1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Statins and Other Lipid-lowering Medicines

Simvastatin problems.

Posted , 22 users are following.

Norfolk_gal
Norfolk_gal

Like others on here I was prescribed Simvastatin for high cholesterol.

I took it for a few months and as I already had some joint problems due to osteo arthritis and pain with same ,I noticed it was slowly getting worse.I saw my GP who told me that I was on such a low dosage 20mg that it could not possibly be Simvastatin to be the cause and it was my arthritic joints getting worse.I had sleep disturbance as well ,muscle pain in legs ,then my feet got so painful that on awaking in the morning I dreaded getting out of bed.

I saw my GP again who again told me to carry on taking as he was sure it was not the cause of the problem.

It got so bad that I just stopped taking it as I felt sure it was the cause of increased problems,that was June 2011,my routine blood test was 4 weeks later but my cholesterol level had gone to 7.2 so I had to confess I had stopped taking Simvastatin,I saw another GP in the practice who put me on Atorvastatin(Lipitor)20 mg.So far no side effects.Dec.2011.

3 likes, 65 replies

65 Replies

Prev Next
  • diane98246
    diane98246 Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    I also have arthritis and fibromyalgia and the simvistatin wreaked havoc and made my joints so crippled with pain, I thought I was going mad.  It's amazing how medical science is so naive or brainwashed by the pharmaceuticals . . . statins were supposed to be some kind of miracle drug and the pharmaceuticals will push to keep it that way despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary . . . it's outrageous that the reality of a drug is so ovrshadowed by the pharmaceutical power brokers.

    Needless to say Ive stopped all statins now and every day the pain is decreases.  My exercise walk feels easy and enjoyable instead of being so impossible I give up in dismay.  

    • ColinS
      ColinS diane98246

      Posted

      Just an update, after just missing one Simvastatin 20mg I noticed a marked difference in my pain level and after four days I am pleased to say I am virtually pain free.

      The plan now is for me to stay off statins until the end of the month and then try Atorvastatin 20mg and see how it goes. This will be the third statin I have tried..... time will tell

    • diane98246
      diane98246 ColinS

      Posted

      I am not surprised that your relief from pain was so sudden.  There may be further occurrences as Ive heard that the complete remission from pain can take up to a several months.  I am noticing a daily improvement that is vivid !  
  • pamsdish
    pamsdish Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    The problem is statins cost 5p each, the ones I take for familial hyper cholesterolaemia are £1 each, my consultant has sent a letter to my Drs stating I am to stay on them unless HE says otherwise, as so many G.P. practises are trying to save money, they want you on cheap drugs.
  • rosa4327
    rosa4327 Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    I am having increased pain due to arthritis in the hips.  I had been taking statins for a couple of years without associating the muscle pain and muscle weakness with taking statins.  I stopped taking the statins and noticed improvement in my condition but after having changed my doctor, who was surprised my previous doctor hadn't sent me to a lipid clinic due to the high cholesterol, I was persuaded to start taking esetimebe and a 5 milligram statin.  Have to say my cholesterol has been as high as 10 and the sort that is not helped by diet.  I do now have a good doctor but but he is not convinced that the muscle pain is caused by statins because I am only affected from the hips down.  Has anyone else been affected in this way?  
    • ColinS
      ColinS rosa4327

      Posted

      You are not the only one. I am on my third type of statin (atorvastatin) and seem to have found one that works. I had my silva statin reduced from 40mg to 20mg which helped on a short time basis, but after nearly another year the pain in my hips became unbearable. I stopped the  statin for a month and became virtually pain free. I have been on the atorvastatin 20mg for three months now and all seems to be well. I had no other pain apart from my hips.
    • Norfolk_gal
      Norfolk_gal rosa4327

      Posted

      Hello rosa4327.

      I now have increased hip pain but I do not think it is down to the statin (Atorvastatin) as my calves and feet are ok still ,but the osteo Arthritis.I await xrays in January.I was offered hip replacement previously  but deferred surgery as I am caring for a poorly hubby and was to be frank fearful of the surgery, but I think maybe it may be time for surgery as I now cannot walk as far and can only swim for about 10 minutes.Is your Arthritis Osteo?perhaps it may be the cause of increased pain.

