Anyone seen energy improvements after taking CoQ10?

CQ10 did nothing for me. I tried just about all the statins over many years and each one made my leg and back muscles very weak or very painful. I was put on Repatha recently and so far no problems! A miracle drug in my opinion + it lowered cholesterol in my wife (she had my same problems) by 40%. I have to wait a few weeks before testing. You have to have tried 3 different statins and be intolerant before my insurance would allow me to switch . Repatha can be very expensive without insurance. Good luck. Research Statins and you will understand the issues people have with them. Best of luck!

I've been taking statins for over 10 yrs. and for the most part don't notice any change in my energy. That being said I've found myself tired this past year in the afternoon. Although I'm 71 yrs and that could be the cause. I've been taking CoQ10 for about a year now and don't feel that it makes a difference. I think when I finish my current supply I'll stop taking it...good luck !

Just a thought but that happened to me at approximately 3:00 pm everyday. Turned out I was hypothyroid.

Thanks, that may be something I need to check out.

Thanks for your feedback. I'm not holding my breath, but since it's relatively safe and cheap (~.30/day), I'm going to give it a try. I'll post back in a couple of months with an update.

I've only been on Crestor (rosuvastatin) for 6 weeks, and during that time, I haven't had any bad side effects.

I'm 70 and have been taking it for years because of the high dose of statins I take. I found one brand that did relieve the joint and muscle pain. However, recently I've read that CoQ10 might not be good for people on blood thiners, which I am.

Hello @zeke2u,

I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled:

"Anyone seen energy improvements after taking CoQ10?"
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-seen-energy-improvements-after-taking-coq10/

While the title of this discussion may be slightly different than your question of "what are the pros and cons of CoQ10," I wanted you to have a chance to meet members who had previously discussed taking CoQ10.

@daniel777, @casey1329, @phpilgrim, and @ordiver1 have discussed using CoQ10 previously and may be able to share and update what their experiences are/were with it along with any potential complications from using it.

Here is more information from Mayo Clinic about CoQ10: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-coenzyme-q10/art-20362602.

Back in 2015 I was hospitalized because of repeated ICD shocks from my ICD/Pacemaker. The cardiologist on the floor ordered at catherization. The test revealed the arteries had 40%,,50% and one 60%. But surgeon said all blood flowing freely and did not put stent in.

Cardiologist put me on statin to prevent further clogging. I have been taking for 11 years. At first I had some slight muscle pain but cardiologist said common and Co-Q-10 could help. I started taking same time as started statin. My muscle pain went away.

I just had a CT with contrast after hospitalized because of tachycardia. They test showed still had artery plaque but none beyond 40% and blood flowing freely. So with statin I did not get worse I actually got improvement. But again me and my journey not a comment of what to expect for anyone.

My wife a couple of years ago got put on statin. She got muscle pain. I passed on the co-Q-10 and she asked her doctors about it. They recommended and she took it. Her muscle pain went down.

We are all different and if a supplement, even a medications, will not, and does not have the same affect on all.

@casey1329 I think your decision to stop taking CoQ10 isn't wise. I take it, and the only difference I expected was to reduce hardening of the arteries that comes from taking statins and seeing the resultant drop in natural levels of CoQ10. So, unless you are getting checked for hardening of the arteries on a scheduled basis, I'd recommend going back on CoQ10. As for being tired in the afternoon, I'd say to take a short afternoon nap, or sleep longer at night. If you have nighttime sleep disruptions due to BPH, you're likely cutting yourself short on REM, and you've got to resolve that.

I am a 71-year-old male. Had a triple 9 years ago. Three weeks ago, after much pushing on my part to get tested, had two stents put in. One of my bypasses had collapsed. Had two blockages at ~ 80% (that they got with one stent somehow) and one they call the "widow maker" at 90%. I was in critical condition and did not know it!

I am also way overweight and too sedentary and have very mild COPD. I start cardiac rehab next week, which I am looking forward too.

I retired in February and decided to concentrate on my health more, so I got checkups on my eyes (and qualified for cataract surgery, woo hoo!, if they will let me have it with the blood thinners I'm on, waiting on approval from my cardiologist), got my hearing aids fine-tuned, skin cancer checkup, some dental work and of course, as it turned out, multiple heart checkups that culminated in the stents (which was a four month process start to finish).

I am stating all this because one of my symptoms has been overwhelming tiredness for years and years. I mean, sometime in the afternoon not being able to keep my eyes open. I have had that happen while I was driving too. Have had to pull over and literally take a mini nap multiple times. I have been driving and gotten hit by this overwhelming sleepiness and actually rolled down my window and sort of stuck my head out and pinched myself repeatedly to stay awake. Now, this has happened I would say, less than ten times in my lifetime, but when it has, it was very concerning, as you can imagine. But the same overwhelming fatigue/sleepiness would sometimes hit while I was working and several times, more like 20 or 30 times over the last decade would go out to my car and drive to another parking lot and take a 20-minute nap!

I am recounting all this because when I originally got diagnosed and had my triple back in 2017, I started taking CoQ10. I have taken other supplements most of my life and had read that CoQ10 helped after heart surgery and with the depletion of it in your system from the meds. Although I still faithfully take it every day as a hedge, really, I don't think it has helped me in any way.

It certainly did not help with my energy levels or fatigue. I still get muscle cramps in my legs fairly often, maybe once or twice a month. Who knows if they are from the meds I take or some other imbalance. But the CoQ10 hasn't seemed to do anything for that either.

I have read about supplements many times, and the overwhelming evidence is that they do not help or if they do, a very marginal amount. But again, if they don't cost too much, I like hedging my bets and feeling like I'm being proactive on my health. But I know deep down that I could discontinue all of them and probably not notice the difference. CoQ10 included.

I have come to the conclusion that we all have a lot of symptoms of many different issues and that they get more pronounced as we get older and there is no magic bullet for any of them. I also think that a lot of them do not get properly diagnosed and what we might think is being caused by one thing is being caused by something else altogether. Our bodies are very complex machines, and it is clear to me that the experts do not have a clue about quite a lot of what's going on and how a lot of things interact.

So, on the CoQ10, eh. If you're like me, the cost is relatively inexpensive so there's no harm in hedging your bets, but it probably doesn't do much for you like many of the supplements out there. So go for it, but don't expect much, if anything.

Good luck and good health!