Side effects of statin?

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Not sleeping because of pain is exhausting, especially after already having four joint replacements.

Even though 5 mg is considered a low dose, people can respond differently to medications. Some people do well on a low dose, while others still notice muscle or joint aches. It’s good that you’ve already reached out to your doctor rather than just stopping the medication on your own.

In my own experience, my doctor had me do something I thought was really helpful when we were trying to figure out if a medication was causing side effects. He had me draw a simple stick person and mark where my pain was, date it, then put it away. After stopping the medication we suspected (under his guidance), I waited 30 days, drew another stick person, and compared the two. It helped us look for real changes instead of relying on memory.

I’ve also had a physician start me on rosuvastatin very gradually—5 mg just twice a week—and then slowly increase the frequency if I tolerated it. That approach may not be right for everyone, but it’s another conversation you could have with your doctor if the medication does turn out to be contributing to your symptoms.
Since your doctor prescribed it to help lower your cardiovascular risk, hopefully they can help determine whether the pain could be related to the rosuvastatin or if something else might be contributing.

While you’re waiting to hear back, when did the pain start in relation to beginning the rosuvastatin? Was it a noticeable change from your usual joint pain, or more of a worsening of what you already live with?

@rainerhans I too was put on a very low dose of Pravastatin last November and stopped taking it because my body aches - arthritis pain in particular - have increased. My doctors know that but haven't offered and alternative other than suggesting a Mediterranean diet which I find difficult to follow. I am not a good eater, and worse still, not active.

@jlharsh
Thank you for your kind reply, yes the pain increased dramatically since the time I got the statin, before it wasn’t as much.
So I am waiting for the call.

Every statin I have had I became allergic to. Usually itching. One hallucinations. One messed up my mind. One I broke out in hives. I never knew if the one you take. I also have heart problems. It seems most have them as your older.

@rainerhans
I want to connect you with @lizzyhope as you work through statin side effects and are waiting to her from your doctor.

I love the honesty @rashida brings here. Diet and exercise are helpful. I totally understand the difficulty involved with changing anything about habits. I found myself in a horrible place that I was willing to do anything to help myself, and I supposed in one way that made it easier. I can tell you that getting your body to a place that it is functioning the best it can without drugs is really important for the drugs to work the best they can. My approach was to look at the #1, top thing I could do to make progress. At one point it was to walk every day. It didn’t matter if it was 5 minutes, but the fact that I developed the routine.

Listening to a podcast about statin myopathy may be helpful, if you haven’t run across it already. Mayo Clinic Cardiology is a great source of current and accurate information not only as you learn about cholesterol treatment but also a reliable source your cardiologist would trust. This is a continuing medical education podcast providing some background and current approach to treat high cholesterol. You may find it helpful in conversations with your doctor.

Statin Myopathy Continuing Medical Education (Statin Myopathy-11 minutes)
- https://cardiovascularcmemayoclinic.podbean.com/e/statin-myopathy/

I am interested to know what you think after you listen and what you hear from your doctor.
Will you come back and provide updates?

@martwanda41 yes, I have palpitations too. Had a stress test on July 8 which indicated some irregularities so the cardiologist has booked me for a 72 hour Holter monitor on July 27 and a follow up with him on August 4.

Don’t ignore those palpitations. Ask your doctor to refer you for some tests to rule out any heart condition which may not be related to your statin.