do statins cause leg and feet cramps

yes

Not long after making dietary changes and taking statin drugs, I experienced horrible leg cramps in my calves and feet. I changed my statin drug but the cramps continued. I read somewhere that lack of calcium could cause leg cramping and realized that I had not replaced milk in my diet with a calcium source. I then used a calcium supplement and the cramping disappeared within a couple of weeks.

Yes!!  I take Lescol and didn't attibute the cramps in my legs, feet and hands to that class of drug.  Initially, my MD prescribed Quinine and the cramping stopped.  Quinine can no longer be prescribed for that purpose.  As a substitute, I began using Calcium with Vitamin D and Magnesium which have eliminated the leg cramps and lessened the cramping of the feet and hands.   

The answer is yes, in my opinion.   Statin drugs (such as Zocor, Lipitor, Lovastatin, Pravachol, Mevacor, and Lescol) may cause cramps and other forms of myopathy because they block cholesterol production in the body by inhibiting the enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. (Please see the "mevalonate pathway" for details.) Unfortunately, the antioxidant CoQ10 is also synthesized from another HMG-CoA reductase pathway.  Therefore, statin drugs also inhibit CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) synthesis. Low levels of CoQ10 could predispose the patients to cramps, including cramping in the heart (heart attack).  Thus, coQ10 is often prescribed or recommended to prevent the cramping.  Some statin drugs now come with coQ10, but I don't know which ones.

Please note that the same arguments apply to red yeast rice, a natural supplement used to lower cholesterol.  It has a natural statin that is a mirror image of one of the prescription statin drugs.  Like the statins, it too can deplete coQ10 so it is often sold with the addition of coQ10.

At the end of the day, I believe that schlerotic deposits in the heart arteries cannot be explained with high levels of cholesterol alone.  You see, cholesterol acts like a glue on sites that are damaged, such as on micro cracks in blood vessels.  Cholesterol levels go up when there is stress (I supposed to suppress a loss of blood in a fight.)  The arteries near the heart can exhibit the highest number of micro cracks because of the huge pressure differentials they are exposed to.  If one is prone to bruising, bleeding gums, and other symptoms of weakened arteries, then it is likely that the heart arteries are clogged.  Scurvy (a Vitamin C deficiency) is a prime example.  Patients with scurvy are prone to bruising, bleeding of the gums, and heart attacks.

So if one is cramping (and there are many causes), it would be worthwhile to ask the doctor to check for mineral levels and all other possible causes with a blood test. 

As a note, statin drugs are often prescribed with diuretics that reduce high blood pressure.  Diuretics can deplete minerals and cause cramping.  It's always good to understand the cause of the high blood pressure to take the right action.

You bet the statins are bad.  I went from Zocor to Pravachol  to Lipitor and now Zetia.  Am still waiting for the dam stuff to go away.  Docs do not understand when we tell them.  Stay away from Statins.  Help?

You bet the statins are bad.  I went from Zocor to Pravachol  to Lipitor and now Zetia.  Am still waiting for the dam stuff to go away.  Docs do not understand when we tell them.  Stay away from Statins.  Help?

MY DR RECOMMENED  COQ10 WITH MY STATIN - SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NO LEG CRAMPS.  ASK YOUR DR.

I took Zetia for a little over a year.  The last 3-4 months I experienced terrible crampling everywhere....my sides, legs, abdomen, legs, arms, etc.  I researched all the meds I was taking on the internet.   The only one that cramping was one of the side effects was the Zetia.  Even called the company and described the symptoms.  They said I should maybe stop taking them.  After calling the dr. office to inform them of quitting, I did stop taking them.  The cramps disappeared approximately 2 days later.  About 7 mos. later the dr. decided to put me on something else...it is simvastatin.   Because I am afraid of all these meds whose side effects seem to be almost worse than the disease, I haven't begun to take the new drug yet.  Don't know what to do about it.

Yes I agree with you. I suffer from cramps as a result of taking lipitor for my chlosestrol. I have been taking slow mag (magnesisum capsules) and have found that this eliminates the cramps at night. When I stop takingg slow mag the crramps return. I sugest you try slow mag to avoid cramps.

