How can I avoid statin side effects?

What are statins?

Statins are medicines prescribed by doctors to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood. High LDL levels can increase your likelihood of heart disease by contributing to the hardening and narrowing of your arteries. Statins work by reducing the amount of LDL your liver produces.

You may be prescribed statins if you have a diagnosis of heart disease, a family history of heart disease, or if your medical records suggest you have a high chance of developing heart disease.

What are the side effects of statins?

In the short term, the most common statins side effects are related to your digestive system.

Muscle pain and weakness

In the longer term, muscle, and sometimes joint aches, are probably the most troublesome side effect. They may affect up to 1 in 10 people taking statins, and they tend to be more common and more severe with higher doses.

Your doctor will be able to tell you if you are on a relatively high dose, depending on the type of statin you take.

How to relieve statin side effects

These side effects usually settle within a few weeks and can often be reduced by starting on a lower dose and increasing as the side effects settle.

For instance, with simvastatin, while the standard dose is 40 milligrams, I usually tell my patients to take half a tablet for a few weeks and then increase to a whole tablet once any side effects have gone.

The biggest benefit from taking a statin comes from the initial dose - you don't get a doubling of the reduction in your cholesterol by doubling the dose. In fact, every doubling of the dose of statin only reduces LDL cholesterol by a further 6%, compared to a reduction of up to 40% with the first 10 milligrams dose. If your side effects are having a significant impact on your life, something needs to be done.

However, if you have any significant degree of blockage of your coronary arteries, your chances of having a heart attack are high, and reducing your cholesterol with a statin will greatly reduce these odds.

Can you stop taking statins once you start?

It is worth stopping your statin for a couple of weeks to see if the symptoms disappear. It is possible that there is another cause for your symptoms - let your doctor know before you do this. If they continue, speak to your doctor about the options above.

#MedSafetyWeek

Serious side effects of statins

The likelihood of very serious side effects is low. It's important that you speak to your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Rhabdomyolysis (life-threatening muscle damage) - indicated by extreme muscle pain.

• Liver damage - indicated by feeling unusually tired or weak, loss of appetite, upper tummy pain, dark-coloured pee, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

• Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) - indicated by flu-like symptoms.

• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) - indicated by stomach pain.

• Peripheral neuropathy - indicated by a loss of feeling or tingling in the hands and feet.

• Statins and diabetes - there is a small but important risk that statins can raise blood sugar levels, causing type 2 diabetes.

• Statins and memory loss - there is little evidence that statins cause memory loss, but some people report temporary memory loss or confusion that reverses when they stop taking statins.

Always read the patient information leaflet (PIL) or instructions that come with any medicine or medical device. This will provide important details about potential side effects, risks, and how to use to product correctly.

How to report side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed on this page or the PIL that comes with the medicine. You can also report side effects yourself - or on behalf of someone you’re caring for - using the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme.

Every report counts, and helps the MHRA monitor the safety of medicines and prevent future harm to others. You can also download the MHRA Yellow Card app in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.