How to relieve statin side effects

To relieve side effects believed to be caused by statins, your healthcare team may recommend several options. Discuss these steps with your care team before trying them:

• Take a brief break from statin therapy. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the muscle aches or other concerns you're having are statin side effects or just part of the aging process. Taking a break can help you decide whether your aches and pains are due to statins or something else.
• Switch to another statin drug. It's possible, although unlikely, that one statin may cause side effects for you while another statin won't. Simvastatin (Zocor) may be more likely to cause muscle pain as a side effect than other statins when it's taken at high doses.
• Change your dose. A lower dose may reduce some of your side effects, but it also may reduce some of the cholesterol-lowering benefits. Another option is to take the medicine every other day, especially if you take a statin that stays in the blood for several days. Talk to your healthcare professional to find out if this is right for you.
• Take it easy when exercising. If you aren't used to exercising, this might raise your risk of muscle injury. It's best to make changes in your exercise routine gradually. Exercise causes muscle pain too. So it is sometimes hard to know if the pain comes from the statin or the exercise in someone who just started an exercise program.
• Consider other cholesterol-lowering medicines. Although statins are the most effective medicines for lowering your cholesterol, other types of medicines are available. Sometimes, taking a combination of cholesterol medicines can provide the same result with lower doses of statins.
• Try coenzyme Q10 supplements. Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help prevent statin side effects in some people. But more studies are needed to learn about any benefits of taking them. Talk to your healthcare professional first to make sure the supplement won't interact with any of your other medicines.