Why do some people experience muscle pain with statins? You should know upfront that not everyone who takes a statin will have muscle pain, and muscle pain from statins might show up differently for different people. For example, you could feel muscle weakness, soreness, aches, stiffness, or cramps.

Can muscle weakness from statins be reversed?

There is limited evidence regarding the treatment of statin-associated myopathy. While myopathy caused by statins can be mild and can be reversed when the medication is discontinued, it may present as rhabdomyolysis or severe muscle damage.

How do you know if statins are affecting your muscles?

One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be severe enough to make your daily activities difficult.

What does muscle weakness from statins feel like?

SAMS can vary in frequency and severity. The following are the three most common forms of statin-related muscle pain: Myalgia: This type of muscle pain usually feels like mild soreness in the shoulders, arms, hips or thighs. Myalgia also often comes with mild feelings of weakness.

Is there any cholesterol medication that does not cause muscle pain?

There are two: alirocumab (Praluent®) and evolocumab (Repatha®). These powerful drugs can lower LDL to rock-bottom levels without triggering muscle pain. A word of warning: Never stop taking a statin without your doctor's guidance.

Study: Statins use can lead to muscle pain or weakness

19 related questions found

Which statin has the least muscle side effects?

Simvastatin is the most likely to cause muscle pain, and fluvastatin and pitavastatin are the least likely.

Which statin has least side effects?

In the analysis of 135 previous studies, which included nearly 250,000 people combined, researchers found that the drugs simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) had the fewest side effects in this class of medications. They also found that lower doses produced fewer side effects in general.

How do you recover from statin muscle damage?

Take supplements. If you have a low blood level of vitamin D, restoring it to normal with a supplement may help reduce muscle pain and cramping. Some people find symptom relief with coenzyme Q10.

Can statins cause myopathy?

The most severe adverse effect of statins is myotoxicity, in the form of myopathy, myalgia, myositis or rhabdomyolysis. Clinical trials commonly define statin toxicity as myalgia or muscle weakness with creatine kinase (CK) levels greater than 10 times the normal upper limit.

What can you take instead of statins?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins

• Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
• Plant stanols and sterols. ...
• Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
• Niacin. ...
• Policosanol. ...
• Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
• Natural products.

How do you test for statin myopathy?

If you begin to show symptoms of muscle myopathy after starting statin therapy, talk to your doctor or physician as soon as possible. A blood test is usually ordered to measure creatine kinase levels and rule out rhabdomyolysis. If rhabdomyolysis is the culprit, statin treatment will be stopped immediately.

What are the bad side effects of atorvastatin?

Side effects of atorvastatin include:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.
• Cold symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose.
• Joint pain.
• Insomnia.
• Urinary tract infection.
• Nausea.
• Loss of appetite.
• Indigestion symptoms such as stomach discomfort or pain.

What happens if I don't take my statins?

Doctors often prescribe a fibrate for patients who can't take a statin. Like the statins, fibrates reduce the body's cholesterol production, but they are less effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. In other areas, though, fibrates actually have the edge.

Can statins cause muscle wasting?

The side effects most commonly associated with statin use involve muscle cramping, soreness, fatigue, weakness, and, in rare cases, rapid muscle breakdown that can lead to death. Often, these side effects can become apparent during or after strenuous bouts of exercise.

Will statin myopathy go away?

Statin-associated myopathy or myalgia is a well-known side effect of lipid-lowering agents. Usually, after discontinuation of the drug, symptoms alleviate and patients may be re-challenged with another statin. However, in rare cases, symptoms of myalgia do not subside after statins are discontinued.

How long does statin myopathy last?

For most patients, myopathy symptoms induced by statin therapy resolve relatively quickly; however, the results of the PRIMO study showed that it may take up to 2 months for resolution of symptoms.

Can rosuvastatin cause muscle weakness?

The most common side effects may include:

Headache, muscle aches and pains, abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea. Additional side effects that have been reported with CRESTOR include memory loss and confusion.

Is neuropathy from statins reversible?

There are reported cases of statin induced peripheral neuropathy, which in the initial stages can be reversible.

What are the symptoms of myopathy?

The myopathies are neuromuscular disorders in which the primary symptom is muscle weakness due to dysfunction of muscle fiber. Other symptoms of myopathy can include include muscle cramps, stiffness, and spasm. Myopathies can be inherited (such as the muscular dystrophies) or acquired (such as common muscle cramps).

Can statins make neuropathy worse?

- Statin drugs can increase the risk of developing peripheral neuropathy, according to a study published in the May 14 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Can lipitor cause myopathy?

Myopathy symptoms were found in a significant number of patients taking atorvastatin and the incidence of myopathy increases with increase in dose of atorvastatin. Further, though benefits of statins continue to outweigh their adverse effects.

What blood tests check for statin damage?

Your doctor will carry out a blood test to measure a substance in your blood called creatine kinase (CK), which is released into the blood when your muscles are inflamed or damaged. If the level of CK in your blood is more than 5 times the normal level, your doctor may advise you to stop taking the statin.

Is there a non statin cholesterol medication?

There are many non-statin medications your doctor might prescribe: Bile acid-binding resins, like cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colesevelam (WelChol), and colestipol (Colestid) stick to cholesterol-rich bile acids in your intestines and lower your LDL levels.

Is rosuvastatin more effective than atorvastatin?

At the end of the titration-to-goal period, rosuvastatin was significantly more effective than atorvastatin on the primary efficacy measure, reducing LDL-C by 52% compared with 46% in the atorvastatin group (p < 0.0001) (table ​

Why Lipitor is bad for you?

High doses of Lipitor can increase the risk of statin toxicity, which can lead to potential side effects. Statin toxicity typically presents with symptoms such as muscle pain, muscle weakness, and muscle inflammation with elevated levels of creatine kinase (CK) in the blood, an enzyme muscles use to store energy.