you try one!

[Polygolfer]

There are generally speaking three generation of statins. Simvastatin being from the first, Atorvastatin from the second and Rosuvastatin from the third and most recent. They all do mostly the same thing but overtime the newer versions are more effective in controlling cholesterol and produce less side effects. However, as with any drug, it’s all about how every individual handles it so you and your GP should arrive at the best statin option for you! A bit of a trial and error I’m afraid.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Polygolfer]

SImvastatin is actually a second generation statin, like atorvastatin, and it is the second generation ones that have the worst reputation with regard to muscle effects. Simvastatin actually listed PMR as an adverse effect at one time! One cardiology department in the USA - in Seattle I think - has it on their black list as an awful drug that wasn't to be used. Seemed a bit harsh ...

[Polygolfer in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, generally speaking both Simvastatin and Atorvastatin fall into what is labelled second generation but…simvastatin is a semi-synthetic statin and it’s commercial launch was followed several years later by fully synthetic statins amongst which Atorvastatin.

[Cobalt2sister]

Hi I understand rouvastatin causes least amount ( in my research : several sites): I also found for me that it dropped my cholesterol lower than the two other statins I had been on. My neurologist changed me to that after a TIA. Good luck.

[Bluey-1 in reply to Cobalt2sister]

Atvorstatin didn’t do it for me. Sent liver function tests awry. Now on Rosuvastatin, all good so far. Will test lipids end of April to check progress with keeping cholesterol low.

[singingloud]

I take a statin only three days a week which keeps mine under control.

[Ridge in reply to singingloud]

That’s a nice plan! Perhaps I’ll be lucky!

[Viveka]

I got my 6.2 cholesterol down to 4.2 with supplements, particularly plant sterols. Have a look at my recent post if you are interested in seeing if non statin approach may work for you. Definitely worth trying if your other risk factors are not high.

[pegpowell]

My vascular surgeon said Rosuvastatin is the best which I have been taking for a few years with no problems. And my cholesterol went way down.

[Harrywogan]

Bluepin,IAM the very same IAM at 6.6 GP talked about statins but he did agree to let me try to reduce it really because of the PMR, don't know the last time I've had a cake or cheese lol does make you feel low at times. X

[Lyndaki]

I had a cholesterol reading of 7 & GP talked about statins but I was t keen…& neither was she as I’m not even n other medication apart from Prednisolone & calcium. I researched & started taking psyllium husk capsules & within 2 months it was down to an acceptable 5. The reading at last blood test was within correct range. A friend has also had the same results with psyllium husk going from a reading of 8 down to 2 over a year.

[Seekingasolution]

I was prescribed Atorvastatin, took my first dose on a Saturday night and on my Sunday walk I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. By Monday I was better although I had some cramps in my leg but by Tuesday I was back to normal. The pharmacist phoned me to ask how I was getting on and told me it was not unusual to take a couple of days to get used to them. Within the month my cholesterol went down from 8.8 to 6.1.

[whitefishbay]

I don't know but I take atorvastatin (20mg) and who knows if the pill causes the aches and pains or just normal (old) aging. Think you have to see how it goes. Good luck.

[Doublef]

I have 10mg of Rosuastatin without to many problems