Do statins affect your legs?

Within a month of starting statin therapy, they may feel aches or weakness in the large muscles of their arms, shoulders, thighs or buttocks on both sides of the body. About 5 to 10% of people who try statins are affected.

Can statins cause walking problems?

While statins have been shown to significantly reduce cholesterol levels, they have also been reported to have negative side effects on skeletal muscle. Most statin-induced myopathy manifests in the leg muscles, which can lead to difficulty walking and exercising.

Do statins cause leg problems?

Statin-related muscle pain, if it happens at all, usually happens within the first few months after you start the drug or raise the dose. You may feel a constant soreness or weakness in your shoulders, thighs, hips, or calves. If you're like most people, it'll affect both sides of your body equally.

Do statins make your legs weak?

The side effects most commonly associated with statin use involve muscle cramping, soreness, fatigue, weakness, and, in rare cases, rapid muscle breakdown that can lead to death. Often, these side effects can become apparent during or after strenuous bouts of exercise.

How do you treat leg pain from statins?

Although there are no proven remedies for statin-related muscle pain, the following may help.

1. Exercise. ...
2. Ramp up your lifestyle changes. ...
3. Have a thyroid blood test. ...
4. Take supplements. ...
5. Change your prescription. ...
6. Image: © Christophe Bourloton/Thinkstock.

Study: Statins use can lead to muscle pain or weakness

Does statin muscle pain go away?

Muscle pain usually goes away within 1 to 2 weeks after you stop taking a statin. If the pain doesn't go away, it may have been caused by something else.

How do you know if you have muscle damage from statins?

Rhabdomyolysis or milder forms of muscle inflammation from statins can be diagnosed with a blood test measuring levels of the enzyme creatinine kinase. If you notice moderate or severe muscle aches after starting to take a statin, contact your doctor.

Which muscles are most affected by statins?

Within a month of starting statin therapy, they may feel aches or weakness in the large muscles of their arms, shoulders, thighs or buttocks on both sides of the body. About 5 to 10% of people who try statins are affected. It's more common in the elderly, in women and in those taking the more potent statins.

Can statins cause long term muscle damage?

For some patients, statins cause necrotizing myopathy, a form of the rare idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, also known as myositis. Myositis is a chronic, debilitating condition that includes dermatomyositis, polymyositis, inclusion-body myositis, and juvenile forms of the disease.

What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins

• Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
• Plant stanols and sterols. ...
• Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
• Niacin. ...
• Policosanol. ...
• Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
• Natural products.

Why do doctors push statins?

Statins are the go-to treatment option for lowering cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular complications, like heart attack and stroke. Statins work by slowing down cholesterol production and enabling the liver to remove low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” from the bloodstream.

Why do statins cause leg cramps?

The researchers suggest that in most people, muscle cells can tolerate this calcium leak. However, in people already susceptible due to their genes or lifestyle, the leak caused by statins may overwhelm the muscle cells, giving rise to muscle pain and weakness.

What is the most serious side effect of atorvastatin?

Common Lipitor side effects are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests, according to Pfizer Inc. The drug label also warns of serious side effects such as liver problems and muscle problems that can lead to kidney failure.

Can statins affect your knees?

Atorvastatin was the most common statin used (13.6%). At baseline, radiographic knee OA was more common in individuals who used statins, and they reported higher levels of knee pain according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.

Can cholesterol medicine cause your feet and legs to swell?

Muscle effects

Statins can occasionally cause muscle inflammation (swelling) and damage. Speak to your doctor if you have muscle pain, tenderness or weakness that cannot be explained – for example, pain that is not caused by physical work.

Do statins cause leg cramps at night?

Muscle pain is the most common side effect of the cholesterol-lowering statins. Although it is usually a constant pain or ache, it may appear as nighttime cramps.

Can you stop taking statins Once you start?

Do not suddenly stop taking your prescribed medication without talking with your doctor first. If you have side effects from the medication, your doctor might adjust your dosage or recommend a different statin or other combination of medications.

Can you just stop taking statins?

You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level within a few weeks. If you forget to take your dose, do not take an extra one to make up for it.

What happens when you stop taking statins?

Stopping your statin has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular events (like heart attack) and death in patients with coronary artery disease.

How long does it take for muscle pain to go away after stopping statins?

Often the only way to halt the effects of statins on your muscle cells is to stop taking the medications. Symptoms tend to disappear within 3 months after you stop taking statins, with no permanent damage in most cases. But a 2018 study suggests that in rare cases, some muscle damage isn't reversible.

Can peripheral neuropathy caused by statins be reversed?

There are reported cases of statin induced peripheral neuropathy, which in the initial stages can be reversible.

Do statins cause more harm than good?

Researchers warn that unless a patient is at high risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, statins may cause more harm than good'.

What happens when you stop statins cold turkey?

An IS occurs when a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries restricts blood flow to the brain. The study included a total of 45,151 participants. It found that people who quit taking statins 3–6 months after having an IS were 42% more likely to experience a second stroke within 6–18 months.

What foods should be avoided when taking statins?

Grapefruit juice is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. Statins do not directly interact with any food but people taking statins should moderate their intake of saturated fats to help lower their LDL cholesterol and overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Do statins cause weight gain?

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.