Q: Why would my body hurt shortly after I take two statin drugs? Every muscle in my body hurts. Could I have allergies to statin drugs?
A: Muscle pain is a common side effect of the class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins. Sometimes muscle pain is the first sign of a potentially life threatening inflammation of muscle tissue called rhabdomyolysis. Call your doctor. To learn more about rhabdomyolysis go to this article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
I am surprised your doctor didn’t take the time to warn you about this side effect of muscle pain when he or she put you on a statin. My doctor warned me and told me if I had muscle pain to stop taking the drug.
Srprised your Dr did not prescribe COQ10 wityh a Statin drug I believe Statins interfere with natural production of this substance in the liver
I just took COQ10 and the muscle problem went away by itself Ask your Dr why not COQ10 with a Statin type drug?
Three friends recently stopped Statins due to constant muscle pain. Their doctors said the pills didn’t cause it but they stopped anyway. All had good results and the pain disappeared. For one friend stopping the pill led to the first pain free day in over 7 years. I’m glad you posted this article so people can see the previously ignored side effects of Statins.
My sister took one of the statin drugs for a while and didn’t realize how bad it was making her feel. Her daughter asked why she was lying on the couch all of the time. She stopped the drug and it took 11 days for her to feel better. The muscle pain and swelling was the problem. We need to try alternative methods like supplements and diet habits.
My cholesterol dropped quite a bit when I stopped the sugars and ate less for every meal. The doctor was impressed and said to keep doing whatever I was doing. However; I could not starve myself but realized how the wrong foods and overeating can up our readings. Exercise is important too, even if it’s just walking.
you are so right…cut down on the sugars and eat less and for sure you will have good readings.. I DID…
You may want to try to add CoQ10. Statins block production of CoQ10 in the liver. Unfortunately, CoQ10 is overcounter and doctors don’t bother prescribe it.
My body aches all the time. I am taking Statins for my Cholesterol. I’ve told my Doctor about it and she changed my precription once, but I still have the muscle aches. Don’t know what to do about it. My Cholesterol was high before. So she added another small pill for me to take. I forgot the name of it.
Thanks,
When commenting about medications is a always of interest to state the dosage.
The only reason statins are still used in a vast scale in spite of all of their serious side effects is because of the relentless propaganda and economic muscle of its manufacturers. There is a growing number of health scientists who are skeptics about the cholesterol role in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases. For more information on this group visit their website at http://www.thincs.org.
Quoting ‘Loret’: “Three friends recently stopped Statins due to constant muscle pain. Their doctors said the pills didn’t cause it but they stopped anyway.”
Here in Australia patient information is not included in any of the prescription medication anymore. One specifically has to ask for this important information at the pharmacy or print it out from the internet and, if one does have any of these side-effects most, if not all doctors dismiss them, or, as in Loret’s reply say it was not caused by the medication but change the prescription anyhow.
A friend of mine got gout and when I suggested it may be the diuretics she is taking she said the doctor told her it was not caused by the diuretics, but then still went ahead and prescribed another blood pressure medication. Wonder why.
I had a cholestrol reading of 260 so my doctor prescribed Crestor 10mg. Neither my doctor nor the pharmacy warned me about the side effects. After 3 months my cholestrol was down to 144. So why was I given the prescription refills? After a total of 8 months I was in so much pain in my back I could hardly get out of bed, much less turn over in bed without moaning in pain. I had arthritis so I figured that was just getting worse. I had no pain in my arm and leg muscles, only in my back. After talking to an old friend I hadn’t seen for a couple years and hearing about her horror story of this muscle pain in the back, I stopped taking Crestor. It took at least a month for the extra pain to calm down. Oh and there was slight bleeding as well. OBGYN found nothing, neither did the protologist during my colonoscopy. My next stop was going to be with the urologist.
True, docs. many/most do not advise non-prescriptions for their patient, but in early ’70’s, my obgyn prescribed vitamin E for cystic breast soreness. I had not heard of it, and assumed it was prescription, especially when druggist put in prescription bottle with instructions, etc., as would be on prescription bottle. We were on extended vacation when I ran out of the E, and the pain I had experienced before, returned. I was miserable until was able to take the bottle to druggist for refill—He tried not to laugh, as he showed me the counter bottle in which it came…And now, many docs. prescribe fish oil. To not even mention Q10 when handing out statin prescriptions should be illegal.
