Statins and joint pain
06-23-18, 03:59 PM
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Statins and joint pain
I had a heart attack in 2014, and have a stent where the blockage was. As a result I'm on statins, and probably will be for the rest of my life. At the dosage my cardiologist prescribes, I have pretty bad joint pain. I anticipate that he's going switch me off my current meds and onto a new one... I started off on atorvastatin and I'm currently on rosuvastatin.
My heart doc says we should be able to find one that does NOT cause the joint pain, but I'm skeptical.
Anyone out there have similar experience with statins? Have you successfully switched to a statin that does NOT cause joint or muscle soreness?
My heart doc says we should be able to find one that does NOT cause the joint pain, but I'm skeptical.
Anyone out there have similar experience with statins? Have you successfully switched to a statin that does NOT cause joint or muscle soreness?
Last edited by Igotdibs; 07-01-18 at 06:40 PM.
06-23-18, 07:19 PM
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My cardiologist put me on a statin. After 3 days I had terrible shoulder pain. I told him and he tried a different statin. I haven't had joint pain since the switch.
Not all statins are created equal.
Not all statins are created equal.
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I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
06-23-18, 08:26 PM
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Thanks @RonH, glad you're no longer suffering. Could be that there's hope for me after all. Maybe I'll PM my cardio and see if he can write me a new script for a different one.
06-23-18, 09:51 PM
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I have six coronary stents. My cardio has me on Atorvastatin.
No joint pain for me.
Every body reacts differently to meds.
Hope you and your cardio find the right one for you.
No joint pain for me.
Every body reacts differently to meds.
Hope you and your cardio find the right one for you.
06-23-18, 10:10 PM
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Hi - I haven't had any type of cardiac event (heart attach, stroke etc) but I have been on statins for 11 years. I'm 66 and up till this year I didn't notice the side effects much. I am on only 10 mg Simvastatin, but I began to notice muscle aching, pain, and fatigue when I would ride, especially when I would push it up a hill and exert myself. This has been a real downer - and since my cholesterol would otherwise be high, and heart disease runs in my family, I thought that's the price you pay for, perhaps, not being subjected to advancing arteriorsclerosis. However, I did some research, and found out the going on alternate day dosing has a very similar reduction in cholesterol level as every day dosing does. So now I am experimenting to see how I feel riding and what my cholesterol will be after 3 months on the alternate day method.
What I do notice, is the day after I don't take statins, I have no pain, aching, fatigue other than what's normal upon exertion when cycling. I do about 20 miles 3 times a week at high altitude (Denver), with hills, and definitely feel better and more motivated about exercise in general. I mean if statins deter you from exercising, whats the point? Anyway, overall, I think the side effects of statins are greater with higher doses. The statins you mentioned crestor and lipitor have a high half life, meaning they stay in your system longer. So skipping a day might still provide the effect you need to prevent joint or other pain. There is research on this, so you can google it or tell you doctor. Best of luck!
What I do notice, is the day after I don't take statins, I have no pain, aching, fatigue other than what's normal upon exertion when cycling. I do about 20 miles 3 times a week at high altitude (Denver), with hills, and definitely feel better and more motivated about exercise in general. I mean if statins deter you from exercising, whats the point? Anyway, overall, I think the side effects of statins are greater with higher doses. The statins you mentioned crestor and lipitor have a high half life, meaning they stay in your system longer. So skipping a day might still provide the effect you need to prevent joint or other pain. There is research on this, so you can google it or tell you doctor. Best of luck!
06-24-18, 01:40 AM
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I've tried different statins off and on due to muscle pain. Worse than the pain was not healIng. I pulled a muscle and it just did not get better. After stopping everything was fine.
My doctor prescribed pravastatin. At 10mg there were no issues, but at 20mg, I was having some mild issues. I started taking 200mg of CoQ10 and I have no muscle pain and no healing issues.
John
My doctor prescribed pravastatin. At 10mg there were no issues, but at 20mg, I was having some mild issues. I started taking 200mg of CoQ10 and I have no muscle pain and no healing issues.
