It is my experience that the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as ‘statins’ have been vigorously embraced by the medical profession as a largely safe and effective preventive for cardiovascular disease. Yes, the best available evidence we have is that this class of drugs have somewhat limited effectiveness. I wrote about this earlier this year.
Another side to statins, of course, is that they are not without risk. In particular, they have the capacity to deplete the body of a nutrient known as ‘coenzyme Q10′. Low levels of this substance in the body can lead to various symptoms which include fatigue and muscular pain.
Below, I have added in a piece which explore the issue of statin-induced coezyme Q10 (CoQ10) depletion in more depth.
Recently, researchers in New York, USA, tested the effect of CoQ10 supplementation in a group of 32 individuals taking statins who were experiencing muscular symptoms such as muscle pain [1].
Half the group was treated with CoQ10 at a dose of 100 mg per day, while the other half received vitamin E (400 IU per day) which might be regarded as a ‘placebo’ in this study.
After 30 days, those taking the CoQ10 saw a 40 per cent decrease in muscle pain severity and a similar drop in the extent to which this pain affected their daily lives. In contrast, the taking of vitamin E did not lead to any significant changes in symptoms.
What this study shows is that CoQ10 supplementation may be of real benefit for individuals suffering from the side-effects of statins. My advice is that if someone is taking or planning to take a statin drug, is that they should at least accompany it with some CoQ10.
References:
1. Caso G, et al. Effect of coenzyme q10 on myopathic symptoms in patients treated with statins. Am. J. Cardiol. 2007 May 15;99(10):1409-12.
The hazards of taking statins to reduce cholesterol and what you can do about it – 22nd August 2004
It seems barely a week goes by before some doctor or scientist is extolling the virtues of the cholesterol-quelling drugs known as statins. So great for is the enthusiasm for these drugs, that Department of Health recently decreed that one statin (simvastatin) should be made available over-the-counter (OTC). This at first sight might seem like a smart move by a Government concerned for our health and longevity. However, as was pointed out in an editorial in the Lancet medical journal recently, statin use in individuals without known cardiovascular disease has not been proven to reduce overall risk of death. With the NHS spend on statins expected to rise to �£2 billion per annum by 2010, it seems the Government’s move to make statins available to buy OTC may be motivated by a desire to save not lives, but money.
Another reason why I believe we should be somewhat cautious about rushing out to by statins from pharmacies as though they were sweeties in a sweetshop is that this class of drug is known to have the potential for side-effects which include liver damage, digestive symptoms, muscle pain, muscle weakness and fatigue. There is some evidence that at least some of the side-effects of statin drugs are a direct product of their primary mode of action in the body. Statins work by inhibiting enzymes in the body’s cells responsible for the internal manufacturing of cholesterol. Unfortunately, the very same enzyme suppressed by statin drugs is responsible for manufacturing a substance known as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which plays a critical part in the reactions that generate energy within the body’s cells.
Several studies show that dosing up on statins can deplete the body of CoQ10. Bearing in mind CoQ10′s starring role in the generation of energy in the body, it is perhaps no surprise that individuals taking statins in the long-term can find themselves suffering from weakness, fatigue and exhaustion. CoQ10 seems to be particularly important for maintaining the healthy functioning of the heart muscle. This is why, as I mentioned in my column three weeks ago, that supplemental CoQ10 is a potentially useful agent in the treatment of heart weakening known as cardiac failure. Logic dictates that statins, through their CoQ10 depleting effects, might actually weaken the primary organ they are designed to protect.
Because it can take many months or even years after starting statin therapy for CoQ10 levels to be lowered sufficiently to provoke symptoms, it is easy for the drug’s role in fatigue to go unrecognised. Those taking statins, particularly in the long term, might do well to ensure a good intake of CoQ10. The richest dietary sources of this nutrient are organ meats such as liver and kidney. Other foods which offer useful amounts of CoQ10 include nuts, sesame seeds, oily fish and broccoli.
In addition, I recommend that individuals taking statins supplement with 50 – 100 mg of CoQ10 per day. For individuals who have symptoms of CoQ10 depletion such a muscle weakness, fatigue or reduced stamina, I suggest 100 – 150 mg of CoQ10 be taken each day, though even at this dose it may take some months for symptoms to abate. In the long term, however, CoQ10 supplementation can help those taking statins from falling foul of an energy crisis.
Very useful & informative
What do you recommend that a patient taking simvastatin do about myopathy? I started taking 20 mg of simvastatin/day three years ago and I have been shocked to see from beach photographs of me from that time how massive my muscle loss has been. No doubt some of the profound fatigue I have been experiencing is due just to the loss of skeletal muscle.
i had been on statins for 5 yrs when my muscle pain became very pronounced in that my left foot was so painful that i had to change to an auto car and could hardly walk for the pain.i left them off over 2 months ago and started a course of co enzyme q10.although some improvement still walk with a limp and cant walk far so is there anything else i can do or take for this muscle pain and weakness as my doctor doesnt have any answers for this problem.
