Statins and Muscle Pains

It is widely accepted that muscle pains are a side-effect of statins. Most people will experience some random muscle pain after beginning statins. These drugs work as advertised and will decrease cholesterol when taken… but is that the correct course of action? I’ll let you decide the answer to that.

What are Statins?

Statins are a class of drugs that are used to lower cholesterol. They do this by blocking the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. This enzyme also helps with the synthesis of CoQ10 (you may have seen this on energy drinks). CoQ10 is a major player in creating energy in the body. Therefore, taking statins will decrease your natural ability to make energy and you will begin to feel more fatigued. 

Common side effects from statins include: 

• Muscle pains 
• Fatigue
• Diabetes
• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle wasting)
• Liver toxicity 

Why Do Statins Cause Muscle Pains?

The reduction in CoQ10 and therefore energy for your muscles causes fatigue and soreness faster. There is the chance of muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) could also be the reason for muscle pains. Statins also decrease protein synthesis which decreases muscle and tissue repair. 

Why Use Statins If They Cause Muscle Pain?

The theory goes that high cholesterol causes heart disease. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell the whole story since there is a minimal reduction in heart related illnesses at best. The 50% reduction in heart disease may be a true statistic, but in the words of Mark Twain, “There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”. The heart attack rate in the Crestor study was 0.75% in the placebo group, and 0.4% for those who took a statin. This means that the people in the study started at less than a 1% chance to get a heart attack BEFORE taking the statin.

Cholesterol is NOT the Bad Guy

Cholesterol is used in the body for several function, including hormone synthesis, nutrient transport, bile salt production, and here’s the kicker, tissue repair. This includes blood vessel repair, likely why there is cholesterol present in atherosclerosis in the first place.

If your cholesterol is high, it is because your body has a need for it to be high. This could be due to inflammation, low thyroid function, or a high carbohydrate diet. You read that right eating cholesterol and fats isn’t the cause of high cholesterol, eating excess carbohydrates does. You should absolutely be eating fats, due to their anti-inflammatory nature. More about that here. High cholesterol is often a sign of damage somewhere in the body or the inability to excrete excess cholesterol (this is where low thyroid function comes in). Often an improvement in lifestyle is enough to start bringing those numbers down.

Are Statins Worth the Muscle Pain and Other Symptoms?

So, is a statin muscle pain, and any other associated symptom worth lowering your chance of a heart attack by 0.35%? I’ll let you be the judge of that. At a minimum every statin prescription should come with a CoQ10 supplement as well. If it were me, I would try the many natural ways to lower my cholesterol before the thought of a statin crossed my mind.