I have been taking this statin for almost 4 weeks and just wondered if anyone else who has PMR takes this. At first when taking I felt a bit queasy, so started to take it after evening dinner on its own. This did help but I have developed other side affects - I feel extremely tired all day and have been taking a nap in the afternoon sometimes - which I don’t normally do. I have occasional thumping type headaches ( I never get headaches) sometimes when I’m sitting I feel that my heart is beating loudly. I’m eating more than usual and quite honestly feeling very down ( which isn’t like me at all ) I have my prescriptions from Pharmacy2U and because this was a new medication they offer a courtesy call from a pharmacist- who told me on Monday to persevere for another few weeks, but feeling as I am I don’t want to. One of the side affects is muscle ache - which obviously is a PMR symptom and so is fatigue. I was offered this last year but declined as I feel I am taking enough pills.
I take Levothyroxine 100mg Lisinopril 10mg Cyanocominn 50mg Adcal-D3 and I’m still on Prednisilone 7mg ( lowest I have got down to is 5mg but can’t seem to get below 7mg at the moment) I occasionally take Co-Codamol for Osteoarthritis in knees.
I doubled checked that all my medication is compatible with the statins.
Would love to hear if anyone else had problems.
Jules ❤️
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jules1955
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It didn't agree with me - very weak and tired and could barely walk up the slightest slope after about 10 days and that was on half dose. So I took an executive decision and stopped it - although I did report that immediately to the Pain Clinic doctor I was seeing at the time. To be fair to her - she agreed!
Some people need to try a few different ones before they find one that suits them so don't be blackmailed into taking something that really doesn't agree with you. Especially if you are having muscle aches as well as PMR! The pharmacist isn't the one suffering.
Now you have posted you can see Related Posts and one is also about atorvastatin - have a look at that.
Thank you PMRpro - it says don’t just stop taking it, but as I have only had it for just over 3 weeks do you think it would be okay ? Until I can speak to my GP
No reason not to since it is making you ill - the "don't stop taking it" is for the numpties who think "my cholesterol has gone down - I'm cured"! You need to keep taking it to keep the cholesterol down!
I was started on atorvastatin a couple of weeks ago but I asked…..and it was agreed that I start with 10mg instead of 20mg. I was also told that I could stop it at any time if necessary.
Interesting to read this. I was on 10mg of atorvastatin and was OK. But last year it was upped to 20mg. This has not changed my cholesterol (still 5.3 total) but I have felt very tired and weak. I didn't realise this could be due to the statin, I assumed it was due to long term pred use. They want to up my statin dose further. I said no. They agreed to me going on a diet and retesting in December.
It doesn't occur to them to try a different statin? Not least because it obviously isn't doing what they expect? What happened to evidence-based medicine?
Yes I might ask about that now I know my leg weakness and tiredness may also be due to it. I read that every time they double the statin dose, your cholesterol only improves by 6%.
I couldn't cope with Atorvastain and two others, but no problem with asking doc to try others and Rosuvastatin has been absolutely fine. Started long before PMR.
My PCP switched me to atorvastatin from simvastatin a couple of years back. Like you, I had terrible side effects. He simply switched me back to simvastatin, and I've been fine since.
I was also put onto Atorvastatin and experienced muscle pain. I did a bit of research online and found that this statin plus Sinvistatin were both likely to cause muscle fatigue. I pointed this out to my GP and I was switched to Rosuvastatin and have not had a problem since. I only take 10mg though and not 20mg.
I’ve taken it for 15 years at least (familial high cholestrol) and have never had any side effects. My husband recently started taking it & has no side effects.
I was put on atvorstatin about 3 months ago, was fine at first but then I started feeling weird and fatigue was bad , I also felt very dark and depressed really bad. So I have stopped taking it. And now I am feeling back to normal.
My GP said if I wasn’t happy I could stop taking it. I think it’s probably a case of trying different ones, so I’m told. I haven’t been in contact with my GP yet about maybe trying another statin.
I think it’s good having preventative medicine but I do wonder about the side effects.
hi Jules, sorry to hear about your problems with the statin. I know it can have those side effects. My dose was upped from 20 to 40mg of atorvastatin but I’ve had no problems at all. I gather Pred can affect your cholesterol adversely. Maybe you need a different statin??
