Statins - Has anyone had bad pain while taking them?

I blame statins for my mother losing the use of her legs when she was in her early nineties. She was always complaining of leg pains but because she was in the early stages of vascular dementia she was ignored.

It was only when she was admitted to A&E with a stroke - albeit a minor one, that the consultant asked why she couldn't walk. When I told him why I thought it was he agreed with me and said they should have changed her to a different statin. I think she was on simvastatin.

I would go back to your GP again or get a second opinion. I have high cholesterol and refused statins altogether. I keep a careful eye on my diet and so far have had no problems.

I think it’s a well known fact that statins can cause more trouble than they prevent Leg pains is a common one I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole Control your cholesterol with diet is the first port of call it can be done

No pain but horrendous nosebleeds when on statins. I never had a nosebleed in my life until I took these. Never again.

I must be lucky no side effects and I’ve been on them 5 yrs. I’d talk again to your GP.

I was persuaded to take them because of my age, RA and cholesterol of 5.9. I took them for about 9months and gave up because of muscle pain in my legs, shoulders and upper back. A consultant cardiologist subsequently told me there is no evidence for women in my age range (early 70s) that statins prevent heart attacks or strokes. If a patient has already had a stroke or heart attack he would prescribe them, not otherwise. He added he wouldn't prescribe them for his wife.

Simvastatin were no good for me when I was fist given them years ago----went through me like a Porsche which my body knew straight away that they were unsuitable.
Because I had a reading of 7 the GP thought it best to take them given my mum's history. I remember arguing with the GP at the time that like BP it fluctuates and the reading could be 4 another time.

However I reluctantly agreed to try Atorvastatin 20 or 25mg and besides giving me a rumbling tum, I took them and have done for a number of years now, The reading has hovered between 3 and 4 for as far back as I can remember so decided to stick with it rather than fat/plaque floating around causing mischief.

3 years ago I had a TIA---nothing to get excited about but feel that my legs haven't been the same since so put it down to age ( all but 80 ) and circulation, but at the same time I think the combination of statins and warfarin saved me from a fate worse than death so it's worth taking them if you can.

There is a lot of info around which suggests that statins can have many side effects, and some choose not to take them on that basis.

My own experience was being called into the docs and quizzed about my drinking, with words like "liver biopsy" being mentioned, a month or so after taking them.

Please read 'A Statin Nation' by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick. It might change your views on statins if you are thinking of taking them. I have already refused them.

Of course, it would be best to also research the consequences of not taking them, too.

I had terrible leg pains when on Simvastatin which stopped when I stopped taking it. Brand and dosage changed and for many months fine and then pains started again. I stopped taking them and my cholesterol level went up but not massively.
In 2018 I was going to USA and felt for medical insurance I ought to visit Dr. I saw a different one and they prescribed a drug called Ezetimibe. Its works in a similar way to a Statin without being one. The GP inferred it would only be for 3months as its expensive. Two years later I'm still on it and experiencing no side effects.

I refused statins choosing to control by diet. The Dr said good for you choosing diet you have more good cholesterol than bad.

I have also cut out using sugar for many years now only having the odd sweet treat chocolate bars, all in moderation.

So some cholesterol is good and you need it for health. I think Drs tend to prescribe too many cholesterol lowering tablets.

That said it has to be beneficial to those with other health conditions.

I've been on artovastatin for about 3 years and have had no side effects. Yet.

I was reluctant to take them but was told it was important that I did by a very no-nonsense nurse; I have been taking Atorvastatin for the past three years with no side effects whatsoever. A friend was prescribed some and immediately had a recurrence of tinnitus; the prescription was changed immediately and he has suffered no side effects since.

I had dreadful pains in my calves and my notes now say that I am allergic to them.

I was given Simvastatin many years ago but it caused thinning hair so I refused to take it.
When we moved house my new GP said I should be taking a statin so I told her why I did not want one. She said that another of her patients had had the same problem but was fine on Rosovustatin so I said I would try it. No side effects and my hair recovered.
My husband had severe muscle pains and memory problems with all statins so no longer takes them. He has a cholesterol lowering injection once a fortnight and is fine on that.

I’ve recently done some reading around statins. The best option seems to be to use diet as a form of control. Apparently taking statins can increase the risk of Type2 diabetes which can also be controlled in most cases by diet. I was offered statins last week although my cholesterol readings were the same as two years ago. I have also read that unless you have had either a heart attack or stroke they are best avoided.

My husband has been on statins. They gave him very bad leg pain and he put on weight. He felt quite unwell and became anxious.

Unless I believe that the good would outweigh the side effects I won’t be taking them anytime soon.

No pain, but itching, particularly at night! Anybody else had this on Simvastatin? Alternatively, could be blood pressure medication causing the irritation.

The doctor gave me Sinvastatin. I took it for a week.

I went from a painless life, no trouble walking 12 or 15 miles to someone who could barely get out of bed in the morning. Every joint in my body ached. One knee swelled up to twice its size, it was an effort to hold my morning cup of tea.

It would wear off during the day till by evening I was without pain. Then the evening tablet and I was waking up in the night with leg pain.

I stopped after 10 days. It took a week to get back to normal. That was a year ago. I'm back to walking miles and no joint pain at all.

Thanks everyone. They’ve tried me on Simvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Ezetimibe and now Atorvastatin and they’ve all caused bad side effects. The doctor doesn’t think I will be able to bring my cholesterol levels down with diet as high cholesterol runs in my family.

Try the diet don’t listen to the doctor pharmaceuticals like you to use there products wasn’t there a boost a few years ago for everyone over 59 to take them
My mums cholesterol was never below 7 although she had a very very good diet no sugar no salt lots of fish and garden grown veg no takeaways or Microwave stuff and she lived to 90 , that ll do me

My DM had high cholesterol and so had I, but statins made me feel bad and ache so I Googled how to bring it down with diet. It dropped from 5.7 to 3.4 in three months. Diet control is well worth a try.

I did not realise that statin causes leg pains, swelling and other side effects. I will give them a rest and see what happens maybe I won’t need my anti inflammatory either!

That should have said over 50 not 59

BlueBelle
Mine has always hovered around 9. That was from about 10 yrs ago. That's when I started looking into them.
I always say it's the biggest con that drug companies perpetrated on the human race. That's how strongly I feel about them.