I get leg and foot cramps but it is usually because I forgot to take my calcium (with vit. D and magnesium) and/or drink enough water.  For immediate relief I drink about 2 swallows of pickle juice.  That's what football teams use after and during a game.  Works for me!

I was initially prescribed Zocor for cholesterol and I experienced leg and upper body muscle cramps.

However sometime later when the medication was changed to Lipitor, I didnot experience the cramps and still take lipitor, proved a lucky change for me.Try your luck with medication change it just might work. Good luck.

EVERY TIME I TAKE LIPTOR I GET CRAMP ON MY LEG AND ALSO A TRIGGER FINGER WERE IT CRAMP UP....WHEN I STOP LIPTOR IT GOES AWAY....

I'm having foot and leg cramps in bed, and only in bed.  I can move in the night and the cramps start.  I take Lipitor.........not sure if this is related.

My husband also gets leg cramps with a variety of different statin drugs.  Just as a tip to those of you out there with bad leg cramps. ..keep a paper bag near you (esp at night)....breathing into a paper bag, making sure to make the bag expand and contract, relieves leg cramps within seconds.  The air changes the blood chemistry and makes the cramps go away.  I will ask my husband's doc about the remedies to prevent leg cramping like taking calcuim...thanks for the tip.

my Mum gets leg cramp taking statins do the doc,s know everything?

I have taken Lipitor and Lovastatin cholesterol meds and with in a week of taking them I started having severe neck and shoulder pain, my feet/heels hurt when I stood/walked for a short period of time. I work on a computer most of the day, and I noticed my wrist hurting so bad that I could not operate the mouse. Some times I would even have chest and arm pain on my left side. Felt like I had someone sitting on my chest. After I stopped taking them, all the different pains went away almost immediately.

I am now on Zetia and I still have foot cramps at night. Feet and wrist still hurt and my hands get cold as ice, but not nearly as much with the other meds. I still get the chest pains also, but very rare. I am going to start a calcium sup to see if that helps the nightly foot cramps and foot pain from walking. Maybe it will help stop some of the other aches and pains also. I sure hope so. I need my beauty sleep. LOL

I was on Lipitor and had occasional episodes of heaviness in both my upper arms. I went off that, and then on and off Niacin, and was finally put on Lopid (Gemfibrozil). (I have Type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and was also on long lasting insulin, metformin, and lisinopril).

Last winter I suddenly developed excruciating leg cramps in both calves, worse at night but persisting all day long. After a month of taking Ca++ and Mg+ and vitamins with no success, I stopped the Lopid and there was a marked improvement. However the cramping lasted another 4 months, and towards the end of that time I developed knee pain, which turns out to be a meniscal tear. Going off the lisinopril and metformin eased the pain from fluid pressure on my knee somewhat, although there is still some residual pain. I think the cramping must have predisposed me to the knee injury, but I can't think of any precipitating events (I was not active much with the leg cramps).

Lessons:

1) take persistent muscle cramping very seriously, because there can be serious  consequences and doctors do not seem to take them seriously

2) there needs to be much more attention paid to the side effects of these medications -- and much more thinking about whether and when they should be prescribed. The patient information paragraphs given out with the meds are inadequate.

3) there needs to be a national (or even international) registry of patient-reports on side effects of drugs -- with millions of people taking these drugs, we would build up knowledge of their effects very fast. Why don't we (or can't we) have such a registry? This is a no-brainer, just like the cancer registries that we now have. Every time there is a symptom possibly caused by a drug, doctors should have a simple, fast way of reporting that possibility. We should not expect meds to have zero side effects, but we should have mechanisms in place to rapidly recognize them when they are occuring.

I got the same response from my Doctor, I fear the Doctors believe what the Drug companies tell them, and they like the benefits they receive, so they don`t question weather the drugs might cause problems! I`ve had leg cramps and feet cramps like you, when I stoped taking the cholesterol drug, the cramps ceased. A coincides? I don`t think so!