I have taken 10mg a day atorvastatin for years, along with currently 7.5mg pred, also co-codamol & a host of other meds. No problems at all, but I know some statins upset people & you may want to take a different one. Simvastatin gave me leg pains.
I was prescribed artorvastatin after getting a high cholesterol result. This was without any discussion with the gp. I just received a text to say the prescription had been sent to the pharmacy. I started taking it but at the same time started to research taking statins. I stopped taking them shortly after and reduced my butter and cheese intake and started walking for about an hour every morning. My next cholesterol result, about 3 months later was fine. I would suggest you do your own research into the actual benefit of statins (other than the GP getting money for prescribing it) any decide if any benefits out way the side effects. Good luck with what ever you decide to do.
Statins have such a big controversy. I now believe it has more risk than benefit that I wish I had known. I took Zocor for 4 years before doctor put me on Atorvastatin (Lipitor), immediately knocked me down to bed. Went back to zocor for several years until new doctor said he has had success on Crestor. I took that for many years until I started to have repeated muscular issues (back and legs). I would take a “statin holiday” for a month and wow I could play tennis again, so back on statin and 2 weeks later it was no go. After about 6 months of this, the doctor agreed that it would be best if I quit. This was all a decade before I had PMR. You may want to read a book by a UK doctor. Dr. Malcom Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con.
I've been taking Atorvastatin for years and am not aware of any side effects. I wouldn't be surprised if you pretty much only get replies from those who have had problems.
My husband was on this for over a year. He began to get a host of different symptoms and the GP only recently suggested he come off the statin. He came off and almost all his symptoms quickly vanished.
Yep, I take 10mg Atorvastatin. I take last thing at night. When I first went on the Pred at 15 mg and my PMR was diagnosed I used to get slight dizzyness similar to vertigo, heart pounding on occasions. It has eased off now and I'm down to 8mg and I don't get any other side effects apart from a tightness in my chest at times when I go out for a walk too soon after a meal. That may just be the PMR or other drugs.
I do get sleepy in the afternoons also now and put that down to the Pred.
"I don't get any other side effects apart from a tightness in my chest at times when I go out for a walk too soon after a meal"
I think you need to speak to your GP about that and get it checked out because any chest pain or tightness must be considered as potentially cardiac in origin UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. It might be the PMR or other medication and I hope it is - but you cannot safely assume that. It might be angina,
Thanks PMR Pro, that thought occurred to me also. I have been having many checks to investigate my anaemia so am working my way through my GP's concerns. Had the Gastro side checked out with colonoscopy and gastroscopy with only a couple of non malignant polyps cut out. Had a CT scan also and an ECG which was ok. Am now booked in with Urology for another camera insertion as the scan found a small cyst, again they said it appears non-malignant, on the kidneys, but they want to investigate a thick bladder wall. I had one arterial stent inserted 18 years ago so have been on the Atorvastatin since that time as instructed by my cardiologist at the time.
When i say tightness I think it might be a mild indigestion but as I'm on so many pills at the moment wonder if it is just a side effect of one of those. I keep a schedule in a small spreadsheet and tick them off daily as I take them. Feeling pretty good though most days but know that could be the Pred hiding stuff. Am down to 8mg per day this time since my flare a few weeks back at 7mg so am being very cagey in trying to get down again.
Thanking God for the NHS and all these tests, after chatting with one of my friends from the USA who's been having to check with insurers for their husband's prostate procedure before the hospital will do anything.
Many a heart attack arrived in the ED saying "I thought it was indigestion"!! And chest pain should really be the first thing on a list to be checked. Just in case it isn't indigestion!!!
Am fully aware of that, which was the reason I asked for the ECG. Having had the stent many years ago I did the treadmill test also every year until I couldn't afford it. I am because of that past, considered to have heart disease, but have no other issues apart from this PMR and the anaemia. But am taking advantage of every test offered at present.
UPDATE - I spoke with my GP today and she said stop taking them and see if all symptoms disappear - then you will know it’s the statins. Give her a shout in a couple of weeks to discuss choices. Lots to think about after all of the comments, thank you to everyone who took the time, I’ll keep you updated.
I have tried Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin. Both have caused stomach cramps that bend me over, diarrhea, muscle pain, weakness, depression, brain fog. Reduced the Atorvastatin to 5 mg which did not help. Must call GP tomorrow for something to replace it. Someone in our group mentioned Ezetimibe. My cholesterol is still quite high, so obviously I will require something. Hope you find the right one for you.
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