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Statin Side-effects: Muscle pain and weakness

Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: May 8 5:03pm | Replies (117)
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Profile picture for blanche2be @blanche2be

I have been on Simvastatin 40mg daily since my heart attack in 2018. In the last few years I have had increasing pain in my lower legs and muscle cramps that wake me up during the night. I also have muscle spasms in my feet that are so painful at times. I do wonder if it could be related to the statin therapy. I am a pharmacist and have been reading a lot about CoQ10 being used to help reduce problems from statin therapy. I am going to discuss this issue with my cardiologist next month at my appointment.

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Replies to "I have been on Simvastatin 40mg daily since my heart attack in 2018. In the last..."
carbcounter | @carbcounter | May 1 11:41am

@blanche2be
I am a huge fan of CoQ10 in general, it is massively underrated. Especially for those who eat less red meat these days, which is the best dietary source. And then double-especially for anyone taking statins, which also goes with eating less red meat.
I know there are many studies that have failed to confirm benefits from CoQ10 in general (not related to statins), but this is because they look at the wrong things, IMHO.
Years ago I was just looking for useful dietary and supplement hints and tried out CoQ10, and (in combination with B12 and evening primrose oil (for the GLA)) found just an amazing benefit in workout performance, circa age 50. And I was still eating reasonable amounts of red meat back then, and not on any statin.

My friend was prescribed a new statin from Bayer back around 2001 and immediately had muscle pain symptoms, then the drug "Baycol (cerivastatin)" was pulled from the market because, for some reason, it was markedly more antagonistic to CoQ10 than other statins ... at least that's the story.
My mother was given a statin, suffered some muscle pains, and her dose was cut in half and she was able to tolerate it.

Then again in your particular case, over 25 years so many things may happen, so of course this should be discussed with your doctor, leg pains can occur for myriad reasons.
There are standard blood panel tests for COQ10 levels and other simple tests may be combined to diagnose relation to leg pains.

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