Atorvastatin

[dahon]

Does anyone know if this medicine to reduce cholesterol has any effect on RSL by making the symptoms worse? I'm wary now of taking any medicine that could worsen RLS as I took Nytol once that sent my RLS ballistic so I need to check this Atorvastatin out before taking it.

[RKM7]

I recently realized that Atorvastatin was increasing my RLS! I tried decreasing from 40mg to 20mg but still had trouble. I also tried taking it in the morning instead of the evening but that didn’t help either. I had to completely stop taking it. I’ve read in this forum that statins are know to aggravate RLS. I’ll need to keep trying lifestyle changes to help reduce my cholesterol.

[Hidden in reply to RKM7]

Hi there. Now that you stopped the statin is your RLS greatly reduced? I believe that while you’re taking it the RLS will be bad but in the long run it MAY have afforded some protection to your D2/D3 receptors. One way to tell is if your withdrawal from the DAs is a lot easier than someone else withdrawing from roughly the same strength and duration. Anyways, the only proven natural substance to reduce cholesterol is Niacin - the kind that makes you flush, not Niacinamide. I quite like the flush, though some people are ready to call a medic. The therapeutic dose is 1600 to 1800 mg with doctors supervision. That seems a bit high to me. I shoot for 600, but usually end up with 400mg per day. I take 200mg with each decent sized meal. If you take it on an empty stomach your body will feel like it’s on fire for 20 minutes, but then you feel euphoric. Some people swear that Niacin will stop an RLS attack in its tracks. Never tried it for that. So are you getting your goal of 6 hours of sleep per night?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Very interesting: researchgate.net/publicatio...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I just noticed that the above article is from 2009 and the author recommends that more research be conducted into Niacin and RLS. Who’s surprised that as far as I can tell there hasn’t been much? There has been much more research into Niacin and PD, with this article making it sound like it may be added as an adjunct treatment frontiersin.org/articles/10...

[funnyfennel in reply to Hidden]

Yes interesting, have just written a post re this subject

[Eryl]

Atorvastatin is a statin which will come with all the problems of statins. Dr Aseem Malhotra says that if you've already had a heart attack then lowering cholesterol has only a 1% chance of preventing another heart attack. Look for his book 'A statin free life'. Following his diet will also reduce if not eliminate yout rls as well.

[funnyfennel in reply to Eryl]

I had my mitral valve replaced and one blood vessel replaced, but report was that I did not have blocked arteries yet I have to take statins ??

[Eryl in reply to funnyfennel]

I'm not a cardiologist, but Dr Malhotra says that if you've had a heart atack then statins have only a one percent chance of stopping you having another one.

[funnyfennel in reply to Eryl]

Thank you, and I didnt have a heart attack. Really feel awful....

[Inallfairness]

Hi dahon, I take Atorvastatin 20mg and have been for 3 yrs, I don't notice any worsening of my RLS. In fact I don't get any side effects from it. My cholesterol has reduced to an acceptable level and I will continue to take. I wouldn't worry yourself too much,just go ahead with the statin and monitor its affect on you. Best of luck to you. One day we will conquer this terrible affliction.

[dahon in reply to Inallfairness]

I will take this statin and see how I get on with it.

[Jerry57]

Hi dahon,I took atorvastatin for almost 3 years. I did not notice any negative effects on my RLS, however, I did get aching joints from the statin. My wife and I had been walking 2 miles a day for the past 20 years, but my knees began aching so bad that I had to quit walking. I finally decided to quit the statin, and slowly my joints stopped aching, and we are now back to our 2 mile/day walk. So, look out for aching joints.

[marsha2306]

I’ve been taking Rosuvastatin for many years. No problem. Maybe take that?

[Hidden]

I took Atorvastatin 40mg for six months and my 30+ years of RLS, previously controlled for the last 5 years by Magnesium Citrate 400-600mg a day, got worse and worse. It also made me very tired. My cholesterol levels and ratios corrected, but the other effects were so wearing that I took myself off it and within 3 days my RLS had completely gone again, and my energy levels came back to normal.

NOTE: people will say that there's no evidence that Magnesium Citrate works against RLS, but there are lots of people in my area who have told health shops that it works. Unfortunately it doesn't work for my own brother though so like Iron it doesn't work for everyone. In my experience it won't work while you're taking Atorvastatin.

There's a current/imminent study into Magnesium Citrate and RLS in Illinois, but they are only running it on c 15 people and only with 200mg/day: I suspect that because of this it might be inconclusive like previous studies.

Good luck.

[Elffindoe]

A belated reply, but I suggest the only real way you'll know if this particular statin will affect your RLS is to take it.

If it does then I believe that not all statins make RLS worse, and not everybody is affected.

I appreciate that whenever you need to start a new medicine it is worrying that it might excaerbate your RLS because other medications can do that.

I note you mention Nytol. This contains a sedating antihistamine and generally speaking anything containing a sedating antihistamine will make RLS worse,. This includes some over the counter cough medicines and some anti-allergy remedies. It also includes some anti-nausea medicines.

Other anti-nausea meds can make RLS worse as they contain dopamine antagonists. Typically these are used for vertigo/motion sickness.

Other meds that make RLS worse are most antidepressants, proton pump and H2 inhibitor antacids, beta blockers, some anti-hypertensives and potassium depleting diuretics.

[Stitchmania]

I’ve been on Astrovastatin for a week now and I feel dreadful, very tired, lethargic, (don’t sleep though due to chronic insomnia) sleep comes around once a week. I also have fibromyalgia which it does state it’s not recommended for people with fibro yet my dr told me to at least try it. My cholesterol isn’t high at all, they’ve put me on this due to my history of heart conditions. I had SVT, had surgery in 2006 all was going well until 2014 when I began noticing some flutters. In 2019 diagnosed with matrial valve regurgitation and put on bisoprolol, and also got diagnosed with the onset to CHD. Since starting this statin my RSL has been horrific come night time, my legs just can’t keep still, feel like their burning, feet on fire (which isn’t me as usually my feet are always freezing cold) joint pain I cannot figure out if it’s got worse or if it’s Just me thinking it has so going to carry on taking for now and see how I get on.