About 15 years ago, I told my doctor that if he could produce any evidence of benefits from taking statins when your LDL is low, I’d start on them. When I saw him six months later, he admitted there was none. Every study he found was for people that had high LDL to start with.
CSKARD on
I implore anyone who believes they are truly experiencing muscle toxicity from their statin to reach out to their provider. If deemed accurate, there are other statins with different metabolic pathways and solubility profiles that can be trialed. Alternative dosing strategies can also be employed. Statins have substantial cardiovascular benefits. Period. Please do not simply stop and say nothing. Cheers
UncleJulz on
Hmmm
Nishbot11 on
I thought this was already known.
xfall2 on
I have 184 ldl and 200+ trigs should I go on statins. Bmi <20
Turbulent-Debate7661 on
This is about simvastatin only? I use rosuva
mink_mickj on
I tried a whole bunch of different statins with similarly painful side effects. Finally found a low dose statin in combination with repatha injection pen and that finally did the trick. I’m grateful that my doctors took my pain seriously and worked diligently to find treatment that worked.
BrakeFastBurrito on
TLDR; an influx of calcium into muscle cells, which leads to tissue damage.
TMI; ryanodine receptor 1: a gate located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum
fleshprinceofbellend on
I’ve tried Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin). I had constant abdominal upsets when taking Crestor 10mg and possibly some mild muscle fatigue. It lowered my cholesterol reasonably well though. Stopped that mainly due to the abdominal upsets. When I tried Lipitor I started at 10mg and I didn’t notice any abdominal upset or anything but it also wasn’t doing much for my cholesterol. Switched to 20mg and started getting muscle aches really bad but it also still wasn’t helping my cholesterol so I’ve since stopped that too.
L-ROX1972 on
It’s because of this that I take CoQ10 as a supplement (I searched before posting this, no one had mentioned it yet).
bitwise97 on
I’m an endurance runner and noticed I was cramping way more often and more intensely than usual. I asked my doctor if it could be due to Atorvastatin, so switched me to Rosuvastatin. Problem solved.
hpsctchbananahmck on
Cardiologist’s perspective
I expect we’ll continue to identify genetic variants rendering variable susceptibility to certain medications.
The article here has a number of leaps but the cited paper reveals an interesting impact of simvastatin specifically on RYR1. Perhaps in the future it will be more cost effective to screen for the mutations purported to result in simvastatin associated side effects (at least with mice), particularly if future evidence supports the idea in humans.
Cholesterol soap box below:
The vast majority of patients tolerate statins well, but for those who do not or cannot, there are lots of options to reduce risk of hard outcomes without suffering.
I care a LOT more about the risk of hard outcomes for my patients (strokes, heart attacks, etc) than I do what their lab tests show.
The truth of the matter is that LDL (low density lipoprotein aka the ‘bad’ cholesterol) is the best studied marker impacting the risk of hard outcomes. Lots of RCTs, metaanalyses, and observational data. The moral of the story from these is the lower the LDL the better (in terms of atherosclerotic events)
Your LDL is much more dependent upon your genetics and what medications you take than diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are important for OTHER reasons, but I see too many people feeling like failures for the inability to get LDL controlled with diet and exercise alone (I try to dissuade this feeling)
If you are in a position where the wealth of evidence supports lowering your cholesterol (eg ever had ASCVD like a heart attack or stroke), or if you have enough risk factors (risk calculators), the the best way to lower LDL is with statins.
Here by BEST I mean the most thoroughly studied, effective way to reduce the risk of hard ASCVD events like strokes and heart attacks by lowering LDL
There are lots of newer options now that also work well, generally with fewer studies and more $$$ but some of these are very appropriate for those who need LDL lowering and cannot tolerate or get to goal with statins (things like Repatha or inclisiran)
You should talk to your provider about your cholesterol and whether changes are recommended. If LDL lowering would meaningfully change your risk of hard outcomes, there is very likely an option that can help reduce your risk of these things without bothersome side effects. Talk to your provider about these things.
Lastly, I am a physician but I’m not your physician and you should never request or accept medical advice on Reddit.
YuNaNiMus on
The Cut to the Chase Summary
• Researchers may have identified why some people experience muscle pain when taking statins after years of uncertainty
• The issue appears to be linked to how statins affect energy production inside muscle cells, specifically involving mitochondria
• Statins can interfere with certain pathways that help muscles generate energy, which may lead to weakness, soreness, or fatigue
• Not everyone experiences this side effect, and the severity can vary widely between individuals
• The findings help explain a long debated side effect and could lead to better ways to prevent or manage it
• Despite this, statins are still considered effective and important for lowering cholesterol and reducing cardiovascular risk
• Patients are generally advised to talk to their doctor before stopping statins, since the benefits often outweigh the risks
Entire_One4033 on
Wow!
I figured it was just an age and muscle degeneration thing as I aged but I’ve been on them 14 years now (I’m 57) and I can honestly say in the past 7-8 years it’s taken me literally months and months to get over something like a strained deltoid, tennis elbow or aching thighs when walking the dogs (things I always just literally managed to shake of relatively easily) and more often than not I’m not even sure what it was I was doing at the time to give me a huge bruise on my shoulder or my bicep and I’ve always just figured I’ve banged it at work and never gave much more thought to it, I think I need to have a wee chat with my GP on this
manonthelam on
Wtf is an eternal garden
mgonzales3 on
Any natural supplement that helps with cholesterol?
