To relieve statin side effects, your
doctor may recommend several options. Discuss the following steps
with your doctor before trying them:
#1 Take a brief break from
statin therapy. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the
muscle aches or other problems you're having are statin side effects
or just part of the aging process. Taking a break of 10 to 14 days
can give you some time to compare how you feel when you are and
aren't taking a statin. This can help you determine whether your
aches and pains are due to statins instead of something else.
#2 Switch to another statin
drug. It's possible, although unlikely, that one particular
statin may cause side effects for you while another statin won't.
It's thought that simvastatin (Zocor) may be more likely to cause
muscle pain as a side effect than other statins when it's taken at
high doses. Newer statin drugs are being studied that may have may
have fewer side effects.
#3 Change your dose.
Lowering your dose may reduce some of your side effects, but it may
also reduce some of the cholesterol-lowering benefits your medication
has. It's also possible your doctor will suggest switching your
medication to another statin that's equally effective but can be
taken in a lower dose. For example, if you've successfully taken
atorvastatin (Lipitor) for a long time at higher doses, your doctor
may keep you at this level. However, higher doses aren't recommended
if you're new to this medication.
Take it easy when exercising.
It is possible exercise could make your muscle aches worse. Talk to
your doctor about changing your exercise routine.
Consider other
cholesterol-lowering medications. Taking ezetimibe (Zetia),
a cholesterol absorption inhibitor medication, may help you avoid
taking higher doses of statins. However, some researchers question
the effectiveness of ezetimibe compared with statins in terms of its
ability to lower your cholesterol.
Don't try over-the-counter
(OTC) pain relievers. Muscle aches from statins can't be
relieved with acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil,
Motrin IB, others) the way other muscle aches are. Don't try an OTC
pain reliever without asking your doctor first.
Try coenzyme Q10 supplements.
Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help to prevent statin side effects in
some people, though more studies are needed to determine any benefits
of taking it. If you'd like to try adding coenzyme Q10 to your
treatment, talk to your doctor first to make sure the supplement
won't interact with any of your other medications. Some people need
this supplement and do well when taking it.
Be careful and watch for drug
interactions. Some of the following are extremely important. The
first one I was not warned about and I have a very serious drug
interaction. See my blog here.
Statins can have several potentially
dangerous interactions with other medications and some foods. These
interactions can make it more likely you'll have statin side effects.
These include:
#1 All statins and grapefruit
or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice contains a chemical
that can interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) the
statins in your digestive system. This can be dangerous because it's
uncertain what the effect would be on your total cholesterol. You
should still be able to have some grapefruit or grapefruit juice, but
talk to your doctor about limiting how much grapefruit you can have.
#2 Lovastatin (Mevacor,
Altoprev) or simvastatin (Zocor) and amiodarone (Cordarone).
People taking the statins lovastatin or simvastatin, either alone or
in combination with amiodarone (Cordarone), a medication for
irregular heart rhythms, are at a greater risk of severe statin side
effects, such as rhabdomyolysis.
#3 All statins and gemfibrozil
(Lopid). People who take both gemfibrozil (Lopid) and a
statin may be at a greater risk of statin side effects.
#4 Mevacor (lovastatin) and
HIV drugs. Medicines used to treat HIV (protease
inhibitors) should never be taken with Mevacor.
#5 All statins and some
antibiotic and antifungal medications. If you have a fungal
or bacterial infection, be sure to tell your doctor if you take a
statin.
#6 All statins and some
antidepressant medications. It's possible that taking
antidepressants, such as nefazodone, and a statin could make you more
likely to have muscle aches.
#7 All statins and some immunosuppressant medications.
If you take a medication to suppress your immune system, such as
cyclosporine (Sandimmune), and a statin, you may be more likely to
have muscle aches.
Weigh the risks and benefits
Although statin side effects can be
annoying, consider the benefits of taking a statin before you decide
to stop taking your medication. Remember that statin medications can
reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the risk of
life-threatening side effects from statins is very low.
Even if your side effects are
frustrating, don't stop taking your statin medication for any period
of time without talking to your doctor first. Your doctor may be
able to come up with an alternative treatment plan that can help you
lower your cholesterol without uncomfortable side effects.
Be careful because some doctors just
will ignore taking you off statins (they don't wish to diminish the
cash flow coming in). Other doctors do not honestly know how to a
risk /benefits analysis.
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