In recent years, researchers discovered that people taking statins reported increased levels of general fatigue and tiredness, especially after exertion. A study from the University of California San Diego found that people taking statins experienced lower levels of energy than people who took a placebo.

What is the most common side effect of statins?

Muscle pain and damage

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.

Do atorvastatin make you sleepy?

Atorvastatin oral tablet doesn't cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.

Which statin has the least amount of 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.

Do statins make you put on weight?

As with many medications, statins may cause side effects, including digestive problems, muscle pain and weakness, and cognitive dysfunction. Another side effect that's been linked to statins is weight gain.

Statin Side Effects | Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin Side Effects & Why They Occur

37 related questions found

What foods should be avoided when taking statins?

While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.

Do statins reduce belly fat?

Statins may improve gut microbiota and help shed weight in obese individuals, finds a new study. The MetaCardis investigators have explored gut bacteria in almost 900 individuals from Denmark, France and observed that obesity-associated microbiota dysbiosis is negatively associated with statin treatment.

Is there an alternative to taking statins?

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.

What supplements should not be taken with statins?

A magnesium- and aluminum-containing antacid was reported to interfere with atorvastatin absorption. People can avoid this interaction by taking atorvastatin two hours before or after any aluminum/magnesium-containing antacids. Some magnesium supplements such as magnesium hydroxide are also antacids.

Why do statins make your legs ache?

Statin medications and low cholesterol levels can both contribute to low CoQ10 levels. Calcium leakage. Calcium helps muscles contract, but when calcium leaks from muscle cells unintentionally, it can damage your muscle cells which causes muscle pain.

Do cholesterol meds make you tired?

Statin drugs are among the most widely used prescription drugs on the market, but now researchers say that the cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause fatigue and decreased energy upon exertion.

Is 40 mg of atorvastatin too much?

Conclusions: Atorvastatin in daily dose of 40 mg is a safe and well tolerable medication for the treatment for dyslipidemic disorders in patients of different clinic profile and cardiovascular risk groups in common medical practice.

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.

Do statins make you depressed?

Psychiatric adverse effects, altering mood, personality, and behavior, sometimes arise in patients receiving statins. Statin psychiatric effects can include irritability/aggression, anxiety or depressed mood, violent ideation, sleep problems including nightmares, and possibly suicide attempt and completion.

What do statins do besides lower cholesterol?

Statins offer other benefits besides lowering your cholesterol. For example, they help stabilize the blood vessel lining, which benefits the whole body. This also makes plaque less likely to rupture in the heart, lowering the risk of a heart attack.

What is the best cholesterol medication with the 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.

Why do statins cause fatigue?

Research suggests that statins may cause you to feel tired because they play a role in decreasing the amount of energy provided to the cells in your muscles.

Is it OK to take vitamin D with statins?

Conclusion. Vitamin D status may be considered a modifiable risk factor for muscle-related adverse effects of statins, and supplementation of vitamin D (particularly when ⩽20 ng/mL) may improve statin tolerance.

Can you take vitamin D with statins?

Effect of vitamin D on statins

A small 2016 study concluded that people who had low vitamin D levels were more likely to experience the muscle-related side effects of statins. Vitamin D supplementation led to better tolerance of statins.

Do statins make you age faster?

Statins do have side effects, all medication does to some extent. And some of those side effects reported could also be deemed to be signs of premature aging. Memory loss and weakness or fatigue are both listed under 'uncommon side effects' on the NHS website.

What vitamin is good for lowering cholesterol?

Niacin is a B vitamin. Doctors sometimes suggest it for patients with high cholesterol or heart concerns. It increases the level of good cholesterol and reduces triglycerides, another fat that can clog arteries. You can get niacin from foods, especially liver and chicken, or from supplements.

Do I really need a statin?

If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you've had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don't have high cholesterol.

Can you lose weight while on statins?

Though statin users ate less fat and fewer calories overall than non-users in 1999-2000, their calorie consumption and fat consumption increased after 2000 and surpassed that of people not taking statins. Statin non-users showed stable eating patterns that didn't change significantly over time.

Do statins clear the arteries of plaque?

Statins help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood. They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque, Blaha says.

Does atorvastatin cause dementia?

The researchers found that of 300 older adults with mildly impaired thinking and memory, those using "lipophilic" statins were more likely to develop dementia over the next eight years. Lipophilic statins include such widely used medications as simvastatin (Zocor), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and lovastatin (Altoprev).