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Statins And Leg Cramps

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chanel5 | 07:16 Wed 22nd Apr 2015 | Body & Soul
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I have been on Simvastatin for over a year and have been experiencing the most excruciating leg and foot cramps imaginable. Sometimes the muscles the whole length of my leg, up to the hip, go into spasm and my foot and toes twist out of shape. No-one had warned me that this might happen, nor mentioned what to do if it did happen. I put it down to the fact that in the past year I have been making a conscious effort to walk more and some days cover a great deal of ground in my walks. i had read the leaflet with the statin tablets and saw that an uncommon side effect was "muscular pain" but did not equate this with leg cramps (silly, I know, and i don't know why I didn't make the connection). Recently, I mentioned to our local pharmacist about the leg cramps and he advised me to discontinue the statin tablet immediately and make an appointment with the GP (which of course will be at least three weeks in the future). I wondered if anyone else has experienced this side effect with statins and whether or not they were advised to discontinue their use.
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This is a well known, but in my opinion, under reported side effects of statins and makes one wonder if the benefits are worth the side effects.
I don' t think that they are.

However, before incriminating the statins, have a word with your GP to exclude other causes of leg and muscular pains.

Until you see your GP,I would discontinue thenstatins
My husband had bad leg pain with statins. I don't know if it was cramp. Doctor stopped the statins and it went away.
chanel5 i like you get cramp in my feet and calfs quite often ,never really associated it with my statins until i read your post ,i'll check with my doctor xx
I used to get leg cramps until my GP changed my medication to Atorvastatin and had no problem at all with these.
danny i've just changed to these .
About 5-18% of people on statins are reported to have this although muscle pain and weakness are more common than cramps. It is dose dependent so the higher the dose the more common this side effect.
Your GP may want to do a blood test, and discuss the risks/benefits of continuing to take statins.
It is possible that a lower dose or a different statin might help.

I hope you don't have to wait three weeks for an appointment.
When I was told my cholesterol level was too high I switched to Porage for breakfast and number lowered.
My daughter got me Great Cholesterol con book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Cholesterol-Malcolm-Kendrick/dp/1844546101
4 years ago statins was a 29 billion dollars industry in USA.
Money is behind this push to have us all on statins and the evidence of needs and benefits flawed.
If it is proven to be the statins ask your GP for a different one. I believe Simvastatin are the cheapest that's why they choose to give them. There are better ones with not as many side effects.
yes, my late husband did among other side effects (generalised aching, feeling unwell as though he'd had flu, stomach upsets). His idiot GP poo poo'd the idea that it was the statins, but what do you know, he stopped the statins and away went the side effects. I can't tell you to stop them as I don't know your medical history but if it was me, and I had no history of stroke or heart attack, then I would be doing as the pharmacist suggests.
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Thank you to everyone who took the trouble to answer. It is good to hear other people's experiences and to read their opinions and benefit from their knowledge. I have not taken a statin since I spoke to the pharmacist. Haven't had a cramp either, but haven't yet managed to get a doctor's appointment. In our town you have to call back at 9.00 a.m. each morning and eventually you get offered an appointment a couple of weeks ahead.

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