John
06-24-18, 05:24 AM
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DW has a lot of trouble on statins. Her docs cycled her through a bunch of them all with bad results until they finally put her on Repatha, a biweekly injection that uses a different pathway to reduce cholesterol. Her numbers plummeted with no side effects but it costs a fortune so it's a no go unless you can get a subsidy from the company which she did.
Just a side thought. I seems to my lay mind that cardiologists all think heart health is the most important thing in the world. They are quite willing to sacrifice your comfort and general well being for a slight improvement in CV risk. I am taking dicoflenac for hip arthritis. It may be associated with a slight increase in CV risk - about the same or lesser degree that statins have in the other direction. Many cardio docs would assume we are better off limping through life in constant discomfort rather than chance that slight increase in CV risk. Not me.
Just a side thought. I seems to my lay mind that cardiologists all think heart health is the most important thing in the world. They are quite willing to sacrifice your comfort and general well being for a slight improvement in CV risk. I am taking dicoflenac for hip arthritis. It may be associated with a slight increase in CV risk - about the same or lesser degree that statins have in the other direction. Many cardio docs would assume we are better off limping through life in constant discomfort rather than chance that slight increase in CV risk. Not me.
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06-24-18, 08:10 AM
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@donheff, I agree 100% with your last statement.
After my second stent, my first cardio put me on Effient. Being a cyclist on the road I was very concerned about the side effects of Effient...namely bleeding to death from an injury.
i told my doctor about my concerns and he told me that I HAD to be on Effient. Stupidly I went along.
Fast forward to a day on April 2016 where I suffered a minor blow to my head. That minor blow resulted in a subdural hematoma that nearly left me with permanent brain damage, or worse.
The neurosurgeon told me that without the Effient the blow to my head would have resolved itself without the internal bleeding.He said that Effient should never be used on a long-term basis, like my cardio had prescribed.
I have since changed cardios. My new cardio talks to me and listens to me and tries to prescribe a course of action best suited to my situation. I am a happy (well happier) man now.
Moral of the story: doctors don’t always know everything, educate yourseves and if something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t do it—get a second opinion.
After my second stent, my first cardio put me on Effient. Being a cyclist on the road I was very concerned about the side effects of Effient...namely bleeding to death from an injury.
i told my doctor about my concerns and he told me that I HAD to be on Effient. Stupidly I went along.
Fast forward to a day on April 2016 where I suffered a minor blow to my head. That minor blow resulted in a subdural hematoma that nearly left me with permanent brain damage, or worse.
The neurosurgeon told me that without the Effient the blow to my head would have resolved itself without the internal bleeding.He said that Effient should never be used on a long-term basis, like my cardio had prescribed.
I have since changed cardios. My new cardio talks to me and listens to me and tries to prescribe a course of action best suited to my situation. I am a happy (well happier) man now.
Moral of the story: doctors don’t always know everything, educate yourseves and if something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t do it—get a second opinion.
06-24-18, 10:05 AM
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Theory and some evidence suggest that fat soluble statins, e.g., atorvastatin, which enter muscle readily, cause more aches and pains and severe myopathies than water soluble ones, e.g., pravastatin. My personal experience bears this out.
06-24-18, 12:29 PM
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For those who have not had a cardiac event try a whole food plant based diet. Research Dr Caldwell Esselstyn (Prevent and Reverse heart disease), Dr Dean Ornish, Dr John MacDougall, Dr Garth Davis, T Colin Campbell Phd (The China Study) Dr Kim Williams, past president of the ACC, who said "There are two types of cardiologist, vegans and those who haven't read the data." The average Dr knows absolutely nothing about diet and lifestyle. If you do try this you have to let your Dr know because if you are on stats your numbers can drop really quickly. Take control of your health.
06-24-18, 12:34 PM
#12
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Another vote for CoQ10.
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06-28-18, 12:18 PM
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Also taking 100 mg CoQ10 morning and night. Really helps. On 20 mg atorvastatin. I'll ask my doc about pravastatin.
Edit: saw a dosage comparison, looks like pravastatin should be 4X the dose of atorvastatin for the same results. Ask your doc.
