Aches on a Statin? 3 Things to Bring Up With Your Provider
Based on MedlinePlus, Atorvastatin
Whether your muscle aches are really from the statin, how switching or retrying often works, and the non-statin options when it does not.
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In this guide
Is Something Else Causing It?
- Recent exercise
- Low thyroid or low vitamin D
- Other medicines you take
Know the Rare Warning Sign
- Severe muscle pain or weakness
- Dark, cola-colored urine
- Stop the statin, get same-day care
Questions for Your Visit
- Should we check CK or my thyroid?
- Is a different statin worth trying?
- Is a non-statin option right for me?
What the guideline says
- Muscle aches are the most common reason people stop a statin such as atorvastatin, sold as Lipitor, or rosuvastatin, sold as Crestor.
- In blinded trials where people did not know whether they were taking a statin or a placebo, muscle symptoms showed up almost as often on the placebo.
- Exercise, low thyroid, low vitamin D and other medicines can also cause aches, and your provider may check a blood test called CK and your thyroid.
- When a statin is the problem, options to explore with your provider include a short break and retry, switching statins, or non-statin medicines such as ezetimibe, bempedoic acid or PCSK9 inhibitors.
- Stopping cholesterol treatment altogether is rarely the right answer for someone at high heart risk.
- Severe muscle pain or weakness with dark, cola-colored urine can signal rhabdomyolysis, a rare but serious muscle breakdown that needs same-day care.
Source: MedlinePlus, Atorvastatin
Read the full article: Statin Muscle Pain on Lipitor or Crestor? Your Alternatives →
This guide is general health information and does not replace advice from your own provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Evolocumab, sold as Repatha, and alirocumab, sold as Praluent, are injections given every two to four weeks that lower LDL dramatically. They are usually for people at the highest risk.
A short break, then restarting the same or a lower dose, often works. Plan any pause with your provider.
Severe muscle pain or weakness with dark, cola-colored urine can signal rhabdomyolysis, a rare but serious muscle breakdown. Stop the statin and seek care the same day.