Serious side effects you get unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps – these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage.
What are life threatening symptoms of atorvastatin?
Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.
Who should not use atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin can cause the breakdown of muscle tissue, which can lead to kidney failure. This happens more often in women, in older adults, or people who have kidney disease or poorly controlled hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Atorvastatin is not approved for use by anyone younger than 10 years old.
What are the negative side effects of taking atorvastatin?
Side effects can vary between different statins, but common side effects include:
- headache.
- dizziness.
- feeling sick.
- feeling unusually tired or physically weak.
- digestive system problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting.
- muscle pain.
- sleep problems.
- low blood platelet count.
Does atorvastatin make you sleepy?
Atorvastatin oral tablet doesn’t cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.
What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?
7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
- Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis.
- Plant stanols and sterols.
- Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins.
- Niacin.
- Policosanol.
- Red yeast rice extract (RYRE)
- Natural products.
Can you just stop taking atorvastatin?
If you stop taking your statin medication, like atorvastatin (Lipitor), you could have a higher risk of heart problems, including heart attack and stroke. Your healthcare provider may recommend stopping your statin if you have serious side effects.
What is considered dangerously high cholesterol?
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
What foods should be avoided when taking atorvastatin?
While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.
Is 20 mg of atorvastatin a lot?
Adults—At first, 10 or 20 milligrams (mg) once a day. Some patients may need to start at 40 mg per day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 80 mg per day.
What is the best statin with the least side effects?
According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.
What vitamins should not be taken with statins?
Related Reviews (5)
- Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements (Sterols/Stanols and Policosanol)
- CoQ10 and Ubiquinol Supplements.
- Fish Oil /Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements.
- Red Yeast Rice Supplements.
- St. John’s Wort Supplements.
Why do people not like taking statins?
The most common include digestive problems, fatigue, cramps, and muscle pain (myalgias). A 2005 study found that over 10 percent of people taking high-dose statins had muscle pain. These side effects, depending on severity, can lead some to stop taking their medication.
How do I stop statin fatigue?
Skimping on sleep has been found to increase calcium deposit build-up in your arteries. Getting the right amount of sleep, about 7 1/2 hours, seems to prevent this. Plus getting the right amount of sleep will always give you more energy.
What does leg pain from statins feel like?
Not everyone who takes a statin will have muscle pain. Muscle pain from statins might also show up differently for different people. For example, you could feel muscle weakness, soreness, aches, stiffness, or cramps. These side effects can range from mild to severe.
Can statins cause walking problems?
While statins have been shown to significantly reduce cholesterol levels, they have also been reported to have negative side effects on skeletal muscle. Most statin-induced myopathy manifests in the leg muscles, which can lead to difficulty walking and exercising.
What should a 70 year old cholesterol be?
After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one’s LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.
What is a natural alternative to atorvastatin?
Some people do not tolerate statins or may want to try natural remedies to treat their high cholesterol. Statin alternatives include some prescription medications like ezetimibe and fibric acids. Natural remedies that some people use to help treat high cholesterol include omega-3 fatty acids and red yeast rice extract.
How do you feel when you have high cholesterol?
High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it.
Can atorvastatin cause eye problems?
Mizranita et al. have reported that 1.8% of all statin-associated events recorded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1988 and 2011 were adverse ocular events. The authors further concluded that among all statins, atorvastatin was associated with the highest incidence of ocular side effects [5].
When Should statins be stopped in elderly?
Adults age 75 and older may not need statins.
Many older adults have high cholesterol. Their doctors usually prescribe statins to prevent heart disease. But for older people, there is no clear evidence that high cholesterol leads to heart disease or death.