Statin drug - Crestor

[GrammaBear]

I've read past threads about statin drugs and their side effects. I am currently taking just 5 mg of Crestor and suffering moderate to severe muscle aches and pains in my legs. Without asking the Doctor, I've stopped the Crestor. What I would like to know, does anyone know how long it takes this side effect to work its way out of the body? And is there anything I can do to ease the muscle pain? I feel like a complete idiot for taking this drug anyway, as I've had problems with it several years ago and stopped it for the same reason. But my new doctor seemed to think it would be ok to start it again. I appreciate any opinions you may have.

GrammaBear

[jjordie]

I've read past threads about statin drugs and their side effects. I am currently taking just 5 mg of Crestor and suffering moderate to severe muscle aches and pains in my legs. Without asking the Doctor, I've stopped the Crestor. What I would like to know, does anyone know how long it takes this side effect to work its way out of the body? And is there anything I can do to ease the muscle pain? I feel like a complete idiot for taking this drug anyway, as I've had problems with it several years ago and stopped it for the same reason. But my new doctor seemed to think it would be ok to start it again. I appreciate any opinions you may have.

GrammaBear

Hi GrammaBear
I too had severe muscle aches and pains in my legs when I was taking statins so I stopped.
Although my GP has suggested I could try again I decline!! Sorry you are still having pains but I am sure things will soon improve.

I did take plant sterols for a while and used Flora ProActiv and my cholesterol did go lower.

[CountYourselfIn]

Hi Grammabear,

I'm taking 10mg once daily Crestor. I did have very severe muscle pains during the first 2-3 weeks of using it. After that the pains subsided and haven't returned. It's been almost a year of using it, and I haven't any other side effects.

I've read that a coenzyme Q10 supplement can help with statin side effects. Statins are documented to block the synthesis of CoQ10 and cause a deficiency with symptoms such as:

--fatigue
--muscle ache
--congestive heart failure
--cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)
--angina pectoris (cardiac chest pain)
--chronic gum disease
--cancer (suspected, not proved)
--hyperthyroid (suspected, not proved)
--AIDs (suspected, not proved)
--high blood pressure (suspected, not proved)

It may be something you could bring up with your doctor, or research on your own.

[fgummett]

I would check again with your Doctor before considering restarting this medication. Some folks get nasty side-effects form Statins... most don't. In my opinion, if you get any side-effects with them it is a cause for pause and re-evaluation.

[art]

I had this problem with Lipitor.
When I stopped it took about a week for the cramps to stop.

If you're on a statin and cramping STOP.

It's muscle cramps.
The heart is a muscle.

Art

[GrammaBear]

It will be almost a month soon since I stopped Crestor. My Endo has done a whole battery of blood work (about $450 worth) to see if damage was done to the heart muscle. I'm very fortunate according to him to have stopped when I did. It would have been so much easier to take the statin than to worry about having a heart attack from high cholesterol.

[pdxdennisj]

*ALL* drugs have side effects. The appropriate question is:" do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages?" Having heart/stroke problems is a definite liability. Leg cramps are solved by taking daily doses of Calcium and Magnesium. I have been taking statins for 15+ years and am 70. Most members of my family die in their early 60s from heart disease.

[yannah]

well, my partners friend's husband has side effects from a statin, he can barely walk. not kidding. it has progressed even with statin dicscontinuation. so I think it is great that grammabear quit the statin with those symptoms.

and I got diabetes form a drug.

I mean, I take drugs with alot of caution.

if I had muscle pain with a statin, I would take my chances on the cholesterol.

[ShottleBop]

UCSD Statin Effects Study (https://www.statineffects.com/info/).

Unless you're a middle-aged man who's already had one heart attack, there is no evidence that taking a statin will reduce your chances of death. (Maybe it will reduce your chances of dying from a heart attack, but it won't reduce your chances of dying from "all causes.")

SHOULD YOU BE ON CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS?
This is a decision you must make with your doctor. The following should be taken into account.

Middle aged men with significant risk for heart disease probably benefit more than they are harmed, in terms of survival (The West of Scotland Study). Risk factors include hypertension, smoking, diabetes, premature heart disease in a first degree relative and low HDL. Those who do not have high risk for heart disease experience a lower rate of heart deaths, but not even a trend toward lower overall death rate (The Texcaps/ACAPS study). (The total death rate was infinitesimally higher in the statin group.)

As of this writing, no study has shown statins or any other cholesterol drugs to lower overall mortality in women; and epidemiologically, cholesterol in women does not have the same relation to mortality as in men. Although higher cholesterol is linked to a higher rate of heart attacks per se, it is not linked to overall cardiovascular death or to overall death; indeed, lower cholesterol is linked to a slightly higher risk in some studies. Consistent with this, there is a decided reduction in heart attacks in women with statins, but the death rate overall -- or even cardiovascular death rate - has not been shown to be reduced. It is possible that there are subgroups of women for whom statins confer benefit exceeding risk, but this has never been demonstrated.

No studies have examined the impact of statins in randomized trials in those over age 75. Epidemiological studies show higher cholesterol to be protective, rather than harmful, in this age group, so it cannot be assumed that lowering cholesterol confers benefit exceeding risk. Low cholesterol may be a risk factor for heart arrhythmias, which are the leading cause of death if heart attacks occur; and in the elderly, a heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation, that may be increased with low cholesterol, is a particularly important risk factor for stroke in the older elderly. It is possible that there are subgroups of those over age 75 for whom statins confer benefit exceeding risk, but this has never been demonstrated. This would most likely be the case in persons at very high risk of death from heart disease, who are at comparatively low risk for other illness and injury.

[Melmel]

I started taking Crestor last fall and started having cramping in my legs whenever I would take a 10 or 15 minute walk. My dr. took me off of Crestor for two weeks during which time she told me to start on Co-Q10. I then re-started Crestor and the cramping was gone.

Yesterday, however, I had severe cramping in both legs when taking my walk to the point that I had to stop several times and rest just to make it back to my office. I've called my dr. but am thinking about quitting the Crestor.

My most recent blood tests show my lipids are within normal levels, so I think I'll try keeping my cholesterol down with diet, exercise and NO Crestor!