I have been taking Simvastatin (following a triple bypass) for 5 years and have had pain in my left leg and have often said that I need to drive an automatic. About 2 months ago the pain became very bad and every night I have to get up and go downstairs, returning in the early hours after walking around a bit and also this prevents me being a disturbance. I find that my heart drugs cause digestive and bowel problems and would love to come off them but am too frightened to do it myself. My doctor does not seem to hear what I say and just asks me to try other drugs, usually one that makes me sleep all day and night. I prefer to have a life with pain! Although I eat the foods with CoQ10 already, I will try the tablets. All the best to everyone.
I have recently had a mild heart attack. The blood tests indicated that I had raised cardiac enzymes . An angiogram test showed that I have no damaged arteries and my heart muscles are OK. Of course I have been given the usual drugs to take but I am reluctant to take statins . The last time I had a cholesterol test it was 5, but the HDL could be higher. I have asked for another test when I would have to fast for 14 hours. However, my doctor would not let me do that. Is there anything I can do to improve my HDL and under the circumstances am I wise to stay off the statins?
I had been taking Atorvastatin [40mg/day] for several years, I forget how many, when I developed severe pains in my legs. I stopped taking it and spoke to my GP. He tried a lower dose but the pain was as bad. I have been off them for about 3 weeks now. The pain still wakes me at night but isn’t as bad. I will try the CoQ10 tabs, thank you. As with a previous reply, I eat foods which contain it but no longer eat liver…………perhaps I’ll start on that again. I don’t know what my cholesterol levels are like now.
i would like to say like most that have wrriten on this pagei was on stattins for about a year.i had terrible muscel pain and leg pain.doctor took me off the statins and have not had any since i still get pains in my arms.SOi am going to get some Q10 and start takeing them.wish you well.
You can reduce high cholesterol and reduce likelihood of heart disease and heart attack and a host of other health problems by minimising intake of salt and salty food. Lowering sodium intake also reduces excess weight without dieting.
Sorry Margaret salt has no effect on Cholesterol synthesis, and has very little impact if any on normal non-hypertensive patients.
Statins – I have been on Lipitor for nearly 10 years and gradual age related increase in chol levels were addressed last year by an increase to 40mg, as a runner (probably now just a jogger to be honest) I started suffering calf muscle pulls that crippled me for days and prevented running for a month at a time. Eventually I overcame my skepticism and ordered some 100mg CoQ10. Six months on and no further muscle pulls, so it might be circumstantial but I dare not stop! I found a patent application by Merck&Co filed in 1989 2 years before they launched Zocor (simvastatin) which was for simvastatin plus CoQ10 combination (application number 07/298535) indicating a concern at the time of their phase III trials!
dear sir,
my husband has been on 20mg simvastatin for a year and a half now. he has severe muscle weakness, is lethargic and in a lot of pain, he even cries out in the night with the pain in his wrists and arms. he has lost his cognitive skills, he can no longer open a bottle of pop let alone do his job. i think he has myopathy and his gp does nothing. his liver functions are raised and he takes 8 x 30/500 co codamol in 24 hours and 50mg voltarol x3 times per day damaging his liver even more.i have made him stop the statin drug and supplement it with plant sterols, a drug called cardioace that i bought from the health food store. can the side effects from the statin drugs be reversed as i cant bear the thought of him being in this pain for ever. please help us. thank you
wendy marshall.
My doctor started me on a cholesterol-lowering drug which I took for 2 years. After this period of time, I experienced extreme muscle fatigue, burning and overall “tiredness” of my muscles (I mostly noticed it in my arm muscles when doing laundry, tidying up after my kids, making up beds, etc.). I stumbled on an article about CO-ENZYME Q10. I began using it (200mg daily). What a difference! Mind you, my doctor put me through numerous types of cardiac testing only to find my heart was in perfect condition. I strongly believe my body was depleted of CoEnzyme Q10, hence my muscular fatigue. I feel so much better now and wish more doctors would tell their patients to go on this nutrient if they are taking statins. Wish I knew a long time ago what I know now.
I am really happy that you published this article, I too strongly believe that taking statins (western med.) is very damaging to the very organ it is suposed to protect. I was on crestor 10 mg per day for three months and it did lower my tri,and HDL, but it also gave bad neck, back, arm, chest and stomach pains along with being tired and depressed. As I now learned that this CoQ10 can help I will surely be trying it , and I did see it mentioned alot on other web sites and alot of people who are either on/off statins had positive things to say about it. After visiting my doctor I told him the bad side effects of this crestor drug so he switched me to lipitor 40mg which I am not taking. I am going to fight my high tri an HDL with exercise and eating right and I would advise that everyone who is on or planning to take this (western med) Statins of any kind stop and go the natural way take it from one who tried it and thos who are still on it . All the best !