Edit: saw a dosage comparison, looks like pravastatin should be 4X the dose of atorvastatin for the same results. Ask your doc.
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Last edited by Carbonfiberboy; 06-28-18 at 01:32 PM.
07-03-18, 07:38 PM
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My cardio told me to add CoQ10. Was put on Atorvastatin after heart attack in 2012 with 3 stents installed, had bad muscle pain and mentioned to my cardio. He took me from 40 mg down to 10mg plus Zetia along with the CoQ10 as my cholesterol numbers were fine when I had the heart attack.
07-05-18, 12:41 PM
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Agree. Not all statins are created equal. The first one I was on, made my thighs feel like Mark McGuire took a home run cut across my quads. I'm telling you they HURT.
My wife, an RN, said it was because the statin caused toxins to build up in the muscle tissue.
We changed that in a hurry.
My wife, an RN, said it was because the statin caused toxins to build up in the muscle tissue.
We changed that in a hurry.
07-06-18, 11:19 AM
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Agree. Not all statins are created equal. The first one I was on, made my thighs feel like Mark McGuire took a home run cut across my quads. I'm telling you they HURT.
My wife, an RN, said it was because the statin caused toxins to build up in the muscle tissue.
We changed that in a hurry.
My wife, an RN, said it was because the statin caused toxins to build up in the muscle tissue.
We changed that in a hurry.
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07-06-18, 11:42 AM
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I don't think anyone else's experiences are going to be broadly applicable. The important point is likely for the individual to work with his or her cardiologist to find something that works and doesn't cause the side effects. Yes, (at least) one more co-pay.
07-06-18, 01:26 PM
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This <https://circoutcomes.ahajournals.org/content/6/4/390.long> meta-analysis is the sort of thing that's out there and this is the money figure, the legend of which reads:
.
Overall ranking of individual statins in placebo-controlled and active-comparator trials of participants by their overall probability to be the best treatment in terms of discontinuations because of adverse events, myalgia, hepatic transaminase elevation, and CK elevation. In addition to the overall score for each statin, the relative contribution of each of the 4 outcomes to the overall score is also shown. Each statin was scored with points up to a maximum of 0.25 for each outcome (overall maximum score: 1.00). Higher scores indicate a better tolerability and safety profile. CK indicates creatine kinase.
07-06-18, 03:22 PM
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Actually there are major differences between statin types which are broadly applicable to all athletes. However, few doctors are aware of this, and statin side effects may take many months to become evident. Endurance athletes on statins may not be a very large cohort. As with any training or diet plan, it's good to know what the effects have been for others.
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07-08-18, 03:35 PM
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07-08-18, 10:56 PM
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Me too. 20mg atorvastatin to 80mg of pravastatin as of a week ago, though I'm cutting them in half. The dose vs. effect with that statin goes asymptotic, not much difference between 40 and 80. I'll try the 80 after my big rides and 10-day backpack are over this fall. I did 74 miles and 5500' today. My legs are whupped but nothing out of the ordinary for my current level of conditioning, which is not good, thanks to atorvastatin since last September..
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07-11-18, 09:37 AM
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This topic comes up often on here. It's good to hear that others are taking CoQ10 with their statins. Remember that CoQ10 helps us make energy in the form of ATP and our muscles need a lot of ATP to function. Depleting CoQ10 by taking statins is a potential issue for this reason. CoQ10 absorption is also something to be aware of. Regular CoQ10 is difficult for us to absorb. CoQ10 that is water and fat-soluble provides superior absorption. Taking CoQ10 with a meal containing fat can also help improve absorption.
07-19-18, 01:57 PM
#23
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My doctor put my on Lipitor yesterday when I had my yearly physical. She did tell me that if I experienced muscle pain to stop taking the med and call her office. I took one pill last night and did fine today.
07-19-18, 09:25 PM
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Don't fool yourself into thinking it's fatigue. It's toxins building up, and it can be VERY painful.
07-19-18, 09:28 PM
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My mom recently got put on the same medication. Her doctor had been wanting her to be on it for at least a decade. Fortunately, she has had no side effects. It is my hope that my body handles the med the same way.