After taking 10 mg. of rosuvastatin for three weeks, I had to stop because of debilitating weakness in my legs toward the end of the day. The research suggests that rosuvastatin has a fairly long half life and that the dose/benefits curve begins to flatten out early in the dose range. Is anyone who experienced muscle weakness on a daily dose now getting good lipid management results as well as relief from muscle weakness by taking 10 mg. rosuvastatin every other day?
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I took 40mg rosuvastatin for years and tolerated leg muscle aches (sort of felt like I had just worked out) which could be interpreted as “muscle weakness” as you describe. After reviewing the literature on CoQ10 supplementation to alleviate the aches I was skeptical at best that it would help. I took 100 mg of CoQ10 and noticed a difference within 24 hours. Worth a try if you haven’t already. I take 200 mg / day of CoQ10 now on 10 mg rosuvastatin. I’ve found the NatureMade brand works well, at one point I tried another brand and didn’t find the same affect so I think their can be some quality issues with the product. My rosuvastatin dose has gone down since starting PCSK9 inhibitor.
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This is a good suggestion @59vw. I have been taking 100 mg. of CoQ10 for years but I did not try increasing the dose. I could try again with 10 mg. of rosuvastatin and 200-300 mg. of CoQ10 and see how that goes.
Rosuvastatin did not make my muscles sore and there was no pain. My legs felt progressively weaker (heavy) as the day progressed. By the end of the day, it was a chore to walk. The next morning, my legs felt more-or-less normal and the cycle began again. When I stopped taking the statin (I had always taken it in the evening with dinner), my legs felt close to normal in 24 hours. Since it was likely that I still had considerable statin in my system at the 24 hour point, it made me wonder if I might be get by with an alternate day dose.
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Try another statin. CoQ10 won’t help.
Also measure your CK and liver markers, before starting statin, and around 6-8 weeks after.
If you get side effects just try another one.
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I was taking 5 mg rosuvastatin every other day alternating it with ezetimibe, 5mg “, to get LDL from 152 to 95 within 5 mo. Sometimes I skipped the dose. Also was taking Pantethine, 300 mg.
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Hi Rob,
I also take 10mg rosuvastatin - prescribed for high LDL, APOB, lipoproteins and a poor calcium score. After using the statin, I initially suffered muscle fatigue in the morning. This lasted for at least the first month. I got thru this by doing early morning exercise sessions for 20 minutes of relatively vigorous pilates and finished my morning shower with a 3 mins of cold shower. The combination of pilates and the hormone surge of the cold shower worked well. For discipline, and to help keep good balance, I used this cold shower time to do one legged balances with my eyes closed. I’m ready for pretty much anything after this 30m process. Additionally, the levels of the initial fatigue have certainly eased over time.
On a related point; Statins raise blood glucose in many people. My 23andme.com dna tests - taken 20 years ago - show that I carry 11 of 14 strs indicating a propensity towards type 2 diabetes. My uncle, brother and I share this propensity. They are both low grade diabetics, I am not. I stayed out of the pre-diabetes range by careful dieting and very regular exercise - marathons, triathlons and all the training in between. I assess that the statin moved my glucose up by 10%, into pre-diabitic range. Therefore, I have started taking SGLT2i medication (empagliflozin / Jardiance) to help reduce my blood glucose. The empagliflozin has been a very good addition to my regime. The sglt2i causes the kidney to filter excess sodium and glucose out thru urination.
There are other reputed benefits from the SGLT2i treatment including reducing glycated haemoglobin, weight, blood pressure and strong cardiovascular benefits and positive renoprotective effects. I cannot attest to these as yet although my BP seems slightly lower.
As a matter of self monitoring, I have just completed a 12 day FreeStyle Libre 3 CGM (glucose monitoring) and have a very clear picture of my blood glucose balance based on my “diet, exercise, stress and sleep”. My conclusion is that ALL of these facets are critical and have a significant effect on my glucose! Using the CGM has been instructional for me and I have changed some eating habits to improve my condition. I can also see why Peter Attia is a little skeptical about HbA1c accuracy.
