Discussion: Statins and muscle aches

There was an interesting article in the NY TImes http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/do-statin...
about exercise and muscle aches associated with the use of statins. I thought my achiness was mainly due to the aging process, but I wonder how much may be related to taking a statin. I still will take a statin but it was interesting to read there may be another cause of why I feel like I have been hit by a truck after an hour run.

Excellent article Evan - thanks! Here's my story.

Due to fatigue early in easy runs, I had an angiogram done in 2004 (age:54). Two blocked arteries: one stent; one angioplasty balloon. No heart damage. Put on Lipitor. After 6 (?) months of 'walk-only', I started running. Felt better and faster in 5K's. With erratic exercise routine, running deteriorated over time.

In a year or two, achiness in right arm, near elbow, got worse - but no weakness. Off Lipitor, muscle ache abated. But with no statin for 6-12 months, LDL went back up. Now I'm on Simvastatin, 20mg, every other day. LDL under control; HDL steady at 40, low. Only in last couple months, I've noticed occasional right arm ache.

Like you, it is very frustrating to not be able to differentiate the effects of age (61), exercise, and statin. Negative: slow running pace, max heart rate seems to be low 140's - in 130's while running. Early parts of run are very hard and discouraging. Positive: good endurance for 30+ mile bike rides, hikes, & 3-hour Score O's. On same day, I feel real good - next day still a bit stiff and tired. I retired in December and more exercise (bike, run, hike, O', swim, and Cybex machines) has definitely been beneficial. 2 A-meets this spring and 5-day bike ride in MI UP this summer will see how multi-days feel.

I await further studies on statins & alternatives.

OMG...I can list the same symptoms...never gave it a thought that it was from the Simvastatin.

Simvastatin 20mg was the first statin I was prescribed, and after a couple of months I got aches in my legs, which, as others have reported, I put down to getting old while trying to keep training. A casual Internet reference led me to consider that the statin was the problem. I stopped it for a couple of days with miraculous effect. My doctor immediately agreed, and I now take pravastatin 10 mg 3 times a week. I had basically demanded that we titrate the dose, and this is about as low as you can go. (And I get to skip it the night before a race.) It still keeps down the cholesterol. In addition, pravastatin has a reputation for being less prone to adverse muscle effects than the fat-soluble statins like Lipitor and simvastatin.

I have been taking rosuvastatin for approx. 8 months and over that time have experienced increasing muscle soreness in my legs - it's been dreadful feeling sore and having increasing difficulty maintaining my exercise. A doctor friend of mine told me once that although she has raised cholesterol, she has decided to not take statins because of the muscle damage they can cause. I think I'll stop for a while and discuss with my doctor.

I've been on Lipitor for several years, but can't really say that the low level, occasional aches I get are due to age or statins. However, for the past two years I've reduced my dosage to 1 x 10mg tablet every 3 days. There's been no increase in cholesterol, but the aches still come and go. I'm about to start an experiment of going off Lipitor completely for 6 months to see what effect it has on both the cholesterol and the aches.

If I need to go back onto the medication I am considering red yeast rice as a substitute. It is a natural product that basically has the same chemical structure as statin drugs - see Wikipedia or Google it for more sites with information. Not sure about the US or other Australian states, but here in Western Oz you need a prescription from either a medico or a naturopath to buy it. It is likely to have the same effects on muscles.

A super-controlled diet is also a great way to reduce statin use...or wean yourself from medication completely:

...Total cholesterol fell on average 23%, LDL bad cholesterol fell 23%, and triglycerides decreased 33%....

Only for some. Sometimes there is no escaping your genetic heritage.

...as a block of cholesterol?

Sorry chitownclark, but no can do. I need my butter, cream, bacon, ice cream - can't function without them.

I tried a totally whole food plant based diet (with only a little olive oil) for 18 months and my cholesterol didn't go down. Some of us have a genetic predisposition to making cholesterol even if we don't eat it.

We tried the Pritikin diet years ago, mainly because it was supposed to be better for athletes and we were pretending to be runners back then. Then we went on something called the Haase diet, who was coaching Martina Navratalova at the time. Was even stricter - you might say worse. Lyn cooked two sets of meals: one for us "athletes" and one for our kids who put up with their strange parents. Lasted a few months and finally we got real. Life's too short! Butter, cream, ice cream, wine - the fundamentals of a good diet. Plus lots of veg and some fish thrown in. Just a good mix of fun things - like the taco pizzas we just had for lunch with yummy pepperoni.

Everything in moderation, right?

I hear cocaine is great in moderation.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/242516-World-Ren...

This might be off the original subject a bit but I found this article interesting - it does challenge established conventional wisdom.

forks over knives.