My husband and I had the muscle pain, etc. from statin use. My husband's doctor tried different statins on him with the same results. All statins have the same side effects. His doctor also tried medications that were not statins. Those didn't affect his levels any more than the statins did. Eventually he stopped all cholestrol lowering medications. I stopped taking the statin and refuse to take anything to lower my cholesterol.

My levels remain the same at 245 total. I have had high calcium levels that were caused by a diseased parathyroid gland. Once that was removed the calcium levels returned to normal. I did a great deal of research on cholesterol and our bodies. I learned that our bodies make cholesterol and that it is vital for brain function. Statins remove cholesterol from the blood and doesn't distinguish between what the body makes and what we ingest. When I started my research over 20 years ago the goal was to get the cholesterol level under 200 now it is under 100 and the lower the better.

My PCP uses a mathematical equation to determine my probability of having a heart attack over the last few years I have a 3% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. I am 64 if it weren't for other physical issues I would be in great shape.

On a final note, I learned that statins only help about 1 in every 100,000 people. The other 99,999 get no benefit but do suffer with the side effects. My PCP confirmed this and I decided the odds weren't good enough for me to deal with the side effects which can be debilitating for many. There is a new drug Repatha that is not a statin but is an injection.