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.

I took one brand of statin for about 2 weeks and began experiencing horrible leg cramps - something I had never experienced in my 50 years. My doctor took me off this drug and put me on a non-statin. The cramps ceased immediately. After 6 months he wanted me to go on another statin, this time with a lowered dose of 5 mg per day. I am 15 days into this drug and once again, the cramps began last night while I was sitting in a movie theater. I had to walk around for 20 minutes until they subsided. I will be talking to my doctor again today...

You bet that statins cause leg cramps. Have you doctor do a CK blood test.  I'm off statins for now and no more cramps, vibrations or trigger finger. It's so nice to sit and watch TV without the terror that comes with the precursor of an attack. My cholesterol is up from 185 to 295 in the 6 weeks or so since I stopped all statins (Crestor being the last). I meet with my doctor in 3 weeks so perhaps he'll have a plan. I read that statins in low doses taken with CoQ10 there are no cramps. I'd be willing to give that a try. Whatever we decide I want blood work every 2 weeks like a Coumadin patient to monitor my CK levels. Normal CK (Creatine Kinase) blood levels range up to 198 U/L (units per liter). My level was 540.

I was aware that a statin could cause muscle aches.  Last December I had knee surgery, and since then I have been walking with a limp.  For the last few months I have been getting cramps, only at night, waking me up, and in the lower part of my legs and feet.  I am used to having cramps in my calf, mainly after working or working out (probably not stretching enough.)  But these are the STRANGEST cramps I have ever had.  They are in places in my lower leg I have never had cramps in my whole life, and I am 58.  At first I thought they may be related to my current bad walking style, but I started looking up the statin issue.  I have been taking Simvastatin for a couple of years, and Lipitor before that, and have not had muscle cramp problems like this, until the last few months.

I will talk to my doctor about this.  Obviously, I am exploring the statin issue again.  These are the strangest cramps - by my ankles, the side of my leg, top of my foot.

I can almost agree, I would get a burning like pain from my hip down my leg where I couldn't walk or stand in one spot for too long. when I would go shopping I needed to find somewhere to sit quickly, I was miserable. I stopped taking my cholesterol meds for about 2 mon. and there has been a significant change ! now I'm on a different cholesterol med. and I don't suffer as much, there has to be something about that.

I have had leg cramps, mostly at night, after beginning to take statins for cholesterol.  I also take a calcium supplement.  So, it appears the calcium does not reduce the leg cramping.

i have  had terrible  muscle cramps  in my feet at night.  it makes my muscles sore and hurts to walk the next day.   my legs are very weak also. i take 20 milgm. at bedtime.

Yes!!!!!  I don't know why doctors won't help people who have damage from these drugs.  I took lipitor and Crestor and had to stop each because of severe leg cramps.  I have diabetes and after a heart attack, I was told I had to take statin drugs.  They gave me Simvastatin and it seemed to be better (no severe cramps).  I have been on Simvastatin for 2 1/2 years and my only symptom was a strange feeling in my legs and weakness in my arms.  But, about a year ago I started to get this severe weakness in my legs and the distance I could walk constantly reduced until I could only walk for about 3-4 minutes before I couldn't breath and had to stop walking.  When I told the doctor about this and how it upset me, he said it was probably my back and I should have it checked.  I mentioned this to a friend who told me that the exact thing happened to her.  She immediately went off the drugs and within 3 days went on a walking tour of Washington DC with no problems since she has been off the drugs.  I went off of Simvastatin and I am still having trouble with my legs 2 weeks later but I can already walk for at least 20 minutes with no shortness of breath.  I recommend that you listen to yourself and if you feel it is the drugs giving you symptoms, get off of them as soon as you can.  There are several medical sites that have blogs that address the problems with statins.  They are very enlightening.  Check them out.

YES!

I have been taking Simvastatin (generic for Zocor) for about a month now and after about 2 weeks I felt small hints of cramping in my legs and feet. About 6:45 this morning I started getting extreme pain from cramps in my right foot. I jumped up and tried to walk and or bounce a little to get it to stop but it took about 20 minutes for the cramping to go away.

Years ago I was on my feet all the time on concrete floors and my legs would cramp. I would pretend to drop my pen or keys or look for something that needed to be picked up for an excuse to squat down to stretch my legs. I was told about vitemin E capsules. I doubted that it would work but I was desperate and so I did try it. After about 2 weeks I noticed a difference. After a month I noticed that I was not having to "pretend" to drop things any more. 

About 4 years ago I was injured on a job and could not work anymore. I was on certain medications and was told not to take the vitemin E while taking that medication. Now that I am not taking that I am starting to take the vitemin E capsule again. That, along with the prayers should work. Vit. E allows for better blood flow to your muscles and that helps. I was told all those years ago to take the "natural" vitamen. It won't hurt to try plus the vit. is good for you in other ways. One study is talking about how vit. E is being used for cramps during monthly periods.

Good luck and God Bless You!

You bet they do. I was on lipitor 40 mg and was having progressively worse cramping in my legs to the point one session caused my hamstring to tear. my doctor recommended co q 10 it helped for a while then stopped working. I took magnesium and calcium supplements which also no longer work. The final straw came when i had a cramp that retore the already damaged hamstring and i could barely hobble for 4 weeks with every step being torture. I stopped taking the lipitor and what was a daily cramp session lasting 4 or 5 hours affecting my feet legs back and arms stopped abruptly and has not returned.

