From the information available, joint pain from statins feels a lot like the pain caused by a common type of arthritis called osteoarthritis (OA). Symptoms of OA include pain and swelling of the joints.
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.
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.
Skeletal muscle side effects that are associated with statin use involve muscle cramping, soreness, fatigue, weakness, and, in rare cases, rapid muscle breakdown that can lead to death (ie, rhabdomyolysis).
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.
In other words, statins were not good pain medications. Atorvastatin (Lipitor) use was associated with a reduced risk of developing pain, whilst rosuvastatin (Crestor) leads to a higher risk of developing pain.
Explain to interested patients that muscle pain and weakness are known side effects of statin therapy. In most patients, they resolve quickly when the drugs are stopped.
Muscle effects
Statins can rarely 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.
According to the research, published in JACC: Basic to Translational Science, statins cause spontaneous and irregular leaks of calcium from storage compartments within muscle cells. Under normal conditions, coordinated releases of calcium from these stores make the muscles contract.
The most commonly reported side effects of statins are muscle-related symptoms, including muscle pain, cramps, and weakness. But for many people, their statin may not actually be the cause of these symptoms. Serious statin side effects, like muscle, liver, and kidney damage, are extremely rare.
Overall, statins are safe as a class of drugs. Serious adverse events are very rare. Among the individual medications, studies have shown that simvastatin (Zocor®) and pravastatin (Pravachol®) seem to be safer and better tolerated than the other statins.
If you've made lifestyle changes through diet and exercise that have lowered your cholesterol levels, you may not need to continue taking a statin. These changes can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries while allowing you to take one less medication.
If you need to lower your cholesterol but cannot take a statin because of muscle aches or other side effects, you may want to try an alternative. New research shows that bempedoic acid can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke without causing muscle pain.
Joseph A. Hill, M.D., Ph. D. The controversy in the United Kingdom started in 2013 when the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed statins were being overprescribed to people with low risk of heart disease, and that the drugs' side effects were worse than previously thought.
Serious side effects
you get unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps – these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage.
A Statin Alternative Lowers Heart Attack Risk by 23 Percent, Drug Trial Shows. People who can't or won't take statin medications to reduce LDL cholesterol may want to talk to their doctor about bempedoic acid (Nexletol).
Most of the reports of muscle symptoms in those taking statins occurred within the first year of treatment. After the first year of starting treatment, low/moderate intensity statin therapy caused no increase in the frequency of muscle symptoms.
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.
by Drugs.com
It takes about 77 hours (3 days) for atorvastatin to be out of your system. The elimination half life of atorvastatin is approximately 14 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce plasma drug levels by half.