Hello, I have taken Symvastatin for a couple of years and researched what I was taking. I have now been taking CoQ10 for about three months as the tiredness is a problem for me at work. I go to bed as early as I can and sleep well; how lucky is that? The CoQ10 is great and I am so pleased there is no adverse publicity on it so far.
Dopn’t be a vicitm of a doctor’s knowledge, research things, especially your own body and health.
Good luck and have a nice summer.
Jackie
I took Simvastatin for 4 years, and gradually muscle fatigue became so bad that by 1600hrs, I was virtually unable to walk or lift my arms. I had been complaining about this to my doctor for a year, and she never mentioned that it could be due to the statin. I had to self prescribe after doing my own research. I have now been off these devil pills for 6 months and got my life back. Unfortunately a recent cholestrol test showed 5.9 and I have been prescribed primvastatin as a solution. I am on the 4th day, no side effects at the moment. Has anybody got experience of this statin.
I’ve been fighting Gout like pain since starting simvastatin and after 8 months my Dr. told me about CoQ10 and I’m very optomistic. I started last week and I’ve felt better than I have in months.
I am taking CoQ10, 200mg. I take Vitamin D, calcium, Vitamin E 800 I.U, vitamin C 500 mg. I take them after my breakfast. It is OK to take all of them at the same time?
To Irene Mouton and all those who wish to increase their HDL levels.
About 3 months ago my Lipid profile should that all was well. However, my HDL level was at 38 in a range of 35 to 55.My wife’s HDL level was at 43.
My wife and I took 2 table spoons of virgin olive oil every morning with my Oats. After 3 months my HDL level was at 44 and that of my wife was at 49!
Try it . It works!
I am 61 and reasonably fit . I work out about an hour , 5 days a week. 35 minutes of walking / running ie about 3.5 kms, followed by weight training for about 30 minutes.I am 5.’10′ and 72 kgs!
The reports regarding nerve damage and muscle damage by Statins bothers me. After an angioplasty about 2 years ago , I was put on 40 mg of statins. ( Blood clot in my LAD after working out at the gym!)After a year I had muscle pain.
My Lipid profile was good with my LDL at 50 which is below the normal range of 60 to 150!
So my doctor reduced the dosage of Lipitor to 20 mg with 120 mg of CoQ10. No more muscle pain , but still worried about the long term effects.
Any suggestions are welcome!
I hope this helps some of you.
Cheers!
Ranjit
I was on lipitor for several years, developed severe muscle pain in my arms. Had to get Cortisone shots for relief. The doctor changed my meds to Simvstatin about three years ago, now I have developed the same muscle pain in both arms. she has now taken me off completely and prescribed CoQ10 and Pomegranate juice. Its been two weeks, still have the muscle pain. How long to reverse this.
I’ve been on Simvastatine 40 mg for more than two years, being part of the postpreventive stroke treatment (CVA. infarction).
Whatever the statine might have prevented – I’m very happy being off that ‘killer-drug’ (for me) since about 7 weeks now.
After about taking it for 1,5 years my muscles primarily worsened very slowly. Strong muscle pains in especially my legs and arms. Stiffness and even more weakness I’ve been already used to since my CVA (and/or since taking Simvastatine! – a loss in muscle strength immediately after my CVA/starting the drug of about 75% I myself estimate) of my muscles. After some months it worsened more and more quickly and in the end the deterioration was almost to be felt on a daily basis. I had problems to walk for about ten minutes. I had problems with simple things to do with my hands which need a bit of muscle strength. Almost shocked how I felt I stopped the Simvastatine, suddenly intuitively knowing that this was what was deteriorating my health more and more.
And I was right. 6 days after I had stopped with Simvastatine I started to feel better. After 10 days I was sure. I almost wasn’t able to get up from the sofa during evenings. It hurted too much to just get up. After 10 days my pain and immobility greatly had improved.
Around the same time the muscle pains started, also my problems with my intestines suddenly started. I got the diagnosis IBS but I still doubt and I more and more doubt it. My last acute bowl attack was the first while not taking the statine anymore and interestingly the strong pain I had to endure before was much less. Normally I suffered from the extreme pain in my belly during 10 to 11 days. This time I was done with ‘just’ 4 days. Also my belly since stopping the statine is much less blown up. My upper belly was like an air filled balloon, a very unconvenient feeling and at times even hurting too. My blown up belly is gone.
I do believe more and more the statine also provoked the so called ‘IBS’. I’ll know more about some weeks.
I’d be interested in the experience of others having suffered from IBS or abdominal pain b/c of taking statines. Did your pain stop after stopping taking the statine?
Are there people who suffered from as well muscular pain as abdominal pain induced by a statine? If so, please leave a message. I’d love to read from you. Many thanks beforehand!
Best wishes,
Tanja
PS:
As soon as I stopped with the statines I took about 100mg Q10 a day. I’m sure it also helped me and if I had to stake any statin again or might give an advice: never take any statine without at least supplementing it with Q10!