How long do side effects from statins last once you stop taking them?

@danpinkston24
In the leaflet for Atorvastatin and other statins, the pharmaceutical company clearly states that they cause muscle inflammation, etc. When I had 40 mg of Atorvastatin for 3 months, I had severe pain in my body. I took a break for a month and slowly increased the dose to 20 mg, it went well for 1. 5 years ago, only the muscle pain in my body increased, I could barely sleep. I have now been on a newer statin for 3 months that is different from the old statins: Rosuvastatin 5 mg (had it for 3 months) and combined with Ezetimibe 10mg had for 1 month (blocks the absorption of blood fat in the liver), feels good with both. Blood test after 3 months with Rosuvastatin and now with both after another 3 months.

GM. For those that have had bad issues due to statins, and started taking COQ10, what daily mg do you take? do you take just COQ10 or do you take the type with either Resveratrol or Ubiquinol? Thank you

@ctjoe7
Good question!

I am a Mayo Clinic Cardiology patient and take CoQ10. My provider, quoted here recommends I take Ubiquinol, 100mg twice a day. Here is an article I found the information, “ Ubiquinol tends to be better absorbed than ubiquinone, and the ideal dose is typically 200 mg once per day. Most of the time, ubiquinol is sold in a gel-based or liquid-based capsule.”
-Mayo Clinic Q and A re: CoQ10: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-statin-use-doesnt-always-mean-coenzyme-q10-supplement-is-needed/

It sounds like taking CoQ10 is an individualized approach. Does your prescribing doctor have recommendations for you? Are you taking CoQ10?

@jlharsh

Thank you for information and link. My legs and forearms started hurting when they upped my statin dosage. I then found out about COQ10. It has helped but pain comes and goes.

@ctjoe7, it sounds like good news and bad news that you have pain since upping your statin dosage, then CoQ10 helped some.

I take less-than-standard dosages, and several different drugs that currently control my cholesterol better than I have ever experienced. I recently learned more about this approach from a Mayo Clinic Cardiology continuing medical education podcast. Particularly, “One of the most significant predictors of statin intolerance is the dose -the higher the dose, the more likely to develop intolerance.” You may find it valuable to listen to (11 minutes)
-Mayo Clinic Statin Myopathy: https://cardiovascularcmemayoclinic.podbean.com/e/statin-myopathy/

This podcast may be helpful to share with your prescribing doctor the next time you have an opportunity. Do you notice a difference in your pain level depending on how active you are?

Thank you so much. Very informative. I do wish doctors would listen to it.

I absolutely notice a difference. When I have days or times when I am moving around a lot I feel good. On days when work has me sitting, more leg pain and headache.

Thanks again and take care.

@jlharsh excellent podcast regarding statins.

I thought the Statin Myopathy podcast was a good one as well, @deniseheart.

Hearing an updated perspective of statin-related pain, how non-statins reduce myalgia risk, and most definitely a newer approach of how treatment options are being creatively used ties a lot together to answer so many questions. There is definitely an art in addition to the science in treating cholesterol.

Was there a particular part of what you listened to that caught your attention?

@jlharsh the entire podcast held my attention. There is not a single oral statin that doesn't give me acute myalgia leg pain. Even the cholesterol absorption inhibitors like Ezetimibe causes the same pain. After listening to this insightful podcast, I have hope that new protocols will be developed for the many folks that suffer from oral statin intolerance and/or allergy.