I also experienced severe muscle aches and pains from statins so I stopped taking it. My internist changed to another statin and added CoQ10. I do not have any more muscle aches and pains! My cholesterol level remains below 200.
Every statin on the market makes my muscles hurt after taking it for about 2 weeks. Red Rice Yeast contains a small amount of a statin like substance (even though FDA has tried to prevent it) along with other natural ingredients. I can tolerate that for about 8 weeks and then even that makes my muscles hurt. I take it until pain starts and then go off it for 6 weeks and then back on. Be sure to take CQ-10 daily (at least 200mg) to replace what the statin blocks from forming in liver. Statins are overprescribed and just line the pockets of Big Pharma. Millions of people take it daily and that is alot of profit.
The medical profession seems to want Lipitor in the drinking water. Everyone seems to be on it. They are now talking about using it on well women. I’m skeptical. 35% of people developing heart attacks do not have high cholesterol, but do have atherosclerosis.
I would like more answers.
I am concerned that in another five(5) years a study will appear with a result showing that high cholesterol is not a primary cause of heart attacks.
Then we will ask: what is the longterm risk of lipitor?
cholesterol build up may not affect everyone but it certainly affected me! I have had to undergo a tripple heart bypass, with a fourth artery removed, cleaned out, and replaced.My cholesteral level was never generally over 5.5 to 6 (UK measurement).
I have been taking Atervastatins for a few years now, together with Q10. I don’t appear to have any side affects. After my opp. the Thai hospital I (I was on holiday at the time) put me on Rosuvastatin (Crestor). A short while later I developed awful arm joint pains. I went back onto Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and eventually my arms got better. Later, I went back onto Crestor and my arms got bad again.
My reading now is about 3. As well as Liptor I take a daily garlic tablet, two large,lecithin caps, and a daily omega 3 cap. Oh and also magnesium.
tony,
Like you I have experienced burning muscle pain while taking various statins, some more than others.
Just a note…I read somewhere recently that some types of bacteria in your gut can change the lecithin to a chemical that causes atherosclerosis. I may be wrong… just try a Google search to see if you can confirm it…
I am on statin for the last 6 months ( After PTCA,one stent), there was no mention of muscle discomfort or pain & neither did I get any aches or pains.
subsequently the dosage has been reduced by 50%. Should i stop this also/ the parameters of my blood test is good.Should i take the advice of dr. before stopping or weaning off.
sometimes the dose of statin may be too high ihad a problem with a statin i told my dr iwanted to take 5mg every other day i also dieted in 5mths i halfed my cholesterol this took care of the pain and cholesterol i am sorry to say we cant eat everything we want just because we take statins. it would be nice if we could
I have been on statins for 17 years now, started with Zocor,then on to Lipitor ,then Crestor, after 1year on Crestor I have stopped taking it, I was getting headaches and muscle pain, it has taken 2 months since I stopped to be pain free, I feel the best I have done in years now I’m off the Statins completely, but the Doctor just wants to give me another brand, I’ve declined. Not to sure where to go from here as I have a strong family history of heart disease.
Any thoughts would be a help.
After having had my gall bladder removed I had problems with diarrhoea. My doctor prescribed Questran, a cholestyramine, for this. I now have a muscle wasting condition called’inclusion body myositis, and have difficulty with my legs, arms and hands.
Has anyone ever heard of a connection between the drugs I take, and the condition I have now developed?
Tom Ralston
I would like to send all these negative letters re: statins to some doctors I know. I have refused to take statins after trying at least 8 and having severe muscle pain especially during the night. I also have bad side effects with B/P medications and I have tried many of those also. Thankfully I found a doctor that understands and tries his best to help me but never pushes a drug that causes me pain.
i was on Lipitor, Crestor,All of the Statins and have experience the worst pain more than child birth. This is what i call treating syntoms not causes. Most of the doctors won’t say why they keep changing my meds. Now i am on Zetia and Miaspan along with co Q-10 and Carvedol. my bp is 116/80 an 73 sometimes. I walk every day 3 times a day, eat less drop the sugar. We can do this on our own e don’t need the meds it’s what we eat affect us, i prove it. I was 194 since october 2010 lost 26 lbs after blocked arteries operation.
My doctor put me on something called Antara because he said I was allergy to statins. I feel like I ache all over. He’s saying it’s arthritus, but I never had it this bad. Has anyone ever heard of this drug, and what side effects if any did you have?
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