Similar side effects when I tried statins. Now, maybe the current statins are better than several I tried some 30 yrs ago, but I experienced a loss of power. There was a hill up to a ridge, and I was one of the riders who could ride up that hill. After starting statins, I could no longer ride up that hill, and just didn't feel like I did previously. Within a short time after discontinuing a statin, I was riding back up that hill again. Read everything I could find on statins, and seems what you and I experienced is not that uncommon. Diet (though in all honesty I still "eat like an American"), and exercise will have to do it for me. My cholesterol is still high, but statins didn't significantly affect it. My sister, who eats very little red meat, lots of fruit and veggies, and gets plenty of exercise, has high cholesterol also. But I can still ride up some challenging hills, though if I'm on a mtn.bike, I ride a little easier than in the past. But at 70, I'm glad to still be out and able to break out the mtn.bike now and then. Mostly road ride these days, but like a good hill here and there on the road also. As you said---don't discontinue without consulting your doc--maybe modern medicine has better offerings, and may be some alternatives your doc could suggest.