16 Comments
About 15 years ago, I told my doctor that if he could produce any evidence of benefits from taking statins when your LDL is low, I’d start on them. When I saw him six months later, he admitted there was none. Every study he found was for people that had high LDL to start with.
I implore anyone who believes they are truly experiencing muscle toxicity from their statin to reach out to their provider. If deemed accurate, there are other statins with different metabolic pathways and solubility profiles that can be trialed. Alternative dosing strategies can also be employed. Statins have substantial cardiovascular benefits. Period. Please do not simply stop and say nothing. Cheers
Hmmm
I thought this was already known.
I have 184 ldl and 200+ trigs should I go on statins. Bmi <20
This is about simvastatin only? I use rosuva
I tried a whole bunch of different statins with similarly painful side effects. Finally found a low dose statin in combination with repatha injection pen and that finally did the trick. I’m grateful that my doctors took my pain seriously and worked diligently to find treatment that worked.
TLDR; an influx of calcium into muscle cells, which leads to tissue damage.
TMI; ryanodine receptor 1: a gate located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum
I’ve tried Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin). I had constant abdominal upsets when taking Crestor 10mg and possibly some mild muscle fatigue. It lowered my cholesterol reasonably well though. Stopped that mainly due to the abdominal upsets. When I tried Lipitor I started at 10mg and I didn’t notice any abdominal upset or anything but it also wasn’t doing much for my cholesterol. Switched to 20mg and started getting muscle aches really bad but it also still wasn’t helping my cholesterol so I’ve since stopped that too.
It’s because of this that I take CoQ10 as a supplement (I searched before posting this, no one had mentioned it yet).
I’m an endurance runner and noticed I was cramping way more often and more intensely than usual. I asked my doctor if it could be due to Atorvastatin, so switched me to Rosuvastatin. Problem solved.
Cardiologist’s perspective
I expect we’ll continue to identify genetic variants rendering variable susceptibility to certain medications.
The article here has a number of leaps but the cited paper reveals an interesting impact of simvastatin specifically on RYR1. Perhaps in the future it will be more cost effective to screen for the mutations purported to result in simvastatin associated side effects (at least with mice), particularly if future evidence supports the idea in humans.
Cholesterol soap box below:
The vast majority of patients tolerate statins well, but for those who do not or cannot, there are lots of options to reduce risk of hard outcomes without suffering.
I care a LOT more about the risk of hard outcomes for my patients (strokes, heart attacks, etc) than I do what their lab tests show.
The truth of the matter is that LDL (low density lipoprotein aka the ‘bad’ cholesterol) is the best studied marker impacting the risk of hard outcomes. Lots of RCTs, metaanalyses, and observational data. The moral of the story from these is the lower the LDL the better (in terms of atherosclerotic events)
Your LDL is much more dependent upon your genetics and what medications you take than diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are important for OTHER reasons, but I see too many people feeling like failures for the inability to get LDL controlled with diet and exercise alone (I try to dissuade this feeling)
If you are in a position where the wealth of evidence supports lowering your cholesterol (eg ever had ASCVD like a heart attack or stroke), or if you have enough risk factors (risk calculators), the the best way to lower LDL is with statins.
Here by BEST I mean the most thoroughly studied, effective way to reduce the risk of hard ASCVD events like strokes and heart attacks by lowering LDL
There are lots of newer options now that also work well, generally with fewer studies and more $$$ but some of these are very appropriate for those who need LDL lowering and cannot tolerate or get to goal with statins (things like Repatha or inclisiran)
You should talk to your provider about your cholesterol and whether changes are recommended. If LDL lowering would meaningfully change your risk of hard outcomes, there is very likely an option that can help reduce your risk of these things without bothersome side effects. Talk to your provider about these things.
Lastly, I am a physician but I’m not your physician and you should never request or accept medical advice on Reddit.
The Cut to the Chase Summary
• Researchers may have identified why some people experience muscle pain when taking statins after years of uncertainty
• The issue appears to be linked to how statins affect energy production inside muscle cells, specifically involving mitochondria
• Statins can interfere with certain pathways that help muscles generate energy, which may lead to weakness, soreness, or fatigue
• Not everyone experiences this side effect, and the severity can vary widely between individuals
• The findings help explain a long debated side effect and could lead to better ways to prevent or manage it
• Despite this, statins are still considered effective and important for lowering cholesterol and reducing cardiovascular risk
• Patients are generally advised to talk to their doctor before stopping statins, since the benefits often outweigh the risks
Wow!
I figured it was just an age and muscle degeneration thing as I aged but I’ve been on them 14 years now (I’m 57) and I can honestly say in the past 7-8 years it’s taken me literally months and months to get over something like a strained deltoid, tennis elbow or aching thighs when walking the dogs (things I always just literally managed to shake of relatively easily) and more often than not I’m not even sure what it was I was doing at the time to give me a huge bruise on my shoulder or my bicep and I’ve always just figured I’ve banged it at work and never gave much more thought to it, I think I need to have a wee chat with my GP on this
Wtf is an eternal garden
Any natural supplement that helps with cholesterol?