Pravastatin and Joint Pain: What Users Say

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 20, 2019

For High Cholesterol "With any statin, you must take CoQ10. CoQ10 is an enzyme in your body that becomes depleted after long-term use of any statin. Lack of this enzyme causes joint pain. Talk to your doctor about how much CoQ10 to take with your statin. Also, having worked for the company that makes Pravachol, it is one of the mildest statins with very few, if any, side effects. It works well too."

• bdr...
• January 3, 2017

For High Cholesterol "Thought all my issues were from babysitting 3 kids under 5 for 5 years. Brain fog, blurry vision, severe muscle and joint pain in mid and lower back, anxious, awful Charlie horses in foot, leg pain, feeling like I aged 10 years. Been to 2 spine docs, chiro for 6 months, physical therapy, unlimited trips to my GP. (Yes, you have stress) No kidding, I am in pain. Not one doc said it was my meds. Finally going to a pain management doc for my back. My elbows started to hurt over summer and when I mentioned it to him, he said, could it be pravastatin? He said he has seen it before. Stopped pravastatin 2 months ago, fog is gone, no Charlie horses, anxious well down, back is finally starting to feel better. I am so mad no doctor ever mentioned it!"

• Edd...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 22, 2020

For High Cholesterol "I started Pravastatin over five years ago and it did lower my bad cholesterol. However, my legs began aching badly after a few years. I attributed it to my lower back pain until I had a procedure for my back that burned the nerves. This helped my back but didn't help my never-ending leg pain. My upper and lower leg muscles burned and ached, the back of my knees and ankles hurt to the point that it was hard to walk, and my urine turned brown. My doctor stopped the Pravastatin and the pain gradually lightened, giving me hope that it will eventually stop. It has been three weeks and I hope to be off pain pills eventually. Never again will I take a statin. It did its best to debilitate me completely but it did lower my cholesterol. The price of pain was too high."

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 14, 2021

For High Cholesterol "I am only taking 5 mg 2 times a week, and I am still so sick, tired, dizzy, reflux, stomach hurts, joints hurt, tips of fingers pain. Itching rash on neck, anxiety worse, hard to breathe at times, heart palpitations, nausea. Just can't live like this, can't leave my home because I am so sick from this stuff. Been on this for 2 months now. I have to stop it. Statins are really hard for some people. My husband takes pravastatin 40 mg and has no problem. Lucky him. I can't handle it. Done with it."

• Doc...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 26, 2022

For High Cholesterol "Started nearly ten years ago with pravastatin. Very bitter taste when administered, but it subsides after drinking water. Slow onset of muscular and joint pain, which has severely increased over time. My back pain increased, and now I have joint pain in my feet, wrists, and back of the neck. Migraines have increased, but the etiology may be a combination of other things. Sleep decreased, and now I have sleep apnea. Periodic symptoms of vertigo, and my weight is hard to shed. Now I have thyroid issues. My age is 52. This is a long list of side effects, but the alternative could be stroke or death. Looking for alternative meds because diet and exercise did not work to control my levels. Dose 40 mg/night. This med is very effective, but side effects have become unbearable."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 30, 2023

For High Cholesterol "Decreased my cholesterol from 5-10 to 4-6. It gives me painful joints, but sometimes I miss a day and take lecithin or plant sterol capsules with a low saturated diet. I'm on 10 mg now (half of the 20 mg tablet)."