For all taking statins and have muscle pain

I switched to injectable "Repatha" twice a month. Very potent to lower total cholesterol and small dense particles.

This thread is a little old but I wanted to share something here. I had my very first visit today with a cardiologist. Fortunately I'm not having any heart issues but wanted to establish a relationship given that my PCP recently ordered an echocardiogram based on thinking a heart murmur was getting louder. The good news from the cardiologist was that my heart looks great and he will see me once a year to help with his boat payments.

Where this thread comes in is that I have been taking a statin for several years and this cardiologist agrees that this is a wonder drug vs. heart disease. I did tell him that I have occasional leg pain with the statin and he suggested CoQ10. He feels there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that statins reduce the level of natural CoQ10 in the body and that a low dose supplementation should cure any leg cramps that I'm having. I'm generally not much of a supplement guy but I'll give this a try.

BTW, he did say that CoQ10 supplementation causes some interaction with some drugs, e.g. Coumadin or some anti-anxiety drugs that, fortunately, I don't take but he says he only recommends this for those where there is no known drug interaction.

Jim

I’m on 20 mg daily Rousuvastatin (crestor) and take CoQ10:daily. I’ve never had any “apparent” issues

However, and I can’t believe I never thought of this till now. I have chronically tight hamstrings, and ppullet hamstring muscle is fairly common, I’m prone to them. I wonder if it has to do with the Crestor, a question for my cardiologist (and maybe my orthopedist).

But I need to be on statins, due to coronary artery disease.
Maybe I should be trying Repatha instead.

My new PCP suggested I start statin about 2 years ago. I was surpised since my total cholesterol is usually under 180 and the only number that is high is the LDL which stays around 125, which would be better under 100. He told me that current thinking doesn't look at cholesterol as the primary risk factor but showed me a study that took in age, BMI, and BP to determine the risk which for my was at 18%. I take a low dose pill for BP, and have for 40 years, and my BMI is normal. Playing with the numbers, the only thing that lowered my risk below the target of 10% was age. I said I'd think about it since I was concerned about side effect and he said that not everyone has them.

I did lots of reading and saw that I probably should take a statin and was especially moved by study results that indicated that statins might also act as a preventative in cognitive decline. In the meantime I upped the amount of soluble fiber in my diet, primarily by adding ground flax seed, chia seeds, and sesame seeds to many/most of the dishes I prepare. When I went back to see my PCP, the lab work showed that my LDL had dropped to 105. I agreed to the statin and he started me in 40 mg of atorvastatin. After 6-weeks I noticed no side effects and haven't noticed any since then. I did have some leg cramps while on a motorcycle camping trip but I attributed those to too much time in the saddle between breaks.

My blood work 3 months after starting the statin showed my total cholesterol to be 109, LDL is 51, triglycerides are 45, and HDL is 49.

So, with no side effects and insurance paying for the Rx, I'm going to keep taking it.

TJ - I have a similar story without the bypass. In my case, calcification was noted in CT scan and my father had heart issues in his late 60's (stents and bypass) and died at 96 with a pacemaker.

The cardiologist said it was simple, we will do a stress-echo test and see how it goes first. The stress-echo went fine and he then said statins work, period. We will increase my dosage of atorvastatin to 80 mg and the BP meds adjusted a little. He reiterated the diet and exercise part and said the objective is to get the numbers as good as they can get to stop progression and possibly improve situation.

My last numbers were TOTAL 108, HDL 53, LDL 49, TRI 30 and have been around these numbers since 2019 after my PCa treatments when this became my next concern. My previous results were good for normal people but that is not good enough for my risk factors.

As far as muscle pain goes, I can not tell what is age related and statin related either as I have been living with stuff since I was 50 (maybe in my late 30's when I snapped an achilles tendon playing b-ball). However, my wife was having some leg pain issues with her statin that she started a few years ago and the doctor said to do a test and take a half a pill every other day and so how it goes. She said the pain went away in a couple of weeks and is reluctant to call doc back. He will probably run another lipid test and then have her go to half a tab every day based on the typical program. Her reason for statins is not nearly as clear as mine and she has a lot more latitude.

Rosuvastatin-Crestor 40mg here for the last two years. Dramatic decrease in lipids with LDL in the 30s. No adverse side effects and no muscle pain. I was started after scoring a 120 on the calcification CT scan.

From the For-What-It's-Worth Department, here are some of the well-studied beneficial effects of statins:

Improved or restored endothelial function (by nitric oxide synthesis)
Decreased oxidative stress
Decreased vascular inflammation
Inhibited thrombogenic reaction
Reduced blood viscosity, facilitating blood flow thru partially blocked arteries
Protection of cardiovascular cells by speeding DNA repair.
Increased plaque stability
Increased activity endothelial progenitor cells to promote revascularization of ischemic tissue
Reduced levels of C-reactive protein associated with inflammation
Inhibition of free radical release
Etcetera

Good to see positive results from statins for those who are at risk with cardio-vascular disease. As we are all in the fight with PC in different ways, we don’t need another physical issue to deal with.
Was just in the hospital for a heart related issue, low heart rate and when the bloodwork came back, the cardiologist said I had good cholesterol numbers. Triglycerides:110, LDL:95, HDL:90, Cholesterol: 185
Seems like these numbers are higher than what is posted here.
BTW, took the stress test over 140bpm, they told me to get the hell out of there when I asked for 150,
Chest scan came back as “ mild arterial atherosclerotic disease otherwise unremarkable “ so looks like I will be around for awhile.
Dave

Mumbo,
Bradycardia(HR:30) at rest started a month ago. Don’t know if it was a coincidence but I had my heart at an average of 148 bpm for 2hrs 52 min which was my time in our first 34 km xc ski race of the season.
Had a few drinks later that day and was at a gathering next evening with more imbibing. Heart was down to 30bpm at rest soon after but when training my heart went quickly into normal mode up to over 150bpm.
Will get a cardio eco test of my heart in a few days to rule out physical problems.
Cardiologist because of stress test, my lifestyle and the ability for my heart to withstand fairly high heart rates for periods of time has ruled out cardio vascular problems.
Best thing for me was that I have quit drinking alcohol since Fec 6th which could be forever.
Did a bunch of intervals today without a heart attack so I’m good to go.
To answer your question, after they monitored my heart for 24 hours they know what is my problem, I will have to wait till after this next test to hear what the cardiologist has to recommend if anything to get me back to normalcy. 30 bpm at rest is not too bad except it makes me feel a bit edgy with low oxygen levels.

Dave

Tim G
48bpm before the drop to 30.
Was 45 this morning. Normal HR. Only goes into the 30 mode when sedentary. Cardiologist said doesn’t look like I am a candidate for pacemaker but he or someone else in the know are the ones who have to figure out how to get me back to normal if possible one way or the other.
Dave

I'm in pain most of the time. Yes I believe my Crestor has made it worse but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks

Glen

Pratoman said...
Vince, according to my cardiologist…

Thanks. I am quite convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks. I just wasn’t sure in my change in mood was related to that.