Yes i have really bad leg and feet cramps due to cholestral tablets, mostly at night, but the pain of the cramps can carry on throughout the day. terrible and worrying

I have taken various statin meds iver the last several years, primarily Lipitor and Zorcor.  My cramping just started about 2 or 3 weeks ago.  The last episode of cramping Tuesday, Nov 3rd started in the left calf and then about an hour later in the right.  I agree that the pain is excrutiating.  However, when the pain passes usually that's it.  Not this time.  When I awoke in the AM and tried getting out of bed, I could barely stand up.  It's now Thursday (my doctor's day off) and I'm walking with a cane like an old old man (I'm 64).  I will be knocking down my MD's door at 9:30 tomorrow to find out if it is indeed the Zocor causing my problem.  I didn't take the Zocor today, so I'll see if there's any improvment in the morning.

Yes I too have a problem with severe cramps.  I had taken Lescol for 3 yrs after my heart-bypass surgery.  Then the muscle pains and cramps started.  I was put on Lipitor and they became worse.  Since I have to take cholesterol medication for good it seems, I was prescribed the 10 mg Crestor drug - and the cramps, severe at times, during day and night, have started again.  I was told to drink a small glass of Indian tonic water which includes quinine but really I just do not feel fast-relief results. I am really at a loss as I know that pain in the joints and muscles could be serious........but should I stop or is there another remedy to reduce cholesterol in my case? I do get cramps even during daytime, sometimes, especially in my toes........at night they affect my ankles mostly.

Yes I too have a problem with severe cramps.  I had taken Lescol for 3 yrs after my heart-bypass surgery.  Then the muscle pains and cramps started.  I was put on Lipitor and they became worse.  Since I have to take cholesterol medication for good it seems, I was prescribed the 10 mg Crestor drug - and the cramps, severe at times, during day and night, have started again.  I was told to drink a small glass of Indian tonic water which includes quinine but really I just do not feel fast-relief results. I am really at a loss as I know that pain in the joints and muscles could be serious........but should I stop or is there another remedy to reduce cholesterol in my case? I do get cramps even during daytime, sometimes, especially in my toes........at night they affect my ankles mostly.

I was (yes, was) taking 10mg of Lipitor for a little over a year and during that time I would have mild, annoying foot cramps and my heels hurt so bad to stand on when I first got out of bed I would wince with pain to walk.  I'm extremely active, working out 5-6 days a week and thought the heel pain was from the jumping up and down and plyometric exercises, so didn't put 2 and 2 together until I took myself off the meds. All pain and cramps went away.  I went off the meds (did let my dr. know), because I started researching statins and the side effects and they scared the living daylights out of me.  I wanted to lower my cholesterol holistically.  I purchased the book "Cholesterol Down" by Dr. Janet Brill and have been following the dietary changes for 3 weeks now.  My dr. agreed to let me try this approach for 6 weeks at which time I will have blood test to see if it works.  I will repost here if my numbers are satisfactory.

I take Lipitor and started having bizarre cramping muscles in my feet and ankles. I realized it must be from the statin when I would have a cramps in both ankles at the same time and location (odd little muscle). I took Lipitor in the PM as recommended, but switched to to AM. Then I added CoQ10 300mg, taken in the evening, and my cramps 98% disappeared!

Yes! I have been taking statins for about 10 years now. I have been through the line up of statins and have had different side effects with them all, with one common one Cramps. My inter thigh muscle would feel as if it were going to tear in two. Next day so sore I could bearly walk. My fingers cramp so bad I could not straighten them. When my rib cage cramped so badly I couldn't move I finally  awoke from my dream of lowering my cholesterol with statins. I thought what if my heart muscles do the same?????? I quit for a few days, go to the Dr. he told me to try this one, that one etc. after 2 pills the cramps are back so badly I can't function.

YES!  I never put the two together but not it makes perfect sense.  I started taking cholesterol meds about 60 days ago and that's about the time the cramps started!    Cramps in the toes, feet and calves. Mostly at night but now during the day too. They're getting more frequent at night also.

YES, what works for me is 100mg CoQ10 w/ 1000IU vit. D3

YES, I HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM WHEN TAKING STATINS BUT UNLIKE YOUR DOCTOR MY DOCTOR AGREED THAT THEY DO GIVE YOU LEG AND FOOT CRAMPS, SERIOUS ONE.  THEY CHANGED MY STATINS SEVERAL TIMES FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS.  NOW IM ON SMALL DOSAGES OF TWO STATINS THAT SEEM TO BE WORKING.  AT FIRST I WOULD TAKE BOTH ONE NIGHT AT BED TIME THEN THE NEXT AND I WOULD GET A CRAMP.  I THEN STARTED TAKING THEM EVERY OTHER NIGHT THEN ONE ONE OF THEM UNTIL FINALLY I'M ON BOTH FOR THE LAST MONTH AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FINE BUT FOR SOME REASON I CONTINUOUSLY SUFFER WITH GOUT....THEY PUT ME ON STEROIDS BUT WHEN THE TREATMENT IS OVER WITHIN 24 HOURS OR SO THE SYMPTONS WOULD RETURN.   I HAVE AN APPT TO SEE ANOTHER FOOT DOCTOR TO SEE IF IT COULD BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN GOUT.....

WELL I HOPE THIS HELPS.

HAVE A GOOD ONE.