Are these lingering symptoms after stopping a statin normal?

danpinkston, the possible effect of statins on the muscles could be causing your symptoms. All what bloodwork exactly. have you been tested for CK creatine kinase and kidney function. Usually the effects, exactly what you are experiencing, diminish after a few months. Keep up your fluid levels and electrolytes. Hope you recover fully.

Thank you. Yes I was tested for CK levels, all good, but at the top range of normal. Too low to be rhabdo. Kidney function was good, or at least normal. Had been a little high a few years ago, but now normal. I think my exasperation is that it has been 4 months off the statin and I have gone from running 25 miles a week to only walking 20 minutes a day, and still get malaise that last a few days at a time.

@danpinkston24 May want to think about trying CoQ10, which is an OTC supplement. CoQ10 supplements may help reduce muscle pain, weakness, and cramping caused by statin medications. Statins inhibit an enzyme that produces both cholesterol and CoQ10, leading to reduced CoQ10 levels in the body, which are essential for cellular energy production in muscles. While not all studies are conclusive, some show that supplementation can lessen side effects. I was ok with taking them after reading anecdotal reports of benefits. I was taking statins a few months ago (although had to stop due to side effects) and read about CoQ10, once I started taking the supplement I noticed an increase in energy levels. I still take the supplement and my energy levels continue to be better than before. I would encourage you to check with your doctor if this supplement would be good for you. Good luck.

@danpinkston24
The Ubiquolol COQ10 is the mist bioavailable.
I take it for autoimmune muscle pain and it helps alot!

Based on your description, you have likely experienced persistent statin-induced exercise intolerance or myopathy, even though you have stopped taking 80mg of atorvastatin. While symptoms usually resolve within 5 weeks of stopping, persistent, or long-term fatigue, often described as "flu-like" or "chronic fatigue," can occur due to potential damage to mitochondria and cellular metabolism during the 10-month, high-dose usage. It is reassuring that all your lab work (liver, kidneys, creatinine kinase) is normal.
I am not sure if you took coQ10 while on your statin?
Statin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle fatigue can persist for months after stopping the medication, but in most cases, it is reversible, though recovery time varies. While side effects often resolve within weeks, lingering exercise intolerance can last for several months. Recovery involves restoring ubiquinone (CoQ10) levels, which are depleted by statins.
CoQ10 Supplementation: Some individuals with statin-induced fatigue report improvement with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplements, although you should discuss this with your doctor
Plus, an appointment with a neurologist or a cardiologist might be helpful.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12011782/
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.114.013189.
https://drmagaziner.com/heart-health/when-statins-cause-fatigue-and-muscle-pain/.

80 mg of Atorvastatin seems like an awful lot to start off. I am on 20 mg and it has helped bring my numbers down.

@kathleen1314 Thank you so much! I am taking CoQ10, but wonder what dosage you would recommend?

@danpinkston24
Well, all I can tell you is speak to your doctor and check the research to share with your doctor. Plus, posing the question to copilot where it can evaluate all the research and align with your symptoms would be helpful to you I think.
Here is what I see in research:
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation (typically 100–600 mg/day) is a promising, safe, and effective treatment to reduce statin-induced muscle symptoms (SAMS), including fatigue, weakness, pain, and cramps. Studies show CoQ10 can significantly improve these symptoms and reduce fatigue by 50% or more, often used to help patients continue their necessary cholesterol-lowering medication.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6054172/.
Following this lead-in phase, the confirmed myalgics were randomized to either placebo or 600 mg CoQ10/d. This dosage was chosen because the usually recommended dosage of ubiquinol or CoQ10 is 200 mg/d, and prior studies have used 100 or 200 mg/d. with this caveat:
Conclusions
Mechanistic studies and deductive reasoning suggest that CoQ10 dysregulation could be the cause, or could at least contribute, to SAMS. Clinical studies, however, have not documented its effectiveness in treating SAMS. Consequently, the present role of CoQ10 supplementation in managing SAMS is limited.
a systemic review:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11441719/.
An American Heart Association paper:
In the present meta-analysis, 6 newly published RCT
studies were included, and the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on statin-induced myopathy in 12 RCTs with 575
patients was comprehensively evaluated. In contrast to the
previous meta-analysis, the present study demonstrated that
CoQ10 supplementation ameliorated SAMSs, such as muscle
pain, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, and muscle tiredness, independent of administration doses of CoQ10 (100–
600 mg/d) or CoQ10 supplementation time (30 days to
3 months).
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/JAHA.118.009835).&text=model).,;%20WMD%2C%20weighted%20mean%20difference.&text=change%20in%20muscle%20pain%20score,according%20to%20year%20of%20publication.&text=indicates%20confidence%20interval;%20ID%2C%20identification,;%20WMD%2C%20weighted%20mean%20difference.&text=model).,;%20WMD%2C%20weighted%20mean%20difference.&text=indicates%20confidence%20interval;%20ID%2C%20identification,;%20WMD%2C%20weighted%20mean%20difference.