A note on using a CGM. I read a post from a kiwi member of this community - I am Australian and New Zealanders are Kiwis - who had a nasty septic response from using a CGM. I can totally see how this could happen. You need to take the utmost care with to thoroughly clean the area where the needle point (monitor) is inserted into the skin. Over 12 days it could be very easy to get an infection!
A final suggestion; you may want to try the 5mg level of rosuvastatin for a while? This might be enough to give you the lipid effects you desire, or at least help your body adjust to the 10mg level sometime in the future? The idea of swapping statins is easier said than done in many countries.
Good luck and seasonal good wishes!
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Relevant study.
I take 5mg rosuvastatin every other day. I was taking 10mg EOD. I take it on non lifting days to avoid muscle aches. I do not have muscle aches if I do not lift weights. I take Eze 10mg daily along with niacin, fish oil, vit b5 pantothenic acid. My apoB is 48 but may increase with my lower dose of rosuvastatin.
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I had terrible side effects from Rosuvastatin. I switched to Bempedoic acid and the problem was solved. I don’t think it’s worth trying to get a substance which is toxic to you to work. Just find a non toxic substitute that works well. I’d recommend bempedoic acid, another statin or a fibrate like Gemfibrozil.
It’s like someone who is allergic to peanuts to take drugs to stop the allergy when walnuts taste just as good and do the same thing.
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Yes, I experience annoying aches with use of Atvorstatin 40mg x 1 daily.
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Well it’s New Zealand, there’s always something dangerous somewhere - pathogens, infections, snakes, spiders. The climate might play a role.
Yeah, there is literally no reason to push through side effects, that makes no sense, just try a different statin or medication imo.
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Unfortunately, I think you are confusing New Zealand with Australia wrt to poisonous or dangerous insects and animals. New Zealand has almost none.
On the other hand, Australia is positively brimming with malevolent creatures that commonly frequent the areas around our airports and ports. The theory is that they are attracted to tourists. 
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I’ve been thrilled to buy “Brillo EZ” from my Indian supplier. It’s the generic version of Nexlizet, which is Bempedoic Acid + Ezitimbe. This has similar AboB lower affects to statins, but only acts in the liver, so no muscle side effects. It’s super cheap too.
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I agree with this. Ubiquinol helped me with mild muscle pain I had on 10mg rosuvastatin daily. Whether it was placebo or not I don’t really care about.
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I actually found just taking magneisum got rid of any muscle issues I felt while taking rosuvastatin.
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Thank you all for your thoughts, experiences, and guidance. I really appreciate it. I will devise a strategy and report back if I learn anything that might be helpful to others. Thanks again.
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Rapasailor, can you provide name of supplier and contact info for Brillo EZ?
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Jagdish. rlhealthcare1928@gmail.com
My last transaction was:
Brillo EZ 180mg/10mg Tablet , Bempedoic acid (180mg) + Ezetimibe (10mg) = 3.6 USD For 10 Tablets.
For 360 tabs
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I take 5 mg daily without problem to reduce inflammation in arteries. This is considered normal dose. Measure with HsCRP blood test and Microalbumin/Creanintine Ratio Urinalysis. A medication is only effective if you take it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWggJwepvy8 Also, CIMT of cartoid artery
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Your 5mg ezetimibe dosage makes a lot of sense, I am going to switch to 5mg once I finish my 10mg capsule box;
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That’s interesting. You’ve got me thinking about EOD ezetimibe.
“The estimated terminal half-life of ezetimibe and ezetimibe-glucuronide is approximately 22 hours . Consistent with the elimination half-life of ezetimibe, an approximate 2-fold accumulation is observed upon repeated once-daily administration“
Ezetimibe: a review of its metabolism, pharmacokinetics and drug interactions - PubMed.
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