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Statins - Has anyone had bad pain while taking them?

(53 Posts)
ChrissyR Sat 05-Sep-20 12:28:25

I have very high cholesterol and have been put on statins. I have terrible pain in both legs and don’t know if it’s the statins that are causing it. I’m on my fourth different statin as I had several bad side effects with the others.

Elizabeth1 Fri 18-Sep-20 18:27:55

I’ve been taking atorvastatin for a number of years and thankfully haven’t had any side effects. If you do have side effects tell your gp and discuss whether or not they’ll be any good for you.. however I’ve not had my blood tested to see how much it’s been reduced. I’ll ask the next time I get my blood taken. I too hesitated before I took these statins and after a gp discussion I was persuaded to take them.

FlexibleFriend Fri 18-Sep-20 17:56:42

I won't take statins as they caused horrendous pains in my leg muscles and I have more than enough pain to deal with, I refuse to add to it.

biba70 Fri 18-Sep-20 17:18:18

It's 'funny' how comments on statins are made here with impunity- despite the fact that they save 1000s of lives- but any question re the possible future Covid vaccine are not acceptable?

Puzzled Wed 09-Sep-20 10:20:19

DW is on statins.
She has gone from being able to walk 4 or 5 miles without problems to barely managing 2.
Also, she falls asleep very easily if she sits in one of our "Stressless" chairs; even more easily than I!
Of late she complains of severe sciata type pain.
Also, I have long suspected that they make her irritable; which she denies!
After three lots of nasty side effects, I gave up on my blood pressure medication.
I just wish that she would give up on some of her prescribed potions, if only for a short time as a trial.

growstuff Sun 06-Sep-20 19:31:53

suziewoozie

Lorsartan is an ARB not an ACEI. I’m on it for the same reason as a lot of people - the dreadful cough many get from ACEI

Sorry, you're right. I should have known because it ends with -artan. It does list muscle cramps as a possible adverse effect though.

suziewoozie Sun 06-Sep-20 18:25:54

Lorsartan is an ARB not an ACEI. I’m on it for the same reason as a lot of people - the dreadful cough many get from ACEI

MerylStreep Sun 06-Sep-20 16:54:14

You know something is amiss when a heart consultant tells your friend to ^ stay off them^
I was in his office with her when he asked if she was still taking statins. She said no.
The above is what he told her to do.

Juliet27 Sun 06-Sep-20 16:46:46

I occasionally have a visual migraine but when I was taking Atorvastatin I had them on a very regular basis.

growstuff Sun 06-Sep-20 16:33:10

No problem. I've just bought a new keyboard because all my vowels and "r" and "t" had worn off - must get round to taking it out if the box.

seacliff Sun 06-Sep-20 15:21:26

Sorry, growstuff. (must get a new keyboard)

growstuff Sun 06-Sep-20 15:20:54

Muscle cramps are a relatively common side effect. Ask if you can try another drug.

seacliff Sun 06-Sep-20 15:20:03

OK thanks gowstuff. A lot of my problems sounded so similar.

growstuff Sun 06-Sep-20 15:18:41

seacliff

Is Losartan a statin? I am on it for high blood pressure, and I get awful back, leg and joint pains.

No, it's an ACE inhibitor for high BP.

seacliff Sun 06-Sep-20 15:16:59

Is Losartan a statin? I am on it for high blood pressure, and I get awful back, leg and joint pains.

ChrissyR Sun 06-Sep-20 15:13:44

BlueSky I saw 3 different GP’s about leg pain, they didn’t even examine my leg, they just kept prescribing statins. One of them did say that it sounded like I might have a trapped sciatic nerve.

ChrissyR Sun 06-Sep-20 15:10:01

paddyanne Thank you so much, I’m definitely going to speak to the GP about this. I’m having a cholesterol blood test tomorrow so at least I’ll know if the statins are working. I don’t want to be on them any more whatever the blood test shows but, if they haven’t lowered my cholesterol at all, then it’s pointless taking them anyway. I’m glad that your husband has found something that works for him.

paddyanne Sun 06-Sep-20 12:22:41

My husband had a long list of side effects ,his GP reminded him he was "getting on"!! He was 55!!
We researched online and found Ubiquinol a type of Co Q 10 that easily absorbed and keeps cholesterol levels down.It had great reviws on any site we looked at
.When he started on it 10 years ago we had to get it from teh USA it wasn't available here although CoQ10 was now its available on Amazon.
He spoke to his GP who said no harm in trying he didn't think it would cause problems as its a substance the body produces itself.He has his cholesterol checked every year and its still under 5 which his GP thinks is fine it was over 8 when he started.The reason he was put on statins was he had 3 heart attacks over a period of months .He does take medication every day but the Co Q 10 doesn't affect it.Hes fine .I've told loads of folk about it and they all say they have good results

TrendyNannie6 Sun 06-Sep-20 12:11:53

I would never ever take them

BlueSky Sun 06-Sep-20 10:34:19

Chrissy have you mentioned the leg pain to your GP? You could say you are wondering whether it could be a side effect of the statins.

ChrissyR Sun 06-Sep-20 10:18:54

BlueSky You’re absolutely right, I do get very paranoid and health anxiety doesn’t help. I stopped reading the patient leaflets in boxes of tablets a long time ago as I got the side effects locked in my head and then kept thinking that I had them. But, after reading a lot about statins, it does seem that they are very powerful drugs and we do need to be wary of taking them.

BlueSky Sun 06-Sep-20 09:57:52

I know Chrissy I've read so much about medication lately, I panicked when I read that the BP tablets I'm taking could mean a severe case of Covid if you got it, also that they could increase the risk of some cancers. Luckily when you read another site they disprove what it had been said. Same when I'm on some new medication I go straight for the side effects! Obviously we have got to be aware without becoming paranoid.

ChrissyR Sun 06-Sep-20 09:43:13

They seem to cause a lot of problems. I’m finding it hard to make a decision about whether to carry on with them as the GP said that, if I don’t take them, I’ll be at high risk of heart attacks and strokes. I was thinking about it last night. I’m wondering if the leg pain isn’t caused by the statins as my legs are so painful when walking but the pain goes when I sit down. I suppose if statins are causing muscle pain then it would go off when sitting. I just don’t know any more. The one thing I do know is that I’m fed up with it all.

BlueSky Sat 05-Sep-20 23:41:43

I refused them many years ago when first put on bp medication. In the meantime I was told that as the ratio of good to bad cholesterol was good, I didn't really need them. I would have taken them unecessarily all this time!

bluebirdwsm Sat 05-Sep-20 23:11:32

All I know is a friend of mine who took statins had awful shoulder and leg pains and it was affecting the whole quality of her life, she was old before her time.

I researched and told her that she wasn't alone with these side effects and to talk to her GP. We are not in touch now so I don't know what if anything was done or changed, but I'd never seen such a swift deterioration in someone's well being.

Callistemon Sat 05-Sep-20 23:03:13

went through me like a Porsche

I can't stop visualising that shock ?