While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people who take them and may rarely cause liver damage. Remember that statin medications can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the risk of life-threatening side effects from statins is very low. High cholesterol treatment: Does cinnamon lower cholesterol? Some drugs that may interact with statins and increase your risk of side effects include: There are many drugs that may interact with statins, so be sure your doctor is aware of all the medicines you take when being prescribed with statins. Your doctor may try to reduce how much of your medicine you take. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2019. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Rarely, if the increase is severe, you may need to try a different statin. Ferri FF. Niacin to boost your HDL, 'good,' cholesterol, Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health. Tell your doctor how your medicine makes you feel. Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers, Cholesterol-lowering supplements may be helpful. You may try taking CoQ10 supplements to get relief. One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. Nature Reviews Cardiology. To relieve side effects believed to be caused by statins, your doctor may recommend several options. Statins: Actions, side effects and administration. Cholesterol Quiz: What Do Your Numbers Mean? Your doctor may be able to come up with an alternative treatment plan that can help you lower your cholesterol without uncomfortable side effects. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm293330.htm. Is there a risk of rhabdomyolysis from statins? Cholesterol ratio or non-HDL cholesterol: Which is most important? 2019;26:e000. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins. © 1998-2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Switch treatments. Controlling cholesterol with statins. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/About-Cholesterol_UCM_001220_Article.jsp#.VpbEathIiic. In many cases, they go away after you take the drug for a while.Some problems, though, can be severe. Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics. Rhabdomyolysis can occur when you take statins in combination with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins. Contact your doctor immediately if you have unusual fatigue or weakness, loss of appetite, pain in your upper abdomen, dark-colored urine, or yellowing of your skin or eyes. If cholesterol reducing medication leads to difficult side effects which cannot be coped with at other times, or if one if taking a low dosage, the medication should be accompanied by lifestyle changes. Lopez-Jimenez F (expert opinion). If you’re taking medicine to lower your cholesterol, there may be times when it makes you feel less than your best. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be severe enough to make your daily activities difficult. This content does not have an English version. Statin intolerance. Many side effects go away as your body adapts to the medication. American Heart Association. The time off can show if your medicine is causing the pain or if it’s due to another problem. Hypothyroidism: Can calcium supplements interfere with treatment? In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2019. Is High Cholesterol Putting Your Health at Risk? If you take cholesterol drugs and other medicines, you might be more likely to have side effects. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health? AskMayoExpert. Discuss these steps with your doctor before trying them: Although side effects believed to be caused by statins can be annoying, consider the benefits of taking a statin before you decide to stop taking your medication. Alonso R, et al. Accessed Jan. 29, 2019. The risk is small but important enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes. Instead, talk to your doctor. Wilson's syndrome: An accepted medical diagnosis? Muscle pain is the problem people on statins report most often. There has also been evidence that statins may help with brain function — in people with dementia, for example. Sometimes, taking a combination of cholesterol drugs can provide the same result with lower doses of statins. The actual risk of developing muscle pain as a result of taking statins is about 5 percent or less compared with taking a pill that doesn't contain medication (placebo). Continued Statin Side Effects. While you won't need to eliminate grapefruit entirely from your diet, ask your doctor about how much grapefruit you can have. The power of a plant-based diet for heart health. Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts. All rights reserved. However, studies have found that nearly 30 percent of people stopped taking the pills because of muscle aches even when they were taking a placebo. It’s unclear why these issues happen. This content does not have an Arabic version. Rosenson RS. Common side effects of statins are headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Safety and efficacy of statin therapy. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Statins also are prescribed for preventing and treating atherosclerosis. Doctors aren’t sure why it happens. The benefit of taking statins likely outweighs the small risk to have the blood sugar level go up. It's possible your blood sugar (blood glucose) level may increase when you take a statin, which may lead to developing type 2 diabetes. Your doctor may test your liver while you take statins to see if you’re having liver problems. Accessed Jan. 25, 2019. Lower Your Cholesterol Fast With These 8 Easy Tips. Lifestyle changes are the best way to address high triglycerides, but sometimes doctors do prescribe medications. Statin-induced muscle syndromes. A "nocebo" effect means people who have negative expectations about a medication report experiencing the potential side effect at higher rates than the drug should cause. Don’t stop taking your cholesterol drugs even if they don’t make you feel great. Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter, Alternative Treatments for High Cholesterol, Diabetes? Most people who take statin drugs tolerate them very well. Fortunately, side effects with statins are not common, occurring in only in up to 3% of people individuals in randomized clinical trials on statins and most are not serious The most common side effects … Accessed Jan. 24, 2019. Consider OTC treatments. Pomegranate juice: Can it lower cholesterol? Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help prevent statin side effects in some people, though more studies … Review side effects, drug interactions, dosing, storage, and pregnancy safety information prior to taking this medication. Even if your side effects are frustrating, don't stop taking your statin medication for any period of time without talking to your doctor first.

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