Worried About Muscle Pain With Statin Drugs? Your Medication May Not Be the Real Cause
Plus find out what to do if you experience discomfort (hint: you often don't have to quit the meds)
Key Takeaways
- New research suggests prior muscle problems predict risk more than statin use itself.
- Experts say you often don't need to stop statins if muscle symptoms develop.
- Changing your statin or dosage can help ease discomfort while your body adjusts to the drug.
Your doctor has suggested you give statins a try to help lower your cholesterol levels, but you’re worried about the side effects like muscle pain. And you wouldn’t be alone. Roughly 34 percent of people decided against taking a statin after it was recommended by a medical professional because they feared side effects, per a study cited in US Pharmacist. But what if we told you that the muscle pain you may experience with statin drugs may not be due to the meds at all? A new study is suggesting exactly that, and we went straight to the experts to find out what it means for you.
What are statins?
describes statins as These common medications lower the amount of cholesterol the liver produces while also lowering levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the body, explains Louis Lerebours, MD, family medicine physician at Freeman Recovery Center,
“The main benefit of using statins is their ability to prevent ruptures from forming within the plaques on artery walls, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke; not just simply to decrease an individual’s laboratory results,” says Dr. Lerebours. “As such, they are still among our best weapons against developing cardiovascular disease and for individuals with higher than average risks.”
Woman's World Answers
The link between muscle pain and statin drugs
Statins can come with other potential side effects including fatigue, digestive issues or changes in liver enzymes, but muscle pain is the issue people worry about most, says Kardie Tobb, DO, MS, FASPC, FACC, a board‑certified preventive cardiologist and the medical director for the Cone Health HeartCare Women’s Heart Health and Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic.
“Scientists still don’t know the exact reason why statins cause muscle symptoms in some people,” explains Dr. Tobb. “Several theories exist, including that statins may affect how muscle cells produce energy or alter certain biochemical pathways within muscle tissue. However, it’s also important to recognize that muscle aches are extremely common in adults, especially as we age.”
She adds that low vitamin D, poor sleep, arthritis, viral illnesses, thyroid disorders and many other conditions can all cause symptoms similar to statin side effects.
“Statins can occasionally cause muscle disorders, but it’s helpful to understand that these exist on a spectrum,” adds Dr. Tobb. “The most common is myalgia, which simply means muscle pain without evidence of muscle injury on blood tests. Less commonly, people develop myopathy, meaning muscle weakness or muscle symptoms accompanied by evidence of muscle injury.”
New research on statin drugs and muscle pain
In a new study in The Lancet Digital Health, University of Oxford researchers developed a risk calculator for statin-related muscle disorders called the STRATIFY-StatinMD Risk Calculator. They used health records from more than 5.6 million men over 50 and women over 60 who were eligible for statins. The calculator looked at factors like BMI, smoking status and previous muscle problems to estimate a person’s risk. They found that 99.6 percent of people in the study had a predicted 10-year risk below 10 percent of developing a serious muscle disorder. In fact, the strongest predictor of a serious muscle disorder was not statin use itself, but a previous muscle problem, which carried a 6.2 times higher risk.
“It’s reassuring that the study suggests previous muscle problems, not statin use alone, were among the strongest predictors of future serious muscle disorders,” says Dr. Tobb. “That helps put statin safety into better perspective. The model still needs validation in additional populations outside the original study before widespread implementation, but it represents a promising advance.”
What to do if you have muscle pain with statin drugs
While new research—and our experts—confirm that statins may not be the root cause of your muscle pain, the drugs can cause a temporary increase in muscle discomfort for some adults while adjusting to the medication. If that happens, here’s what you can do:
Talk to your doctor
“Tell them exactly when the pain started, where it’s located and whether it began after starting the statin or increasing the dose,” recommends Dr. Tobb. “Ask: ‘Could this be statin-related, and should we do a brief trial off the medication or switch to another statin?’ This timeline is often one of the most useful clues.”
Ask if you should be tested for other causes
You may feel tempted to attribute your muscle symptoms to statins, but there could be many other causes. “Depending on your situation, your clinician may check a blood test called creatine kinase (CK), which measures muscle injury, along with tests for thyroid function, vitamin D levels or medication interactions,” says Dr. Tobb. “These tests can help determine whether the symptoms are truly related to the statin or another underlying problem.”
Consider trying a different statin
Rather than giving up statin therapy altogether, consider giving another type or even a different statin dose a try. “People who develop muscle symptoms with one statin frequently tolerate another statin, a lower dose or an alternate-day dosing schedule,” explains Dr. Tobb.
Seek medical attention for severe pain
Mild muscle aches can usually be evaluated in an outpatient setting, says Dr. Tobb. “However, if you develop severe muscle pain, profound weakness, fever or dark, cola-colored urine, seek medical attention immediately, as these symptoms could signal the rare complication of rhabdomyolysis,” she adds.
The bottom line on muscle pain with statin drugs
An important part of finding the right medication to lower high cholesterol is doing your research, and that also means understanding the potential side effects. But this new research offers reassuring news. So before writing off the meds, talk to your doctor about your concerns and know that if you do experience discomfort, you have several tools at your disposal to help you feel your best again.
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