Does CoQ10 prevent muscle pain when taking statins or alternatives?

Posted by phpilgrim @phpilgrim, Jun 29 6:25pm

I have taken atorvastatin, pravastatin and lovastatin and have peripheral neuropathy (numbness now which was tingling initially) in my feet as a result. I switched to ezetimibe (zetia), a statin alternative, and I experienced muscle aching and tightness and after 8 months spasms/cramps in my lower legs and ankles. Now I am not sure if the statins caused neuropathy or myopathy or both. I didn't take CoQ10 while I was taking any of these medications.
I stopped taking ezetimibe and started taking CoQ10 a couple weeks ago. The aching and spasms/cramps stopped in my legs and ankles within a day or two and the tightness is improving. I'm not sure if the numbness in my feet is improving.
I am wondering if I take CoQ10 for a while (8 to 12 weeks?) and if the muscle tightness and numbness in my feet goes away, will the CoQ10 keep muscle problems from returning if I take a statin or statin alternative again? Has anyone had any experience with this?

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marcwall | @marcwall | Jul 1 7:46am

Sorry you are experiencing this. Do you have WM? A year before I was diagnosed with WM and MDS-SF3B1 myeloma, I was experiencing frequent neuropathy and joint inflammation. I researched it and found Stanford AND UK studies regarding dangers of "statins for people > 60 years of age". I was on 80mg Atrovastatin (Lipitor), and 10mg Zetia daily. After reading that I told my PCP I wanted to drop the meds. My inflammation subsided immediately and 3-month checks later confirmed my cholesterol was still normal. Why take over-used drugs "just because" the industry was so scared to death of "plaque" when your quality of life is destoyed by the very drugs?

When I found out I had two blood cancers, I've used AI for 2-3-hours/day (researching) since I'm retired and it accelerated my doctors's efforts and treatment. The IgM clonal cells are notorious for creating symptoms like neuropathy (IgM attacking myelin nerve sheathing), anemia, or excessive weight loss (high tumor metabolic demand). My reommendation... Checkout the research noted above and talk to the doctor about stopping the high statin protocol. I still take Zetia but the high statins were the culprit.

phpilgrim | @phpilgrim | Jul 2 7:53am

In reply to @marcwall "Sorry you are experiencing this. Do you have WM? A year before I was diagnosed with..." + (show)

@marcwall
So sorry to hear that you have 2 different cancers. Thanks for the information. I am off the medications, except for the CoQ10, until my next PCP visit in August. My legs and feet are feeling better every day. In the meantime, I am researching cholesterol supplements.

phpilgrim | @phpilgrim | Jul 2 8:26am

In reply to @ruth36 "@con123 what is the supplement that you’re taking? That’s controlling your cholesterol?" + (show)

@ruth36
CoQ10 doesn't control cholesterol. Age and statins reduce the CoQ10 in your cells. The supplement helps to replenish the CoQ10. I am taking Research Verified which I purchased directly from their website.
They advertise:
Supports A Healthy Heart
Fights Tiredness & Fatigue
Promotes Mental Clarity & Concentration
I have been taking 150mg a day (they recommend 300mg a day) for about 2 weeks now. I definitely do have more energy and better mental clarity. The muscle pain in my legs is gone and the muscle tightness is improving every day, although I stopped ezetimibe the same day that I started the CoQ10, so these improvements might be because of that.

phpilgrim | @phpilgrim | Jul 2 8:41am

In reply to @con123 "LiveDurable.com is the company. They are capsules. You can see the ingredients and the research behind..." + (show)

@con123
Thanks for the additional information. Research Verified makes a cholesterol supplement called Cholestrax. It has different ingredients than Durable Heart. I have acid reflux so Durable Heart may not be an option for me. I am still researching Cholestrax to see if I may want to try it. Amla made by Alevia is also another cholesterol supplement alternative. This would also not be an option for me due to my acid reflux. It looks like Durable Heart is sold by Amazon and there are a lot of reviews.

marcwall | @marcwall | Jul 2 9:42am

In reply to @phpilgrim "@ruth36 CoQ10 doesn't control cholesterol. Age and statins reduce the CoQ10 in your cells. The supplement..." + (show)

@phpilgrim
I don't believe that Ezetimibe should affect (or hurt) your energy, muscle tightness, and mental clarity at all. It will, on the other hand, have a direct effect on total cholesterol. While I've shared earlier the studies that suggest high statins are ill-advised for people over 60 years (due to inflammatory factors), ezetimibe does not normally effect or cause inflammation. It is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. This class of drugs works directly in the liver to reduce the amount of cholesterol your body naturally produces. That's lowering cholesterol at the source! When I quit my high dose statins, I kept taking 10mg of ezetimibe and my cholseterol is normal.... but I no longer have inflammation occuring all over the place.

loyd1957 | @loyd1957 | Jul 2 11:10am

I finally had to stop all statins and even Zetia because of muscle inflammation. I am now on Repatha and the muscle and tendon pain is still there, so maybe it is just something else. I did have bad inflammation with statins based on inflammation marker blood test. You could just have issues with statins but if you can stand it, they are good for you.

con123 | @con123 | Jul 2 12:25pm

In reply to @phpilgrim "@con123 Thanks for the additional information. Research Verified makes a cholesterol supplement called Cholestrax. It has..." + (show)

@phpilgrim I have LPR (silent reflux) and I have not had a problem with Durable Heart. Good luck!

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