       

    • rosa4327
      rosa4327 ColinS

      Posted

      Thanks Colin.  I just want to add that I have what I believe is the knee and ankle pain which I've associated with arthritis but it's more than that. I can have better days but guaranteed that if I go shopping in a supermarket I can barely walk by the time I leave.  My statin has been reduced to just 5mg.  It will be interesting to hear what the specialist at the clinic says on 5th Jan.
  • pamsdish
    pamsdish Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    My history is above, with Simvastatin it was my arms, with atorvastatin it was my legs, so yes it could be the statins.
    • Norfolk_gal
      Norfolk_gal pamsdish

      Posted

      I must admit I had not thought about a Statin causing pains in a different area  to previous ones.It has made me think maybe I should stop taking them for a while before having surgery and see the outcome.I shall see what the xrays show on the 5th.You have given me food for thought Pamdish.
  • ColinS
    ColinS Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    When I presented to my GP with the pain he advised stopping the statins for a month to see what happened. I had a dramatic decrease in pain which was a good indication that my problem was the statin. 
  • nigel60991
    nigel60991 Norfolk_gal

    Posted

    Good day,   I have found all the threads fascinating.  I have started to take Simvatstain for the last 8 months, (57yrs young)  for additional assistance against stroke. My GP is adamant that all patients over 50 should be on these. 

    I have also been diagnosed as a Type2 Diabetic, (No medication) Again the Doc said due to the Governments lowering of criteria I am now in this field.

    To my central point.  Over the last three months I have been getting muscle pain in my right buttock/calf and pins and needles in my foot.  NOT a constant, or extreme pain,  but painful when it occurs.  This has only been a feature since taking the medicine.   I have done considerable amount of research, and it seems (as the blog has proved) there seems to be a 'black-art' to get the medicine that suites your body.)  Simvatstain seems to the cause of many a muscle pain...

    I have regular Diabetic Nurse Visits at the Doc Practice next week, so I guess I will cover this then.

    It really is quite a 'mine-field' and one that requires carful steps!

     

    • Norfolk_gal
      Norfolk_gal nigel60991

      Posted

      You are quite right Nigel it is a bit of a mine field.So many conflicting views and opinions even within the medical profession .

      I hope you get sorted.I will admit that if I could lower my cholesterol by diet alone I would do so.I am also giving the old remedy of 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar & 2 teaspoons of pure honey(raw honey is preferable if can get it) in a glass of warm water with meals a try as my hip and pelvis pain and stiffness has returned.Also a one a day cod liver oil capsule.The cider vinegar and honey are also supposedly a help to lower cholesterol as well as help arthritic joints,we shall see.

    • rosa4327
      rosa4327 Norfolk_gal

      Posted

      I attended my appointment on 5th Jan and met with a different consultant. He was quite emphatic when asked about the suggestion that different statins cause muscle pains in different parts of the body, saying it was not possible. He also assured me that the pain I have is all arthritis related. The good news is that on my very low, 5 mg per day dose of rosiest atom, my cholesterol has gone down from between 8-10 to 5.8. He recommended continuing with this which I'm happy to do. Thanks for the advice re the help with arthritis, Norfolk Gal. I will give that a try. I already take the cod liver oil.
    • nigel60991
      nigel60991 Norfolk_gal

      Posted

      Now that sounds interesting, I guess it is just as well I love botth!

      I know I my Body Fat Index is higher than it should be, so my focus will on loosing weight, it is so easy to blame other things, aaprt form the core cause, weight.  I am seeking  some advice on Liquid only diet sounds a good place to start, to educate' my appitite drive.

      This does not fill me with dread, sounds interesting?

    • Norfolk_gal
      Norfolk_gal nigel60991

      Posted

      It is supposed to be good for that too.Hence our great British habit of putting vinegar on our fish & chips to break the greasiness down.Let`s hope it is the miracle potion it is purported to be.

      We may all be slimmer and fitter !

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.