Updated June 08, 2015.
What are the common side effects of statins?
- The most common side effects of the statins are gastrointestinal -nausea, gas, upset stomach.
- Less common are headache, dizziness, rash, and sleep disturbances (sleep disturbances appear to be more common with atorvastatin and simvastatin.)
- Statins cause elevations in liver enzymes in 1 of 100 patients. Blood tests should be checked after a few weeks of treatment.
- Statins cause a muscle disorder producing muscle weakness, and occasionally pain, in 1 of 1000 patients. If muscle destruction is widespread, kidney failure and death can result.
- An exaggerated form of this muscle disorder is the reason cerivastatin (Baycol) was removed from the market.
Drugs that interact with statins
- Grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of most statins. If statin levels go up too much, muscle damage can occur.
- Certain antibiotics and cyclosporin can increase the effect of statins, and increase the risk of muscle damage.
- Taking statins with gemfibrozil (a different kind of lipid lowering agent) can increase the risk of muscle damage.
- Atorvastatin and simvastatin can increase the effect of Coumadin, and can increase blood levels of digoxin.
Tricks for reducing the cost of statin therapy
- Ask your doctor if he/she can prescribe one of the cheaper statins
- The 20 mg and 40 mg pills of atorvastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin (and the 80 mg pills of simvastatin) can be cut in half with a pill splitter. Taking half of a larger pill (for instance, half of a 40 mg pill) is cheaper than taking a whole smaller pill (e.g., a 20 mg pill.)
- Ask your doctor if lovastatin would be suitable. When lovastatin becomes available in generic form in 2002, the price will plummet.
- Grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of statins. Suggest to your doctor that if you agree to take your statin drug with grapefruit juice, you might be able to get by with a lower dose.