To Barb and all those who get leg cramps at night and who take cholesterol lowering drugs.  I have high cholesterol, and have taken lovasatin and simvastatin, and I get severe leg cramps primarily at night.  Extra dosages of calcium and potassium seem to help but I still get them.  The VA used to prescribe Quinine but that is now unavailable.  There is a product called "Leg Cramps" by Hyland, which contains Herbal Quinine and you can get it at the the local CVS or Snyders.  It comes in two different tablets, one is disolvable in the mouth the other can be taken with water.  They both seem to help but not completely.  I don't know the answer and my doctors don't either.  A good walking program will keep the legs conditioned and that seems to help too.  Good luck.

I have been on Lipitor for over 10 years. About 1 1/2 years ago I started getting horrific cramps in my calves, feet and ankles at night. There were non-stop....awful pain....no sleep. Eventually I stopped taking Lipitor out of despertion and the cramps subsided for the most part. I finally told my dr that I had gone off the meds. After 6 months I was re-tested (results were ugly as expected) and doctor has now put me on Crestor. The very 1st night the cramps returned. The next night was even worse. I just started taking coQ10 to see if that helps. Apparently from reading this message board this is a fairly common problem. Why don't doctors listen?

Me too....After being on 20mg of Crestor for 2 years, I was recently switched to 40mg and these same cramps have been plagueing me at night also....what have you found out?

Sybil

I'm sure statins cause night cramps. I take Lipitor Atorvastatin 10mg and get leg cramps several times a night.  However I find taking  Quinine  Sulphate 200mg does help  - I know it does because I've run out of Quinine and have had cramps 3 nights in a row.

My name is Barb too ! and live in England.

HI" MY NAME IS PAM AND I ALSO SUFFER FROM LEG AND FEET CRAMPS AND I ALSO TAKE CHOLESTEROL MEDICATIONS FOR MINE BUT ONLY ONE THING THAT BOTHERS ME

THE MEDICATIONS DO NOT HEAL THE PAIN OF LEG AND FEET CRAMPS I TAKE TWO KINDS OF CHOLESTEROL MEDICATIONS AND THEY STILL DON"T HEAL THE PAIN THAT

WE SUFFER FROM THE CRAMPS AT NIGHT OR ANY OTHER DAY THAT DOES NOT GO

AWAY? I ALSO SUFFER FROM A WHOLE LINE OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS THAT JUST CAN"T BE HEALED THESE ARE THE KIND PROBLEMS THAT MOST AMERICANS HAVE TO

LIVE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES? BUT WE GO TO THE DOCTOR BUT THE ONLY THING

THEY GIVE US IS MORE MEDICATIONS TO TAKE?

HI" AGAIN I DON"T KNOW IF YOU GOT THE FIRST PART BUT HERE"S ANOTHER ONE FOR

YOU. HI AGAIN MY NAME IS PAM AND I SUFFER THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT YOU DO

LIKE I AWNSERED IN THE FIRST PART I TAKE TWO KINDS OF MEDICATIONS? I ONLY CAN GIVE YOU MY BEST AT THIS GAME AS MOST PEOPLE WOULD CALL IT BUT BETWEEN YOU AND ME IT"S NO DATEING GAME? BUT I KNOW JUST HOW YOU FEEL WE

CAN ONLY HOPE FOR THE BEST FOR ALL THAT HAVE THIS COMPLECATION I AND YOU

KNOW THAT THIS NEARLY THE END BUT NOT YET?  SO MY BEST ADVICE TO YOU IS TO

JUST DO LIKE ME JUST HANG IN THERE? WELL BETTER GO FOR NOW SEE YA" 

This might sound too simple but when you get night cramps, get out of bed and STAND on the leg/foot that is cramped.  The act of standing on it gives immediately relief and stops the cramp. It is amazing how few people seem to know this.

Of course you then have to get yourself back to sleep....

My husband has taken several different statins over the years and has also developed severe night leg and foot cramps in the past.  I am a registered nurse, and from previous knowledge had him drink a combination of 4oz of tonic water with 4oz of sports drink before bedtime.  All cramps dissappeared.  He does this several times a week, not daily and it is very economical.  Tonic water contains quinine in small amounts which along with the minerals in the sports drink helps to prevent the cramps.  Hopefully this will also work for others.

Absolutely I take zocor and get terrible leg cramps at night. Stop the Zocor and leg cramps dissappear. Start back on it and leg cramps in my calf come back.  definitely not a coincidence. Dr says leg cramps are not serious. But I am the one in pain.